OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effects of combination administration of hydrochlorothiazide and nitrendipine at low dosage in the treatment of rural hypertension patients.

METHODSBy the method of cluster random sampling, 5292 primary hypertension patients from Fuxin, Liaoning Province were divided into health education group (control group) and drug intervention group in June 2006. The drug intervention group were treated with hydrochlorothiazide, nitrendipine and captopril by stepwise approach and we observe the antihypertensive effect of drug and the effect on the onset of stroke.

RESULTSThe average follow-up time was 15 months. At last, 308 patients were lost to follow-up (the lost follow-up rate was 5.8 percent). The 4984 in cohort, including 2530 of intervention group and 2454 of control group, had examination of all indicators. Through health education and drug intervention, the average blood pressure in drug intervention group decreased by 16.1/9.4 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) while the average blood pressure in control group decreased by 6.7/3.5 mm Hg. The control rate of blood pressure in drug intervention group was higher than control group (33.1% vs. 15.1%, P < 0.001). Through drug intervention, the morbidity risk of nonfatal stroke in drug intervention group decreased by 57.3% compared to control group, the total morbidity risk of stroke decreased by 59.4%. The results had significant statistical difference. And, the morbidity of severe hypopotassaemia (K(+) < 3.0 mmol/L) and diabetes mellitus had no significant statistical difference between two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe low-cost antihypertensive program based on thiazide had good antihypertensive effect, high safety and good cost-effect ratio. The program could be used in rural areas of China.

Aged ; Antihypertensive Agents ; therapeutic use ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Hypertension ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitrendipine ; therapeutic use ; Patient Education as Topic ; Rural Population

Humans ; Moxibustion ; Depression ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Esophagitis, Peptic

OBJECTIVETo study viruses infecting Pinellia ternata in China.

METHODSymptom observation, DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR detection were applied.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONDuring a survey in early spring, SMV and CMV were both commonly distributed as main viruses infecting P. ternata collected from different areas in China. But DsMV was the virus which infected P. ternate in natural condition. The infection ratio of cultivated P. ternate by SMV and CMV were 71.4% and 14.3% respectively for 21 samples collected from Ningbo, Zhejiang province; 100% and 44.4% for 18 samples from Xiaoshan, Zhejiang province; 61.9% and 33.3% for 21 samples from Hebei province; 50.0% and 41.7% for 12 samples from Anhui province; 16.7% and 16.7% for 12 samples from Sichuan province; 31.3% and none for 16 samples from Beijing. And the infection ratio of 25 wild samples from different areas of China infected by SMV and CMV were both 20.0%.

China ; Cluster Analysis ; Cucumovirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; DNA, Complementary ; chemistry ; genetics ; Mosaic Viruses ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Pinellia ; virology ; Plant Diseases ; virology ; Plants, Medicinal ; virology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Through cluster multistage sampling,a resident group of 6 412 subjects with hypertension in the rural area of Liaoning province were recruited.According to IDF and NCEP-ATPm criteria the age-standardized prevalences of metabolic syndrome were 36.2%and 25.9%respectively.The prevalence of metabolic syndrome decreased with advancing age,but increased with rising of blood pressure.

OBJECTIVETo assess oral health-related quality of life in patients with fixed appliances.

METHODSOrthodontic patients were asked to complete the scale of general conditions (Chinese version, questionnaire 1) and oral health impact profile (OHIP) -14 (Chinese version, questionnaire 2). Baseline data were collected at first visit and thereafter. The subjects finished questionnaire 2 at the 1st week, 4th week, 12th week and 24th week, respectively, after the fixed appliance was bonded. Data were analyzed to evaluate the various sample groups with different personal information and clinical parameters. Results were collated and analyzed using software package SPSS version 15.0.

