The effect of metabolism-related lifestyle and clinical risk factors on digestive system cancers in East Asian populations: a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis.

Metabolic factors play a critical role in the development of digestive system cancers (DSCs), and East Asia has the highest incidence of malignant tumors in the digestive system. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis to explore the associations between 19 metabolism-related lifestyle and clinical risk factors and DSCs, including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, hepatocellular, biliary tract, and pancreatic cancer. The causal association was explored for all combinations of each risk factor and each DSC. We gathered information on the instrumental variables (IVs) from various sources and retrieved outcome information from Biobank Japan (BBJ). The data were all from studies of east Asian populations. Finally, 17,572 DSCs cases and 195,745 controls were included. Our analysis found that genetically predicted alcohol drinking was a strong indicator of gastric cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.93-0.98) and hepatocellular carcinoma (OR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.05-1.18), whereas coffee consumption had a potential protective effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.53-0.90). Triglyceride was potentially associated with a decreased risk of biliary tract cancer (OR = 0.53; 95% CI: 0.34-0.81), and uric acid was associated with pancreatic cancer risk (OR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.37-0.96). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was associated with esophageal and gastric cancer. Additionally, there was no evidence for a causal association between other risk factors, including body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, educational levels, lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, glycine, creatinine, gout, and Graves' disease, and DSCs. The leave-one-out analysis revealed that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs671 from the ALDH2 gene has a disproportionately high contribution to the causal association between alcohol drinking and gastric cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as the association between coffee consumption and hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study revealed multiple metabolism-related lifestyle and clinical risk factors and a valuable SNP rs671 for DSCs, highlighting the significance of metabolic factors in both the prevention and treatment of DSCs.

Association between green tea intake and digestive system cancer risk in European and East Asian populations: a Mendelian randomization study.

PURPOSE: Previous observational studies have shown that green tea consumption is associated with a reduced incidence of digestive system cancers (DSCs). However, the observed association could be due to confounding factors. Therefore, we used a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach to assess the causal effect of green tea intake on the risk of five common DSCs. METHODS: Independent genetic variants strongly associated with green tea consumption in European and East Asian populations were selected as instrumental variables in genome-wide association studies involving up to 64,949 European individuals and 152,653 East Asian individuals, respectively. The associations between genetic variants and DSCs were extracted from the FinnGen study and the Japan Biobank. The primary analysis was performed using random-effects inverse variance weighting (IVW). Other MR analyses, including weighted mode-based estimate, weighted-median, MR-Egger regression, Mendelian Randomization-Pleiotropy Residual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) analysis, were used for sensitivity analyses. In addition, a multivariate MR design was performed to adjust for smoking and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The IVW results showed no causal relationship between tea intake and DSCs risk in European population (esophagus cancer: odds ratio (OR) = 1.044, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.992-1.099, p = 0.096; stomach cancer: OR = 0.988, 95% CI 0.963-1.014, p = 0.368; colorectal cancer: OR = 1.003, 95% CI 0.992-1.015, p = 0.588; liver cancer: OR = 0.996, 95% CI 0.960-1.032, p = 0.808; pancreatic cancer: OR = 0.990, 95% CI 0.965-1.015, p = 0.432). The MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO analysis and other methods also confirmed the reliability of the conclusion. Similarly, no significant association was found between green tea consumption and the incidence of DSCs among East Asians. This relationship is not significant even after adjusting for smoking and alcohol consumption (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that genetically predicted green tea intake is not causally associated with the development of DSCs in the European and East Asian population.

Early life exposure to Chinese famine and risk of digestive system cancer in midlife.

