Increased Prevalence of Thyroid Nodules Across Nearly 10 Years in Shanghai,China

Objective This study aimed to determine whether the prevalence of thyroid nodules(TNs)increased due to modern lifestyles or other factors,despite the advances in screening and diagnostic tools.Methods This study included 3474 pairs of participants,who were matched by gender and age(±3 years)from two cross-sectional sampling surveys:(1)the program on the iodine nutritional status and related health status of residents in Shanghai in 2009;(2)the thyroid disease screening program for adults in Shanghai between 2017 and 2018.The prevalence of TNs and thyroid diseases in 2009 and 2017–2018 were compared,and the potential risk factors of TNs were detected.Results The prevalence of TNs in 2009 was 28.9%:22.5%in males and 34.5%in females.In 2017,this increased to 43.8%:37.9%in males and 49.1%in females.The prevalence of TNs significantly increased from 2009 to 2017(odds ratio,1.486;95%confidence interval,1.238–1.786).In addition,female gender,thyroid disease history,and age were the main risk factors for TNs after adjusting for confounders in the logistic regression across the time period.Conclusion The prevalence of TNs significantly increased across nearly 10 years in Shanghai.

P16 gene hypermethylation and hepatocellular carcinoma:A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIM:To quantitatively investigate the effect of p16 hypermethylation on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatocirrhosis using a meta-analysis of available casecontrol studies.METHODS:Previous studies have primarily evaluated the incidence of p16 hypermethylation in HCC and corresponding control groups,and compared the incidence of p16 hypermethylation in tumor tissues,pericancer liver tissues,normal liver tissues and non-tumor liver tissues with that in other diseases.Data regarding publication information,study characteristics,and incidence of p16 hypermethylation in both groups were collected from these studies and summarized.RESULTS:Fifteen studies,including 744 cases of HCC and 645 non-tumor cases,were identified for meta-analysis.Statistically significant odds ratios (ORs) of p16 hypermethylation were obtained from tumor tissues and non-tumorous liver tissues of HCC patients (OR 7.04,95% CI:3.87%-12.78%,P < 0.0001),tumor tissues of HCC patients and healthy liver tissues of patients with other diseases (OR 12.17,95% CI:6.64%-22.31%,P < 0.0001),tumor tissues of HCC patients and liver tissues of patients with non-tumorous liver diseases (OR 6.82,95% CI:4.31%-10.79%,P < 0.0001),and cirrhotic liver tissues and non-cirrhotic liver tissues (OR 4.96,95% CI:1.45%-16.96%,P=0.01).The pooled analysis showed significantly increased ORs of p16 hypermethylation (OR 6.98,95% CI:4.64%-10.49%,P < 0.001) from HCC tissues and cirrhotic tissues.CONCLUSION:P16 hypermethylation induces the inactivation of p16 gene,plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis,and is associated with an increased risk of HCC and liver cirrhosis.