This thesis describes a study undertaken between 1992 and 2001 to explore the possible health impacts of human exposure to pesticides. The study followed the health outcomes of approximately 4000 outdoor workers over a period of up to sixty-one years. These workers comprised two subcohorts of approximately even size, one composed of agricultural workers with high insecticide exposures, and the other made up of outdoor staff from local councils in the same area with little or no occupational exposure to insecticides. Mortality and morbidity were compared between the two groups, and with the general Australian community. The study identifies significantly increased mortality among both exposed and control subjects when compared to the Australian population. The major cause of this increase was mortality from smoking related diseases. The study also identifies significant increases in mortality among exposed subjects for a number of conditions that do not appear to be the result of smoking patterns, both when compared to the control group and the Australian population. These include pancreatic cancer in some DDT exposed subjects and asthma, diabetes, and leukaemia in subjects working with more modern chemicals. There was also an increase in self reported chronic illness and asthma, and lower neuropsychological functioning scores among surviving exposed subjects when compared to controls. Diabetes was also reported more commonly by subjects reporting occupational use of herbicides.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008 / Includes appendixes. Title from PDF title page (viewed May 27, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 112-117)

Thesis (M. S.)--Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Dr. Athanassios Sambanis; Committee Member: Dr. Barbara Boyan; Committee Member: Dr. Peter Thule.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1993. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1993. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a cancer of unmet need with a 5-year survival following diagnosis of 3% with limited surgical, radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment options. Central to PDAC tumorigenesis is acquisition of an oncogenic Kras mutation to drive acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and progression to PDAC that is potentiated by NF-kB deregulation. However, PDAC requires the additional loss of tumour suppressors such as p53, SMAD4 or p16. ASPP family members ASPP2 and iASPP regulate both p53 and NF-kB, and are classified as a tumour suppressor and oncogene respectively. However, the precise roles of ASPP2 and iASPP in pancreatic cancer are unknown. In this thesis I demonstrate that ASPP2 suppresses metastasis and iASPP suppresses the pro-inflammatory tumour microenvironment. In a mouse model of PDAC development, ASPP2-deficiency does not alter metaplasia, PanIN progression or primary PDAC onset. However, median survival due to metastasis is significantly reduced in an ASPP2-deficient PDAC model. I demonstrate ASPP2-deficient PDAC can result in increased squamous differentiation defined histologically or via increased p63 expression. I propose ASPP2 is a key suppressor ΔNp63 and the squamous PDAC subtype in vivo. Conversely, iASPP is a putative oncogene and high expression in cancer associates with poor prognosis. However, in a mouse model of PDAC, loss of iASPP accelerates PDAC onset and metastasis. I demonstrate that iASPP is a functional tumour suppressor of a pro-inflammatory phenotype in response to oncogenic Kras and pancreatitis. I propose ASPP2- and iASPP-deficient mouse models of PDAC represent in vivo the squamous and immunogenic subtypes of PDAC respectively; and are relevant tools to study mechanisms of metastasis and inflammation-driven carcinogenesis.

En 2016, environ 53 070 patients ont reçu un diagnostic d'adénocarcinome canalaire pancréatique (PDA) aux États-Unis et la plupart d'entre eux mourront de leur maladie dans les 5 ans. Le registre belge du cancer rapporte une incidence estimée à 1200 nouveaux cas par an. La survie globale à 5 ans pour toutes stades confondus a marginalement augmenté au cours des 50 dernières années, passant de 2 à 6%, malgré l'imagerie, les soins périopératoires et l'amélioration des techniques chirurgicales.La chirurgie reste la seule chance de guérison, cependant, seulement 10-15% des patients nouvellement diagnostiqués sont jugés éligibles pour une chirurgie. Même s'il existe peu d'autres modalités de traitement efficaces qui puissent considérablement prolonger la survie globale, la plupart des patients finiront par mourir de métastases au foie, au poumon et / ou au péritoine, les sites de propagation les plus courants. Les patients, les cliniciens et les chercheurs restent frustrés par le manqué d’outils thérapeutiques et des nouvelles stratégies sont nécessaires pour comprendre et mieux prendre en charge cette maladie.Le terme «cancer» engendre un sentiment de peur et colère, en particulier