To investigate whether early-life exposure to the Great Famine of 1959-1961 in China was associated with the risk of digestive system cancer. The prospective cohort study involved 17 997 participants from the Kailuan Study (Tangshan, China) that began in 2006. All participants were divided into three groups based on their date of birth. The unexposed group (born from 1 October 1962 to 30 September 1964), fetal-exposed group (born from 1 October 1959 to 30 December 1961), and early-childhood-exposed group (born from 1 October 1956 to 30 December 1958). The Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the association between early famine exposure and digestive system cancer. During the mean follow-up period of (10.4 ± 2.2) years, a total of 223 digestive system cancer events occurred. Including 54 cases in the unexposed group (62.14/100 000 person-years), 57 cases in the fetal-exposed group (114.8/100 000 person-years), and 112 cases in the early-childhood-exposure group (122.2/100 000 person-years). After adjusting covariates, compared with the unexposed group, the HR and 95% CI were 1.85 (1.28, 2.69) for participants in the fetal-exposed group and 1.92 (1.38, 2.66) for participants in the early-childhood-exposed group. No interactions were observed in our study. After classifying digestive system cancers, the HR and 95% CI were 2.02 (1.03, 3.97) for colorectal cancer for participants in the fetal-exposed group and 2.55 (1.43, 4.55) for participants in the early-childhood-exposed group. The HR and 95% CI were (1.13, 3.83) of liver cancer for participants in the fetal-exposed group and 1.15 (0.63, 2.10) for participants in the early-childhood-exposed group. Early-life famine exposure was associated with a higher risk of digestive system cancer in adulthood. Fetal-exposed individuals might increase the risk of colorectal cancer and liver cancer, and early childhood-exposed might increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Abdominal obesity and digestive system cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic criteria for abdominal obesity are usually waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio. The magnitude of the risks for cancers of the digestive system and abdominal obesity is unknown. To assess whether abdominal obesity increases the risk of digestive cancer, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in a database. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to December 2022. The 9-star Newcastle Ottawa Scale was used to assess  study quality. Pooled relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using fixed or random effect models respectively. The stability of the results was explored by one-by-one exclusion. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore sources of heterogeneity. Publication bias was evaluated by Begg's and Egger's tests. RESULTS: A total of 43 cohort studies were included. There were 42 and 31 studies in the meta-analysis of waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio on digestive system cancer, respectively. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that the greater waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio were correlated with increased incidence of digestive system cancers: waist circumference: RR 1.48, 95% CI 1.38-1.59, p < 0.001; waist-to-hip ratio: RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.28-1.38, p = 0.001. Subgroup analysis by cancer type showed that higher WC and WHR would increase the prevalence of LC, PC, GC, EC, and CRC. The sensitivity analysis was conducted by a one-by-one elimination method, and the results of the meta-analysis remained stable. It is proved that the results were robust by the trim-and-fill method. CONCLUSIONS: There was evidence to suggest that abdominal obesity increased the incidence of digestive cancer, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to reduce abdominal obesity. Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio may be better predictors of digestive system cancers. However, the association between waist circumference and digestive system cancer was greater, so more attention should be paid to measuring abdominal obesity with waist circumference.

Plant-based dietary patterns and the risk of digestive system cancers in 3 large prospective cohort studies.

Little is known about the relation between plant-based dietary patterns and digestive system cancers. This study investigated the prospective association between 3 pre-defined indices of plant-based dietary pattern and risk of digestive system cancers, as a whole or individually. We utilized data from 3 prospective cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2018, 74,496 women aged 65 ± 10.9 years), Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2017, 91,705 women aged 49.3 ± 8.3 years), and Health Professionals Follow up Study (1986-2016, 45,472 men aged 65.4 ± 11.0 years). We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of digestive system cancers across 3 plant-based diet index scores: overall plant-based diet index (PDI), healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI). During a follow-up of 4,914,985 person-years, we identified 6,518 cases of digestive system cancers. In the pooled analysis of 3 cohorts, the HRs (95% CIs) per 10-point increase in hPDI score were 0.93 (0.89, 0.97) for total digestive system cancer, 0.94 (0.89, 0.99) for gastrointestinal tract cancer, 0.89 (0.81, 0.98) for accessory organ cancer, and 0.68 (0.52, 0.91) for liver cancer. In contrast, the HRs (95% CIs) per 10-point increase in uPDI score was 1.06 (1.01, 1.11) for gastrointestinal tract cancer and 1.07 (1.01, 1.13) for colorectal cancer. A healthy plant-based dietary pattern was associated with reduced risks of total digestive system cancers as well as individual cancers in the gastrointestinal tract and the accessory organs. Emphasizing the healthiness and quality of plant-based diets may be important for the prevention of developing cancers in the digestive system.

