Marvin Langston

All Publications

• Calcium Channel Blocker Versus Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitor in Risk of Kidney Cancer Among Patients With Hypertension: A Propensity Score-Matched Cohort Study. Cancer medicine Jung, M., Li, S., Deng, Z., Li, J., Li, M., Basran, S., Langston, M. E., Chung, B. I. 2024; 13 (22): e70429

  Abstract

  Use of antihypertensive medications could be associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer. Despite their various mechanisms of action, whether this association differs between different classes of medications remains unclear.The objective of this study is to compare the risk of kidney cancer between first-line treatment options of antihypertensive medications in a hypertensive population.In this retrospective cohort study, we used the MarketScan Databases (2007-2021). We included individuals older than 30 years of age with a diagnosis of hypertension who received first-line medications for hypertension, which included three classes: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (dCCB). We applied a propensity score matching method and created three separate cohorts: (1) ARB versus ACEI, (2) dCCB versus ACEI, and (3) dCCB versus ACEI. For non-dCCB, we repeated the analyses. The primary outcome was kidney cancer incidence. To assess kidney cancer risk, we applied multivariable conditional Cox proportional hazards models.In the first cohort, ARB use was associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer compared to ACEI use (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02-1.18). In the second cohort, dCCB use was associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer compared to ACEI use (HR 1.29, 95% CI 1.18-1.40). In the third cohort, dCCB use was associated with a higher risk of kidney cancer compared to ARB use (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08-1.28). Null association was shown when comparing non-dCCB with ACEI or ARB use.Use of dCCB showed a higher risk of kidney cancer compared to ACEI or ARB use in patients with hypertension.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/cam4.70429

  View details for PubMedID 39548764

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11568363

• Longitudinal Trends of Comorbidities and Survival Among Kidney Cancer Patients in Asian Population. Cancer medicine Jung, M., Choo, E., Li, J., Deng, Z., Langston, M. E., Lee, S., Chung, B. I. 2024; 13 (22): e70421

  Abstract

  Comorbidity could influence cancer diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, or survival. Although comorbidity burden in kidney cancer patients is high, limited evidence exists on the longitudinal patterns of individual comorbidity prevalence and its impact on overall survival among kidney cancer patients, particularly in Asian populations.We included adults diagnosed with kidney cancer between 2010 and 2021 using the Korean nationwide health insurance database. Comorbidities assessed were any 1 of 19 specific medical conditions, diagnosed within 1 year prior to cancer diagnosis. We calculated the incidence and age-standardized incidence rate of kidney cancer, prevalence of individual medical conditions as single or multiple comorbidities, and overall survival probability of kidney cancer patients over a 12-year period. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) of having individual and multiple comorbidities with age and sex as independent covariates and adjusted for other comorbidities. Kaplan-Meier curves were used for overall survival at different time frames up to 5 years of follow-up.Among kidney cancer patients (N = 42,740), 68.7% were men, and median (interquartile range) age was 59 (49-68) years. Approximately 76% of patients had at least one comorbidity at the time of cancer diagnosis. Overall, hypertension (51.3%), dyslipidemia (40.2%), mild liver disease (27.4%), diabetes (25.1%), and peptic ulcer disease (18.9%) were the most prevalent comorbidities. The proportion of patients having three or more comorbidities continuously increased from 2010 (29.4%) to 2021 (44.9%). Having more comorbidities was associated with a lower probability of overall survival.Comorbidities were prevalent in kidney cancer patients, and the proportions of patients with multiple conditions increased over time. Although survival probability increased over time, it was attenuated by having more comorbidities. Our data emphasizes the importance of comprehensive management for both cancer and comorbid conditions in kidney cancer patients.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/cam4.70421

  View details for PubMedID 39560183

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11574737

• The hidden costs: a qualitative analysis exploring the experience of prostate cancer treatment-related side effects on sexual function and urinary incontinence among Black survivors and their caregivers. Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice Santaliz-Moreno, I., Lewis-Thames, M. W., Khan, S., Langston, M. E., Rice, H. E., L'Hotta, A. J., Siječić, A., Housten, A. J. 2024

  Abstract

  Prostate cancer (PCa) disproportionately affects Black men in the U.S., leading to high incidence and mortality rates. Post-treatment challenges, such as sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence, significantly impact quality of life yet are frequently overlooked. The purpose of this study was to characterize the experience of treatment-related side effects around sexual function and urinary incontinence among Black survivors of PCa and their caregivers.We conducted semi-structured virtual interviews with 11 Black survivors of PCa and 11 caregivers (22 total participants). Survivors were eligible if they were diagnosed and treated for PCa within the last decade and caregivers were eligible if they self-identified as a caregiver for a Black survivor. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach.During interviews, participants spontaneously discussed topics covering sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Key themes identified from interview discussions included the physical experience of PCa treatment, knowledge of the impact of PCa treatment on life quality, and the process of navigating survivorship care. Although they received peer and familial support, survivors expressed a desire for clinicians to initiate discussions on sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence. Caregivers recounted their experiences while providing support to the survivor.The findings underscore the need for clinicians to prioritize discussions on sexual dysfunction and urinary incontinence with patients, and for enhancement of care pathways and resources for these issues in survivorship care.Trained professionals, such as occupational and physical therapists, social workers, genetic counselors, and psychologists, have the potential to fill this survivorship care gap.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s11764-024-01681-5

  View details for PubMedID 39446292

  View details for PubMedCentralID 8767437

• Trends in pre-biopsy MRI usage for prostate cancer detection, 2007-2022. Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases Soerensen, S. J., Li, S., Langston, M. E., Fan, R. E., Rusu, M., Sonn, G. A. 2024

  Abstract

  Clinical guidelines favor MRI before prostate biopsy due to proven benefits. However, adoption patterns across the US are unclear.This study used the Merative™ Marketscan® Commercial & Medicare Databases to analyze 872,829 prostate biopsies in 726,663 men from 2007-2022. Pre-biopsy pelvic MRI within 90 days was the primary outcome. Descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations assessed changes over time, urban-rural differences, and state-level variation.Pre-biopsy MRI utilization increased significantly from 0.5% in 2007 to 35.5% in 2022, with faster adoption in urban areas (36.1% in 2022) versus rural areas (28.3% in 2022). Geographic disparities were notable, with higher utilization in California, New York, and Minnesota, and lower rates in the Southeast and Mountain West.The study reveals a paradigm shift in prostate cancer diagnostics towards MRI-guided approaches, influenced by evolving guidelines and clinical evidence. Disparities in access, particularly in rural areas and specific regions, highlight the need for targeted interventions to ensure equitable access to advanced diagnostic techniques.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41391-024-00896-y

  View details for PubMedID 39306635

  View details for PubMedCentralID 9084630

• Trace Element Concentrations of Arsenic and Selenium in Toenails and Risk of Prostate Cancer among Pesticide Applicators. Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Dennis, L. K., Langston, M. E., Beane Freeman, L., Canales, R. A., Lynch, C. F. 2024; 31 (9): 5472-5483

  Abstract

  Prostate cancer is a common cancer among males in the US, but little is known about its risk factors, including trace elements. The primary aim of this study was to examine prostate cancer and its association with arsenic and selenium in toenails. We conducted a small, nested case-control study of men residing in Iowa within the Agricultural Health Study cohort, where we also collected toenail samples to test for arsenic and other trace elements. Toenail samples were sent for neutron activation analysis aimed at long-lived trace elements, including arsenic. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for trace element exposures and prostate cancer. A total of 66 prostate cancer cases and 173 healthy controls returned questionnaires, over 99% of which included toenail samples. An increased risk was seen for the highest levels of arsenic (OR = 3.4 confidence interval (CI) of 1.3-8.6 and OR = 2.2, 95% CI of 0.9-5.6) and the highest level of selenium (2.0, 95% CI of 1.0-4.0). These data also show detectable levels of over 50% for 14 of 22 elements detected in the toenails. The association seen here with arsenic and prostate cancer further supports ecological studies finding an association with community levels of arsenic and prostate cancer incidence and mortality.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/curroncol31090405

  View details for PubMedID 39330033

• Polygenic score for body mass index in relation to mortality among patients with renal cell cancer. International journal of obesity (2005) Deng, Z., Graff, R. E., Batai, K., Chung, B. I., Langston, M. E., Kachuri, L. 2024

  Abstract

  The association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality among individuals with renal cell cancer (RCC) is debated, with some observational studies suggesting a lower mortality associated with higher BMI. However, methodological issues such as confounding and reverse causation may bias these findings. Using BMI-associated genetic variants can avoid these biases and generate more valid estimates.In this prospective cohort study, we included 1264 RCC patients (446 deaths) from the UK Biobank. We created a BMI polygenic score (PGS) based on 336 BMI-associated genetic variants. The association between the PGS and mortality (all-cause and RCC-specific) was evaluated by logistic regression (all RCC cases) and Cox regression (906 incident cases). For comparison, the associations of measured pre-diagnostic BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) with mortality were quantified by Cox regression among incident cases. We stratified these analyses by time between anthropometric measurement and RCC diagnosis to assess the influence of reverse causation.We did not observe an association between the BMI PGS and all-cause mortality among RCC patients (hazard ratio (HR) per SD increase = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.88,1.10). No association was found for pre-diagnostic BMI (HR per 5 kg/m2 increase = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.83,1.04) or WHR (HR per 0.1 increase = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.83,1.13) with mortality. In patients with anthropometrics measured within 2 years before RCC diagnosis, we observed associations of higher BMI (HR per 5 kg/m2 = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59,0.98) and WHR (HR = 0.67 per 0.1 increase, 95% CI: 0.45,0.98) with a lower risk of death. Similar patterns were observed for RCC-specific mortality.We found no association between either genetic variants for high BMI or measured pre-diagnostic body adiposity and mortality among RCC patients, and our results suggested a role for reverse causation in the association of obesity with lower mortality. Future studies should be designed carefully to produce unbiased estimates that account for confounding and reverse causation.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41366-024-01609-0

