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Biomedical subjects

P Boyle

Publications and source records attributed to P Boyle.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

The association between induced and spontaneous abortion and risk of breast cancer in Slovenian women aged 25-54.

The risk of breast cancer may be increased by induced or spontaneous abortion. The evidence for this association was evaluated in a population based case-control study in Slovenia, where 624 women aged 25-54 years with breast cancer diagnosed during 1988-1990 were matched for age and site of residence with controls randomly selected from the Slovenian Population Registry. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained by conditional logistic regression analyses. Spontaneous abortion was not associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer (nulliparous women: OR=1.41, 95% CI 0.22-9.01; uniparous women: OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.50-1.91; women with parity 2 or more: OR=1.40, 95% CI 0.91-2.15). Induced abortion was not associated with a statistically significant elevated risk. The risk of breast cancer was higher in nulliparous women (OR=2.49, 95% Cl 0.68-9.09), and was less among women who had more deliveries. In uniparous women, the risk of breast cancer appeared higher when the induced abortion took place before a first full-term pregnancy (OR=1.94, 95% CI 0.70-5.39) rather than after a first full-term pregnancy (OR=1.22, 95% CI 0.71-2.10) but neither of these odds ratios reached significance. We found no significant association between spontaneous abortion or induced abortion and breast cancer risk. This study found an elevated, but not statistically significant, risk associated with induced abortion among nulliparous women and among parous women when the induced abortion was before the first full-term pregnancy.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Speech processing strategy preferences among 55 European CLARION cochlear implant users.

This multicentre study investigates the preference and performance of a group of 55 adult CLARION cochlear implant users with the choice of simultaneous analogue stimulation (SAS) and continuous interleaved sampler (CIS) strategies during the first 3 months of implant use. Subjects were programmed with both strategies and instructed to use each of the two strategies in daily life to ascertain preference. Subjects were tested in both strategies with open-set sentence materials, auditory alone, at 2, 6 and 12 weeks after the initial programming session. Questionnaires were completed with preference ratings being recorded for the two strategies: 25% of subjects preferred SAS and 75% CIS. Subjects performed better in their strategy of choice. Preferences were set very early on in the process and did not change. Factors influencing preference are discussed. Offering the choice of fundamentally different strategies improves both individual and group performance.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed2001

A cross-national comparison of the impact of family migration on women's employment status.

In this paper we consider the effects of family migration on women's employment status, using census microdata from Great Britain and the United States. We test a simple hypothesis that families tend to move long distances in favor of the male's career and that this can have a detrimental effect on women's employment status. Unlike many previous studies of this question, our work emphasizes the importance of identifying couples that have migrated together, rather than simply comparing long-distance (fe)male migrants with nonmigrant (fe)males individually. We demonstrate that women's employment status is harmed by family migration; the results we present are surprisingly consistent for Great Britain and the United States, despite differing economic situations and cultural norms regarding gender and migration. We also demonstrate that studies that fail to identify linked migrant couples are likely to underestimate the negative effects of family migration on women's employment status.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Lung cancer incidence rates by histologic type: an example of trends in Eastern Europe--Slovakia 1978-95.

During the period 1978-1995 43206 cases of lung cancer--37967 in men and 5239 in women--were recorded in Slovakia. Among 26240 microscopically confirmed cases in men squamous cell carcinomas were the most frequent (57.1%) followed by small cell carcinomas (18.3%) and adenocarcinomas (11.7%). In women from 3190 microscopically confirmed cases squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas had nearly the same frequency (31.9% and 32.2%, respectively), followed by small cell carcinomas (16.1%). In men after a marked increase of overall lung cancer incidence and mortality the rates started to flatten and even decline from the early 1990s. The main histologic types peaked in the late 1980s and declined thereafter but showed increase of percentage change when the rates at the beginning and the end of the studied period were compared; the highest one was marked for adenocarcinomas. The corresponding rates in women were much lower, but their increase was more pronounced than in men. Adenocarcinomas showed almost twofold increase in women during the first time-period of the study but after peaking in 1984-1986 they stabilized, while squamous cell carcinomas continued to increase also in recent years. The analysis of incidence rates by age groups showed that the initial increase and subsequent decrease of all microscopically confirmed cases in men as well as their gradual increase in women was influenced mainly by the trends of squamous cell carcinomas in younger age groups in men and in all age groups in women. Absence of higher increase and proportion of adenocarcinomas in Slovakia in both sexes could probably be explained by delayed introduction of filter tipped and low tar cigarettes.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2001

[Prevalence of nocturia among people in Auxerre: the French part of the UrEpik study].

