Objective To examine the difference of neurological soft signs (NSS) among the remittent schizophrenia patients,first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients and healthy controls.Methods The Cambridge Neurological Inventory (CNI) (the Chinese version) was administered to 86 remittent schizophrenia patients (patient group),86 first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients (relative group) and 86 healthy controls (control group).Results Compared with relative group,NSS total-score,the subscore of motor coordination and sensory integration were significantly higher in patient group (P＜0.01).Compared with control group,NSS total-score,the subscore of motor coordination and sensory integration were significantly higher in patient group (P＜0.01).Compared with control group,NSS total-score and the subscore of motor coordination were significantly higher in relative group (P＜0.01).Conclusions The levels of NSS in remittent schizophrenia patients and their first-degree non-psychotic relatives are higher than normal control,and the patients have more NSS than their relatives.The motor coordination nay be a potential endophenotype for schizophrenia.

BACKGROUNDGejiu in Yunnan Province is a region where the incidence of lung cancer is high among the miners of tin mine. Our previous research team successfully induced the malignant transformation of immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) by Gejiu mineral powder in vitro. The objective of this study is to explore the role of survivin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the pathway of the malignant transformation of BEAS-2B induced by Gejiu mineral powder.

METHODSProtein expression of survivn and PCNA in BEAS-2B cells and its malignant transformation cells was respectively evaluated by immunofluorescence cytochemistry staining technique and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS(1)The expression of survivin protein was negative in BEAS-2B cells and was positive in its malignant transformation cells by immunofluorescence cytochemistry staining techniques. And the protein level of PCNA was low in BEAS-2B cells and high in its malignant transformation cells. (2)The positive expression of survivin protein in BEAS-2B cells (0/20) was significantly lower than that in its malignant transformation cells (85%, 17/20) by immunohistochemistry (P < 0.001). And the labelling index (LI) of PCNA in BEAS-2B cells was significantly lower than that in its malignant transformation cells (P < 0.001). LI of PCNA in the malignant transformation cells of BEAS-2B with positive expression of survivin was significantly higher than that with negative expression of survivin (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS(1)The up-regulation expression of survivin in malignant transforma- tion cells of BEAS-2B suggests that survivin may play an important role in the pathway of malignant transformation in BEAS-2B cells induced by Gejiu mineral powder. It may give a proof for revealing the carcinogenesis of lung cancer in Gejiu miner. Survivin may be identified as a novel potential diagnostic and therapeutic target of lung cancer in Gejiu miner. (2)The up-regulation expression of PCNA in malignant transformation cells of BEAS-2B suggests that cell proliferation may play an important role in the pathway of malignant transformation. (3)Survivin may promote cell proliferation mediated by PCNA. Survivn and PCNA may play synergetic roles in the process of malignant transformation in BEAS-2B cells induced by Gejiu mineral powder.

Objective:To determine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FrND) scale among smoking male inpatients with schizophrenia.Methods:Two hundred and twenty smoking male inpatients,who met criteria for schizophrenia of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition (DSM-Ⅳ),were consecutively included.FTND scale and Russell's Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire (RRSQ) were used to assess subjects'severity of nicotine dependence and addiction score of the dimension of reason for smoking,respectively.According to the principle of voluntariness,37 subjects were selected and re-assessed with FTND scale after two-week interval.Reliability,correlation and factor analyses were used to examine the reliability and validity.Results:The Cronbach α (internal consistency) and two-week re-test reliability coefficients of FTND scale were 0.68 and 0.72 (P ＜0.01),respectively.The criterion related validity coefficient with addiction score of RRSQ was 0.53 (P ＜0.01).Two common factors were abstracted from the scale factor analysis,accounting for 52.4％ of the total variance.There were statistically significant differences between patients with different duration of illness,number of hospitalizations and age of smoking initiation (P ＜0.05).Conclusion:The Chinese version of FTND scale for smoking male inpatients with schizophrenia has a relatively low internal consistency and good re-test reliability,criterion related validity,construct validity and empirical validity.

Objective To explore difference of neuropsychological tests between the remitted schizophrenia patients and the first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients,and to explore the possible endophenotypes in cognitive function.Methods The MATRICSTM consensus cognitive battery was administered to 86 remittent schizophrenia patients (the patient group),86 first-degree non-psychotic relatives of schizophrenia patients (the relative group),and 86 healthy people (the control group).Results Compared with the control group,the patients group and the relative group showed poor performance on trail making test,brief assessment of cognition,hopkins verbal learning,mazes,category fluency,emotional intelligence test and continuous performance test (P＜0.05).There were significantly lower performances in the patient group than the relative groups on hopkins verbal learning,mazes,emotional intelligence test and continuous performance test (P＜0.05).Conclusion The remitted schizophrenia patients and their first-degree non-psychotic relatives have selective deficits in cognition function,among them,verbal leaning,attention/vigilance,reasoning and problem solving and social cognition may be potential endophenotypes for schizophrenia.