Common polymorphisms in the adiponectin and its receptor genes, adiponectin levels and the risk of prostate cancer.

Background: Adiponectin, an insulin-sensitizing adipokine, is inversely associated with adiposity and prostate cancer risk and progression. However, the role of genetic variation in the adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and receptor genes (ADIPOR1/R2) in prostate cancer is largely unknown.

Methods: In a nested case-control study of 1,286 cases and 1,267 controls within the Physicians' Health Study, we evaluated 29 common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in ADIPOQ (n = 13), ADIPOR1 (n = 5), and ADIPOR2 (n = 11) in relation to the risk of prostate cancer.

Rotating night shifts and risk of skin cancer in the nurses' health study.

Night shift work is associated with increased risk of several cancers, but the risk of skin cancer among night shift workers is unknown. We documented 10,799 incident skin cancers in 68,336 women in the Nurses' Health Study from June 1988 to June 2006 and examined the relationship between rotating night shifts and skin cancer. We used Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for confounding variables (phenotypic and established risk factors of skin cancer), and performed stratified analysis to explore the modifying effect of hair color.

Is surgical repair of the fallopian tubes ever appropriate?

The overall median prevalence of infertility, defined as no conception after more than 12 months of unprotected intercourse with the husband or cohabiting partner in women aged 15 to 44 years, is approximately 9%. About 25% to 33% of female infertility is the result of tubal disease and endometriosis. In view of very successful alternative treatment of tubal factor infertility, the surgical repair of the fallopian tubes is all but obsolete and has been replaced with assisted reproductive technology.

Dairy consumption and female height growth: prospective cohort study.

Background: Because of its nutrients and anabolic hormones, cow's milk may promote height growth, which in turn has been related to breast cancer risk. We prospectively investigated associations between dairy intakes and height growth.

Methods: A cohort of 5,101 girls from throughout the United States completed annual surveys (1996-2001, 2003), providing height, weight, and past-year diet.

Suppression of murine SLE by oral anti-CD3: inducible CD4+CD25-LAP+ regulatory T cells control the expansion of IL-17+ follicular helper T cells.

Lupus is an antibody-mediated autoimmune disease. The production of pathogenic, class switched and affinity maturated autoantibodies in lupus is dependent on T cell help. A potential mechanism of disease pathogenesis is a lack of control of pathogenic T helper cells by regulatory T cells in lupus.

IQGAP1 promotes cell motility and invasion.

The dynamic processes of cell migration and invasion are largely coordinated by Rho family GTPases. The scaffolding protein IQGAP1 binds to Cdc42, increasing the amount of active Cdc42 both in vitro and in cells. Here we show that overexpression of IQGAP1 in mammalian cells enhances cell migration in a Cdc42- and Rac1-dependent manner.

Noncompliance with antihypertensive medications: the impact of depressive symptoms and psychosocial factors.

Objective: Addressing the epidemic of poor compliance with antihypertensive medications will require identifying factors associated with poor adherence, including modifiable psychosocial and behavioral characteristics of patients.

Design: Cross-sectional study, comparing measured utilization of antihypertensive prescriptions with patients' responses to a structured interview.

Study Population: Four hundred ninety-six treated hypertensive patients drawn from a large HMO and a VA medical center.

Should scatter be corrected in both transmission and emission data for accurate quantitation in cardiac SPET?

Ideally, reliable quantitation in single-photon emission tomography (SPET) requires both emission and transmission data to be scatter free. Although scatter in emission data has been extensively studied, it is not well known how scatter in transmission data affects relative and absolute quantitation in reconstructed images. We studied SPET quantitative accuracy for different amounts of scatter in emission and transmission data using a Utah phantom and a cardiac Data Spectrum phantom including different attenuating media.

Statistical models for vaginal microflora: identifying women at risk for group B streptococcus colonization as a test of concept.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to formulate a statistical model that relates human microflora to probabilities for vaginal colonization by group B Streptococcus (GBS).

Methods: Longitudinal observations of total bacterial concentrations at various times during the menstrual cycle were obtained from overtly healthy, non-pregnant, menarcheal women. During each menstrual period and at appropriate intermenstrual times, the duplicate swab technique was used to sample the vaginal vault to obtain microbiologic samples.