BACKGROUND:Aberrant promoter methylation is an important mechanism for gene silencing.AIMS:To evaluate the promoter methylation status of p300 gene in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).METHODS:The methylation status of p300 promoter was analysed by methylation-specific PCR (MSP) in 50 OSCC tissues and the matching non-cancerous tissues. Oesophageal cancer cell lines (ECa-109 and TE-10) were treated with the demethylation agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR), and p300 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR.RESULTS:p300 methylation was found in 42% (21/50) of the OSCC tissues, but in only 20% (10/50) of the corresponding non-cancerous tissues (p = 0.017). In OSCC samples, 65% of those with deep tumour invasion (adventitia) and 63% samples with metastasis revealed p300 promoter methylation (p<0.05). p300 mRNA expression was observed in 19.0% (4/21) of methylated tumours and 58.6% (17/29) of unmethylated tumours (p = 0.005). In addition, p300 mRNA expression was observed in 40% (4/10) of methylated non-neoplastic tissues and 87.5% (35/40) of unmethylated non-tumours (p = 0.001). The demethylation caused by 5-Aza-CdR increased the p300 mRNA expression levels in oesophageal cancer cell lines.CONCLUSIONS:p300 transcription silenced by promoter hypermethylation could play a role in the pathogenesis of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

This paper aims to develop a data-based Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ) covering both urban and rural areas in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong Province, China, for the investigation of relationships between food intake and lifestyle-related diseases among middle-aged Chinese. We recruited 417 subjects from the general population and performed an assessment of the diet, using a 3-day weighed dietary record survey. We employed contribution analysis (CA) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) to select food items covering up to a 90% contribution and a 0.90 R-2, respectively. The total number of food items consumed was 523 (443 in the urban and 417 in the rural population) and the intake of 29 nutrients was calculated according to the actual consumption by foods/recipes. The CA selected 233, 194 and 183 foods/recipes for the combined, the urban and the rural areas, respectively, and then 196, 157 and 160 were chosen by the MRA. Finally, 125 foods/recipes were selected for the final questionnaire. The frequencies were classified into eight categories and standard portion sizes were also calculated. For adoption of the area-specific SQFFQ, Validity and reproducibility tests are now planned to determine how the combined SQFFQ performs in actual assessment of disease risk and benefit.

Objective: The novel tryptophan hydroxylase isoform (TPH2), being the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of serotonin, has many biological functions and plays an important role as candidate gene in several psychiatric disorders. Here, an A-G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the position 40237 relative to 5′-end of TPH2 gene was selected for the association with suicide behavior. Methods: The study population consisted of 102 MD patients with suicide behavior as attempters and 123 MD patients without suicide behavior as non-attempters. The TPH2 SNP was determined by sequencing on an ABI 3700 automated DNA sequencer. Results: The A allele was significantly less frequent in attempters than in non-attempters (p=0.0067). Individuals with the A/A genotype showed a significantly lower risk of suicide behavior than those with the A/G or G/G genotype (OR=0.35). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the A-G polymorphism of TPH2 may confer susceptibility to suicide behavior in MD patients.

AIM: This paper aims to develop a data-based semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) covering both urban and rural areas in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong Province, China, for the investigation of relationships between food intake and lifestyle-related diseases among middle-aged Chinese.METHODS: We recruited 417 subjects from the general population and performed an assessment of the diet, using a 3-d weighed dietary record survey. We employed contribution analysis (CA) and multiple regression analysis (MRA) to select food items covering up to a 90% contribution and a 0.90 R2, respectively. The total number of food items consumed was 523 (443 in the urban and 417 in the rural population) and the intake of 29 nutrients was calculated according to the actual consumption by foods/recipes.RESULTS: The CA selected 233, 194, and 183 foods/recipes for the combined, the urban and the rural areas, respectively,and then 196, 157, and 160 were chosen by the MRA. Finally,125 foods/recipes were selected for the final questionnaire.The frequencies were classified into eight categories and standard portion sizes were also calculated.CONCLUSION: For adoption of the area-specific SQFFQ,validity and reproducibility tests are now planned to determine how the combined SQFFQ performs in actual assessment of disease risk and benefit.

OBJECTIVE:The purpose of the study was to validate a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire1 (SQFFQ) against 3 day weighted diet records (WDRs) for middle-aged inhabitants in the Chaoshan area, China.SUBJECTS:100 middle-age healthy residents.METHODS:Validity was examined via descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations.RESULTS:Pearson's correlation coefficients (CCs) with energy-adjustment quantified by the SQFFQ and 3 day WDRs (minimum-median-maximum) ranged from 0.31(Vegetables)-0.35-0.53 (Cereals) for the selected foods, and 0.12 (retinol)-0.41-0.58 (phosphorous) for the selected nutrients. Favorably high agreement for intakes of foods/nutrients was achieved along with low disagreement.CONCLUSION:A moderate level of relative validity was observed; this food frequency questionnaire is reliable and valid for dietary assessment with middle-aged inhabitants in the Chaoshan area, China.

