Epidemiology Commons^™

Clinical Epigenomic Explanation Of The Epidemiology Of Cannabinoid Genotoxicity Manifesting As Transgenerational Teratogenesis, Cancerogenesis And Aging Acceleration, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As global interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis and its’ derivatives for the management of selected diseases increases, it is increasingly imperative that the toxic profile of cannabinoids be thoroughly understood in order to correctly assess the balance between the therapeutic risks and benefits. Modern studies across a number of jurisdictions, including Canada, Australia, the US and Europe have confirmed that some of the most worrying and severe historical reports of both congenital anomalies and cancer induction following cannabis exposure actually underestimate the multisystem thousand megabase-scale transgenerational genetic damage. These findings from teratogenic and carcinogenic literature are supported by …

Identification Of Novel Biosynthetic Gene Clusters Encoding For Polyketide/Nrps-Producing Chemotherapeutic Compounds From Marine-Derived Streptomyces Hygroscopicus From A Marine Sanctuary, Hannah Ruth Flaherty

Honors Theses and Capstones

Nearly one out of six deaths in 2020, around ten million people, were caused by cancer, making it a leading cause of death worldwide (WHO, 2022). This major public health issue, in addition to the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, provides a high demand for the discovery of new pharmaceutical drugs to be used clinically to treat these conditions. The Streptomyces genus accounts to produce 39% of all microbial metabolites currently approved for human health, indicating its potential as an important species to study for antimicrobial and anticancer agents. The long linear genome of Streptomyces contains specialized sequences known as …

Genetic And Pharmacogenetics Associations Of Cancer Disparities In Appalachia, Nan Lin

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Individuals residing in Appalachian regions have significant health disparities, including higher cancer incidence and mortality rates. Previous studies have addressed the impact of socioeconomic status and environmental risk factors on Appalachia cancer disparities, while few studies have evaluated genetic risk factors.

Germline whole exome sequencing samples from 7,078 individuals with cancer (759 Appalachians) were evaluated. Demographics and relatedness were assessed using KING. Ethnicity was verified by principal component analysis using TRACE, which included 6,034 individuals (85%) of European genetic ancestry. After QC filtering, 5,980 individuals were analyzed. To assess the overall predisposition of hereditary disease, gene level frequency of likely …

Promoting Healthier Treatment Outcomes In Obese Cancer Patients Taking High Dose Methotrexate, Carly Dell'ova

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cancer and obesity rates continue to rise, creating enormous public heath burdens to the individual and at the national and global levels, reducing quality of life, and increasing spending. Moreover, the relationships between cancer and obesity are not well understood. A commonly used chemotherapy for several types of cancer is high dose methotrexate (HDMTX). Along with chemotherapy, especially at high doses, comes toxicity to specific organs and the entire body. However, limited research has been conducted on obese cancer patients as they are often excluded from clinical studies. Practitioners need to better understand how to dose these patients to provide …

Epidemiological Patterns Of Cannabis- And Substance- Related Congenital Uronephrological Anomalies In Europe: Geospatiotemporal And Causal Inferential Study, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction:

Recent reports linking prenatal and community cannabis exposure to elevated uronephrological congenital anomaly (UCA) rates (UCAR’s) raise the question of its European epidemiology given recent increases in community cannabinoid penetration there.

Methods:

UCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World bank.

Results:

UCAR increased across Spain, Netherlands, Poland and France. UCAR’s and cannabis resin THC increased simultaneously in France, Spain, Netherlands and Bulgaria. At bivariate analysis all UCA’s were related to cannabis herb and resin THC concentrations. All UCAR’s were bivariately related to cannabis metrics ordered by median …

Cancer Incidence And Stage At Diagnosis Among People With Psychotic Disorders: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Jared C Wootten, Joshua C Wiener, Phillip S Blanchette, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

Research regarding the incidence of cancer among people with psychotic disorders relative to the general population is equivocal, although the evidence suggests that they have more advanced stage cancer at diagnosis. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the incidence and stage at diagnosis of cancer among people with, relative to those without, psychotic disorders. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases. Articles were included if they reported the incidence and/or stage at diagnosis of cancer in people with psychotic disorders. Random effects meta-analyses were used to determine risk of cancer and odds of advanced stage …

