OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of post-treatment PSA kinetics on the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 114 cases of locally advanced PCa treated by maximal androgen blockade (MAB) combined with brachytherapy, and analyzed the association of the changes in PSA kinetics with the prognosis of the patients.

RESULTSThe median survival time of the patients was 81 (15 - 144) months, with 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of 91. 23%, 78.07% and 68.42% , respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that the baseline PSA level, PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, PSA doubling time, and the extent of PSA declining were all predictive factors for the survival time of the PCa patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PSA nadir, the time of PSA decreasing to nadir, and the extent of PSA declining were three independent prognostic factors, which prolonged the long-term survival of the patients by 1.7, 3.2 and 6.8 times, respectively.

CONCLUSIONFor locally advanced PCa treated by MAB combined with brachytherapy, PSA nadir <1 micro g/L, the time to nadir <3 months, and the extent of PSA declining >96% are independent prognostic factors.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Androgens ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Brachytherapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To study the cell toxicity of thrombin in astrocytes in vitro and the protective effect of hirudo extract liquid (HEL) on the injured astrocytes. Methods Astrocytes were isolated from Wistar rats' cerebral cortex and cultured in vitro, and observed under a phase contrast microscope for growth status. Cell activity was measured with MTT assay. The survival of astrocytes was investigated after exposed to a selected concentration of thrombin ranging from 0.1 to 100 U/mL or to HEL ranging from 0.25 to 4 mg/μL by observing cell morphology under an inverted phase-contrast microscope and measuring the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity (a marker of cell death) in cell supernatant. Expressions of HSP70 and TGFβ-1 protein in astrocytes were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results (1) Thrombin (1-100 U/mL) had toxicity on astrocytes in vitro in a dose-dependent manner (F=118.65, P=0.000). (2) HEL (0.25-4 mg/μL) could significantly reduce the cell toxicity of 10 U/mL thrombin in astrocytes (F=156.08, P=0.000). With the increasing concentration of HEL, the protection of HEL was accordingly enhanced, and it even increased the expressions of HSP70and TGFβ-1. Conclusions HEL could accelerate the proliferation of astrocytes, enhance the expressions of HSP70 and TGFβ-1 protein, so as to significantly depress the cell toxicity of thrombin to astrocytes.

Objective To investigate the molecular characteristics of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) living in vector mosquitoes,from Zhejiang province.Methods A total of 13620 mosquitoes were collected from the monitoring stations located in Cixi city and Xianju county in Zhejiang province,in July and August,2009-2010.Nucleic acid of JEV from the mosquitoes was monitored by using real-time RT-PCR.The virus strains were isolated with BHK-21 cell line,with E genes of the isolated viruses amplified,sequenced and their phylogeny and homology analyzed.Results The positive rates of JEV for those mosquitoes collected in the stations of Cixi and Xianju were 17.0％ (27/159) and 3.4％ ( 1/29 ),respectively.Twenty-two JEV strains were isolated,accounted for 15.4％ among the 143 batches of mosquitoes collected in 2010.All E genes in the 6 sequenced virus isolates contained 1500 nucleotides encoding 500 amino acids,in which no inserts and deletions were identified.The identity rates of nucleotide and amino acid in E gene were 99.2％-99.8％ and 100.0％ among the 6 JEV strains isolated from Zhejiang,99.1％-99.3％ and 99.2％-99.8％ between the Zhejiang strains in 2009-2010 and the Zhejiang strains in 2007-2008,respectively,87.6％-88.0％ and 97.8％ between the 6 Zhejiang strains and the vaccine strain SA 14-14-2 of JEV,respectively.The phylogeny tree of E gene indicated that the JEV isolates in Zhejiang during 2009-2010 was located in the branch of the genotype Ⅰ.Conclusion Mosquitoes collected from Cixi and Xianju areas carried JEV,with the rate of JEV in Cixi higher than in Xianju.All the Zhejiang isolates in 2009-2010 were proven to be the genotype Ⅰ of JEV.

This study was aimed at creating an engineered strain of Bacillus subtilis for efficient expression of biologically active type 2 toxin B(TcdB2)derived from a highly virulent strain of Clostridium difficile.The TcdB2 gene was cloned from ST1/RT027 strain genome DNA,incorporated into the PHT01 vector,and then transformed into B.subtilis strain WB800N for prokaryotic expression.Cell toxicity assays revealed that the recombinant TcdB2 exhibited cytotoxic effects in various cells.The engineered B.subtilis strain effectively expressed biologically active TcdB2,thus providing a basis for further exploration of the pathogenic mechanisms of highly virulent strains of C.difficile and establishing a foundation for potential vaccine can-didate targets.