  View details for PubMedID 39152336

  View details for PubMedCentralID 6221676

• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease among kidney cancer survivors: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Frontiers in oncology Jung, M., Choo, E., Li, S., Deng, Z., Li, J., Li, M., Basran, S., Lee, S., Langston, M. E., Chung, B. I. 2024; 14: 1420333

  Abstract

  Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major concern of morbidity and mortality among cancer survivors. However, few evidence exists on the short- and long-term risk of CVD in kidney cancer (KCa) survivors.In this nationwide, large population-based retrospective cohort study, we used the Korean national health insurance and medical checkup survey linkage database (2007-2021), drawn from the entire Korean population. We included adults diagnosed with KCa as the first primary cancer and matched them to an individual without KCa at a 1:5 ratio. The primary outcome was CVD incidence, including myocardial infarction, stroke, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, peripheral arterial occlusion, and venous thromboembolism (VTE). We evaluated CVD risk at 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years following cancer diagnosis, using Fine-Gray competing risk models that accounted for death as a competing factor.A total of 149,232 participants were included (KCa survivors: N=20,093 and matched non-KCa individuals: N=129,139). After 6-month follow-up, KCa survivors showed an increased risk of CVD compared to the general population (subdistribution hazard ratio (HR) 2.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.31-3.15). After 1 year, KCa survivors had a higher risk of CVD (HR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.56-2.00). After 5 years, this elevated CVD risk remained (HR=1.10, 95% CI: 1.03-1.18), with VTE identified as the primary contributing disease (HR=3.05, 95% CI:2.59-3.59).KCa survivors had an increased risk of CVD up to 5 years after cancer diagnosis compared to the general population. Our findings emphasize the importance of comprehensive healthcare management for both CVD and KCa throughout cancer survivorship.

  View details for DOI 10.3389/fonc.2024.1420333

  View details for PubMedID 39070148

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11272517

• Ambient air pollution and urological cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological evidence. Nature communications Li, J., Deng, Z., Soerensen, S. J., Kachuri, L., Cardenas, A., Graff, R. E., Leppert, J. T., Langston, M. E., Chung, B. I. 2024; 15 (1): 5116

  Abstract

  Exposure to ambient air pollution has significant adverse health effects; however, whether air pollution is associated with urological cancer is largely unknown. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis with epidemiological studies, showing that a 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure is associated with a 6%, 7%, and 9%, increased risk of overall urological, bladder, and kidney cancer, respectively; and a 10 μg/m3 increase in NO2 is linked to a 3%, 4%, and 4% higher risk of overall urological, bladder, and prostate cancer, respectively. Were these associations to reflect causal relationships, lowering PM2.5 levels to 5.8 μg/m3 could reduce the age-standardized rate of urological cancer by 1.5 ~ 27/100,000 across the 15 countries with the highest PM2.5 level from the top 30 countries with the highest urological cancer burden. Implementing global health policies that can improve air quality could potentially reduce the risk of urologic cancer and alleviate its burden.

  View details for DOI 10.1038/s41467-024-48857-2

  View details for PubMedID 38879581

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC11180144

• Response to Letter to the Editor. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Bauer, S. R., Langston, M. E., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E. M. 2024; 79 (6)

  View details for DOI 10.1093/gerona/glae103

  View details for PubMedID 38758044

• Air pollution mixture associated with oxidative stress exacerbation and symptoms deterioration in allergic rhinitis patients: Evidence from a panel study. The Science of the total environment Li, J., Wu, H., Xing, W., Li, X., Han, Z., Ji, R., Deng, Z., Jung, M., Sun, S., Chung, B. I., Cardenas, A., Langston, M. E. 2024: 172688

  Abstract

  With allergic rhinitis (AR) on the rise globally, there has been a growing focus on the role of environmental pollutants in the onset of AR. However, the potential mechanisms by how and which these pollutants exacerbate AR conditions remain unknown. This panel study of 49 patients diagnosed with AR over one year aimed to assess the individual and combined effects of short-term exposure to multiple ambient pollutants on oxidative stress, symptoms, and quality of life among patients with AR. All participants underwent four repeated assessments of health conditions and personal environmental exposures (PM2.5, O3, SO2, and NO2) over warm and cold seasons during 2017-2018. We evaluated two oxidative stress biomarkers (malondialdehyde [MDA], and superoxide dismutase [SOD]) via nasal lavage. We collected information on self-reported symptoms and quality of life using the Rhinitis Symptom Scale (SRS), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) through in-person interviews. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) was used to evaluate the joint effects of pollutant mixture and identify key contributors. The results revealed a significant association of the pollutant mixture when all four pollutants were at or above their median levels, with increased oxidative stress. This was evidenced by elevated MDA and reduced SOD. We found a joint detrimental effect of the pollutant mixture on AR symptoms with a strong association with increased SRS scores, but a non-significant positive association with VAS and RQLQ scores. PM2.5, O3, and SO2 presented as the potentially primary contributors to the adverse health effects associated with the pollutant mixture in Taiyuan city. Patients with AR exposed to short-term air pollutant mixture are more likely to have greater nasal symptoms and worse quality of life from increased oxidative stress and reduced antioxidant capacity. Further research is warranted to better elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172688

  View details for PubMedID 38663627

• Associations of Lower Extremity Muscle Strength, Area, and Specific Force with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Older Men: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences Langston, M. E., Cawthon, P. M., Lu, K., Scherzer, R., Newman, J. C., Covinsky, K., Ferrucci, L., Simonsick, E. M., Bauer, S. R. 2024

  Abstract

  Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in older men are associated with increased risk of mobility limitations. Lower extremity muscle quality may represent a novel shared mechanism of both LUTS and mobility limitations.We evaluated associations of thigh skeletal muscle measures (strength, area, and specific force) with total LUTS severity (American Urologic Association Symptom Index; AUASI) and voiding and storage subscores among 352 men aged ≥60 years enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Thigh muscle strength (Nm) was defined as maximum concentric 30°/s knee extensor torque, area (cm2), and specific force (Nm/cm2) defined as strength/area. Associations with AUASI score were estimated using multivariable linear regression and linear mixed models.Mean thigh muscle strength at baseline was 139.7Nm. In cross-sectional multivariable models, each 39Nm increment in thigh muscle strength and 0.28Nm/cm2 increment in specific force was associated with -1.17 point (95%CI -1.93, -0.41) and -0.95 point (95%CI -1.63,-0.27) lower AUASI score, respectively. Similar associations were observed for voiding and storage subscores, although somewhat attenuated. In longitudinal analyses, baseline muscle measures were not associated with annual change in AUASI and current changes in muscle measures and AUASI were unrelated.Cross-sectionally, higher thigh muscle strength and specific force were associated with decreased LUTS severity in older men. However, we did not observe concurrent worsening LUTS severity with declining thigh muscle strength, area, or specific force in longitudinal analyses.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/gerona/glae008

  View details for PubMedID 38195151

• Exposure to particulate matter may affect semen quality via trace metals: Evidence from a retrospective cohort study on fertile males. Chemosphere Cheng, Y., Zhu, J., Tang, Q., Wang, J., Feng, J., Zhou, Y., Li, J., Pan, F., Han, X., Lu, C., Wang, X., Langston, M. E., Chung, B. I., Wu, W., Xia, Y. 2024; 346: 140582

  Abstract

  Particulate matter (PM) exposure may be associated with male semen quality. Besides, PM exposure induces up and down levels of trace metals in tissues or organs. The levels of trace metals in semen are critical for adverse male semen quality. This study aims to evaluate the concentrations of seminal-level trace metals in fertile men and assess its associations with PM exposure and to explore the mediation role of trace metals in seminal plasma plays in the relationship between PM exposure and semen quality. Total 1225 fertile men who participated in a cohort study from 2014 to 2016 were finally recruited. Multivariate linear regression was applied to explore associations between each two of PM exposure, trace metals and semen parameters. 1-year PM2.5 and PM10 exposure levels were positively associated with arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) but negatively associated with vanadium (V), magnesium (Mg), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba) in semen. It was also found that most of the elements were associated with total sperm number, followed by sperm concentration. Redundancy analysis (RDA) also determined several strong positive correlations or negative correlations between 1-year PM exposure and trace metals. Mediation analysis found that trace metals had a potentially compensatory or synergetic indirect effect on the total effect of the association between 1-year PM exposure and semen quality. The retrospective cohort study provides long-term PM exposure that may cause abnormal semen quality by affecting seminal plasma element levels.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140582

  View details for PubMedID 38303402

• The impact of marital status on tumor aggressiveness, treatment, and screening among black and white men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cancer causes & control : CCC Khan, S., Fuzzell, L., Langston, M., Han, Y., Moore, J. X., Gilbert, K., Sutcliffe, S., Bensen, J. T., Mohler, J. L., Fontham, E. T., Song, L., Lewis-Thames, M. W. 2023

  Abstract

  PURPOSE: To examine the association of marital status with prostate cancer outcomes in a racially-diverse cohort.METHODS: The study population consisted of men (1010 Black; 1070 White) with incident prostate cancer from the baseline North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer (PCaP) cohort. Marital status at time of diagnosis and screening history were determined by self-report. The binary measure of marital status was defined as married (including living as married) vs. not married (never married, divorced/separated, or widowed). High-aggressive tumors were defined using a composite measure of PSA, Gleason Score, and stage. Definitive treatment was defined as receipt of radical prostatectomy or radiation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of marital status with (1) high-aggressive tumors, (2) receipt of definitive treatment, and (3) screening history among Black and White men with prostate cancer.RESULTS: Black men were less likely to be married than White men (68.1% vs. 83.6%). Not being married (vs. married) was associated with increased odds of high-aggressive tumors in the overall study population (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 1.56; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.20-2.02) and both Black and White men in race-stratified analyses. Unmarried men were less likely to receive definitive treatment in the overall study population (aOR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.54-0.85). In race-stratified analyses, unmarried Black men were less likely to receive definitive treatment. Both unmarried Black and White men were less likely to have a history of prostate cancer screening than married men.CONCLUSION: Lower rates of marriage among Black men might signal decreased support for treatment decision-making, symptom management, and caregiver support which could potentially contribute to prostate cancer disparities.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10552-023-01821-9