Novel Dietary Index For Gut Microbiota And Associations With Colorectal Cancer And Breast Cancer Risk, Bezawit Eyob Kase

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Diet serves as a driving force for shaping the gut microbiome. Understanding how diet may modify gut microbiota and subsequently may be associated with chronic disease is critical to public health prevention efforts. Aims: We aimed to develop a novel dietary index that captures the quality of diet with respect to attaining beneficial composition and function of gut microbiota. We then examined the relationship between the dietary index and two gut microbiota-related cancers, i.e., colorectal and breast cancers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies that examined the effect of foods on gut microbiota in adult populations. Dietary …

Availability Of Hospital-Based Cancer Services Before And After Rural Hospital Closure, 2008-2017, Whitney Zahnd Ph.D., Peiyin Hung Ph.D., Sylvia Kewei Shi, Anja Zgodic, Melinda A. Merrell Ph.D., Elizabeth L. Crouch, Janice C. Probst, Jan Eberth Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Introduction

Rural populations have less access to cancer care services and experience higher cancer mortality rates than their urban counterparts, which may be exacerbated by hospital closures. Our objective was to examine the impact of hospital closures on access to cancer-relevant hospital services across hospital service areas (HSAs).

Methods

We used American Hospital Association survey data from 2008 to 2017 to examine the change in access to cancer-related screening and treatment services across rural HSAs that sustained hospitals over time, experienced any closures, or had all hospitals close. We performed a longitudinal analysis to assess the association between hospital closure …

Cannabis- And Substance-Related Epidemiological Patterns Of Chromosomal Congenital Anomalies In Europe: Geospatiotemporal And Causal Inferential Study, Albert Stuart Reece, Gary Kenneth Hulse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction:

Laboratory data link cannabinoid exposure to chromosomal mis-segregation errors. Recent epidemiological reports confirm this link and raise concern that elevated chromosomal congenital anomaly rates (CCAR) may be occurring in Europe which is experiencing increased cannabis use, daily intensity of use and cannabinoid potency.

Methods:

CCAR data from Eurocat. Drug use data from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction. Income from World Bank. Bivariate, multivariate, panel and geotemporospatial regressions analyzed. Inverse probability weighting of panel models and E-values used as major quantitative causal inferential methodologies.

Results:

In countries where daily cannabis use was rising the trend for …

Cancer Incidence And Stage At Diagnosis Among People With Recent-Onset Psychotic Disorders: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Health Administrative Data From Ontario, Canada., Jared C Wootten, Lucie Richard, Phillip S Blanchette, Joshua C. Wiener, Kelly K. Anderson

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications

OBJECTIVE: Prior evidence on the relative risk of cancer among people with psychotic disorders is equivocal. The objective of this study was to compare incidence and stage at diagnosis of cancer for people with psychotic disorders relative to the general population.

METHOD: We constructed a retrospective cohort of people with a first diagnosis of non-affective psychotic disorder and a comparison group from the general population using linked health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada. The cohort was followed for incident diagnoses of cancer over a 25-year period. We used Poisson and logistic regression models to compare cancer incidence and stage at …

Using Geospatial Analysis To Evaluate Relationships Between Cancer Incidence And Social Factors In Brooklyn, Ny, Sheena Philogene

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the spatial distribution of cancer incidence in Brooklyn, NY. Using publicly available data, the relationships between cancer incidence and factors linked to cancer were investigated. Furthermore, the study explored the value of using large amounts of data with GIS techniques to quickly analyze geographic trends for cancer.

Incidence Of Cancer, Depression, And Economic Burden Of Prescription Nsaids Among Older Adults With Osteoarthritis: Statistical And Machine Learning Approaches, Nazneen Fatima Mohammed Umer Shaikh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Understanding the role of chronic inflammation among older adults is critical because of its implications on chronic inflammatory conditions as well as its interaction with anti-inflammatory medications. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous multi-faceted joint disease with multi-tissue involvement of varying severity, and increasing evidence demonstrates a key role of chronic inflammation in its pathogenesis. Approximately 30 million adults in the United States have OA, and it is reported that a large proportion (43%) of them are older than 65 years. OA is typically treated using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for minimizing pain and reducing inflammation. NSAIDs have consistently shown clinically …

Association Of Lung Cancer With Pneumonia And Chlamydia Pneumoniae Infection, Johnny Zakhour Md, Daniel Muller, Alex Glynn, Jose Bordon

The University of Louisville Journal of Respiratory Infections

Introduction: The degree of association and type of causal versus non-causal relationship between pneumonia and lung cancer (LC) are evolving discussions. We reviewed English publications on the degree of association between pneumonia and subsequent LC.

