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Biomedical subjects

V Persky

Publications and source records attributed to V Persky.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Dust-mite-allergen concentrations in asthmatics' bedrooms in the Quad Cities (Illinois, USA) after the Mississippi River floods of 1993.

This study aimed to measure allergens from Dermatophagoides farinae and D. pteronyssinus and to examine possible relationships of these mite allergens with flooding and other housing factors. A total of 313 dust samples were collected from the bedrooms of 57 asthmatics in 45 homes in the Quad Cities (Illinois, USA) and analyzed by ELISA for the presence of the D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus allergens. Twenty of these homes had some flooding in the last 12 months due to the Mississippi River floods of 1993 and/or other factors. The log-transformed least-squares means of allergens collected were 28 ng/m2 for the D. farinae allergen and 26 ng/m2 for the D. pteronyssinus allergen. D. farinae allergen levels were significantly higher in homes located in the valley, in homes during the summer months, in homes with furred or feathered pets, in homes which had not been flooded in the last year, and in homes where rugs had been steam-cleaned in the last 12 months. D. pteronyssinus allergen levels were significantly higher in homes located in the valley, in homes during April and July-September, in homes with furred or feathered pets, and in homes with no dehumidifier.

Allergens↗
PubMed1997

Dietary vitamin C, beta-carotene and 30-year risk of stroke: results from the Western Electric Study.

The relations of dietary antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene to 30-year risk of stroke incidence and mortality were investigated prospectively in the Chicago Western Electric Study among 1,843 middle-aged men who remained free of cardiovascular disease through their second examination. Stroke mortality was ascertained from death certificates, and nonfatal stroke from records of the Health Care Financing Administration. During 46, 102 person-years of follow-up, 222 strokes occurred; 76 of them were fatal. After adjustment for age, systolic blood pressure, cigarette smoking, body mass index, serum cholesterol, total energy intake, alcohol consumption, and diabetes, relative risks (and 95% confidence intervals) for nonfatal and fatal strokes (n = 222) in highest versus lowest quartiles of dietary beta-carotene and vitamin C intake were 0.84 (0.57-1.24) and 0.71 (0.47-1.05), respectively. Generally similar results were observed for fatal strokes (n = 76). Although there was a modest decrease in risk of stroke with higher intake of beta-carotene and vitamin-C intake, these data do not provide definitive evidence that high intake of antioxidant vitamins decreases risk of stroke.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

An epidemiological study of asthma prevalence and related factors among young adults.

Asthma and related factors were assessed by mailed questionnaires among 2041 young adult participants in a smoking prevention project in California in 1993. Hispanics had lower prevalence of physician-reported asthma when compared to blacks and whites. Blacks were significantly more likely to be hospitalized or visit emergency rooms because of asthma or wheezing. After adjusting for sex, race, and educational level, family history of asthma was strongly associated with subjects' asthma (odds ratio = 3.1, 95% CI: 2.4-4.3 for physician-reported asthma; OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 2.4-4.5 for current asthma). Exposure to parental smoking (both parents smoked more than half a pack of cigarettes a day) during childhood (reported when participants were in grade 7) was significantly associated with physician-reported asthma (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.6-5.6) and current asthma (OR = 3.3, 95% CI: 1.7-6.4). The study also found that self-reported mold growth at home was significantly associated with asthma (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.2-3.2). After adjusting for cigarette smoking and demographic variables, use of crack cocaine was marginally significantly associated with current asthma (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.0-5.2), but not with physician-reported asthma (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 0.7-3.3).

