Associations of E-cadherin gene (CDH1) and hereditary gastric cancer in China / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protein expression, methylation promoter, somatic and germ-line mutations of E-cadherin gene (CDH1) in hereditary gastric cancer in China and to investigate its possible roles.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eight probands diagnosed with ICG-HGC criterion were enrolled in our database from June 1994 to October 2007. Tumor tissues were detected for CDH1 expression by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods. CDH1 DNA sequencing was performed for all its 16 exons both in tumor and normal tissues of the same patients to detect somatic and germ-line mutations. Methylation promoter study was performed by using specific primers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>IHC analysis confirmed that the CDH1 expression was negative in 7 probands and downregulated in the other on proband. Six mutations in five probands were found with DNA sequencing: two silent mutations and four missense mutations. All six mutations were absent in normal tissues, thereby excluded its presence in germ-line cells. Both DNA missense mutations and gene silencing through promoter methylation was found in 4 probands. Two probands has only promoter methylation and one proband had only silent mutation. No DNA missense mutations or promoter methylation was found in one proband.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>CDH1 gene germ-line mutations are relatively rare in hereditary gastric cancer in China, and whereas CDH1 somatic mutations and promoter methylation synergistically induce CDH1 downregulation in these patients.</p>

Value of spiral CT plus endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) and spiral CT plus PET-CT in the preoperative assessment of gastric cancer invasion to the pancreas / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the value of EUS and PET-CT in combination with spiral CT in preoperative assessment of gastric cancer invasion to the pancreas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty advanced gastric cancer patients with suspected pancreatic invasion detected by spiral CT were selected in this study. All the 60 cases were then examined by EUS and 14 of them by PET-CT. The results were compared and evaluated with the findings during surgical operation and pathological results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The rate of correct preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic invasion by spiral CT in advanced gastric cancer patients was 63.3%, with an overdiagnosis rate of 36.7%. The diagnostic accuracy was increased to 87.8% and overdiagnosis reduced to 7.3%, when combined with EUS. There was a significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between spiral CT alone and spiral CT combined with EUS (P<0.01), but no significant difference between spiral CT alone and spiral CT combined with PET-CT (P>0.05). Spiral CT-EUS was more valuable in assessment of tumor location and invasion than PET-CT (P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The accuracy of spiral CT alone in the preoperative assessment of advanced gastric cancer with invasion to the pancreas is not high enough yet at present. Spiral CT combined with EUS can provide more accurate information on the tumor location, invasion site and extent of gastric cancer invasion to the pancreas, and reduce the overstaging rate caused by spiral CT alone. However, spiral CT combined with PET-CT does not show such improvement significantly.</p>

A new statistical method on familial correlation dealing with family data from case-control studies / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This paper presents a statistical method of familial correlation on family data from case-control studies.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Marginal mean models of the probands and the relatives conditional on the proband's disease status, as well as the marginal association model of the relatives were modeled integrately. Conditional odds-ratio and marginal odds-ratio were used to measure the familial correlation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The parameter's interpretation in the model was in accordance with sample characteristics. This method is more efficient due to making fully use of information of the probands and relatives. In addition, the method has all advantages of GEE2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method in this paper efficiently and conveniently analyzes the family data from case-control studies to estimate the familial correlation on disease.</p>

A case-control study on the relationship between methyl-tetra-hydrofolic acid reductase 677 gene polymorphism and the risk of stomach cancer / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between methyl-tetra-hydrofolic acid (MTHFR) 677 gene polymorphism and the risk of stomach cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A population based case-control study was conducted and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to detect its genotypes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among cases with stomach cancer, the frequency of C/C, C/T, T/T genotype were 25.8%, 54.6%, 19.6%, compared with controls as 34.5%, 50.9%, 14.6% respectively. Using C/C genotype as reference, the OR of C/T or T/T genotype was 1.52 (95% CI: 1.04 - 2.23). 53.3% C and 46.7% T allele were distributed in stomach cancer cases, while 60.0% C and 40.0% T in controls. The OR for T allele in relation to C allele was 1.31 (1.02 - 1.69) when C allele was used as reference. In addition, the present study showed that MTHFR677 AnyT genotype might interact with smoking, moldy food intake, wheat porridge intake, eating salty food and Hp CagA infection to increase the risk of stomach cancer. No interaction was observed between MTHFR677 AnyT genotype and alcohol drinking or green tea intake.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MTHFR677 AnyT genotype, might increase the risk of stomach cancer development and the genotype might also interact with other environmental risk factors to increase the risk of stomach cancer.</p>

A case-control study on drinking green tea and decreasing risk of cancers in the alimentary canal among cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the role of green tea in decreasing the risks of gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers or cigarette smokers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A population based case-control study was conducted in Taixing, Jiangsu province.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In Taixing city, identified cases of stomach, liver and esophageal cancers were chosen with informed consent. The numbers were 206, 204, 218 respectively. Controls were chosen from normal population having lived in the area for longer than 10 years, also with informed consent. Green tea drinking seemed to have decreased 81%, 78%, 39% risk for the development of gastric cancer, liver cancer and esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers. It might also have decreased 16%, 43%, 31% on the risks of developing the three kinds of cancers among cigarette smokers. Interaction assessment showed that drinking green tea could significantly decrease the risk of gastric cancer and liver cancer among alcohol drinkers, with ORs of interaction item 0.23 (95% CI: 0.10 - 0.55) and 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11 - 0.57) respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Habit of drinking green tea seemed to have significant protective effects on the development of both gastric and liver cancer among alcohol drinkers while, green tea also having some protective effect on esophageal cancer among alcohol drinkers and on three kinds of cancers among cigarette smokers.</p>

Study on the protective effect of green tea on gastric, liver and esophageal cancers / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the protective effect of drinking green tea on the development of gastric, liver and esophageal cancers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A population based study was conducted in Taixing, Jiangsu province, including 206, 204, 218 cases, respectively, and 415 population controls.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Green tea decreased the development of gastric cancer risk by 40%. Dose-response relationships were observed between the length of time, concentration and quantity of green tea drinking and its protective effects on gastric cancer. For individuals who drink green tea for more than 250 g per month, the risk of gastric cancer reduced about 60%. Green tea might have protective effect on liver cancer. However, no protective effect of green tea was observed on esophageal cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Green tea drinking might be a protective factor for gastric cancer. However, the protective effects of green tea on liver and esophageal cancer were not obvious.</p>