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Biomedical subjects

M T May

Publications and source records attributed to M T May.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

International trends in prostate-cancer mortality in the "PSA ERA".

Incidence and mortality from prostate cancer were rising in most countries until the late 1980s. Following a number of advances in the management of prostate cancer, including introduction of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test, there have been reports of declines in mortality in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. To investigate the extent to which this pattern was seen in other industrialised countries, we used routinely collected data to explore recent changes in prostate-cancer mortality. Trends in age-standardised death rates between 1979 and 1997 for men aged 50 to 79 years in 24 industrialised countries were compared using join point regression. Join point regression allows estimation of the annual percentage change in death rates and tests for significant changes in trend. During the period studied, age-standardised mortality increased at 1% to 2% per year in most countries. In 7 countries (Canada, United States, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and United Kingdom), a significant down-turn in age-standardised mortality was observed over the period 1988-1991. Trends in age-specific rates within these countries support a period effect on prostate-cancer mortality. Declines in mortality could result from any combination of either artefact, reduction in prostate-cancer incidence, a rise in competing causes of death or changes in the risk of death from prostate cancer. There are inconsistencies in the relationship between national mortality trends and uptake of PSA screening; further research is required to determine whether changes in death rates can be explained by international and secular variations in the treatment of prostate cancer.

Age Factors↗

Resting metabolic rate and energy balance in amenorrheic and eumenorrheic runners.

This study investigated metabolic and nutritional factors in association with athletic menstrual dysfunction (AMD). Three groups of women were studied: amenorrheic runners (amenorrheic), eumenorrheic runners (eumenorrheic), and eumenorrheic sedentary controls (sedentary). Amenorrheic and eumenorrheic were similar in age, weight, percent body fat by hydrodensitometry, training pace and mileage, best 10 km race time, years running, and maximal oxygen consumption. When adjusted for body weight or for fat-free mass by analysis of covariance, RMR was significantly lower in amenorrheic than in eumenorrheic and sedentary. The daily caloric intakes of the groups did not differ significantly, but the amenorrheic scored significantly higher than the eumenorrheic and sedentary on a scale of aberrant eating patterns. Amenorrheic high mileage runners seem to have a less adequate diet than eumenorrheic runners but appear to maintain energy balance and stable weight through a reduction in RMR.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Hepatocytes enhance Kupffer cell-mediated tumor cell cytostasis in vitro.

Kupffer cells (KC) are believed to play a major role in protecting the liver from metastases. In vitro, activated KC mediate both tumor cell cytostasis and cytolysis. Because hepatocytes (HC) occupy a position adjacent to KC in vivo, we investigated the influence of HC on KC tumoricidal activity. Using an in vitro assay of KC-mediated tumor cell cytostasis against murine P815 mastocytoma cells, we found that the presence of HC in the culture profoundly increased KC tumoricidal activity. HC enhanced KC inhibition of P815 proliferation and lowered the concentration of lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma necessary to activate the KC to a tumoricidal state. This stimulatory HC effect was dependent on the number of HC present and was transferable in cell-free supernatants, indicating that it was mediated by a soluble secreted product of HC. Furthermore, unlike other macrophage-priming or -potentiating factors, the transferable HC factor(s) was effective only if added simultaneously with lipopolysaccharide or interferon-gamma and not effective if added before these activating agents. These data show that HC produce a soluble mediator that enhances KC tumoricidal activity, suggesting that HC and KC interactions may be critical to the antitumor defense mechanisms of the liver.

Animals↗