Background and purpose: Docetaxel plus prednisone chemotherapy can improve the patients' survival for castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Angiogenesis inhibitors can also inhibit the growth of tumor. The curative effect of combined treatment is still not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of docetaxel plus prednisone combined with thalidomide in treating castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patients with bone metastasis. Methods:A total number of 78 CRPC patients were selected in Fuzhou General Hospital from Dec. 2008 to Jun. 2015. Seventy-eight patients were divided into two groups: 40 patients in chemotherapy group (docetaxel plus prednisone) and 38 patients in combined treatment group (docetaxel plus prednisone combined with thalidomide). A total number of 78 subjects were evaluated by the effective rate, the remission rate of bone pain, the prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression-free surviv-al, the overall survival and adverse effect. Results: The response rate (65.79%) and the remission rate of bone pain (86.84%) in combined treatment group were both higher than those in chemotherapy group (40.00% and 60.00%, P<0.05). The PSA progression-free survival (4.13 months), progression-free survival (4.25 months) and the overall survival (18.06 months) in combined treatment group were all longer than those in chemotherapy group (3.54, 3.75 and 16.26 months). The PSA pro-gression-free survival was significantly longer in combined treatment group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the overall survival between two groups (P>0.05). The rates of adverse effects including peripheral neuritis and lethargy in combined treatment group (26.32% and 55.26%) were higher than those in chemotherapy group (5.00% and 17.50%, P<0.05). Conclusion: Thalidomide combined with docetaxel plus prednisone in CRPC patients with bone metastasis can prolong the PSA progression-free survival and overall survival. The adverse effects are mild. It may become a new choice of treatment for CRPC.

Objective A very high prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is observed in Minnan population in China.We aimed to explore the genetic characteristics of RA in Minnan population and genetic mechanisms of RA by studying the associations of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT-4) (rs7574865),the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA)-4 (rs3087243) and chromosome 9p21.3(rs1333049) with RA in Minnan population.Methods A case-control study of 119 RA patients and 125 normal controls from Quanzhou were enrolled.SNPs (rs7574865,rs3087243,rs1333049) were genotyped by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed by SPSS 18.0.x2-test was applied to compare allele and genotype frequeneies betweeen cases and controlsLogistic regression models were used to analyze the SNPs.Results The results showed the genotype distributions of STAT4 genes were significantly different between case and control groups (P＜0.01).Compared with the GT heterozygous genotype,TT and GG homozygosity carriers had a lower risk (OR=0498 and 0.300,P=0.018 and P=0.002 respectively).There was not statistical difference in genotypes and allele in CTLA-4 (rs3087243) between RA patients and healthy controls (x2=4.083,P=0.130),but compared with the AG genotyoe,GG homozygosity carriers had a lower risk on basis of statistics (OR=0.580,P=0.04).There was not statistical difference in genotypes and allele in the chromosome 9p21.3 (rs1333049) (P＞0.05),but compared with the GG genotype carriers,CC and GC genotypes carriers had a lower risk on basis of statistics (OR=0.565,P=0.0495).Conclusion Chromosome 9p21.3 (rs1333049) and CTLA-4 rs3087243 G/A may not be associated with susceptibility to RA in Minnan popula-tions.This replication study confirmes that STAT4 rs7574865 G/T polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to RA in Minnan population.

Objective To evaluate long-term changes in health-related quality of life (QOL) of patients with local advanced prostate cancer after intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with androgen deprivation therapy.Methods The patients who met the criteria for this study were enrolled and were treated with IMRT combined with androgen deprivation.The total dose of radiation was 68.2Gy(2.2Gy per fraction).QOL was evaluated before and 3,12,36,48 and 60 months after treatment using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite(EPIC),a validated tool that assesses four primary domains (urinary,bowel,sexual and hormonal).Results From 2002 to 2007,87 patients were enrolled.At each follow-up time point,the number of cases was 87,87,86,81,75,65,56 and 47,respectively.The median follow-up time was 76.8 months.Compared with baseline assessment,all of four domain scores were declined in follow-up assessments.The mean score of urinary,bowel and hormonal domains were significantly reduced.At 3 months after treatment,the scores of bowel domain were lowest,in which the total,function and symptom scores were 75.7,78.4 and 72.8,respectively.However,there was no statistically significant difference in the mean sexual domain score.The mean change scores in urinary incontinence and obstructive were-13.0±8.3 and-6.12±3.9,respectively.Conclusions IMRT combined with androgen deprivation therapy was well tolerated in patients with local advanced prostate cancer.QOL was decreased in urinary,bowel and hormonal toxicity,most of which could be tolerated in five years.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis (GCT) infection and associated risk factors in male clients attending sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics in Guangdong and provide integrated intervention strategy for this group.Methods Convenient sampling was used to recruit participants from April to June in 2015 in Guangdong province.The information about their socio-demographic characteristics and sexual behaviors were collected by using a questionnaire,and blood samples were taken from them to test the antibodies against HIV,syphilis and HCV.First pass urine was taken to test GCT and gonorrhea.Results A total of 1 749 participants with the average age of 39.53 years were recruited.The majority of them were married (73.87％,1 292/1 749),residents of Guangdong (92.28％,1 614/1 749) and in Han ethnic group (99.49％,1 740/1 749).The positive rates for GCT,HIV,syphilis,HCV,Neisseria gonorrhea,and WBC in urinalysis were 6.06％ (106/1 749),0.46％ (8/1 749),3.43％ (60/1 749),0.45％ (7/1 550),2.74％ (48/1 749),7.89％ (138/1 749) respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that risk factors for GCT infection include IDUs (OR=13.98,95％CI:3.35-58.38),anal sex with men (OR=3.11,95％ CI:1.45-6.71),Neisseria gonorrhea positive (OR =9.64,95％ CI:5.09-18.24),and WBC positive (OR =1.96,95％ CI:1.08-3.55).Conclusions This study demonstrated the high prevalence of GCT infection in male clients attending STD clinics in Guangdong.Therefore precision intervention should target this population at high-risk.