Helicobacter pylori infection: a protective factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in a Taiwanese population.

Aim: Many researchers have reported the inverse relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and esophageal adenocarcinoma risk, but very few studies have examined the association between H. pylori infection and the development of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Safrole-DNA adducts in tissues from esophageal cancer patients: clues to areca-related esophageal carcinogenesis.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that areca quid chewing can be an independent risk factor for developing esophageal cancer. However, no studies are available to elucidate the mechanisms of how areca induces carcinogenesis in the esophagus. Since the areca nut in Taiwan contains a high concentration of safrole, a well-known carcinogenic agent, we analyzed safrole-DNA adducts by the 32P-postlabelling method in tissue specimens from esophageal cancer patients.

p53 Codon 72 and p21 codon 31 polymorphisms in prostate cancer.

The tumor suppressor gene p53 and its downstream effector p21 are thought to play major roles in the development of human malignancy. Polymorphic variants of p53 at codon 72, and p21 at codon 31, have been found to be associated with cancer susceptibility, but few studies have investigated their effect on prostate cancer risk. In this case-control study, we investigated the association of p53 codon 72 and p21 codon 31 polymorphisms with prostate cancer risk in a Taiwanese population.

Needlestick/sharps injuries among vocational school nursing students in southern Taiwan.

Background: Although most needlestick/sharps injuries (NSIs/SIs) research focuses on health care workers (HCWs), students in hospital internships are also at risk. Investigations that examined NSIsS/SIs in student populations generally studied medical rather than nursing students (NSs). In 1999, approximately 17,000 Taiwanese nursing graduates were exposed to the hazard of NSIs/SIs.

Independent and combined effects of alcohol intake, tobacco smoking and betel quid chewing on the risk of esophageal cancer in Taiwan.

A multicenter case-control study was conducted in northern and southern Taiwan to clarify the independent and combined effects of alcohol intake, tobacco smoking and betel quid chewing on the risk of esophageal cancer. A total of 513 patients with newly diagnosed and histopathologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and 818 gender, age and study hospital-matched controls were included. We found a significant dose-response relationship between the duration and intensity of consumption of the 3 substances and the development of this neoplasm in this site.

A case-control study of parental occupation, leukemia, and brain tumors in an industrial city in Taiwan.

We conducted a case-control study in an industrial city in Taiwan to determine whether parents of newly diagnosed patients who were younger than 30 years old with leukemia or brain tumors or the patients themselves were more likely to have been employed in certain occupations or industries. Job histories were collected for parents (and for subjects if they worked) on 103 newly diagnosed cases of leukemia, 74 newly diagnosed cases of brain tumors, and 417 controls matched for age and sex. All jobs since the age of 16 that the subjects held for more than 6 months, a total of approximately 4,000 jobs, were coded for occupation and industry according the standard four-digit system used in Taiwan.

Investigations of vitamin D receptor polymorphism affecting workers' susceptibility to lead.

Gene polymorphism is an important factor that affects human susceptibility to toxins. For example, previous studies suggested that the ALAD genotype is an important factor affecting workers' susceptibility to lead toxic effects, including hemopoietic and nervous system. But we have had few researches in Taiwan, though there are thousands of workers involved in lead-related industries.

Lack of modulating influence of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms on urinary biomonitoring markers in coke-oven workers.

Background: Coke-oven workers (COWs) are occupationally exposed to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) are biological markers of oxidative DNA damage and PAHs metabolism, respectively. In this study, we investigated whether polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferase (GSTM1 and GSTT1) can modulate the relationship between urinary 8-OH-dG and 1-OHP concentrations among the COWs.

Genetic polymorphism of p53 and XRCC1 in cervical intraepithelial neoplasm in Taiwanese women.

Background And Purpose: Many epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and cervical cancer risk, but the findings are still conflicting. In contrast, data are lacking on the relationship between XRCC1 polymorphism and cervical neoplasm risk. This community-based nested case-control study examined the association between genetic polymorphisms of p53 codon 72 and XRCC1 codons 194, 280, and 399 and cervical intraepithelial neoplasm (CIN) susceptibility in Taiwanese women.

Association between diet and esophageal cancer in Taiwan.

Background: Several studies have reported the importance of dietary factors in the development of esophageal cancer. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of several common dietary factors on the risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus in a Taiwanese population.

Methods: The association between diet and esophageal cancer was examined in 284 male patients and 480 male controls, who were recruited during 6 year period.

Association between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk in a Taiwanese population.

Recent molecular epidemiological studies have shown that the inherited polymorphisms of VDR gene may be linked to prostate cancer risk and its aggressive phenotypes. However, the findings remain inconclusive. In this study, we investigated the association of the BsmI, ApaI and TaqI polymorphisms of VDR gene with prostate cancer risk in a Taiwanese population.

Lifetime exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and cervical intraepithelial neoplasms among nonsmoking Taiwanese women.

Cigarette smoke is one of the most important environmental risk factors for the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasms (CINs). Given that the prevalence of cigarette smoking in Taiwanese women is very low, compared with Caucasian women (3-4% vs. approximately 28%, respectively), direct smoking is likely a minimal risk factor in the Taiwanese group.

