Objective To investigate the expression of CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1 in lung cancer, and the significance of combined determination of three tumor markers in the detection of lung cancer. Methods CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1 levels in serum of 65 patients with lung cancer, 50 patients with benign lung diseases and 38 normal adults were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The association of CYFRA21-1, NSE, and CEA level with the type of lung cancer in pathology were also studied. Results In comparison, the serum levels of CEA, CYFRA21-1 were increased more obviously in patients with lung cancer than that of patients with benign lung diseases and the normal adults (P<0.01). The levels of serum and the sensitivity of CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1 were related to pathology type. The sensitivity and specificity increased by combined measurement of CEA, NSE, and CYFRA21-1. Conclusion These findings suggest that the serum CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1 levels is increased in patients with lung cancer, and the increasing extents is not same in lung cancer with different pathology types. CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1 are significant in adjuvant diagnosis of lung cancer.

ghest. Conclusion In general, both the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in Chinese minority students were comparatively low. However, in some minority groups the prevalence had already become higher, which demands early prevention.

myopia rates in 2005 were 29.5%, 39.1%, 10.1%, 42.6%, 41.1%, for boys and 45.4%, 50.0%, 15.4%, 49.7%, 46.7% for girls. Conclusion In order to improve the health of students in minority regions, we need to promote health education at schools.

BACKGROUNDTo compare the efficacy and safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) combined with fluoxetine, with HRT alone, in post-menopausal women suffering from depression.

METHODSA randomized, open-label, parallel trial was applied. HRT was administered to all patients for 2 cycles, with 14 days of estrogen therapy and 14 days of estrogen plus progesterone. Patients who were randomly assigned to the HRT plus fluoxetine group were given fluoxetine in combination with HRT. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI), and Clinical Global Impressions scale were used to measure the efficacy.

RESULTSOne hundred and twenty-three post-menopausal patients with depression were enrolled in the study. Among them, 120 had at least one post-treatment visit and entered into the statistical analysis. The mean total HAMD scores were significantly lower, and the percentages of HAMD score reductions were higher in the HRT plus fluoxetine Group compared with the HRT Group, after at least 3 weeks of treatment, with an average difference of 5 points at the endpoint. The Clinical Global Impression-Severity and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement scores were significantly different in the 2 groups, in favor of the combination therapy. The mean total KMI was significantly lower in the Combination Group compared with the HRT Group, after at least 6 weeks of treatment, with an average 4.5-point difference between the groups. No statistically significant differences were found in most of the adverse events reported in the Combination Group compared with the HRT group, with the exception of 3 symptoms, i.e., dry mouth, loss of appetite, and abdominal distention. They were mild to moderate in severity. Two patients in the HRT group, but none in the combination group, dropped out due to adverse events.

CONCLUSIONHRT plus fluoxetine therapy was effective in the treatment of menopausal depression with a satisfactory safety profile.

Adult ; Depressive Disorder ; drug therapy ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy ; Female ; Fluoxetine ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Menopause ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of the estrogen on the mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteoclast differentiation factor (ODF) and macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) in bone tissue of ovariectomized rats, and investigate the possible pathway of estrogen in preventing and treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS; Thirty healthy adult SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, ovariectomized group and estrogen-treated group. All rats were ovariectomized except those in the sham operation group. Bone density of the L3-L6 vertebra was detected 12 weeks after the operation. The total RNA were extracted from the femur to examine mRNA expression of OPG, ODF and M-CSF by real-time PCR.

RESULTSEstrogen increased the bone density of the ovariectomized rat lumbar vertebra and up-regulated the expression of OPG, whereas down-regulated the expression of M-CSF and lowered ODF:OPG ratio.

CONCLUSIONThe effect of estrogen in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis is closely correlated with the regulation of OPG and M-CSF expressions and ODF:OPG ratio.

