Adult ; Herpesvirus 4, Human ; Humans ; Lymphohistiocytosis, Hemophagocytic ; virology ; Male ; Nose Neoplasms ; virology ; Paranasal Sinus Neoplasms ; virology

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for the determination of4major caffeine metabolites and to discuss the significance of which in the evaluation of the activity of drug-metabolizing enzyme CYP1A2.METHODS:The caffeine metabolites in the urine like5-acetylamino-6-formamido-3-methyluric acid(AFMU),1-methyluric acid(1U),1-methylxanthine(1X)and1,7-dimethyluricacid(17U)were determined by RP-HPLC gradient elution method,the ratios of metabolins(AFMU+1X+1U)/17U was calculated,the frequency distribution histogram was drawn and the activity of CYP1A2was evaluated.RESULTS:The mean value of the ratio of the metabolins in the subjects was4.27,which was in normal distribution.CONCLUSION:The method is simple,accurate and rapid,which is suitable for the determination of caffeine metabolites in urine and the study of the activities of CYP1A2.

A 54-year-old female presented with indurated nodules and plaques on the left chest and back for 32 years.Skin examination showed little finger- to soybean-sized,slightly whitish indurated nodules with little mobility arising on skin-colored indurated plaques following Blaschko's lines on the left chest and back.The lesional skin was sclerotic and atrophic,and the lesions were distributed unilaterally.Serum levels of calcium,phosphate,alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone were normal.Histopathological examination revealed fibrous scar with flake-like calcification.The diagnosis was idiopathic calcinosis cutis following Blaschko's lines.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between EGFR mutations and pulmonary tuberculosis in lung adenocarcino-ma. Methods:We detected EGFR mutations in 506 patients with lung adenocarcinoma by PCR amplification and sequencing and ana-lyzed the relationship between the mutations observed and pulmonary tuberculosis. Survival analysis was performed using the Ka-plan-Meier method with log-rank tests. Result:A total of 218 patients showed EGFR mutations;of these patients, 25 had a clinical his-tory of pulmonary tuberculosis. Compared with lung adenocarcinoma patients with no history of tuberculosis, patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis showed higher incidence rates of EGFR mutations, especially of exon 21 (P=0.047, P=0.002). Higher incidence rates of EGFR mutations, especially of exon 21, were observed in patients with lung cancer and tuberculosis in the same lobe or the same side of the lung than in those who had lung cancer and tuberculosis in opposite sides of the lung (P=0.02, P=0.03). Survival analy-sis showed that adenocarcinoma patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis have 2-year survival rates lower than that of adeno-carcinoma patients with no history of the disease (P=0.039). In patients adenocarcinoma associated with tuberculosis patients without EGFR-TKIs treatment, the 2-year survival rates of EGFR mutation patients and those without EGFR mutation showed no statistically significant difference (P=0.948). At the same time, we got the same results in adenocarcinoma associated with tuberculosis patients with EGFR-TKIs treatment (P=0.425). Conclusion:Lung adenocarcinoma patients with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis have high-er incidence rates of EGFR mutations, and EGFR mutations are not related to disease prognosis.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging new biomedical imaging technique integrated with the high spatial resolution of ultrasonic imaging and high contrast of optical imaging for real-time molecular imaging.PAI is well-suited for in vivo cellular/molecular signatures imaging in cancer diagnosis, therapy management and treatment response, with a promising potential in clinical and translational medicine.This review summarizes the current state of PAI application research on cancer theranostics, and gives insights on future translational medicine research.

Animals ; Cattle ; Chickens ; DNA ; genetics ; Dogs ; Genome ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; RNA ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Swine ; Yin-Yang

With the occurrence of wireless sensor networks,low-load monitoring has a revolutionary change.Using wireless sensor networks,the whole monitoring system is composed of wireless electrocardiogram(ECG)sensors and wireless pulse wave sensors.Pulse wave signals from the temporal artery and ECG signals from the body synchronously were measured.Pulse Wave Transit Time was calculated.Both the wireless ECG sensor and the wireless pulse wave sensor were small sized and powered by button battery;the precision of time synchronization among sensors was less than 1 ms.The calculated Pulse Wave Transit Time changed slowly with deep breathing.The system iS able to work smoothly for continuous monitoting of Pulse Wave Transit Time in working conditions.