  View details for PubMedID 37919455

• Associations between antihypertensive medication use and kidney cancer incidence using the Korean nationwide insurance database Jung, M., Choo, E., Lee, S., Langston, M., Chung, B. WILEY. 2023: 260

  View details for Web of Science ID 001091511701132

• Lifetime body weight trajectories and risk of renal cell cancer: a large US prospective cohort study. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology Deng, Z., Hajihosseini, M., Moore, J. X., Khan, S., Graff, R. E., Bondy, M. L., Chung, B. I., Langston, M. E. 2023

  Abstract

  Body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for renal cell cancer (RCC), but data are limited as to the effect of lifetime exposure to excess bodyweight.Using the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial (N=138,614, 527 incident RCCs), we identified several anthropometric measures to capture the lifetime BMI patterns: 1) BMI at specific ages; 2) adulthood BMI trajectories; 3) cumulative exposure to overweight/obesity denoted as weighted years of living overweight/obese (WYO); and 4) weight change during each age span. We conducted multivariable Cox model to quantify the association between each anthropometric metric and incident RCC.A higher BMI at ages 20 and 50 and at baseline was associated with a greater hazard of RCC. Compared to individuals who retained normal BMI throughout adulthood, we observed an increased hazard of RCC for BMI trajectory of progressing from normal BMI to overweight (HR:1.49, 95%CI:1.19,1.87), from normal BMI to obesity (HR:2.22, 95%CI:1.70,2.90), and from overweight to obesity (HR:2.78, 95%CI:1.81,4.27). Compared to individuals who were never overweight (WYO=0), elevated HRs were observed among individuals who experienced low (HR:1.31, 95%CI:0.99,1.74), medium (HR:1.57, 95%CI:1.20,2.05), and high (HR:2.10, 95%CI:1.62,2.72) WYO tertile. Weight gain of ≥10kg was associated with increased RCC incidence for each age span.Across the lifespan, being overweight/obese, weight gain, and higher cumulative exposure to excess weight were all associated with increased RCC risk.It is important to avoid weight gain and assess BMI from a life-course perspective to reduce RCC risk.

  View details for DOI 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-23-0668

  View details for PubMedID 37624040

• Investigating the Joint Effect of Allostatic Load among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults with Risk of Cancer Mortality. International journal of environmental research and public health Moore, J. X., Andrzejak, S. E., Casanova, T., Langston, M. E., Estvold, S., Adsul, P. 2023; 20 (12)

  Abstract

  Sexual minorities (SM) have higher chronic physiologic stress as indicated by allostatic load (AL), which may be explained in part by consistent experiences of discriminatory practices. This is one of the first studies to examine the joint effects of SM status and AL on the association with long-term risk for cancer death. Retrospective analyses were conducted on 12,470 participants using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from years 2001 through 2010 linked with the National Death Index through December 31, 2019. Cox proportional hazards models estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) of cancer deaths between groups of SM (those reporting as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or having same-sex sexual partners) status and AL. SM adults living with high AL (n = 326) had a 2-fold increased risk of cancer death (aHR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.40-4.65) when compared to straight/heterosexual adults living with low AL (n = 6674). Among those living with high AL, SM (n = 326) had a 2-fold increased risk of cancer death (aHR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.33-3.84) when compared to straight/heterosexual adults with high AL (n = 4957). SM with high AL have an increased risk of cancer mortality. These findings highlight important implications for promoting a focused agenda on cancer prevention with strategies that reduce chronic stress for SM adults.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph20126120

  View details for PubMedID 37372707

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC10298095

• Groundwater constituents and the incidence of kidney cancer. Cancer Soerensen, S. J., Montez-Rath, M. E., Cheng, I., Gomez, S. L., Oh, D. L., Jackson, C., Li, J., Rehkopf, D., Chertow, G. M., Langston, M. E., Ganesan, C., Pao, A. C., Chung, B. I., Leppert, J. T. 2023

  Abstract

  Kidney cancer incidence demonstrates significant geographic variation suggesting a role for environmental risk factors. This study sought to evaluate associations between groundwater exposures and kidney cancer incidence.The authors identified constituents from 18,506 public groundwater wells in all 58 California counties measured in 1996-2010, and obtained county-level kidney cancer incidence data from the California Cancer Registry for 2003-2017. The authors developed a water-wide association study (WWAS) platform using XWAS methodology. Three cohorts were created with 5 years of groundwater measurements and 5-year kidney cancer incidence data. The authors fit Poisson regression models in each cohort to estimate the association between county-level average constituent concentrations and kidney cancer, adjusting for known risk factors: sex, obesity, smoking prevalence, and socioeconomic status at the county level.Thirteen groundwater constituents met stringent WWAS criteria (a false discovery rate <0.10 in the first cohort, followed by p values <.05 in subsequent cohorts) and were associated with kidney cancer incidence. The seven constituents directly related to kidney cancer incidence (and corresponding standardized incidence ratios) were chlordane (1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.10), dieldrin (1.04; 95% CI, 1.01-1.07), 1,2-dichloropropane (1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05), 2,4,5-TP (1.03; 95% CI, 1.01-1.05), glyphosate (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04), endothall (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03), and carbaryl (1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.03). Among the six constituents inversely related to kidney cancer incidence, the standardized incidence ratio furthest from the null was for bromide (0.97; 95% CI, 0.94-0.99).This study identified several groundwater constituents associated with kidney cancer. Public health efforts to reduce the burden of kidney cancer should consider groundwater constituents as environmental exposures that may be associated with the incidence of kidney cancer.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/cncr.34898

  View details for PubMedID 37287332

• "Ultimately, You Realize You're on Your Own": The Impact of Prostate Cancer on Gay and Bisexual Men Couples. International journal of environmental research and public health Daniels, J., Stephenson, R., Langer, S., Northouse, L., Odouli, R., Amarasekera, C., Vandeneeden, S., Langston, M. 2023; 20 (10)

  Abstract

  An estimated one in three gay and bisexual (GB) male couples receive a prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis over their life course with limited understanding of the impacts on their relationships. Psychological distress related to PCa diagnosis and treatment-related side effects have been shown to disrupt established GB partnership dynamics. Communication barriers often develop within GB relationships affected by PCa, further exacerbating couple tensions, isolating partners, and lowering quality of life for both patients and partners. In order to elaborate on these phenomena following a PCa diagnosis, we conducted focus group discussions with GB men in relationships. Men were recruited nationally through PCa support groups, and after completing consent procedures, they were invited to one of two focus group discussions conducted through video conference. Topics discussed included the diagnosis and medical decision making pertaining to PCa; healthcare provider experiences; the emotional, physical, and sexual impact of PCa diagnosis and treatment; sources of support and appraisal of resources; and partner involvement and communication. There were twelve GB men who participated in focus group discussions that were audio-recorded and transcribed, and analyzed using a thematic approach. GB couple experiences with PCa during and after treatment choice and recovery identified common patient-provider communication barriers. In particular, GB men reported difficulties in disclosing their sexuality and relationship to their providers, limiting conversations about treatment choice and partner engagement in care. Both patients and partners experienced times of being alone after treatment, either by choice or to give space to their partner. However, partners often did not explicitly discuss their preferences for being alone or together, which resulted in partners' disengagement in their relationship and the prostate cancer healthcare process. This disengagement could blunt the notable PCa survival benefits of partnership for GB men.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph20105756

  View details for PubMedID 37239485

• POSTER SESSION D: ONGOING GAPS IN PROSTATE CANCER CARE FOR GAY AND BISEXUAL COUPLES LEADTO DISENGAGEMENT AND ISOLATION Daniels, J., Langston, M. OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC. 2023: S457

  View details for Web of Science ID 001042977901313

• The Role of Body Mass Index in Allostatic Load and Risk of Cancer Death. American journal of preventive medicine Andrzejak, S. E., Lewis-Thames, M. W., Langston, M. E., Han, Y., Khan, S., Nettles, D., Fuzzell, L., Tingen, M., Moore, J. X. 2023

  Abstract

  Obesity and pro-inflammatory conditions are associated with increased risks of cancer. The associations of baseline allostatic load (AL) with cancer mortality and whether this association is modified by body mass index (BMI) was examined.A retrospective analysis was performed in March-September 2022 using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey years 1988 through 2010 linked with the National Death Index through December 31, 2019. Fine and Gray Cox proportional hazard models were stratified by BMI status to estimate sub-distribution hazard ratios (SHRs) of cancer death between high and low AL status (adjusted for age, sociodemographics, and health factors).In fully adjusted models, high AL was associated with a 23% increased risk of cancer death (adjusted sub-distribution hazard ratio (aSHR): 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06-1.43) among all participants; a 3% increased risk of cancer death (aSHR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.78-1.34) among underweight/healthy weight adults; a 31% increased risk of cancer death (aSHR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.02-1.67) among overweight adults; and a 39% increased risk of death (aSHR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.04-1.88) among obese adults; when compared to those with low AL.The risk of cancer death is highest among those with high AL and obese BMI, but this effect was attenuated among those with high AL and underweight/ healthy or overweight BMI.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.amepre.2023.03.002

  View details for PubMedID 36889531

• Racial and Ethnic Differences in Rural-Urban Trends in 5-Year Survival of Patients With Lung, Prostate, Breast, and Colorectal Cancers: 1975-2011 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). JAMA network open Lewis-Thames, M. W., Langston, M. E., Khan, S., Han, Y., Fuzzell, L., Xu, S., Moore, J. X. 2022; 5 (5): e2212246

