Effect of alcohol on liver health

Effect of Alcohol on Liver Health Alcohol has a significant impact on liver health. The liver has a fairly important role in the body, which regulates the metabolism of sugar, detoxifies the body, and helps relieve infection.

Also Read: Why Alcohol Reduces Chances of Pregnancy

If there is damage, the liver or liver can regenerate itself. Even so, an unhealthy lifestyle such as consuming alcoholic beverages interferes with this regeneration ability. If not treated immediately, the liver will suffer serious damage. One of the liver diseases caused by alcohol consumption is alcoholic fatty liver.

When it enters the body, alcohol travels to the bloodstream to the liver so as not to cause serious harm to other organs in the body. When digesting this alcohol, some of the liver cells are damaged and die. If you constantly consume alcohol, the liver can no longer do its job, in this case, it is digesting fat. As a result, fat will accumulate and there will be fatty liver.

The study, uploaded in the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, states that the maximum limit of alcohol consumption associated with fatty liver disease in men is more than 80 grams and 40 grams for women per day.

If this habit is not stopped, the stage of fatty liver disease will increase to alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis as the most acute stage of alcohol-induced liver dysfunction.

Symptoms that arise in the body affected by fatty liver include swelling in the legs and abdomen, drastic weight loss, yellowing of the eyes and skin, chills fever, and vomiting of blood. In the chronic stage, the person experiences a coma and leads to death. This is why you are not allowed to consume excessive amounts of alcohol.

Recommendations on breast cancer population screening

 Recommendations on population screening

Population mammography screening recommendations (for women with average risk)  differ between countries and agencies, reflecting persistent non-consensus on the  magnitude of benefit (mortality reduction) and harms (in particular, the extent of  overdiagnosis), and how these outcomes balance out overall and in specific age groups.  

This is exemplified in selected recommendations:

• The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every 2 years for women aged 50–74 years, and emphasizes individualized decisions for those aged 40–49 years that take account of the woman’s values

• Canadian guidelines support shared decisions, do not recommend screening for women aged 40–49 years and recommend screening every 2–3 years for women aged 50–69 years

• The American Cancer Society recommends annual screening for women aged 40–54 years, and a transition to 2-yearly screening for those aged ≥55 years (with the opportunity to continue annual screening)

• The International Agency for Research on Cancer reports that there is sufficient evidence that screening confers benefit in women aged 50–74 years (but limited evidence in the 40–49 years age group) and that there is sufficient evidence that mammography detects breast cancers that would never have been diagnosed or would never have caused harm if women had not been screened (overdiagnosis)

• European recommendations specify mammography through organized screening  programmes every 2–3 years in women aged 45–74 years (and suggest against annual screening)

Women at average risk do not have a pre-existing breast cancer or a previous diagnosis of a high-risk breast lesion (such as atypical ductal hyperplasia), and do not harbour arisk-enhancing genetic mutation (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations or other familial breast cancer syndromes).

Trple-negative breast cancer molecular classification

Triple-negative breast cancer molecular classification, Gene expression assays have identified six different triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) molecular subtypes (Lehman’s classification).

These are

• basal-like 1 (BL1), 
• basal-like 2 (BL2), 
• mesenchymal-like (M),
• mesenchymal/stem-like (MSL),
• immunomodulatory (IM),
• and luminal androgen receptor (LAR).

BL1 has a high TP53 mutation rate (92%), alterations in genes involved in DNA repair mechanisms (such as BRCA1, BRCA2, TP53 and RB1) and a cell-cycle gene signature.

BL2 has cell-cycle gene signatures, overexpression of growth factor signalling genes and overexpression of myoepithelial differentiation genes.

M and MSL subtypes are enriched for genes encoding regulators of cell motility, invasion and mesenchymal differentiation, but the MSL subtype is uniquely enriched for the genes that encode regulators of epithelial–mesenchymal transition and stemness.

The Claudin-low subtype from the intrinsic classification is mostly composed of the M and MSL subtypes312. MSL also shares numerous genes involved in the regulation of immune response with the IM subtype.