Methods: We searched the PubMed database using key words for pneumonia, LC, and chlamydia infection. We selected peer-reviewed studies of patients with pneumonia and LC. Case reports and other literature reviews were excluded from this review.

Results: Five studies examined the incidence and/or risk of LC for a total of 415,750 patients, and four studies examined cases with Chlamydia pneumoniae chronic infection at the time …

Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Related To Heart Failure Risk And Cardiac Function: A Case-Control Study In Heart Failure Patients, Jalal Moludi, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Soghra Alisgharzadeh, James R. Hébert Scd, Mohammad Alizadeh

Faculty Publications

Aims: Previous studies suggest that diet and inflammation are important risk factors for heart failure (HF); however, the associations remain unclear. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) was established to measure the inflammatory capacity of individuals' diet. This study aimed to explore the DII in HF subjects compared with controls. Methods and Results: We conducted a case–control (116 cases and 113 controls) study that recruited in the similar clinics. DII scores were calculated based on dietary intakes. N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed in both groups. In order to analyze DII scores with HF as …

A Multilevel And Spatial Analysis Of Oral And Pharyngeal Cancer In South Carolina, Deborah M. Hurley

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Disparities in the distribution of oral and pharyngeal cancer exist worldwide. This is also true in the United States and in South Carolina. Differences exist in oral and pharyngeal cancer stage and survival by race and sex, with higher incidence rates for Whites but higher proportions of late-stage cancer and lower survival for Blacks. This study was conducted to evaluate whether any differences exist in the spatial distribution of oral and pharyngeal cancer stage at diagnosis and survival, and to evaluate the association of income inequality, material deprivation and other measures of social determinants of health (contextual risk factors) …

A Cluster-Based Approach For Identifying Prognostic Microrna Signatures In Digestive System Cancers, Jun Zhou, Xiang Cui, Feifei Xiao, Guoshuai Cai

Faculty Publications

Cancer remains the second leading cause of death all over the world. Aberrant expression of miRNA has shown diagnostic and prognostic value in many kinds of cancer. This study aims to provide a novel strategy to identify reliable miRNA signatures and develop improved cancer prognostic models from reported cancer-associated miRNAs. We proposed a new cluster-based approach to identify distinct cluster(s) of cancers and corresponding miRNAs. Further, with samples from TCGA and other independent studies, we identified prognostic markers and validated their prognostic value in prediction models. We also performed KEGG pathway analysis to investigate the functions of miRNAs associated with …

Applied Methodologies Demonstrated Through Three Independent Studies For Assessing The Effects Of Socioeconomic, Environmental Chemical Exposure, And Therapeutic Factors On Oncological Diseases And Covid-19, Bayarmagnai Maggie Munkhjargal

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

When trying to understand risk factors for a disease, even before we know the causal agents, it is necessary to create a surveillance data set that answers the questions of who, when, and where, and includes any potential covariates which may either promote or prevent the disease. There are a wide variety of surveillance data. For example, hospital discharge data, such as the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data, encompass all hospitalized cases in the state, while clinical datasets cover a specially constructed population in pursuit of research of a certain disease type. Analysis of surveillance …

Predictors Of Depression Screening Among Cancer Patients In U.S. Ambulatory Settings, Joseph Oluyinka Fawole

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a common mental health comorbidity in cancer diagnoses, affecting 8-24% of cancer patients. Despite the high prevalence of depression among cancer patients, it is often unrecognized and untreated, thereby representing an enormous psychological distress source among the cancer patient population. The purpose of this study was to explore and establish the factors that predict depression screening among cancer patients in the ambulatory care setting in the United States. The health belief model guided the study. Secondary data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were analyzed to evaluate the predictors of depression screening in patients diagnosed with cancer. …

An Assessment Of Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Of The Kuantan Community On The Effects Of Monosaccharides On Cancer, Muhammad Alif Mazlan, Muhammad Kamil Che Hasan, Afzan Mat Yusof, Muhammad Lokman Md Isa

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Cancer knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) levels of communities are essential to be assessed to enhance cancer educational programs. This study aimed to determine the KAP level of the Kuantan community on the effects of monosaccharides on cancer. The association between the sociodemographic data and KAP level of the community has also been evaluated.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among residents living in the Kuantan community. Only 303 of 380 responses were included in the data analysis using the chi-square test.

