Background: and Purpose To investigate the association between derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), biological antioxidant potential (BAP) and the risk of stroke by subtype, and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: We employed a case cohort design consisting of cardiovascular disease cases (n=1,521; stroke, n=1,271; IHD, n=265) and a random sub-cohort (n=4,761) in a large Japanese population-based study. d-ROMs and BAP were measured in plasma samples collected between 1995 and 1999. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated using weighted Cox proportional hazards methods according to d-ROMs and BAP quartiles, adjusted for age, sex, area, and potential confounding factors. Results: Analysis revealed a positive association between d-ROMs and the risk of total stroke, ischemic stroke, IHD, and the composite outcome of ischemic stroke and IHD. The multivariable HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the highest versus lowest quartiles for d-ROMs were 1.34 (95% CI: 1.11–1.63) for total stroke (P for trend<0.001), 1.47 (1.16–1.86) for ischemic stroke (P for trend<0.001), 1.47 (1.02–2.11) for IHD (P for trend=0.072), 1.47 (0.87–2.49) for subarachnoid hemorrhage (P for trend=0.101), and 1.01 (0.72–1.41) for intraparenchymal hemorrhage (P for trend=0.618). In contrast, no significant association was detected between BAP levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease. Conclusions Analysis revealed that d-ROMs levels were positively associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and heart disease but not with hemorrhagic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a major global public health concern. Taking antioxidant nutrients has attracted attention for their potential role in reducing pneumonia mortality. Although studies in Western countries have evaluated this association, the current evidence remains controversial, and research in Asia remains limited. This cohort study investigated the association between dietary antioxidant nutrients intake and pneumonia mortality in Japanese population. METHODS: Data were collected from the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study between 1995 and 1998, with follow-up until the end of 2018. The intake of antioxidant nutrients was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The Cox proportional hazard model was employed to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and p-trends for pneumonia mortality, adjusting for potential confounding factors including age, area, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, physical activity, postmenopausal status, occupation, coffee intake, green tea intake, antihypertensive medication use, vitamin-supplement use, and total energy intake. RESULTS: The analysis included data from 39,850 men and 46,705 women. Over a median follow-up of 20.8 years, 813 men and 477 women died from pneumonia. The multivariable model revealed that a higher intake of cryptoxanthin (p-trend = 0.027 in men; 0.019 in women), lycopene (p-trend = 0.016 in women), vitamin C (p-trend = 0.022 in men), and vitamin E (p-trend = 0.031 in women) was significantly associated with a reduction in pneumonia mortality. CONCLUSIONS Higher dietary intake of cryptonxanthin, lycopene, and vitamins C and E was associated with a low risk of pneumonia mortality in Japanese adults.
Humans ; Male ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Pneumonia/mortality* ; Antioxidants/administration & dosage* ; Diet/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Adult ; Nutrients ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: The association between meat, fish, or fatty acid intake and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) has been investigated in a few studies, and the results were inconsistent. In addition, most studies are mainly based on the United States and European countries, in which the dietary patterns differ from that in Asia. Therefore, the risk of AML/MDS from meat, fish, or fatty acid intake in Asia requires further exploration. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between AML/MDS incidence and meat, fish, or fatty acid intake using the Japan Public Health Center-based prospective study. METHODS: The present study included 93,366 participants who were eligible for analysis and followed up from the 5-year survey date until December 2012. We estimated the impact of their intake on AML/MDS incidence using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The study participants were followed up for 1,345,002 person-years. During the follow-up period, we identified 67 AML and 49 MDS cases. An increased intake of processed red meat was significantly associated with the incidence of AML/MDS, with a hazard ratio of 1.63 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-2.57) for the highest versus lowest tertile and a P_trend of 0.04. Meanwhile, the intake of other foods and fatty acids was not associated with AML/MDS. CONCLUSION In this Japanese population, processed red meat was associated with an increased incidence of AML/MDS.
Animals ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Public Health ; Meat/adverse effects* ; Fatty Acids/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/epidemiology*

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported a correction in the units in the methods section under "Subjects".

