Acupuncture Therapy ; Apoptosis ; Brain Ischemia ; pathology ; therapy ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and its receptor CC chemokine receptor-2 (CCR-2) in coronary atherosclerosis plaques between sidden coronary death (SCD) and non-SCD. Methods The expression levels of MCP-1 and CCR-2 in SCD group, coronary atherosclerosis group (non-SCD), control group (normal coronary artery) were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Positive rates of MCP-1 among the three groups were 78%, 47%, and 0%, respectively, with significant expressing differences between each two groups (P<0.05). Positive rates of CCR-2 among three groups were 72%, 47%, and 0%, respectively, with significant expressing differences between the SCD group and coronary atherosclerosis group as well as between the SCD group and control group (P<0.05), but with no significant expressing difference between coronary atherosclerosis group and control group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Overexpression of MCP-1 and CCR-2 in coronary atherosclerotic plaques is closely correlated with SCD.
Chemokine CCL2/metabolism* ; Coronary Artery Disease/pathology* ; Death, Sudden, Cardiac/pathology* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Receptors, CCR2/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in first-degree relatives of patients with affective disorders,and to evaluate the risk of AD in first-degree relatives of the patients with affective disorders.Methods Patients with affective disorders meeting DSM-Ⅳ-TR criteria (affective disorders group) and their healthy spouses (conrol group) were recruited in this study (n=109 each).The first-degree relatives inclusion criteria were biological relatives of both probands aged over 55 years.Subjects were investigated by neuropsychological assessment,imaging and clinical examinations,and were diagnosed as AD according to the criteria of the United States of America neuropathy language disorders and stroke research institute and Alzheimer's disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA).Results 284 first-degree biological relatives of affective disorders patients and 274 first-degree relatives of control group were selected.There were no statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics of the first-degree relatives between the two groups.The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease in the first-degree relatives had a significant difference between affective disorders group and control group [10.6％ (30/284) vs.4.4％ (12/ 274),x2=7.47,P=0.006].The prevalence of AD in the first-degree relatives was higher in bipolar disorder and depressive disorder patients than in control group [11.2％ (14/125) vs.4.4％(12/274),20.0％ (15/75) vs.4.4％(12/274),x2=6.80,20.56,OR=2.60,4.63,both P＜0.05],while there was no significant difference in the prevalence of AD in the first-degree relatives between mania patients and control group [1.1％ (1/87) vs.4.4％ (12/274),x2 =1.99,P＞0.05].Conclusions There is a high risk for Alzheimer' s disease in first-degree relatives of patients with affective disorders,particularly in first-degree relatives of patients with depression and bipolar disorders.

Objective To evaluate the high?risk factors for brain metastases after prophylactic cranial irradiation ( PCI), and to provide a basis for personalized treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in 188 patients with limited?stage small?cell lung cancer who received PCI in our hospital from 2005 to 2010. The Kaplan?Meier method was used to calculate the cumulative rate of brain metastases. The log?rank test and the Cox model were used for the univariate and multivariate analyses of the potential factors for the cumulative incidence of brain metastases, respectively. Results In the 188 patients, 31 ( 16?5%) had brain metastases. The 1?, 2?, and 3?year cumulative incidence rates of brain metastases were 4%, 15%, and 20%, respectively. The univariate analysis showed that staged Ⅲ disease before treatment, elevated levels of tumor markers, incomplete remission after chemoradiotherapy, and local?regional relapse were risk factors for high incidence of brain metastases ( P= 0?044, 0?037, 0?005, 0?007) . The multivariate analysis revealed that incomplete remission after chemoradiotherapy and local?regional relapse after chemoradiotherapy were risk factors for high incidence of brain metastases after PCI ( P= 0?003, 0?040 ) . Conclusions Patients with incomplete remission or local?regional relapse after chemoradiotherapy have high incidence of brain metastases after PCI. For those patients, a frequent follow?up of the central nervous system plus salvage cranial irradiation might provide an alternative to PCI.