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of nocturia among men and women aged 40 to 79 years old. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A postal survey was carried out in a community-dwelling random sample in Auxerre, France. Nocturia was assessed using the item 7 of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). RESULTS: 1216 men and 591 women participated in the survey. Average nocturnal urinary frequency was 0.98 and 0.95 among men and women, respectively. Between the age ranges 40-49 years and 70-79 years, the frequency increased from 0.70 to 1.61 among men, and from 0.72 to 1.31 among women. In the age range 70-79 years, 48.1% of men and 31% of women awakened from sleep to urinate at least twice per night. CONCLUSION: Patients and primary care physicians should be more informed about screening and management options, and impact of nocturia on quality of life and related morbidity.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in men and its influence on their quality of life: Boxmeer Study].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men and its influence on quality of life. DESIGN: Questionnaire investigation. METHODS: Recruitment of subjects was conducted in 1998 in the municipality of Boxmeer. Men in the age range between 40-79 years were sampled from the Municipality Basic Administration System. Data on LUTS, quality of life, and health care seeking behaviour were collected with a postal questionnaire. Severity of LUTS was evaluated with the Dutch translation of the seven items of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), to which 6 questions were added regarding micturition frequency, dribbling, difficulty to start micturition, painful micturition, decreased force of stream since the age of twenty, and how long one could wait before micturition from the moment urge was noticed. The female partners of the respondents were asked to answer the questions as well. RESULTS: 1233 men completed the questionnaire, a response of 70%. One-fifth of all participants reported moderate to severe symptoms. Dribbling, reduced force of stream and urgency appeared to be the three most prevalent symptoms. The prevalence of LUTS increased with age: 10% of men aged 40-49 reported moderate to severe symptoms (IPSS > 7) compared with 44% of men over 70. Twenty-nine per cent of the men with severe LUTS reported poor disease specific quality of life, while another 28% of these men reported excellent disease specific quality of life. All men with mild symptoms reported excellent quality of life. Nine percent of all men consulted a doctor because of LUTS, with a mean delay of 10 months. The LUTS frequencies among the female partners equalled those among the responding men. CONCLUSION: LUTS were common among men over forty and among their female partners. The prevalence increases with age. Ageing of the population may lead to increased numbers of men experiencing LUTS and to concomittant medicalization costs. It is therefore of great importance to realise that the impact of symptoms on the reported quality of life was not pronounced.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Breast cancer risk associated with congeners of polychlorinated biphenyls.

Experimental studies show that hormonal and nonhormonal activities of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are structure dependent, suggesting that the breast cancer risk associated with PCBs may vary according to specific PCB congeners. In 1994-1997, the authors conducted a case-control study of Connecticut women to investigate whether breast cancer risk is associated with body burden of PCBs and varies by PCB congeners. A total of 304 breast cancer cases and 186 controls aged 40-79 years were recruited into the study. Fresh breast adipose tissue was analyzed for PCBs. The age- and lipid-adjusted geometric mean tissue levels of total PCBs were not significantly different (p = 0.46) for the cases (478.6 parts per billion) and controls (494.1 parts per billion). The covariate-adjusted odds ratio was 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 1.1) for all study participants when the third tertile was compared with the lowest tertile. No individual congeners or groups of congeners were associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer. Further stratification by type of breast disease; menopausal, parity, and lactation status; and body size also showed no significant association with body levels of PCBs. These results suggest that environmental exposure to PCBs may not substantially affect breast cancer risk.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2000

Development of the pteridine pathway in the zebrafish, Danio rerio.

