Dose-dependent detoxication of the airborne pollutant benzene in a randomized trial of broccoli sprout beverage in Qidong, China.

BACKGROUND: Airborne pollutants have collectively been classified as a known human carcinogen and, more broadly, affect the health of hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Benzene is a frequent component of air pollution, and strategies to protect individuals against unavoidable exposure to this and other airborne carcinogens could improve the public's health. Earlier clinical trials in Qidong, China, demonstrated efficacy in enhancing the detoxication of benzene using a broccoli sprout beverage. OBJECTIVES: A randomized, placebo-controlled, multidose trial of a broccoli sprout beverage was designed to determine the lowest effective concentration that enhances benzene detoxication adjudged by enhanced excretion of the urinary biomarker, S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA). METHODS: Following informed consent, 170 subjects were randomly assigned in 5 blocks of 34 each to drink either a placebo beverage (n = 55) or 1 of 3 graded concentrations of a broccoli sprout beverage [full (n = 25), one-half (n = 35), and one-fifth (n = 55)] for 10 consecutive days. Concentrations of SPMA arising through induced benzene conjugation with glutathione were quantified by MS in sequential 12-h overnight urine collections during the intervention. RESULTS: MS was also used to quantify urinary sulforaphane metabolites in each dosing regimen that resulted in a median 24-h urinary output of 24.6, 10.3, and 4.3 µmol, respectively, confirming a dose-dependent de-escalation of the inducing principle within the beverage. A statistically significant increase in benzene mercapturic acids in urine was found for the high-dose group (+63.2%) during the 10-d period. The one-half dose (+11.3%) and one-fifth dose groups (-6.4%) were not significantly different from placebo controls. CONCLUSIONS: An intervention with a broccoli sprout beverage enhanced the detoxication of benzene, an important airborne pollutant, when dosed at a concentration evoking a urinary elimination of ∼25 µmol sulforaphane metabolites per day, and it portends a practical and frugal population-based strategy to attenuate associated long-term health risks of air pollution. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02656420.

Polydatin Increases Radiosensitivity by Inducing Apoptosis of Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancer.

This study aimed to investigate the radiosensitizing effect of polydatin (PD) on colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying mechanism. The C57BL/6 mouse model of CRC was induced by treatment with azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and then divided into four groups: control, PD alone, IR alone, and combination of PD and IR. Radiation therapy (200 cGy/min, 10Gy) was performed in mice in the experimental groups for once a week with a total of four times. Thirty minutes before IR, mice were intraperitoneally injected with PD at the dose of 25mg/kg. The number and volume of CRC xenografts were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of Ki67 and cleaved caspase-3 in tumor tissues samples. The effects of PD on proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated in CT26 and HCT116 colon tumor cells. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 positive (Lgr5+) cancer stem cells (CSCs) were sorted from CT26 cells and the effects of PD on their proliferation and apoptosis were observed to elucidate the radiosensitizing mechanism of PD in CRC cells. Combined therapy with PD and IR significantly decreased tumor volume, inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of tumor cells in the mouse model of CRC compared to other three groups. Compared to the IR group, in vitro assay showed that PD combined with IR inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of CT26 and HCT116 colon tumor cells as well as Lgr5+ CSCs. However, addition of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type I receptor inhibitor K02288 (6.4nM) dramatically increased proliferation of Lgr5+ CSCs and abolished the cytotoxic effect of PD combined with IR on Lgr5+ CSCs. The in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that IR combined treatment with PD could inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of CRC cells and Lgr5+ CSCs, and BMP signaling pathway was involved in the radiosensitizing effect of PD.

Development of an Accurate and Proactive Immunomodulatory Strategy to Improve Bone Substitute Material-Mediated Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis.

