Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been associated to diabetes and obesity, but a possible association with the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its potential interaction with hepatitis is open to discussion. Methods: We analysed data from an Italian case–control study, including 185 HCC cases and 404 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed from unconditional logistic regression models. Results: Among the MetS components, diabetes and obesity (i.e, body mass index (BMI)⩾30 kg m −2 ) were positively associated to HCC risk, with ORs of 4.33 (95% CI, 1.89–9.86) and 1.97 (95% CI, 1.03–3.79), respectively. The ORs for the MetS were 4.06 (95% CI, 1.33–12.38) defining obesity as BMI⩾25, and 1.92 (95% CI, 0.38–9.76) defining it as BMI⩾30. The risk increased with the number of MetS components, up to an almost four-fold excess risk among subjects with ⩾2 MetS factors. Among subjects without chronic infection with hepatitis B and/or C, the OR for those with ⩾2 MetS components was over six-fold elevated. There was no consistent association in subjects with serological evidence of hepatitis B and/or C infection. Conclusion: This study found that the risk of HCC increases with the number of MetS components in subjects not chronically infected with hepatitis viruses.

Background Locally advanced HER2-overexpressing breast cancer (BC) patients achieve a high rate of pathological complete responses (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NC). The apparently unaltered immune proficiency of these patients together with the immune-modulating activities of NC drugs suggest a potential contribution of host immunity in mediating clinical responses. We thus performed an extensive immunomonitoring in locally advanced BC patients undergoing NC to identify immunological correlates of pCR induction. Methods The immune profile of 40 HER2-positive and 38 HER2-negative BC patients was characterized at diagnosis and throughout NC (Paclitaxel and Trastuzumab, or Docetaxel and Epirubicin, respectively). The percentages of circulating immune cell subsets including T and B lymphocytes, Natural Killer (NK) cells, regulatory T cells, T helper 17 lymphocytes, were quantified by multiparametric flow cytometry. NK cells functional activity was evaluated through the analysis of NF-kB nuclear translocation by Multispectral flow cytometry, and with the in vitro monitoring of Trastuzumab-mediated antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC). CD8 + T cell responses against six different tumor-associated antigens (TAA) were characterized by IFN-γ ELISPOT and IFN-γ/IL-2 DualSpot assays. Results After NC, HER2-positive patients showed a significant increase in the number of NK cells and regulatory T cells irrespective of the pathological response, whereas patients undergoing a pCR disclosed higher percentages of T helper 17 cells. Notably, a significant increase in the number of activated NK cells was observed only in HER2-positive patients achieving a pCR. Characterization of anti-tumor T cell responses highlighted sustained levels of CD8 + T cells specific for survivin and mammaglobin-A throughout NC in patients undergoing a pCR in both arms. Moreover, HER2-positive patients achieving a pCR were characterized by a multi-epitopic and polyfunctional anti-tumor T cell response, markedly reduced in case of partial response. Conclusions These results indicate that maintenance of functional T cell responses against selected antigens and improvement of NK cell proficiency during NC are probably critical requirements for pCR induction, especially in HER2-positive BC patients. Trail registration: Trial registration number: NCT02307227, registered on ClinicalTrials.gov ( http://www.clinicaltrials.gov , November 26, 2014).

Background: The Mediterranean diet has been shown to have a beneficial role on various neoplasms, but data are scanty on pancreatic cancer. Methods: We analysed data from two case–control studies conducted in Italy between 1983 and 2008, including 362 and 326 pancreatic cancer cases and 1552 and 652 hospital-controls, respectively. A Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) summarising major characteristics of the Mediterranean diet was used in the two studies separately and overall. Two further scores of adherence to the Mediterranean diet were applied in the second study only, the Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Adherence Index (MDP) and the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MAI). Results: Odds ratios (ORs) for increasing levels of the scores (i.e., increasing adherence) were estimated using multiple logistic regression models. Odds ratio for a MDS score ⩾6 compared with <3 was 0.57 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.34–0.95) in the first study, 0.51 (95% CI 0.29–0.92) in the second study, and 0.48 (95% CI 0.35–0.67) overall. A trend of decreasing risk was observed also for the MDP and MAI the ORs for the highest vs the lowest quintile being 0.44 (95% CI 0.27–0.73) for MDP and 0.68 (95% CI 0.42–1.11) for the MAI. The results were consistent across strata of age, sex, education, body mass index, alcohol drinking, tobacco smoking, and diabetes. Conclusion: Our study provides evidence that a priori -defined scores measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet are favourably associated with pancreatic cancer risk.

