Effects of phytoncide on immune cells and psychological stress of gynecological cancer survivors: randomized controlled trials

Neighborhood socioeconomic disparities in cancer incidence following a hypothetical intervention to increase residential greenspace cover in the UK Biobank cohort

BACKGROUND

Higher greenspace exposure has been associated with lower risk of certain cancers. However, few studies have evaluated potential benefits of increasing population-level exposure to greenspace on cancer disparities. We estimated the impact of a hypothetical intervention to increase residential greenspace cover on neighborhood socioeconomic disparities in total, breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer incidence.

METHODS

Our study included 411,787 cancer-free UK Biobank participants. Percentage of greenspace around baseline residential addresses (300m, 1000m distance buffers) was derived by combining domestic gardens and greenspace cover from the Generalized Land Use Database. We categorized neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (2010). We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of each cancer associated with greenspace, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. We additionally adjusted for air pollution in supplementary analyses as we a-priori hypothesized that it was on the causal pathway between greenspace and cancer. Further, we used parametric g-computation to calculate the standardized 10-year risk of each cancer, comparing the least to most socioeconomically disadvantaged participants, both without any hypothetical greenspace intervention and under a hypothetical intervention to increase residential greenspace cover to a favorable threshold (75th percentile amongst the least socioeconomically deprived participants).

RESULTS

We documented 40,519 incident cases of cancer over 4,210,008 person-years follow-up. An interquartile range increase in greenspace cover within 300m was associated with lower incidence of total (HR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 1.00) and lung (HR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92, 0.99) cancer, and was suggestively associated with lower prostate and breast cancer incidence, but not colorectal cancer. Additional adjustment for fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) weakened lung cancer associations but strengthened breast and prostate cancer associations (e.g., greenspace 1000m breast cancer HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.89 0.99; 1000m prostate cancer HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.86, 0.95). The hypothetical intervention to increase greenspace (300m) resulted in 1.3 fewer total cancer cases per 1000 (95% CI 1.0, 1.6) in the most compared to least deprived group, a 23% reduction in the socioeconomic disparity gap.

DISCUSSION

Higher residential greenspace cover was associated with lower total and lung cancer incidence, and suggestively associated with lower breast and prostate cancer incidence. Policies to increase residential greenspace cover may reduce the risk of certain cancers, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Analysis of intrarater and interrater reliability of the interactive line protocol for evaluating neuromuscular function in patients with knee injury and observation of psychological state changes

The isokinetic interactive line protocol (ILP) appears to enhance neuromuscular function and may reduce posttraumatic stress and anxiety. However, the reliability of the protocol has not been investigated, nor has it been analyzed in relation to psychological states. A total of 165 participants took part in this study, with ages ranging from 21 to 24 years. The gender distribution was 68.4% male and 31.6% female. There was no significant difference in injury duration between males and females (z=-0.922, P=0.357). The intrarater reliability of the ILP, as indicated by the intraclass correlation coefficient, was high for both concentric and eccentric contractions of the quadriceps (ranging from 0.891 to 0.980). Likewise, the interrater reliability for these contractions was also high (range, 0.873-0.943). Additionally, during the ILP, there was a significant reduction in posttraumatic stress (t=9.795, P<0.001) and anxiety (t=5.965, P<0.001) related to knee reinjury after 2 weeks. Ultimately, the isokinetic game ILP demonstrates high intra- and interrater reliabilities and can be concluded to effectively reduce posttraumatic stress and anxiety when incorporated into retesting.

Effects of Phytoncide Fragrance on Resting-State Brain Activity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study

Introduction: The therapeutic potential of phytoncide fragrances may be optimal for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that display complex symptomatology. This study aimed to explore the clinical value of phytoncide by evaluating its electrophysiological effects in patients with MCI. Materials and Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. A total of 24 community-dwelling patients were randomly assigned to either a phytoncide or no-odor group. Participants wore a dental mask, for 30 min at rest that had either the fragrance stimulus or water added to it. The quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) during the resting state was recorded before and after a single intervention. Results: There were significant interaction effects in absolute EEG-power values in the occipital (F = 6.52, p = 0.018) and parietal (F = 5.41, p = 0.030) left hemisphere at β frequency. Phytoncide odor significantly decreased low and high β activity in the occipital (corrected p = 0.009) and parietal (corrected p = 0.047) left hemisphere, respectively. In source localization, phytoncide odor significantly decreased deep source activation in the left inferior and middle frontal gyri at β 2 frequency band compared with the no-odor group (threshold = 4.25, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Reductions in β, indicative of anxiety, depression, and stress, suggest relief from emotion-related symptoms that are common in patients with MCI. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials Registry Korea (registration: KCT0007317).

