ObjectiveTo evaluate the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).MethodsTotally 101 male patients with MS and 117 male patients without MS were enrolled from September 2008 to January 2010 in the department of geriatrics of Peking University People's Hospital.The MS diagnosis was made according to the criteria by Chinese Diabetes Society (2004).Blood pressure,body weight,body height,body mass index (BMI) were measured and calculated.Biochemical analyses including serum fasting blood glucose (FBG),total cholesterol ( TC),triglycerides (TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were performed.Total prostate volume (PV) were measured by ultrasound.ResultsPV in patients with MS[(39.7±21.1)m1] was significantly larger than in patients without MS[(30.7±9.3)ml] (P＜ 0.05).There was no difference in PSA level between groups (P＞ 0.05).PV were positively correlated with BMI(r=0.27,P=0.019),hypertension duration(r=0.37,P=0.01),PSA(r=0.51,P=0.001),FBG(r=0.24,P=0.013) and systolic blood pressure(SBP)(r=0.20,P=0.047),but negatively correlated with HDL-C ( r = - 0.24,P = 0.013 ).Conclusions BMI,hypertension duration,PSA,FBG,SBP,and lower HDL-C may play roles in the pathogenesis of prostatic hvperplasia.

Objective To test the hypothesis that calpain 10 gene (CAPN 10) contributes to the genetic susceptibility to type 2 diabetes in Chinese population.Methods Case control study. PCR RFLP method was used to determine the distribution of allele and genotype frequencies of SNP43 polymorphism (G/A) and SNP 19 polymorphism (1/2) in the intron 3 of calpain 10 gene in 211 type 2 diabetes patients and 127 normal control subjects. Results The frequency of "G" allele of the SNP43 in type 2 diabetes patients was significantly increased as compared with that in the control subjects (91.9% vs 85.8%, P =0.01). The distribution of allele and genotype frequency of the SNP19 (1/2) polymorphism were equal in diabetes and control groups.In addition, we also observed the association between GG genotype and increased body mass index and waist to hip ratio in the control group.Conclusion This study suggested that calpain 10 gene may contribute to the genetic susceptibility of type 2 diabetes in Chinese population.

Objective To investigate the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in elderly men in Beijing.Methods Totally 370 elderly men with an average age of (76.6±9.3) years from the departments of gerontology were included.BMD,echocardiography measurements as well as blood chemistry were analyzed.LVMI was obtained by echocardiography.All the subjects were divided into two groups:non-LVH group (n=231) and LVH group (n =139).Differences in quantitative variables were tested by independent-sample t test.Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis were performed to identify determinants of LVMI.Results The serum creatinine concentration was significantly higher in LVH group than in non-LVH group [(97.1±43.0) μmol/L,(88.2±21.1) μmol/L (P＜0.05)].Compared with non-LVH group,LVH group showed that the lumbar spine BMD (L1-L4) were significantly lower[L1:(0.90±0.16) g/cm2 vs.(0.95±0.21) g/cm2,P=0.05; L2:(0.95±0.17) g/cm2 vs.(1.01±0.20) g/cm2,P＜0.01 ; L3:(0.99±0.19) g/cm2 vs.(1.06±0.28) g/cm2,P＜0.01] as well as the lumbar spine totalBMD [(0.97±0.18) g/cm2 vs.(1.03-1-0.26) g/cm2,P＜0.05].The femur BMD was lower in theLVH group than in non-LVH group [trochiter:(0.64±0.11) g/cm2 vs.(0.67±0.17) g/cm2,P＜0.05; inter area:(1.00±0.17) g/cm2 vs.(1.05±0.22) g/cm2,P＜0.05].Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis demonstrated that BMI (r=0.27,P＜0.01),the lumbar spine BMD (r=-0.20,P＜0.01),age (r=0.16,P＜0.05),serum creatinine (r=0.15,P＜0.05) were independently correlated with LVMI.Conclusions In elderly men in Beijing,the lumbar spine BMD is an independent correlative factor for LVMI.

Fifty-five cases of cirrhotic ascites complicated with primary peritonitis were treated and analysed clinically. The results showed that high fever and diarrhea were common and severe, and the positive rate of the ascitic culture, rich in B. coli, was higher in the death group, while tenderness and reboun ding pain were prominent and typical in the survival group. The total mortality was 67.27% and the survival rate was 25.45%. 32 out of the 76 cases (some of them had been treated repeatedly) of primary peritonitis were cured (42.11%). The state of restoring health in relation to the drug sensitivity, the mode of administration and the duration of therapy were fully discussed. It was believed that the combined therapy was more effective than the single one, and the duration of the two weeks' treatment seemed to be most suitable. The early diagnosis, effective therapy and prevention were the key points for a good prognosis and better survival rate.