Animals ; Bone and Bones ; metabolism ; Estrogens ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Osteoprotegerin ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Ovariectomy ; RANK Ligand ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

The purpose of this study was to transplant neonatal rat with human cord blood Lin(-) cells to test the possibility of this xenograft model. The Lin(-) cells were purified from human cord blood (CB) using negative selection strategy based on different lineage-specific antigens. The Lin(-) cells were injected into the liver of neonatal rats using a microinjector at an average of 5 x 10(5) cells for each. Peripheral blood (PB) and spleen were collected at 2,4 and 8 weeks after injection. Flow cytometry was performed to detect human cells in the rat PB, PCR was used to detect human cells in PB as well as spleen. The results showed that a definite proportion of human cells existed in peripheral blood of chimeric rat and the human specific beta2 microglobulin gene fragments were detected in spleen genomic DNA of chimeric rat. It is concluded that human/rat chimera model can be developed with neonatal rats. Human/rat xenograft model may provide a useful and convenient method for human hematopoietic stem cell assay in vivo.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; DNA ; genetics ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; blood ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; metabolism ; Transplantation Chimera ; blood ; genetics ; immunology ; Transplantation, Heterologous ; beta 2-Microglobulin ; genetics

Objective To compare the effects between felodipine plus irbesartan and felodipine plus metoprolol regimen on blood pressure and the sexual function in young and middle-aged hypertensive women. Methods In this prospective, randomized, parallelized, controlled and fixed combined therapy trial, 99 female patients(aged 18 to 60)with grade 1 and grade 2 hypertension(BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg and ＜ 179/109 mm Hg, 1 mm Hg =0.133 kPa)were assigned to felodipine 5 mg q.d + irbesartan 150 mg q.d(F + I group, n = 49)and felodipine 5 mg q. d + metoprolol 47.5 mg q. d(F + M group, n = 50)group. Target blood pressure was ＜ 140/90 mm Hg. The female sexual function index(FSFI)questionnaire, levels of serum estradiol and testosterone were assessed. Female sexual dysfunction was defined as a FSFI score of less than 25.5. Patients were followed up for 24 weeks. Results The rate of achieving blood pressure goal between 2 groups was similar at the 4th, 8th, 12th and 24th weeks respectively (42.9% vs. 62.0% at 4th week, 89.8% vs. 90.0% at 8th week, 93.9% vs. 94.0% at 12th week,98.0% vs. 96.0% at 24th week, P ＞ 0.05). Compared to baseline, scores for the items related to"desire" and "arousal" were significantly improved(P ＜ 0.05), the level of the serum estradiol was significantly elevated[(50.3 ± 37.4)pg/L vs.(54.4 ± 10.8)pg/L before menopause,(18.4 ± 2.9)pg/L vs.(20.2 ±3.1)pg/L after menopause, P ＜0.05]and the level of the serum testosterone was significantly decreased[(722.8 ± 277.1)ng/L vs.(650.0 ± 156.0)ng/L before menopause,(841.2 ± 279.3)ng/L vs.(761.9 ± 197.8)ng/L after menopause, P ＜ 0.05]in the F + I group, while scores for the items related to" sexual desire" and "lubrication" were statistically reduced(P ＜ 0.01), the concentration of the serum estradiol was significantly reduced[(57.4 ± 9.7)pg/L vs.(51.1 ± 12.1)pg/L before menopause,(19.8±2.3)pg/L vs.(17.8 ± 3.3)pg/L after menopause, P ＜0.01]and the level of the serum testosterone was significantly increased[(775.6 ± 217.8)ng/L vs.(886.0 ± 186.4)ng/L before menopause,(812.5 ± 311.3)ng/L vs.(914.4 ± 300.2)ng/L after menopause, P＜0.01]in the F+M group. FSFI score was negatively correlated with age and systolic blood pressure levels. Conclusion felodipine plus irbesartan or metoprolol for 24 weeks equally reduced blood pressure and the former regimen is superior to the latter on sexual function improvement in this patient cohort.

BACKGROUND: All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) promotes the osteogenic differentiation induced by bone morphogenetic protein 9 (BMP9), but the intrinsic relationship between BMP9 and ATRA keeps unknown. Herein, we investigated the effect of Cyp26b1, a critical enzyme of ATRA degradation, on the BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and unveiled possible mechanism through which BMP9 regulates the expression of Cyp26b1. METHODS: ATRA content was detected with ELISA and HPLC–MS/MS. PCR, Western blot, and histochemical staining were used to assay the osteogenic markers. Fetal limbs culture, cranial defect repair model, and micro–computed tomographic were used to evaluate the quality of bone formation. IP and ChIP assay were used to explore possible mechanism. RESULTS: We found that the protein level of Cyp26b1 was increased with age, whereas the ATRA content decreased. The osteogenic markers induced by BMP9 were increased by inhibiting or silencing Cyp26b1 but reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. The BMP9-induced bone formation was enhanced by inhibiting Cyp26b1. The cranial defect repair was promoted by BMP9, which was strengthened by silencing Cyp26b1 and reduced by exogenous Cyp26b1. Mechanically, Cyp26b1 was reduced by BMP9, which was enhanced by activating Wnt/b-catenin, and reduced by inhibiting this pathway. b-catenin interacts with Smad1/5/9, and both were recruited at the promoter of Cyp26b1. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggested the BMP9-induced osteoblastic differentiation was mediated by activating retinoic acid signalling, viadown-regulating Cyp26b1. Meanwhile, Cyp26b1 may be a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bone-related diseases or accelerating bone-tissue engineering.

OBJECTIVE: Clozapine is one of the most commonly used antipsychotic drugs in China. To date, few studies have investigated the patterns the prescription of clozapine nationwide. The present study examined these patterns in China in 2006 and identified the demographic and clinical characteristics associated with the use of clozapine. METHODS: Using a standardized protocol and data collection procedure, we surveyed 5,898 patients with schizophrenia in 10 provinces with differing levels of economic development. RESULTS: Overall, clozapine had been prescribed for 31.9% (n=1,883) of the patients; however we found considerable variation among the 10 provinces. The frequency of clozapine use was highest in Sichuan (39.3%) and lowest in Beijing (17.3%). The mean daily dose of clozapine was 210.36+/-128.72 mg/day, and 25.1% of the patients were treated with clozapine in combination with other antipsychotics. Compared with the group not receiving clozapine, clozapine-user had been treated for longer durations and had experienced a greater number of relapses and hospitalizations. Furthermore, those in the clozapine-user had lower family incomes, were less able to seek psychiatric services, and more likely to be male and have a positive family history of schizophrenia. A multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that age, sex, professional help-seeking behaviors, duration of illness, economic status, educational level, and clinical manifestations were associated with the use of clozapine. CONCLUSION: Clozapine use is common in China. However, use of the antipsychotic varies among provinces, and demographic and clinical factors play important roles in the prescription of clozapine.
Antipsychotic Agents ; China ; Clozapine ; Data Collection ; Educational Status ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prescriptions ; Recurrence ; Sampling Studies ; Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the patterns of antipsychotic use in China and to analyze the factors that influence antipsychotic prescriptions. METHODS: A standardized survey was conducted from May 20 to 24 2002 in five different regions of China with varying economic levels. The patterns of antipsychotic medication use were analyzed in a sample of 4,779 patients with schizophrenia. The survey gathered information on demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, and antipsychotic medications prescribed. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze factors related to patterns of antipsychotic medication use. RESULTS: A plurality of patients with schizophrenia was treated with clozapine (39%); this was followed by risperidone, sulpride, chlorpromazine, perphenazine, and haloperidol. More than 56.3% of patients were treated with only one atypical antipsychotic. The mean daily dose of chlorpromazine was 365+/-253 mg (mean+/-standard deviation), and 6.5% of patients were treated with depot injections of typical antipsychotic medications. A total of 73.7% (n=3,523) of patients with schizophrenia received monotherapy, 24.8% (n=1,183) received two antipsychotics, 1.1% (n=52) received three antipsychotics, and one received four different antipsychotics. Patients often simultaneously received other classes of medications including anticholinergic agents, benzodiazepines, beta-blockers, antidepressants, and mood stabilizers. Economic status and clinical symptoms were the main factors that contributed to the patterns of antipsychotic prescription. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that atypical antipsychotic medications, especially clozapine, are the primary psychiatric treatments of choice in the management of schizophrenia in China. Moreover, the economic status and clinical profile of the patient are the major factors affecting the prescription of antipsychotic medication.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Benzodiazepines ; China ; Chlorpromazine ; Cholinergic Antagonists ; Clozapine ; Haloperidol ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Perphenazine ; Prescriptions ; Risperidone ; Schizophrenia