Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important biological process in embryonic development and tumori-genesis. In this process, epithelial tumor cells can obtain mesenchymal phenotypes and promote tumor invasion and metastasis. EMT is controlled by multiple transcription factors, signal pathways, and microRNAs. EMT and cancer stem cells are closely related. EMT also promotes the self-renewal ability of tumor cells and the overexpression of EMT-related markers in tumor cells with stemness. Some mi-croRNAs can control EMT process and stemness. In this study, recent developments on EMT and cancer stem cells in tumor metastasis were summarized to provide new insights into target therapy of tumor metastasis and recurrence.

Barium ; urine ; Spectrophotometry, Atomic ; methods

Objective To explore the cognitive function,feature of P 300 event-related potentials and the relationship of them in children with epilepsy.Methods Auditory P 300 was measured by oddball paradigm and intelligence quotient was tested by WSIC-RC in 38 children with epilepsy.Results 1. The rates of FIQ less than normal IQ were 65.8 %, impaired intelligence 28.9 % in patient group. 2.The latencies and the amplitudes of P 300 were significantly delayed and decreased respectively in both patient groups (P

Objective To compare the effects on neurobiological factors of attributional retraining group therapy (ARGT) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) for major depressive disorder (MDD),anxiety disorder (AD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).Methods Outpatients with MDD,AD and OCD were divided into ARGT group (n =63) and SSRI group (n =66) according to the sequence of entering the study.MDD,AD and OCD patients were respectively measured with Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA),and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) before and after 8 weeks treatment.All subjects were detected of plasma serotonin,norepinephrine,cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone by radioimmunoassay before and after treatment.Results After treatment,HAMD scores of MDD patients were reduced significantly in both ARGT group (t =18.411,P =0.000) and SSRI group (t =20.092,P =0.000) ; HAMA scores of GAD patients were reduced significantly in both ARGT group (t =13.989,P=0.000) and SSRI group (t=15.815,P=0.000) ;Y-BOCS scores of OCD patients were reduced significantly in both ARGT group (t =5.465,P =0.000)and SSRI group (t =4.792,P =0.000).In ARGT group,MDD (t =3.145,P =0.006),AD (t =2.785,P =0.012) and OCD patients (t =2.877,P =0.011) decreased plasma cortisol concentrations significantly.In SSRI group,MDD (t =-2.923,P =0.010) and OCD patients (t =-2.301,P =0.035) improved plasma serotonin significantly and MDD patients (t =-2.333,P =0.033) improved plasma norepinephrine significantly.Conclusion ARGT can modulate plasma cortisol level.SSRI can up-modulate plasma serotonin level.The two therapies take effect by different biological ways.

Objective To evaluate the tests in differential diagnosis of subtypes in patients with primary aldosteronism. Methods Fifty-seven patients in the past 7 years chnically diagnosed as primary aldosteronism [22cases of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA), 26 idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA) and 9 primary adrenal hyperplasia (PAH)] were selected. The plasma potassium, basic and upright plasma renin activity, plasma and urinary aldosterone were determined. 19 patients with essential hypertension served as control. All patients with primary aldosteronism underwent adrenal CT, postural stimuhtion test (PST) and adrenal venous sampling (AVS) to differentiate the subtypes. The clinical and laboratory data were followed up during survey. Results (1) The patients with APA had higher blood pressure and aldosterone level in plasma or urine, but lower plasma potassium and plasma renin activity than those with IHA. In PAH group, these parameters were in the ranges between APA group and IHA group. For the diagnosis of APA, IHA and PAH, the coincidences were 86.4%, 73.1% and 22.2% by adrenal CT, 86.4%, 80.8% and 77.8% by the ratio of aldosterone in both sides of AVS and 95.5%,92.3% and 100.0% by the ratio of aldosterone to cortisol in beth sides, respectively. (2) The plasmaaldosterone, systohc and diastolic blood pressure were decreased after operation in the patients of APA and PAH,and no significant changes were found in patients with IHA. Conclusion The abnormal laboratory findings in patients with APA axe more evident than those in IHA. The result of PST is overlapping considerably in cases ofAPA and IHA. Adrenal venous samphng yields a high coincidence, which should be done in patients with negative CT scanning. The ratio of aldosterone to eortisol in AVS is more reliable. The clinical and laboratory data,especially plasma potassium will be improved after operation in patients with APA and PAH. But there is no change in patients with IHA during the follow-up period.

Objective To examine the levels of serum adipaneetin in patients with incipient chronic kidney disease (CKD, GFR≥ 60ml/min, and identify the relationship between serum adiponectin and albumin (ALB), urinary protein excretion amount, blood lipid and renal function. Methods Forty-two CKD patients and twenty normal healthy persons were involved in this study. These patients were divid- ed into two groups: nephrotic syndrome and non-nephrotic syndrome. The level of serum adiponectin, serum ALB, urinary protein excretion amount, blood lipid, renal function were measured and compared. Results The level of serum adiponectin in nephritic syndrome patients [(21.9±11.3) mg/L] and non-nephrotic syndrome patients [ ( 11.0±7.0) mg/L] was significantly higher than that in normal healthy per- sons[ (5.6±3.3) mg/L] ( P<0.01 ), and the level of serum adiponectin in nephritic syndrome patients was higher than that in non-ne- phrotic syndrome patients( P <0.01 ). Correlative analyses revealed a negatively correlation between serum adiponectin and serum total pro- tein(TP, ALB, BMI( r=-0.5680, r = -0.6241, r = -0.4083,respectively), and a positive correlation between serum adiponectin and urinary protein excretion amount ( r =0.4083). Stepwise regression analyses showed that serum adiponoctin was highly influenced by BMI, ALB and urinary protein excretion amount. Conclusion Serum adipanectin was markedly increased in incipient CKD, especially in patients with macroalbuminura. The effect of high level adiponectin in CKD was still not clear.

Objective To identify the key factors triggering medical disputes induced by differences in cognition between doctors and patients in order to control the occurrence and development of medical disputes. Methods From 2002 to 2006,the outpatients,inpatients and medical staff of 3 hospitals in Shanghai(class 3 first level general hospital,n=2;class 3 first level special hospital,n=1) were investigated,and random sampling method was employed for the research analysis. Results There were significant differences between doctors and patients in cognition of influential factors triggering medical disputes such as health law,medical services,rights and obligations. Conclusion The differences in cognition between doctors and patients are important causes for medical disputes,and effective prevention and intervention measures must be taken.

Objective:To investigate the possibility of miR-125b in serum as a novel tumor marker for primary hepatocellular car-cinoma (HCC) and the diagnosis value of combined detection of miR-125b and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for HCC. Methods:We detected serum miR-125b expression of 65 cases of HCC patients and 30 cases of healthy controls by real-time quantitative PCR. Moreover, we analyzed the significance of miR-125b and explored the relationship between miR-125b and clinical pathological factors. Results:The level of miRNA-125b was down regulated in serum of HCC patients compared with healthy controls which showed significant differences (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression of miRNA-125b has no distinct correlation with sex, age, HbsAg, AFP, ALT andα-GGT, which had no significant differences (P>0.05). The expression level of miRNA-125b correlated the difference with liver Cirrhosis, tumor size and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages, which were considered significant differences (P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of serum miR-125b for the diagnosis of HCC yielded AUC of 0.917(95%CI:0.851~0.960, P<0.001)with 85.9%sensitivity and 93.5%specificity. The ROC curve analysis of combined miR-125b and AFP for HCC detection yielded AUC of 0.951(95%CI:0.894~0.982, P<0.001)with 92.9%sensitivity and 93.5%specificity. The ROC curve analysis of serum miR-125b as biomarkers for the group (AFP<20μg/L) of HCC yielded AUC of 0.889(95%CI:0.776~0.957, P<0.001)with 84.0%sensitivity and 87.1%specificity. Conclusion:Serum miRNA-125b combined with AFP has considerable clinical value for the early diagnosis of primary HCC.

Objective To investigate clinical phenotype and the characteristics of gene mutation of patients with spinocercbellar ataxia type 2 and type 3.Methods The trinucleotide repeat mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR),fluorescence-PCR and capillary electrophoresis in 9 patients and 43 members from 4 spinocerebellar ataxia families,1 sporadic patients,and 60 normal controls without family history.Results Six patients from 3 families and one sporadic patient had SCA3/MJD (CAG) n expansion mutation(n=68-75) ;Three patients from 1 family had SCA2 allele expansion for 37-41 times. Some of clinical menifestations were same among patients with type 2 or 3,while they showed significant difference in age of onset ,disease devetopment and nervous system injury.Conclusion The difference of clinical feature helps to distinguish SCA3/MJD and SCA2,however genotype analysis is the only method of definite diagnosis.

ObjectiveTo analyze and summarize the feasibility and characteristics of the posterior spinal canal reduction and fixation in treating mid-upper thoracic spine facture.MethodsA retrospective study was made on 17 patients with mid-upper thoracic spine facture to record the complication, compare the functions of the patients with complete and incomplete spinal cord injuries before and after surgery and examine the iatrogenic injury in patients without spinal cord injuries.ResultsNo complication happened after surgery.Incomplete injury was found in six patients, whose ASIA scales were found to be increased for 1-3 levels during the follow-up.While the complete injury was found in eight patients,whose ASIA scale remained unchanged during the follow-up.The sensory scores of both the incomplete injury group and complete injury group were processed with variance analysis and the results showed a significant difference between pre-operation and post-operation (F = 476.47, P = 0.000).The mean value between complete injury group and incomplete group was with high statistical difference (F = 31.46, P =0.000).The variance analysis of the motor scores showed a significant difference between before and after operation (F=46.75, P =0.000) and the mean value between complete and incomplete injury groups was with statistical difference (F = 158.59, P = 0.000).There were three patients with normal spinal cord function, with no decrease of ASIA scale or no change of the sensory and motor scores.ConclusionsFor patients with mid-upper thoracic spine fracture, posterior spinal surgery is conducive to the recovery of spinal function, for it can safely and effectively avoid worsening the thoracic and other combined injuries and release spinal pressure including the pressure in front part of the spinal cannal.