Is obesity a preventive factor for lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a disease with multifactorial etiology, smoking playing the most important role among its risk factors. Some studies, however, indicate an inverse association between increased body-mass index (BMI) and the risk of lung cancer. In this paper, the association between BMI and lung cancer risk is analysed in two independent studies. In the first study, 751 lung cancer patients were compared to 30 058 controls. In the second study, 91 lung cancer patients were matched to 91 healthy controls. An inversed association was found between increased BMI and lung cancer risk. The inverse association remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, and smoking.

[Epidemiology of the metabolic syndrome and possibility for its prevention by physical activities]. / Epidemiologie metabolického syndromu a moznosti prevence pohybovou aktivitou.

An epidemiological review of the metabolic syndrome is presented. Focus is on history of the discovery of the metabolic syndrome, its definition and changes made to it, etiopathogenesis, incidence and possibility for its prevention by physical activities.

Serum Reg-Ialpha is not suitable marker of metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Reg-1alpha plays a role in various types of tissue regeneration. AIM: To evaluate serum Reg-1alpha for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. METHODS: 14 non-obese, healthy subjects and 15 individuals with metabolic syndrome were studied. Anthropometric and laboratory analysis in sera (Body Mass Index--BMI, insulin, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, uric acid, aglucose, Quicki calculation, Reg-1alpha) were performed. RESULTS: Reg-1alpha levels did not differ between subjects with metabolic syndrome and healthy subjects (means 597.7 vs. 631.1 ng/l, p < 0.01) and positively correlated only with fasting glucose (r = 0.34; p < 0.01) and age (r = 0.38; p < 0.01); Reg-1alpha correlated even after adjustment to age. Reg-lalpha concentrations did not differ in men and women. CONCLUSIONS: Our study, for the first time, indicates that serum Reg-1alpha is not useful for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (Tab. 3, Ref. 7).

Treatment with atorvastatin reduces serum adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein value in patients with hyperlipidaemia.

BACKGROUND: Adipocyte-fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) is a circulating protein expressed in adipocytes and macrophages. Several recent studies demonstrated that A-FABP might be involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, particularly in dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of atorvastatin treatment (20 mg day(-1) for 3 months) on serum A-FABP value in subjects with hyperlipidaemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anthropometric and serum analyses were performed for body mass index, A-FABP, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), creatine kinase (CK) and glucose on 26 subjects (BMI 30.3 +/- 6.0, mean age 62 +/- 10 years) with hyperlipidaemia who met the criteria: total cholesterol > 5.2 mmol L(-1), LDL cholesterol > 3.3 mmol L(-1) and triglycerides < 3 mmol L(-1). RESULTS: After the 3-month therapy, a significant reduction in total cholesterol (P < 0.001), LDL cholesterol (P < 0.001), glucose (P < 0.001), A-FABP (from 44.6 +/- 26.2 to 38.6 +/- 19.3 g L(-1), P < 0.01), uric acid (P < 0.05), AST (P < 0.05) and triglycerides (P < 0.05) values was observed. No difference was found in BMI, CK, ALT, hs-CRP, or HDL cholesterol values. A significant difference in the serum A-FABP value before and after the therapy remains after the correction for total cholesterol value (P < 0.001). A positive correlation between serum A-FABP and glucose was found (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, our study confirmed in vivo that atorvastatin reduces serum A-FABP by a pleiotropic mechanism and supports the hypothesis that A-FABP is involved in atherosclerotic actions.

[Tetanus immunity in the elderly in the Czech Republic]. / Imunita proti tetanu u starsích osob v Ceské republice.

The study objective was to test immunity against tetanus in the elderly in the Czech Republic. Within serological surveys and in old people's homes, 776 persons aged 60 years or more were tested for antibodies against tetanus by an ELISA method. As many as 91 % of these persons had medium to high titers of antibodies against tetanus. Low but presumably still protective titers of antibodies against tetanus were detected in 9 % of the population tested. We documented good immunity against tetanus among the elderly in the Czech Republic as a result of a rich immunization history in this country as compared with some other countries in the world. The sporadic incidence of tetanus cases in the Czech Republic over the last 15 years indirectly indicates the efficacy of the immunization strategy used.

