Dora Loria

Prevalence of human papillomavirus infection among women in Concordia, Argentina: a population-based study.

Background Preparing for HPV vaccine programs, studies are needed of HPV infection in different populations. Goal The goal was to evaluate HPV prevalence and determinants in Concordia, Argentina. Study Design A stratified random sample of 1786 households was obtained. Consenting women aged ≥15 years were interviewed and underwent examination, including colposcopy. Cells were collected for a Papanicolaou smear and HPV DNA testing with GP5+/6+ primer-mediated PCR-EIA. Results PCR was performed on specimens from 987 women. Prevalence among women reporting no previous sexual activity was 3%, and among sexually active women it was 17.7%, peaking at <25 years of age and decreasing to a minimum at ≥65 years of age. However, low-risk types had similar prevalence (≈5%) in all age groups. HPV16 (4.0%), HPV35 (2.6%), and other high-risk types were the most common. Almost half of infections were multiple. Younger women initiated sexual activity earlier and had more partners. The main determinants of HPV detection were lifetime number of sex partners and vaginal discharge. Conclusion A clear pattern of decreasing prevalence of HPV with age was observed. This could be explained by development of immunity against specific types over time or related to a cohort effect associated with a recent spread of HPV in this population after recent changes in sexual behavior.

Risk factors for cutaneous melanoma: a case–control study in Argentina

Abstract

Prognostic factors in laryngeal carcinoma experience in 296 male patients

Background. Laryngeal cancer is the primary cause of death among patients with head and neck cancer in Argentina. Different prognostic factors have been incidentally dealt with in a number of articles, but there are few studies of prognostic variables, such as age, tobacco, and alcohol, using multifactorial analysis.

Cancer and yerba mate consumption: a review of possible associations

OBJECTIVE To identify any possible link between mate consumption and cancer, mainly of the esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity. METHODS A review of literature, published through August 2008, pertaining to the carcinogenic risk of mate consumption was undertaken by searching the two databases, MEDLINE and TOXLINE, for relevant articles. The bibliographies of the articles were examined for additional relevant sources. In addition, a search on the name of each author having published on the topic was conducted. The epidemiological studies are presented by cancer site; experimental works are examined in dedicated sections; and the discussion combines epidemiological and experimental evidence. RESULTS Almost all epidemiological studies shared similar methodology: hospital-based, case-control studies where participants were personally interviewed on the main risk factors, using similar questionnaires. Several studies found an association between the temperature of the mate infusion and oral, esophageal, and/or laryngeal cancer risks; while a few focused on carcinogenic contaminants introduced during the industrial processing of the leaves. The cancer most frequently mentioned in association with hot mate with bombilla (drunk through a metal straw) was the esophagus. Size, exposure assessment, methods of analysis, and quality were different among the studies reviewed. The results varied greatly. The higher risk estimate (odds ratio = 34.6) was found for women who drank 1 L or more daily; for men it was only 4.8. Risk increased with duration, daily quantity, and temperature at drinking. The synergic action between mate, alcohol, and tobacco was a clear result in several studies, and in some, nutritional deficiencies and poor oral hygiene played a role. No increased risk was associated with cold mate beverages. CONCLUSIONS The role of hot mate in increasing the risk of cancer of esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity seems to be supported by several epidemiological studies. The temperature could act by damaging the mucosa or accelerating metabolic reactions, including those with carcinogenic substances in tobacco and alcohol. However, there is no sound population-based case-control study on mate consumption as a risk factor for cancer. This, coupled with the range of results on mate risk, make assessing the etiological fraction difficult. More research needs to be done before a definitive statement can be made regarding cancer risk associated with any of the various forms of mate consumption. Future research should include population-based studies; collection of data on consumption of tobacco, alcohol, hot drinks, fresh fruit, and vegetables; and, a method to precisely measure volume and temperature of mate intake.

Genotoxicity of the pesticide propoxur and its nitroso derivative, NO-propoxur, on human lymphocytes in vitro.