Background: The association of transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder (TCB) with Schistosoma haematobium suggested a possible role of infections in the aetiology of TCB. Methods: In all, 114 TCB cases and 140 hospital controls from Pordenone Province were enrolled within an Italian multi-centric case–control study. Urine samples were screened for DNA from five human polyomaviruses (HPyV) (JCV, BKV, MCV, WUV, and KIV); SV40; and 22 mucosal human papillomaviruses (HPV) using highly sensitive PCR assays. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for risk of TCB by HPyV- or HPV-positivity using unconditional logistic regression. Results: Human polyomavirus prevalence was similar in TCB cases (71.7%) and controls (77.7%) (OR for TCB=0.85; 95% CI: 0.45–1.61). JCV was the most frequently detected HPyV type. No individual HPyV showed a significant association. Among cases, HPyV-positivity was not associated with tumour characteristics, but it was significantly lower in women than men and among current and former smokers than never smokers. Human papillomavirus was detected in seven cases and five controls (OR=1.52; 95% CI: 0.42–5.45). Conclusion: The present small study does not support an involvement of HPyV or HPV infection in TCB aetiology in immunocompetent individuals. Differences in HPyV-positivity by sex and smoking may derive from differences in either acquisition or persistence of the infection.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of common polymorphisms in the nucleotide excision repair pathway genes in the tumorigenesis of osteosarcoma and in the response to DNA damaging therapies, such as cisplatin-based neoadjuvant therapy. Excision repair cross-complementing (ERCC) group 2 (XPD; rs13181 and rs1799793), group 5 (XPG; rs17655) and group 1 (XPA; rs3212986 and rs11615) polymorphisms were analyzed in a group of 130 homogenously treated patients with high-grade osteosarcoma, for association with event-free survival (EFS), using the Kaplan–Meier plots and log-rank test. A positive association was observed between both XPD single-nucleotide polymorphisms and an increased EFS (hazards ratio (HR)=0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.98 and HR=0.19, 95% CI 0.05–0.77, respectively). We had also performed a case–control study for relative risk to develop osteosarcoma. Patients carrying at least one variant allele of XPD rs1799793 had a reduced risk of developing osteosarcoma, compared with wild-type patients (odds ratio=0.55, 95% CI 0.36–0.84). This study suggests that XPD rs1799793 could be a marker of osteosarcoma associated with features conferring either a better prognosis or a better outcome after platinum therapy, or both.

Objective: To provide information on the effects of alcohol and tobacco on laryngeal cancer and its subsites. Methods: This was a case-control study conducted between 1992 and 2000 in northern Italy and Switzerland. A total of 527 cases of incident squamous-cell carcinoma of the larynx and 1297 hospital controls frequency-matched with cases on age, sex, and area of residence were included. Odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multiple logistic regression. Results: In comparison with never smokers, ORs were 19.8 for current smokers and 7.0 for ex-smokers. The risk increased in relation to the number of cigarettes (OR = 42.9 for ≥25 cigarettes/day) and for duration of smoking (OR = 37.2 for ≥40 years). For alcohol, the risk increased in relation to number of drinks (OR = 5.9 for ≥56 drinks per week). Combined alcohol and tobacco consumption showed a multiplicative (OR = 177) rather than an additive risk. For current smokers and current drinkers the risk was higher for supraglottis (ORs 54.9 and 2.6, respectively) than for glottis (ORs 7.4 and 1.8) and others subsites (ORs 10.9 and 1.9). Conclusions: Our study shows that both cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking are independent risk factors for laryngeal cancer. Heavy consumption of alcohol and cigarettes determined a multiplicative risk increase, possibly suggesting biological synergy.

Among 777 endometrial cancer cases and 1550 controls from Italy and Switzerland, odds ratio was 1.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.2–2.5) for diabetes, and 5.1 for obese diabetic women as compared with non-obese non-diabetic ones. Diabetes shows a supramultiplicative effect with body mass index, but not with physical activity or hypertension.

Background: Dietary habits have been related to the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but information on a wide range of macro- and micronutrients is still lacking, particularly for low-incidence countries. Methods: We conducted a hospital-based case–control study in Italy on 198, histologically confirmed, NPC cases of Caucasian ethnicity of 18–76 years of age. Controls were 594 Caucasian cancer-free patients admitted to general hospitals for acute conditions. Nutrients intake was assessed through a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated through logistic regression. Results: Dietary intake of carotenoids were inversely related to NPC risk, notably carotene (OR for highest vs lowest quartile=0.46; 95% CI: 0.26–0.79), α -carotene (OR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.33–0.97), and β -carotene (OR=0.42; 95% CI: 0.24–0.75). Increased NPC risk was observed for elevate cholesterol intake (OR=1.85; 95% CI: 1.12–3.05). Conclusion: Study findings suggest a protective effect of carotenoids against NPC in a low-risk population, adding further support to a possible beneficial role of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables in cancers of the head and neck.

Background: Ocular adnexal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma (OAMZL) has been associated with Chlamydophila psittaci , an infection that may be transmitted by carrier animals. However, it is still unclear whether exposure to animals affects the risk of OAMZL in comparison with other lymphoma histotypes. We therefore investigated the role of professional and/or domestic exposures to animals in the occurrence of OAMZL, as compared with other types of lymphoma. Methods: A hospital-based case–control study was carried out on 43 consecutive OAMZL patients (cases) and 87 consecutive patients with nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs; controls). Multiple logistic regression (MLR) odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to estimate the association between exposures to animals and OAMZL risk. Results: A higher proportion of cases reported a lifetime exposure to household animals (79.1% vs 64.4% among controls), with a non-statistical significant MLR-OR of 2.18 (95% CI: 0.85–5.62). The OAMZL cases more frequently reported a history of occupation in breeding and/or slaughtering than controls (34.9% vs 6.9%), with an overall increased risk of 7.69 (95%CI: 2.65–22.34). Conclusion: These results indicate that, compared with nodal NHLs, the risk of OAMZL is markedly increased by contact with animals, particularly by occupational exposures.