Objective To analyze the correlation of preoperative serum vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)level with serum CA125 level in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer(EOC),and to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum VEGF in these patients.Methods Forty-one patients with EOC were included as study group,while 20 healthy women were selected as control group.Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)and chemiluminescence assay were used to measure serum VEGF and CA125 level respectively.The correlations of serum VEGF with CA125 level,postoperative recurrence rate and survival time were analyzed retrospectively.Resuits Serum VEGF levels in patients with EOC were higher than those in healthy women,with the median of 415 and 165 ng/L,range 110-2120 and 100-735 ng/L respectively(P＜0.01).No correlation was found between preoperative serum VEGF and CA125 level (Spearman test,P=0.989).High preoperative serum VEGF was positively correlated with postoperative recurrence.Serum VEGF level in patients with postoperative recurrence was higher than that in patients without recurrence,with the median of 490 and 315 ng/L respectively(P=0.035).Univariate analysis showed that higher serum level was reversely correlated with shorter survival.Median overall survival time in patients with higher serum VEGF level and lower serum VEGF level was 18 months and＞35 months respectively(P=0.010).Multivariate Cox model analysis showed that high VEGF level was an independentfactor for the prognosis of EOC(P=0.042).Conclusion Preoperative serum VEGF level is not correlated with CA125 concentration in patients with EOC,and it is an independent risk factor for prognosis.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the iodine nutritional status of university students in Tianjin and analyze influencing factors affecting urinary iodine levels.MethodsStudents of Tianjin Medical University,Tianjin Nankai University,Tianjin University of Finance and Economics and Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected as survey subjects,and 50 - 100 morning urinary samples were collected from each university,respectively.Urinary iodine was measured by arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry.The students were surveyed with questionnaires,which included family information,age, sex, specialty, iodine nutrition knowledge,source of drinking water,smoking or not and dietary habits.ResultsA total of 269 urine samples were collected,and the median urinary iodine was 213.68 μg/L.Urinary iodine levels(263.86 μg/L) of medical students was significantly higher than that( 168.01 μg/L,x2 =12.144,P ＜ 0.01 ) of non-medical students.There was an increasing trend of the level of urinary iodine of students with iodine nutrition knowledge scores ＞ 5 points (223.70 μg/L) over that of ≤5 points( 185.56 μg/L),but the difference was not significantly different statistically (x2 =2.297,P ＞ 0.05).Different gender and water sources had no significant effect on urinary iodine level(x2 =0.002,0.687,respectively,all P ＞ 0.05).Smokers urinary iodine levels( 154.55 μg/L) decreased compared with non-smokers(215.38 μg/L),but the difference was not statistically significant (x2 =0.515,P＞ 0.05).Vegetarian urinary iodine levels were lower than that of non-vegetarians,but the difference was not statistically significant(x2 =0.594,P ＞ 0.05).ConclusionsIodine nutritional status of students in university of Tianjin are generally at an appropriate level,but professional knowledge,habits and other factors may affect the intake of iodine,so students should develop good dietary habits to ensure a normal iodine nutrition status.

Using plants to remove or inactivate heavy metal pollutants from soils and surface waters provide a cheap and sustainable approach of Phytoremediation. However, field trials suggested that the efficiency of contaminant removal using natural hyperaccumulators is insufficient, due to that many of these species are slow growing and produce little shoot biomass. These factors severely constrain their potential for large-scale decontamination of polluted soils. Moreover, both the micronutrient and toxic metal content accumulated in crops determine the quality and safety of our food-chain. By a transgenic approach, the introduction of novel genes responsible for hyperaccumulating phenotype into high biomass plants and/or stable crops uptaking minerals as food is a promising strategy for the development of effective techniques of phytoremediation and improvement of nutritional value of stable food through a viable commercialization. Recently, the progress at molecular level for heavy metal uptaking, detoxification and hyperaccumulation in plants, and also the clarification of some functional genes in bacteria, yeasts, plants and animals, have advanced the research on genetic engineering plants of heavy metal resistance and accumulation, and on the functional genes (e . g. gsh1, MerA and ArsC) and their genetic transformated plants. These studies demonstrated commercialization potentials of phytoremediation. In this paper, the molecular approach, effects and problems in gene transformation were discussed in details, and also the strategy and emphases were probed into the future research.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Metals, Heavy ; metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; metabolism ; Soil Pollutants ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical effectiveness of total pelvic floor reconstruction surgery for repair of severe pelvic organ prolapse.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 21 patients with severe pelvic organ prolapse. The anatomical outcomes were evaluated by Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantitation, functional effectiveness by Prolapse Quality of Life method, and sexual function and operation-related complications were also analyzed.