Reducing relapse through maintenance steroid treatment can decrease the cancer risk in patients with IgG4-sclerosing cholangitis: Based on a Japanese nationwide study.

OBJECTIVE: IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC) is recognized as a benign steroid-responsive disease; however, little is known about the risk of development of cancer in patients with IgG4-SC and about how to counter this risk. DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective review of the data of 924 patients with IgG4-SC selected from a Japanese nationwide survey. The incidence, type of malignancy, and risk of malignancy in these patients were examined. Then, the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of cancer in patients with IgG4-SC was calculated. RESULTS: Relapse was recognized in 19.7% (182/924) of patients, and cancer development was noted in 15% (139/924) of patients. Multivariate analysis identified only relapse as an independent risk factor for the development of cancer. In most of these patients with pancreato-biliary cancer, the cancer developed within 8 years after the diagnosis of IgG4-SC. The SIR for cancer after the diagnosis of IgG4-SC was 12.68 (95% confidence interval [CI] 6.89-8.79). The SIRs of cancers involving the biliary system and pancreas were 27.35 and 18.43, respectively. The cumulative survival rate was significantly better in the group that received maintenance steroid treatment (MST) than in the group that did not; thus, MST influenced the prognosis of these patients. CONCLUSION: Among the cancers, the risk of pancreatic and biliary cancers is the highest in these patients. Because of the elevated cancer risk, surveillance after the diagnosis and management to prevent relapse are important in patients with IgG4-SC to reduce the risk of development of cancer.

The Relationship Between Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Digestive System Cancers: A Meta-Analysis Based on 3,059,009 Subjects.

Background and Objectives: Diets containing red or processed meat are associated with a growing risk of digestive system cancers. Whether a plant-based diet is protective against cancer needs a high level of statistical evidence. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of five English databases, including PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science databases, and Scopus, on October 24, 2021 to identify published papers. Cohort studies or case-control studies that reported a relationship between plant-based diets and cancers of the digestive system were included. Summary effect-size estimates are expressed as Risk ratios (RRs) or Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals and were evaluated using random-effect models. The inconsistency index (I2) and τ2 (Tau2) index were used to quantify the magnitude of heterogeneity derived from the random-effects Mantel-Haenszel model. Results: The same results were found in cohort (adjusted RR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.78-0.86, P < 0.001, I2 = 46.4%, Tau2 = 0.017) and case-control (adjusted OR = 0.70, 95% CI: 0.64-0.77, P < 0.001, I2 = 83.8%, Tau2 = 0.160) studies. The overall analysis concluded that plant-based diets played a protective role in the risk of digestive system neoplasms. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the plant-based diets reduced the risk of cancers, especially pancreatic (adjusted RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.59-0.86, P < 0.001, I2 = 55.1%, Tau2 = 0.028), colorectal (adjusted RR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.69-0.83, P < 0.001, I2 = 53.4%, Tau2 = 0.023), rectal (adjusted RR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.78-0.91, P < 0.001, I2 = 1.6%, Tau2 = 0.005) and colon (adjusted RR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82-0.95, P < 0.001, I2 = 0.0%, Tau2 = 0.000) cancers, in cohort studies. The correlation between vegan and other plant-based diets was compared using Z-tests, and the results showed no difference. Conclusions: Plant-based diets were protective against cancers of the digestive system, with no significant differences between different types of cancer. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022322276, Identifier: CRD42022322276.