In the zebrafish, the peripheral neurons and the pigment cells are derived from the neural crest and share the pteridine pathway, which leads either to the cofactor tetrahydrobiopterin or to xanthophore pigments. The components of the pteridine pattern were identified as tetrahydrobiopterin, sepiapterin, 7-oxobiopterin, isoxanthopterin, and 2,4,7-trioxopteridine. The expression of GTP cyclohydrolase I activity during the first 24-h postfertilization, followed by 6-pyruvoyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin synthase and sepiapterin reductase, suggest an early supply of tetrahydrobiopterin for neurotransmitter synthesis in the neurons and for tyrosine supply in the melanophores. At 48-h postfertilization, sepiapterin formation branches off the de novo pathway of tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis. Sepiapterin, via 7,8-dihydrobiopterin and biopterin, serves as a precursor for the formation of 7-oxobiopterin, which may be further catabolized to isoxanthopterin and 2,4,7-trioxopteridine. Neither 7, 8-dihydrobiopterin nor biopterin is a substrate for xanthine oxidoreductase. In contrast, both of these compounds are oxidized at C-7 by a xanthine oxidase variant form, which is inactivated by KCN, but is insensitive to allopurinol. The oxidase and the dehydrogenase form of xanthine oxidoreductase as well as the xanthine oxidase variant have specific developmental patterns. It follows that GTP cyclohydrolase I, the formation of sepiapterin, and the xanthine oxidoreductase family control the pteridine pathway in the zebrafish.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗
PubMed2000

Exposure to electromagnetic fields from use of electric blankets and other in-home electrical appliances and breast cancer risk.

Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from use of electric blankets and other in-home electrical appliances has been hypothesized to increase breast cancer risk. To test the hypothesis, the authors analyzed data from a case-control study of female breast cancer conducted in Connecticut in 1994-1997. A total of 608 incident breast cancer patients and 609 age frequency-matched controls, 31-85 years old, were interviewed by trained study interviewers using a standardized, structured questionnaire to obtain information on lifetime use of various in-home electrical appliances. A total of 40% of the cases and 43% of the controls reported regular use of electric blankets in their lifetime, which gave an adjusted odds ratio of 0.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7, 1.1). For those who reported using electric blankets continuously throughout the night, the adjusted odds ratio was 0.9 (95% CI: 0.7, 1.2) when compared with never users. The risk did not vary according to age at first use, duration of use, or menopausal and estrogen receptor status. The authors also did not find an association between use of other major in-home electrical appliances and breast cancer risk. In conclusion, exposure to EMFs from in-home electrical appliance use was not found to increase breast cancer risk in this study.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and interleukin-12 in experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: Previous investigators have relied on administration of pro-inflammatory cytokines or invasive surgical procedures to reproduce the morphologic changes of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in rats. However, these artificial insults do not mimic the human disease. We developed a reproducible model of NEC in rats that more closely resembles human NEC and determined the pattern of inflammatory cytokine expression in this model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Newborn rats were randomized into four groups. Groups 1 and 2 were breast-fed, while Groups 3 and 4 were gavaged with formula thrice daily. In addition, Groups 2 and 4 were subjected to 3 min of hypoxia thrice daily, prior to each feeding. The rats were killed on day 4 and the distal 2 cm of terminal ileum was harvested for morphological studies and analysis of inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression. RESULTS: Nearly 70% of formula-fed neonatal rats displayed moderate or severe morphological abnormalities resembling human NEC. Breast-fed pups had normal histology. The terminal ileum from rats with abnormal histology demonstrated increased inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, decreased interleukin-12 (IL-12) mRNA expression, and enterocyte apoptosis. There was a trend toward upregulation of IFN-gamma mRNA, but no difference in expression of TNF-alpha mRNA. Hypoxia did not significantly alter intestinal morphology or mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: Formula-fed neonatal rats, with or without hypoxia, exhibit morphological changes in the intestinal epithelium similar to those seen in patients with acute NEC. The mechanism likely involves upregulation of iNOS mRNA, enterocyte apoptosis, and decreased IL-12 production in the intestinal epithelium. This model may offer a simple reproducible method for inducing experimental NEC.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Update on cancer control in women.