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Case-control study of endogenous steroid hormones and endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that identified risk factors for endometrial cancer operate through a single etiologic pathway, i.e., exposure to relatively high levels of unopposed estrogen (estrogen in the absence of progestins). Only a few studies, however, have addressed this issue directly. PURPOSE: We assessed the risk of developing endometrial cancer among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women in relation to the circulating levels of steroid hormones and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). The independent effect of hormones was assessed after adjustment for other known risk factors. METHODS: The data used in the analysis are from a case-control study conducted in five geographic regions in the United States. Incident cases were newly diagnosed during the period from June 1, 1987, through May 15, 1990. The case patients, aged 20-74 years, were matched to control subjects by age, race, and geographic region. The community control subjects were obtained by random-digit-dialing procedures (for subjects 20-64 years old) and from files of the Health Care Financing Administration (for subjects > or = 65 years old). Additional control subjects who were having a hysterectomy performed for benign conditions were obtained from the participating centers. Women reporting use of exogenous estrogens or oral contraceptives within 6 months of interview were excluded, resulting in 68 case patients and 107 control subjects among premenopausal women and 208 case patients and 209 control subjects among postmenopausal women. The hormone analyses were performed on blood samples obtained from case patients or from hysterectomy control subjects before surgery. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by use of an unconditional logistic regression analysis after we controlled for matching variables and potential confounders. All P values were two-sided. RESULTS: High circulating levels of androstenedione were associated with 3.6-fold and 2.8-fold increased risks among premenopausal and postmenopausal women, respectively, after adjustment for other factors (P for trend = .01 and < .001, respectively). Risks related to other hormone fractions varied by menopausal status. Among postmenopausal women, a reduced risk was associated with high SHBG levels and persisted after adjustment was made for obesity and other factors (OR = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.27-0.95). High estrone levels were associated with increased risk (OR = 3.8; 95% CI = 2.2-6.6), although adjustment for other risk factors (particularly body mass index) diminished the effect (OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.2-4.4). Albumin-bound estradiol (E2), a marker of the bioavailable fraction, also remained an important risk factor after adjustment was made for other factors (OR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.0-3.9). In contrast, high concentrations of total, free, and albumin-bound E2 were unrelated to increased risk in premenopausal women. In both premenopausal and postmenopausal groups, risks associated with obesity and fat distribution were not affected by adjustment for hormones. CONCLUSION: High endogenous levels of unopposed estrogen are related to increased risk of endometrial cancer, but their independence from other risk factors is inconsistent with being a common underlying biologic pathway through which all risk factors for endometrial cancer operate. IMPLICATIONS: Further research should focus on alternative endocrinologic mechanisms for risk associated with obesity and body fat distribution and for the biologic relevance of the increased risk associated with androstenedione in both premenopausal and postmenopausal disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Dietary beta-carotene, vitamin C, and risk of prostate cancer: results from the Western Electric Study.

Dietary factors are likely candidates for important determinants of prostatic cancer risk. Among the most investigated nutritional factors have been antioxidants. We evaluated dietary beta-carotene and vitamin C in relation to subsequent risk of prostate cancer in a prospective study of 1,899 middle-aged men. We combined prostate cancer cases diagnosed in the first 24 years of follow-up with incident cases identified from the Health Care Financing Administration hospitalization and outpatient files during an additional 6-year follow-up period. We obtained death certificates for all decedents. During the 30-year follow-up, prostate cancer developed in 132 men. There was no indication that consumption of beta-carotene or vitamin C was related to increased or decreased risk of prostate cancer. Relative risks for highest vs lowest quartiles of beta-carotene and vitamin C intake were 1.27 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.75-2.14] and 1.03 (95% CI = 0.59-1.60), respectively, after adjustment for age, number of cigarettes smoked per day, dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, alcohol consumption, total energy intake, and occupation. Associations between intake of these nutrients and risk of prostate cancer differed depending on whether the cancer was diagnosed during the first 19 years of follow-up or the next 11 years of follow-up. Overall survival over the 30 years of follow-up was positively associated with intake of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Risk of neoplastic and other diseases among people with heterozygosity for hereditary hemochromatosis.

