Tag Archives: Infection

Why It Is Dangerous to Ignore Infections

By Hui Xie-Zukauskas

Pathogens_comboWith the arrival of warmer weather and summer, people get active, and so do lots of bacteria and pathogens. This is important to remember whenever you are on vacation or just enjoying the outdoors. And it is why I want to emphasize the danger of infections and the value of prevention.

Infections are everywhere and occur in many types, including flu, food poisoning, tick-borne Lyme disease, and any form of -itis (e.g., meningitis and hepatitis). The consequences of infections vary too, from a temporary harmful or sick condition to long-term diseases and disorders.

Evidence is mounting that infectious agents (e.g., bacteria and viruses) can lead to cancer. Here I’d like to highlight the role of infection in cancer and, to some extent, in chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Role of bacteria in cancer

There is a significant association between bacterial infection and cancer. For example, the following bacteria are responsible for an increased risk of certain cancers:

-          Helicobacter pylori is linked to stomach cancer

-          Chlamydia pneumonia, to lung cancer

-          Chlamydia infection, to ovarian cancer and cervical cancer

-          Neisseria Gonorrhoeae, to bladder, ovarian, and prostate cancer

Notably, some bacteria strains—specifically, Bacteroides fragilis and Escherichia coli—are involved in developing colon cancer, especially the hereditary type. This is because the two strains can bypass the gut barrier, which acts as an intestinal guardian, and reach the epithelial cells (cells that line the insides of organs, including the gastrointestinal tract), turning these cells cancerous.

Role of viruses in cancer

A growing body of knowledge indicates that viruses can cause cancer. Here are some well-documented examples:

-          Hepatitis B virus, can lead to liver cancer

-          Hepatitis C virus, to liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

-          Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), to anal and cervical cancer, Kaposi sarcoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma

-          Human papillomavirus (HPV), to cancers of mouth, pharynx, anus, cervix, vulva, vagina, ovary, and penis, as well as lung cancer.

-          Human herpes virus type 8 (Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus), to Kaposi sarcoma

-          Epstein bar virus (EBV; Herpesviridae family), to lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Cancers occur when the genetic material (DNA) within the cells develops mutations that lead to uncontrolled cell growth. The mutations may result from damage in DNA structure or errors in DNA replication. However, viruses can insert themselves into the cell’s DNA, causing the same mutation and consequence.

An estimated 12 to 20% of human cancers are caused by viruses. Because there is no vaccine available for some viruses, prevention is critical to protect you from cancer risks.

Role of pathogens in Alzheimer’s disease

It is intriguing that increased bacterial populations and different proportions of specific bacteria are found in Alzheimer’s, compared with healthy brains. These findings suggest that bacterial infection and neuro-inflammation in the brain may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterial infection and is a tick-borne disease. Ticks infected by spirochetes bacteria (Borrelia burgdorferi) transmit Lyme disease through a bite on hosts such as humans, deer, mice, and pets.
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Interestingly, spirochetes bacteria that are linked to Alzheimer’s disease are the same type that causes Lyme disease. Coincidental or not, both diseases display brain inflammation and memory loss.

Although two hallmarks, amyloid b plaques and neurofibrillary tangles with protein tau, are considered the major contributors to Alzheimer’s disease, the Amyloid b-Tau-Inflammation pathway might provide a closer fitting to pathogenesis of this neurodegenerative disease.

Role of Inflammation

Inflammation is a reaction to bacterial or viral infection. However, when chronic immune-stimulated inflammation persists, it becomes a toxic driver of chronic illnesses, causing cells in vital organs to dysfunction or degenerate.

Again, infection may be gone, but the inflammation may remain.

Consider that H. pylori—a bacteria causing gastritis, gastric ulcer, and cancer—infects the gastric ecosystem in 50% of all humans. Once H. pylori settles in the gastric environment, it stays for the lifetime of a host.

Another example: An association between the spirochetes bacteria (carried by ticks to cause Lyme disease) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma has been observed, though the findings are inconsistent. However, the point is – as seen in Lyme disease, chronic inflammatory response plays a part of cancer cell signaling in lymphoma.

Collectively, it’s evident that a variety of infectious agents are linked to numerous chronic diseases. Infection and subsequent chronic inflammation can increase the risk of cancer. Therefore, it is crucial to eliminate the cause of infection when it arises by getting timely treatment. The best measure you can take before infection occurs is to prevent infection in the first place.

Finally, some main preventive strategies and tips

1.      Be hygiene-conscious. Wash your hands—a very important health practice. Sounds simple, right? However, not everybody does it. Let me elaborate a bit more, because good hand-washing is very effective for blocking a contact-oral or fecal-oral route of infection.