The aim of this work was to investigate whether the pesticide propoxur and its nitroso derivative nitroso-propoxur increased the frequencies of sister-chromatid exchanges and micronuclei in human lymphocytes in vitro. The results show that both chemicals were genotoxic in the tested system.

Circulating 92-kilodalton matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-9) activity is enhanced in the euglobulin plasma fraction of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Plasma 92-Kilodalton MMP Activity in HNSCC Tumors

Cancer lethality is usually the result of local invasion and metastasis of neoplastic cells from the primary tumor. Because of their ability to degrade extracellular matrix components (EMC), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been implicated in the breakdown of basement membranes and underlying stroma, thereby facilitating tumor growth and invasion.

Cutaneous melanoma in Latin America: the need for more data

OBJECTIVE To identify the scientific literature on cutaneous melanoma in Latin America and compile all available epidemiologic data to demonstrate the need for reliable regional and country-specific data on incidence and mortality estimates. METHODS Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and Google Scholar databases for epidemiologic studies from 1 January 2000 to 31 October 2010 related to melanoma in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. A final search on melanoma cases was carried out using country-specific population-based cancer registries. No statistical analyses were conducted. RESULTS For all six countries, most epidemiological research on cutaneous melanoma consists of hospital-based or case-control studies. Very few studies report incidence and mortality rates. Attempts to estimate disease rates have relied on national incidence and mortality data and information extracted from cancer registries. While predominance of European ancestry is a known risk factor for developing melanoma, the association of melanoma and ethnicity is not well-documented in some of the populations reviewed. Latin Americans are frequently exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation due to the tropical weather, high altitude, and thinning ozone layer in some regions. Tanned skin is viewed as healthy and beautiful. While melanoma public health campaigns have been under way in Latin America for decades, increasing melanoma awareness remains imperative. CONCLUSIONS There is an urgent need to collect accurate epidemiologic melanoma data in Latin America. Future research in the region should include more comprehensive, country-specific, population-based studies to allow for comparative evaluation of incidence and mortality rates.

Parkinson's Disease and Cancer

The association of Parkinsons disease and cancer had recently attracted renewed interest, and results are coming from well-designed epidemiologic studies (mainly cohort studies). In particular, the findings from Danish Parkinsons disease patients ([1][1], [2][2]) showed that the association

Nitroso-aldicarb induces sister-chromatid exchanges in human lymphocytes in vitro

Nitroso-aldicarb was tested for its ability to induce sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) and cell-cycle delay in human peripheral blood lymphocytes in vitro. This derivative of aldicarb induced a dose-dependent increase in SCE values per cell. In addition, a slight decrease in the successive mitotic progression of cells in culture was observed.

Smoking behavior and its determinants among women in Concordia, Argentina

This study assessed smoking, sexual, and reproductive behaviors as determinants of smoking behavior in women from Concordia, Province of Entre Ríos, Argentina, a population with a low incidence of lung cancer and a high incidence of cervical cancer. Interviewers administered structured, close-ended questionnaires to 1,028 women, aged at least 15 years, living in a random sample of households. We calculated the prevalence of smoking-related variables by age group and used a multivariate logistic regression model to identify various behavioral determinants of smoking. Overall, 36% of the women reported having ever smoked, and 23% were current smokers. At least 50% of the women who ever smoked in each age group smoked less than 10 cigarettes per day. The main determinants of ever having smoked were single marital status (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.01-2.66) and reporting two or more lifetime sexual partners (two or three: OR=2.25, 95% CI=1.63-3.07; four: OR=3.54, 95% CI=2.10-5.08). No association with socioeconomic level, reproductive characteristics, or variables related to health behavior was observed. We conclude that the prevalence of smoking was high, particularly among women aged 35-54 years, and was strongly associated with sexual behavior. Although women seem to be starting to smoke at younger ages compared with women in the past, the younger cohorts do not seem to be taking up the practice to the same extent as the older cohorts. Antismoking interventions and appropriate control measures are still necessary.