The global cancer burden in women appears to have stabilized according to the most recent estimates available although the distribution of cancer types appears to be changing with a sharp contrast between the increase in the absolute numbers of breast cancers and a decline in cervix cancers. Prospects for cancer control in women appear to be good within our current knowledge and deserve close attention. Rates of lung cancer in women are increasing substantially in many countries and seem set to overtake breast cancer as the commonest form of cancer death in women in many parts of the world. These changes are due to the effects of cigarette smoking, a habit which women widely embraced during the second half of the last century. The high levels of smoking currently in young women, which have yet to have their full impact on death rates, constitute an important hazard not only for future cancer risks but for several other important causes of death. There is strong and consistent evidence that increased consumption levels of fruit and vegetables is associated with reduced risks of many common forms of cancer including breast cancer. Although the breast is the commonest form of cancer in women in most western countries, the etiology of this disease remains elusive and preventable causes remain to be identified. Endogenous hormones also appear to have a role in cancer risk in women: oral contraceptives seem to increase slightly the risk of breast cancer in users in the use and in the immediate post-use period, but 10 years after cessation the risk again returns to that of never users. Oral contraceptive usage also appears to be protective against ovarian and endometrial cancer. The use of hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) appears to increase the risk of endometrial cancer and a positive association with breast cancer risk appears to exist. Within our current knowledge of the epidemiology of cancer in women, the most important preventive strategies would appear to be the prevention of cigarette smoking and increased dietary intake of vegetables and fruits. Screening has also shown to be effective in reducing incidence and mortality of cervix cancer and mortality from breast cancer. Although more work is needed, it is becoming clear that there could be an important role of HPV testing to further enhance cervix cancer screening. There are important variations in survival from a variety of cancers which are due to factors unrelated to the tumor behavior and that there are significant variations in survival from cancer. Reduction of these gaps could lead to a reduction in cancer mortality and contribute towards increased prospects for cancer control in women.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2000

Meta-analysis of clinical trials of permixon in the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVES: Permixon is a compound extracted from the fruit of the American dwarf palm tree, Serenoa repens. Controversy regarding the use of phytotherapeutic agents in men with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia is significant. We analyzed all available clinical trial data of the Permixon preparation to determine its clinical efficacy compared with placebo. METHODS: All published clinical trial data on Permixon (11 randomized clinical trials and 2 open label trials), involving 2859 patients, were used. These trials were disparate in size (from 22 to 592 patients) and duration (from 21 to 180 days). Peak urinary flow rate and nocturia were the two common end points. The statistical analysis was based on a random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: The average +/- SE placebo effect on the peak urinary flow rate was an increase of 0.51 +/- 0.51 mL/s. The estimated effect of Permixon was a further increase of 2.20 +/- 0.51 mL/s (P <0.001). Placebo was associated with a reduction in the mean number +/- SE of nocturnal urinations of 0.69 +/- 0.15. A further reduction of 0.50 +/- 0.01 episodes of urination (P <0.001) occurred that was attributable to Permixon. Some heterogeneity was found among the studies. Treatment duration did not appear to impact either of these effects. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis of all available published trials of Permixon in the treatment of men with benign prostatic hyperplasia revealed a significant improvement in peak flow rate and reduction in nocturia greater than with placebo.

Androgen Antagonists↗
PubMed2000

Distribution of primary renal diseases leading to end-stage renal failure in the United States, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand: results from an international comparative study.

This report notes the differences in the classification of the primary renal disease (PRD) used in different renal dialysis and transplant registries worldwide. The heterogeneity of coding systems complicates the comparative analysis of end-stage renal disease from different regions. Using data collected over two decades in the United States, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, we present a method for reorganization of the classes of PRD that allows a straightforward comparison of retrospective data from these registries.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Meta-analysis of studies on breast cancer risk and diet: the role of fruit and vegetable consumption and the intake of associated micronutrients.

A meta-analysis was carried out, in order to summarise published data on the relationship between breast cancer, fruit and vegetable consumption and/or the intake of beta-carotene and vitamin C. Relative risks were extracted from 26 published studies from 1982 to 1997. Random and fixed effects models were used. Between studies, heterogeneity was found for vegetables, fruit, vitamin C but not for beta-carotene. Summary relative risk (RR) estimates based upon a random effects model, except for beta-carotene, for 'high consumption' compared with 'low consumption', derived from the studies satisfying the inclusion criteria were as follows: vegetable consumption: RR=0.75 (95% CI (confidence interval) 0.66-0.85) from 17 studies; fruit consumption: RR=0.94 (95% CI 0.79-1.11) from 12 studies; vitamin C: RR=0.80 (95% CI 0.68-0.95) from 9 studies; beta-carotene: RR=0.82 (95% CI 0.76-0.91) from 11 studies. This analysis confirms the association between intake of vegetables and, to a lesser extent, fruits and breast cancer risk from published sources. Increasing vegetable consumption might reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Ascorbic Acid↗