Navigating the nexus among thigh volume, myokine, and immunocytes in older adults with sarcopenia: A retrospective analysis in a male cohort

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the association among thigh volume features, interleukin (IL)-6, and immunocytes in the context of the older people with sarcopenia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study comprised a cohort of 437 older males diagnosed with sarcopenia, and their average age of 70.41 ± 4.86 years. This study involved conducting correlation and multiple linear regression analyses to investigate the connections between thigh volume, IL-6, and immunocytes.

RESULTS

Total thigh volume (TTV) showed positive connections with thigh muscle volume (TMV), natural killer (NK) cells, and CD8 + T cells. TMV had negative associations with thigh fat volume (TFV) and IL6 but displayed positive connections with other factors. IL-6 had adverse associations with all the other variables except for TFV. NK cells showed significant positive relations with all adaptive immune cells, though showing not TFV and IL-6. The CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells exhibited positive correlations with each other including NK cells, though showing not TFV and IL-6. In the regression analysis, TMV exhibited significant positive effects on NK cells (β = 0.304), CD3+ T cells (β = 0.182), CD4+ T cells (β = 0.109), CD8+ T cells (β = 0.226), and CD19+ B cells (β = 0.197). On the other hand, IL-6 had significant negative effects on NK cells (β = -0.292), CD3+ T cells (β = -0.352), CD4+ T cells (β = -0.184), CD8+ T cells (β = -0.387), and CD19+ B cells (β = -0.366).

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that there existed a direct association among thigh muscle with sarcopenia, myokine, and immunocytes.

SIMPLE SUMMARY

The aging process involves the immune system playing a vital role in sarcopenia development, and it is thought that myokines released by skeletal myocytes. However, the exact relationship between TMV, myokines, and immunocytes in older male adults affected by sarcopenia remains unclear. This study found that myokines observed in sarcopenia showed a negative correlation with immunocytes, while muscle mass had a positive correlation with immunocytes. In the meantime, this research delved into the use of a regression model to examine how TMV and myokines individually contribute to explaining the presence of innate and adaptive immunocytes in older individuals with sarcopenia.

Characteristics of Age Classification into Five-Year Intervals to Explain Sarcopenia and Immune Cells in Older Adults

Background and Objectives: This study focused on investigating sarcopenic factors and immune cells in older adulthood. To achieve this, the variables related to sarcopenia and immune cells in people living in the same community were analyzed. Materials and Methods: A total of 433 elderly individuals aged 61 to 85 years were randomly categorized as follows in 5-year intervals: 68 in the youngest-old group (aged 61-65), 168 in the young-old group (aged 66-70), 127 in the middle-old group (aged 71-75), 46 in the old-old group (aged 76-80), and 19 in the oldest-old group (aged 81-85). Results: With the progression of age, calf circumference (-8.4 to -11.05%; p = 0.001) and grip strength (-9.32 to -21.01%; p = 0.001) exhibited a noticeable reduction with each successive 5-year age bracket. Conversely, the capability to complete the five-time chair stand demonstrated a clear incline (32.49 to 56.81%; p = 0.001), starting from the middle-aged group. As for appendicular skeletal muscle mass, there was an evident tendency for it to decrease (-7.08 to -26.62%; p = 0.001) with increasing age. A gradual decline in natural killer cells became apparent within the old-old and oldest-old groups (-9.28 to -26.27%; p = 0.001). The results of the post hoc test revealed that CD3 T cells showcased their peak levels in both the youngest-old and young-old groups. This was followed by the middle-old and old-old groups, with slightly lower levels. This pattern was similarly observed in CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and CD19 B cells. Conclusions: This study reaffirmed that sarcopenia and immune cell function decline with each successive 5-year increase in age. Considering these findings, the importance of implementing programs aimed at ensuring a high-quality extension of life for the elderly is strongly underscored.