quand on est confronté au diagnostic dévastateur de cancer du pancréas. En plus, une réaction commune est de personnifier le cancer comme une entité maléfique qui doit être combattue pour sauver la vie du patient. Les armes pour cette bataille comprennent le scalpel d'un chirurgien, la chimiothérapie, la radiothérapie, les thérapies ciblées, les immunothérapies, les approches holistiques et la foi religieuse. Mais nous avons trop souvent oublié ou sous-estimé la contribution de la recherche translationnelle pour la médecine de précision, pour mieux adapter les thérapies et éviter les toxicités inutiles.Dans un sens biologique, qu'est-ce qu'un cancer du pancréas ou un cancer? Le cancer est une maladie génétique, soumise à un phénomène évolutif avec ses propres règles, contraintes et caractéristiques prévisibles qui mènent finalement à un phénotype unique.La stratégie "one size fits all" dans la PDA a souvent échoué dans les essais de nouveaux médicaments dans une population non sélectionnée.Cette thèse est une contribution modeste et authentique à une approche plus personnalisée du PDA, de l'acquisition tissulaire, à l'analyse de biomarqueurs tissulaires, à une analyse moléculaire plus profonde afin de mieux comprendre cette maladie mortelle et de proposer l'intégration de biomarqueurs dans le developpement d’etudes cliniques guides par les analyses moléculaires. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Orientador: José Roberto Bosqueiro / Banca: Margarida Júri Saeki / Banca: Débora Cristina Damasceno / Resumo: O aumento da secreção de insulina estimulada por glicose é um mecanismo adaptativo observado nas ilhotas pancreáticas de animais resistentes à insulina. Estudos relatam que os ácidos graxos livres estimulam a secreção de insulina através da ativação do GPR40. Diante destes fatos, investigamos a secreção de insulina, a expressão de proteínas da via do GPR40 nas células ß e a participação dos lipídios na resistência à insulina induzida por dexametasona, através do tratamento com o redutor de lipídios bezafibrato. Os grupos receberam gavagem uma vez ao dia durante 28 dias: Controle (CTL) e DEXA com goma arábica 5% (1 ml/kg, peso corpóreo); BEZA e BEZA-DEXA com bezafibrato (300 mg/kg, p.c.). Nos últimos 5 dias de tratamento os grupos receberam injeções intraperitoniais: CTL e BEZA de solução salina (1 ml/kg, p.c.); DEXA e BEZA-DEXA de dexametasona (Decadron® 1,0 mg/kg, p.c). A secreção de insulina estimulada por glicose aumentou nos grupos BEZA e DEXA. BEZA-DEXA exibiu diminuição dos níveis de ácidos graxos livres, triglicérides e de insulina, mas não houve elevação dos níveis de glicose no sangue. Além disso, houve melhora na resistência à insulina e restauração do padrão de secreção de insulina, em comparação ao grupo DEXA. Nas ilhotas dos animais BEZA-DEXA a expressão das proteínas GPR40, PLCß1 e PKCδ foi significativamente maior em relação aos valores obtidos em DEXA. Esta via permaneceu inalterada nas ilhotas de DEXA e BEZA. Em conclusão, o tratamento com bezafibrato melhorou a função das células ß e impediu a indução de resistência à insulina pelo tratamento com dexametasona, mas os mecanismos não são conhecidos. O aumento na secreção de insulina em DEXA aparentemente não está relacionado com a ativação do GPR40. Contrariando a literatura, apesar da redução na secreção de insulina, as ilhotas dos animais BEZA-DEXA apresentaram ativação da via do GPR40 / Abstract: Increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion is an adaptive mechanism exhibited by pancreatic islets from insulin resistant animal. Studies report that the free fatty acids stimulate the insulin secretion via GPR40. As such, we investigate the expression of GPR40 in ß-cells and the involvement of lipids in dexamethasone-induced IR, by lipid-lowering therapy with bezafibrate. Groups received once daily gavage for 28 days: Control (CTL) and DEXA with gum Arabic 5% (1.0 mg/kg, body weight); BEZA and BEZA-DEXA with bezafibrate (300 mg/kg, b.w.). In the last 5 days of the treatment groups received intraperitoneal injections: CTL and BEZA of saline (1.0 mg/kg, b.w.); DEXA and BEZA-DEXA of dexamethasone (Decadron® 1.0 mg/kg, b.w.). The glucose-stimulated insulin secretion increased in the DEXA and BEZA groups. BEZA-DEXA shows decrease in fatty acids, triglycerides and insulin levels, but not raised blood glucose levels. In addition, there was improved in insulin resistance and restoration the insulin secretory pattern, when compared to DEXA group. In BEZA-DEXA islets, GPR40, PLCß1 and PKCδ protein content was significantly higher than DEXA. This pathway remained unchanged in DEXA and BEZA islets. In conclusion, bezafibrate treatment improved ß-cell function and prevented dexamethasone-induced IR, but the mechanisms are not known. Augmented insulin secretion in DEXA appears to be unrelated to the activation of the GPR40. Contrary to the literature, despite the reduction in insulin secretion, BEZA-DEXA islets showed activation of the GPR40 pathway / Mestre