OBJECTIVETo investigate the expressions of stathmin gene and its coding protein in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, and to explore the relationship between stathmin gene and the biological behaviors of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma for understanding the tumorigenicity and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

METHODSLaryngeal carcinoma tissues (studying group) in the tumors center and laryngeal normal tissues (control group) parted from 1.0 cm of the safe borderline of the tumors were took from 38 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma while they were in operation. Semiquantitative method of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression level of stathmin mRNA, and immunohistochemical staining (frozen section) was used to detect the expressions of stathmin protein, in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and laryngeal normal tissues of 38 cases, respectively.

RESULTSmRNA of stathmin gene was all positively expressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and in laryngeal normal tissues of 38 cases by RT-PCR. However, stathmin mRNA was obviously overexpressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues than that in laryngeal normal tissues (t = 9.655, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining showed stathmin protein was positively expressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of 26 cases (26/38, 68.4%), and mild-positively expressed in laryngeal normal tissues in 13 cases (13/38, 34.2%). There was significant difference between the expression rate of stathmin protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and in laryngeal normal tissues (chi2 = 8.901, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression level of stathmin mRNA and the positive-expressed rate of stathmin protein in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the advanced stage patients group (III stage and IV stage) were significantly higher than these in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of I and II stage patients group (t = 6.284, chi2 = 5.810, P < 0.05), and they were also significantly higher in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the patients group with cervical lymph node metastasis than in laryngeal carcinoma tissues of the patients group without cervical lymph node metastasis (t = 9.350, chi2 = 6.923, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression levels of stathmin gene and protein were significantly higher in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma than these in laryngeal normal tissues, the levels are also significantly higher in advanced stage patients group (III stage and IV stage) than in the early stage patients group (I and II), and they are also related to the cervical lymph node metastasis of carcinoma. Stathmin gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma and may be related to its prognosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stathmin ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDRecent studies have identified signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) as a susceptibility gene for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in different populations. In order to examine whether the allele distribution of the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in gene STAT4 rs7574865 in patients with SLE is different from those of healthy controls in Chinese Northern Han population, we investigated whether the variants of STAT4 rs7574865 were associated with any specific clinical features of SLE.

METHODSWe genotyped SNPs in STAT4 rs7574865 in 252 patients with SLE and 497 healthy controls. All subjects were from the Northern part of Chinese Han population. The genotypes in rs7574865 were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and consequence direct sequencing of PCR products in the DNA samples.

RESULTSThere was a significant difference in distribution of the SNPs in rs7574865 between the SLE patients and healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, there was a significant correlation between TT genotypes in rs7574865 and the risk of SLE when GG genotype was used as a reference genotype after adjusting for gender and age. The frequency of T allele in the SLE patients was strongly significantly higher than that of healthy controls. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the distribution of SNP in rs7574865 between male and female SLE patients, when compared with healthy controls. The frequency of T allele in rs7574865 in male patients was significantly higher than that of male healthy controls or female patients. There was no significant correlation between the frequencies of T allele in STAT4 rs7574865 and the clinical features of SLE.

CONCLUSIONSThe SNP rs7574865 in STAT4 is strongly associated with risk of SLE in the Chinese Northern Han population. The TT genotype and T allele in STAT4 rs7574869 are susceptibility factors for SLE, especially for male SLE patients.

Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linkage Disequilibrium ; genetics ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; STAT4 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; Young Adult

Betulinic acid (BA) exerts protective effects on organs in septic animals. However, whether BA can improve cardiac function in sepsis and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. Here, male Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with BA (25 mg/ kg/ d, i. g.) for 5 days and then intraperitoneally injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 10 mg/ kg). The rats were anesthetized to determine transthoracic echocardiography using a high-resolution imaging system for small animals after they were treated with LPS for 6 h. Histopathologic alterations were examined by HE staining. Myocardial injury markers (cTnI and CK-MB) and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) in the serum were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Autophagy-related proteins (p62 and LC3 Ⅱ) and AKT-modulated autophagy pathways in the myocardium were determined by Western blotting. Pretreatment with BA markedly improved left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and fraction shortening (FS) (P<0. 05), improved myocardial histomorphology, and significantly inhibited cTnI, CK-MB, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 (P<0. 05) in the septic rat serum. BA markedly decreased p62 (P<0. 01), increased LC3 Ⅱ (P< 0. 001), and significantly down-regulated p-AKT (Thr308), p-AMPKα (Ser485/ 491), p-mTOR (Ser2448) and p-S6K (Thr389) (P<0. 05), while markedly up-regulated p-AMPKα (Thr172) and pULK1 (Ser317) (P<0. 01) in septic rat hearts. The findings indicate that BA can attenuate sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunctions associated with down-regulating autophagy inhibiting pathways mediated by AKT/ mTOR and AKT/ AMPK pathways.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of Tiaohe Yinyang acupotomy (acupotomy for regulating and harmonizing yin and yang) for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: A total of 88 patients with KOA were randomized into a acupotomy group and a sham-acupotomy group, 44 cases in each group. In the acupotomy group, acupotomy was applied at yin side (4-5 high stress points i.e. pes anserinus and terminal of popliteus) and yang side (1-2 high stress points i.e. stimulation point of infrapatellar ligament and suprapatellar bursa) of knee joint. In the sham-acupotomy group, sham-acupotomy was applied at the same points as the acupotomy group. The treatment was given once a week for 2 weeks in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities arthritis index (WOMAC) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, thickness of medial and lateral collateral ligaments of knee joint, motion range of knee joint and plantar pressure distribution were observed in the two groups. In the follow-up of 3 months after treatment, the WOMAC and VAS scores were recorded in the acupotomy group. RESULTS: After treatment, the sub item scores (pain, stiffness and function) and total scores of WOMAC and VAS scores were decreased in the both groups (P<0.05), pain score, function score and total score of WOMAC and VAS score in the acupotomy group were lower than those in the sham-acupotomy group (P<0.05). Before and after treatment, there were no statistical differences in thickness of medial and lateral collateral ligaments of knee joint and motion range of knee joint between the two groups (P>0.05). After treatment, the plantar medial pressure was increased while the plantar lateral pressure was decreased (P<0.05), and the plantar force line moved medially in the acupotomy group. In the follow-up, the sub item scores and total score of WOMAC and VAS score were lower than those before and after treatment in the acupotomy group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Tiaohe Yinyang acupotomy can improve the clinical symptoms of knee joint in patients with KOA by changing the local biological stress.
Humans ; Social Group ; Pain