Recent Evidence on the Role of Dietary PUFAs in Cancer Development and Prevention

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (16) ◽  
pp. 1818-1836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo D`Archivio ◽  
Beatrice Scazzocchio ◽  
Rosaria Vari ◽  
Carmela Santangelo ◽  
Claudio Giovannini ◽  
...  

Background: Scientific evidence has been accumulated about the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on human health. The hypothesis that n-3 PUFAs might improve the efficiency of anticancer drugs has recently been considered. The role of n-6 PUFAs, in contrast, needs to be better assessed. However, the effective mechanisms of action of PUFAs have not been fully clarified yet. This review aims to report the most updated evidence on the role of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs in the development and treatment of human cancers, focusing on the potential mechanisms by which PUFAs exert their effects. Methods: We undertook a structured search in PubMed on February 17th 2017 for peer-reviewed research articles published from 2013. The search syntax used was: PUFA or PUFAs and cancer. Results: Contradictory results were found, most likely due to the genetic background, the different dietary sources used, the interaction among different nutrients, and the tumor subtypes. However, the more recent findings strongly support the use of n-3 PUFAs in cancer prevention and treatment. On the other hand, n-6 PUFAs are often associated with an increased risk of cancer, even if recently their beneficial effects have also been highlighted. Conclusion: N-3 PUFAs may represent a potential therapeutic agent contributing to treat at least some type of human cancers. However, studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up times are still needed. To increase the knowledge about how food and nutrition can improve human health it is advisable to deliver an open access nutritional database.

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Onesti ◽  
Vittorio Frasca ◽  
Marco Ceccanti ◽  
Giorgio Tartaglia ◽  
Maria Cristina Gori ◽  
...  

Background: The cannabinoid system may be involved in the humoral mechanisms at the neuromuscular junction. Ultramicronized-palmitoylethanolamide (μm-PEA) has recently been shown to reduce the desensitization of Acetylcholine (ACh)-evoked currents in denervated patients modifying the stability of ACh receptor (AChR) function. <p> Objective: To analyze the possible beneficial effects of μm-PEA in patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) on muscular fatigue and neurophysiological changes. <p> Method: The duration of this open pilot study, which included an intra-individual control, was three weeks. Each patient was assigned to a 1-week treatment period with μm-PEA 600 mg twice a day. A neurophysiological examination based on repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) of the masseteric and the axillary nerves was performed, and the quantitative MG (QMG) score was calculated in 22 MG patients every week in a three-week follow-up period. AChR antibody titer was investigated to analyze a possible immunomodulatory effect of PEA in MG patients. <p> Results: PEA had a significant effect on the QMG score (p=0.03418) and on RNS of the masseteric nerve (p=0.01763), thus indicating that PEA reduces the level of disability and decremental muscle response. Antibody titers did not change significantly after treatment. <p> Conclusion: According to our observations, μm-PEA as an add-on therapy could improve muscular response to fatigue in MG. The possible modulation of AChR currents as a means of eliciting a direct effect from PEA on the conformation of ACh receptors should be investigated. The co-role of cytokines also warrants an analysis. Given the rapidity and reversibility of the response, we suppose that PEA acts directly on AChR, though further studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Santoro ◽  
Tecla Zimotti ◽  
Adriana Mallardi ◽  
Alessandra Leopizzi ◽  
Enrica Vitale ◽  
...  

AbstractTakotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute heart failure syndrome with significant rates of in and out-of-hospital mayor cardiac adverse events (MACE). To evaluate the possible role of neoplastic biomarkers [CA-15.3, CA-19.9 and Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)] as prognostic marker at short- and long-term follow-up in subjects with TTS. Ninety consecutive subjects with TTS were enrolled and followed for a median of 3 years. Circulating levels of CA-15.3, CA-19.9 and CEA were evaluated at admission, after 72 h and at discharge. Incidence of MACE during hospitalization and follow-up were recorded. Forty-three (46%) patients experienced MACE during hospitalization. These patients had increased admission levels of CEA (4.3 ± 6.2 vs. 2.2 ± 1.5 ng/mL, p = 0.03). CEA levels were higher in subjects with in-hospital MACE. At long term follow-up, CEA and CA-19.9 levels were associated with increased risk of death (log rank p < 0.01, HR = 5.3, 95% CI 1.9–14.8, HR = 7.8 95% CI 2.4–25.1, respectively, p < 0.01). At multivariable analysis levels higher than median of CEA, CA-19.9 or both were independent predictors of death at long term (Log-Rank p < 0.01). Having both CEA and CA-19.9 levels above median (> 2 ng/mL, > 8 UI/mL respectively) was associated with an increased risk of mortality of 11.8 (95% CI 2.6–52.5, p = 0.001) at follow up. Increased CEA and CA-19.9 serum levels are associated with higher risk of death at long-term follow up in patients with TTS. CEA serum levels are correlated with in-hospital MACE.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
O L Rueda Ochoa ◽  
L R Bons ◽  
S Rohde ◽  
K E L Ghoud ◽  
R Budde ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Thoracic aortic diameters have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis. However, limited evidence regarding the role of thoracic aortic diameters as risk markers for major cardiovascular outcomes among women and men exist. Purpose To evaluate the independent associations between crude and indexed ascending and descending aortic (AA and DA) diameters with major cardiovascular outcomes among women and men and to provide optimal cutoff values associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Methods and results 2178 women and men ≥55 years from the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study underwent multi-detector CT scan of thorax. Crude diameters of the AA and DA were measured and indexed by height, weight, body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI). Incidence of stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF), cardiovascular and all-cause mortality were evaluated during 13 years of follow-up. Weight-, BSA-, or BMI-indexed AA diameters showed significant associations with total or cardiovascular mortality in both sexes and height-indexed values showed association with HF in women. Crude AA diameters were associated with stroke in men and HF in women. For DA, crude and almost all indexed diameters showed significant associations with either stroke, HF, cardiovascular or total mortality in women. Only weight-, BSA- and BMI-indexed values were associated with total mortality in men. For crude DA diameter, the risk for stroke increased significantly at the 75th percentile among men while the risks for HF and cardiovascular mortality increased at the 75th and 85th percentiles respectively in women. Conclusions Our study suggests a role for descending thoracic aortic diameter as a marker for increased cardiovascular risk, in particular for stroke, heart failure and cardiovascular mortality among women. The cut points for increased risk for several of cardiovascular outcomes were below the 95th percentile of the distribution of aortic diameters.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 3389
Author(s):  
Jingyun Tang ◽  
Jia-Yi Dong ◽  
Ehab S. Eshak ◽  
Renzhe Cui ◽  
Kokoro Shirai ◽  
...  

Evidence on the role of supper timing in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is limited. In this study, we examined the associations between supper timing and risks of mortality from stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), and total CVD. A total of 28,625 males and 43,213 females, aged 40 to 79 years, free from CVD and cancers at baseline were involved in this study. Participants were divided into three groups: the early supper group (before 8:00 p.m.), the irregular supper group (time irregular), and the late supper group (after 8:00 p.m.). Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for stroke, CHD, and total CVD according to the supper time groups. During the 19-year follow-up, we identified 4706 deaths from total CVD. Compared with the early supper group, the multivariable HR of hemorrhagic stroke mortality for the irregular supper group was 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.97). There was no significant association between supper timing and the risk of mortality from other types of stroke, CHD, and CVD. We found that adopting an irregular supper timing compared with having dinner before 8:00 p.m. was associated with an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke mortality.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-491
Author(s):  
Joseph M Shulan ◽  
Leonid Vydro ◽  
Arthur B Schneider ◽  
Dan V Mihailescu

