AIM:To analyze circulating miR-141 in the serum as a non-invasive biomarker in the patients with prostate cancer ( PCa) and benign prostate hyperplasia ( BPH) , and healthy individuals.METHODS: A total of 75 pa-tients with PCa, 52 with BPH and 40 healthy individuals were enrolled into this study.Total RNA was isolated from the se-rum samples and the circulating levels of miR-141 were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:The serum levels of miR-141 were significantly higher in the patients with PCa compared to the patients with BPH and the healthy controls (P<0.01).The level of miR-141 in PCa group obviously differed from that in BPH group and healthy control group with high diagnosis performance, with areas under the curve of 0.785 and 0.801, respectively. No statistically significant difference of the serum miR-141 levels between the patients with BPH and healthy individuals was observed (P>0.05).The serum miR-141 level was also found to be related to Gleason score, clinical stage and bone me-tastasis status of the patients with PCa (P<0.05), and the patients with higher Gleason scores had higher serum miR-141 levels.No relationship was detected between miRNA-141 level and the patient’ s age, biochemistry recurrence and serum prostate-specific antigen level (P>0.05 for all comparisons).CONCLUSION: Circulating miR-141 could serve as a non-invasive biomarker for prostate cancer diagnosis, staging and prognosis prediction.

A DNA fragment encoding recombinant human interleukin 11 (hrIL-11) was obtained by PCR from previously constructed pET24a-hrIL-11 plasmid. Then pET21a-hrIL-11 expression vector was constructed routinely and transformed into BL-21(DE3). By the induction of Isopropyl-1-thio-beta-D-galactoside (IPTG), hrIL-11 protein was highly expressed at about 20% of the total bacterial proteins and was identified by Western blot. After purification with Ni-NTA affinity chromatography and refolding with renaturation buffer, the purity of the target hrIL-11 protein reached 95% and its biology activity was 1 x 10(6) IU/mg, determined by stimulating the proliferation of T1165, which facilitates further researches into effects of IL-11 on platelet proliferation and other function.
Escherichia coli ; metabolism ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Interleukin-11 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; metabolism

[ Abstract] Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of preoperative three-dimensional radiotherapy (3DRT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy for esophageal carcinoma.Methods We retrospectively analyzed 103 esophageal carcinoma patients who received preoperative 3DRT with or without concurrent chemotherapy from 2004 to 2014 in Cancer Hospital CAMS.The median radiation dose was 40 Gy, and the TP or PF regimen was adopted for concurrent chemotherapy if needed.The overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival ( DFS) were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and the survival difference and univariate prognostic analyses were performed by the log-rank test.The Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate prognostic analysis.Results The number of patients followed at 3-years was 54.The 3-year OS and DFS rates were 61.1% and 54.9%, respectively, for all patients.There were no significant differences between the 3DRT and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) groups as to OS (P=0.876) and DFS (P=0.521).The rates of complete, partial, and minimal pathologic responses of the primary tumor were 48.0%, 40.2%, and 11.8%, respectively.There were significant differences in OS and DFS between the complete, partial, and minimal pathologic response groups (P=0.037 and 0.003). No significant difference in pathologic response rate was found between the 3DRT and CCRT groups (P=0.953).The lymph node metastasis rate was 26.5%, and this rate for the complete, partial, and minimal pathologic response groups was 14%, 30%, and 67%, respectively, with a significant difference between the three groups (P=0.001).The OS and DFS were significantly higher in patients without lymph node metastasis than in those with lymph node metastasis (P=0.034 and 0.020).The surgery-related mortality was 7.8% in all patients.Compared with the 3DRT group, the CCRT group had significantly higher incidence rates of leukopenia (P=0.002), neutropenia (P=0.023), radiation esophagitis (P=0.008), and radiation esophagitis ( P=0.023).Pathologic response of the primary tumor and weight loss before treatment were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS (P=0.030,0.024 and P=0.003,0.042). Conclusions Preoperative 3DRT alone or with concurrent chemotherapy can result in a relatively high complete pathologic response rate, hence increasing the survival rate.Further randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm whether preoperative CCRT is better than 3DRT in improving survival without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions.