Finally, LAR is characterized by a higher mutational burden with overexpression of genes coding for mammary luminal differentiation, overexpression of the regulators of the androgen receptor (AR) signalling pathway and increased mutations in PI3KCA (55%), AKT1 (13%) and CDH1 (13%) genes.

This classification has been refined into four groups: 

1. BL1 (immunoactivated),
2. BL2 (immunosuppressed),
3. M (including most of the MSL),
4. and LAR, with implications for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Combining RNA and DNA profiling analyses, a similar classification of TNBC has been reported (Burstein’s classification), divided into four distinct subtypes.

These subtypes are: 

• LAR,
• mesenchymal (MES),
• basal-like immunosuppressed (BLIS),
• and basal-like immune-activated (BLIA).

Each subtype has specific therapeutic targets (for example, the LAR subtype can be targeted via the AR and the cell surface protein mucin) and different prognosis (for example, the BLIA subtype is associated with better prognosis than BLIS). Despite these multiple efforts, there is no established diagnostic assay yet for the classification of TNBC in routine practice.

Breast cancer diagnostic work-ip

Women experiencing breast symptoms or breast changes, such as a lump, localized pain, nipple symptoms or skin changes, require appropriate diagnostic evaluation, as do women who are recalled for further testing because of positive screening mammography.

Diagnosing breast cancer is based on a triple test comprising clinical examination, imaging (usually mammography and/or ultrasonography) and needle biopsy. Assessment entails performing the appropriate elements of the triple test, factoring in the patients’ characteristics and presentation, and should be performed before beginning treatment.

Appropriate assessment helps to accurately discriminate between those who have breast cancer and those who have benign conditions (such as fibroadenoma) or normal breast changes and can be reassured or safely managed with follow-up, obviating the need for surgical intervention.

Ultrasonography is almost universally used to assess localized symptoms, as an initial imaging modality in young women, to identify and characterize screen- detected abnormalities and, preferentially, for imaging- guided percutaneous biopsy. Breast ultrasonography may also be used to characterize and biopsy axillary lymph nodes in women suspected of having breast cancer.

Imaging evaluation also includes MRI for specific clinical indications, such as in women for whom conventional imaging tests have been equivocal, inconclusive or discordant, for evaluating women with breast implants and for evaluating women with axillary nodal metastases but no detectable (occult) breast tumour.

Preoperative MRI is also selectively used for staging newly diagnosed disease, but this is a debated practice given the limited evidence on whether it enhances a patient’s clinical outcomes. However, MRI is advised for preoperative assessment of newly diagnosed invasive lobular cancers.

Target of acquired immunity in trichomoniasis vaginalis

Targets of Acquired Immunity in trichomoniasis vaginalis. The presence of parasite-specific immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A responses also indicates priming of helper Trichomoniasis cells, although the relevant antigens are largely unknown, as are the exact effects of antibodies on the parasites. One obvious target of protective antibody could be the ahesin molecules used by the parasite to facilitate close contact to host cells, a process previously shown to lead to efficient host cell destruction.

The molecular basis of adhesion of Trichomoniasis vaginalis has been investigated, and four antigenic surface molecules have also been implicated in the adhesion of Trichomoniasis vaginalis to vaginal epithelial cells; their expression is being upregulated during attachment to host cells.

Antibodies to these molecules protected target cells from parasite-mediated cytotoxicity, suggesting that antiadhesion immune responses could be important in in vivo protection against the pathogenic effects of Trichomoniasis vaginalis. However, our current understanding of immunity to Trichomoniasis vaginalis remains unsatisfactory, and it is not clear whether acquired immune responses are required for protection and, if so, what role is played by acquired immunity in containing or eliminating infections.

Although there is some evidence that protection may be achieved by immunization of laboratory animals, strong protective immunity does not seem to follow natural infection in humans. A recent study of patients infected with Trichomoniasis vaginalis and HIV indicated no evidence of increased levels or longevity of parasite infection in these patients compared to those in patients infected with Trichomoniasis vaginalis but not HIV.

