The association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of prostate cancer, high-grade prostate cancer, advanced prostate cancer, prostate cancer-specific mortality and biochemical recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Although a previous meta-analysis reported no association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and prostate cancer risk, a number of studies suggest that MetS may be associated with the aggressiveness and progression of prostate cancer. However, these results have been inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the nature of this association. METHODS: We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and bibliographies of retrieved studies up to January 2013 using the keywords "metabolic syndrome" and "prostate cancer". We assessed relative risks (RRs) of the prostate cancer, several parameters of prostate cancer aggressiveness and progression associated with MetS using 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: The literature search produced 547 hits from which 19 papers were extracted for the meta-analysis. In cancer-free population with and without MetS, the combined adjusted RR (95% CI) of prostate cancer risk and prostate cancer-specific mortality in longitudinal cohort studies is 0.96 (0.85 ~ 1.09) and 1.12 (1.02 ~ 1.23) respectively. In the prostate cancer patients with and without MetS, the combined unadjusted OR (95% CI) of high grade Gleason prostate cancer is 1.44 (1.20 ~ 1.72), the OR of advanced prostate cancer is 1.37 (1.12 ~ 1.68) and the OR of biochemical recurrence is 2.06 (1.43 ~ 2.96). CONCLUSIONS: The overall analyses revealed no association between MetS and prostate cancer risk, although men with MetS appear more likely to have high-grade prostate cancer and more advanced disease, were at greater risk of progression after radical prostatectomy and were more likely to suffer prostate cancer-specific death. Further primary studies with adjustment for appropriate confounders and larger, prospective, multicenter investigations are required.

Effects of humic acid coatings on phenanthrene sorption to black carbon.

Black carbon (BC) can strongly adsorb hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). The HOC sorption to coated BC could be attenuated in soil and sediment compared with that of the parent BC. To study the potential causes of the sorption attenuation, humic acid (HA) and BC were isolated. Phenanthrene (PHE) was selected as the representative of HOCs. BC was coated with the precipitated HA. The PHE sorption to the HA-coated BC was determined. The HA coatings on BC could result in the significant sorption attenuation of PHE to BC. The attenuation varied in different HA origin and was positively correlated to the aromaticity of HA. The attenuation could be explained by the direct competition between HA and PHE for the available sorption sites on BC and the reduction of the available sorption sites as a result of the pore blockage of BC caused by the HA coatings. Therefore, the HA coatings on BC was one potential cause of the attenuation of HOC sorption to BC in soil and sediment.

Preparation and evaluation of non-bonded hyperbranched polymer-coated columns for capillary electrophoresis.

A series of hyperbranched poly(amine-ester)s based on 1,1,1-trimethylolpropane, methyl acrylate and diethanolamine were synthesized and coated on the inner surface of the fused-silica capillaries by physical adsorption. The most effective coating was the seventh generation hyperbranched poly(amine-ester) coating, which reduced the electroosmotic flow (EOF) greatly and suppressed protein adsorption effectively. The high separation efficiencies for basic proteins were obtained and the coating had a good stability.