Background: Treatment of large bone defects represents a major clinical problem worldwide. Suitable bone substitute materials are commonly required to achieve successful bone regeneration, and much effort has been spent to optimize their chemical compositions, 3D architecture and mechanical properties. However, material-immune system interactions are increasingly being recognized as a crucial factor influencing regeneration. Here, we envisioned an accurate and proactive immunomodulation strategy via delivery of IL-4 (key regulator of macrophage polarization) to promote bone substitute material-mediated regeneration. Methods: Four different IL-4 doses (0 ng, 10 ng, 50 ng and 100 ng) were delivered into rat large cranial bone defects at day 3 post-operation of decellularized bone matrix (DBM) material implantation, and the osteogenesis, angiogenesis and macrophage polarization were meticulously evaluated. Results: Micro-CT analysis showed that immunomodulation with 10 ng IL-4 significantly outperformed the other groups in terms of new bone formation (1.23-5.05 fold) and vascularization (1.29-6.08 fold), achieving successful defect bridging and good vascularization at 12 weeks. Histological analysis at 7 and 14 days showed that the 10 ng group generated the most preferable M1/M2 macrophage polarization profile, resulting in a pro-healing microenvironment with more IL-10 and less TNF-α secretion, a reduced apoptosis level in tissues around the materials, and enhanced mesenchymal stem cell migration and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, in vitro studies revealed that M1 macrophages facilitated mesenchymal stem cell migration, while M2 macrophages significantly increased cell survival, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, explaining the in vivo findings. Conclusions: Accurate immunomodulation via IL4 delivery significantly enhanced DBM-mediated osteogenesis and angiogenesis via the coordinated involvement of M1 and M2 macrophages, revealing the promise of this accurate and proactive immunomodulatory strategy for developing new bone substitute materials.

Superficial Temporal Versus Cervical Recipient Vessels in Maxillary and Midface Free Vascularized Tissue Reconstruction: Our 14-Year Experience.

PURPOSE: The aims of this study are to review our surgical experience in maxillary and midface reconstruction using free vascularized tissue and to compare the postoperative outcomes based on superficial temporal versus cervical recipient vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent maxillary and midface reconstruction with free vascularized tissue from March 2001 to July 2014. Two groups were analyzed: those in whom superficial temporal vessels were used as the recipient vessels and those in whom cervical vessels were used as the recipient vessels. Patient gender and age, cause and classification of the defect, flap choice for reconstruction, recipient vessels, postoperative course, and complications also were recorded and analyzed. A 2-tailed Fisher exact test was used to compare outcomes between the 2 groups. RESULTS: On the basis of the different recipient vessels, 94 patients were divided into 2 groups: those with superficial temporal recipient vessels (n = 44) and those with cervical recipient vessels (n = 50). The overall flap survival rate was 99.0%. The overall complication rate for vascular anastomoses was 5.3%. The complication rate in patients with cervical recipient vessels was higher than the complication rate in those with superficial temporal recipient vessels (8.0% vs 2.27%, P = .37). In addition, in patients in the group with superficial temporal recipient vessels, the postoperative scar in the pre-tragal region was rated as more satisfactory than the postsurgical scar in those in the cervical recipient vessel group. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend that the superficial temporal vessels be the first option for recipient vessels in free vascularized tissue maxillary and midface reconstruction because of proximity, superficial positioning, and suitability for anastomosis and monitoring and because these vessels are rarely compromised by prior operations or radiotherapy.

Genetic variants in five novel loci including CFB and CD40 predispose to chronic hepatitis B.

UNLABELLED: Hepatitis B virus affects more than 2 billion people worldwide, 350 million of which have developed chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The genetic factors that confer CHB risk are still largely unknown. We sought to identify genetic variants for CHB susceptibility in the Chinese population. We undertook a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 2,514 CHB cases and 1,130 normal controls from eastern China. We replicated 33 of the most promising signals and eight previously reported CHB risk loci through a two-stage validation totaling 6,600 CHB cases and 8,127 controls in four independent populations, of which two populations were recruited from eastern China, one from northern China and one from southern China. The joint analyses of 9,114 CHB cases and 9,257 controls revealed significant association of CHB risk with five novel loci. Four loci are located in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region at 6p21.3, including two nonsynonymous variants (rs12614 [R32W] in complement factor B [CFB], Pmeta =1.28 × 10(-34) ; and rs422951 [T320A] in NOTCH4, Pmeta = 5.33 × 10(-16) ); one synonymous variant (rs378352 in HLA-DOA corresponding to HLA-DOA*010101, Pmeta = 1.04 × 10(-23) ); and one noncoding variant (rs2853953 near HLA-C, Pmeta = 5.06 × 10(-20) ). Another locus is located at 20q13.1 (rs1883832 in the Kozak sequence of CD40, Pmeta = 2.95 × 10(-15) ). Additionally, we validated seven of eight previously reported CHB susceptibility loci (rs3130542 at HLA-C, rs1419881 at TCF19, rs652888 at EHMT2, rs2856718 at HLA-DQB1, rs7453920 at HLA-DQB2, rs3077 at HLA-DPA1, and rs9277535 at HLA-DPA2, which are all located in the HLA region, 9.84 × 10(-71) ≤ Pmeta ≤ 9.92 × 10(-7) ). CONCLUSION: Our GWAS identified five novel susceptibility loci for CHB. These findings improve the understanding of CHB etiology and may provide new targets for prevention and treatment of this disease.