RESULTSThe most common negative effect was physical pain [55/222 (27.8%)] and psychological discomfort [40/222 (18.0%)], mainly in the first month. The total scores at five time points were 3, 10, 7, 5 and 4, respectively. No difference was found in quality of life in patients between sixth month with fixed appliance and without appliance (P > 0.05). Age and education status affected the quality of life (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSFixed orthodontic appliance therapy affected patients' oral health-related quality of life during treatment. The quality of life in the first month of treatment was mostly compromised and was improved later.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Malocclusion ; therapy ; Oral Health ; Orthodontic Appliances ; Quality of Life ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study was to explore the ability of discrimination of the AmpFlSTR Yfiler PCR amplification kit containing 17 Y-STR loci and the allelic mutation in the practice of paternity testing in Chinese population. 36 non-paternity father/son pairs and 84 confirmed father/son pairs, which had been previously genotyped by using Reliagene Y-PLEX 6 commercial kit and the "9 Y-STR multiplex with reduced-size amplicons" developed by our laboratory, were subjected to Y-STR genotyping at 17 loci using the AmpFlSTR Yfiler PCR amplification kit. 17 Y-STR loci were amplified in single multiplex and the PCR products were detected by using ABI Prism 3100 DNA Sequencer. The number of Y-STR exclusion for each non-paternity father/son pair and the mutation events for each confirmed father/son pair were calculated and the observed results were compared with our previous reported data determined by Reliagene Y-PLEX 6 kit and the "9 Y-STR multiplex with reduced-size amplicons". The results showed that out of 36 non-paternity father/son pairs subjected to Y-STR genotyping by using the AmpFlSTR Yfiler kit, one case with no Y-STR exclusion of paternity and 35 cases with more than 3 Y-STR exclusions for each father/son pair were observed. The percentage of cases with more than 3 Y-STR exclusions in all the tested non-paternity cases for Yfiler kit was 97.22% (35/36), which was more than that of Reliagene Y-PLEX 6 kit (92.11%, 35/38) and our "9 Y-STR multiplex with reduced-size amplicons" (91.67%, 33/36). Except for single father/son pair with no Y-STR exclusion, an average of 11.3 Y-STR exclusions was observed in other 35 non-paternity father/son pairs. In the 84 confirmed father/son pairs, 5 mutation events with a single unit repeat change at DYS437, DYS439, DYS635, DYS389II and DYS19, respectively, were identified using the Yfiler kit. The average mutation rate was estimated at 3.50 x 10(-3) per locus per generation. The cases with Y-STR mutation events in all tested confirmed father/son pairs for Yfiler system were 5.95% (5/84), which was significantly higher than that of Y-PLEX 6 (2.15%, 2/93) and "9 Y-STR multiplex with reduced-size amplicons" (no mutation events in the same 84 confirmed father/son pairs). It is concluded that the Yfiler kit which allowing simultaneous analysis of 17 Y-STR loci offers a high ability of discrimination for paternity testing, however, the Y-STR allelic mutation of the Yfiler system can not be neglected.
Chromosomes, Human, Y ; genetics ; Forensic Medicine ; methods ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Loci ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Microsatellite Repeats ; genetics ; Mutation ; Paternity

The discovery, sorting and identification methods as well as targeted drug delivery systems for cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been reviewed by consulting the recent research papers. CSCs have been believed to be responsible for the occurrence and development of chemo-resistance, leading to the failure of chemotherapy. Much progress has been made in the approaches for CSCs targeting drug delivery systems. The understanding and targeted drug delivery systems for CSCs are promising to provide an alternative for cancer therapy.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Drug Delivery Systems ; methods ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; drug effects ; pathology ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Wnt Signaling Pathway ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo assess the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its influencing factors in the breast cancer patients.

METHODS171 patients with stage II or operable stage III breast cancers were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery between January 2004 and May 2005. Of these, 160 received and completed > or =3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 11 received only 2 cycles. The regimens of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were: CEF (CTX, Epirubicin, 5-Fu); NE (Navelbine, Epirubicin); TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin, CTX). Response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated in all patients by palpation, ultrasonography and pathological methods.

RESULTSComplete response rate and clinical objective response rate determined by clinical palpation (cCR, cOR), ultrasonography (sCR, sOR) and pathology (pCR) was 18.7% and 88.3%; 4.1% and 74.9%; 15.2%, respectively. The correspondence rate of the pCR with cCR and sCR was 43.8% and 42.9%, respectively. It was showed by univariate analysis that patient whose tumor was < or =3 cm in diameter, or ER negative or grade 3 were more likely to achieve a pCR than those whose tumor was >3 cm, or ER positive or grade 1. Logistic regression analysis showed that only tumor size was the significant predictive factor for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with primary breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONPatient with small, or ER negative or grade 3 tumor may have better pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, particularly, the tumor size is more predictive of pCR. Palpation or ultrasonography may have a tendency either to under- or to overestimate pCR. Breast neoplasms/drug therapy;

Adult ; Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Breast Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Cyclophosphamide ; administration & dosage ; Epirubicin ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mastectomy ; methods ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Neoplasm Staging ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Remission Induction ; Taxoids ; administration & dosage ; Vinblastine ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives

OBJECTIVETo explore the influence of oxidized high-density lipoprotein (oxHDL) on the maturation and migration of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) from C57BL/6J mice.

METHODSThe C57BL/6J mice bone marrow cell suspension was prepared and purified. Recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rmGM-CSF) and recombinant interleukin-4 (rmIL-4) were used to promote monocytes to differentiate and suppress lymphocytes. Then 50 microg/mL oxHDL was added to stimulate BMDCs, using 50 microg/mL high-density lipoprotein (HDL) as homologous protein control, PBS as negative control, and 1 microg/mL lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as positive control. The CD86 and MHCII expression rates were detected with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Liquid scintillation counting (LSC) was used in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLRs) to reflect the ability of BMDCs in stimulating the proliferation of homologous T cells. Levels of cytokines IL-12 and IL-10 were detected by ELISA. The cell migration was evaluated with the transwell system.

RESULTSCompared with PBS group, the expressions of CD86 and MHCII, counts per minute of MLRs, secretion of IL-12 and IL-10, and number of migrated cells in oxHDL group and LPS group significantly increased (all P<0.05), while the increment was less in oxHDL group than LPS group. The number of migrated cells in oxHDL group was about twice of that in HDL group.

CONCLUSIONOxHDL may promote the maturation and migration of BMDCs in vitro.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Humans ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics