Objective To explore the value of clinical use of combined detection with tumor markers for pancreatic cancer. Methods Tumor markers CA242,CA19-9 and CA50 in serum of 32 patinets with pancreatic cancer;26 patients with non-pancreatic digestive tract cancers and 24 patietns with benign pancreatic or biliary tract diseases were measured by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Results The levels of three markers in serum and positive rates of patients with pancreatic cancer were higher than those of other patients. The effect of measurement combining CA242 with CA19-9 was the best. The sensitivity ,specificity and accuracy of diagnosis for pancreatic cancer were 92.6％, 73.8％ and 81.2％ respectively. The levels of CA242 and CA19-9 were positively relative to burden of pancreatic cancer, and serum levels of these two markers of patients with resectable pancreatic cancer were lower than those with unresectable, but on difference was observed for CA50. Conclusion Combined detection of serum CA242 and CA19-9 could prove the effectual indicator for finding the patients with pancreatic cancer in high risk population or for resectable pancreatic cancer. Pre-operative measurement of serum levels of CA242 and CA19-9 is helpful to evaluate the burden of the tumors and possiblity of resect for pancreatic cancers.

Objective To assess the feasibility, efficiency and selectivity of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to local arterial wall by protein-coated metallic stent. Methods A replication-defective recombinant adenovirus carrying the Lac Z reporter gene for nuclear specific β-galactosidase (Ad-βgal) was used in this study. The coating for metallic stent was made by immersing it in a gelatin solution containing crosslinker. The coated stents were mounted on a 4.0 or 3.0 mm percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon and submersed into a high-titer Ad-βgal viral stock (2 × 1010 pfu/ml) for 3 min, and then implanted into the carotid artedes in 4 mini-swines and into the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery in 2 mini-swines via 8F large lumen guiding catheters. The animals were sacrificed 7 (n=4), 14 (n = 1) and 21 (n = 1 ) days after implantation, respectively. The β-galactosidase expression was assessed by X-gal staining. Results The results showed that the expression of transgene was detected in all animal. In 1 of carotid artery with an intact intima, the β-gal expression was limited to endothelial cells. In vessels with denuded endothelium, gene expression was found in the sub-intima, media and adventitia. The transfection efficiency of medial smooth muscle cells was 38.6%. In 2 animals sacrificed 7 days after transfection, a microscopic examination of X-gal-stained samples did not show evidence of transfection in remote organs and arterial segments adjacent to the treated arterial site. Conclusions Adenovirus-mediated arterial gene transfer to endothelial, smooth muscle cells and adventitia by protein-coated metallic stent is feasible. The transfection efficiency is higher. The coated stent may act as a good carrier of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer and have a potential to prevent restenosis following PTCA.

Objective　To confirm previous effort to identify type 2 diabetes susceptibility genes in a Northern Chinese population by conducting a new genome scan with both an increased number of type 2 diabetes families and a new set of microsatellite markers within the previously localized regions. Methods　A genome scan method was applied. After multiplexed PCR, electrophoreses, genescan and genotyping analysis, we obtained size information for all loci , and then a further study was done by both parametric and non-parametric linkage analysis to investigate the P values and Z values of these loci. Results　We surveyed 34 microsatellite markers which distributed within 5 regions along chromosome 1, and a total of 12?000 genotypes were screened. Evidence of linkage with diabetes was identified for 8 of the 34 loci. All P values of the 8 loci were lower than 0.05, and the highest Z value was 2.17. A very interesting finding is that all 5 markers at the p- terminal 1p36.3-1p36.23 region, spanning a long range of 16.9?cM, were identified to have a low P value of less than 0.05, which suggests that this region may contain multiple susceptibility genes. Regions 4 and 5 also confirmed the previous findings, and we narrowed these two regions to a 2.7?cM and 2.5?cM regions, respectively. Conclusions　We further confirmed the results gained in the previous genome-wide scan using an increased number of NIDDM families and a new set of microsatellite markers lying within the initially localized regions. The fact that all 5 loci at the p- terminal region displayed a low P value of less than 0.05 suggests that more than 1 susceptibility gene may reside in this region.