These observations may indicate that innate immunity involving chemotaxis and subsequent influx of neutrophils is much more important than acquired immunity in controlling infections with Trichomoniasis vaginalis, since neutrophils are often the most numerous leukocytes present in response to infection .

The Right Way to Provide Supplements for Children

 The Right Way to Provide Supplements for Children

A health expert named dr. Belilovsky said that dependence on vitamins or supplements can have a negative impact on children's health, because they are unable to replace the role of carbohydrates, protein, or fat as the main source of nutrition for the body.

Therefore, parents need to know how to provide tips and how to provide supplements for children, so that they do not cause negative side effects for their bodies. Check out the complete tips below.

Be careful when choosing supplements for children

Although vitamins and supplements are good for body immunity, parents must also be careful in choosing them. Do not provide supplements that can be consumed by all ages for children. We recommend that you give supplements that are specifically for children according to their age.

Give Supplements to Children According to Their Needs

The impact of children's supplements on the body will appear when children take supplements that they don't need. Therefore, give children vitamins according to their needs, such as vitamin C to increase endurance, or vitamin A when the child has vision problems.

Give Supplements at Low Doses to Children

Apart from being in accordance with the needs, parents should provide supplements for children with low doses. This is because fat-soluble vitamins will accumulate in the body's tissues if given in excessive amounts.

Careful in Viewing Supplement Composition

Make sure to provide supplements for children with the right composition and dosage. Also pay attention to storage methods and usage warnings on the packaging label to prevent negative impacts on children.

Genetic predisposition in breast cancer

 

Genetic predisposition; Approximately 10% of breast cancers are inherited and associated with a family history, although this varies frequently by ethnicity and across countries in the context of early-onset, bilateral and/or TNBC. Individuals with a first-degree relative who had breast cancer have an elevated relative risk (RR) of 3 of early-onset breast cancer (before 35 years of age).

However, a family history of breast cancer is associated with an ‘erratic’ individual risk of breast cancer composed of different variables, including the size of the family and environmental factors. To determine the family’s risk, models such as the family history score have been developed.

Mutations in two high-penetrance tumour suppressor genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, whose proteins are involved in DNA repair through homologous repair, show an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern (loss of function>missense). BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are associated with an average cumulative risk of developing breast cancer by the age of 80 years of 72% and 69%, respectively; the relative risk of breast cancer in men harbouring BRCA2 mutations is 6%.

More than 2,000 BRCA gene alterations have been described (mutations and large rearrangements), but only few have been found repeatedly in unrelated families, for example, founder mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish families (BRCA1 185delAG or BRCA2 6174delT) or Icelandic families (BRCA2 999del5).

The prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations varies between ethnic groups, being lower in the Asian group (0.5%) and higher in the Ashkenazi group (10.2%) in a US nationwide study. Germline BRCA testing will now be performed as a companion diagnostic in patients with metastatic breast cancer given the availability of poly(ADPribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, which prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and improve quality of life, as a targeted therapy for BRCA mutation carriers in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.

Several syndromes related to germline mutations of genes involved in DNA repair and maintaining genomic integrity have been shown to be linked to, to a lesser degree, the inherited breast cancer risk. Next-generation sequencing has enabled panels of genes to be screened — beyond BRCA1 and BRCA2 — to determine the inherited breast cancer risk, and include ATM, CHEK2, PALB2, PTEN, STK11 and TP53.

Trichomoniasis clinical manifestations

Women who are symptomatic from trichomoniasis complain of vaginal discharge, pruritus, and irritation. Signs of infection include vaginal discharge (42%), odor (50%), and edema or erythema (22 to 37%). The discharge is classically described as frothy, but it is actually frothy in only about 10% of patients. The color of the discharge may vary. Colpitis macularis (strawberry cervix) is a specific clinical sign for this infection but is detected with reliability only by colposcopy and rarely during routine examination.

Other complaints may include dysuria and lower abdominal pain; the etiology of the latter is unclear. The urethra is also infected in the majority of women. Nearly half of all women with trichomoniasis vaginalis are asymptomatic. Therefore, if these women are not screened, the diagnosis will be missed.