BACKGROUND: Increased body iron stores have been associated with risk of heart attack in men and risk of cancer and colonic adenoma in both sexes. Because heterozygous carriers of hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) have on the average increased iron stores compared with noncarriers of the HH gene and comprise as much as 15% of the American population, disease risk in HH heterozygotes was investigated. METHODS: A community-based cohort was defined, in which the exposure variable was heterozygosity for HH. Heterozygotes were identified by mailing individuals homozygous for HH questionnaires concerning the health histories of their parents (predominantly heterozygotes or exposed). Spouses of the HH homozygotes were asked to complete accompanying questionnaires concerning their parents (unexposed). The frequencies for exposed and unexposed, age-adjusted relative risks (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI), of cancer, heart disease, and stroke as causes of death as well as the cumulative incidence of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, colonic adenoma, and cancers of the lung, colorectum, breast, cervix, pancreas, stomach, and blood were estimated. RESULTS: Data were available for 1950 HH heterozygotes and 1656 unexposed subjects. Elevated RR were observed in HH heterozygotes in males for diabetes (RR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.33), colorectal cancer (RR, 1.28; CI, 1.07-1.53), and hematologic malignancy (RR, 1.30; CI, 1.30-1.63), for colonic adenoma in females (RR, 1.29; CI, 1.08-1.53) and males (RR, 1.24; CI, 1.05-1.46), and for stomach cancer in females (RR, 1.37; CI, 1.04-1.79). CONCLUSIONS: Heterozygosity for HH is associated with increased risk for colorectal neoplasia, diabetes, hematologic malignancy, and gastric cancer. No increased risk of heart disease, cancer death, or cancers of the lung, breast, or cervix were demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Prevalence of benign anorectal disease in a randomly selected population.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of benign anorectal diseases (BAD) in the general population has been difficult to establish, either because the individual diseases themselves were difficult to characterize in surveys or because of bias in the selection of the survey population. Reported herein is a prevalence survey of BAD symptoms and treatment history of a sample of the general population, selected by random digit dialing. METHOD: A survey instrument that inquired into symptoms of BAD, BAD treatment history, and health-seeking behaviors was administered by telephone interview with 102 individuals, between the ages of 21 and 65 of both genders and all races, chosen by random digit dialing in the Joliet, Illinois area. For selected variables (gender, education level, obesity, previous BAD treatment, fiber supplementation, time for defecation and reading during defecation all related to BAD symptoms) odds ratios and 95 percent confidence intervals were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 102 individuals, 9 had been previously treated for hemorrhoids, 4 by surgery, and 5 medically. Twenty individuals currently have BAD symptoms, six of these have multiple symptoms frequently, implying established BAD, and four of these have been previously treated for hemorrhoids. Seven of eight individuals with rectal bleeding in the past year have not sought medical evaluation. Of the associations tested, statistical significance was found only between female gender and BAD symptoms (odds ratio = 4.6; 95 percent confidence interval = 1.3-20.4). CONCLUSIONS: History of hemorrhoidal treatment and current BAD symptomatology are highly prevalent in a randomly selected population, and 80 percent of the subjects with symptoms of BAD have not consulted a physician regarding BAD. Some previously held correlates of hemorrhoidal symptoms, such as obesity and extended time for defecation, showed no apparent association with hemorrhoid treatment history or current BAD symptoms. The best predictors of current BAD symptoms were female gender (odds ratio = 4.6; 95 percent confidence interval = 1.3-20.4) and previous hemorrhoid treatment (odds ratio = 3.9; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.7-20).

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Epidemiology of soy and cancer: perspectives and directions.

Previous epidemiologic studies of the effects of soy protein on cancer risk have been limited by small variations in soy intake, inability to separate soy from other dietary variables and difficulties inherent in relating dietary intake to the development of cancer several decades later. As a result, although existing data suggest that soy protein may be protective for cancer risk, results are overall inconclusive. There is also evidence that soy products may affect risk factors for cancer, such as endogenous hormone levels. Preliminary data from our group indicate that young Adventist women who are vegetarians with high soy intake and a lower risk of breast cancer may have higher levels of an adrenal androgen, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Other groups have noted that soy protein may be associated with alterations in the regulation and binding of ovarian hormones. Additional studies examining effects of soy protein on risk factors for cancer would help, not only in delineating mechanisms of cancer development, but also in designing dietary programs aimed at cancer prevention.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

In vitro hormonal effects of soybean isoflavones.

