Insulin-like growth factor 2 hypermethylation in peripheral blood leukocytes and colorectal cancer risk and prognosis: a propensity score analysis.

Background: To comprehensively assess and validate the associations between insulin-like growth factor 2 () gene methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and prognosis.

Methods: The association between methylation in PBLs and CRC risk was initially evaluated in a case-control study and then validated in a nested case-control study and a twins' case-control study, respectively. Meanwhile, an initial CRC patient cohort was used to assess the effect of methylation on CRC prognosis and then the finding was validated in the EPIC-Italy CRC cohort and TCGA datasets.

A baseline epidemiological study of the co-infection of enteric protozoans with human immunodeficiency virus among men who have sex with men from Northeast China.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and enteric parasite co-infection not only aggravates the clinical symptoms of parasites but also accelerates acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) progression. However, co-infection research on men who have sex with men (MSM), the predominant high-risk population of HIV/AIDS in China, is still limited. In this study, we investigated the epidemiology of enteric parasites, risk factors, and associations with clinical significance in an MSM HIV/AIDS population in Heilongjiang Province, northeast China.

Association Between Dietary Iron Intake and Serum Ferritin and Severe Headache or Migraine.

Dietary iron intake and serum ferritin in relation to severe headache or migraine remain largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the associations between dietary iron intake and serum ferritin with severe headache or migraine among American adults. This cross-sectional study included 7,880 adults (≥20 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) of America from 1999 to 2004.

Dietary Intake of Calcium and Magnesium in Relation to Severe Headache or Migraine.

Migraine is a common neurological disorder and is affected by nutrients. Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals that play an important role in nerve function. So we investigated the association between dietary calcium and magnesium and migraine.

SCTR hypermethylation is a diagnostic biomarker in colorectal cancer.

Diagnostic markers for both colorectal cancer (CRC) and its precursor lesions are lacking. Although aberrant methylation of the secretin receptor (SCTR) gene was observed in CRC, the diagnostic performance has not been evaluated. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and verify the diagnostic value of SCTR methylation of CRC and its precursor lesions through integrating the largest methylation data.

Specific DNA methylation markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of esophageal cancer.

The early diagnosis and accurate prognosis prediction of esophageal cancer is an essential part of improving survival. However, these diseases lack effective and specific markers. A total of 1,744 samples of HumanMethylation450 data were integrated to identify and validate specific methylation markers for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as well as for Barrett's esophagus (BE) using The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus.

Long-term Low-Dose Sucrose May Prevent Migraine: Two Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Pilot Trials.

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of sucrose in the prevention of migraine attacks.

Methods: Two randomized double-blinded pilot trials were conducted, one in college students and one in adults. Migraineurs were randomized into two groups that each received an oral liquid: for students, sucrose 5 g/day (s-group; n = 12) or glucose 2.

Chromobox homolog 2 protein: A novel biomarker for predicting prognosis and Taxol sensitivity in patients with breast cancer.

Polycomb group (PcG) complexes modify histones to silence tumor suppressor genes, which exhibit an important function in tumorigenesis and progression. The chromobox (Cbx) protein family is a critical component of PcG-mediated repression. Cbx2, a member of the Cbx protein family, is hypothesized to exhibit a vital role in breast cancer.

Serum Helicobacter pylori KatA and AhpC antibodies as novel biomarkers for gastric cancer.

Aim: To investigate catalase (KatA) and alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC) antibodies of Helicobacter pylori as biomarkers for gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: This study included 232 cases and 264 controls. Recombinant KatA and AhpC proteins were constructed and the levels of antibodies were tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

The Prevalence and Awareness of Migraine Among University Students in Harbin, China.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and the awareness of migraine among university students in Harbin, China.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of students was conducted in Harbin Medical University from April 1 to June 30, 2012. The Chinese version of the Identification of Migraine Screener (ID-Migraine) was used as the screening tool, and the awareness of migraine was evaluated by a structured questionnaire.

The potential of plasma miRNAs for diagnosis and risk estimation of colorectal cancer.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) were recognized to be potential non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection and prediction. Meanwhile, the association of the expression of plasma miRNAs with the risk of CRC patients has rarely been analyzed. Therefore, we conducted this study to evaluate the value of plasma miRNAs for CRC diagnosis and risk estimation.

