OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Hangzhou area.

METHODSMale subjects (n=375) aged 18-70 years, attending the STD clinic were recruited. Urethral swabs were assessed for HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the consensus primers MY09/11. HPV genotypes of positive PCR products were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms and direct sequence analysis.

RESULTSOf the 375 swabs collected, 305 (81.3%) yielded sufficient DNA for the subsequent HPV analysis. Among the 305 subjects, the prevalence of HPV was 13.8%. Nononcogenic HPV types were found in 8.5% (26/305) of subjects, oncogenic types in 4.3% (13/305), and multiple types in 1.0% (3/305). The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in subjects from urban area than in those from rural area (P < 0.05). The prevalence was also higher in those who received fewer years of education (P < 0.05) and those who had more sex partners (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHPV infection among men at high risk is not uncommon. The detection rate of HPV DNA is significantly related to some sociodemographic factors, such as residence, educational level and the number of sex partners.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papillomaviridae ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; prevention & control

Under global cerebral ischemia, the effect of different brain temperature on cerebral ischemic injury was studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normothermic (37-38°C) ischemia, mild hypothermic (31-32°C) ischemia, hyperthermic (41-42°C) ischemia and sham-operated groups. Global cerebral ischemia was established using the Pulsinelli four-vessel occlusion model and brain temperature was maintained at defined level for 60 min after 20-min ischemia. The expression of c-fos protein and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate in brain regions were detected by immunochemistry and spectrophotometrical methods, respectively. C-fos positive neurons were found in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia reperfusion. Mild hypothermia increased the expression of c-fos protein in both areas, whereas hyperthermia decreased the expression of c-fos protein in the hippocampus at 24 h reperfusion, and the cerebral cortex at 48 h reperfusion when compared to normothermic conditions. In normothermic, mild hypothermic and hyperthermic ischemia groups, the levels of MDA and lactate in brain tissue were increased at 24, 48 and 72 h reperfusion following 20-min ischemia as compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.01). The levels of MDA and lactate in mild hypothermic group were significantly lower than those in normothermic group (P<0.01). It is suggested that brain temperature influences the translation of the immunoreactive protein product of c-fos after global cerebral ischemia, and MDA and lactate are also affected by hypothermia and hyperthermia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) in synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing unmethylated CpG dinucleotides (CpG-ODN)-induced species-specific immune responses. METHODS: CpG-ODN was co-cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of humans, macaques and mice. The IFN-alpha in the supernatant was measured by ELISA. The reverse transcription PCR was used to analyze the expression levels of TLR9 mRNA in PBMC. RESULTS: CpG-ODN induced high amounts of IFN-alpha in human PBMC, but had no effect on macaques and mice. The expression of TLR9 mRNA was observed in all human PBMC, and the levels of TLR9 mRNA were significantly up-regulated with the stimulation of CpG-ODN. We did not observe any expression of TLR9 mRNA in PBMC in macaques. CONCLUSION TLR9 underlies the molecular foundation of CpG-ODN-induced species specificity.
Animals ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; biosynthesis ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Macaca mulatta ; Mice ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides ; pharmacology ; Species Specificity ; Toll-Like Receptor 9 ; biosynthesis ; genetics

The aim of the present study was to determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) could contribute to the protective effects of preconditioning, and to explore its underlying mechanism. The Langendorff model of isolated rat heart was used. Cardiac contractility and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the coronary effluent were measured, and infarct area of hearts after 30 min of ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion was analyzed. We found that: (1) The subthreshold preconditioning (2 min of ischemia and 10 min of reperfusion), captopril (an ACEI with sulfhydryl groups) or perindoprilate (an ACEI without sulfhydryl groups) alone did not protect the hearts from being injured by 30 min of ischemia and 120 min of reperfusion. (2) However, the combination of captopril or perindoprilate with subthreshold preconditioning could decrease left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), increase left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and coronary flow compared with the subthreshold preconditioned group. The combination treatments also inhibited the release of LDH from ischemia/reperfusion hearts, and reduced the infarct area in ischemic heart after 2 h of reperfusion (P<0.05). (3) By using NOS inhibitor L-NAME (100 mumol/L) before combined administration of ACEI with subthreshold preconditioning, the protection effect triggered by the combination treatment was significantly reduced. Pretreatment of the hearts with mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoK(ATP)) channel inhibitor 5-HD (100 mumol/L) also abolished the protection effect (P<0.05). (4) Subthreshold preconditioning, captopril or perindoprilate alone could enhance the NO content in coronary effluent (P<0.05), but the combination of captopril or perindoprilate with subthreshold preconditioning could further augment the NO content compared with the subthreshold preconditioned group (P<0.05). The results indicate that ACEIs with or without sulfhydryl groups may potentiate the subthreshold preconditioning to trigger cardiac protection effect against the ischemia/reperfusion injury. This protection effect in the heart is possibly mediated by the generation of NO and the activation of mitoK(ATP) channel.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of SCUBE3 in human osteosarcoma cell lines and surgical specimens of osteosarcomas and investigate its association with the patients' prognosis.

