AIM:To investigate the pooled association between estrogen receptor α( ESRα) rs2234693 poly-morphism and prostate cancer risk .METHODS:A systematic literature search was performed to identify the related stud-ies (up to April 2014) in several online databases including PubMed , the CNKI and Wanfang online libraries .Odds ratios with 95%confidence intervals were used to calculate the strength of association in the random effect model .RESULTS:A total of 20 studies including 4 623 cases and 9 850 controls were enrolled in the final meta-analysis.The results indicated that ESRαrs2234693 polymorphism was significantly associated with prostate cancer risk (P<0.05) in a dominant genetic model.In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity , there were significant associations between ESRαrs2234693 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk in Caucasians ( P<0.05 ) , but not in Asians and Africans ( both P>0.05 ) .CONCLUSION:This meta-analysis suggests that ESRαrs2234693 polymorphism is significantly associated with prostate cancer risk , espe-cially in Caucasians .

Objective To explore the clinical and pathological features of primary IgA nephrology in patients of different gender.Methods The clinical manifestations,laboratory examination and renal pathology results were compared in 192 IgA nephrology patients.Results Not only the onset age of the male patients was older than that of the female ones (P<0 .05 ),but also the course of disease before the kidney biopsy of male patients was longer than that of the female ones (P<0.05).Besides,the proportion of edema in the male patients was lower (P<0.05).The mean arterial pressure,hemoglobin and 24 h urine protein levels were higher in the male patients at the time of kidney biopsy.Besides,the proportions of high blood pressure,hyperuricemia and hypertriglyceridemia were all higher in the male patients.Furthermore,eGFR of the male patients was lower than that of the female ones (P<0 .05 ).There was a significant difference in the gender distribution of clinical and pathological types (χ2=12.666,P<0.05),and the male and female patients also significantly differed in the 24 h urine protein and CKD grouping (Z=-3.118,Z=-3.246,P<0.05).However,there was no significant sex difference in Lee pathology grading or immunofluorescence type (Z=-1.881,χ2 =-0.187,P>0.05 ).Patients of different gender significantly differed in the renal-interstitial lesions grading (Z=-3.0432,P<0.05);to be more specific,the scores of glomerulosclerosis and renal tubule interstitia were higher in the male patients (P<0.05).Conclusion Patients of different gender differ in the clinical and pathological features of primary IgA nephrology.And clinical pathology of male patients is worse than that of female ones.

Objective To investigate the levels and clinical value of the peripheral blood CD154 and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods 20 patients with AS and 20 healthy donors were studied.Flow cytometry was used to analyze the levels of the peripheral blood CD154,CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells and HLA-B27.And T-test,Spearman correlation analysis were used in statistical analysis.Results The level of the peripheral blood CD154 was significantly higher in AS patients than that in normal controls [(4.38 ± 1.64) ％ vs.(1.92 ± 1.13) ％ (t =5.836,P ＜ 0.05)],and the level of the peripheral blood CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells was lower in AS patients than that in normal controls [(3.87 ± 1.11) ％ vs.(6.30 ± 1.46) ％ (t =6.254,P ＜ 0.05)].There was negative correlation between the peripheral blood CD154 and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in AS (r =-0.539,P ＜ 0.05).No relationship of the peripheral blood CD154,CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells with laboratory parameters were found in AS.Conclusion The levels of the peripheral blood CD154 and CD4+CD225+FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in AS are abnormal,and may be involved in the immunological pathogenesis of AS.

Objective To investigate the role and value of interleukin (IL)-17,receptor activator of nuclear factors κB-ligand (RANKL),osteoprotegerin (OPG) in the pathogenesis of AS by detecting the expression of IL-17,RANKL,OPG.Methods IL-17,RANKL,OPG in 44 AS and 15 healthy controls were measured by ELISA.HLA-B27 was measured by flow cytometry.T-test,Spearman's correlation analysis were used for statisical analysis.Results ① Serum IL-17 [(45±12) pg/ml],RANKL [(354±96) pg/ml] levels and RANKL/OPG [(6.5±3.4) pg/ml] ratio were significantly higher in AS patients than those in normal controls (t=11.18,P＜0.05; t=18.66,P＜0.05; t=15.48,P＜0.05),and the serum RANKL levels was higher in AS patients in middle and late period than that in AS patients in early stage (t=47.02,P＜0.05).The serum OPG levels was higher in AS patients in middle and late period than that in AS patients in early stage (t=15.48,P＜0.05).② There were positive linea correletion,respectively,between the serum levels of IL-17 and RANKL (r=0.532,P=O.021),and between serum levels of IL-17 and disease activities of BASDAI (r=0.625,P=0.023),between serum levels of RAN KL and disease activities of BASDAI (r=0.431,P=0.016).Conclusion The surem levels of IL-17 and RANKL are increased in AS patient.

Objective To analyze the structures and molecular weight distributions of the capsular polysaccharides from 6 serotypes of pneumococcus .Methods The structures of pneumococcal capsular pol-ysaccharides of 6 serotypes were analyzed by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance ( NMR) .Chemical shifts of all characteristic protons were investigated to analyze polysaccharide integrity and inter -assay consistency .High performance size exclusion chromatography-multi angle laser light scattering ( HPSEC-MALLS) was used to measure the molecular weights .Results The chemical shifts of all characteristic protons of the pneumococ-cal capsular polysaccharides of 6 serotypes were consistent with the standard chemical shift .The weight-aver-age molecular mass of the pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides ranged from 7.182×104 g/mol(for serotype 19A) to 1.273×106 g/mol(for serotype 9V)examined by HPSEC-MALLS.Conclusion The structures and molecular weight distributions of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides could be rapidly and effectively ana -lyzed by 1 H NMR and HPSEC-MALLS.Moreover, C-PS and acetate contained in capsular polysaccharides could also be detected .HPSEC-MALLS is an applicable method for the quantitative analysis of molar mass distributions in different serotypes of pneumococcal capsular polysaccharides . Although 1 H NMR and HPSEC-MALLS have been accepted as the quality control measurements by WHO , to use them as the re-placements of the traditional QC method still needs further investigation .

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the TCM Syndrome Differentiation-types of congestive heart failure (CHF) and thyroid hormones, including triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), as well as cardiac function parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), mean velocity of circumferentid fiber shortening (mVcf) and A peak/E peak (A/E).

METHODSOne hundred patients with CHF were divided into 4 Syndrome Differentiation-type groups, their cardiac function parameters, ANP and thyroid hormones were determined and compared with those in the 23 subjects in the control group.

RESULTSIn CHF patients with edema and blood stasis Syndrome type, the level of plasma ANP was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05); level of T3 was significantly lower than that in the control group and in CHF patients of other three (Xin-qi deficiency, Yin-deficiency and blood stasis) Syndrome groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05 and P < 0.01); levels of LVEF and mVcf were significantly lower than those in the other three Syndrome groups (all P < 0.01). Level of T4 in other three Syndrome groups significantly increased than that in the edema and blood stasis Syndrome type. A/E value showed a higher level in patients of all TCM type than that in the control (P < 0.01). Correlation analysis showed that T3 was positively correlated with LVEF and T4 (r = 0.200, P < 0.05, and r = 0.293, P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with ANP (r = -0.263, P < 0.01); T4 was negatively correlated with A/E (r = -0.226, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe lowering of T3 and T4 and increasing of ANP may be one of the important reasons for lowering of LVEF in CHF patients with edema and blood stasis Syndrome-type. The decrease of T4 may be one of the important reasons for elevation of A/E and aggravation of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in CHF patients of all the 4 TCM Syndrome-types.

Adult ; Aged ; Atrial Natriuretic Factor ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Heart Failure ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Contraction ; Stroke Volume ; physiology ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; Thyrotropin ; blood ; Thyroxine ; blood ; Triiodothyronine ; blood ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Function, Left