RESULTSAll surgical operations were accomplished successfully by the same surgeon. No impairment of bladder, urethra, rectum, or great vessels was noted, and no patient required blood transfusion. The mean operation duration was (63±19) minutes, and the mean intra-operative blood loss was (143±72) ml. One patients experienced post-operative urinary retention for 7 days, and the remaining 20 patients were able to micturate spontaneously 1-2 day after surgery. The post-operative morbidity rate was 14.3%. Three patients (14.3%) experienced mesh erosion. Of 12 patients who were sexually active, two patients suffered from algopareunia from dyspareunia, one from de novo overactive bladder, and one from stress urinary incontinence Questionnaire scores showed that the overall post operative quality of life was improved significantly (P=0.000), while quality of sexual life significantly degraded (P=0.044) The anatomic cure rate was 95.2% (20/21), and the patient subjective satisfaction rate was 85.7% (18/21)

CONCLUSIONSThe total pelvic floor reconstruction is a safe and effective approach for the repair of severe pelvic organ prolapse, although its functional effectiveness is not as notable as anatomical outcomes However, the complications such as mesh erosion, low urinary tract symptoms, algopareunia, and dyspareunia should be carefully managed.

Aged ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Floor ; surgery ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEChemotherapy is the main treatment for colon cancer, while multidrug-resistance is the main reason for chemotherapy failure and tumor relapse. This study was to establish two oxaliplatin-resistant colon cancer cell lines and evaluate their biological characteristics.

METHODSOxaliplatin-resistant colon cancer cell lines SW620/L-OHP and lovo/L-OHP were established in vitro by continuous exposure to oxaliplatin (L-OHP) of low and gradually increased concentration. Growth curve, cross-resistance and resistance index of the oxaliplatin-resistant cell lines to various anti-cancer agents were determined by CCK8 assay. The expressions of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug-resistance protein 1 (MRP1) and MRP2 were detected by Western blot. Cell cycle distribution as well as the expression of CD133 and CD44 were measured by flow cytometry.

RESULTSIt took 10 months to establish the SW620/L-OHP and LoVo/L-OHP cell lines with stable resistance to oxaliplatin. Cross-resistance to 5-fluorouracil, etoposide, cisplatin, vincristine and epirubicin but not to paclitaxel was observed. Longer doubling time, higher proportion of cells in G(0)/G(1) phase and lower proportion in G(2)/M phase were observed in the two oxaliplatin-resistant cell lines compared with their parental cell lines. The expression of MRP2 in the oxaliplatin-resistant cells was up-regulated, while those of P-gp and MRP1 had no significant change. CD133 was overexpressed while CD44 level remained unchanged in SW620/L-OHP and LoVo/L-OHP cells.

CONCLUSIONSSW620/L-OHP and LoVo/L-OHP cell lines show a typical and stably resistant phenotype and may be used as research models.

AC133 Antigen ; ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; metabolism ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Epirubicin ; pharmacology ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; Fluorouracil ; pharmacology ; Glycoproteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; pharmacology ; Peptides ; metabolism ; Vincristine ; pharmacology

Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Genome, Viral ; genetics ; Hepatitis B ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; genetics ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression and diagnostic value of plasma miR-145 and miR-183 in children with lupus nephritis (LN). METHODS: A total of 92 children with LN who were admitted from January 2016 to May 2019 were enrolled as the LN group, among whom 17 had type II LN, 15 had type III LN, 36 had type IV LN, 18 had type V LN, and 6 had type VI LN. Forty healthy children who underwent physical examination were enrolled as the healthy control group. According to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), the 92 children with LN were further divided into a stable LN group with 34 children (SLEDAI score <10) and an active LN group with 58 children (SLEDAI score ≥10). RT-PCR was used to measure the expression of miR-145 and miR-183 in plasma. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of plasma miR-145, miR-183, and anti-dsDNA antibody in the diagnosis of LN. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation of the expression levels of miR-145 and miR-183 in plasma with laboratory markers. RESULTS: The LN, active LN, and stable LN groups had significantly higher levels of anti-dsDNA antibody, C-reactive protein, serum creatinine (Scr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) than the control group (P<0.05). The active LN group had significantly higher SLEDAI score, anti-dsDNA antibody, Scr, and BUN than the stable LN group (P<0.05). The LN, active LN, and stable LN groups had significantly lower levels of complement C3, complement C4, and serum albumin (Alb) than the control group (P<0.05). The active LN group had a significantly lower level of Alb than the stable LN group (P<0.05). The LN, active LN, and stable LN groups had significantly lower plasma levels of miR-145 and miR-183 than the control group (P<0.01). The active LN group had significantly lower plasma levels of miR-145 and miR-183 than the stable LN group (P<0.01). The children with difference types of LN had significantly lower plasma levels of miR-145 and miR-183 than the control group (P<0.01), and the type V-VI group and the type IV group had significantly lower plasma levels of miR-145 and miR-183 than the type II-III group (P<0.01). The ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal cut-off values of plasma miR-145, miR-183, and anti-dsDNA antibody were 1.05, 0.62, and 186.30 IU/mL respectively, in the diagnosis of LN, and the combination of these three indices had the largest area under the ROC curve of 0.896 (95%CI: 0.835-0.955), with a sensitivity of 90.5% and a specificity of 84.2%. In the children with LN, the plasma levels of miR-145 and miR-183 were negatively correlated with SLEDAI score, anti-dsDNA antibody, Scr, and BUN (P<0.05) and were positively correlated with complement C3, complement C4, and Alb (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There are significant reductions in the expression levels of miR-145 and miR-183 in plasma in children with LN, which are correlated with the activity level and pathological typing of LN. Combined measurement of miR-145, miR-183, and anti-dsDNA antibody has a high value in the diagnosis of LN.
Biomarkers ; Child ; Complement C4 ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis ; genetics ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; ROC Curve

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of adenovirus-delivered tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 ( Ad-TIMP-3) on sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin and evaluate the potential application of this combined scheme in cervical cancer treatment.

