Objective:To investigate the KRAS gene mutation features in lung and gastric cancers and their relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics. Methods:A total of 128 lung cancer and 115 gastric cancer patients were included. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and DNA sequencing were conducted to detect mutations in exon 2 of the KRAS gene. Results:The mutation frequency of KRAS was different in lung and gastric cancers;however, it did not show any statistical significance (6.3%vs. 4.3%, P>0.05). The KRAS codon 12 gene mutation ranks the first in both types of cancer. No significant correlation was observed between the prevalence of KRAS mutations and patient's age and gender. KRAS gene mutation rate was higher in lung adenocarcinoma than in non-adenocarcinoma, such as squamous cancer (10.7%vs. 0%, P<0.05). Conclusion:No correlation was found between the KRAS gene mutation and the sex and age of lung and gastric cancer patients in Jiangsu Province. The rate of KRAS mutation was low. KRAS gene mutation rate was relatively higher in lung adenocarcinoma patients;thus, the mutation status of the KRAS gene should be evaluated be-fore undergoing EGFR-TKI therapy.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of thalidomide plus mometasone furoate cream under occlusion and ultraviolet irradiation for the treatment of prurigo nodularis.Methods A non-randomized,parallel,controlled study was carried out.Eighty patients with prurigo nodularis were divided into 3 groups,i.e.,control group(no irradiation),ultraviolet A1(UVA1)group,and ultraviolet B(UVB)group.All the patients were treated with oral thalidomide and topical mometasone furoate cream under occlusion.Additionally,the patients in UVA1 group and UVB group received UVA1 and NB-UVB irradiation,respectively,thrice a week for no less than 8 weeks.Patients were evaluated at the baseline,and on day 30 after the beginning of treatment.Clinical outcome parameters included disease severity score and visual analogue scales for pruritus.Peripheral blood eosinophils were counted during each visit.Rank sum test was performed to compare the clinical efficacy between the 3 groups,and the relationship between peripheral blood eosinophile count and visual analogue scales for pruritus was analyzed.Results After 30 days of treatment,skin lesions were markedly improved in 5 (21.74％),13(43.33％)and 9(37.5％)patients,and improved in 7(30.43％),12(40％)and 7(29.17％)patients,in the control group,UVA1 group and UVB group respectively;a marked response in pruritus was noted in 7(30.43％),18(60.00％)and 14(58.33％)patients respectively in the control group,UVA1 group and UVB group.The efficacy on skin lesions and pruritus was significantly stronger in the UVA1 group and UVB group than in the control group(skin lesions:Z =8.21,5.22,both P ＜ 0.01;pruritus:Z =4.50,4.50,both P ＜ 0.01),but similar between the UVA1 group and UVB group(skin lesions:Z =0.50,P ＞ 0.05;pruritus:Z =0.35,P ＞ 0.05).Peripheral blood eosinophil count was positively correlated with the visual analogue scale for pruritus in the patients(r =0.53,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Thalidomide combined with mometasone furoate cream under occlusion and ultraviolet irradiation shows notable efficacy for the treatment of prurigo nodularis,and the combination with UVA1 or NB-UVB irradiation enhances the efficacy of thalidomide and mometasone furoate cream under occlusion.

0.05). Conclusions The high expression of GATA3, a Th2 inducer, may correlate with the disease acti vity of SLE, while T-bet, a Th1 inducer, may not correlate with the disease acti vity.

Objective:To investigate the expression of TLR4 mRNA?TLR2 mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the patients with Gram positive and Gram negative infections.Methods:TLR4 and TLR2 mRNA were detected in the patients with Gram negative infections ( n =20) and the patients with Gram positive infections ( n =15) and the normal persons as control ( n =24) with the method of Taqman Real-time PCR.Results:TLR4 mRNA expression in the patients with Gram negative infections were significantly higher than Gram positive infections patients and the normals ( P 0.05).Conclusion:The results showed that the increased expression levels of TLR4 mRNA in PBMC from the Gram negative infectious patients are associated with Gram negative infections and the detection of TLR4 mRNA expression may be a method of diagnosis for Gram negative infections in the early stage.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effect of the rehabilitation on the degenerative scoliosis after the interbody fusion and internal fixation.Methods50 patients with degenerative scoliosis and received the interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation were divided into the rehabilitation group and the control group. Results2 months after operation, the scoliosis coronal Cobb's angle were corrected from (34.11±9.36)° before operation to (23.08±9.16)°. 3 months after operation, the scores of JOA scale, the investigation of quality of life and satisfaction all resulted in better outcome in the rehabilitation group than the control group. ConclusionThe rehabilitation training after operation can reduce complications and improve the quality of life.

This study was aimed to investigate the distribution and implication of tap1 (transporter associated with antigen processing) and tap2 loci allelic and genotypic frequencies. The distribution of tap1 and tap2 loci allelic and genotypic frequencies in 339 random samples of healthy Chinese Hans was analyzed by TaqMan PCR. Several genetic information about power of discrimination, cumulative DP, polymorphism information content, expected heterozygosity and observed heterozygosity were calculated. The results indicated that 5 tap1 alleles (tap1*0101, 020101, 020102, 0301 and 0401) and 4 tap2 alleles (tap2*0101, 0102, 0103 and 0201) were detected in all samples. 8 tap1 genotypes were found which account for 53.3% of the theoretic genotype and 6 tap2 genotypes were found which account for 60% of the theoretic genotype. The genotyping results of tap1 and tap2 both conform to the Hardy-Weinberg expectations (p > 0.05). Tap1*0101 (79.79%) and tap2*0101 (82.74%) are the most common alleles in Chinese Hans. It is concluded that tap1*0101 and tap2*0101 are most common alleles in Chinese Hans, tap1 and tap2 loci carry some power of individual discrimination and polymorphism information content. These two locl can be used for the research in the fields of human genetics, linkage analysis of genetic disease genes, paternity test and individual identification and so on.
ATP-Binding Cassette Sub-Family B Member 2 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 3 ; Alleles ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans

OBJECTIVE:To provide reference for quality evaluation of Ejiao. METHODS:The contents of 17 amino acids in 18 batches of Ejiao from 18 manufacturers were analyzed by automatic amino acid analyzer;the content data was processed by prin-cipal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA),in order to understand the relationship among these amino acids and categorize the Ejiao products. RESULTS:Except for a batch of Ejiao,the other 17 batches contained 17 various amino acids,including 7 necessary amino acids(Thr,Val,Met,Ile,Leu,Phe and Lys)for human being,especially the contents of Gly and Pro were higher. The total content of amino acids was arranged from 66.1% to 82.0%,showing great difference. Four main components were extracted by PCA,the cumulative contribution of which was 89.578%,and accordingly it may be consid-ered that Pro,Ala,Glu,Asp,Leu,Ile and Thr were characteristic amino acids of Ejiao products. In hierarchical clustering analy-sis,3 tree figures of commercial Ejiao product were achieved and Euclidean distance was varied among 0-25. CONCLUSIONS:There is great difference in total control of amino acid in commercial Ejiao product;Ejiao products from various manufacturers dif-fer in their amino acid contents. Ejiao is rich in collagen,and therefore,using amino acid determination would be helpful to moni-tor its quality.

Objective To evaluate the cardiac function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) by using echocardiography.Methods Three hundred and twenty eight COPD patients and 60 age and gender-matched healthy subjects ( control group ) were enrolled in the study. According to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease ( GOLD ) criteria, patients were as classified as mild (n=102), moderate (n=85), severe (n=80) and very severe (61).All participants underwent conventional echocardiography and two dimensional-speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) to assess cardiac function.Results The LVEF was reduced significantly, while the PASP was increased in severe and very severe COPD patients [(60.9 ±2.0)% and (59.4 ±2.8)%, t value:3.358, 4.859 to normal controls, 5.247, 6.641 to mild, 3.280, 4.863 to moderate, respectively, all P<0.001].The LA size was dilated in very severe COPD patients [(3.9 ±0.5) cm, t value: -2.407, -2.625, -2.071,-2.186, P<0.05 ] , and the RVEF was significantly less than those of the other patients [ ( 42.8 ± 7.3)%,t value: 6.357, 6.832, 5.581, 4.639, P<0.05 ] .The right ventricular FAC of moderate or severe COPD patients and the segmental and global LS of left and right ventricular in COPD patients were significantly lower than those in the normal controls, and which were gradually decreased as GOLD classification rising [ RVFAC, moderate: ( 37.7 ±2.0 )%, severe: ( 35.5 ±3.2 ) %, very severe:(34.0 ±3.1) %, t value: -4.616, -5.982, -7.195, respectively; LSLVg, moderate: ( -18.62 ± 1.76) %, severe: ( -17.15 ±0.73 ) %, very severe: ( -16.51 ±0.89 ) %, t value: -9.389,-15.494, -16.873, respectively;LSRVg, moderate:(-20.52 ±2.27) %, severe:(-18.84 ±1.38)%, very severe:(-16.82 ±1.10) %, t value:-8.555, -13.595, -18.499, respectively, all P<0.001].Besides, the FAC of COPD patients was positively correlated with the RVEF (r =0.676,P <0.05), while the RVLSg was negatively correlated with the FAC and RVEF (r=-0.677, -0.591,all P<0.05) .Conclusions There were left and right ventricular dysfunction in COPD patients, which decreased as GOLD classification upgraded. The FAC and 2D-STE can effectively detect the subtle abnormalities of regional and global ventricular function.

Purpose To study the status of EGFR mutations and the expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 ( ER-CC1) and Ki-67 protein in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to examine the relationship between their expression and clinicopathologic features. Methods EGFR mutations were analyzed with DNA sequencing, and the expression of ERCC1 and Ki-67 protein was examined by immunohistochemistry EnVision. The relationship of EGFR mutations with the expression of ERCC1and Ki-67 and the clinicopathological features were analyzed. Results EGFR mutations were detected in 143 (143/291, 49. 1%) of the 291 specimens. EGFR mutations were found more frequently in women, non-smokers and adenocarcinoma. The difference of EGFR muta-tion rate between the histological subtypes according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification of lung adenocarcinoma was significantly ( P=0. 008). The mean tumor diameter was smaller in patients with EGFR mutations than in those with wild-type EGFR (P=0. 020). EGFR mutations were not related to age, lymph node metastasis. However, EGFR mutations were not related to the expression of ER-CC1 and Ki-67 protein (P>0. 050). Conclusions EGFR mutation is closely linked to several clinicopathological factors, such as gender, differentiation, and histological subtype. There is heterogeneity of EGFR mutation in patients with NSCLC. EGFR mutations were not related to the expression of ERCC1 and Ki-67 protein.

Objective To investigate the mRNA expression of TLR4 mRNA and TLR2 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)from the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods The mRNA of TLR4 and TLR2 were detected in the patients with SLE (n = 41) and the normal healthy control (n = 24) with the method of Taqman Real-time PCR. Results The mRNA expression of TLR4 was significantly higher in active SLE patients than that in inactive SLE patients and the normal healthy control (P