Multifocal EBV-associated smooth muscle tumors in a patient with cytomegalovirus infection after liver transplantation: a case report from Shiraz, Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Immunodeficient patients, including the recipients of solid organs, exhibit an increase in the incidence of neoplasms. Post-transplant smooth muscle tumor (PTSMT) is a distinct and infrequent entity of these groups of neoplasms. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is considered to be involved in the etiology of this neoplasm. CASE REPORT: A 28-year-old man who underwent liver transplantation presented with abdominal pain and diarrhea for several months. He had a history of resistant systemic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection after transplantation. Radiologic evaluation and colonoscopy revealed multiple liver, spleen, lung, and colon lesions. Microscopic assessment of colon and liver lesions using IHC study were in favor of spindle cell proliferation with mild atypia and a mild increase in mitotic rate without any necrosis, with features of smooth muscle tumor. Considering the transplantation history, EBER chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) study on paraffin blocks was requested, which demonstrated EBV RNA in tumor cell nuclei, suggesting EBV-associated smooth muscle tumor. In addition, PCR for CMV on paraffin blocks was positive. PCR for EBV and CMV viremia were negative. The dosage of immunosuppressive agents was reduced, and currently, he is being followed, with slow expansion in the size of the lesions. CONCLUSION: Although the incidence of post-transplant smooth muscle tumors (PTSMTs) is low, it should be remained in the differential diagnosis in post-transplantation patients, especially dealing with multifocal tumors. As strong stimulant for smooth muscle tumors, close follow-up and screening for EBV and CMV infection and early treatment at the time of diagnosis are recommended to avoid these virus-induced tumors.

Volatile organic compounds as a potential screening tool for neoplasm of the digestive system: a meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis was aimed to estimate the diagnostic performance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as a potential novel tool to screen for the neoplasm of the digestive system. An integrated literature search was performed by two independent investigators to identify all relevant studies investigating VOCs in diagnosing neoplasm of the digestive system from inception to 7th December 2020. STATA and Revman software were used for data analysis. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. A bivariate mixed model was used and meta-regression and subgroup analysis were performed to identify possible sources of heterogeneity. A total of 36 studies comprised of 1712 cases of neoplasm and 3215 controls were included in our meta-analysis. Bivariate analysis showed a pooled sensitivity of 0.87 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-0.90), specificity of 0.86 (95% CI 0.82-0.89), a positive likelihood ratio of 6.18 (95% CI 4.68-8.17), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.15 (95% CI 0.12-0.20). The diagnostic odds ratio and the area under the summary ROC curve for diagnosing neoplasm of the digestive system were 40.61 (95% CI 24.77-66.57) and 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.95), respectively. Our analyses revealed that VOCs analysis could be considered as a potential novel tool to screen for malignant diseases of the digestive system.

A review on the role of CAFs and CAF-derived exosomes in progression and metastasis of digestive system cancers.

Cancers evolve as a result of the accelerated proliferation of cancer cells in a complicated, enriched, and active microenvironment. Tumor microenvironment (TME) components are the master regulators of any step of cancer development. The tumor microenvironment is composed of many cellular and noncellular components that contribute to the evolution of cancer cells. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are activated fibroblasts in the TME that implicate in tumor progression and metastasis dissemination through secretion of oncogenic factors which are carried to the secondary metastatic sites through exosomes. In this review, we aimed to assess the role of CAF-derived exosomes in TME construction and pre-metastatic niche formation in different cancers of the digestive system in order to better understand some important mechanisms of metastasis and provide possible targets for clinical intervention. This review article is divided into two thematic parts explaining the general mechanisms of pre-metastatic niche formation and metastasis and the role of CAF-derived exosomes in different digestive system cancers including colorectal, gastric, esophageal, pancreatic, and liver cancers.