Objective:To investigate the changes in the morphology, structure and function of the bladders and their effects on the upper urinary tract dilatation(UUTD) after lumbosacral nerve transecting in rats.Methods:A total of 45 female SD rats were included, randomly divided into 3 groups with 15 rats in each group. Two groups were performed bilateral lumbar 6(L6) and cauda equina nerve shearing to establish neurogenic bladder(NB) model, which were nerve transected for 4 weeks(NB-4W) group and nerve transected for 12 weeks(NB-12W) group. Another group was performed bilateral L6 nerves and cauda equine exposing but not transecting, which was sham-operation (Sham) group. Cystometry and renal ultrasound examination were performed and rats in each group were killed to collect the kidney and bladder tissues in NB-4W group at 4 weeks, in Sham group and NB-12W group at 12 weeks after operation. HE, Masson staining, immunohistochemical staining and western blot were used to detect histological changes, expression of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Results:All rats in NB-4W and NB-12W group showed acontractile detrusor. In the NB-4W and NB-12W group, the maximum cystometric capacity [(5.84±0.33) ml and (3.13±0.35) ml], the detrusor leak point pressure [(25.41±0.86) cm H 2O and (27.36±2.04) cm H 2O] (1 cm H 2O = 0.098 kPa), were significantly higher than those in the Sham group [(0.98±0.14) ml, (7.13±0.90) cm H 2O, both P<0.05]. Compliance in NB-4W group [(0.28±0.21) ml/cm H 2O] and NB-12W group [(0.17±0.12) ml/cm H 2O] were significantly lower than that of the Sham group [(0.34±0.26) ml/cm H 2O], and the compliance of NB-12W group was lower than that of NB-4W group significantly (all P<0.05). HE staining of the bladder showed that the inflammatory cell infiltration was obvious in the NB-4W and NB-12W group. Bladder collagen volume fractions in NB-4W group [(30.5±1.5) %] and NB-12W group [(45.2±3.8) %] were both higher than that of Sham group [(20.7±2.2) %, both P<0.05]. The expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA in the bladder tissue of NB-4W group were higher than those of sham group, and that of NB-12W group were higher than NB-4W group. In NB-4W group and NB-12W group, 3 (20.0 %) and 7 (46.7 %) rats were found hydronephrosis, respectively. Additionally, HE staining showed that the degree of renal tubule injury and the number of inflammatory cell infiltration in the NB-4W and NB-12W group were higher than those in the Sham group. Masson staining showed that the volume fraction of collagen in kidneys of NB-4W and NB-12W group were (13.1±1.4) % and (21.6±1.9) %, respectively, which were significantly higher than that in sham operation group [(4.6±0.7) %, both P<0.05]. Conclusions:Bilateral L6 + cauda equina nerve transecting can induce NB with hydronephrosis in parts of rats. The degree of bladder fibrosis gradually increased with the time of nerve transection, and the incidence and severity of UUTD also increased with the time of nerve transection.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the integration pattern of hospital-community on the grade-based management for hypertension in elders.
 METHODS: We randomly chosen 218 (male, n=121; female, n=97) primary senile hypertension patients from a Community Health Service Center of District in Changsha City, from June, 2013 to December, 2013. Based on the risky factors, the subjects were divided into three groups and every group received grade-based management on blood pressure with a integration pattern of hospital-community for six months. According to the HILL-BONE high blood pressure compliance scale and the self- designed blood pressure monitoring form, we assessed the effect of compliance and blood pressure control on senile hypertension patient. 
 RESULTS: Hypertension treatment rate for the elders ranged from 22.9% to 88.1% (P<0.01). The levels of blood pressure of the subjects were significantly decreased compared with baseline. The level of diastolic blood pressure in the low, average, high and very high-risk group was decreased by 17, 20 and 23 mmHg, respectively (P<0.01). The level of systolic blood in the low, average, high and very high-risk group was decreased by 6, 5 and 7 mmHg, respectively (P<0.01). The compliance rate of HILL-BONE hypertension rose from 54.5% to 87.4% (P<0.01).
 CONCLUSION The integration pattern of hospital-community with the grade-based management for hypertension significantly improved the senile hypertension control rate and compliance of drug treatment. The rational for drug usage rate rose obviously. The integration pattern of hospital-community with the grade-based management for elders deserves to spread.
Aged ; Blood Pressure ; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Community Health Services ; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated ; Disease Management ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; therapy ; Male ; Patient Compliance ; Risk Factors ; Systole