Residents of Qidong, People's Republic of China, are at high risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma, in part due to consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods, and are exposed to high levels of phenanthrene, a sentinel of hydrocarbon air toxics. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, contain anticarcinogens. Glucoraphanin, the principal glucosinolate in broccoli sprouts, can be hydrolyzed by gut microflora to sulforaphane, a potent inducer of carcinogen detoxication enzymes. In a randomized, placebocontrolled chemoprevention trial, we tested whether drinking hot water infusions of 3-day-old broccoli sprouts, containing defined concentrations of glucosinolates, could alter the disposition of aflatoxin and phenanthrene. Two hundred healthy adults drank infusions containing either 400 or <3 Mmol glucoraphanin nightly for 2 weeks. Adherence to the study protocol was outstanding; no problems with safety or tolerance were noted. Urinary levels of aflatoxin-N 7 -guanine were not different between the two intervention arms (P = 0.68). However, measurement of urinary levels of dithiocarbamates (sulforaphane metabolites) indicated striking interindividual differences in bioavailability. An inverse association was observed for excretion of dithiocarbamates and aflatoxin-DNA adducts (P = 0.002; R = 0.31) in individuals receiving broccoli sprout glucosinolates. Moreover, trans, anti-phenanthrene tetraol, a metabolite of the combustion product phenanthrene, was detected in urine of all participants and showed a robust inverse association with dithiocarbamate levels (P = 0.0001; R = 0.39), although again no overall difference between intervention arms was observed (P = 0.29). Understanding factors influencing glucosinolate hydrolysis and bioavailability will be required for optimal use of broccoli sprouts in human interventions. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005;14(11):2605 -13)

Objective-To assess the association of HIV infection, HIV disease parameters (including CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral load, and AIDS) and antiretroviral medication use with subclinical carotid artery atherosclerosis.Design-Cross-sectional study nested within a prospective cohort study Methods-Among participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study (1,331 HIV-infected women, 534 HIV-uninfected women) and Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (600 HIV-infected men, 325 HIV-uninfected men), we measured subclinical carotid artery lesions and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) using B-mode ultrasound. We estimated adjusted mean CIMT differences and prevalence ratios (PRs) for carotid lesions associated with HIV-related disease and treatments, with multivariate adjustment to control for possible confounding variables.Results-Among HIV-infected individuals, a low CD4+ T cell count was independently associated with an increased prevalence of carotid lesions. Compared to the reference group of HIV-uninfected individuals, the adjusted PR for lesions among HIV-infected individuals with CD4+ T-cell count <200 cells/mm 3 was 2.00 (95% confidence interval 1.22, 3.28) in women and 1.74 (95% confidence interval 1.04, 2.93) in men. No consistent association of antiretroviral medications with carotid atherosclerosis was observed, except for a borderline significant association between protease inhibitor use and carotid lesions in men (with no association among women). History of clinical AIDS and HIV viral load were not significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the association of HIV infection, HIV disease parameters (including CD4+ T-cell counts, HIV viral load, and AIDS) and antiretroviral medication use with subclinical vascular disease. We report the results from two studies, conducted in parallel, within the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) and the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). WIHS and MACS are population-based US cohort studies that offer several important strengths, including large sample size, inclusion of HIVuninfected persons who were recruited from the same at-risk populations as the HIV-infected individuals, and extensive longitudinal, protocol-driven data collection on clinical, behavioral, and demographic variables. The present report describes data from the baseline phase of a WIHS-MACS Carotid Ultrasound Substudy, which features standardized image acquisition and measurement of carotid artery intima-media thickness, a quantitative measure of atherosclerosis burden. In April 2004, through coordinated efforts by the WIHS and MACS investigators, a vascular disease substudy was initiated in each cohort which included B-mode ultrasound imaging of the carotid arteries. All WIHS participants were eligible for the vascular substudy, while in MACS, eligibility was restricted to men who reported no history of coronary heart disease (CHD) (including angina, myocardial infarction [MI], or coronary revascularization). For the pres...

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PI use was associated with a threefold increase in the risk of reporting incident DM. Routine screening for diabetes, particularly among older and heavier patients using PI therapy, is advisable.

Objective To compare serum mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) levels between white, black and Hispanic women to determine if ovarian aging occurs at a different time course for women of different racial groups. Design Longitudinal study of serum MIS levels in women of different race/ethnicity over two different time points. Setting Women’s Interagency HIV Study, a multicenter prospective cohort study. Patient(s) Serum samples obtained from 809 participants (122 white, 462 black and 225 Hispanic women). Intervention(s) Comparison of serum MIS between women of different race/ethnicity at two time points (median age 37.5 years and 43.3 years). Main Outcome Measure(s) Variation in MIS by race/ethnicity over time, controlling for age, BMI, HIV status and smoking. Result(s) Compared to white women, average MIS values were lower among black (25.2% lower, p=0.037) and Hispanic (24.6% lower, p=0.063) women, adjusting for age, BMI, smoking and HIV status. Conclusion There is an independent effect of race/ethnicity on the age-related decline in MIS over time.