Objective: To observe the effect of STC-1 gene expression was inhibited on the apoptosis, IL-1β and TNF-α expression and JAK2/STAT3 signal in esophageal cancer cells. Methods: Compared with normal human esophageal squamous epithelial cells Het-1 A, STC-1 expression was detected in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma KYSE170, Eca109, TE1 and TE10 cells by RTPCR and Western blot; the siRNA sequence that the synthesized STC-1 and the si NRA sequence without interference were transfected into Eca109 cells, which were labeled as STC-1-siRNA group and NC group, and the blank control group was set, cells were transfected for 48 h, the expression of STC-1 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Eca109 cell viability and apoptosis rate were detected by CCK8 and flow cytometry. IL-1β and TNF-α expression were detected by RT-PCR; the expression of Ki67, p53, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein were detected by Western blot. Results: Compared with Het-1 A cells, expression of STC-1 mRNA and protein in KYSE170, Eca109, TE1 and TE10 cells were increased significantly ( P＜0. 05); compared with the control group, STC-1 expression was decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, cell viability was decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, the apoptosis rate was increased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group; IL-1β, TNF-α, Ki67, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 expression were decreased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group, p53 expression was increased significantly in STC-1-siRNA group ( P＜0. 05). Conclusion: STC-1 was highly expressed in esophageal cancer cells; inhibiting of STC-1 expression could significantly reduce the activity of cancer cells, and increase apoptosis rate, this effect may be related to the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways and inflammatory factors as IL-1β and TNF-α.

OBJECTIVETo understand the national situation of quality and consumption of iodized salt at production and household levels.

METHODSDetailed surveillance method could be found in 'national iodized salt surveillance scheme', issued by MOH in 2004. The iodine concentrations in salt (except some special kinds of salt) were detected by direct titration with national standard of GB/T 13025.7-1999, in which the iodine content in qualified iodized salt was set as between 20 and 50 mg/kg and that in non-iodized salt was set as below 5 mg/kg.

RESULTSAt production level, the national lot qualified rate was 98.36% and all the provincial lot qualified rate of production level was over 90%. At household level, the national iodized salt coverage rate of household was 96.87% and the national qualified iodized salt coverage rate was 93.75%. 4 provinces (Tibet, Hainan, Xinjiang and Guangdong) had an iodized salt coverage rate lower than 90%. Further, the qualified iodized salt coverage rate of 5 provinces (Tibet, Hainan, Xinjiang, Guangdong and Qinghai) was below 90%. In 2006,80 counties did not conduct the iodized salt surveillance and non-iodized salt coverage rate of 185 counties was higher than 10%. In the respect of the qualified iodized salt coverage rate at household level, there were about 10 percent lagging behind the national goal that 95% of all the counties in China should achieve virtual elimination of iodine deficiency disorder before 2010.

CONCLUSIONAt national level,the lot qualified rate at production level and the iodized salt coverage rate at household level maintained comparatively well. However, at county level, there were 75 counties whose iodized salt coverage rate was below 70%.

China ; Goiter ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Iodine ; deficiency ; Population Surveillance ; Sodium Chloride, Dietary

OBJECTIVE: To investigate polymorphism distribution of the 5 Y-SNP loci in Jinan Han population, and evaluate their potential in forensic application. METHODS: Genotyping of 5 Y-SNP loci (M89, M9, M122, M134, M95) were executed in the sample of 103 unrelated Chinese male individuals in Jinan Han population by using fragment length discrepant allele specific PCR (FLDAS-PCR). RESULTS: In 5 Y-SNP loci, genetic polymorphism were identified in Jinan Han population, and the ranges of gene diversity(GD) were 0.093 3-0.491 2. Twenty different haplotypes were observed and the haplotypes diversity (HD) was 0.867 9. Six different haplogroups were detected according to international association of Y chromosome nomenclature. CONCLUSION Five Y-SNP loci and their haplogroups in Jinan Han population are highly polymorphic, which can provide more information for the genetic structure analysis and forensic genetics research in the region.
Alleles ; Asian People/genetics* ; China/ethnology* ; Chromosomes, Human, Y/genetics* ; Forensic Genetics/methods* ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Markers ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide/genetics*

OBJECTIVETo study the prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) like virus in animals at a live animal market of Guanzhou in 2004 before and after culling of wild animal action taken by the local authority, in order to predict the re-emerging of SARS from animal originals in this region.

METHODSAnimals at live animal market were sampled for rectal and throat swabs in triplicate. A single step realtime reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic kit was performed for screening SARS-CoV like virus, the manual nested RT- PCR and DNA sequencing were performed for confirmation. Only specimens which tested positive for both of the N and P genes by nested RT-PCR were scored as positive.

RESULTSIn 31 animals sampled in January 5 2004 before culling of wild animals at Guangdong Province, including 20 cats (Felis catus), 5 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and 6 Lesser rice field rats (Rattus losea), 8 (25.8%) animals were tested positive for SARS-CoV like virus by RT-PCR methods, of which 4 cats, 3 red fox and one Lesser rice field rats were included. However, two weeks after culling of animals and disinfection of the market were implemented, in 119 animals sampled in January 20 2004, including 6 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), 13 cats, 46 red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), 13 spotbill duck (Anas platyrhynchos), 10 greylag goose (Anser anser), 31 Chinese francolin (Franclinus pintadeanus), only rectal swab from one greylag goose was tested positive for SARS-CoV like virus. Furthermore, in 102 animals that including 14 greylag gooses, 3 cats, 5 rabbits, 9 spotbill duck (Anaspoecilorhyncha), 2 Chinese francolin (Franclinus pintadeanus), 8 common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), 6 pigeons, 9 Chinese muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), 19 wild boar (Sus scrofa), 16 Lesser rice field rats, 5 dogs, 1 mink (Mustela vison), 3 goats, 2 green peafowl (Pavo muticus) sampled in April, May, June, July, August and November, only rectal swab from one pig was tested positive. However, of 12 and 10 palm civets sampled in November and December including five of which had been at the live animals market for 2 days, none of them was tested positive.

CONCLUSIONThis findings revealed that animals being sampled in April, May, June, July, August and November of 2004, only one rectal swab from a pig was tested positive as SARS-CoV like virus, much lower than the results from the previous year, suggesting that the possibility of re-emerging of human infection from animal origins is low for the winter of 2004-2005.

Animals ; Animals, Wild ; virology ; China ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; Felidae ; virology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; SARS Virus ; isolation & purification