First, wash frequently, especially after the bathroom, handling trash, or touching any dirty surfaces, and before eating food. Wash thoroughly, with soap over the entirety of the hands, not just a quick rinse of the palms.

I always recommend to wash hands after touching cash. The concern with cash is not how many people have touched it, but who, i.e. whether pathogen carriers have handled it—a huge unknown that makes cash potentially contagious.

Equally important is to teach kids to do so; it takes time to develop habits. Cultivating this heathy habit provides them considerable lifelong protection.

2.      Maintain food hygiene. One way germs enter a human body is by mouth. So carefully watch what you eat and drink. For example, wash fruits and vegetables before eating, and cook meats, fish, and seafood fully. It’s also better not to share utensils.

Intake of contaminated food or water can result in salmonella infection or becoming infected with other pathogens such as hepatitis virus (HAV). And it takes at least boiling, i.e. 100oC (212oF) to kill the hepatitis virus. That’s why chewing ice cubes is not always “cool” unless you know the exact water source that made the ice.

3.      Become vigilant on the hygiene of your surrounding area. This includes from keeping clean the kitchen area where foods are prepared, to preventing hospital-associated infections, etc. When traveling, be aware of germy surfaces such as door handles and keypads used for many cashless tasks or transactions.

4.      Practice sex hygiene. Sexually transmitted infections can lead to cancer and death, and not all of them can be cured. Get immunized, get to know your partner, and apply safe measures to reduce the risk of infections.

5.      Get vaccinated. Vaccination is important because it helps protect not only you, but also the people around you and communities.

6.      Support your immune function and minimize inflammation. Your immune system is the front line of your body’s defense against toxins and diseases, including cancer. See previously covered solutions and tips for effective immune-boosting at CancerPreventionDaily.

In brief, practicing good hygiene and developing habits that foster strong immunity are beneficial for your long-term health.

 

Image credit: mstechkmedlin.weebly.com; PetMD

 

Infection Is a Risk Factor for Cancer

We have discussed the association of salmonella typhi with gallbladder cancer in the last post. Let’s look at more examples on this topic.

Helicobacter pylori is linked to both gastric cancer and MALT lymphoma (a form of lymphoma involving the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue, often in the stomach); Chlamydia pneumoniae to lung cancer; Streptococcus bovis and/or Enteroccocus faecalis to colon cancer.

Although research has shown that certain bacteria are associated with human cancers, their role in cancer is of complex. Convincing evidence links some species to the formation of cancer while others appear promising in the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of cancers. However, you might wonder how bacteria infection could lead to cancer. Here I provide you some insights.

Bacteria may cause cancer through:

1. Chronic infection. Some bacterial toxins can negatively impact the process that controls the normal cell cycle and cell growth, others disrupt the cellular signaling pathways that regulate normal cell death, consequently promoting cancerous growth. In addition, infection-induced immune response may release immune modulating substances from inflammatory cells, contributing to carcinogenesis.

2. DNA damage. Bacteria can produce free radicals – very unstable but highly reactive with other molecules. They can bind to DNA and cause DNA mutation, thereby altering the genes that control normal cell division and cell death. Cancer is initiated when uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells takes place.

3. Weakened or suppressed immune system. The immune system is an important line of defense for any toxins or diseases including cancer. Toxins or pathogens sometimes can get away from the host’s immune system to survive, and then modify one’s immune function. When its function is compromised, the immune system no longer recognizes and fights bacteria or toxins as foreign bodies, nor gets rid of them.

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  1. Certain individuals are more susceptible to cancer-causing infections.
  2. Incidence of certain cancers may vary among populations or geographic regions.
  3. It often takes years or decades between acquiring the infection and getting cancer.

Take-home-message:

Chronic infection is a risk factor for cancer. Staying away from or treating the infection may prevent it.

Photo illustration: Color-enhanced scanning electron micrograph showing Salmonella typhimurium (red) invading cultured human cells

Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH

Salmonella Infection — How to Avoid the Risk

Do you eat eggs? They are nutrient-rich, esp. vitamin D-rich food. Now you know eggs can also be a source of food poisoning, based on the fact that Salmonella outbreaks drove a nationwide egg recall recently. The New York Times reported that a half billion eggs have been recalled because of possible contamination with salmonella.

Today we focus on top 3 takeaways from this incident.

First, who is most vulnerable to salmonella infection?

Salmonella infections cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps, as well as fever. Usually symptoms of infection begin 12 to 72 hours after consuming contaminated foods/ beverages, and last 4 to 7 days. However, some cases can be serious and even fatal. In particular, the following populations are at high risk:

  • young children
  • elderly or frail individuals
  • people with compromised immune systems, such as cancer patients and those undergoing chemotherapy

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Second, what precautions can you take to eliminate the risk of infection?