With increasing numbers of childhood cancer survivors who were treated with radiation, there is a need to evaluate potential biomarkers that could signal an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer. We aimed to examine the relationships between thyrotropin and thyroglobulin levels and the risk of developing thyroid nodules and cancer in a cohort of radiation-exposed children. 764 subjects who were irradiated in the neck area as children were examined and followed for up to 25 years. All subjects underwent a clinical examination, measurements of thyrotropin, thyroglobulin levels and thyroid imaging. At baseline, 216 subjects had thyroid nodules and 548 did not. Of those with nodules, 176 underwent surgery with 55 confirmed thyroid cancers. During the follow-up, 147 subjects developed thyroid nodules including 22 with thyroid cancer. Thyroglobulin levels were higher in subjects with prevalent thyroid nodules (26.1 ng/mL vs 9.37 ng/mL; P < 0.001) and in those who had an initial normal examination but later developed thyroid nodules (11.2 ng/mL vs 8.87 ng/mL; P = 0.017). There was no relationship between baseline thyrotropin levels and the prevalent presence or absence of thyroid nodules, whether a prevalent neoplasm was benign or malignant, subsequent development of thyroid nodules during follow-up or whether an incident nodule was benign or malignant. In conclusion, in radiation-exposed children, higher thyroglobulin levels indicated an increased risk of developing thyroid nodules but did not differentiate between benign and malignant neoplasms. There was no association between the baseline TSH level and the risk of developing thyroid nodules or cancer.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue Zhang ◽  
Jingyi Li ◽  
Nannan Cheng ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Lijing Ye ◽  
...  

Abstract Background:We aimed to evaluate the association between alcohol consumption and risk of cancer incidence among rural Chinese adults. Methods: We utilized data from a community-based cohort study in rural China enrolled in 2003 and followed up prospectively up to 2018. Generalized estimating equation models were used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to analyze the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer incidence. Results: After an average of 15 years of follow-up, a total of 9870 adult participants were included in this study. The results of the regression analysis for males showed that former drinkers had a significantly increased risk of cancer compared to never drinkers ([OR]2.46,95%[CI](1.43-4.23)). The cancer risk for current drinkers with heavy alcohol consumption(>400g/week) significantly increased ([OR]1.66,95% [CI] (1.18-2.34))compared to never drinkers. Among current drinkers, for every 100g of alcohol consumed per week, the risk of cancer increased by 15%. Among current drinkers, those aged 53.5 years or older , had a significant increase in the risk of cancer ([OR]1.26,95% [CI](1.12-1.42), for those with triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL, the risk of cancer was even higher ([OR]1.50,95%[CI](1.20-1.88), P for interaction 0.018), and for those with high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC)<40 mg/dL, the risk of cancer increased the greatest ([OR]2.03,95%[CI](1.36-3.04), P for interaction 0.005). Conclusions: Among middle-aged and elderly males in rural China, the risk of cancer significantly increased among former and heavy current drinkers compared with never drinkers. Age, triglycerides, and HDLC may increase the risk of cancer along with alcohol consumption.


2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (8) ◽  
pp. 611-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Coudeyras ◽  
Christiane Forestier

All accessible mucous membranes of the human body are colonized by an abundant and diversified microbial flora called microbiota. Recent studies have shown that these microorganisms, long regarded as purely commensal, have essential beneficial effects on human health. Thus, numerous human ailments are linked to dysbiosis; that is, imbalances in the microflora composition. The administration of probiotic microorganisms could, in some situations, provide substantial relief from such disorders. These live microorganisms, which, according to the definition, confer a health benefit to the host when administered in adequate amounts, are often derived from human flora and belong mostly to lactic acid bacteria, in particular to the genus Lactobacillus . The constant improvement of knowledge of the role of human microbiota and the growing popularity of probiotics are now opening the door to new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in human health.


Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Sharifi-Rad ◽  
Célia F. Rodrigues ◽  
Zorica Stojanović-Radić ◽  
Marina Dimitrijević ◽  
Ana Aleksić ◽  
...  