Unrestrained eating behavior and risk of digestive system cancers: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Unrestrained eating behavior, as a potential proxy for diet frequency, timing, and caloric intake, has been questioned as a plausible risk factor for digestive system cancers, but epidemiological evidence remains sparse. OBJECTIVES: We investigated prospectively the associations between unrestrained eating behavior and digestive system cancer risk. METHODS: Participants in the Nurses' Health Study who were free of cancer and reported dietary information in 1994 were followed for ≤18 y. Cox models were used to estimate HRs and 95% CIs for unrestrained eating (eating anything at any time, no concern with figure change, or both) and risk of digestive system cancers. RESULTS: During follow-up, 2064 digestive system cancer cases were documented among 70,450 eligible participants in analyses of eating anything at any time, In total, 2081 digestive system cancer cases were documented among 72,468 eligible participants in analyses of no concern with figure change. In fully adjusted analyses, women with the behavior of eating anything at any time had a higher risk of overall digestive system cancer (HR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.35), overall gastrointestinal tract cancer ((HR: 1.33; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.50), buccal cavity and pharynx cancer (HR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.21), esophageal cancer (HR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.62), small intestine cancer (HR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.02,3. 59), and colorectal cancer (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.38), and a non-statistically significant increased risk of stomach cancer (HR: 1.54; 95% CI: 0.96,2.48), compared with women without this behavior. No statistically significant association was observed for pancreatic cancer and liver and gallbladder cancer. The combined effect of eating anything at any time and having no concern with figure change was associated with a significantly increased risk of overall digestive system cancer (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.46), overall gastrointestinal tract cancer (HR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.23, 1.71), and colorectal cancer (HR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.63), compared with women exhibiting the opposite. CONCLUSIONS: Unrestrained eating behavior was independently associated with increased risk of gastrointestinal tract cancers. The potential importance of unrestrained eating behavior modification in preventing gastrointestinal tract cancers should be noted.

Associations between hepatitis B virus exposure and the risk of extrahepatic digestive system cancers: A hospital-based, case-control study (SIGES).

OBJECTIVES: This case-control study was aimed to investigate associations between HBV infection and extrahepatic digestive system cancers. METHODS: The patients of gastric, small intestinal, colonic, rectal, anal, biliary tract, and pancreatic cancers were retrospectively collected between 2016.5 and 2017.12. Simultaneously, the healthy controls were collected from the health check-up registry, and cancer-free status was confirmed based on medical records. Propensity score matching was performed to reduce bias. Multinomial logit model and conditional logistic regression model were used to assess the risk of individual cancer according to HBV serological markers and classifications. RESULTS: Totally, 4748 patients involving seven cancers, and 57,499 controls were included. After matching, HBsAg was associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (aOR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.05-1.85), and anti-HBs served as a protective factor for gastric (aOR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61-0.85), colonic (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.60-0.89), rectal (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.63-0.85), and pancreatic (aOR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.42-0.82) cancers. Compared to subgroups with non-infection and vaccination status, inactive HBsAg carriers and active HBV infection subgroup were correlated with gastric carcinogenesis (aOR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.03-1.93). However, no clear association was found between HBV infection and other cancers. CONCLUSIONS: HBV infection was potentially associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. The development mechanism of HBV-associated gastric cancer needs to investigate further.

Association between serum anti­ASXL2 antibody levels and acute ischemic stroke, acute myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease and digestive organ cancer, and their possible association with atherosclerosis and hypertension.