METHODSThe expression of SCUBE3 protein was detected in 5 osteosarcoma cell lines using Western blotting. CCK8 assay was used to assess the effect of SCUBE3 suppression mediated by two specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) on the proliferation of U2OS osteosarcoma cells, and the cell cycle changes were detected using flow cytometry. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of SCUBE3 in 60 osteosarcoma tissues, and Kaplan-Meier method was performed for survival analysis of the patients.

RESULTSCompared with osteoblast hFOB1.19 cells, the osteosarcoma cell lines all showed significantly higher expressions of SCUBE3. In U2OS cells, suppression of SCUBE3 expression by siRNA significantly inhibited the cell proliferation (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with high SCUBE3 expression had worse prognosis than those with low SCUBE3 expression (P=0.036).

CONCLUSIONSCUBE3 is up-regulated in the 5 osteosarcoma cell lines and in primary osteosarcoma tissues to promote the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells. A high SCUBE3 expression in osteosarcoma tissues is associated with a poor prognosis of the patients, suggesting that SCUBE3 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.

Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Osteosarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Prognosis ; RNA, Small Interfering ; Up-Regulation

Under global cerebral ischemia, the effect of different brain temperature on cerebral ischemic injury was studied. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normothermic (37-38°C) ischemia, mild hypothermic (31-32°C) ischemia, hyperthermic (41-42°C) ischemia and sham-operated groups. Global cerebral ischemia was established using the Pulsinelli four-vessel occlusion model and brain temperature was maintained at defined level for 60 min after 20-min ischemia. The expression of c-fos protein and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate in brain regions were detected by immunochemistry and spectrophotometrical methods, respectively. C-fos positive neurons were found in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex after cerebral ischemia reperfusion. Mild hypothermia increased the expression of c-fos protein in both areas, whereas hyperthermia decreased the expression of c-fos protein in the hippocampus at 24 h reperfusion, and the cerebral cortex at 48 h reperfusion when compared to normothermic conditions. In normothermic, mild hypothermic and hyperthermic ischemia groups, the levels of MDA and lactate in brain tissue were increased at 24, 48 and 72 h reperfusion following 20-min ischemia as compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.01). The levels of MDA and lactate in mild hypothermic group were significantly lower than those in normothermic group (P<0.01). It is suggested that brain temperature influences the translation of the immunoreactive protein product of c-fos after global cerebral ischemia, and MDA and lactate are also affected by hypothermia and hyperthermia.
Animals ; Body Temperature ; Brain ; blood supply ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Cerebral Cortex ; blood supply ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Hippocampus ; blood supply ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Immunochemistry ; Lactic Acid ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Spectrophotometry ; Temperature ; Time Factors ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression of MMP2 and its correlation with the clinical features and prognosis of endometrial adenocarcinoma.

METHODSWe collected paraffin-embedded samples from 81 patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma aged 32 to 80 years to examine the expression of MMP2 using immunohistochemistry. The correlation of MMP2 expression with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of the patients was analyzed.

RESULTSMMP2 protein was expressed in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. MMP2 over-expression was negatively correlated with tumor differentiation (P=0.015) and prognosis (P=0.041) of endometrial adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONMMP2 over-expression is a potential malignant biomarker in endometrial adenocarcinoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Middle Aged

Adult ; Aged ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; mortality ; Survival Analysis ; Tuberculosis ; complications ; mortality

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mining ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; epidemiology ; Tuberculosis ; complications ; epidemiology ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDTo investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in men attending a sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinic in Hangzhou area.

METHODSThe enrolled individuals were men aged 18-70 years attending the STD clinic. Penile swabs were assessed for HPV DNA using polymerase chain reaction with the consensus primers MY09/11. The HPV genotypes of positive PCR products were determined by restriction fragment length polymorphisms and direct sequence analysis.

RESULTSOf 375 swabs collected, 305 (81.3%) yielded sufficient DNA for the subsequent HPV analysis. Among the 305 subjects, the prevalence of HPV was 13.8%. Low risk HPV types were found in 8.5% (26/305) of the enrolled individuals, high risk types were found in 4.3% (13/305) of the enrolled individuals, and multiple types were found in 1.0% (3/305) of participants. The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in participants from urban area than in those from rural area (P<0.05). The prevalence was also higher in those who had received less years of education (P<0.05) and those who had more sex partners (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHPV infection among men at high risk is not uncommon. The detection rate of HPV DNA was significantly related to some sociodemographic factors, such as residence, educational level and the number of sex partners.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Alphapapillomavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Capsid Proteins ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA, Viral ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral ; genetics ; Outpatients ; statistics & numerical data ; Papillomavirus Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; epidemiology ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult