Abdominal Neoplasms ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Adult ; Dendritic Cell Sarcoma, Follicular ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Ki-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Leukocytosis ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Receptors, Complement 3b ; metabolism ; Receptors, Complement 3d ; metabolism ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA)-expressing CD8+T cells have been known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, the mechanisms underlying the loss of self-tolerance remain unclear. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in the development of homeostasis in the immune system. We, therefore, hypothesized that a reduced ability of Tregs to inhibit autologous CD8+CLA+T cells might be underlying mechanism in AD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CD8+CLA+T cells and Tregs were obtained from the peripheral blood of AD patients and control volunteers. The frequencies of CD8+CLA+T cells were evaluated. The proliferative responses of CD8+CLA+T cells were assessed by flow cytometry, and the levels of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in culture supernatants were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Our results revealed higher frequency and increased expression of perforin and granzyme-B in peripheral CD8+CLA+T cells in AD, and lower inhibitory ability of Tregs on proliferation of CD8+CLA+T cells in AD. Meanwhile, the levels of TGF-beta1 produced by Tregs were significantly lower in AD, and anti-TGF-beta1 abolished such suppression. CONCLUSION: The attenuated inhibitory ability of Tregs on hyper-activated autologous CD8+CLA+T cells, mediated by TGF-beta1, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD.
Adult ; Aged ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/drug effects/*immunology ; Case-Control Studies ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Separation ; Dermatitis, Atopic/*immunology/pathology ; Female ; Granzymes/metabolism ; Humans ; Interleukin-10/metabolism ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Perforin/metabolism ; Skin/*immunology/pathology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/drug effects/immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/drug effects/*immunology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo compare the differences of expressions of adenylyl cyclase (AC) and phosphodiesterase (PDE) in ejaculated spermatozoa between healthy volunteers and the patients with asthenospermia.

METHODSEjaculated spermatozoa were collected from healthy volunteers and the patients with asthenospermia. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect mRNA expression of AC and PDE subtypes in human spermatozoa. The concentrations of cAMP and cGMP in the samples were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSCompared with healthy volunteers, expression of sAC mRNA and concentration of cAMP were significantly decreased in the patients with asthenospermia (P < 0.01) , while the expression of PDE4C mRNA was significantly increased at the same time (P <0.01). There were no marked differences in the expression of ACIII mRNA and concentration of cGMP between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONThe sAC down-regulation and PDE4C up-regulation are possible reasons for asthenospermia.

Adenylyl Cyclases ; biosynthesis ; Asthenozoospermia ; metabolism ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases ; biosynthesis ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Spermatozoa ; metabolism

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; complications ; mortality ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; complications ; mortality ; Male ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating ; Prognosis ; Thrombosis ; etiology ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Objective Data mining method was used to analyze the Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites collected from the major domestic literature databases and the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions),so as to explore their potential prescription and medication rules,and to provide references for the treatment of venomous snake bites in the primary hospitals.Methods The Chinese herbal prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bites were retrieved from the CNKI,VIP and Wanfang databases,and the ancient formulas for treating venomous snake bites were screened in the surgery volume of Zhong Hua Yi Fang(Chinese Medical Prescriptions).Excel software was used to extract the relevant information of the formulas,and R language was used to analyze the medication frequency,properties,flavors and meridian tropism of the herbs as well as their association rules and clustering analysis.Results A total of 187 prescriptions for oral use in treating venomous snake bite were obtained,involving 284 Chinese herbal medicines.The top 15 Chinese herbal medicines in decreasing sequence of medication frequency were Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Angelicae Dahuricae Radix,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,Paridis Rhizoma,Rehmanniae Radix,Coptidis Rhizoma,Scutellariae Radix,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Paeoniae Radix Rubra,Moutan Cortex,Hedyotis Diffusae Herba,Imperatae Rhizoma,Plantaginis Herba,and Scutellariae Barbatae Herba.The flavor of herbs in the prescription for the treatment of venomous snakebite was usually bitter,pungent and sweet,and their property was relatively cold.Most of the herbs had the meridian tropism of the liver meridian and lung meridian.The core prescription mainly composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,and Paridis Rhizoma was obtained after association rule analysis and cluster analysis.Conclusion The herbs for the treatment of venomous snake bites often have the actions of clearing heat and removing toxins,and the prescription is usually composed of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma,Lobeliae Chinensis Herba,Paridis Rhizoma together with the compatibility of medicines for clearing heat and cooling blood,extinguishing wind and arresting convulsion,clearing heat and promoting urination.

OBJECTIVETo analyze the distribution features of Gleason score and evaluate the relationship between Gleason score and clinical stages in patients with prostate cancer.

METHODSSurveys were made of the inpatients with prostate cancer diagnosed by pathology from January 1992 to June 2005 in our hospital. Gleason score and clinical stages were determined on the basis of pathological examination and clinical data of the prostate cancer patients. The patients were divided into three groups (1992-1999, 2000-2002 and 2003-2005). The Chi-square test was used to evaluate the distribution and differences of Gleason score among the three groups. Spearman rank correlation was applied to the evaluation of the relationship between Gleason score and clinical stages.

RESULTSWe found a statistically significant shift in the distribution of Gleason score (chi2 = 17.703, P < 0.01), and a slight increase in the mean Gleason score. The proportion of moderately differentiated tumor increased (chi2 = 10.736, P < 0.01). There was little change in the proportion of Gleason score 7, 8, 9 and 10 (chi2 = 4.038, P > 0.05). Gleason score had a significant positive correlation with clinical stages in the 346 cases of prostate cancer (r = 0.452, P < 0.01). Significant difference was observed between Gleason score 2-6 and 7 or 8-10 (chi2 = 8.786, P < 0.01, chi2 = 22.956, P < 0.01), but not between the latter 2 groups (chi2 = 0.787, P > 0.05) in prediction of organ-confined disease.

CONCLUSIONSGleason score 7 shows the similar value to Gleason score 8-10 in predicting the progression of the disease. Gleason score was significantly correlated with clinical stages, which suggests that Gleason score is also an important indicator for the prognosis of prostate cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology ; Retrospective Studies

AIMTo explore the feasibility and safety of greenlight photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) on high-risk patients presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and to evaluate their clinical and voiding outcome.

METHODSA total of 85 high-risk patients with obstructive BPH underwent PVP with an 80 W potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser, which was delivered through a side-deflecting fiber with a 23 Fr continuous flow cystoscope. Operative time, blood loss, indwelling catheterzation, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), uroflowmetry, postvoid residual urine volume and short-term complication rates were evaluated for all patients.

RESULTSAll patients got through the perioperative period safely. The chief advantages of PVP were: short operative time (25.6 +/- 7.6 min), little bleeding loss (56.8 +/- 14.3 mL) and short indwelling catheterization (1.6 +/- 0.8 d). The IPSS and QoL decreased from (29.6 +/- 5.4) and (5.4 +/- 0.6) to (9.5 +/- 2.6) and (1.3 +/- 0.6), respectively. The vast majority of patients were satisfied with voiding outcome. The mean maximal urinary flow rate increased to 17.8 mL/s and postvoid residual urine volume decreased to 55.6 mL. These results are significantly different from preoperative data (P < 0.05). No patient required blood transfusion or fluid absorption. There were few complications and very high patient satisfaction after operation.

CONCLUSIONPVP has a short operative time and high tolerance, and is safe, effective and minimally invasive for high-risk patients, therefore it might be considered as a good alternative treatment for high-risk patients with obstructive urinary symptoms as a result of BPH.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Laser Therapy ; adverse effects ; Male ; Phosphates ; Prospective Studies ; Prostatic Hyperplasia ; surgery ; Titanium ; Treatment Outcome ; Urination Disorders ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the age and pathological features of prostate cancer patients in recent years.

METHODSAn analysis was made of the age and pathological features of 481 cases of prostate cancer pathologically diagnosed from January 1998 to April 2004, 39 cases in 1998, 69 in 1999, 73 in 2000, 68 in 2001, 72 in 2002, 121 in 2003, and 39 in the first four months of 2004.

RESULTSThe patients ranged in age from 40 to 91 years, averaging 72, 95% between 55 and 84, and 84.2% over 65 years. Pathologically, 14 cases were well, 29 moderately, and 83 poorly differentiated according to the three-grade system (WHO, the Mostofi system), with 355 cases ungraded. Forty cases (8.3%) were microcarcinoma (< 1 cm), and 20 cases (4.2%) incidental carcinoma. Of the total number, 473 cases (98.1%) were pathologically diagnosed as adenocarcinoma, 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma, 1 signet ring cell carcinoma, 1 adenosquamous cell carcinoma, 1 small cell carcinoma, 1 mucinous adenocarcinoma, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma, and 1 transitional cell carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONProstate cancer commonly develops in men over 65 years, and adenocarcinoma is the most common histological type. The disease has become a major malignant tumor to endanger elderly males.