Isoflavones exhibit a multitude of biological effects that influence cell growth and regulation, and, thus, may have potential value in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Isoflavones are weak estrogens and can function both as estrogen agonists and antagonists depending on the hormonal milieu and the target tissue and species under investigation. Genistein, one of the two primary isoflavones in soybeans, has attracted much attention from the research community, not only because of its potential antiestrogenic effects, but because it inhibits several key enzymes thought to be involved in carcinogenesis. Although still speculative, greater dietary incorporation of soybean products, because of the high concentration of isoflavones, may be a safe and effective means of reducing cancer risk.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Soy intake and cancer risk: a review of the in vitro and in vivo data.

International variations in cancer rates have been attributed, at least in part, to differences in dietary intake. Recently, it has been suggested that consumption of soyfoods may contribute to the relatively low rates of breast, colon, and prostate cancers in countries such as China and Japan. Soybeans contain a number of anticarcinogens, and a recent National Cancer Institute workshop recommended that the role of soyfoods in cancer prevention be investigated. In this review, the hypothesis that soy intake reduces cancer risk is considered by examining relevant in vitro, animal, and epidemiological data. Soybeans are a unique dietary source of the isoflavone genistein, which possesses weak estrogenic activity and has been shown to act in animal models as an antiestrogen. Genistein is also a specific inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases; it also inhibits DNA topoisomerases and other critical enzymes involved in signal transduction. In vitro, genistein suppresses the growth of a wide range of cancer cells, with IC50 values ranging from 5 to 40 microM (1-10 micrograms/ml). Of the 26 animal studies of experimental carcinogenesis in which diets containing soy or soybean isoflavones were employed, 17 (65%) reported protective effects. No studies reported soy intake increased tumor development. The epidemiological data are also inconsistent, although consumption of nonfermented soy products, such as soymilk and tofu, tended to be either protective or not associated with cancer risk; however, no consistent pattern was evident with the fermented soy products, such as miso. Protective effects were observed for both hormone- and nonhormone-related cancers. While a definitive statement that soy reduces cancer risk cannot be made at this time, there is sufficient evidence of a protective effect to warrant continued investigation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Urinary tract infection during pregnancy: its association with maternal morbidity and perinatal outcome.

OBJECTIVES: The effects of antepartum urinary tract infection on adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes were examined. Antepartum urinary tract infection has been previously implicated as a risk factor for numerous outcomes. METHODS: Crude and multivariable analyses were performed with a perinatal registry cohort of 25,746 mother/infant pairs. RESULTS: Elevated risks were observed for exposure to urinary tract infection and low birthweight, prematurity, preterm low birthweight, premature labor, hypertension/preeclampsia, maternal anemia, and amnionitis. Urinary tract infection was associated with perinatal death only among subjects 20 to 29 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of antepartum urine screening to identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Biomechanical aspects of occupation and osteoarthritis of the hip: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Our study was designed to examine the association between biomechanical aspects of occupation and hip osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Ninety-nine cases of primary hip OA and 233 controls were recruited from the outpatient clinics of a Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital. Subjects were mailed a questionnaire which asked about lifetime participation in various occupational and recreational activities, body mass, medical conditions and demographic information. Occupational work load was defined based on the joint compression forces produced by an occupational activity. Activities which produced joint compression forces at least twice body weight were considered heavy. Activities which produced joint compression forces less than body weight were considered light. All others were considered intermediate. Based on responses to the questionnaire, subjects were classified as exposed to heavy, intermediate or light work. RESULTS: Using light work as the reference category, subjects in the intermediate work category had 2.0 times and those in the heavy work category had 2.4 times the odds of having hip OA. Logistic regression was used to control for possible confounding. After adjusting for cancer, football and obesity at age 40, subjects who performed heavy work for at least 15 years had 2.4 times the odds of having hip OA compared to subjects who had performed light work. A test for trend in the odds of hip OA with increasing levels of exposure to heavy work was significant. CONCLUSION: The biomechanical aspects of occupation may contribute to the risk of hip OA.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Undernutrition as a risk factor for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: a case-control analysis.

