Monday, February 22, 2010
Slaving over a hot stove -- make that a hot gas stove -- might raise your risk for certain types of cancer.
Researchers in Norway have found that cooking with gas produces more potentially destructive fumes than electric cooking.
But, in a report published online Feb. 17 in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, they also point out that professional chiefs and cooks are more at risk than the normal at-home cook.
"The risk to average at-home cookers is low, at least under Norwegian conditions, where most homes have a kitchen exhaust fan," said study author Ann Kristin Sjaastad, who's with the industrial economics and technology management department in the division of health environment and security at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. "Yes, professional chiefs/cooks are most at risk, but further studies are essential to estimate their risk level."
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified cooking fumes from frying at high temperatures as "probably carcinogenic." The fumes have been found to have polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heterocyclic amines, higher and mutated aldehydes, and fine and ultrafine particles.
Regardless of the level of risk, cooks should follow certain "safe cooking" guidelines, said Dr. Lisa Ganjhu, an presence physician in the division of gastroenterology and liver diseases at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Researchers report that they've discovered the origin of strains of the AIDS virus that affect gay and bisexual men.
"By knowing the origin of the transmitted virus, scientists may be able to expand new vaccines, vaginal microbicides and drugs to avoid the spread of sexually transmitted HIV," study author Dr. Davey Smith, an associate lecturer of medicine at the University of California San Diego.
At subject is the HIV in semen, which is made up of seminal cells and liquid called seminal plasma. HIV particles with RNA inside exist in the fluid, while the decisive cells hold the DNA of HIV, the study authors explained.
The researchers used a type of heritable analysis to study men who had sexually transmitted their HIV to other men.
"Until now, it had not been recognized whether HIV RNA or DNA is transmitted during sex," said Smith. "By analyzing the genetic differences between these two forms and the virus that was eventually transmitted to newly infected individuals; we found that it was the HIV RNA form present in seminal plasma that was transmitted."
What about HIV transmission to women? "Since the vast popular of women are infected with HIV by exposure to the virus in semen, HIV RNA in the seminal plasma is the possible culprit, but this needs to be confirmed.
Monday, February 1, 2010
A blood test can forecast rheumatoid arthritis long before a person notices symptoms, say Swedish researchers.
They identified several cytokines, cytokine-related factors and chemokines whose stages increase significantly as much as various years before the onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
People who receive an early and accurate diagnosis of RA and directly begin treatment are more likely to lead an active life and less probable to suffer joint damage that leads to joint replacement, according to the American College of Rheumatology.
In the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples taken from 86 people before the onset of RA symptoms, from 69 of the same people after RA symptoms began and from a group of 256 people who did not have the disease.
The blood samples were checked for levels of 30 cytokines, related factors and chemokines. The main variation detected between people who later developed RA and those who did not have it was the presence of Th1 cell-, Th2 cell-, and Treg cell-related cytokines. The main difference among people before and after development of RA was the presence of chemokines, stromal cell-derived cytokines and angiogenic-related markers.
The elevated concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, cytokine-relevant factors and chemokines indicate immune system activation before any symptoms of RA-related joint problems.