The extent of the inflammatory response to the parasite may determine the severity of the symptoms. Factors that influence the host inflammatory response are not well understood but may include hormonal levels, the coexisting vaginal flora, and the strain and relative concentration of the organisms present in the vagina.

Breast cancer signs

 Chris McKeen/Stuff

Radio personality Sarah Gandy is distributing new stickers that educate females about the nine symptoms of breast cancer.

The day before New Zealand went into level 4 lockdown, Sarah Gandy had her final cancer treatment.

The former The Hits breakfast radio host found a lump in her breast in 2018, aged just 36.

Chris McKeen/Stuff

Sarah Gandy first learned of her breast cancer at 36.

It turned out to be two “huge” tumours, one of which measured 8cm by 7cm, requiring her to undergo a full mastectomy and months of chemotherapy and radiation.

Her experience has prompted her to join forces with the Breast Cancer Foundation to launch the ‘Change & Check’ campaign on October 1, marking the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

READ MORE:* Radio host Sarah Gandy diagnosed with breast cancer after losing job at The Hits* Mum-of-three leads campaign highlighting growing rate of breast cancer in young women* Young Hamilton mum bares all for breast cancer

Of the nine major signs of breast cancer, Gandy said she knew of two when she was diagnosed.

Speaking to Stuff from her West Auckland home, Gandy she had been struggling with panic attacks for a few months when she found the lump in late 2018.

Trichomoniasis treatment

Trichomoniasis treatment, until recently, metronidazole was the only efficacious antibiotic available in the United States for the treatment of trichomoniasis. The recommended dose is 2 g orally in a single dose, and the reported cure rate is 97%. Sexual partners should also be treated. Metronidazole intravaginal gel has limited efficacy and should not be used.

Although there continues to be some controversy about the safety of metronidazole in pregnancy, there has never been a documented case of fetal malformation attributed to its use, even when it is used in the first trimester. Recently, controversy has also developed concerning the treatment of trichomoniasis in pregnancy and its relationship to preterm birth.

Trichomoniasis treatment on pregnant women. Two studies have recently been published which suggest that treatment of trichomoniasis in pregnancy may actually increase the risk of preterm birth rather than decrease the risk as predicted. However, there are limitations to both of these studies. One of the studies used much higher doses of metronidazole than are recommended. In addition, the study was stopped prematurely because of the trend toward preterm birth that was seen, and so the number of women enrolled fell short of the number needed for a definitive analysis. The second study was a subanalysis of a study designed to answer questions relating to STD (sexual transmition diseases) and HIV risk, therefore, it was not designed primarily to answer questions regarding the risks of preterm birth associated with treatment of trichomoniasis in pregnancy.

Since the publication of these papers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not revised recommendations for treatment during pregnancy. Pregnant women may be treated with the 2-g single dose of metronidazole. Occasionally patients are allergic to metronidazole. Since there is no effective alternative, desensitization is the only option. Another therapeutic dilemma involves metronidazole resistance in Trichomoniasis vaginalis. The mechanism of development of anaerobic resistance to metronidazole also is controlled by hydrogenosomes, in that metronidazole competes for H
as an electron acceptor. In metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis vaginalis, the expression levels of the hydrogenosomal enzymes pyruvateferredoxin oxidoreductase, ferridoxin, malic enzyme, and hydrogenase are reduced dramatically, which probably eliminates the ability of the parasite to activate metronidazole.

Early warning signs for breast cancer

 Early warning signs for breast cancer

Breast cancer affects millions of women across the globe every year. According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, affecting 2.1 million women each year. As daunting as that may seem, the WHO also notes that early diagnosis can greatly reduce a woman’s risk of dying from breast cancer.

Women can be proactive in the fight against breast cancer by learning to identify early warning signs of the disease. The nonprofit breast cancer advocacy organization Susan G. Komen® notes that the warning signs for breast cancer are not the same for all women, but the most common signs include a change in the look or feel of the breast or a change in the look or feel of the nipple. A discharge from the nipple is another common warning sign of breast cancer.