To evaluate the relationship between cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and undernutrition, a pair-matched case-control study was conducted in a low-income urban population. As a broad measure of nutritional status, serum albumin, serum ferritin, hematocrit, percent desirable weight, and percent calories consumed as protein were examined. Cases (n = 102) had biopsy-confirmed CIN I, II, or III, and clinic controls (n = 102), matched on age, race, and clinic, had normal Pap smears. Survey-collected data and frozen serum were utilized to study the hypothesized association. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using conditional logistic regressions. Results suggest a protective role for serum ferritin for those in the highest quartile relative to those in the lowest quartile. Controlling for smoking and monthly personal income, an adjusted odds ratio of 0.2 with a corresponding 95% confidence interval of 0.1-0.7 was observed. Similar findings were noted when all other available CIN risk factors were controlled. In addition, a dose gradient was present for dietary iron intake (p = 0.01). No associations were observed between each of the other undernutrition indexes and CIN. Although only high levels of serum ferritin were associated with a protective effect against CIN, when coupled with the results from other studies that suggest carotenoids, folates, and vitamin C to be protective, the overall hypothesis that poor nutriture is associated with CIN remains viable. Lack of an association with the other nutritional indexes may reflect the relatively sufficient nutritional status of low-income individuals residing in the United States, as opposed to the undernourished population of the Third World.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Hypertension and sodium transport in 390 healthy adults in Chicago.

A total of 390 people undergoing routine examinations at the Portes Center, a screening center in Chicago, and at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital employee health service, underwent an in-depth battery of tests designed to explore the relationships of both intracellular erythrocyte sodium and sodium-lithium countertransport with age, race, gender, body mass index, pattern of alcohol intake, exogenous hormone use and the presence of hypertension. Erythrocyte sodium was significantly higher in blacks than in whites and in men than in women aged 20-39 years. Relationships of erythrocyte sodium with race and gender, as well as inverse associations with alcohol intake in men, and positive associations with age and the presence of hypertension in women were significant on multivariate analysis after control for other variables. Sodium-lithium countertransport was significantly higher in whites than in blacks and in men than in women aged 20-59 years. Associations of sodium-lithium countertransport with race and gender as well as positive associations of sodium-lithium countertransport with body mass index in men and women were significant on multivariate analysis after control for other variables. Age-related gender differences in both sodium-lithium countertransport and erythrocyte sodium, as well as the association of erythrocyte sodium with the presence of hypertension in women but not in men, suggest a hormonal interaction with sodium transport in the development of hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Recent time trends in uterine cancer.

Recent trends in corpus uterine cancer incidence rates were explored using 1979-86 data from the Surveillance and End Results Program (SEER); recent trends in hospitalizations for corpus uterine cancer were explored using 1979-86 data from National Hospital Discharge Surveys (NHDS); and recent trends in exogenous hormone use were delineated using data from the 1980, 1981, and 1985 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NAMCS). Uterine cancer incidence rates using SEER data have continued to decline since 1979. An acceleration in the decline since 1983-84 is suggested in all women and in women with intact uteri ages 45-64. Hospitalizations for uterine cancer have also declined since 1979, with a marked acceleration in the decline since 1983-84 for all women and for women ages 40-79 has increased 22 percent and use of unopposed exogenous estrogens in women of similar age has increased 7 percent, while use of exogenous progesterones have shown much more substantial increases of approximately 700 percent. Possible relationships between trends in exogenous hormone use and incidence rates of corpus uterine cancer are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The influence of parity and exogenous female hormones on the risk of colorectal cancer.

Evidence that female sex hormones may play a role in the subsequent development of colorectal cancer has accumulated from time trends in colorectal cancer rates and from epidemiologic studies. Using data available from the Cross Cancer Institute Northern Alberta Cancer Program, the relationship of parity, exogenous hormones and colorectal cancer was evaluated. Five hundred and twenty-eight colon cancer and 192 rectal cancer cases were identified and 349 nonendocrine cancers were selected as controls. All subjects were diagnosed and interviewed between 1969 and 1973. Protective associations between previous pregnancies and colorectal cancer were found in women over age 50 at diagnosis (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.9) and in women who never used exogenous hormones (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.2-0.7). Results from this study provide additional support for earlier suggestions that parity may have a protective effect against the development of colorectal cancer, similar to the effects reported in the case of breast, endometrial and ovarian tumors.

Adult↗