The aim of the present study was to identify novel antibody markers for the early diagnosis of atherosclerosis in order to improve the prognosis of patients at risk for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A first screening involved the serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning and identified additional sex combs­like 2 (ASXL2) as a target antigen recognized by serum IgG antibodies in the sera of patients with atherosclerosis. Antigens, including the recombinant glutathione S­transferase­fused ASXL2 protein and its synthetic peptide were then prepared to examine serum antibody levels. Amplified luminescence proximity homogeneous assay­linked immunosorbent assay, which incorporates glutathione­donor beads and anti­human­IgG­acceptor beads, revealed significantly higher serum antibody levels against the ASXL2 protein and its peptide in the patients with AIS, diabetes mellitus, AMI, chronic kidney disease, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, or colorectal carcinoma compared with those in healthy donors. The ASXL2 antibody levels were well associated with hypertension complication, but not with sex, body mass index, habitual smoking, or alcohol intake. These results suggest that the serum ASXL2 antibody marker can discriminate between hypertension­induced atherosclerotic AIS and AMI, as well as a number of digestive organ cancers.

Ptaquiloside and Pterosin B Levels in Mature Green Fronds and Sprouts of Pteridium arachnoideum.

Pteridium arachnoideum, a fern of the Pteridium aquilinum species complex found in South America, is responsible for several different syndromes of poisoning. Cases of bovine enzootic hematuria and upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma are both frequent occurrences in Brazil, whereas only bovine enzootic hematuria is noted with any frequency around the world. The reason for the high frequency of upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma in Brazil is not currently known. One possible explanation may be the higher levels of ptaquiloside and pterosin B in Brazilian Pteridium than those present in the plant in other countries. However, these levels have not yet been determined in P. arachnoideum. Thus, the present study aimed to measure and compare ptaquiloside and pterosin B levels in mature green fronds and sprouts of P. arachnoideum collected from different locations in Brazil. Samples of P. arachnoideum were collected from the states of Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul. A total of 28 mature leaf samples and 23 sprout samples were used. The mean concentrations of ptaquiloside and pterosin B present in the mature green fronds of P. arachnoideum ranged from 2.49 to 2.75 mg/g and 0.68 to 0.88 mg/g, respectively; in P. arachnoideum sprouts, mean concentrations of ptaquiloside and pterosin B ranged from 12.47 to 18.81 mg/g, and 4.03 to 10.42 mg/g for ptaquiloside and pterosin B, respectively. Thus, ptaquiloside and pterosin B levels in P. arachnoideum samples collected in Brazil were higher in sprouts than in mature green fronds, as observed in other countries. However, there was no variation in ptaquiloside levels among plants collected from different cities in Brazil. The high frequency of upper alimentary squamous cell carcinoma in Brazilian cattle may not be attributed to greater levels of ptaquiloside and pterosin B in P. arachnoideum than in other Pteridium species in other countries.

Coffee and digestive cancers-what do we know, and where do we go?

Coffee drinking has been inversely associated with liver cancer consistently in prospective studies. Yet, the specific compounds underlying this association, and whether associations vary by preparation method, are unknown. Associations with other sites within the gastrointestinal tract are also unclear. A recent study by Tran et al. leverages the resources of the UK Biobank to begin answering these questions, and suggests important avenues for future work.

CTLA-4 polymorphisms and predisposition to digestive system malignancies: a meta-analysis of 31 published studies.

BACKGROUND: The results of genetic association studies regarding cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) polymorphisms and digestive system malignancies were controversial. The authors designed this meta-analysis to more precisely estimate relationships between CTLA-4 polymorphisms and digestive system malignancies by pooling the results of related studies. METHODS: The authors searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI for eligible studies. Thirty-one eligible studies were pooled analyzed in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: The pooled meta-analysis results showed that genetic distributions of rs231775, rs4553808, and rs733618 polymorphisms among patients with digestive system malignancies and controls differed significantly. Moreover, genotypic distribution differences were also observed for rs231775 polymorphism among patients with colorectal cancer/pancreatic cancer and controls, for rs4553808 and rs5742909 polymorphisms among patients with gastric cancer and controls, for rs3087243 polymorphism among patients with liver cancer and controls, and for rs733618 polymorphism among patients with colorectal cancer and controls in pooled meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggested that rs231775 polymorphism was associated with predisposition to colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer, rs4553808 and rs5742909 polymorphisms were associated with predisposition to gastric cancer, rs3087243 polymorphism was associated with predisposition to liver cancer, and rs733618 polymorphism was associated with predisposition to colorectal cancer.