  Abstract

  Importance: Considering reported rural-urban cancer incidence and mortality trends, rural-urban cancer survival trends are important for providing a comprehensive description of cancer burden. Furthermore, little is known about rural-urban differences in survival trends by racial and ethnic groups.Objective: To examine national rural-urban trends in 5-year cancer-specific survival probabilities for lung, prostate, breast, and colorectal cancers in a diverse sample of racial and ethnic groups.Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study used an epidemiologic assessment with 1975 to 2016 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to analyze patients diagnosed no later than 2011. Patients were classified as living in rural and urban counties based on the 2013 Rural-Urban Continuum Codes.Main Outcomes and Measures: The 5-year cancer-specific survival probability of urban and rural patients for each cancer type was estimated by fitting Cox proportional hazard regression models accounting for race, ethnicity, tumor characteristics, and other sociodemographic characteristics. A generalized linear regression model was used to estimate the mean estimated probability of survival for each stratum. Joinpoint regression analysis estimated periods of significant change in survival.Results: In this study, data from 3 659 417 patients with cancer (median [IQR] age, 67 [58-76]; 1 918 609 [52.4%] male; 237 815 [6.5%] Hispanic patients; 396 790 [10.8%] Black patients; 2 825 037 [77.2%] White patients) were analyzed, including 888 338 patients with lung cancer (24.3%), 750 704 patients with colorectal cancer (20.5%), 987 826 patients with breast cancer (27.0%) breast, and 1 023 549 patients with prostate cancer (28.0%). There were 430 353 rural patients (11.8%). Overall, there was an equal representation of rural and urban men. Rural patients were likely to be non-Hispanic White individuals, have more cases of distant tumors, and be older. Rural and non-Hispanic Black patients for all cancer types often had shorter survival. From 1975 to 2016, the 5-year lung cancer survival rate was shorter for non-Hispanic Black rural patients in 1975 at 48%, while increasing to 57% for both non-Hispanic Black urban and rural patients in 2011, but still the shortest among all cancer types. In 1975, the longest survival rate was observed in urban Asian and Pacific Islander patients with breast cancer at 86%, and in 2011, the longest survival rate was observed in urban non-Hispanic White patients with XX cancer at 92%.Conclusions and Relevance: Even after accounting for sociodemographic and tumor characteristics, these findings suggest that non-Hispanic Black patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to cancer burden, and resources are urgently needed to reverse decades-old survival trends.

  View details for DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.12246

  View details for PubMedID 35587350

• Ambient UVR and Environmental Arsenic Exposure in Relation to Cutaneous Melanoma in Iowa. International journal of environmental research and public health Langston, M. E., Brown, H. E., Lynch, C. F., Roe, D. J., Dennis, L. K. 2022; 19 (3)

  Abstract

  Intermittent sun exposure is the major environmental risk factor for cutaneous melanoma (CM). Cumulative sun exposure and other environmental agents, such as environmental arsenic exposure, have not shown consistent associations. Ambient ultraviolet radiation (UVR) was used to measure individual total sun exposure as this is thought to be less prone to misclassification and recall bias. Data were analyzed from 1096 CM cases and 1033 controls in the Iowa Study of Skin Cancer and Its Causes, a population-based, case-control study. Self-reported residential histories were linked to satellite-derived ambient UVR, spatially derived environmental soil arsenic concentration, and drinking water arsenic concentrations. In men and women, ambient UVR during childhood and adolescence was not associated with CM but was positively associated during adulthood. Lifetime ambient UVR was positively associated with CM in men (OR for highest vs. lowest quartile: 6.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.21-16.8), but this association was not as strong among women (OR for highest vs. lowest quartile: 2.15, 95% CI 0.84-5.54). No association was detected for environmental soil or drinking water arsenic concentrations and CM. Our findings suggest that lifetime and adulthood sun exposures may be important risk factors for CM.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph19031742

  View details for PubMedID 35162766

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8835255

• Crosstalk of necroptosis and pyroptosis defines tumor microenvironment characterization and predicts prognosis in clear cell renal carcinoma. Frontiers in immunology Fu, L., Bao, J., Li, J., Li, Q., Lin, H., Zhou, Y., Li, J., Yan, Y., Langston, M. E., Sun, T., Guo, S., Zhou, X., Chen, Y., Liu, Y., Zhao, Y., Lu, J., Huang, Y., Chen, W., Chung, B. I., Luo, J. 2022; 13: 1021935

  Abstract

  Pyroptosis and necroptosis are two recently identified forms of immunogenic cell death in the tumor microenvironment (TME), indicating a crucial involvement in tumor metastasis. However, the characteristics of necroptosis and pyroptosis that define tumor microenvironment and prognosis in ccRCC patients remain unknown. We systematically investigated the transcriptional variation and expression patterns of Necroptosis and Pyroptosis related genes (NPRGs). After screening the necroptosis-pyroptosis clusters, the potential functional annotation for clusters was explored by GSVA enrichment analysis. The Necroptosis-Pyroptosis Genes (NPG) scores were used for the prognosis model construction and validation. Then, the correlations of NPG score with clinical features, cancer stem cell (CSC) index, tumor mutation burden (TMB), TME, and Immune Checkpoint Genes (ICGs) were also individually explored to evaluate the prognosis predictive values in ccRCC. Microarray screenings identified 27 upregulated and 1 downregulated NPRGs. Ten overall survival associated NPRGs were filtered to construct the NPG prognostic model indicating a better prognostic signature for ccRCC patients with lower NPG scores (P< 0.001), which was verified using the external cohort. Univariate and multivariate analyses along with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that NPG score prognostic model could be applied as an independent prognostic factor, and AUC values of nomogram from 1- to 5- year overall survival with good agreement in calibration plots suggested that the proposed prognostic signature possessed good predictive capabilities in ccRCC. A high-/sNPG score is proven to be connected with tumor growth and immune-related biological processes, according to enriched GO, KEGG, and GSEA analyses. Comparing patients with a high-NPG score to those with a low-NPG score revealed significant differences in clinical characteristics, growth and recurrence of malignancies (CSC index), TME cell infiltration, and immunotherapeutic response (P< 0.005), potentially making the NPG score multifunctional in the clinical therapeutic setting. Furthermore, AIM2, CASP4, GSDMB, NOD2, and RBCK1 were also found to be highly expressed in ccRCC cell lines and tumor tissues, and GASP4 and GSDMB promote ccRCC cells' proliferation, migration, and invasion. This study firstly suggests that targeting the NPG score feature for TME characterization may lend novel insights into its clinical applications in the prognostic prediction of ccRCC.

  View details for DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1021935

  View details for PubMedID 36248876

• Lubrication Practices and Receptive Anal Sex: Implications for STI Transmission and Prevention. Sexual medicine Lee, A., Gaither, T. W., Langston, M. E., Cohen, S. E., Breyer, B. N. 2021; 9 (3): 100341

  Abstract

  Implications of lubricant use in men having sex with men (MSM) are poorly characterized, particularly associations with sexual behavior and rectal sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk.We sought to clarify covariates associated with lubrication type including differing sexual preferences and rectal STI prevalence.Primary English-speaking individuals ≥18 years old visiting San Francisco City Clinic (SFCC) between April and May of 2018 who endorsed lubricant use during receptive anal sex within the last 3 months were studied. Associations between lubrication type used and collected covariates were assessed using Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance for continuous variables and Chi-squared test for categorical variables. We used logistic regression to examine the association between lubrication type and rectal STI test result.Rectal STI test positivity.From all enrolled participants, 179 completed the survey and endorsed use of a lubricant during receptive anal sex within the last 3 months. Silicone lubricant users had the most sexual partners in the last 3 months (13 [mean] ± 30 [SD], P= .0003) and were most likely to have a history of gonorrhea. Oil-based lubricant users had the most partners with whom they had receptive anal sex in the last 3 months (7 ± 6, P= .03). Water-based lubricant users most commonly used a condom in their last sexual encounter and had the fewest sexual partners in the last 3 months (4 ± 4, P= .0003). Spit/saliva lubricant use was associated with positive rectal STI result.Silicone and oil-based lubricant users were more likely to report condomless receptive anal sex and to have a history of gonorrhea while spit/saliva lubricant use associated with positive rectal STI acquisition. Lee A, Gaither TW, Langston ME, et al. Lubrication Practices and Receptive Anal Sex: Implications for STI Transmission and Prevention. Sex Med 2021;9:100341.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100341

  View details for PubMedID 33789174

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8240147

• Breast Cancer Mortality Hot Spots Among Black Women With de Novo Metastatic Breast Cancer. JNCI cancer spectrum Han, Y., Langston, M., Fuzzell, L., Khan, S., Lewis-Thames, M. W., Colditz, G. A., Moore, J. X. 2021; 5 (1)

  Abstract

  Black women living in southern states have the highest breast cancer mortality rate in the United States. The prognosis of de novo metastatic breast cancer is poor. Given these mortality rates, we are the first to link nationally representative data on breast cancer mortality hot spots (counties with high breast cancer mortality rates) with cancer mortality data in the United States and investigate the association of geographic breast cancer mortality hot spots with de novo metastatic breast cancer mortality among Black women.We identified 7292 Black women diagnosed with de novo metastatic breast cancer in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). The county-level characteristics were obtained from 2014 County Health Rankings and linked to SEER. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for mortality between hot spot and non-hot spot counties.Among 7292 patients, 393 (5.4%) resided in breast cancer mortality hot spots. Women residing in hot spots had similar risks of breast cancer-specific mortality (aHR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.85 to 1.15) and all-cause mortality (aHR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.84 to 1.11) as women in non-hot spots after adjusting for individual and tumor-level factors and treatments. Additional adjustment for county-level characteristics did not impact mortality.Living in a breast cancer mortality hot spot was not associated with de novo metastatic breast cancer mortality among Black women. Future research should begin to examine variation in both individual and population-level determinants, as well as in molecular and genetic determinants that underlie the aggressive nature of de novo metastatic breast cancer.