Novel approach to identifying the hepatitis B virus pre-S deletions associated with hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To develop a novel non-sequencing method for the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-S deletion mutants in HBV carriers. METHODS: The entire region of HBV pre-S1 and pre-S2 was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The size of PCR products was subsequently determined by capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE). CGE were carried out in a PACE-MDQ instrument equipped with a UV detector set at 254 nm. The samples were separated in 50 µm ID eCAP Neutral Coated Capillaries using a voltage of 6 kV for 30 min. Data acquisition and analysis were performed using the 32 Karat Software. A total of 114 DNA clones containing different sizes of the HBV pre-S gene were used to determine the accuracy of the CGE method. One hundred and fifty seven hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 160 non-HCC patients were recruited into the study to assess the association between HBV pre-S deletion and HCC by using the newly-established CGE method. Nine HCC cases with HBV pre-S deletion at the diagnosis year were selected to conduct a longitudinal observation using serial serum samples collected 2-9 years prior to HCC diagnosis. RESULTS: CGE allowed the separation of PCR products differing in size > 3 bp and was able to identify 10% of the deleted DNA in a background of wild-type DNA. The accuracy rate of CGE-based analysis was 99.1% compared with the clone sequencing results. Using this assay, pre-S deletion was more frequently found in HCC patients than in non-HCC controls (47.1% vs 28.1%, P < 0.001). Interestingly, the increased risk of HCC was mainly contributed by the short deletion of pre-S. While the deletion ≤ 99 bp was associated with a 2.971-fold increased risk of HCC (95%CI: 1.723-5.122, P < 0.001), large deletion (> 99 bp) did not show any association with HCC (P = 0.918, OR = 0.966, 95%CI: 0.501-1.863). Of the 9 patients who carried pre-S deletions at the stage of HCC, 88.9% (8/9) had deletions 2-5 years prior to HCC, while only 44.4%4 (4/9) contained such deletions 6-9 years prior to HCC. CONCLUSION: CGE is a sensitive approach for HBV pre-S deletion analysis. Pre-S deletion, especially for short DNA fragment deletion, is a useful predictive marker for HCC.

Rapid and sustainable detoxication of airborne pollutants by broccoli sprout beverage: results of a randomized clinical trial in China.

Broccoli sprouts are a convenient and rich source of the glucosinolate, glucoraphanin, which can generate the chemopreventive agent, sulforaphane, an inducer of glutathione S-transferases (GST) and other cytoprotective enzymes. A broccoli sprout-derived beverage providing daily doses of 600 µmol glucoraphanin and 40 µmol sulforaphane was evaluated for magnitude and duration of pharmacodynamic action in a 12-week randomized clinical trial. Two hundred and ninety-one study participants were recruited from the rural He-He Township, Qidong, in the Yangtze River delta region of China, an area characterized by exposures to substantial levels of airborne pollutants. Exposure to air pollution has been associated with lung cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases. Urinary excretion of the mercapturic acids of the pollutants, benzene, acrolein, and crotonaldehyde, were measured before and during the intervention using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Rapid and sustained, statistically significant (P ≤ 0.01) increases in the levels of excretion of the glutathione-derived conjugates of benzene (61%), acrolein (23%), but not crotonaldehyde, were found in those receiving broccoli sprout beverage compared with placebo. Excretion of the benzene-derived mercapturic acid was higher in participants who were GSTT1-positive than in the null genotype, irrespective of study arm assignment. Measures of sulforaphane metabolites in urine indicated that bioavailability did not decline over the 12-week daily dosing period. Thus, intervention with broccoli sprouts enhances the detoxication of some airborne pollutants and may provide a frugal means to attenuate their associated long-term health risks.