Objective To develop a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire(SQFFQ) in Chaoshan region for the related medical research.Methods The dietary survey was carried out based on 3-day weighed dietary record in the families randomly selected from in Chaozhou and Shantou.The food intake frequency and quantity were confirmed by multiple regression analysis(MRA).Results 417 families(urban 200,rural 217) were surveyed.The total number of the consumed food items was 512(urban 443,rural 417).Finally 125 foods/recipes were included in the final Questionnaire.The intake frequency and quantity of each food were classified into seven and six levels respectively.Conclusion This semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for inhabitants in Chaoshan region was feasible.

OBJECTIVE:To examine reproducibility of assessed intake of foods and nutrients according to a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) in adult doctors and nurses residing in Chaoshan area of China.SUBJECTS:The SQFFQ was administered first in October to December of 2004 to 120 adult doctors and nurses living in Chaoshan area of China and was then re-administered to 102 three months later between January and March of 2005 (SQFFQ 1 and SQFFQ 2).METHODS:Reproducibility was evaluated in terms of consumption of 10 food groups and energy and 34 macro- and micro-nutrients based on the SQFFQ from the 102 doctors and nurses.RESULTS:For intake of foods, Pearsom's correlation coefficients (CCs) with log-transformation and energy adjustment (minimum - median - maximum) range from 0.43 (eggs) - 0.84 - 0.90 (teas). Spearman's rank CCs with energy adjustment ranged from 0.77 (cereals) - 0.84 - 0.94 (milks). Kappa statistics with energy adjustment ranged from 0.53 (vegetables) - 0.63 - 0.82 (teas). For consumption of nutrients, Pearson's correlation coefficients (CCs) with log-transformation and energy adjustment (minimum - median - maximum) range from 0.83 (docosahexaenoic acid and oryzanin) - 0.88 - 0.90 (linolenic acid, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin E, calcium, sodium, selenium and magnesium). Spearman's rank CCs with energy adjustment ranged from 0.81 (oryzanin and vitamin C) - 0.86 - 0.90 (sodium). Kappa statistics with energy adjustment ranged from 0.49 (protein) - 0.60 - 0.77 (sodium).CONCLUSION:Substantially high reproducibility was observed; it is possible to use the tailored, relatively simple, but comprehensive, self-administered SQFFQ to facilitate assessment of the association between lifestyle and health/disease in large-scale epidemiological studies.

To the Editor: The risk of esophageal cancer in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong in South China is high. 1 We performed a large, hospital-based, case-control study in this region to analyze the relation between esophageal cancer, consumption of fruit and vegetables, and the joint effect of alcohol and tobacco use after adjustment for other risk factors. From October 1997 through June 2000, 1248 cases with a clinical or radiologic diagnosis of esophageal cancer were admitted to the four main hospitals in the Chaoshan area of Guangdong province. For each case, one control matched by age (5 y) and sex was interviewed. Conditions for eligibility as control subjects were as follows: admittance to the same hospital as the corresponding case, no diagnosis of a tobacco- or alcohol-related disease, and residence in the country for at least 10 y. Eight trained medical students administered the same questionnaires to the cases and controls. Information was collected on occupation, socioeconomic status (income and education), alcohol consumption (dose, expressed in milliliters of alcohol; duration; and type of alcoholic beverage), and tobacco use (quantity, duration, intensity, and cessation periods). Smoking and dietary habits were assessed for the 10-y period immediately preceding admission to the hospital. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess the consumption of various food items. The 12 food groups used in the study questionnaire were sowbelly, kipper, pickled vegetables, smoked food, fermented fish sauce, cooked vegetables (in China, vegetables are eaten after they are cooked), fresh fruit, fresh meat, eggs, cereals, fats, and dairy products. In the unconditional logistic regression analysis, the cigarette smoking groups were divided into non-smokers and current smokers (1 cigarette/d); the ex-smokers, whose smoking status might be uncertain, were excluded. The alcohol drinking groups were divided into daily and non-daily (3 times/wk) consumers. The rate ratio for daily alcohol drinking and current smoking was 4.28 (95% confidence interval, 2.81‐ 6.52) in relation to men and women exposed to neither habit. Thus, the joint effect of alcohol

Previous studies have suggested that fermented fish sauce is related to an increased risk for nasopharyngeal, thyroid and gastric cancers and has suspicious carcinogenic and promoting effects in the laboratory, but these reports have not investigated the association between this agent and esophageal cancer in population. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between esophageal cancer and consumption of fermented fish sauce, alcohol and tobacco after adjusting other risk factors using data from a large hospital-based case-control study in Chaoshan area of China. The subjects for analysis included 1,248 cases (median age 58.5 [range 29-82] years, 936 males, 312 females, some 50% with the habit of fermented fish sauce eating) with squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus and the same amount of controls matched by sex and age. A significant increase in risk (OR 3.21; 95% CI 2.45-4.19) for eating fermented fish sauce compared to not eating and a significant dose-response relationship was found with the consumption of fermented fish sauce (p for trend < 0.001). In comparison based on the binary variables, the OR for the subjects with fermented fish sauce eating and current smoking was 15.5 with a 95% CI of 8.14-29.3, relative to those exposed to neither habit. The joint effect of fermented fish sauce (F) and smoking (S) was more than additive (F * S > F + S: 15.5 > 1 + (5.6 - 1) + (6.6 - 1)), but the effect for fermented fish sauce and alcohol was not found. It is concluded that risks of esophageal cancer in the population were substantially associated with fermented fish sauce. Further epidemiologic and experimental study are required to find a biologic causal relationship between them.