[Influence of food or food groups intake on the occurrence and/or protection of different types of cancer: systematic review]. / Influencia de la ingesta de alimentos o grupos de alimentos en la aparición y/o protección de los diversos tipos de cáncer: revisión sistemática.

INTRODUCTION: Introduction: the diet plays an important role in the origin and prevention of multiple chronic degenerative diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases or cancer. Objective: the main objective of this paper is to analyze the studies that are focused on researching the relationship between the consumption of the particular groups of foods and its importance on the increase and for prevention of the risk of cancer appearance. Methods: a bibliographical review was carried out in the main international databases (PubMed, Scopus and Nutrition Reference). The results were structured in two main sections: those related with the increase of cancer risk and food related with the increase of cancer risk. In the present review, 104 scientific articles have been evaluated. Results: the results have shown a positive association between red meat and colon cancer, alcoholic drinks and liver cancer, and salt and gastric cancer. The Mediterranean diet was associated in a preventive way with digestive and respiratory tract cancer. Conversely, no statistically significant association was found between dairy products and ovarian cancer, carbohydrates and sugars and pancreatic cancer, and tae and breast cancer. Conclusions: as a result, healthy eating guidelines, such as the Mediterranean diet, based on lower consumption of red meat, alcoholic drinks and salt, might contribute to reducing the incidence of colon cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Introducción: la dieta tiene un importante papel en la formación y en la prevención de múltiples enfermedades crónicas-degenerativas, como son las enfermedades cardiovasculares o el cáncer. Objetivos: el objetivo principal consiste en analizar los estudios que centren su investigación en conocer la relación entre el consumo de determinados grupos de alimentos y su función en el aumento y/o prevención del riesgo de aparición de diversos tipos de cáncer. Métodos: se realizó una revisión sistemática en bases de datos internacionales (PubMed, Scopus y Nutrition Reference). Los estudios fueron estructurados en dos bloques principales: relacionados con el aumento del riesgo de cáncer y alimentos relacionados con el aumento del riesgo de cáncer. Los estudios evaluados en la presente revisión han sido un total de 104 artículos científicos. Resultados: los resultados han mostrado una asociación positiva entre la carne roja y el cáncer de colon, las bebidas alcohólicas y el cáncer de hígado y la sal y el cáncer gástrico. La dieta mediterránea se asoció de manera preventiva con el cáncer del tracto digestivo y respiratorio, mientras que, por otro lado, no se ha encontrado asociación estadísticamente significativa entre el consumo de lácteos y el cáncer de ovario, los carbohidratos o azúcares y el cáncer de páncreas y el té y el cáncer de mama. Conclusiones: por todo ello, patrones de alimentación saludable como la dieta mediterránea, basados en una menor ingesta de carne roja, bebidas alcohólicas y sal, contribuyen a una reducción en la incidencia del cáncer de colon, cáncer de hígado y cáncer de estómago.

