Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity in pleural fluid from 81 patients was measured by colorime-tric method. Of these cases, 55 cases were tuberculous pleural effusion, 22 cases were malignant pleura! effusion and 4 cases were transudate pleural effusion.The mean ADA, activity in pleural fluid of tuberculous group was 188.3?58.2u and that of malignant group was 52. 2?15. 4u. Statistically the difference is highly significant (p0.05). In tuberculous group, pleural fluid ADA levels higher than 110u were found in 53. cases (96.3%), and those above 120u were found in 52 cases (94.5%), while no case in malignat group had the ADA level higher than 90u, and in 20 cases it is lower than 70u (20/22 cases, 90.9%). These data suggest that pleural fluid ADA activity may be a useful index in the differential diagnosis of tuberculous and malignant pleural effusions.

Analgesia caused by ip baclofen 6. 4 a.nd 12. 8 mg/kg was examined by the hot plate method, showing no accompanied significant changes in 5-HT and 5-HIAA in mouse brains. After loading of L-tfyptophan, the analgesic effect of baclofen was markedly enhanced in both potency and duration, a.nd was related to increases in 5-HT and 5-HIAA in the brain0 Baclofen analgesia was still seen 3d after p-chloro-pheny 1-alanine treatment which rendered 5-HIAA level down to 39% of control. The enhanced functon of 5-HT system in the brain exerted significant synergic effect' on analgesic effect which, however, may be elicited by activating the GABA receptor.

Objective To investigate the correlation of K-ras gene mutations and activation of Hedgehog signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer cell lines.Methods Real-time PCR was used to detect K-ras gene mutations at codon 12 and 13 in pancreatic cancer cell lines of SW1990,PaTu8988,CFPAC-1,PANC1,AsPC-1,Capanc-2,BxPC-3 and the mRNA expression of Glil,Smo in these cell lines.Results The K-ras mutation of PANC1,CFPAC-1,AsPC-1,PaTu8988 was at codon 12,while SW1990 was at codon 13,BxPC-3,Capanc-2 were wild type.The expressions of Glil mRNA of AsPC-1,CFPAC-1,PANC1,PaTu8988,SW1990,BxPC-3,Capanc-2 were 7.84 ± 8.92,1.82 ± 3.45,1.00± 0.00,0.07 ± 0.10,0.88 ± 1.48,0.52 ± 0.98,0.15 ± 0.19,and the expressions of Smo mRNA were 144.00 ± 58.33,3.48 ±3.77,1.00 ±0.00,81.68 ±28.26,0.72 ±0.87,0.34 ±0.60,0.02 ±0.03.Glil,Smo mRNA expressions of cells with wild tpye K-ras were significantly lower than those with mutant type,and wild type BxPC-3's Glil,Smo mRNA expressions were significantly lower than that of mutant AxPC-1 (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Activation of Hedgehog signaling pathway may be related to K-ras gene mutations.

Objective To investigate the expression of DNA-methyltransferases 3B(DNMT3B)gene in human pancreatic carcinoma and to evaluate its relationship with elinicopathologic parameters.Methods 42 samples of pancreatic carcinoma tissues and 42 para-carcinoma tissues and 10 normal pancreatic tissues were collected and the expression of DNMT3B mRNA and protein Was detected by real.time PCR and immunohistochemistry techniques.Results The expression of DNMT3B mRNA(RQ level)in human pancreatic carcinoma tissues and para-carcinoma tissues,normal pancreatic tissues was 9.4±5.9,1.02±0.71 and 0,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The rate of expression of DNMT3B protein in human pancreatic carcinoma tissues,para-carcinoma tissues and normal pancreatic tissues were 83.3%,14.3%and 10%,respectively,and the difference wag also statistically significant(P<0.01).The expression of DNMT3B mRNA correlated significantly with clinical staging,differentiation degree of the tumor and lymph node metastasis(P<0.01 or P<0.05).The expression of DNMT3B protein correlated significantly with the location ofthe tumor and lymph node metastasis(P<0.01 or P<0.05).The expression of DNMT3B mRNA and protein Was not assecimed with age,sex,neural invasion,tumor size,sernm CEA and CA19-9.Conclusions Highly expressed DNMT3B mRNA and protein may indicate the lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in human pancreatic carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the expression of Fascin mRNA and its protein in human pancreatic carcinoma cell line and pancreatic cancer tissues and to explore the relationship between the expression of Fascin protein and the clinicopathologic parameters. Methods The expression of Fascin mRNA in pancreatic cancer cell lines (SW1990, Patu8988, BxPC3, cfPAC1) were measured by RT-PCR and the expression of Fascin protein in 54 samples of pancreatic career tissues and 42 adjacent normal pancreatic tissues was detected by immunohistochemical method. Results The expression of Fascin mRNA was confirmed in 3 of 4 pancreatic cancer cell lines (SW1990, Patu8988, cfPAC1), but not in the cell line of BxPC3; the rate of positive expression of Fascin protein in pancreatic cancer tissues was 64.81% (35/54) and there was no positive expression in adjacent normal pancreas tissues; the expression of Fascin protein correlated with the differentiation degree (P < 0.01) and with the lymphatic metastasis of the carcinoma (P <0.05), but not with the size and distant metastasis of the carcinoma (P > 0. 05). Conclusions Fascin protein was highly positively expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues, and the expression of Fascin protein may help diagnose pancreatic, carcinoma and predict the malignant degree.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of therapeutic ERCP for patients above 90 years of age.Methods The data of 37 patients of above 90 years who underwent 42 ERCP procedures from January 2001 to December 2009 were studied retrospectively and compared with those of 152 matched patients ( 168 procedures) below 65 years old at a 1∶4 ratio for success rate and complications.Results The rate of complete success,partial success,and failure in observation group was 73.81％ (31/42),19.05％(8/42) and 2.38％ (1/42),respectively,which were similar (P ＞0.05) with those in control group,with complete success rate at 85.12％ ( 143/168),partial success rate at 12.50％ (21/168) and failure rate at 2.38％ (4/168).The rate of terminated operation in observation group (4.76％,2/42) was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.00％,0,P =0.039).The overall rate of complication in observation group was 7.14％ ( 3/42 ),slightly higher than that of the control group ( 6.55％,11/168,P ＞0.05 ).There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding the rates and severity of such complications as pancreatitis,hemorrhage and infection ( P ＞ 0.05 ).No perforation or death was observed.Conclusion Therapeutic ERCP for patients of 90 years or older is safe and effective.Adverse events related to chronic concomitant diseases need early detection and proper management.