[Relationship between serum hepatitis B virus DNA load and hepatocellular carcinoma in Qidong, China: a cohort follow-up study of 14 years].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between serum HBV DNA load and hepatocellular carcinogenesis in Qidong HBsAg carriers. METHODS: In 1997, 477 HBsAg carriers and 477 age, gender and residence matched HBsAg negative controls were enrolled as a prospective cohort in Qidong city. The entry serum samples were detected for the levels of HBeAg and HBV DNA. The relationship between baseline HBV DNA load and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) during the follow-up period from June 1997 to June 2011 were analyzed. RESULTS: The total observed person-years (PY) were 12 200. Eighty-seven patients developed HCC with an incidence of 1498/100 000 PY in the HBsAg positive group versus 6 with an incidence of 94/100 000 PY (P = 0.000) in the HBsAg negative group. The relative risk (RR) was 15.96. N o significant difference existed between the incidences of other tumors in two groups (P = 0.161). Compared with the HBsAg negative group, the RR of HCC was 11.38 (95%CI 4.87 - 26.62, P < 0.01)in the HBsAg+/HBeAg- group and 29.08 (95%CI 12.37 - 68.37, P < 0.01) in the HBsAg+/HBeAg+ group; 5.80 (95%CI 2.29 - 14.70, P < 0.01) in the HBsAg+/HBV DNA- group and 27.75 (95%CI 12.07 - 63.81, P < 0.01) in the HBsAg+/HBV DNA+ group. In HBsAg positive subjects, while the HBV DNA load was classified into 5 levels namely 250 - 10(4), 10(4)-, 10(5)-, 10(6)- and ≥ 10(7) copies/ml, the relative risks for HCC at each level were 2.84 (95%CI 1.44 - 5.61, P < 0.01), 5.75 (95%CI 2.77 - 11.95, P < 0.01), 9.05 (95%CI 4.71 - 17.41, P < 0.01), 6.39 (95%CI 2.79 - 14.64, P < 0.01) and 4.35 (95%CI 2.21 - 8.56, P < 0.01) respectively versus the < 250 copies/ml group. CONCLUSION: HBV DNA is an important risk predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma. The HBsAg carriers with the serum loads of HBV DNA between 10(5) - 10(6) copies/ml are most likely to present with HCC.

Predictive power of hepatitis B 1762T/1764A mutations in plasma for hepatocellular carcinoma risk in Qidong, China.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality with nearly 700,000 deaths occurring annually. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major contributor to HCC and acquired mutations in the HBV genome may accelerate its pathogenesis. In this study, a matched case-control investigation of 345 men who died of HCC and 625 controls were nested within a cohort of male hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers from Qidong, China. Matched preserving odds ratios (ORs) were used as a measure of association and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as a measure of precision. Real-time polymerase chain reaction allowed for a quantitative comparison of the levels of the HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation in cases and controls. A total of 278 (81%) of the cases were positive for the HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation compared with 250 (40%) of the controls. The matched preserving OR of 6.72 (95% CI: 4.66 to 9.68) strongly indicated that cases were significantly more probably than controls to have the mutation. Plasma levels of DNA harboring the HBV mutation were on average 15-fold higher in cases compared with controls (P < 0.001). Most strikingly, the level of the mutation in the 20 controls who later developed and died of HCC were on average 274-fold higher than controls who did not develop HCC. Thus, within this cohort of HBsAg carriers at high risk of developing HCC, individuals positive for the HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation at enrollment were substantially more probably to subsequently develop HCC, with a higher concentration of the mutation in plasma enhancing predisposition for cancer development.

Bioavailability of Sulforaphane from two broccoli sprout beverages: results of a short-term, cross-over clinical trial in Qidong, China.