Physical changes in the breast can vary, but Susan G. Komen® advises women who notice these changes to bring them to the attention of their physicians immediately:

♦ Lump, hard knot or thickening inside of the breast or underarm area

♦ Change in the size or shape of the breast

♦ Swelling, warmth, redness or darkening of the breast

♦ Dimpling or puckering of the skin

Breast cancer in men

Breast cancer in men, The male breast is a rudimentary organ that is limited to ducts in the retro-aerolar area, expressing oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and androgen receptor (AR). Benign and malignant lesions presenting as retro-aerolar lumps can occur, although male breast cancer is rare: less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men and less than 0.5% of deaths in men can be attributed to breast cancer.

The lifetime risk for breast cancer in men is 1 in 833 compared with 1 in 10 for a woman. Of affected men, 20% have a first- degree family history of cancer; 4–14% of cases in males are attributed to germline BRCA2 mutations and there is a 60–76% chance of a BRCA2 mutation in families with at least one affected male. Klinefelter syndrome engenders a relative risk of 30–50 for male breast cancer (owing to elevated circulating oestrogens); 5% of men with breast cancers have this syndrome.

Other risk factors for breast cancer development in men include elevated oestrogens (imbalance of oestrogen and testosterone), liver cirrhosis, prostate cancer, age, obesity and smoking. In individuals who undergo male-to-female gender reassignment, hormonal stimulation may promote breast cancer development.

Clinically, men with breast cancer present at older age (60–70 years) and with higher stage than women with breast cancer. Invasive ductal carcinoma is the most frequent subtype, whereas invasive lobular carcinoma is extremely rare compared with female breast cancer; papillary carcinoma is the second most frequent histological type.

In terms of the intrinsic subtypes, >90% of male breast cancers are luminal A or luminal B; human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive and triple-negative breast cancer are extremely rare in men. AR is often overexpressed in male breast cancer. Expression pathways of luminal genes are also predominant; activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3KCA) pathways are potential therapeutic targets to be explored in the future. Prognosis is similar to stage-matched women with breast cancer, although overall survival is worse because male patients with breast cancer are often older, have more comorbidities and have lower life expectancy. Treatments are largely extrapolated from female breast cancer, due to a paucity of available data.

As the vast majority of breast cancers in men are luminal cancers, the most important therapy is endocrine therapy. In the adjuvant setting, tamoxifen (which binds to and inhibits the ER) is the standard of care and aromatase inhibitors should not be used alone (as these are associated with worse survival). In cases of absolute contra-indication for tamoxifen use, a combination of an aromatase inhibitor and a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist can be considered, although this approach is associated with higher toxicity. Recommendations for adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy are similar to those in women with luminal early breast cancer, as are recommendations for management of advanced breast cancer.

Vitamins for kids

Vitamins are a powerful weapon that is always used by almost all parents in order to maintain and increase the child's immune system. Especially if the weather is not friendly, which makes children vulnerable to contracting diseases. The supplements or vitamins chosen also have various forms, ranging from capsules, syrups, or tablets with a sweet taste that are very popular with children. 

 Immunomodulators, how this supplement is often called by health experts, works by improving the function of immunity in the body by stimulating the work of this immunity. The stimulation is given from the ingredients contained in the supplement. 

The dangers of giving supplements to children arbitrarily

 Unlike ordinary vitamins, immunomodulators are not recommended for long-term consumption. The impact of this children's supplement will respond to excessive body immunity, which can cause allergies and hypersensitivity in children. This is why parents are advised to only provide supplements if the child has immune problems, such as long-term coughing, frequent colds and flu, so that they are prone to infection. This does not mean that supplements should not be given to healthy children. It's okay, as long as it's not for a long or prolonged period.

Also read: Why does your little one need to take a nap?

Instead of giving vitamins or supplements for a long time, a nutritionist who is also a herbalist, Jennifer Crain said, providing nutritious food and meeting children's daily nutritional intake is much better and recommended. We recommend that you avoid giving supplements when the child is in good health.

Also in a study published in the journal Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine wrote that the majority of children and adolescents in the United States who take supplements every day actually do not need this intake. On the other hand, children who need supplement intake cannot get it for various reasons, one of which is the low economy.