Objective To explore the differences in health care quality,scale,output,efficiency,cost and financial condition between freestanding secondary hospitals and system-affiliated secondary hospitals in Shanghai,and analyse the determinants of hospital integration. Methods Eleven upper secondary hospitals in Shanghai integrated between 2000 and 2004 were selected,and another 40 secondary hospitals (including 30 upper secondary hospitals and 10 middle secondary hospitals) without integration were served as controls. Using related data of 1999,Mann-Whitney U test was performed to analyse the differences between these two groups,and Logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the determinants of hospital integration. Results There were significant differences in health care quality,scale,and output between these two groups (P0.05). It was revealed by Logistic regression analysis that health care quality,scale,output,and financial condition were determinants of integration. Conclusion System-affiliated secondary hospitals have advantages over freestanding hospitals in health care quality,scale,output and financial condition,and those with better health care quality,larger scale,larger output and better financial condition are more likely to be integrated by tertiary hospitals.

Background and purpose:Hypermethylated in cancer 1 (HIC1) is silenced in multiple cancer cells and tissues by DNA methylation of epigenetic modification, which may modulate the initiation and progression of tumors. However, there are few reports about this phenomenon in prostate cancer. This study aimed to investigate the status of HIC1 promoter methylation in prostate cancer using methylation methods.Methods:Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and bisulfate sequencing PCR (BSP) were used to detect the methylation status ofHIC1 promoter in prostate cancer cell lines PC3 and C4-2B, prostate normal cell line PrEC, primary Chinese PCa tissues and the respective healthy control cases.HIC1 expression level was respectively determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blot assays in PC3, C4-2B and PrEC cells treated with 5-Aza-CdR.Results:We found that the percentages of HIC1 promoter methylation were 78.23%, 72.15% and 10.63% in PC3, C4-2B and PrEC cells by MSP analyses. Moreover, the levels of methylatedHIC1 promoter in 36 primary Chinese PCa tissues compared with the respective healthy control cases were 80.30%vs 31.56%. Expressions ofHIC1 mRNA and protein level were restored in PC3 and C4-2B cells after 5-Aza-CdR treatment.Conclusion:These findings demonstrate thatHIC1 promoter region is hypermethylated in prostate cancer, which results in silence or downregulation ofHIC1. The status ofHIC1 methylation can be a valuable marker in the early stage of prostate cancer and a potential therapeutic target.

Objective To investigate the value of qualitative and quantitative parameters of MRI on diagnosis of benign and malig-nant breast lesions.Methods Patients were scanned with MRI who were confirmed as breast lesions verified by histopathology,and the time-signal curve(TIC),Slopemax ,the apparent diffusion coefficient values (ADC)were deduced.Results There were 24 benign and 11 malignant lesions.Features of benign lesions were shown as follow:The TIC type wasⅠmostly 91.7%,Slopemax was 0.65 %/s,the ADC values was 1.31×10 -3 mm2/s.Features of malignant lesions were shown as follow:The TIC type were Ⅱ and Ⅲ mostly (100%), Slopemax was 1.63 %/s,the ADC values was 1.06 ×10 -3 mm2/s.Conclusion Types of TIC,Slopemax ,the ADC values of MRI are valuable in the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions,integrated functional parameters are better than an individual param-eters in that they can improve the accuracy of diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the changes in the glutamate transporter EEAC1 mRNA expression and the injured nerve cell apoptosis after rat cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is treated with mild hypothermia. Methods The middle cerebral arteries(MCA)of Sprague-Dawley rats were occluded for 30 minutes,and reper- fused for 90 minutes.Using DIG-labeled CRNA probe and TUNEL,the positive rate of glutamate transporter EE- AC1 mRNA expression and apoptotic cell rate were determined in the sham-operated group,the control group and the mild hypothermia group,respectively.Results The positive rate of EEAC1 mRNA expression and apoptotic cell rate were significantly lower in sham-operated group than those in the control group(P

Acute Kidney Injury ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Needle ; methods ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

Objective To study the effect of public hospitals vertical integration on scale economy in Shanghai. MethodsA total of 401 samples of 67 hospitals from 1999 to 2004 in Shanghai were collected.Median regression was performed to estimate the multi-output cost function and marginal cost of discharge patients,and scale economies were calculated.Results The independent variables Beds,W,X1,X23,Region,Level,Y03,and Y04 were all predictors of cost.Conclusion Both integrated tertiary and secondary hospitals had scale economy before and after integration.Integration enhanced the output and improved the efficiency of integrated secondary hospitals.To some extent,patients were dispersed to secondary hospitals.