Results: The knowledge and practice levels were moderate, whereas the attitude was at a …

Effects Of L-Fucose Supplementation On The Viability Of Cancer Cell Lines, Muhammad Alif Mazlan, Afzan Mat Yusof, Muhammad Lokman Md Isa

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Fucose is a deoxyhexose sugar. While the biological roles of L-fucose remain unclear, the sugar is known to accelerate the malignant potential of cancer cells. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the viability pattern of human cancer and normal cell lines treated with fucose.

Methods: The human gingival fibroblast (HGF-1), colorectal adenocarcinoma (HT-29) and skin malignant melanoma (A375) cell lines were cultured and treated with fucose at three concentrations of 1, 5, and 10 mg/ml. Cell viability was then measured using (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social …

Targeting Pd-L1 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Car T Cells, Ming Liu, Xu Wang, Wei Li, Xinfang Yu, Pedro Flores-Villanueva, Zijun Y Xu-Monette, Ling Li, Mingzhi Zhang, Ken H Young, Xiaodong Ma, Yong Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Antibodies against programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) have dramatically changed the landscape of therapies for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC); however, the majority of patients do not respond to these agents. In addition, hyperprogressive disease (HPD) develops in a larger portion of NSCLC patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors than in patients treated with standard chemotherapy. The use of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has been successful to treat blood cancers but not for solid tumors like NSCLC. In this work, we constructed CAR T cells that target PD-L1 and evaluated their efficacy in NSCLC …

Epidemiology Of Cancers In Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm): A Protocol For Umbrella Review Of Systematic Reviews, Manoj Kumar Honaryar, Yelena Tarasenko, Maribel Almonte, Vitaly Smelov

Biostatistics, Epidemiology & Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

While earlier studies on men having sex with men (MSM) tended to examine infection-related cancers, an increasing number of studies have been focusing on effects of sexual orientation on other cancers and social and cultural causes for cancer disparities. As a type of tertiary research, this umbrella review (UR) aims to synthesize findings from existing review studies on the effects of sexual orientation on cancer. Relevant peer-reviewed systematic reviews (SRs) will be identified without date or language restrictions using MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and the International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews, among others. The research team members will …

Evaluation Of Geographic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Across Maine, Kaylee Underkofler, Jason Lachance

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction. National data exists suggesting the existence of geographic disparities in oncology care within the United States. It is unknown whether geographic disparities present a problem for women with gynecologic malignancies locally in Maine.

Methods. Data for each cervical cancer case diagnosed or treated under the MaineHealth system between 2007 and 2011 were acquired from the MaineHealth Network Registry. Average annual incidence and 5-year survival were calculated for each county in Maine and were mapped using geographic information systems (GIS) software. Next, cases were divided into 2 groups: those residing less than or equal to 60 miles from the sole …

Association Of Perfluorinated Chemicals With Endocrino-Carcinogenetic, Obesogenic And Metabolic Health And With Markers Of Chronic Inflammation And Oxidative Stress, Ogbebor Enaholo Omoike

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

First, this study examined the association of perfluorinated chemicals with 1) cardio-metabolic health outcomes and 2) the association of phthalates with cardiometabolic health outcomes, and 3) cardio-metabolic health outcomes while assessing the possibility of additive interactions between perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) and phthalates. Second, association with markers of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress were explored. Finally, this study examined the association of these chemicals with estrogenic cancers- Breast cancer, prostate cancer, uterine cancer and ovarian cancer.

Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), logistic regression models were used to investigate the relationship between PFCs and the cardio-metabolic …

Impact Of Chlorpyrifos Exposure On Colorectal Cancer In Agricultural Communities In Ohio, Vicky Knisley-Henry

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cancer diagnosis in the United States, and second in Ohio, for both men and women. In 2019, there were an estimated 145,000 cases of new CRC diagnoses and will lead to more than 50,000 deaths. Results from a systematic review indicate that chlorpyrifos use in agriculture is linked to the incidence of breast and lung cancers and has a possible association with CRC. Grounded in the social-ecological model, this study investigated the association between exposure to chlorpyrifos and CRC rates in agricultural communities in Ohio. The quantitative cohort design method utilized secondary data …

Burden And Risk Of Non-Aids Defining Cancers In Hiv-Infected Persons Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy, Brittney L. Dickey

Theses & Dissertations

The burden of cancers not previously associated with an HIV infection, called non-AIDS defining cancers (NADCs), have increased in the years since highly active anti-retroviral therapy has been introduced. The studies in this dissertation attempted to quantify this burden via incidence and mortality compared to the general population. Further, an assessment of risk factors and creation of a predictive risk model, a nomogram, were utilized to better understand how factors associated with demographics, lifestyle, and immune response affected risk for an NADC diagnosis once therapy was initiated and HIV better controlled. Standardized incidence and mortality ratios showed that burden of …

Prospective Analysis Of Food Consumption And Nutritional Status And The Impact On The Dietary Inflammatory Index In Women With Breast Cancer During Chemotherapy, Isis Danyelle Dias Custódio, Fernanda De Paula Franco, Eduarda Da Costa Marinho, Taísa Sabrina Silva Pereira, Mariana Tavares Miranda Lima, Maria Del Carmen Bisi Molina, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Carlos Eduardo Paiva, Yara Cristina De Paiva Maia

Faculty Publications

Considering the implications of adverse effects of chemotherapy (CT) and the potential impact of diet on patients’ recovery, this study aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between the consumption of food groups, patients’ Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) scores, and their nutritional status. Anthropometric and dietary assessments of 55 women with breast cancer (BC) were performed at three time points. T0 is the time point after the first CT cycle, T1 is the time point after the intermediate CT cycle, and T2 is the time point after the last CT cycle. We identified a significant increase in weight, body mass index, …

The Association Between Dietary Inflammatory Index (Dii) And Cancer Risk In Korea: A Prospective Cohort Study Within The Koges-Hexa Study, Injeong Ryu, Minji Kwon, Cheongmin Sohn, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Woori Na, Mi Kyung Kim

Faculty Publications

Several epidemiological studies have shown that there are consistently positive associations between dietary inflammatory index (DII (R)) scores and cancer incidence in Western populations. However, few DII-cancer studies have been conducted in East Asian populations. In a large cohort representative of the general Korean population, we investigated whether the DII is associated with overall cancer risk. A total of 163,660 participants (56,781 males and 106,879 females) had evaluable data for analyses. This follow-up study was carried out over the course of 7.9 years. DII scores were calculated based on Semi-Quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ) data for 106 food items. Cancers were …

Dietary Advanced Glycation End-Products (Ages) And Breast Cancer Risk And Survival, Omonefe Opeyemi Omofuma

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases including cancer. AGEs are produced endogenously and are also consumed from foods. High amounts of AGEs are found in animal products and processed foods, and AGE formation is accelerated during cooking at high temperatures. Using data from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO), we assigned and quantified NƐ-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML)-AGE content in food and investigated the association between dietary AGE intake and breast cancer (BrCa) risk. We assessed whether the risk was modified by race/ethnicity, obesity status, fruit and vegetable intake, BrCa invasiveness …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Non-Communicable Disease Risk: A Narrative Review, Catherine M. Phillips, Ling-Wei Chen, Barbara Heude, Jonathan Y. Bernard, Nicholas C. Harvey, Liesbeth Duijts, Sara M. Mensink-Bout, Kinga Polanska, Giulia Mancano, Matthew Suderman, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert

Faculty Publications

There are over 1,000,000 publications on diet and health and over 480,000 references on inflammation in the National Library of Medicine database. In addition, there have now been over 30,000 peer-reviewed articles published on the relationship between diet, inflammation, and health outcomes. Based on this voluminous literature, it is now recognized that low-grade, chronic systemic inflammation is associated with most non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory and musculoskeletal disorders, as well as impaired neurodevelopment and adverse mental health outcomes. Dietary components modulate inflammatory status. In recent years, the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII^®), a literature-derived …