One of several challenges in design of clinical chemoprevention trials is the selection of the dose, formulation, and dose schedule of the intervention agent. Therefore, a cross-over clinical trial was undertaken to compare the bioavailability and tolerability of sulforaphane from two of broccoli sprout-derived beverages: one glucoraphanin-rich (GRR) and the other sulforaphane-rich (SFR). Sulforaphane was generated from glucoraphanin contained in GRR by gut microflora or formed by treatment of GRR with myrosinase from daikon (Raphanus sativus) sprouts to provide SFR. Fifty healthy, eligible participants were requested to refrain from crucifer consumption and randomized into two treatment arms. The study design was as follows: 5-day run-in period, 7-day administration of beverages, 5-day washout period, and 7-day administration of the opposite intervention. Isotope dilution mass spectrometry was used to measure levels of glucoraphanin, sulforaphane, and sulforaphane thiol conjugates in urine samples collected daily throughout the study. Bioavailability, as measured by urinary excretion of sulforaphane and its metabolites (in approximately 12-hour collections after dosing), was substantially greater with the SFR (mean = 70%) than with GRR (mean = 5%) beverages. Interindividual variability in excretion was considerably lower with SFR than with GRR beverage. Elimination rates were considerably slower with GRR, allowing for achievement of steady-state dosing as opposed to bolus dosing with SFR. Optimal dosing formulations in future studies should consider blends of sulforaphane and glucoraphanin as SFR and GRR mixtures to achieve peak concentrations for activation of some targets and prolonged inhibition of others implicated in the protective actions of sulforaphane. Cancer Prev Res; 4(3); 384-95. ©2011 AACR.

[Progressive increase of serum circulating immune complexes and its significance in patients during the progression from chronic hepatitis B to hepatocellular carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of increasing circulating immune complex (CIC) in patients during the progression from chronic hepatitis B to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Serum levels of CIC from 20 hospitalized patients diagnosed by pathology with primary HCC, and 13 with hepatic hemangioma, and from 45 subjects with chronic HBV infection who finally developed into HCC (45 cases), and age- and gender-matched 45 subjects who kept the chronic HBV infection after consecutively followed up for 10 - 13 years by June of 2009 were quantified by ELISA. The serum levels of anti liver-kidney microsomal (anti LKM-1) antibodies were also measured by ELISA, and that of HBV-DNA were quantified by Taqman probe-based real time PCR in the followed up chronic HBV infection subjects. In the 45 chronic HBV subjects who finally developed into HCC and the 45 controls, serum samples were collected and determined at 3 time points: the baseline when the subjects were recruited, the middle point during the follow-up, and the end of follow-up. RESULTS: The serum level of CIC was significantly higher in the 20 HCC patients than that in the 13 hemangioma cases (P < 0.001). When HCC was diagnosed, the CIC concentration was significantly higher than that in the baselines (P < 0.001) in the 45 chronic HBV subjects who finally developed into HCC after the consecutively follow-up for 5 - 13 years. Of them, 36 patients (80.0%) showed progressively increased CIC during the follow-up (P < 0.001). In the controls, the CIC levels were kept relatively stable during the follow-up. Among them, 17 patients (37.8%) showed CIC slightly increased (P = 0.046). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that elevated serum CIC during the follow-up increased cumulative HCC incidence (HR = 2.77, 95%CI 1.47 - 5.22). In addition, the serum levels of anti-LKM-1 and HBV-DNA were also significantly higher in the patients who finally progressed into HCC than that in the controls and maintained at a high level during the follow-up tested at all the 3 time points. Further analysis indicated that the serum level of CIC was correlated with that of serum HBV-DNA only when HCC was diagnosed (r = 0.344, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Progressive increase of serum CIC level may be one of risk factors reflecting HCC development from chronic HBV infection.

