Publications

Gastrointestinal (GI) involvement is frequent in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Recent studies have highlighted a possible association between GI symptoms, gut microbiota (GM), and nutrition. In this systematic review, the evidence supporting these relationships was evaluated. Articles selected from the MEDLINE database and published between 2010 and 2025 were included. Keywords used in the sources included "systemic sclerosis", "gut microbiota", "malnutrition", and "gastrointestinal symptoms". Forty-nine articles were selected, for a total of 6270 SSc patients. The evidence suggests a complex relationship between SSc, GI symptoms, and GM dysbiosis. Both are manifestations of the disease, and in turn they influence its severity. Digestive tract fibrosis and dysbiosis alter nutrient absorption, which can lead to malnutrition. However, data considering these complex relationships between the GI tract, microbiome, and nutritional status are few and very heterogeneous. Further studies are needed to investigate these complex interwinings and identify nutritional interventions able to reduce GI dysfunction and simultaneously counteract malnutrition.

The spectrum of HIV-related lymphoid malignancies certainly includes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL; i.e., chiefly large-cell lymphoma and Burkitt's lymphoma), primary lymphoma of the brain (PBL) and, possibly, Hodgkin's disease (HD). Since the mid-1990s, several epidemiological studies have led to better quantification of the burden of lymphomas in HIV-infected populations. AIDS surveillance data from 17 western European countries show that between 1988 and 1997 a total of 7,148 AIDS cases had NHL as the AIDS-defining illness. The yearly number of cases rose steadily from 1988 to 1995 but declined thereafter. As a percentage of AIDS-defining illnesses, NHL increased from 3.6% in 1994 to 4.9% in 1997. Percent increases were observed in different strata by area, age group, sex and HIV-transmission group. To estimate relative risk (RR) of NHL and other lymphoid neoplasms in unselected HIV-seropositive populations, records of population-based cancer registries and AIDS registries were linked in the United States, Italy and Australia. RRs for NHL in adults with HIV/AIDS ranged between 14 (for low-grade NHL) to over 300 (for high-grade NHL). For HD, the RR was approximately 10. Limited findings from studies based on death certificates and cohorts of HIV-seropositive persons were consistent with those from registry linkage studies. In developing countries, the risk of HIV-associated NHL appears to be much lower than in developed countries, but under-ascertainment and earlier death from other AIDS manifestations may explain the lack of HIV-associated lymphomas in Africa.

Death certification data from pleural cancer in eight European countries providing data to the World Health Organization database over the period 1970–1994 were analysed using a log-linear Poisson model to disentangle the effects of age, birth cohort and period of death. The age effect reached values between 10 and 15/100 000 males at age 80–84 in most countries, except Hungary (6.7), Switzerland (18.0), France (20.6) and the Netherlands (36.5). Cohort effects were steadily and appreciably upwards in all countries up to the generations born in 1940 or 1945, and levelled off for the 1950 cohort, except in Hungary, where persistent rises were observed. Thus, most rises in pleural cancer mortality in Europe were on a cohort of birth basis. Since most pleural cases were asbestos-related mesotheliomas, and since asbestos has an early-stage effect on subsequent mesothelioma risk, exposure early in life is important for determining the subsequent mesothelioma risk of each generation. Consequently, the data indicate that the peak mortality from pleural cancer in most western European countries will be reached in the first decades of the 21st century, i.e. around 2010–2020, when the generations born between 1940 and 1950 will reach the peak age for mesothelioma incidence and mortality. This contrasts with US data, where the peak of pleural cancer incidence has been reached at the end of the 20th century, and reflects a delay in adopting adequate prevention measures since the 1940–1945 generations entered the workforce in the 1960s, when cancer risk from asbestos exposure was already recognized.

In a case-control study conducted between May 1979 and February 1980, in Milan, Italy, to evaluate risk factors for ovarian cancer, various reproductive and menstrual characteristics, marital status, education, history of various diseases, and lifetime drug use were examined among 161 women with histologically proven epithelial cancer and 561 controls. Early menarche, late menopause, low parity, late age at first pregnancy and total ovulatory years were associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer. The elevated risk associated with late age at first pregnancy was not accounted for by low parity. Many of the risk factors identified in this study are also accounted for by low parity. Many of the risk factors identified in this study are also related to the risk of adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and to breast cancer. Further exploration of these factors may lead to an improved understanding of the etiology of all three cancers.

Low-calorie beverages (LCBs) are promoted as healthy alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs); however, their effects on diet quality and cardiometabolic profile are debatable. This study aimed to verify the association between LCB consumption, diet quality and cardiometabolic risk factors in British adults. Data analysis from 5521 subjects aged 16 and older who participated in two waves of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008⁻2012 and 2013⁻2014) was carried out. Compared with SSB consumption, LCB consumption was associated with lower energy (mean difference: -173 kcal, 95% confidence interval, CI: -212; -133) and free sugar intake (-5.6% of energy intake, 95% CI: -6.1; -5.1), while intake of other nutrients was not significantly different across groups. The % difference in sugar intake was more pronounced among the young (16⁻24 years) (-7.3 of energy intake, 95% CI: -8.6; -5.9). The odds of not exceeding the UK-recommended free sugar intake were remarkably higher in the LCB as compared to the SSB group (OR: 9.4, 95% CI: 6.5⁻13.6). No significant differences were observed in plasma glucose, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL or triglycerides. Our findings suggest that LCBs are associated with lower free sugar intake without affecting the intake of other macronutrients or negatively impacting cardiometabolic risk factors.

BACKGROUND Protection from thyroid carcinoma due to certain dietary factors was suggested by several studies, but the findings were relatively inconsistent. The role of micronutrients has not yet been systematically analyzed. To investigate the relationship between micronutrient intake and thyroid carcinoma risk, the authors used data from a case-control study conducted in northern Italy between 1986 and 1992. METHODS The study included 399 incident, histologically confirmed thyroid carcinoma cases and 617 controls admitted to the hospital for acute, nonneoplastic, nonhormone-related diseases. RESULTS Retinol intake showed a direct association with thyroid carcinoma risk, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-2.0) in the third quartile of consumption and 1.52 (95% CI, 1.0-2.3) in the highest quartile, whereas beta-carotene had an inverse relationship, with ORs of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.4-0.9) in the third quartile of consumption and 0.58 (95% CI, 0.4-0.9) in the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile. Some protection was observed for measures of vitamin C intake (with an OR of 0.72) and vitamin E (with an OR of 0.67) for the highest quartile of consumption, although the estimates were not statistically significant, and were reduced after adjustment for beta-carotene intake. No clear pattern in risk appeared for vitamin D, folate, calcium, thiamin, or riboflavin. The inverse relationship between beta-carotene and thyroid carcinoma was observed in both papillary and follicular carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS In this study, a significant inverse association between beta-carotene and thyroid carcinoma was observed, and some protection against thyroid carcinoma from vitamins C and E was also suggested. Cancer 1997; 79:2186-92. © 1997 American Cancer Society.