BACKGROUND: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) is a kind of protease family, its activity can be inhibited by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP), especially by TIMP-3.OBJECTIVE: To fully isolate and purify natural TIMP-3, and to create enzyme-linked immunoassay of TIMP-3.DESIGN: Single-sample observation SETTING: Central Laboratory of Shenyang Medical College MATERIALS: Human placenta from Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Fengtian Hospital Affiliated to Shenyang Medical College (Informed consent was obtained from the relatives of patients) and MMP-1 from Research Institute. Fuji Chemical Industries, Ltd.METHODS: This experiment was conducted in the Central Laboratory of Shenyang Medical College between March 2001 and May 2002. Firstly,4 mol/L urea Tris-buffer solution (pH8.0) was used to prepare homogenate solution of placenta. Secondly, homogenate solution was performed chromatography through CM52 positive ion-exchange resin and Sephacryl S200 gel filtration. Thirdly, relative molecular weight and purity were detected by SDS- polyacrylamidedel gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).Fourthly, Western blotting was used to identify the characters of purified protein. Fifthly, the inhibitory rate of TIMP-3 to MMP-1 was measured with immumofluorescence method.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① The relative molecular mass of protein showed by PAGE. ② Results of Western blot. ③ The inhibitory rate of TIMP-3 for MMP-1. ④ The recovery rate of TIMP-3 following purification.RESULTS: ①The isolated and purified TIMP-3 from human placenta consisted of non-glycosylated and glycosylated protein, with relative molecular mass of 24 000 and 27 000, respectively. ② The inhibitory concentration of non-glycosylated and glycosylated TIMP-3 was 1.1×1010 mol/L and 1.2×1010 mol/L respectively to MMP-1. The inhibitory concentration of placenta-derived TIMP-3 was significantly higher than that of recombinant TIMP-3 for MMP-1. ③ The recovery rate of TIMP-3 was 23.4% following two-step chromatography.CONCLUSION: Extracellular matrix of human placenta-derived TIMP-3 consists of non- glycosylated protein and glycosylated protein; Two kinds of purified TIMPs-3 have remarkable inhibitory concentration for MMP-1, and significantly higher in comparison with recombinant metalloproteinase inhibitory factor-3.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant neoplasm with dismal prognosis. The risk of recurrence and metastasis remains high even for patients who have undergone radical dissection. Therefore, adjuvant therapy after "curative" resection is crucial. However, consensus on the optimal management of pancreatic cancer after surgery has not been reached. Both chemotherapy and concurrent chemoradiation therapy have been advocated. Yet, based upon the results of published phase Ⅲ trials, the consensus and standard strategy of adjuvant treatment after pancreatic cancer surgery is still undo" debate. According to the results of GITSG and RTOG trials, the mainstream in North American is adjuvant chemoradiation. However, based on the results of ESPAC-1 and CONKO-001 studies, the oncologists in Europe usually recommend chemotherapy alone. Furthermore, the superiority of gemcitabine over 5-FU in the adjuvant setting is largely unclear. This article reviewed the main results of the clinical trials in the field of adjuvant treatment of pancreatic cancer.From the authors' view, both the standard dosage of gemcitabine (CONCO-001) and chemoradiation (RTOG-9704) after resection of pancreatic cancer could be considered as candidates for adjuvant strategy. However, the optimal therapy will have to be determined by trials with larger number of patients.

Objective To investigate four methods for establishing animal models of human breast cancer bone metastasis. Methods Thirty-two female nude mice aged 4-6 weeks were divided randomly into four groups (n=8 in each group). 5×105 MDA-MB-231 cells were injected into the body via the left second mammary fat pads (group A), the tail veins (group B), the left heart ventricles (group C) and the left tibia marrow cavities (group D), respectively. Tumor formations in situ were recorded in group A. Deaths after the injection were recorded. The surviving nude mice 49 days after the injection were subjected to pathological examination to determine bone metastasis. Results The rate of tumor formation in situ of group A was87.5 %(7/8). One mouse in group C died after the injection of MDA-MB-231 cells. The bone metastasis rate in groups A, B, C and D was zero (0/8), 12.5 % (1/8), 71.4 % (5/7) and 100 % (8/8), respectively. There was statistically significant difference in the bone metastasis rate between group A and group C, group A and group D, group B and group C; and group B and group D. Conclusion Injections of tumor cells via the breast fat pads and tail veins were not suitablemethods to establish animal models of human breast cancer bone metastasis. The bone metastasis model could be established efficiently by injecting tumor cells into the left heart ventricles or the bone marrow cavity of nude mice.