Risk of Osteoporotic Fracture in Patients with Breast Cancer: Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: The fracture risk induced by anti-estrogen therapy in patients with breast cancer remains controversial. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis and systematic review to evaluate the risk of osteoporotic fracture in patients with breast cancer.METHODS: A systematic search was performed to identify studies that included any osteoporotic fracture (hip fracture and vertebral fracture) in patients breast cancer. Main outcome measures were occurrence and risk of osteoporotic fractures including hip and vertebral fractures in patients and controls.RESULTS: A systematic search yielded a total of 4 studies that included osteoporotic fracture outcomes in patients with breast cancer. Meta-analysis showed a higher risk of osteoporotic fracture in patients with breast cancer. Analysis of these 4 studies involving a total of 127,722 (23,821 cases and 103,901 controls) patients showed that the incidence of osteoporotic fractures was higher in the breast cancer group than in the control group. The pooled estimate of crude relative risk for osteoporotic fracture was 1.35 (95% confidence interval, 1.29–1.42; P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS: Although studies were limited by a small number, results suggested a possible association between anti-estrogen therapy and increased risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients with breast cancer.

DNA Polymorphisms and Haplotypes of Apolipoprotein A5's Attribution to the Plasma Triglyceride Levels in Koreans

PURPOSE: Recent studies using human and mice reported that apolipoprotein A-V (APOA5) gene plays an important role in controlling triglyceride (TG) concentrations. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplotypes in the APOA5 gene and TG in subjects and to search for possible associations of the APOA5 gene variants and common haplotypes with hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the case-control subjects including 100 HTG patients and 243 unrelated healthy control. The genes were screened for SNPs by direct sequencing in 48 genetically unrelated individuals. Six SNPs (-1390C>T, -1020G>A, -3A>G, V150M, G182C and 1259T>C) were genotyped in case and control populations. RESULTS: In this study, our results indicated a strong association between APOA5 SNP -3A>G and G182C and elevated TG levels (p<0.001). Analysis of the SNPs from APOA5 gene has identified major haplotype showing very strong association with HTG, CGGGTT (p<0.001). Likelihood ratio test (LRT) of these six SNPs revealed that haplotypes were strong independent predictors of HTG (p<0.001). Haplotype-trend logistic regression (HTR) analysis revealed a significant association between the CGGGGC (haplotype 2) and CGGGTT (haplotype 4) and HTG (OR=2.48, 95% CI=1.06-5.76 and OR=8.54, 95% CI=2.66-27.42, respectively). CONCLUSION: We confirm that the APOA5 variants are associated with triglyceride levels and the haplotype may be strong independent predictors of HTG among Koreans.

The Cardioprotective Effect of Intravenous Nicorandil for Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Nicorandil is a potassium channel opener, and it has been known to have a cardioprotective effect against ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the exact mechanisms of the effect are not known. In the previous studies on cardioprotection, administration of nicorandil was started early during the coronary occlusion. Therefore, it is not clear whether nicorandil can also be beneficial when it is administered from the time of coronary recannalization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 15 cats that had their chests surgically opened (8 nicorandil cats and 7 control cats). The proximal portion of the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was occluded with ligation for 90 minutes, then it was recannalized for 60 minutes. Intravenous injection of nicorandil was started at the time of recannalization of the artery (a bolus of 100 microgram.kg(-1) plus an infusion at a rate of 10 microgram.kg(-1).min(-1) ). At each stage of the experiments, the risk area and myocardial perfusion were assessed using color microspheres and myocardial contrast echocardiography. The size of the infarction was evaluated by postmortem triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Myocardial contrast echocardiography was performed with Pulse Inversion Harmonic Imaging (Sonoace9900, Medison). RESULTS: The risk area during coronary occlusion was 18.8+/-12.6% in the nicorandil group and 19.3+/-9.6% in the control group (p=NS). The perfusion defect immediately after and 1 hour after reperfusion was 13.0+/-8.7% and 8.4 +/-7.6%, respectively, in nicorandil group, and 16.7 +/-11.1 % and 13.4+/-8.8%, respectively, in the control group, (p=NS between groups). Myocardial blood flow in the LAD territory during occlusion immediately after and 1 hour after reperfusion was 56+/-31 %, 73+/-31 % and 69+/-28%, respectively, of the normal myocardium in the nicorandil group, and 65+/-20%, 101+/-75% and 77+/-42%, respectively, in the control group (p=NS between groups). The postmortem infarction size was 8.1+/-9.6% in the nicorandil group and 7.7+/-7.5% in the control group (p=NS). CONCLUSION: With administration of nicorandil from the time of recannalization in the ischemia/reperfusion injury model, we could not find any significant cardioprotective effect. The cardioprotective effect of nicorandil may be associated with preconditioning before reperfusion.

Coronary Arteriography in Acute Transmural Myocardial Infarction

To delineate the coronary anatomy and left ventricular function during early myocardial infarction, coronary arteriography and left ventriculogrphy were performed, prospectively in 23(22%) of 105 patients who were admitted to the coronary care unit at Masan Koryo Hospital from June 1986 to June 1988 within 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms(medium:21 days, range:18 days to 25 days). 1) Among 23 patients, male is 20 patients and female is 3 patients. The ratio of male to female was 6.6:1. The mean age was 55.4+/-10.3 years(range:34-77 years). 2) Coronary artery narrowing state which related to myocardial infarction was as follows; 2 patients(7%) had normal, 1 patients(4%) had insignificant narrowing(below 50%) 5 patients(22%) had moderate narrowing(50-75%), 10 patients(43%) had severe narrowing(75-99%), 5 patients(22%) had complete occlusion(100%). 3) The range of coronary artery disease was as follows; 9 patients had one vessel disease, 10 patients had two vessel disease, 1 patients had three vessel disease, and ejection fraction had no significant difference among 3 groups but lowest in three vessel disease. Among 23 patients, 13 patients had anterior infarction, 10 patients had inferior infarction. 4) Left ventricular ejection fraction and multiple vessel disease had no significant difference between i) the young(under 45 years old) and the old(over 45 years old) age groups, ii) presence or non presence of previous angina, iii) Killip classification I, II and III, IV) anterior infarction and inferior infarction. 5) In left ventriculography, akinesis and dyskinesis were shown at similar ratio in anterior infarction and inferior infaraction. Dyskinesis was shown in 27% of patients who have 0-1 vessel disease, 50% of patients who have 2-3 vessel disease, 62% of patients who have collateral circulation, 26% of patients who dose not have collateral circulation. 6) Collateral circulation was found in 8 patients(35%). Age and left ventricular ejection fraction were high in patients without collateral circulation than with collateral circulation, but there is no significant difference and collateral circulation exists regardless of infarction site and range of coronary artery disease. 7) As for the complication of angiocardiography in this study, there was ventricular tachycardia in 3 patients(13%) without mortality. It is concluded that coronary arteriography can be safely performed in early stage after acute myocardial infarction. Also good prognosis is anticipated since three vessel disease and complete occlusion were low in acute myocardiaol infarction of Korean People. Since these are not much case performed study, however more study on this area is required.