Infection with H. pylori is associated with an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma and may be a cofactor in the pathogenesis of this malignant condition.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma affecting the stomach, but not other sites, is associated with previous H. pylori infection. A causative role for the organism is plausible, but remains unproved.

In a cross-sectional study, serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) concentrations were measured in 981 men and 481 women, aged 11-89, yr. The resulting data were asymetrically distributed and were normalized by logarithmic transformation and analyzed by 5-yr age grouping (e.g. 15-19 yr, 20-24 yr, etc.). The DS concentration peaked at age 20-24 yr in men (logarithmic mean, 3470 ng/ml) and at age 15-19 yr in women (log mean, 2470 ng/ml). Mean values then declined steadily in both sexes (log mean at greater than 70 yr of age, 670 ng/ml in men and 450 ng/ml in women) and were significantly higher in men than women at ages from 20-69 yr. Analysis of 517 randomly selected sera (from women) which had been stored frozen for 10-15 yr gave results indistinguishable from values obtained from fresh specimens. In a supplementary study, a longitudinal analysis of weekly specimens from 4 normal men, aged 36-59 yr, revealed individual variability (mean coefficient of variation, 19%) and failed to demonstrate any monthly, seasonal, or annual rhythmicity. Based on the above analyses, a table of normal serum DS ranges for adult men and women is presented for use as a clinical reference.

Future investigations must consider the biologic mechanisms involved and variations in exposure to chemical pollutants and of breast cancer incidence rates among diverse groups of women.

Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) was measured by direct tritium RIA in longitudinal plasma specimens from 97 normal healthy male participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Fasting blood was collected at regular visits (approximately 1.5 yr apart) over an average 13 yr of adulthood (cumulative age range: 32-83 yr). DS was measured in 3-4 widely spaced specimens from each subject. A decline in DS was found in 65 (67%) subjects, 13 subjects (13%) showed no change, and increases were found in the 19 remaining subjects during the study period. A plot of individual data points revealed the same pattern we had obtained previously from a cross-sectional study of a different normal male population. A plot of DS values vs. age among subjects whose DS increased during the study also revealed an age-related decline. Thus, the longitudinal decrease in circulating DS, long inferred from cross-sectional data, is confirmed for normal men in the present study. A more detailed study of every specimen collected during the study period from 12 of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging subjects (4 whose values tended to be low, 4 whose values tended to be high, and 4 whose values were near the mean) failed to reveal any patterns of variation that could be correlated with changes in life circumstances, health status, or any other discernible factors. Hence, the wide variability seen in DS among individuals within normal populations remains unexplained.

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Background Some, but not all, published results have shown an association between circulating blood levels of some insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) and the subsequent risk for prostate cancer. Purpose To assess the association between levels of IGFs and IGFBPs and the subsequent risk for prostate cancer. Data Sources Studies identified in PubMed, Web of Science, and CancerLit. Study Selection The principal investigators of all studies that published data on circulating concentrations of sex steroids, IGFs, or IGFBPs and prostate cancer risk using prospectively collected blood samples were invited to collaborate. Data Extraction Investigators provided individual participant data on circulating concentrations of IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-II, and IGFBP-III and participant characteristics to a central data set in Oxford, United Kingdom. Data Synthesis The study included data on 3700 men with prostate cancer and 5200 control participants. On average, case patients were 61.5 years of age at blood collection and received a diagnosis of prostate cancer 5 years after blood collection. The greater the serum IGF-I concentration, the greater the subsequent risk for prostate cancer (odds ratio [OR] in the highest vs. lowest quintile, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.19 to 1.60]; P < 0.001 for trend). Neither IGF-II nor IGFBP-II concentrations were associated with prostate cancer risk, but statistical power was limited. Insulin-like growth factor I and IGFBP-III were correlated (r = 0.58), and although IGFBP-III concentration seemed to be associated with prostate cancer risk, this was secondary to its association with IGF-I levels. Insulin-like growth factor I concentrations seemed to be more positively associated with low-grade than high-grade disease; otherwise, the association between IGFs and IGFBPs and prostate cancer risk had no statistically significant heterogeneity related to stage or grade of disease, time between blood collection and diagnosis, age and year of diagnosis, prostate-specific antigen level at recruitment, body mass index, smoking, or alcohol intake. Limitations Insulin-like growth factor concentrations were measured in only 1 sample for each participant, and the laboratory methods to measure IGFs differed in each study. Not all patients had disease stage or grade information, and the diagnosis of prostate cancer may differ among the studies. Conclusion High circulating IGF-I concentrations are associated with a moderately increased risk for prostate cancer.

We investigated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) risk in a nested case-control study at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). 220 case patients with BCC diagnosed after serum collection were matched to 220 control subjects. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using conditional logistic regression. Fully adjusted models included body mass index (BMI), smoking, education, sun-exposure variables, x-ray exposure, and personal history of cancer. For each measure of serum 25(OH)D (continuous, clinically relevant tertiles, quintiles), we found an increased risk of BCC in unadjusted models (OR=1.03, 95% CI 1.00–1.05, p<0.05; OR= 3.98, 95% CI: 1.31–12.31, deficient vs. sufficient, test for trend p value <0.01; OR=2.32, 95% CI: 1.20–4.50, 1st vs. 5th quintile, test for trend p value 0.03). In fully adjusted models, the values attenuated slightly (OR=1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.05, p<0.05; OR= 3.61, 95% CI: 1.00–13.10, deficient vs. sufficient, t-trend p=0.03; OR=2.09 1st vs. 5th quintile, 95% CI: 0.95–4.58, t-trend p=0.11). Our findings suggest that higher pre-diagnostic serum 25(OH)D levels may be associated with increased risk of subsequent BCC. Further studies to evaluate the effect of sun exposure on BCC and serum 25(OH)D levels may be warranted.