The positive impact of probiotic strains on human health has become more evident than ever before. Often delivered through food, dietary products, supplements, and drugs, different legislations for safety and efficacy issues have been prepared. Furthermore, regulatory agencies have addressed various approaches toward these products, whether they authorize claims mentioning a disease’s diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. Due to the diversity of bacteria and yeast strains, strict approaches have been designed to assess for side effects and post-market surveillance. One of the most essential delivery systems of probiotics is within food, due to the great beneficial health effects of this system compared to pharmaceutical products and also due to the increasing importance of food and nutrition. Modern lifestyle or various diseases lead to an imbalance of the intestinal flora. Nonetheless, as the amount of probiotic use needs accurate calculations, different factors should also be taken into consideration. One of the novelties of this review is the presentation of the beneficial effects of the administration of probiotics as a potential adjuvant therapy in COVID-19. Thus, this paper provides an integrative overview of different aspects of probiotics, from human health care applications to safety, quality, and control.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Holmberg ◽  
Michael Davidsen ◽  
Lau Caspar Thygesen ◽  
Mikala Josefine Krøll ◽  
Janne Schurmann Tolstrup

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain affects many people worldwide and has a great impact on general health and quality of life. However, the relationship between MSK pain and mortality is not clear. This study aimed to investigate all-cause and cause-specific mortality in relation to self-reported MSK pain within the last 14 days, including spread of pain and pain intensity. Methods This prospective cohort study included a representative cohort of 4806 men and women aged 16+ years, who participated in a Danish MSK survey 1990–1991. The survey comprised questions on MSK pain, including spread of pain and pain intensity. These data were linked with the Danish Register of Causes of Death to obtain information on cause of death. Mean follow-up was 19.1 years. Cox regression analyses were performed with adjustment for potential confounders. Results In the study population (mean age 44.5 years; 47.9% men), 41.0% had experienced MSK pain within the last 14 days and 1372 persons died during follow-up. For both sexes, increased all-cause mortality with higher spread and intensity of MSK pain was observed; a high risk was observed especially for men with strong pain (HR = 1.66; 95% CI:1.09–2.53) and women with widespread pain (HR = 1.49; 95% CI:1.16–1.92). MSK pain within last 14 days yielded c-statistics of 0.544 and 0.887 with age added. Moreover, persons with strong MSK pain had an increased cardiovascular mortality, persons with moderate pain and pain in two areas had an increased risk of cancer mortality, and persons with widespread pain had an increased risk of respiratory mortality. Conclusions Overall, persons experiencing MSK pain had a higher risk of mortality. The increased mortality was not accounted for by potential confounders. However, when evaluating these results, it is important to take the possibility of unmeasured confounders into account as we had no information on e.g. BMI etc. Significance The present study provides new insights into the long-term consequences of MSK pain. However, the discriminatory accuracy of MSK pain was low, which indicates that this information cannot stand alone when predicting mortality risk.


2014 ◽  
Vol 170 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Filopanti ◽  
A M Barbieri ◽  
G Mantovani ◽  
S Corbetta ◽  
V Gasco ◽  
...  

ContextHepatotoxicity is one of the most serious adverse effects in acromegalic patients treated with pegvisomant (PEG-V). Recent studies have found an association between this adverse event and the UGT1A1 allele 28 polymorphism associated with Gilbert's syndrome.ObjectiveTo determine whether UGT1A1*28 and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) polymorphisms influence liver toxicity during PEG-V treatment.Design and settingMulticenter observational retrospective study conducted in 13 tertiary care endocrinology units in Italy.PatientsA total of 112 patients with active disease resistant to somatostatin analogs (SSTa) and 108 controls were enrolled.InterventionsClinical and biochemical data were recorded by electronic clinical reporting forms. Blood or DNA samples were sent to the coordinating center for genotyping.ResultsNo differences in genotypes between patients and controls were found. During PEG-V therapy liver function tests (LFT), abnormalities and overt hepatotoxicity developed in 17 and 4.5% of patients respectively. Logistic and linear regression analyses showed an association between LFT abnormalities during the follow-up visit and prior events of LFT abnormalities in medical history (odds ratio=1.25;P=0.04) and the number of concomitant medications, other than SSTa (B=3.9;P=0.03). No correlation between LFT alterations and UGT1A1 allele 28 as well as ADH1C and B polymorphisms was found.ConclusionsUGT1A1 allele 28 and ADH1C and B polymorphisms do not predict increased risk of hepatotoxicity during PEG-V therapy. Conversely, patients with multi-therapies and with previous episodes of liver disease should be carefully managed, due to the observed association between these conditions and LFT abnormalities during PEG-V therapy.


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