Communities eating a western-like diet, rich in fat, sugar and significantly deprived of fibers, share a relevant increased risk of both metabolic and cancerous diseases. Even more remarkable is that a low-fiber diet lacks some key components—as phytates and inositols—for which a mechanistic link has been clearly established in the pathogenesis of both cancer and metabolic illness. Reduced bioavailability of inositol in living organisms could arise from reduced food supply or from metabolism deregulation. Inositol deregulation has been found in a number of conditions mechanistically and epidemiologically associated to high-glucose diets or altered glucose metabolism. Indeed, high glucose levels hinder inositol availability by increasing its degradation and by inhibiting both myo-Ins biosynthesis and absorption. These underappreciated mechanisms may likely account for acquired, metabolic deficiency in inositol bioavailability.

The physiological response to the physical exercise involves a number of changes in the oxidative balance and in the metabolism of some important biological molecules, including nitric oxide (NO) and heat shock proteins (Hsp 70). With the aim to optimise previous laboratory diagnostic panels, we measured the plasma concentration of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), total antioxidant status (TAS), glutathione reductase (GR) activity, and NO and Hsp 70 levels in 44 elite, antioxidant-supplemented and trained soccer players and in 15 sedentary controls. Although no statistically significant difference between athletes and controls was detected in the plasma level of ROMs and TAS, soccer players showed a significantly higher plasma GR activity, NO and Hst 70 levels than those of sedentary controls. These findings suggest that the measuring of relatively novel biomarkers in sport medicine, like GR, NO and Hsp 70, in addition to the well-known and reliable assays (d-ROMs test and TAS) may be useful to a clinician to better assess and evaluate the benefits of training and/or supplementation programs.

These findings did not indicate a major effect of the PON1 L55M polymorphism, either alone or in combination with the Q192R polymorphism, on CAD risk. Additional studies are needed for a better evaluation of the role of the 55/192 PON1 genotypes in combination on myocardial infarction risk.

Aim-To evaluate the diagnostic value of telomerase expression in intracranial tumours. Methods-98 surgical specimens from different neoplasms were analysed by the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) and the presence of telomerase compared with the histological diagnosis and the proliferation index. Results-A high degree of positivity for telomerase activity was found in glioblastomas and atypical/anaplastic meningiomas. Telomerase activity was poorly detected in anaplastic astrocytomas. Conclusions-The TRAP assay seems to be a valuable index for identifying meningeal tumours with aggressive behaviour. (J Clin Pathol 1999;52:234-236)

No abstract

The anti-atherogenic effect of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) genetic variants associated with lowered enzyme activity is controversial. Moreover, in a few studies, this effect has been evaluated in the presence of a certain risk factor constellation. We addressed this issue in a case-control study, where 415 subjects with angiographically documented coronary artery disease (CAD +), 397 subjects without CAD (in 215, CAD was excluded by coronarography (CAD-)), and 188 healthy population controls, were screened for the CETP TaqIB polymorphism. The prevalence of the low-activity TaqIB2 allele was 0.396 in CAD+, and 0.428 and 0.416 in CAD- and population controls, respectively (p = 0.40). Its presence was significantly associated with increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in population controls (1.40 +/- 0.40 mmol/l in B1B1, 1.52 +/- 0.39 mmol/l in B1B2 and 1.58 + 0.46 mmol/l in B2B2; p < 0.03 for trend), but not in the other groups. The CETP TaqIB polymorphism accounted for < 1% of the HDL-C variance in the whole cohort (p = 0.048). After adjustment for other risk factors, the CETP TaqIB2 allele was found not to be associated with significant changes in CAD risk independently of an assumed either dominant (odds ratio (OR) 0.97; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66-1.44; p = 0.89) or recessive effect (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.42-1.12; p = 0.13). The CETP TaqIB polymorphism did not show a significant interaction with other risk factors in influencing CAD risk. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that a genetic variant resulting in lowered CETP activity is associated with reduced risk of coronary atherosclerosis.

No abstract

Human breast cancer (BC) is characterized by a considerable clinical heterogeneity. Steroid hormone receptor expression and growth factor receptor expression have been considered suitable diagnostic and prognostic markers, whereas mutations of oncosuppressor and gatekeeper genes have been found associated with an increased risk for this malignancy. To evaluate the role that polymorphisms of genes involved in the regulation of inflammatory response might play in BC susceptibility, we investigated associations between cytokine functionally relevant polymorphisms in 84 BC patients compared to 110 age- and sex-matched controls. TNF-alpha (-308G/A), TGF-beta1 (+869C/T), IL-10 (-1117G/A; -854C/T; -627C/A), and IFN-gamma (874T/A) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified by sequence-specific primers (SSP)-PCR or restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR. Genotype or haplotype distributions for each polymorphisms were consistent with the HWE in these populations. We were unable to demonstrate differences in genotype or allele frequencies between patient and control groups. Data obtained in this study indicate that none of the cytokine SNPs studied is likely to have predisposing or protective effects on BC susceptibility. On the other hand, both positive and negative association with BC have been reported for some of the studied genotypes by different research groups. In conclusion, further studies involving larger numbers of subjects are required.