Comparison of analyses of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine by isotope-dilution liquid chromatography with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

A highly sensitive and selective method, using isotope-dilution liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), for quantification of urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an important biomarker of oxidative stress, was developed and compared with a method using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The synthesis of (15)N(5)-8-OHdG is described. In this study, 140 urine samples were collected from workers in a coke oven plant, including samples from 49 control workers and 91 workers who had been occupationally exposed to polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Androgen receptor gene polymorphism and prostate cancer in Taiwan.

Background And Purpose: The length of polymorphic CAG trinucleotide repeats in the polyglutamine region of the androgen receptor (AR) gene has been suggested to be inversely correlated with the transactivation function of the AR. An increase in androgen activity may be associated with prostate cancer, and ethnic variations in CAG repeat length may contribute to varying prostate cancer risks in different populations. This case-control study investigated the potential role of AR polymorphism in prostate cancer risk in Taiwanese.

Environmental exposure to cooking oil fumes and cervical intraepithelial neoplasm.

The fumes from cooking oil, similar to cigarette smoke, contain numerous carcinogens such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, etc. In this study, we examined the association between exposure to cooking oil fumes and the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasm. The study population in this nested case-control study consisted of women above the age of 19 years living in Chia-Yi County, located in the southwestern Taiwan, who had received pap smear screening between October, 1999, and December, 2000 (n=32,466).

Association between p21 codon 31 polymorphism and esophageal cancer risk in a Taiwanese population.

P21, which regulates the cell growth cycle, is crucial for normal growth and differentiation. One polymorphism in the p21 codon 31 produces variant proteins with an amino acid change (serine (ser) or arginine (arg)). Although several epidemiologic studies have examined the effect of this polymorphism on cancer risk, the findings remain inconclusive, which has motivated us to evaluate the relationship between p21 codon 31 polymorphism and esophageal cancer risk.

The clinical utility of string-PCR test in diagnosing Helicobacter pylori infection.

Background/aims: Non-invasive string test has been reported as being convenient and capable of yielding bacteria by means of gastric juice sampling in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. Molecular methods, such as polymerase chain reaction for the amplification of DNA, are desirable for the detection of minute quantities of H. pylori.

Immunological findings in a group of coke-oven workers exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Coke-oven workers are exposed to a high concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which may change the immunologic responses. In this study, we evaluated humoral immunity by measuring serum IgA, IgE, IgG, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in 251 coke-oven workers and 89 rolling steel workers in Taiwan. Mean values of serum IgE and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels were 178.

Urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and 1-hydroxypyrene in coke-oven workers.

Coke-oven workers (COWs) are occupationally exposed to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Urinary 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) and 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) are biological markers of oxidative DNA damage and PAH metabolism, respectively. We investigated the relationship between urinary 8-OH-dG and 1-OHP in 217 Taiwanese COWs, 55 topside-oven, and 162 sideoven workers.

Synergistic effect of multiple indoor allergen sources on atopic symptoms in primary school children.

Accumulating data show that the complex modern indoor environment contributes to increasing prevalence of atopic diseases. However, the dose-response relationship between allergic symptoms and complexity of indoor environmental allergen sources (IEAS) has not been clearly evaluated before. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the overall effect of multiple IEAS on appearance of asthma (AS), allergic rhinitis (AR), and eczema (EC) symptoms in 1472 primary school children.

No association between polymorphisms of the DNA repair geneXRCC1 and cervical neoplasm risk.

Objectives: To investigate the association between genetic polymorphisms ofX-ray repair crosscomplementing group 1 (XRCC1) codons 194, 280, and 399 and cervical neoplasm susceptibility.

Methods: A community-based nested case-control study was conducted. The study population consisted of women living in Chiayi City, located in southwestern Taiwan, who had received pap smear screening between October, 1999, and December, 2000 (n=32,466).

Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene levels in preschool children.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) contains relatively high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a metabolite of pyrene, is a good indicator of PAH exposure in occupational studies. In this study, we investigated the relationship between urinary 1-OHP concentration and ETS exposure in preschool children.

A delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) polymorphism may modify the relationship of low-level lead exposure to uricemia and renal function: the normative aging study.

In this study we investigated whether a known delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) exon 4 polymorphism has a modifying effect on the association of blood or bone lead level with uricemia and indices of renal function among middle-aged and elderly men. We performed a cross-sectional study of subjects who participated between 1991 and 1995 in the Department of Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study. Information on blood lead levels, bone lead levels (measured by K-shell X-ray fluorescence), serum uric acid, serum creatinine, estimated creatinine clearance, and ALAD polymorphism status was available in 709 subjects.

Adrenal tumors: 10-year experience at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital and literature review.

We report our 10-year experience of managing adrenal tumors at Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH) between January 1992 and January 2002. In total, 53 patients with adrenal tumors were analyzed, including 19 men (mean age +/- standard deviation, SD, 41.8 +/- 12.