Background:

The etiology of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) in high prevalence regions of China remains unclear.

Methods:

Endoscopic biopsies were conducted among 7381 inhabitants aged from 25 to 65 of Anyang, China.

Results:

In this study, 2.57, 0.20 and 0.16% of the participants had mild, moderate and severe squamous dysplasia, respectively; 0.19 and 0.08% showed squamous carcinoma in situ and invasive ESCC. Using deep well (depth >100 meters) as water source (odds ratio=0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.54–0.96) was negatively associated with ESCC and its precursors, whereas tobacco and alcohol use were not significantly associated with ESCC.

Conclusions:

Water source and other factors in this region need further evaluation by longitudinal studies.

We studied the acute (up to 2 hours after reperfusion) effects of localized cortical hypothermia on ischemia-induced dendritic structural damage. Moderate (31°C) and deep (22°C) hypothermia delays, but does not block the onset of dendritic blebbing or spine loss during global ischemia in mouse in vivo. Hypothermic treatment promoted more consistent recovery of dendritic structure and spines during reperfusion. These results suggest that those using therapeutic hypothermia will need to consider that it does not spare neurons from structural changes that are the result of ischemia, but hypothermia may interact with mechanisms that control the onset of damage and recovery during reperfusion.

Background:

To determine whether non-viral nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk factors might be associated with (and mediated through) Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) serological responses linked to NPC risk, we evaluated predictors of risk of anti-EBNA1 IgA seropositivity and other markers among unaffected relatives from a large NPC family study in Taiwan.

Methods:

Multivariate logistic regression conditioned on family was used to examine the associations between sociodemographic, dietary, lifestyle, and occupational variables and risk of anti-EBV EBNA1 IgA positivity, anti-VCA IgA, and anti-DNase positivity.

Results:

Among 2393 unaffected relatives from 319 multiplex families, 1180 (49.3%) were anti-EBV EBNA1 IgA seropositive. None of the associations with anti-EBNA1 IgA were statistically significant, except for being 31–50 years of age (vs <30, adjusted ORs 0.51–0.57). For one or more EBV serological markers, there were suggestive associations for older age, GuangDong firm salted fish, betel use, current alcohol use, and male gender.

Conclusion:

Overall, we found little evidence to suggest that non-viral NPC risk factors significantly alter EBV serological patterns, suggesting that non-viral NPC risk factors act through pathways independent of EBV serological responses.