The relationship of cause-result between low selenium (Se) and Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) was probed by the prospective study of epidemiological method with regarding low-Se as an exposure factor in this paper. 597 healthy children lived in KBD areas with low, middle and high prevalence were divided into the low-Se exposed group and the non-low-Se exposed group according to their Se content in hair. The low-Se exposed group was divided into three subgroups, such as Se content in hair≤110 ng/g, 110 ng/g＜Se content in hair≤150 ng/g and 150 ng/g＜Se content in hair≤200 ng/g, respectively. Six new cases of the total with KBD (incidence was 0.574% person-year) were found in the low-Se exposed group during three years period of the investigation. No new case was found in the non low-Se exposed group . KBD incidence was not significantly different between those two groups. Two new cases were found in children with Se content in hair kept below 110 ng/g during three years (incidence: 1.21% person-year). SMR in each group indicated that the new cases observed in the low-Se exposed group was remarkable lower than the new cases expected. It was not observed that the dose-response relationship between low-Se and KBD, and was not supported that the low-Se was a predominant factor to cause KBD.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between insulin resistance and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).Methods Totally 150 male patient from the Department of Geriatrics in Peking University Hospital were included in this study.Blood pressure,body weight,body height,body mass index (BMI) were measured and calculated.Biochemical analyses including serum fasting levels of insulin(FINS),glucose,total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,high density lipoprotein cholesterol,and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) were performed.Total prostate volume (PV) were measured by ultrasound.Results PV and annual prostate growth rate were more increased in insulin resistance group(40 cases) compared with insulin sensitivity group(110 cases) (t=2.91,3.71 respectively,both P＜0.01).Along with the levels of FINS,HOMA-IR and PSA were increased,the prostate volume was enhanced (t=-3.02,-2.88,-2.84 respectively;all P ＜0.05).PV was positively correlated with insulin resistance,serum fasting insulin and PSA (r=0.16,0.16,0.35;all P＜0.05),while annual prostate growth rate was positively related with insulin resistance,serum fasting insulin,PSA and BMI (r =0.22,0.21,0.24,0.19 ; all P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Insulin resistance and fasting insulin plays roles in the pathogenesis of prostatic hyperplasia.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D level and prostatic hyperplasia in elderly men.Methods Totally 95 male patients aged over 60 years were included.Blood pressure,body weight,body height,body mass index (BMI) were measured and calculated.Venous blood samples were obtained to determine fasting serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 and blood glucose (FBG),total cholesterol (TC),triglycerides (TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),calcium and prostate specific antigen (PSA),total prostate volume(PV) and annual prostate growth rate were measured and calculated by ultrasound.Results The serum 25 (OH) D3 levels were varied from 12.1 nmol/L to 83.9 nmol/L,with an average of (35.5±15.2) nmol/L in elderly male patients.PV growth rate were significantly lower in elderly men with 25 (OH) D3 ＞ 50 nmol/L than in elderly men with 25 (OH) D3≤50nmol/L[(31.5± 6.0) mlvs.(39.9 ± 14.5) ml,(0.4± 0.2) ml/yvs.(0.5 ± 0.4) ml/y,P＜0.001 or 0.01].PV was negatively correlated with serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level (r=-0.207,P＜0.05),and positively correlated with BMI and PSA (r=0.297,0.958,P＜0.05 or and P＜0.001).While annual prostate growth rate was positively correlated with BMI and PSA (r=0.316,0.464,P＜0.01 or ＜0.001),and positively correlated with serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level,but the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05).Conclusions Low serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 level may play a role in the pathogenesis of prostatic hyperplasia.

BACKGROUND: As a primary clinical predictor of fracture risk, bone mineral density (BMD) is partly genetically determined. Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is one important candidate gene in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between T245G polymorphisms in the OPG gene and BMD. METHODS: A total of 281 elderly men and postmenopausal women, 182 males and 99 females, who received routine examinations at Peking University People's Hospital between September 2008 and April 2010 were included in this study. T245G polymorphisms in the OPG gene was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism together with DNA sequencing. The BMD of the lumbar spine, Ward's triangle, and forearrm was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Clinical variables and biochemical measurements were collected simultaneously. The association between T245G polymorphisms and each detection index was analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The distribution of T245G genotype (alleles T, G) had no difference in elderly men or postmenopausal women (P > 0.05). The GG genotype and TG genotype had higher lumbar spine BMD and TT genotype had lower lumbar spine BMD (P < 0.05). There was no difference in BMD of the Ward's triangle or forearm among different genotypes (P > 0.05). Association between T245G polymorphism and BMD was not found in postmenopausal women. These findings indicate that OPG gene is related to lumbar spine BMD in elderly men.

Tree shrews have an excellent visual system, their cones accounted for 96%of the photorecepter cells, so that their color vision and stereo vision are well developed.With their rich resources and low cost, tree shrews have been considered as an ideal animal model in eye research in comparative medicine and genomics research.The ophthalmological research on tree shrew mainly focused on the establishment of myopia model, as well as the changes in myopic sclera and choroids, and the basic studies of their retina, optic and visual cortex.This paper reviewed the basic ophthalmological re-search of tree shrew.

Objective To predict the biological process and signaling pathways in which hsa-miR-1908 might be in-volved by a series of bioinformatics analysis, so as to lay foundations and provide theoretical basis for the further studies of hsa-miR-1908 biological function in human preadipocytes. Methods The sequence of hsa-miR-1908 was acquired from miR-Base database, and target genes of hsa-miR-1908 were predicted by miRanda, and then the intersection of the results and the results of gene-chip as gene set were further analyzed by gene ontology and pathway enrichment. Results The hsa-miR-1908 had some conserved property among different species. The functions of the target genes were enriched in Wnt receptor signal-ing pathway through beta-catenin, cell cycle, cell apeptosis and other biological processes. The GnRH signaling, MAPK sig-naling, insulin signaling, cell cycle signal transduction pathways and signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer were signiifcantly enriched. Conclusions The target genes set of hsa-miR-1908 were enriched in multiple biological process which are related with the obesity. This study provides guidance for the further study in human preadipocytes.