[Longitudinal study of aflatoxin exposure in the development of primary liver cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between aflatoxin exposure and the development of primary liver cancer (PLC) in patients with chronic hepatitis. METHODS: A 21-year longitudinal study was carried out in a large cohort of 515 PLC high-risk individuals with HBV infection in PLC high prevalence region. RESULTS: (1) The PLC year-incidence of cohort was 1437.25/100,000. And it was significantly higher than that of the same natural peoples (184. 53/100,000, P = 0.000, RR = 7.79). There was no significant difference in the incidence of other tumors between these two groups (P = 0.576). (2) The PLC patients in the cohort were diagnosed at an average age 1.4 year younger than those in the same natural peoples and had an average survival of 6.42 months longer than the latter. (3) The PLC year-incidence of those with the exposure to aflatoxin was significantly higher than that of unexposed people (2784. 96/100,000 vs. 1251.02/100,000, P = 0.008, RR = 2.23). There was no relationship between the incidence rate of other tumors and the aflatoxin exposure. (4) The PLC year-incidence of aflatoxin-exposing people increased with the rising urine excretion of AFM1. When the urine excretion of AFM1 was more than 100 ng during 24 hours, the PLC year-incidence was high as 4717.82/100,000. The urine excretion of AFM1 was also obviously related with the abnormal liver function (P = 0.035). There was no relationship with the positive rate of HBeAg (P = 0.812). (5) The PLC year-incidence of those with the exposure to aflatoxin were infected with HBV (2 784. 96/100 000) significantly higher than that of cohort people (P = 0.001) and the same natural peoples (P = 0.000, RR = 15.09). (6) It took an average time of 14.65 years (median 13.68) from hepatitis occurrence to PLC diagnosis and 7.38 years (median 6.40) from liver cirrhosis to PLC diagnosis. CONCLUSION: HBV infection is a main etiological factor of PLC and the aflatoxin exposure has obvious synergistic effect in the carcinogenesis of PLC. Regular observation in a PLC high-risk cohort is effective for an early diagnosis and treatment. Hepatitis control and aflatoxin de-pollution is effective to inhibit the occurrence of PLC.

[The association of hepatitis B virus genotype and the basal core promoter mutation in Qidong, China].

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and the association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or basal core promoter (BCP) mutation in Qidong, China. METHODS: The whole genome of HBV or X gene sequences were obtained from serum samples of HBV infected patients by using PCR and direct sequencing methods. Phylogenetic tree was constructed to determine the genotypes or subgenotypes of HBV. RESULTS: According to the phylogenetic tree constructed from full-length sequence of HBV, genotype C2 was predominant in Qidong area. It was prevalent in 44 out of the 48 cases (91.7%), whereas genotype B2 only existed in 4 cases (8.3%). No other genotypes or recombinant types were found in Qidong patients. The result of genotyping based on X gene sequence confirmed the above observation. In a total of 182 samples, 169 (92.9%) showed genotype C2 and 10 (5.5%) showed genotype B2. There were 3 (1.6%) patients showed a coinfection with C2 and B2. The infection rate of genotype C in Qidong was significantly higher than that in neighboring city Shanghai (chi(2) = 12.252, P less than 0.01). There was no significant difference of genotype distribution between HCC and chronic hepatitis groups (P is more than 0.05). The frequency of T1762/A1764 double mutation in genotype C2 (70.3%) was significantly higher than that in genotype B2 (30.8%, P less than 0.05). The other two types of point mutation which also occurred in BCP, i.e. T1766 and A1768, were only seen in genotype C2. CONCLUSION: (1) Genotype C2 is the predominant genotype in Qidong, China. (2) There is no association between genotype C and HCC in Qidong. (3) Genotype C has a higher prevalence of BCP mutation than genotype B.

Acceleration to death from liver cancer in people with hepatitis B viral mutations detected in plasma by mass spectrometry.

Liver cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in many regions of the world. With the goal to discover biomarkers that reflect subsets of high-risk individuals and their prognosis, we nested our study in a male cohort of 5,581 hepatitis B surface antigen carriers in Qidong, People's Republic of China, who were recruited starting in 1989. By December 2003, 667 liver cancer cases were diagnosed in this group and plasma samples collected at the initial screening at enrollment were available in 515 cases who had succumbed to liver cancer. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA could be isolated in 355 (69%) of these samples. In 14%, 15%, 19%, 31%, and 22%, screening took place at < or = 1.5, 1.51 to 3, 3.01 to 5, 5.01 to 9, and > 9 years before death, respectively; and 39% died at age below 45 years. The relation between mutations in HBV and time to death were determined by logistic regression for the odds of mutation and by survival analyses methods with age as the time scale. In 279 (79%) of these individuals, the samples contained a two-nucleotide 1762T/1764A HBV mutation. Sixteen samples lacking the 1762T/1764A mutation had novel mutations elsewhere in the 1761 to 1767 region of the HBV genome. There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.012) for the high prevalence of the HBV mutations in the men who died from hepatocellular carcinoma under the age of 45 years relative to those who died after 55 years of age and HBV mutations accelerated death (relative hazard, 1.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.85) and that the effect was attenuated by age from 2.04 for age 35 years to 1.0 for age 65 years with the 90% confidence band being above 1 for ages < 50 years. These findings provide a conceptual framework to explain the acceleration of mortality in individuals infected with HBV.