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. PURPOSE: To identify differences in time-dependent perioperative changes between the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the JOA Cervical Myelopathy Evaluation Questionnaire (JOACMEQ) score in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) and posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) who underwent cervical laminoplasty. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: The JOA score does not take into consideration patient satisfaction or quality of life. Accordingly, the JOACMEQ was designed in 2007 as a patient-centered assessment tool. METHODS: We studied 21 patients who underwent cervical laminoplasty. We objectively evaluated the time-dependent changes in JOACMEQ scores and JOA scores for all patients before surgery and at 2 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: The average total JOA score and the recovery rate improved significantly after surgery in both groups, with a slightly better recovery rate in the OPLL group. Cervical spine function improved significantly in the CSM group but not in the OPLL group. Upper- and lower-extremity functions were more stable in the CSM group than in the OPLL group. The effectiveness rate of the JOACMEQ for measuring quality of life was quite low in both groups. In both groups, the Spearman contingency coefficients were dispersed widely except for upper- and lower-extremity function. CONCLUSIONS: Scores for upper- and lower-extremity function on the JOACMEQ correlated well with JOA scores. Because the JOACMEQ can also assess cervical spine function and quality of life, factors that cannot be assessed by the JOA score alone, the JOACMEQ is a more comprehensive evaluation tool.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cohort Studies ; Humans ; Longitudinal Ligaments* ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; Patient Satisfaction ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Spinal Cord Diseases* ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires

OBJECTIVESDue to its industrial application and frequent use as a coating material for food containers, bisphenol A (4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol, BPA) is present in abundance in our environment. Data on intake levels of BPA are limited in preadolescent children in Japan. This study was designed to help us better understand the current state of BPA exposure in children in Japan.

METHODSWe followed first graders (n = 104) attending school in a Tokyo suburb from 1998 until the sixth grade (2003), during which time we collected a total of three morning urine samples. Urinary BPA was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTSNinety-four children were followed for 5 years. Median urinary BPA level was 2.66 ng/mg creatinine (CRE) (range 0.9-38.9) at first grade (1998), 1.52 ng/mg CRE (0.4-11.8) at third grade (2000), and 0.66 ng/mg CRE (0.2-8.5) at sixth grade (2003), showing a significant decrease in urinary BPA levels over a 5-year follow-up study (p < 0.001). No significant difference was seen between boys and girls at each grade.

CONCLUSIONSUrinary levels of BPA were relatively low throughout the study period; however, as the study progressed, we observed a significant decline in levels, the reason behind which is not yet clear.

OBJECTIVESBisphenol A (BPA), a raw material commonly used in the manufacture of resins such as polycarbonate and epoxy, is a possible xenoestrogen that is hypothesized to disrupt the human endocrine system. Humans are widely exposed to BPA. We investigated the urinary concentration of BPA in infertile Japanese women and its possible association with endometriosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODSWe recruited 166 women (aged 20-45) who had complained of infertility and visited a university hospital in Tokyo. The subjects were interviewed and their urine samples were obtained prior to a laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis between January 2000 and December 2001. Urinary total BPA concentration in 140 eligible urine samples was then measured using enzymatic deconjugation of glucuronide and sulfate and high-performance liquid chromatography isotope-dilution tandem mass spectrometry.

RESULTSMedian (25th-75th percentile) unadjusted and creatinine-adjusted urinary BPA concentrations were 1.6 (0.69-2.8) μg/L and 0.80 (0.45-1.3) μg/g creatinine. No significant monotonic association of endometriosis with urinary BPA concentration was observed. Median urinary BPA concentration in women with stage 0-1 endometriosis (0.74 μg/g creatinine) did not significantly differ from that in those with stage II-IV endometriosis (0.93 μg/g creatinine) (p for difference=0.24).

CONCLUSIONSThis study, based on a larger number of samples than those in previous studies in Japan and using the most reliable analytical method currently available, showed that urinary concentrations of BPA in women who consulted a physician for infertility were not higher than those in other populations. Moreover, no association between urinary BPA concentration and endometriosis was found in this cross-sectional study.