Validation of the Chinese Version of ID-Migraine in Medical Students and Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis Concerning Its Diagnostic Accuracy.

Aims: To validate the Chinese version of Migraine Screener (ID-Migraine) in medical students in mainland China and to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of ID-Migraine by means of a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Methods: A total of 555 medical university students participated in the clinical study. Of these, 190 volunteered to take part in a face-to-face consultation and 365 in a telephone interview to diagnose the presence of migraine according to the criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Cholesterol Levels in Blood and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: A Meta-analysis of 14 Prospective Studies.

Background: As a neutral lipid and prominent component of the Western diet, cholesterol levels might be a risk factor for prostate cancer. However, current evidence has been inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between blood cholesterol levels and the risk of prostate cancer.

Breastfeeding and ovarian cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 epidemiological studies.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess any association between breastfeeding and the risk of ovarian cancer. A systematic search of published studies was performed in PUBMED and EMBASE and by reviewing reference lists from retrieved articles through March 2013. Data extraction was conducted independently by two authors.

TFAP2E hypermethylation was associated with survival advantage in patients with colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Hypermethylation of TFAP2E (AP-2E) is associated with the chemotherapy-resistant in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), but its implications on prognosis directly remain unknown. This study was aimed to investigate the role of AP-2E methylation status and other clinicopathologic parameters as predictors of prognosis.

Methods: We detected the methylation status of AP-2E in tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues from 311 sporadic CRC patients by methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting analysis.

Association between MTHFR polymorphisms and overall survival of colorectal cancer patients in Northeast China.

A follow-up study has been carried out to assess the association between MTHFR polymorphisms (SNPs) and overall survival (OS) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Data on 411 CRC patients after surgery were tested for the MTHFR 677C > T and 1298A > C polymorphisms. For MTHFR C677T, patients with CT genotype (HR = 1.

Association of catalase genotype with oxidative stress in the predication of colorectal cancer: modification by epidemiological factors.

Objective: This paper aims to assess the interaction between common variations in catalase (CAT) polymorphic gene and environmental factors for antioxidant defense enzyme in modulating individual susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: A case-control study with 880 colorectal cancer cases and 848 controls was conducted to investigate whether variations in the catalase (CAT) gene, one of the genes involved in scavenging oxidative stress, influenced susceptibility to CRC.

Results: The interaction between life style and genotypes as well as with their effects on colorectal cancer was deduced from the present study.

Is K-ras gene mutation a prognostic factor for colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: : The K-ras gene is one of the commonly mutated oncogenes associated with colorectal cancer. However, its prognostic significance for patients with colorectal cancer remains inconclusive.

Objective: : To derive a more precise estimation of the prognostic significance of K-ras gene mutations, a systematic review and meta-analysis were performed.

Does physical activity reduce the risk of prostate cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Context: Numerous observational epidemiologic studies have evaluated the association between physical activity and prostate cancer (PCa); however, the existing results are inconsistent.

Objective: To determine the association between physical activity and risk of PCa.

Evidence Acquisition: A systematic search was performed using the Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases through 15 May 2011 to identify all English-language articles that examined the effect of physical activity on the risk of PCa.

[A comparative study on the prevalence of osteoarthritis in middle and old-aged people from the urban and the rural area in Heilongjiang province].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of osteoarthritis in inhabitants aged 40 years old and above from urban and rural areas in Heilongjiang province.

Methods: Through multistage stratified cluster random sampling methods, residents aged 40 years and above were selected. All subjects were given a standardized questionnaire and were conducted a radiographic examination on hands, knees, neck spine and lumbar spine after informed consent.

Meta-analysis of MSH6 gene mutation frequency in colorectal and endometrial cancers.

Studies on mutations and mutation frequencies of the MSH6 gene, which mainly focus on new types of mutations in small samples, have been published ever since the first report of MSH6 mutation in two atypical hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer patients. However, the results remain inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted and a meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the frequency of MSH6 mutation in colorectal and endometrial cancers.