Adenocarcinoma ; pathology ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; pathology

Carthami Flos, as a traditional blood-activating and stasis-resolving drug, possesses anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory pharmacological activities. Flavonoid glycosides are the main bioactive components in Carthamus tinctorius. Glycosyltransferase deserves to be studied in depth as a downstream modification enzyme in the biosynthesis of active glycoside compounds. This study reported a flavonoid glycosyltransferase CtUGT49 from C. tinctorius based on the transcriptome data, followed by bioinformatic analysis and the investigation of enzymatic properties. The open reading frame(ORF) of the gene was 1 416 bp, encoding 471 amino acid residues with the molecular weight of about 52 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CtUGT49 belonged to the UGT73 family. According to in vitro enzymatic results, CtUGT49 could catalyze naringenin chalcone to the prunin and choerospondin, and catalyze phloretin to phlorizin and trilobatin, exhibiting good substrate versatility. After the recombinant protein CtUGT49 was obtained by hetero-logous expression and purification, the enzymatic properties of CtUGT49 catalyzing the formation of prunin from naringenin chalcone were investigated. The results showed that the optimal pH value for CtUGT49 catalysis was 7.0, the optimal temperature was 37 ℃, and the highest substrate conversion rate was achieved after 8 h of reaction. The results of enzymatic kinetic parameters showed that the K_m value was 209.90 μmol·L~(-1) and k_(cat) was 48.36 s~(-1) calculated with the method of Michaelis-Menten plot. The discovery of the novel glycosyltransferase CtUGT49 is important for enriching the library of glycosylation tool enzymes and provides a basis for analyzing the glycosylation process of flavonoid glycosides in C. tinctorius.
Carthamus tinctorius/chemistry* ; Phylogeny ; Flavonoids/analysis* ; Glycosides/analysis* ; Glycosyltransferases/genetics* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; Chalcones

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of artesunate (ARTS) combined with cytarabine(Ara-C) and/or daunorubicin (DNR) on the proliferation and apoptosis of MV4-11 human mixed-lineage leukemia rearranged（MLL-r） acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell line. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation effect of individual or in combination of ARTS, DNR, Ara-C on MV4-11 cells. The IC₅₀ of ARTS, DNR and Ara-C was calculated separately. The cell apoptosis and expression of receptors DR4 and DR5 were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in each groups. RESULTS: The inhibition effect of ARTS, Ara-C and DNR on the proliferation of MV4-11 were all dose-dependently (r=0.99, 0.90 and 0.97, respectively). The IC₅₀ of ARTS, Ara-C and DNR on MV4-11 for 48 hours were 0.31 μg/ml, 1.43 μmol/L and 22.47 nmol/L, respectively. At the dose of ARTS 0.3 μg/ml， Ara-C 1.0 μmol/L and DNR 15 nmol/L, the proliferation rate for 48 hours of the tri-combination treatment was significantly lower than that of the bi-combination treatment, while both were significantly lower than that of the individual treatment (all P＜0.05). In terms of bi-combination treatment, the cells proliferation rate for 48 hours of the ARTS+Ara-C group was significantly lower than that of the ARTS+DNR group, while both were significantly lower than that of the Ara-C+DNR group (all P＜0.05). The cooperativity index (CI) of bi- and tri-combination treatment were all less than 1. After 48 hours of drug action, the cell apoptosis rate of the ARTS+DNR+Ara-C group was significantly higher than that of the Ara-C+DNR group, while both were significantly higher than that of the ARTS+DNR group (all P＜0.05). Meanwhile, the was no statistical difference between the cells apoptotic rate of the ARTS+DNR+Ara-C group and the ARTS+Ara-C group (P>0.05). The expression of DR4 and DR5 also showed no difference between control group and drug group. Compared with the DNR+Ara-C group, the expressions of Caspase-3 were significantly down-regulated in both the ARTS+DNR+Ara-C group and the ARTS+Ara-C group (all P＜0.05). The down-regulation of Caspase-3 expression was the most significantly in the combination group of three drugs, while the Caspase-9 expressions in different groups showed no apparent change. CONCLUSION The in vitro study showed that tri-combination of ARTS+Ara-C+DNR and bi-combination of ARTS+Ara-C could inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of MV4-11 cell line. The inhibition effect of these two combinations were significantly superior to that of the traditional Ara-C+DNR treatment. The mechanism underlying this finding may be identified by the down regulation of Caspase-3, while no altered expression was observed of Caspase-9, DR4 and DR5.
Humans ; Cytarabine/pharmacology* ; Daunorubicin/pharmacology* ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 9 ; Artesunate/pharmacology* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Apoptosis ; Cell Line