  View details for DOI 10.1093/jncics/pkaa086

  View details for PubMedID 33442659

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7791608

• Why Do Epidemiologic Studies Find an Inverse Association Between Intraprostatic Inflammation and Prostate Cancer: A Possible Role for Colliding Bias? CANCER EPIDEMIOLOGY BIOMARKERS & PREVENTION Langston, M. E., Sfanos, K. S., Khan, S., Nguyen, T. Q., De Marzo, A. M., Platz, E. A., Sutcliffe, S. 2021; 30 (2): 255-259

  Abstract

  Inflammation is an emerging risk factor for prostate cancer based largely on evidence from animal models and histopathologic observations. However, findings from patho-epidemiologic studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer have been less supportive, with inverse associations observed in many studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer diagnosis. Here, we propose collider stratification bias as a potential methodologic explanation for these inverse findings and provide strategies for conducting future etiologic studies of intraprostatic inflammation and prostate cancer.

  View details for DOI 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-20-1009

  View details for Web of Science ID 000616619800004

  View details for PubMedID 33547143

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8040828

• Community Health Behaviors and Geographic Variation in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Survival Among Women. Clinical and translational gastroenterology Holowatyj, A. N., Langston, M. E., Han, Y., Viskochil, R., Perea, J., Cao, Y., Rogers, C. R., Lieu, C. H., Moore, J. X. 2020; 11 (12): e00266

  Abstract

  Despite overall reductions in colorectal cancer (CRC) morbidity and mortality, survival disparities by sex persist among young patients (age <50 years). Our study sought to quantify variance in early-onset CRC survival accounted for by individual/community-level characteristics among a population-based cohort of US women.Geographic hot spots-counties with high early-onset CRC mortality rates among women-were derived using 3 geospatial autocorrelation approaches with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national mortality data. We identified women (age: 15-49 years) diagnosed with CRC from 1999 to 2016 in the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program. Patterns of community health behaviors by hot spot classification were assessed by Spearman correlation (ρ). Generalized R values were used to evaluate variance in survival attributed to individual/community-level features.Approximately 1 in every 16 contiguous US counties identified as hot spots (191 of 3,108), and 52.9% of hot spot counties (n = 101) were located in the South. Among 28,790 women with early-onset CRC, 13.7% of cases (n = 3,954) resided in hot spot counties. Physical inactivity and fertility were community health behaviors that modestly correlated with hot spot residence among women with early-onset CRC (ρ = 0.21 and ρ = -0.23, respectively; P < 0.01). Together, individual/community-level features accounted for distinct variance patterns in early-onset CRC survival among women (hot spot counties: 33.8%; non-hot spot counties: 34.1%).Individual/community-level features accounted for approximately one-third of variation in early-onset CRC survival among women and differed between hot spot vs non-hot spot counties. Understanding the impact of community health behaviors-particularly in regions with high early-onset CRC mortality rates-is critical for tailoring strategies to reduce early-onset CRC disparities.

  View details for DOI 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000266

  View details for PubMedID 33512797

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7678794

• A Comparative Analysis of Online Medical Record Utilization and Perception by Cancer Survivorship. Medical care Khan, S., Lewis-Thames, M. W., Han, Y., Fuzzell, L., Langston, M. E., Moore, J. X. 2020; 58 (12): 1075-1081

  Abstract

  Cancer survivors face many challenges including coordinating care across multiple providers and maintaining medical records from multiple institutions. Access and utilization of online medical records could help cancer survivors manage this complexity. Here, we examined how cancer survivors differ from those without a history of cancer with regards to utilization and perception of medical records.We conducted a cross-sectional study of 3491 respondents, from the Health Information National Trends survey 5, cycle 2. The association of medical record utilization and perceptions with cancer survivorship was assessed using survey-weighted logistic regression.Cancer survivors (n=593) were more likely to report that a provider maintains a computerized medical record [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.05; 95% confidence (CI), 1.24-3.41] and were more likely to report confidence in medical record safeguards (AOR=1.44; 95% CI, 1.03-2.03). However, cancer survivors were no more likely to access online medical records than those without a history of cancer (AOR=1.13; 95% CI, 0.69-1.86). Cancer survivors were no more likely to report privacy concerns as a reason for not accessing online medical records, however, survivors were more likely to report a preference for speaking directly with a provider as a reason for not accessing online medical records (AOR=2.24; 95% CI, 0.99-5.05).Although cancer survivors are more likely to trust medical record safe guards and do not express increased concerns about online medical record privacy, a preference to speak directly with provider is a barrier of use.

  View details for DOI 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001413

  View details for PubMedID 32925466

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7665999

• Does weather trigger urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome flares? A case-crossover analysis in the multidisciplinary approach to the study of the chronic pelvic pain research network. Neurourology and urodynamics Li, J., Yu, T., Javed, I., Siddagunta, C., Pakpahan, R., Langston, M. E., Dennis, L. K., Kingfield, D. M., Moore, D. J., Andriole, G. L., Lai, H. H., Colditz, G. A., Sutcliffe, S. 2020; 39 (5): 1494-1504

  Abstract

  To investigate whether meteorological factors (temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, ultraviolet index [UVI], and seasons) trigger flares in male and female urologic chronic pelvic pain patients.We assessed flare status every 2 weeks in our case-crossover study of flare triggers in the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain 1-year longitudinal study. Flare symptoms, flare start date, and exposures in the 3 days preceding a flare or the date of questionnaire completion were assessed for the first three flares and at three randomly selected nonflare times. We linked these data to daily temperature, barometric pressure, relative humidity, and UVI values by participants' first 3 zip code digits. Values in the 3 days before and the day of a flare, as well as changes in these values, were compared to nonflare values by conditional logistic regression. Differences in flare rates by astronomical and growing seasons were investigated by Poisson regression in the full study population.A total of 574 flare and 792 nonflare assessments (290 participants) were included in the case-crossover analysis, and 966 flare and 5389 nonflare (409 participants) were included in the full study analysis. Overall, no statistically significant associations were observed for daily weather, no patterns of associations were observed for weather changes, and no differences in flare rates were observed by season.We found minimal evidence to suggest that weather triggers flares, although we cannot rule out the possibility that a small subset of patients is susceptible.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/nau.24381

  View details for PubMedID 32893408

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7479643

• Epidemiology of the 2020 pandemic of COVID-19 in the state of Georgia: Inadequate critical care resources and impact after 7 weeks of community spread. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open Moore, J. X., Langston, M. E., George, V., Coughlin, S. S. 2020

  Abstract

  Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a global pandemic currently spreading rapidly across the United States. We provide a comprehensive look at COVID-19 epidemiology across the state of Georgia, which includes vast rural communities that may be disproportionately impacted by the spread of this infectious disease.All 159 Georgia counties were included in this study. We examined the geographic variation of COVID-19 in Georgia from March 3 through April 24, 2020 by extracting data on incidence and mortality from various national and state datasets. We contrasted county-level mortality rates per 100,000 population (MRs) by county-level factors.Metropolitan Atlanta had the overall highest number of confirmed cases; however, the southwestern rural parts of Georgia, surrounding the city of Albany, had the highest bi-weekly increases in incidence rate. Among counties with >10 cases, MRs were highest in the rural counties of Randolph (233.2), Terrell (182.5), Early (136.3), and Dougherty (114.2). Counties with the highest MRs (22.5-2332 per 100,000) had a higher proportion of: non-Hispanic Blacks residents, adults aged 60+, adults earning <$20,000 annually, and residents living in rural communities when compared with counties with lower MRs. These counties also had a lower proportion of the population with a college education, lower number of ICU beds per 100,000 population, and lower number of primary care physicians per 10,000 population.While urban centers in Georgia account for the bulk of COVID-19 cases, high mortality rates and low critical care capacity in rural Georgia are also of critical concern.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/emp2.12127

  View details for PubMedID 32838368

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC7272925

• Rural-urban differences e-cigarette ever use, the perception of harm, and e-cigarette information seeking behaviors among U.S. adults in a nationally representative study. Preventive medicine Lewis-Thames, M. W., Langston, M. E., Fuzzell, L., Khan, S., Moore, J. X., Han, Y. 2020; 130: 105898

  Abstract

  Adults living in rural areas, compared to their urban counterparts, are at an increased risk of using tobacco-related products and mortality due to tobacco-related diseases. The harms and benefits of e-cigarette use are mixed, and similarly obscure messaging about these harms and benefits have a critical influence on e-cigarette uptake and perceptions. However, little is known about rural-urban differences in the prevalence of adult e-cigarette daily usage. Using the Health Information National Trends Survey-Food and Drug Administration (HINTS-FDA) cycles 1 and 2, we conducted weighted logistic regressions to assess rural-urban differences in the prevalence of adult e-cigarette daily usage, perceived harm, and e-cigarette information seeking behaviors. This analysis included adults aged 18 years and older in the United States (N = 4229). Both rural and urban respondents reported a similar history of e-cigarette use. Rural respondents were significantly more likely than urban respondents to trust religious organizations and leaders and tobacco companies for information about e-cigarettes. Rural and urban respondents were equally as likely to believe e-cigarettes are addictive, perceive e-cigarette use as harmful, and believe e-cigarettes are more harmful than tobacco cigarettes. Respondents were equally as likely to look for information on e-cigarettes, the health effects of e-cigarettes, and cessation; and, to seek e-cigarette information from healthcare professionals, family and friends, and health organizations and groups. Given our findings, it will be pertinent to continue to research the potential harms of e-cigarette use and develop accurate health communication messages to avoid rural-urban disparities observed for cigarette smoking-related outcomes.

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ypmed.2019.105898

  View details for PubMedID 31760117

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6945810

• Do breast quadrants explain racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes? Cancer causes & control : CCC Han, Y., Moore, J. X., Langston, M., Fuzzell, L., Khan, S., Lewis, M. W., Colditz, G. A., Liu, Y. 2019; 30 (11): 1171-1182

  Abstract

  Tumors of the inner quadrants of the breast are associated with poorer survival than those of the upper-outer quadrant. It is unknown whether racial differences in breast cancer outcomes are modified by breast quadrant, in addition to comparisons among Asian subgroups.Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, we analyzed data among women diagnosed with non-metastatic invasive breast cancer between 1990 and 2014. We performed Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess the associations of race with breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival, stratified by breast quadrants. The models were adjusted for age, year of the diagnosis, tumor size, grade, histological type, tumor laterality, lymph node, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and treatments.Among 454,154 patients (73.0% White, 10.0% Black, 7.8% Asian/PI, and 9.2% Hispanic), 54.3% had tumors diagnosed in the upper-outer quadrant of the breast. Asian/PI women were more likely than White to have tumors diagnosed in the nipple/central portion of the breast and were less likely to have diagnosed in the upper-outer quadrant (P < 0.001), despite a similar distribution of breast quadrant between Black, Hispanic, and White women. Compared with White women, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of breast cancer-specific mortality were 1.41 (95% CI 1.37-1.44) in Black women, 0.82 (95% CI 0.79-0.85) in Asian women, and 1.05 (95% CI 1.02-1.09) in Hispanic women. Among Asian subgroups, Japanese American women had a lower risk of breast cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.62-0.74) compared with White women. Overall survival was similar to breast cancer-specific survival in each race group. The race-associated risks did not vary significantly by breast quadrants for breast cancer-specific mortality and all-cause mortality.Differences in breast cancer survival by race could not be attributed to tumor locations. Understanding the cultural, biological, and lifestyle factors that vary between White, African American, and ethnic subgroups of Asian American women may help explain these survival differences.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10552-019-01222-x

  View details for PubMedID 31456108

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6924513

• Trichomonas vaginalis infection and prostate-specific antigen concentration: Insights into prostate involvement and prostate disease risk. The Prostate Langston, M. E., Bhalla, A., Alderete, J. F., Nevin, R. L., Pakpahan, R., Hansen, J., Elliott, D., De Marzo, A. M., Gaydos, C. A., Isaacs, W. B., Nelson, W. G., Sokoll, L. J., Zenilman, J. M., Platz, E. A., Sutcliffe, S. 2019; 79 (14): 1622-1628

  Abstract

  The protist Trichomonas vaginalis causes a common, sexually transmitted infection and has been proposed to contribute to the development of chronic prostate conditions, including benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. However, few studies have investigated the extent to which it involves the prostate in the current antimicrobial era. We addressed this question by investigating the relation between T. vaginalis antibody serostatus and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration, a marker of prostate infection, inflammation, and/or cell damage, in young, male, US military members.We measured T. vaginalis serum IgG antibodies and serum total PSA concentration in a random sample of 732 young, male US active duty military members. Associations between T. vaginalis serostatus and PSA were investigated by linear regression.Of the 732 participants, 341 (46.6%) had a low T. vaginalis seropositive score and 198 (27.0%) had a high score, with the remainder seronegative. No significant differences were observed in the distribution of PSA by T. vaginalis serostatus. However, slightly greater, nonsignificant differences were observed when men with high T. vaginalis seropositive scores were compared with seronegative men, and when higher PSA concentrations were examined (≥0.70 ng/mL). Specifically, 42.5% of men with high seropositive scores had a PSA concentration greater than or equal to 0.70 ng/mL compared with 33.2% of seronegative men (adjusted P = .125).Overall, our findings do not provide strong support for prostate involvement during T. vaginalis infection, although our suggestive positive findings for higher PSA concentrations do not rule out this possibility entirely. These suggestive findings may be relevant for prostate condition development because higher early- to mid-life PSA concentrations have been found to predict greater prostate cancer risk later in life.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/pros.23886

  View details for PubMedID 31376187

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6715535

• A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Associations between Clinical Prostatitis and Prostate Cancer: New Estimates Accounting for Detection Bias. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology Langston, M. E., Horn, M., Khan, S., Pakpahan, R., Doering, M., Dennis, L. K., Sutcliffe, S. 2019; 28 (10): 1594-1603

  Abstract

  Previous meta-analyses have estimated summary positive associations between clinical prostatitis and prostate cancer. However, none have accounted for detection bias, the possibility for increased prostate cancer screening and detection in men with clinical prostatitis, in their pooled estimates.We searched for studies that investigated the relation between clinical prostatitis and prostate cancer through November 2018. Random effects meta-analysis was used to calculate summary odds ratios (OR) among all studies and in strata defined by methods used to reduce detection bias.Results: Although an increased odds of prostate cancer was seen among men with a history of clinical prostatitis in all 38 eligible studies combined [OR, 2.05; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.64-2.57], this estimate attenuated to null among studies that performed the most rigorous analyses to limit detection bias (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.77-1.74).Our findings indicate that previously reported positive associations between clinical prostatitis and prostate cancer are likely due to detection bias.Studies using rigorous detection bias methods are warranted to replicate these findings, as well as to examine the possible relation between prostate inflammation and prostate cancer directly, rather than indirectly through the diagnosis of "prostatitis," which includes a large proportion of men without evidence of prostate inflammation.

  View details for DOI 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0387

  View details for PubMedID 31337640

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6774844

• Acyloxyacyl hydrolase modulates depressive-like behaviors through aryl hydrocarbon receptor AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-REGULATORY INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY Aguiniga, L. M., Yang, W., Yaggie, R. E., Schaeffer, A. J., Klumpp, D. J., Clemens, J., Hanno, P., Kirkali, Z., Kusek, J. W., Landis, J., Lucia, M., Moldwin, R. M., Mullins, C., Pontari, M. A., van Bokhoven, A., Osypuk, A. A., Dayton, R., Triolo, C. S., Jonscher, K. R., Sullivan, H. T., Wilson, R., Grasmick, Z. D., Bavendam, T. G., Barrell, T., Doe, R., Farrar, J. T., Fernando, M., Gallagher, L., Hou, X., Howard, T., Jemielita, T., Kuzla, N., Newcomb, C., Robinson-Garvin, N., Smith, S., Stephens-Shields, A., Wang, Y., Wang, X., (Vania) Apkarian, A., Arroyo, C., Bass, M., Cella, D., Farmer, M. A., Fitzgerald, C., Gershon, R., Griffith, J. W., Heckman, C. J., Jiang, M., Keefer, L., Lloyd, R., Marko, D. S., Michniewicz, J., Miller, R., Parrish, T., Tu, F., Yaggi, R., Mayer, E. A., Rodriguez, L., Alger, J., Ashe-McNalley, C. P., Ellingson, B., Heendeniya, N., Kilpatrick, L., Cara, K., Kutch, J., Labus, J. S., Naliboff, B. D., Randal, F., Smith, S. R., Kreder, K. J., Bradley, C. S., Eno, M., Greiner, K., Luo, Y., Lutgendorf, S. K., O'Donnell, M. A., Ziegler, B., Schrepf, A., Hardy, I., Magnotta, V., Erickson, B., Clauw, D. J., As-Sanie, S., Berry, S., Grayhack, C., Halvorson, M. E., Harris, R., Harte, S., Ichesco, E., Oldendorf, A., Scott, K. A., Williams, D. A., Buchwald, D., Afari, N., Bacus, T., Edwards, T., Krieger, J., Maravilla, K., Miller, J., Patrick, D., Qin, X., Richey, S., Risques, R., Robertson, K., Ross, S. O., Spiro, R., Strachan, E., Sundsvold, T. J., Sutherland, S., Yang, C. C., Andriole, G. L., Lai, H., Bristol, R. L., Gereau, R. W., Hong, B. A., Klim, A. P., Sutcliffe, S., Vetter, J., Song, D. G., Milbrandt, M., Haroutounian, S., Vijairania, P., Parker (Chaturvedi), K., Hung, T., Colditz, G., Gardner, V. C., Henderson, J. P., Spitznagle, T. M., Pakpahan, R., James, A., Yan, Y., Langston, M., Hong, B., Mueller, S., Crowley, J., Vogt, S., Hultgren, S., Nguyen, N., Blasche, G., Qiu, C., Cupps, L., Bok, S., Hooten, T. M., Grullon, L., Atis, N., Ness, T. J., Deutsch, G., Den Hollander, J., Corbitt, B. D., Bradley, L., North, C. S., Downs, D., Anger, J., Ackerman, J., Ackerman, A., Cha, J., Eilber, K., Freeman, M., Funari, V., Kim, J., Van Eyk, J., Yang, W., Moses, M. A., Briscoe, A. C., Briscoe, D., Curatolo, A., Froehlich, J., Lee, R. S., Sachdev, M., Solomon, K. R., Steen, H., Mackey, S., Bagarinao, E., Foster, L. C., Hubbard, E., Johnson, K. A., Martucci, K. T., McCue, R. L., Moericke, R. R., Nilakantan, A., Noor, N., Nickel, J., Ehrlich, G. D., MAPP Res Network Study Grp 2019; 317 (2): R289–R300

  Abstract

  Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) regulates stress responses, and aberrant CRF signals are associated with depressive disorders. Crf expression is responsive to arachidonic acid (AA), where CRF is released from the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to initiate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, culminating in glucocorticoid stress hormone release. Despite this biological and clinical significance, Crf regulation is unclear. Here, we report that acyloxyacyl hydrolase, encoded by Aoah, is expressed in the PVN, and Aoah regulates Crf through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). We previously showed that AOAH-deficient mice mimicked interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome, a condition frequently associated with comorbid anxiety and depression. With the use of novelty-suppressed feeding and sucrose preference assays to quantify rodent correlates of anxiety/depression, AOAH-deficient mice exhibited depressive behaviors. AOAH-deficient mice also had increased CNS AA, increased Crf expression in the PVN, and elevated serum corticosterone, consistent with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The human Crf promoter has putative binding sites for AhR and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ). PPARγ did not affect AA-dependent Crf expression in vitro, and conditional Pparγ knockout did not alter the AOAH-deficient depressive phenotype, despite previous studies implicating PPARγ as a therapeutic target for depression. In contrast, Crf induction was mediated by AhR binding sites in vitro and increased by AhR overexpression. Furthermore, conditional Ahr knockout rescued the depressive phenotype of AOAH-deficient mice. Finally, an AhR antagonist rescued the AOAH-deficient depressive phenotype. Together, our results demonstrate that Aoah is a novel genetic regulator of Crf mediated through AhR, and AhR is a therapeutic target for depression.

  View details for DOI 10.1152/ajpregu.00029.2019

  View details for Web of Science ID 000481616900008

  View details for PubMedID 31017816

• Disparities in Health Information-Seeking Behaviors and Fatalistic Views of Cancer by Sexual Orientation Identity: A Nationally Representative Study of Adults in the United States. LGBT health Langston, M. E., Fuzzell, L., Lewis-Thames, M. W., Khan, S., Moore, J. X. 2019; 6 (4): 192-201

  Abstract

  Purpose: A lack of national data makes it difficult to estimate, but LGB adults appear to have a higher risk of cancer. Although limited research exists to explain the disparity, we aimed to explore potential differences in access to and utilization of health information and in cancer-related beliefs and behaviors. Methods: We used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey 5, Cycle 1 conducted from January 25 through May 5, 2017. Using survey-weighted logistic regression, we explored potential differences in health information-seeking behavior, trusted sources of health care information, engagement with the health care system, awareness of cancer risk factors, cancer fatalism, cancer-related health behaviors, and historical cancer screening between 117 LGB and 2857 heterosexual respondents. Results: LGB respondents were more likely to report looking for information about health or medical topics than heterosexual respondents (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 3.12; confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.07-9.06), but less likely to seek health information first from a doctor (aOR: 0.17; 95% CI: 0.06-0.50) after adjusting for age, race, and sex. LGB persons were less likely to report that they trust receiving health or medical information from friends and family and more likely to be worried about getting cancer (aOR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.04-5.05). Conclusions: Our findings indicate a growing need for the production of tailored cancer prevention and control materials for members of sexual minority groups. More work is needed to understand barriers that LGB populations face in accessing this health information and building informative social support networks.

  View details for DOI 10.1089/lgbt.2018.0112

  View details for PubMedID 31107153

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6551968

• Optimization of DNA extraction from human urinary samples for mycobiome community profiling PLOS ONE Ackerman, A., Anger, J., Khalique, M., Ackerman, J. E., Tang, J., Kim, J., Underhill, D. M., Freeman, M. R., Clemens, J., Hanno, P., Kirkali, Z., Kusek, J. W., Landis, J., Lucia, M., Moldwin, R. M., Mullins, C., Pontari, M. A., Lucia, M., van Bokhoven, A., Osypuk, A. A., Dayton, R., Triolo, C. S., Jonscher, K. R., Sullivan, H. T., Wilson, R., Grasmick, Z. D., Mullins, C., Kusek, J. W., Kirkali, Z., Bavendam, T. G., Landis, J., Barrell, T., Doe, R., Farrar, J. T., Fernando, M., Gallagher, L., Hanno, P., Hou, X., Howard, T., Jemielita, T., Kuzla, N., Moldwin, R. M., Newcomb, C., Pontari, M. A., Robinson-Garvin, N., Smith, S., Stephens-Shields, A., Wang, Y., Wang, X., Klumpp, D. J., Schaeffer, A. J., Apkarian, A., Arroyo, C., Bass, M., Cella, D., Farmer, M. A., Fitzgerald, C., Gershon, R., Griffith, J. W., Heckman, C. J., Jiang, M., Keefer, L., Lloyd, R., Marko, D. S., Michniewicz, J., Miller, R., Parrish, T., Tu, F., Yaggi, R., Mayer, E. A., Rodriguez, L. V., Alger, J., Ashe-McNalley, C. P., Ellingson, B., Heendeniya, N., Kilpatrick, L., Cara, K., Kutch, J., Labus, J. S., Naliboff, B. D., Randal, F., Smith, S. R., Kreder, K. J., Bradley, C. S., Eno, M., Greiner, K., Luo, Y., Lutgendorf, S. K., O'Donnell, M. A., Ziegler, B., Schrepf, A., Hardy, I., Magnotta, V., Clauw, D. J., Clemens, J., As-Sanie, S., Berry, S., Grayhack, C., Halvorson, M. E., Harris, R., Harte, S., Ichesco, E., Oldendorf, A., Scott, K. A., Williams, D. A., Buchwald, D., Afari, N., Bacus, T., Edwards, T., Krieger, J., Maravilla, K., Miller, J., Patrick, D., Qin, X., Richey, S., Risques, R., Robertson, K., Ross, S. O., Spiro, R., Strachan, E., Sundsvold, T. J., Sutherland, S., Yang, C. C., Andriole, G. L., Lai, H., Bristol, R. L., Gereau, R. W., Hong, B. A., Klim, A. P., Sutcliffe, S., Vetter, J., Song, D. G., Milbrandt, M., Haroutounian, S., Vijairania, P., Parker (Chaturvedi), K., Tran Hung, Colditz, G., Gardner, V. C., Henderson, J. P., Spitznagle, T. M., Pakpahan, R., James, A., Yan, Y., Langston, M., Hong, B., Mueller, S., Crowley, J., Vogt, S., Hultgren, S., Nang Nguyen, Blasche, G., Qiu, C., Cupps, L., Bok, S., Hooten, T. M., Grullon, L., Atis, N., Ness, T. J., Deutsch, G., Den Hollander, J., Corbitt, B. D., Bradley, L., North, C. S., Downs, D., Anger, J., Ackerman, J., Ackerman, A., Cha, J., Eilber, K., Freeman, M., Funari, V., Kim, J., Van Eyk, J., Yang, W., Moses, M. A., Briscoe, A. C., Briscoe, D., Curatolo, A., Froehlich, J., Lee, R. S., Sachdev, M., Solomon, K. R., Steen, H., Mackey, S., Bagarinao, E., Foster, L. C., Hubbard, E., Johnson, K. A., Martucci, K. T., Mccue, R. L., Moericke, R. R., Nilakantan, A., Noor, N., Nickel, J., Ehrlich, G. D., NIH Multidisciplinary Approach Stu 2019; 14 (4): e0210306

  Abstract

  Recent data suggest the urinary tract hosts a microbial community of varying composition, even in the absence of infection. Culture-independent methodologies, such as next-generation sequencing of conserved ribosomal DNA sequences, provide an expansive look at these communities, identifying both common commensals and fastidious organisms. A fundamental challenge has been the isolation of DNA representative of the entire resident microbial community, including fungi.We evaluated multiple modifications of commonly-used DNA extraction procedures using standardized male and female urine samples, comparing resulting overall, fungal and bacterial DNA yields by quantitative PCR. After identifying protocol modifications that increased DNA yields (lyticase/lysozyme digestion, bead beating, boil/freeze cycles, proteinase K treatment, and carrier DNA use), all modifications were combined for systematic confirmation of optimal protocol conditions. This optimized protocol was tested against commercially available methodologies to compare overall and microbial DNA yields, community representation and diversity by next-generation sequencing (NGS).Overall and fungal-specific DNA yields from standardized urine samples demonstrated that microbial abundances differed significantly among the eight methods used. Methodologies that included multiple disruption steps, including enzymatic, mechanical, and thermal disruption and proteinase digestion, particularly in combination with small volume processing and pooling steps, provided more comprehensive representation of the range of bacterial and fungal species. Concentration of larger volume urine specimens at low speed centrifugation proved highly effective, increasing resulting DNA levels and providing greater microbial representation and diversity.Alterations in the methodology of urine storage, preparation, and DNA processing improve microbial community profiling using culture-independent sequencing methods. Our optimized protocol for DNA extraction from urine samples provided improved fungal community representation. Use of this technique resulted in equivalent representation of the bacterial populations as well, making this a useful technique for the concurrent evaluation of bacterial and fungal populations by NGS.

  View details for DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0210306

  View details for Web of Science ID 000465519100004

  View details for PubMedID 31022216

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6483181

• Sustained influence of infections on prostate-specific antigen concentration: An analysis of changes over 10 years of follow-up PROSTATE Langston, M. E., Pakpahan, R., Nevin, R. L., De Marzo, A. M., Elliott, D. J., Gaydos, C. A., Isaacs, W. B., Nelson, W. G., Sokoll, L. J., Zenilman, J. M., Platz, E. A., Sutcliffe, S. 2018; 78 (13): 1024-1034

  Abstract

  To extend our previous observation of a short-term rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration, a marker of prostate inflammation and cell damage, during and immediately following sexually transmitted and systemic infections, we examined the longer-term influence of these infections, both individually and cumulatively, on PSA over a mean of 10 years of follow-up in young active duty U.S. servicemen.We measured PSA in serum specimens collected in 1995-7 (baseline) and 2004-6 (follow-up) from 265 men diagnosed with chlamydia (CT), 72 with gonorrhea (GC), 37 with non-chlamydial, non-gonococcal urethritis (NCNGU), 58 with infectious mononucleosis (IM), 91 with other systemic or non-genitourinary infections such as varicella; and 125-258 men with no infectious disease diagnoses in their medical record during follow-up (controls). We examined the influence of these infections on PSA change between baseline and follow-up.The proportion of men with any increase in PSA (>0 ng/mL) over the 10-year average follow-up was significantly higher in men with histories of sexually transmitted infections (CT, GC, and NCNGU; 67.7% vs 60.8%, P = 0.043), systemic infections (66.7% vs 54.4%, P = 0.047), or any infections (all cases combined; 68.5% vs 54.4%, P = 0.003) in their military medical record compared to controls.While PSA has been previously shown to rise during acute infection, these findings demonstrate that PSA remains elevated over a longer period. Additionally, the overall infection burden, rather than solely genitourinary-specific infection burden, contributed to these long-term changes, possibly implying a role for the cumulative burden of infections in prostate cancer risk.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/pros.23660

  View details for Web of Science ID 000440934400008

  View details for PubMedID 30133756

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6690490

• Mapping hot spots of breast cancer mortality in the United States: place matters for Blacks and Hispanics CANCER CAUSES & CONTROL Moore, J., Royston, K. J., Langston, M. E., Griffin, R., Hidalgo, B., Wang, H. E., Colditz, G., Akinyemiju, T. 2018; 29 (8): 737-750

  Abstract

  The goals of this study were to identify geographic and racial/ethnic variation in breast cancer mortality, and evaluate whether observed geographic differences are explained by county-level characteristics.We analyzed data on breast cancer deaths among women in 3,108 contiguous United States (US) counties from years 2000 through 2015. We applied novel geospatial methods and identified hot spot counties based on breast cancer mortality rates. We assessed differences in county-level characteristics between hot spot and other counties using Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman correlation, and stratified all analysis by race/ethnicity.Among all women, 80 of 3,108 (2.57%) contiguous US counties were deemed hot spots for breast cancer mortality with the majority located in the southern region of the US (72.50%, p value < 0.001). In race/ethnicity-specific analyses, 119 (3.83%) hot spot counties were identified for NH-Black women, with the majority being located in southern states (98.32%, p value < 0.001). Among Hispanic women, there were 83 (2.67%) hot spot counties and the majority was located in the southwest region of the US (southern = 61.45%, western = 33.73%, p value < 0.001). We did not observe definitive geographic patterns in breast cancer mortality for NH-White women. Hot spot counties were more likely to have residents with lower education, lower household income, higher unemployment rates, higher uninsured population, and higher proportion indicating cost as a barrier to medical care.We observed geographic and racial/ethnic disparities in breast cancer mortality: NH-Black and Hispanic breast cancer deaths were more concentrated in southern, lower SES counties.