METHODSCells of cervical cancer CaSKi cell line were infected with Ad-TIMP-3 in vitro. Apoptotic effect, cell cycle changes and p53 protein expression were detected. After combined treatment of those cells with cisplatin, colony formation test was performed and cytotoxicity was detected by MTT. The growth curve and tumor growth inhibition in vivo were evaluated.

RESULTSThe expressions of TIMP-3 mRNA and protein were significantly upregulated after transfection. As a result, massive apoptosis was induced and the cells were arrested at G2/M phase. Exogenous overexpression of TIMP-3 increased p53 protein level markedly in spite of the backgrounds of p53 gene in cells. Combined with cisplatin treatment, the cloning efficiency was decreased. A synergism was observed by isobolic method ( D < 1 ) in vitro and tumor growth was significantly inhibited in vivo.

CONCLUSIONAd-TIMP-3 is a powerful proapoptotic agent. It increases sensitivity of the cells to cisplatin and the Ad-TIMP-3 gene therapy in combination with cisplatin could be a promising alternative in cervical cancer treatment.

Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; genetics ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; pathology ; therapy ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; therapy ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; methods

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEMicroRNAs have emerged as post-transcriptional regulators that are critically involved in the biologic behavior of cells. This study was designed to investigate the effect of members of the microRNA-29 family on the expression of cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) and their roles on proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

METHODSWe detected microRNA-29s and Cdc42 expression in gastric cancer cells by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis. Negative controlled RNA (ncontrol), microRNA-29 family members (microRNA-29a, -29b, and -29c), and Cdc42-specific small interfering RNA (si-Cdc42) were chemically synthesized and transfected into SGC7901 and BGC823 gastric cancer cells, which have a relatively low expression of microRNA-29s and a relatively high expression of Cdc42. The expression of Cdc42 and the phosphorylation of its downstream molecular PAK1 expressions were determined by Western bolt analysis. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure cell proliferation, and wound-healing and invasion assays were used to examine the abilities of migration and invasion.

RESULTSSimilar to si-Cdc42, the ectopic expression of microRNA-29 family members significantly reduced the expression of Cdc42 and its downstream molecular PAK1 phosphorylation levels. Consistently, ectopic expression of microRNA-29s inhibited proliferation and migration in gastric cancer cells. Invasive cell counts of the SGC7901, ncontrol/SGC7901, si-Cdc42/SGC7901, microRNA-29a/SGC7901, microRNA-29b/SGC7901, and microRNA-29c/SGC7901 cell groups were 84.0+/-4.2, 71.7+/-4.6, 16.3+/-3.2, 15.7+/-3.8, 16.3+/-3.0, and 16.7+/-3.1, respectively. The invasive cell counts of the BGC823, ncontrol/BGC823, si-Cdc42/BGC823, microRNA-29a/BGC823, microRNA-29b/BGC823, and microRNA-29c/BGC823 cell groups were 199.0+/-10.5, 146.3+/-9.7, 72.7+/-8.2, 86.7+/-8.5, 86.0+/-8.5, and 73.3+/-8.3, respectively (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMembers of the microRNA-29 family can obviously inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells by targeting Cdc42.

Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Mice ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; NIH 3T3 Cells ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Phosphorylation ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection ; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein ; metabolism ; p21-Activated Kinases ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of amifostine(Amf)on the differentiation of human megakaryocyte cell line-Dami. METHODS Dami cells were treated with Amf 0.01-5.0 mmol · L-1 for 12 d. Dami cells were counted every day for the growth curve:only cells with a diameter>20μm. The platelet demarcation membrane system was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The expression of CD33,CD34,CD41a and DNA ploidy was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS Amf 0.1-1.0 mmol · L-1 promoted the differentiation of Dami cells ,but inhibited their proliferation at a concentration>1.0 mmol · L-1. When these cells were treated with Amf 1.0 mmol · L-1 for 12 d,the platelet demarcation membrane system was observed,the percentage of cells with a diameter >20 μm was increased by 24.6%(P<0.01),the expression of CD41a was increased by 11.9%,while the expression of CD33 was decreased by 13.6%(P<0.05). Polyploidy cells(16N)were observed,and 4N,8N and 16N cells were increased to 31.56%,8.83% and 3.43%,respectively(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Amf 0.1-1.0 mmol · L-1 can promote the differentiation of Dami cells,but inhibit their proliferation at a high concentration(>1.0 mmol·L-1).