Objective To evaluate the level of MMP-2 and COX-2 Protein in bladder transitional cell carcinoma tissue and explore their relationships. Methods A total of 42 patients with bladder transitional cell carcinoma, including Ta-T1 (n=18), T2-T4 (n=24), G1(n=12), G2 (n=19), G3 (n=11), metastasis (n=26) and without metastasis (n=16), were enrolled in the study. Eight normal bladder tissues were selected as control group. Western blotting was performed todetect the mRNA level of MMP-2 and COX-2. Results The relative COX-2 protein level of Ta-T1 (0.729±0.458), T2-T4 (1.248±0.425), G1 (0.61±0.486), G2 (1.055±0.406), G3 (1.422±0.341) were all higher than that of the control group significantly (0.31±0.149, t = 3.56, 4.13; F = 5.98, P ＜0.05). The relative MMP-2 protein level of Ta-T1 (0.844±0.345), T2-T4 (1.458±0.463), G1 (0.971 ±0.370), G2(1.445±0.378), G3 (1.755±0.387) were all higher than that of the control group (0.460±0.213, t = 3.91, 4.83;F = 6.35, P ＜0.05). The COX-2 and MMP-2 protein level in tumor tissues with and without metastasis were 1.246±0.426 vs 0.668±0.421, 1.430±0.461 vs 0.814±0.341, t = 5.89, 6.27, P ＜0.01, respectively. The level of COX-2 protein was positively correlated with MMP-2 positively (r =0.48, P ＜0.01). Conclusion MMP-2 and COX-2 protein are highly expressed in bladder transitional cell carcinoma tissue and their expression is positively correlated with the malignant degree. MMP-2 and COX-2 might play a synergetic role in the carcinogenesis of bladder transitional cell carcinoma.

Objective Both decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and arterial stiffness were considered as risk factors for atherosclerosis. Previous studies have suggested the association between central arterial stiffness and the degree of GFR loss. Whether decreased GFR contributes to peripheral artery stiffness remains controversial. Moreover, data analyzed from a cohort of Chinese women are rare. Our aim was to explore the relationship between GFR and regional arterial stiffness in Chinese women. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 1131 adult women residents with GFR ≥ 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 estimated by the Chinese Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation from three large communities. Central and peripheral arterial stiffness were estimated simultaneously by measuring carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWVcf) and carotid-radial PWV (PWVcr) using a validated automatic device. Augmentation Index at heart rate 75 beats/minutes (AIx-75) was measured by pulse wave analysis as a composite parameter reflecting both large and distal arterial properties. Results The mean estimated GFR (eGFR) of the study group was 100.05 ± 23.26 mL/minute per 1.73 m2. Subjects were grouped by tertiles of eGFR level. PWVcf and AIx-75 increased ongoing from the top to the bottom eGFR tertile, while the values of PWVcr were comparable. Both univariate Pearson correlations and multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that eGFR significantly correlated to PWVcf, but not to PWVcr and AIx-75. Conclusions In Chinese women with normal to mildly impaired renal function, decreased eGFR affected carotid-to-femoral rather than carotid-to-radial stiffening. This provides rational to conduct future prospective studies to investigate predictors of atherosclerosis in this population.