Effects of glucosinolate-rich broccoli sprouts on urinary levels of aflatoxin-DNA adducts and phenanthrene tetraols in a randomized clinical trial in He Zuo township, Qidong, People's Republic of China.

Residents of Qidong, People's Republic of China, are at high risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma, in part due to consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods, and are exposed to high levels of phenanthrene, a sentinel of hydrocarbon air toxics. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain anticarcinogens. Glucoraphanin, the principal glucosinolate in broccoli sprouts, can be hydrolyzed by gut microflora to sulforaphane, a potent inducer of carcinogen detoxication enzymes. In a randomized, placebo-controlled chemoprevention trial, we tested whether drinking hot water infusions of 3-day-old broccoli sprouts, containing defined concentrations of glucosinolates, could alter the disposition of aflatoxin and phenanthrene. Two hundred healthy adults drank infusions containing either 400 or < 3 micromol glucoraphanin nightly for 2 weeks. Adherence to the study protocol was outstanding; no problems with safety or tolerance were noted. Urinary levels of aflatoxin-N(7)-guanine were not different between the two intervention arms (P = 0.68). However, measurement of urinary levels of dithiocarbamates (sulforaphane metabolites) indicated striking interindividual differences in bioavailability. An inverse association was observed for excretion of dithiocarbamates and aflatoxin-DNA adducts (P = 0.002; R = 0.31) in individuals receiving broccoli sprout glucosinolates. Moreover, trans, anti-phenanthrene tetraol, a metabolite of the combustion product phenanthrene, was detected in urine of all participants and showed a robust inverse association with dithiocarbamate levels (P = 0.0001; R = 0.39), although again no overall difference between intervention arms was observed (P = 0.29). Understanding factors influencing glucosinolate hydrolysis and bioavailability will be required for optimal use of broccoli sprouts in human interventions.

Chemoprevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in aflatoxin endemic areas.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Infection with hepatitis B virus and exposure to aflatoxins in the diet act synergistically to amplify risk. From a public health perspective, hepatitis virus vaccination programs and efforts to both reduce aflatoxin exposures and to attenuate the toxicological consequences of unavoidable exposures should have major impacts on the global incidence of this disease. Experimentally, aflatoxin-induced hepatocarcinogenesis can be inhibited by over a score of different chemopreventive agents with multiple mechanisms of action. One agent, oltipraz, is a potent inducer of phase 2 enzymes involved in the detoxication of carcinogens including aflatoxin. A second agent, chlorophyllin, impedes the bioavailability of carcinogens by forming molecular complexes and enhances their elimination in the fecal stream. This review highlights the findings of recent randomized clinical trials with oltipraz and chlorophyllin conducted in individuals exposed to dietary aflatoxins and at high risk for development of liver cancer. Both chemopreventive agents modulated levels of aflatoxin biomarkers in the study participants in manners consonant with protection. Although pharmacological approaches establish proof of principle and help identify key molecular targets for interventions, food-based approaches that also use these molecular targets may be the most practical for widespread application in high-risk populations.

Specific mutations of hepatitis B virus in plasma predict liver cancer development.