Imaging Features of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: From Diagnosis to Liver Transplant Follow-up.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease of the bile ducts that leads to multifocal bile duct fibrosis, strictures, cholestasis, liver parenchymal changes, and ultimately cirrhosis. It more commonly occurs in young adults, with a variety of clinical and imaging manifestations. The cause of the disease is not known, but it has a strong association with inflammatory bowel disease and can overlap with other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis and immunoglobulin G4-related disease. Patients are predisposed to various hepatic and extrahepatic deteriorating complications, such as bile duct and gallbladder calculi, acute bacterial cholangitis, liver abscess, and portal hypertension, as well as malignancies including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), gallbladder cancer, and colorectal carcinoma. Imaging has an essential role in diagnosis, surveillance, and detection of complications. MR cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography have high specificity and sensitivity for detection of primary disease and assessment of disease progression. However, many patients with PSC are still diagnosed incidentally at US or CT. Novel imaging techniques such as transient elastography and MR elastography are used to survey the grade of liver fibrosis. Annual cancer surveillance is necessary in all PSC patients to screen for CCA and gallbladder cancer. Familiarity with PSC pathogenesis and imaging features across various classic imaging modalities and novel imaging techniques can aid in correct imaging diagnosis and guide appropriate management. The imaging features of the biliary system and liver parenchyma in PSC across various imaging modalities are reviewed. Imaging characteristics of the differential diagnosis of PSC, clinical associations, and complications are described. Finally, the role of imaging in evaluation of PSC progression, pre-liver transplant assessment, and post-liver transplant disease recurrence are discussed.©RSNA, 2019.

Cancer risk, screening and surveillance in primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic inflammatory condition mainly of the large bile ducts, affecting predominantly young men, and is associated with the presence of inflammatory bowel disease. There is no known cure for PSC, which progresses to cirrhosis or death over 10-20 years. Hepatobiliary malignancy, especially cholangiocarcinoma, is a feared complication associated with poor overall survival. Screening and surveillance appear to improve overall outcomes. To capture as many relevant studies, broad search criteria were employed within the PubMed database. Given the high prevalence of IBD and its own associations with the development of malignancy two separate search strategies were employed. Results were filtered by English language. The first search identified the risks, epidemiological factors and surveillance strategies for patients with PSC at risk for developing malignancy. MeSH terms included: cholangitis, sclerosing, digestive system neoplasms, liver neoplasms, biliary tract neoplasms, cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder neoplasms, colonic neoplasms, rectal neoplasms, or pancreatic neoplasms, risk factors, risk, surveillance, epidemiology and screen. The second included inflammatory bowel diseases, Crohn's, or colitis, and assessed for additional malignancies such as lymphoma and skin neoplasms. A total of 288 results returned with 21 duplicates; 267 remaining abstracts were assessed for relevance for inclusion by the authors. Patients with PSC show significantly higher than average risk for the development of hepatobiliary and colonic malignancies including cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma and colorectal carcinoma. Yearly ultrasound surveillance followed with more definitive cross-sectional imaging is prudent to arrive in a timely diagnosis of carcinoma, reducing morbidity and mortality.

Dietary carbohydrate intake, glycaemic index, glycaemic load and digestive system cancers: an updated dose-response meta-analysis.

Several studies analysed the associations between dietary carbohydrate intake, glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) and digestive system cancers; however, the results remain controversial. This study was to perform a meta-analysis evaluating the quantitative and dose-response associations between carbohydrate intake, GI and GL, and risk of digestive system cancers. We searched medical and biological databases up to June 2018 and identified twenty-six cohort studies and eighteen case-control studies. Meta-analytic fixed or random effects models were applied to process data. We also performed dose-response analysis, meta-regression and subgroup analyses. We found that high levels of GI were significantly associated with the risk of digestive system cancers at the highest compared with the lowest categories from cohort studies (summary relative risk (RR)=1·10, 95 % CI 1·05, 1·15). Similar effects were observed from case-control studies of the comparison between the extreme categories, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (summary OR=1·28, 95 % CI 0·97, 1·69). We also observed significant dose-response association between GI and digestive system cancers, with every 10-unit increase in GI (summary RR=1·003; 95 % CI 1·000, 1·012 for cohort studies; summary OR=1·09; 95 % CI 1·06, 1·11 for case-control studies). In addition, both cohort studies and case-control studies indicated that neither dietary carbohydrate intake nor GL bore any statistical relationship to digestive system cancers from the results of the highest compared with the lowest categories analyses and dose-response analyses. The results suggest a moderate association between high-GI diets and the risk of digestive system cancers.