Clinical Trial Service Unit

About: Clinical Trial Service Unit is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Stroke. The organization has 428 authors who have published 1387 publications receiving 181920 citations.

Spicy food consumption is associated with adiposity measures among half a million Chinese people: the China Kadoorie Biobank study.

Abstract: Few animal experiments and volunteer-based intervention studies have showed a controversial effect of spicy foods on weight management; however, information is scant on the association between spicy food intake and obesity. This study aims to examine the impact of spicy food on quantitative adiposity measures in the Chinese population; a population with a low prevalence of general obesity, but a high prevalence of central obesity. A total of 434,556 adults (255,094 females), aged 30–79 years, were included from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study. Information on spicy food intake was obtained using a questionnaire survey. Body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat (BF%), waist circumference (WC), and WC/height ratio (WHtR) were analyzed as continuous variables. The prevalence of daily spicy food eating was 30.4% in males and 30.0% in females, with dramatically geographic diversity (ranging from 99.4% in Hunan to 2.7% in Zhejiang). The covariates-adjusted BMI, BF%, WC, and WHtR significantly increased with increasing frequency, strength, and duration of spicy food eating regardless of gender (p < 0.001). Among regular spicy food consumers, strength of spicy food eating showed significant and positive association with all adiposity measures in both genders (except for BF% in males). Compared with non-consumers, daily spicy food eating was significantly associated with an increase of 0.44 and 0.51 of BMI (kg/m2), 0.79 and 1.01 of BF%, 1.4 and 1.0 of WC (cm), and 0.008 and 0.006 of WHtR in males and females, respectively. In stratified analyses of 18 consecutive BMI subgroups, a significantly increasing trend in the effect of daily spicy food eating on WC and WHtR with increasing BMI was noted in males; whereas a decreasing trend was seen in females. The data indicate that spicy food intake is a risk factor for obesity in Chinese adult population, especially for central obesity in males. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association.

Childhood Sexual Abuse and the Development of Recurrent Major Depression in Chinese Women

Abstract: Background Our prior study in Han Chinese women has shown that women with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) are at increased risk for developing major depression (MD). Would this relationship be found in our whole data set? Method Three levels of CSA (non-genital, genital, and intercourse) were assessed by self-report in two groups of Han Chinese women: 6017 clinically ascertained with recurrent MD and 5983 matched controls. Diagnostic and other risk factor information was assessed at personal interview. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated by logistic regression. Results We confirmed earlier results by replicating prior analyses in 3,950 new recurrent MD cases. There were no significant differences between the two data sets. Any form of CSA was significantly associated with recurrent MD (OR 4.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) [3.19–5.24]). This association strengthened with increasing CSA severity: non-genital (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.58–3.15), genital (OR 5.24, 95% CI 3.52–8.15) and intercourse (OR 10.65, 95% CI 5.56–23.71). Among the depressed women, those with CSA had an earlier age of onset, longer depressive episodes. Recurrent MD patients those with CSA had an increased risk for dysthymia (OR 1.60, 95%CI 1.11–2.27) and phobia (OR 1.41, 95%CI 1.09–1.80). Any form of CSA was significantly associated with suicidal ideation or attempt (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.20–1.89) and feelings of worthlessness or guilt (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02–2.02). Intercourse (OR 3.47, 95%CI 1.66–8.22), use of force and threats (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.05–3.82) and how strongly the victims were affected at the time (OR 1.39, 95%CI 1.20–1.64) were significantly associated with recurrent MD. Conclusions In Chinese women CSA is strongly associated with recurrent MD and this association increases with greater severity of CSA. Depressed women with CSA have some specific clinical traits. Some features of CSA were associated with greater likelihood of developing recurrent MD.

Design, objectives, and lessons from a pilot 25 year follow up re-survey of survivors in the Whitehall study of London Civil Servants.

Abstract: DESIGN: To assess the feasibility of conducting a re-survey of men who are resident in the United Kingdom 25 years after enrollment in the Whitehall study of London Civil Servants. METHODS: A random sample of 401 study survivors resident in three health authority areas was selected for this pilot study. They were mailed a request to complete a self administered questionnaire, and then asked to attend their general practice to have their blood pressure, weight, and height measured and a blood sample collected into a supplied vacutainer, and mailed to a central laboratory. Using a 2 x 2 factorial design, the impact of including additional questions on income and of an informant questionnaire on cognitive function was assessed. RESULTS: Accurate addresses were obtained from the health authorities for 96% of the sample. Questionnaires were received from 73% and blood samples from 61% of the sample. Questions on income had no adverse effect on the response rate, but inclusion of the informant questionnaire did. Between 1970 and 1995 there were substantial changes within men in the mean blood pressure and blood total cholesterol recorded, as reflected by correlation coefficients between 1970 and 1995 values of 0.26, and 0.30 for systolic and diastolic blood pressure and 0.38 for total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a re-survey using postal questionnaires and mailed whole blood samples. The magnitude of change in blood pressure and blood total cholesterol concentrations within individuals was greater than anticipated, suggesting that such remeasurements may be required at different intervals in prospective studies to help interpret risks associations properly. These issues will be considered in a re-survey of the remaining survivors of the Whitehall study.

Del (9q) AML: clinical and cytological characteristics and prognostic implications.

Abstract: Del (9q) is a recurrent cytogenetic abnormality in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). We report an analysis of 81 patients with del(9q) as a diagnostic karyotypic abnormality entered into the Medical Research Council AML trials 10, 11 and 12. Patients were divided into three groups: (i) Sole del (9q), 21 patients; (ii) Del(9q) in association with t(8;21), 29 patients; (iii) Del(9q) in association with other cytogenetic abnormalities, 31 patients. Sole del(9q) was associated with a characteristic bone marrow phenotype at diagnosis: a single Auer rod was found in all cases examined. There was also an association with erythroid dysplasia (74%) and granylocytic lineage vacuolation (90%). The incidence of all three of these features was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the sole del(9q) group compared with control cases lacking del(9q). The overall survival (OS) of all 81 patients was compared with a control group of 1738 patients with normal cytogenetics entered in the same trials over the period of investigation. The 5-year OS for patients with del(9q) was 45%, compared with 35% for the control group (P = 0.09). Patients with del(9q) in association with t(8;21) had a 5-year OS of 75%, which was significantly better than the groups with either sole del(9q) (40%) and del(9q) with other abnormalities (26%; P = 0.008). Karyotyping indicated a common area of deletion in the region 9q21-22, which was present in 94% of cases. It is likely that the deletion of single or multiple tumour suppressor genes located in this region may underlie the pathogenesis of del (9q) AML.