[Pancreas cancer epidemiology]. / Epidemiologie karcinomu pankreatu.

Pancreas cancer is characterized by a rapid and fatal outcome. It is a non-communicable disease showing increasing incidence mainly in Europe, North America and Japan. In the Czech Republic, the incidence of pancreas cancer has more than tripled over the last 50 years. The pancreas cancer incidence and mortality rates are practically identical in this country. The standardized incidence rates (world standard) are 10.4 in men and 7.1 in women, with the Czech Republic ranking the sixth and fourth in the world, respectively. The standardized mortality rates are 10.4 and 7.2, respectively, with the Czech Republic ranking the fourth and sixth to seventh in the world, respectively. Very rapid fatality is also indicative of the seriousness of the disease whose median survival ranges from three to six months.

[Adiponectin and insulin sensitivity]. / Adiponektin a inzulínová senzitivita.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin is a fat tissue protein that plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of glucose and lipids, along with counteracting a number of risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and obesity. In addition, adiponectin has an effect on insulin sensitivity. The aim of this work was to assess concentrations of adiponectin in predefined groups of individuals and to analyse the associations between adiponectin and other metabolic parameters. METHODS AND RESULTS: The studied population comprised four groups of individuals, A-D. A--healthy controls, B--patients with impaired lipid metabolism, C--the obese, and D--patients with metabolic syndrome. When comparing the levels of adiponectin in groups of patients with impaired lipid metabolism (B), the obese (C), and patients with metabolic syndrome (D) with healthy controls (A), no statistically significant difference was observed between groups B and C and healthy individuals. In contrast, statistically significant difference was found when concentrations of adiponectin in patients with metabolic syndrome (D) were compared to those in healthy controls. Individuals with metabolic syndrome had the lowest levels of adiponectin - 5.3 mg/1 (men) and 5.6 mg/1 (women). The correlation coefficient for the association between adiponectin and HDL was R=0.57, for adiponectin and triglycerides R=-0.46, for adiponectin and BMI R=-0.37, for adiponectin and glycemia R=-0.34, for adiponectin and insulinemia R=-0.39, and for adiponectin and the QUICKI index R=0.44. CONCLUSIONS: One possible method of the complex evaluation of the metabolic syndrome development and its metabolic consequences is the assessment of adiponectin levels. Low levels of adiponectin indicate the development of insulin resistance.

Persistence of antibodies against tetanus upon revaccination.

To assess the interval since the last revaccination against tetanus the persistence of antibodies was determined using ELISA test in 128 subject. Levels of antibodies against tetanus higher than the protective level of 0.1 IU/ml were found not only in those revaccinated less than ten years ago, but also in those revaccinated more than ten years before. With increasing length of the interval since last revaccination the antibody levels against tetanus decreased gradually although they remained above the protective level. No basic dependence of that trend on gender or age has been found. In the whole series, antibodies against tetanus exceeded the protective level for up to 20-25 years post last revaccination. This finding together with a favorable epidemiological situation as regards the occurrence of tetanus could eventually enable to prolong the interval for revaccinating adults in the Czech Republic.

[Clinical epidemiology--critical assessment of treatment methods]. / Klinická epidemiologie--kritické hodnocení terapeutických mozností.

Basic principles of the critical assessment of treatment methods are described in this paper. Assessment of validity, importance and applicability of treatment methods evaluated is presented in details. Possible problems, complicating proper interpretation of results are pointed out.

[Clinical epidemiology--the risk of impairment]. / Klinická epidemiologie--riziko poskození.

Basic principles of the critical assessment of harm risk studies are described in this paper. Assessment of validity, importance and applicability of such studies is presented in details and possible problems, complicating proper interpretation of results are pointed out.