A major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is hepatitis B virus (HBV), whose pathogenesis is exacerbated by the acquisition of mutations that accelerate carcinogenesis. We examined, with mass spectrometry, the temporality of an HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) double mutation in plasma and tumors. Initial studies found that 52 of 70 (74.3%) tumors from patients residing in Qidong, People's Republic of China, contained this HBV mutation. Paired plasma samples were available for six of the tumor specimens; four tumors had the HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation, whereas three of the paired plasma samples were also positive. The potential predictive value of this biomarker was explored by using stored plasma samples from a study of 120 residents of Qidong who had been monitored for aflatoxin exposure and HBV infection. After 10 years of passive follow-up, there were six cases of major liver disease including HCC (four cases), hepatitis (one case), and cirrhosis (one case). All six cases had detectable levels of the HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation up to 8 years before diagnosis. Finally, 15 liver cancers were selected from a prospective cohort of 1,638 high-risk individuals in Qidong on the basis of available plasma samples spanning the years before and after diagnosis. The HBV 1762(T)/1764(A) mutation was detected in 8 of the 15 cases (53.3%) before cancer. The persistence of detection of this mutation was statistically significant (P = 0.022, two-tailed). We therefore found that a prediagnosis biomarker of specific HBV mutations can be measured in plasma and suggest this marker for use as an intermediate endpoint in prevention and intervention trials.

Prospective detection of codon 249 mutations in plasma of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

A specific missense mutation in the p53 tumor gene at codon 249 has been reported in over 50% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors and in paired blood samples from areas of high dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1, including Qidong, People's Republic of China. Using a combination of pre-digestion with HaeIII, PCR and mass spectrometry, the temporality of this mutation in plasma before and after the clinical diagnosis of HCC was examined. Sixteen liver cancer cases, diagnosed between 1997 and 2001, were selected from a prospective cohort of 1638 high-risk individuals in Qidong on the basis of available annual plasma samples spanning the years before and after diagnosis. The codon 249 mutation was detected in plasma samples obtained after diagnosis in seven of the 15 cases (46.7%) with PCR amplifiable DNA, which is in accord with the reported prevalence of this mutation in HCC. The persistent detection of this mutation in plasma collected annually following diagnosis was statistically significant (P = 0.024, two-tailed) in repetitive samples following diagnosis. Moreover, the mutation was detected in the plasma of four of eight cases positive at the time of diagnosis at least 1 year and in one case 5 years prior to diagnosis. Tracking of the marker in pre-diagnostic samples was borderline statistically significant (P = 0.066). None of the 18 healthy US control plasma samples had any detectable mutations. We have therefore found that pre-diagnosis biomarkers of specific p53 mutations can be measured in plasma and this suggests a paradigm for developing these markers for use in prevention and intervention trials.

Strategies for chemoprevention of liver cancer.

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Infection with hepatitis B virus and exposure to aflatoxins in the diet act synergistically to amplify risk. From a public health perspective, hepatitis virus vaccination programs and efforts to both reduce aflatoxin exposures and to attenuate the toxicological consequences of unavoidable exposures should have major impacts on the incidence of this disease. Experimentally, aflatoxin-induced hepatocarcinogenesis can be inhibited by over a score of different chemopreventive agents with multiple mechanisms of action. One agent, oltipraz, is a potent inducer of phase 2 enzymes involved in the detoxication of carcinogens including aflatoxin. A second agent, chlorophyllin, impedes the bioavailability of carcinogens by forming molecular complexes and enhances their elimination in the fecal stream. This review highlights the findings of recent randomized clinical trials with oltipraz and chlorophyllin conducted in individuals exposed to dietary aflatoxins and at high risk for development of liver cancer. Both chemopreventive agents modulated levels of aflatoxin biomarkers in the study participants in manners consonant with protection.

Susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma associated with null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1.

AIM:In order to study the association between the null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 and the genetic susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).METHODS:The genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 of 63 cases of HCC and 88 controls were detected with the multiple PCR technique.RESULTS:The frequency of GSTM1 null genotype was 57.1% among the cases, and 42.0% among the controls, the difference being statistically significant (X(2) = 3.35, P = 0.067), but X(2) value approaching the significance level. The odds ratio was 1.84 (95% CI = 0.91-3.37). The frequency of GSTT1 non-null genotype was 87.3% among the cases and 62.5% among the controls, the difference being statistically significant (X(2) = 11.42, P = 0.0007274). The odds ratio was 4.13 (95% CI = 1.64-10.70).According to the cross analysis, the GSTT1 non null genotype was more closely associated with HCC than GSTM1 null genotype, and these two factors play an approximate additive interaction in the occurrence of HCC.CONCLUSION:The persons with GSTM1 null genotype and GSTT1 non-null genotype have the increased risk to HCC.