METHODS: We applied H. pylori multiplex serology to measure antibody responses to 13 H. pylori proteins in prediagnostic serum samples from 485 colorectal cancer cases and 485 matched controls nested within the EPIC study. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable conditional logistic regression to estimate the association of H. pylori overall and protein-specific seropositivity with odds of developing colorectal cancer.

RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of colorectal cancer cases were H. pylori seropositive compared with 44% of controls, resulting in an OR of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.00-1.85). Among the 13 individual H. pylori proteins, the association was driven mostly by seropositivity to Helicobacter cysteine-rich protein C (HcpC; OR: 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19-2.30) and Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) (OR: 1.34; 95% CI, 0.99-1.82), the latter being nonstatistically significant only in the fully adjusted model.

CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective multicenter European study, antibody responses to H. pylori proteins, specifically HcpC and VacA, were associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

METHODS: We adopted a nested case-control design within a cohort of school teachers. Working teachers from six states of Peninsular Malaysia, and had experienced incident CVD before a right-censored date (31st December 2021) were defined as cases. Incident CVD was operationally defined as the development of non-fatal acute coronary syndrome (ACS), stroke, congestive cardiac failure, deep vein thrombosis or peripheral arterial disease before the censored date. Controls were working teachers who did not acquire an incident CVD before the similar right-censored date. All controls were randomly selected, with a ratio of one case to four controls, from among the working teachers in one of the states in Peninsular Malaysia. We used a shortened version of the Malay-validated World Health Organization-Health and Work Performance Questionnaire (WHO-HPQ) to estimate the workplace productivity effect among teachers with incident CVD (cases). The same questionnaire was distributed to teachers in a single state of Peninsular Malaysia who did not experience incident CVD (controls). Absenteeism, presenteeism and annual monetary loss were computed based on the scoring rules in the WHO-HPQ. Analysis of covariance was performed with covariate adjustment using propensity scores. The bootstrapping method was applied to obtain better estimates of marginal mean differences, along with standard errors (SE) and appropriate effect sizes.

Methods: We performed a longitudinal study in 30 children with CKD5-5D and 13 age-matched healthy controls (71 measurements) to determine a correlation between optimal weight by bioimpedance spectroscopy (Wt-BIS) and clinical assessment (Wt-CA). The accuracy of Wt-BIS [relative overhydration (Rel-OH)] was compared against indicators of fluid status and cardiovascular measures.

Results: There was poor agreement between Wt-CA and Wt-BIS in children on dialysis (P = 0.01), but not in CKD5 or control subjects. We developed a modified chart to plot Rel-OH against systolic blood pressure (SBP) z-score for the appropriate representation of volume status and blood pressure (BP) in children. In total, 25% of measurements showed SBP >90th percentile but not with concurrent overhydration. Rel-OH correlated with peripheral pulse pressure (P = 0.03; R = 0.3), higher N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (P = 0.02; R = 0.33) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (P = 0.05; R = 0.38). Central aortic mean and pulse pressure significantly associated with the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (P = 0.03; R = 0.47 and P = 0.01; R = 0.50, respectively), but not with Rel-OH. SBP was positively associated with pulse wave velocity z-score (P = 0.04). In total, 40% of children on haemodialysis and 30% on peritoneal dialysis had increased left ventricular mass index.