Again, the food safety system has failed to eliminate salmonella threat. Therefore, you need to take some precautions to protect yourself and your family from food poisoning or bacteria infection. Based on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and my own practice, I’ve compiled the following eggs/poultry safety Dos and Don’ts.

 

The Don’t list:

  1. Don’t eat raw or undercooked eggs.
  2. Don’t use raw eggs for salad dressing or homemade ice cream.
  3. Don’t handle food, esp. cooked food or ready-to-eat food before washing your hands.
  4. Don’t consume unpasteurized milk or any raw dairy products.
  5. Don’t eat restaurant dishes made with raw or undercooked eggs.
  6. Don’t prepare food or serve food/drink for others when you’re infected by salmonella.

The Do list:

  1. Do wash your hands thoroughly after handling poultry and anytime before preparing foods, especially cooked or ready-to-eat items.
  2. Do thoroughly wash the cutting board, involved counter surface, knives, utensils and containers/plates after handling uncooked poultry or foods.
  3. Do separate the cutting board or plates for raw food from those for cooked or uncooked ready-to-eat food to avoid cross-contamination; — a practice that many folks overlook.
  4. Do throw away any cracked or dirty eggs.
  5. Do keep eggs or egg-containing foods refrigerated at 45oF or lower.
  6. Do cook eggs until they are well-done (i.e., both yolks and whites are firm).
  7. Do judge or determine whether meat or poultry is cooked or safe to eat by a food thermometer when in doubt, not by food color or poking depth.
  8. Do make sure to cook any egg mixture (casseroles or cakes/pies) until the center of the mixture reaches a safe temperature level.

Third, is Salmonella infection linked to cancer risks?

The relationship between bacterial infection and cancer is rather complicated in the way that bacteria can either cause one type of cancer or protect from the other type of cancer or both. Here we only look at the link between salmonella bacteria and cancer – it’s like two sides of a coin.

There is a close association between mixed bacterial and salmonella infections with the carcinogenesis of cancer, particularly gallbladder cancer – a cancer with a poor prognosis. Even though one infection won’t get you cancer, repeated bacterial infections or chronic infections may lead to cancer development. Therefore, don’t overlook infection. As WHO advocated, preventing infection is one strategy to prevent cancer.

Reversely, the same bacterium, salmonella, has been found as a potential strategy to fight melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. Specifically, research showed that injecting salmonella (of course, in a safe form) into cancerous mice and cancer cells from human melanoma increased an immune-killing response to tumor cells through elevating immune surveillance.

In short, food hygiene and food safety measures are always worthwhile for your overall health.

Photo credits:  by andar; by g-point

The infection may be gone, but the risk may not.

My father had pulmonary tuberculosis nearly 4 decades ago. Clinically, it had been considered healed tuberculosis after timely treatment along with years of monitoring. Even until 2 years ago before diagnosis of lung cancer, the only thing showing on his chest X-ray was a localized calcification (i.e., calcium deposition, a mark of healed lesion in his case) without any visible changes. Also, he was symptomless concerning any upper-respiratory diseases. Unexpectedly, there were some lung malignancies clearly showing on his very last chest X-ray in 2009 — one that appeared significantly different compared with the one taken 2 years prior.

Virus_1259076_untitledThere are countless similar stories regarding the link between personal histories of infectious diseases and cancer. A friend of mine died of liver cancer in his 40s — a real tragedy given his age. It turned out that he had hepatitis (infected with hepatitis B virus) when he was young.

It’s scientifically proven with regards to infection-associated cancer. Pancreatic inflammation appears to increase the risk of pancreatic cancer, and some patients with pancreatic cancer had history of pancreatitis. A history of urinary tract infection is currently accepted as a risk factor for developing bladder cancer, and has been positively linked to the development of renal cell carcinoma (kidney cancer), with notably elevated risks for men with a history of smoking.

An infective agent is linked to some of the most common cancers. Human papilloma virus (HPV, also called “wart virus”) is responsible for cervical cancer, one of the most common cancers affecting women. A two-fold danger exists with this disease. First, HPV is highly transmissible and considered the most common sexually transmitted infection in most populations; second, most women infected with the virus may become negative within 2 years, or HPV infection can persist for years in the body without causing any problems. However, women with persistent high-risk HPV infections are at the greatest risk for developing cervical cancer. A recent study showed that a sexually transmitted bacterial infection (known as trichomoniasis) has been linked to increased risk for advanced prostate cancer – the illness that strikes nearly 200,000 American men each year.
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We can go on and on …

This doesn’t mean that you’ll develop cancer if you have any infection or inflammation, because infection alone usually does not lead to cancer. However, it does mean that you need to control your infection, get it treated timely, and thereafter be vigilant about any cancer risk factors and live a healthy lifestyle.

Photo credit: by Leonardini