  View details for DOI 10.1007/s10552-018-1051-y

  View details for Web of Science ID 000438526200004

  View details for PubMedID 29922896

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6301114

• Predictors of Follow-Up Visits Post Radical Prostatectomy AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MENS HEALTH Khan, S., Hicks, V., Rancilio, D., Langston, M., Richardson, K., Drake, B. F. 2018; 12 (4): 760-765

  Abstract

  Long-term follow-up care among prostate cancer patients is important as biochemical recurrence can occur many years after diagnosis, with 20%-30% of men experiencing biochemical recurrence within 10 years of treatment. This study examined predictors of follow-up care among 1,158 radical prostatectomy patients, treated at the Washington University in St. Louis, within 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years post surgery. Predictors examined included age at surgery, race (Black vs. White), rural/urban status, education, marital status, and prostate cancer aggressiveness. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between the predictors and follow-up visits with a urologist in 6 months, the 1st year, and the 2nd year post surgery. In a secondary analysis, any follow-up visit with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test was included, regardless of provider type. Men that were Black ( 6 months OR: 0.60; 95% CI [0.36, 0.99], 1 year OR: 0.34; 95% CI [0.20, 0.59], 2 year OR: 0.41; 95% CI [0.25, 0.68]), resided in a rural residence ( 1 year OR: 0.61; 95% CI [0.44, 0.85], 2 year OR: 0.41; 95% CI [0.25, 0.68]), or were unmarried ( 2 year OR: 0.69; 95% CI [0.49, 0.97]) had a reduced odds of follow-up visits with a urologist. In models where any follow-up visit with a PSA test was examined, race remained a significant predictor of follow-up. The results indicate that Black men, men residing in a rural residence, and unmarried men may not receive adequate long-term follow-up care following radical prostatectomy. These men represent a high-risk group that could benefit from increased support post treatment.

  View details for DOI 10.1177/1557988318762633

  View details for Web of Science ID 000436019700011

  View details for PubMedID 29540091

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC6131455

• Temporal Trends in Satellite-Derived Erythemal UVB and Implications for Ambient Sun Exposure Assessment INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH Langston, M., Dennis, L., Lynch, C., Roe, D., Brown, H. 2017; 14 (2)

  Abstract

  Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has been associated with various health outcomes, including skin cancers, vitamin D insufficiency, and multiple sclerosis. Measurement of UVR has been difficult, traditionally relying on subject recall. We investigated trends in satellite-derived UVB from 1978 to 2014 within the continental United States (US) to inform UVR exposure assessment and determine the potential magnitude of misclassification bias created by ignoring these trends. Monthly UVB data remotely sensed from various NASA satellites were used to investigate changes over time in the United States using linear regression with a harmonic function. Linear regression models for local geographic areas were used to make inferences across the entire study area using a global field significance test. Temporal trends were investigated across all years and separately for each satellite type due to documented differences in UVB estimation. UVB increased from 1978 to 2014 in 48% of local tests. The largest UVB increase was found in Western Nevada (0.145 kJ/m2 per five-year increment), a total 30-year increase of 0.87 kJ/m2. This largest change only represented 17% of total ambient exposure for an average January and 2% of an average July in Western Nevada. The observed trends represent cumulative UVB changes of less than a month, which are not relevant when attempting to estimate human exposure. The observation of small trends should be interpreted with caution due to measurement of satellite parameter inputs (ozone and climatological factors) that may impact derived satellite UVR nearly 20% compared to ground level sources. If the observed trends hold, satellite-derived UVB data may reasonably estimate ambient UVB exposures even for outcomes with long latency phases that predate the satellite record.

  View details for DOI 10.3390/ijerph14020176

  View details for Web of Science ID 000395467900068

  View details for PubMedID 28208641

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5334730

• Infectious mononucleosis, other infections and prostate-specific antigen concentration as a marker of prostate involvement during infection INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER Sutcliffe, S., Nevin, R. L., Pakpahan, R., Elliott, D. J., Langston, M. E., De Marzo, A. M., Gaydos, C. A., Isaacs, W. B., Nelson, W. G., Sokoll, L. J., Walsh, P. C., Zenilman, J. M., Cersovsky, S. B., Platz, E. A. 2016; 138 (9): 2221-2230

  Abstract

  Although Epstein-Barr virus has been detected in prostate tissue, no associations have been observed with prostate cancer in the few studies conducted to date. One possible reason for these null findings may be use of cumulative exposure measures that do not inform the timing of infection, i.e., childhood versus adolescence/early adulthood when infection is more likely to manifest as infectious mononucleosis (IM). We sought to determine the influence of young adult-onset IM on the prostate by measuring prostate-specific antigen (PSA) as a marker of prostate inflammation/damage among U.S. military members. We defined IM cases as men diagnosed with IM from 1998 to 2003 (n = 55) and controls as men without an IM diagnosis (n = 255). We selected two archived serum specimens for each participant, the first collected after diagnosis for cases and one randomly selected from 1998 to 2003 for controls (index), as well as the preceding specimen (preindex). PSA was measured in each specimen. To explore the specificity of our findings for prostate as opposed to systemic inflammation, we performed a post hoc comparison of other infectious disease cases without genitourinary involvement (n = 90) and controls (n = 220). We found that IM cases were more likely to have a large PSA rise than controls (≥ 20 ng/mL: 19.7% versus 8.8%, p = 0.027; ≥ 40% rise: 25.7% versus 9.4%, p = 0.0021), as were other infectious disease cases (25.7% versus 14.0%, p = 0.020; 27.7% versus 18.0%, p = 0.092). These findings suggest that, in addition to rising because of prostate infection, PSA may also rise because of systemic inflammation, which could have implications for PSA interpretation in older men.

  View details for DOI 10.1002/ijc.29966

  View details for Web of Science ID 000371161800017

  View details for PubMedID 26678984

• Sun Sensitivity and Sunburns as Related to Cutaneous Melanoma among Populations of Spanish Descent: A Meta-Analysis Journal of Dermatology Research and Therapy Dennis, L. K., Lashway, S. G., Langston, M. E. 2015; 1 (1): 1-5

  View details for DOI 10.23937/2469-5750/1510009

• Risk factors for sun exposure during spring break among college students Sun Exposure: Risk Factors, Protection Practices and Health Effects Langston, M. E., Lashway, S. G., Dennis, L. K. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. 2015: 93-114
• "Everyone Should Be Able to Choose How They Get Around": How Topeka, Kansas, Passed a Complete Streets Resolution PREVENTING CHRONIC DISEASE Dodson, E. A., Langston, M., Cardick, L. C., Johnson, N., Clayton, P., Brownson, R. C. 2014; 11: E25

  Abstract

  Regular physical activity can help prevent chronic diseases, yet only half of US adults meet national physical activity guidelines. One barrier to physical activity is a lack of safe places to be active, such as bike paths and sidewalks. Complete Streets, streets designed to enable safe access for all users, can help provide safe places for activity.This community case study presents results from interviews with residents and policymakers of Topeka, Kansas, who played an integral role in the passage of a Complete Streets resolution in 2009. It describes community engagement processes used to include stakeholders, assess existing roads and sidewalks, and communicate with the public and decision-makers.Key informant interviews were conducted with city council members and members of Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods in Topeka to learn how they introduced a Complete Streets resolution and the steps they took to ensure its successful passage in the City Council. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using focused-coding qualitative analysis.Results included lessons learned from the process of passing the Complete Streets resolution and advice from participants for other communities interested in creating Complete Streets in their communities.Lessons learned can apply to other communities pursuing Complete Streets. Examples include clearly defining Complete Streets; educating the public, advocates, and decision-makers about Complete Streets and how this program enhances a community; building a strong and diverse network of supporters; and using stories and examples from other communities with Complete Streets to build a convincing case.

  View details for DOI 10.5888/pcd11.130292

  View details for Web of Science ID 000343521700010

  View details for PubMedID 24556251

  View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3938956

• Associations between ambient air pollution and prevalence of stroke and cardiovascular diseases in 33 Chinese communities ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT Dong, G., Qian, Z., Wang, J., Chen, W., Ma, W., Trevathan, E., Xaverius, P. K., DeClue, R., Wiese, A., Langston, M., Liu, M., Wang, D., Ren, W. 2013; 77: 968-973

  View details for DOI 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2013.06.034

  View details for Web of Science ID 000324848500102

• Leadership and Job Readiness: addressing social determinants of health among rural African American men International Journal of Men's Health Baker, E. A., Barnidge, E., Langston, M. E., Shootman, M., Motton, F., Rose, F. 2013; 12 (3): 245

  View details for DOI 10.3149/jmh.1203.245

• Social Dis(ease) of African American Males and Health Urban ills: Twenty-first century complexities of urban living in global contexts Gilbert, K. L., Ray, R., Langston, M. Lexington Books. 2013: 23-36