AIMTo investigate the induction of endothelial cell apoptosis and the suppression of VEGF expression in cancer cells by sodium caffeate (SCA).

METHODSApoptosis of transformed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304 cell line) was detected by flow cytometry, DNA electrophoresis assay and morphological assessment. Western blotting analysis was applied for determination of VEGF expression in cancer cells. Substrate degradation by type IV collagenase was measured by zymography. ELISA was used to detect the binding of type IV collagenase with relevant monoclonal antibody.

RESULTSSCA induced ECV304 cell apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After treatment with 100 and 250 microg X mL(-1) of SCA for 48 h, DNA laddering appeared. SCA treated cells showed strong blue fluorescence and distinct changes of nuclear morphology, such as pyknosis and the occurrence of apoptotic bodies. VEGF expression in hepatoma HepG-2 cells and prostate carcinoma DU145 cells was reduced after SCA treatment. The degradation activity of type IV collagenase including MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted by giant cell pulmonary carcinoma PG cells was inhibited by SCA in a dose-dependent manner. SCA also reduced the binding of mAb 3D6, a relevant monoclonal antibody, to type IV collagenase.

CONCLUSIONSCA can induce endothelial cell apoptosis and inhibit VEGF expression as well as type IV collagenase activity in cancer cells. SCA might be active in modulating tumor angiogenesis and the microenvironment.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caffeic Acids ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the risk factors for metastasis and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) postoperatively. METHODS: Data of 270 cases of postoperative HCC were analyzed by SPSS software retrospectively. RESULTS: Out of the 270 cases, 162 got follow-up study and 136 showed metastasis and recurrence. Lots of risk factors induced the recurrence of HCC, such as AFP, tumor form, venous blood invasion, HBV infection, resection dimension and perioperative transfusion. There were different risk factors at different stages. CONCLUSION The early recurrence of HCC may be mediated by macro- or micro-vessel blood invasion and metastasis, the late recurrence by multicentric carcinogenesis or introhepatic cacinoma de novo.
Adult ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; surgery ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; epidemiology ; Postoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEIn mid-July 2005, five patients presented with septic shock to a hospital in Ziyang city in Sichuan, China, to identify the etiology of the unknown reason disease, an epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory study were conducted.

METHODSAn enhanced surveillance program were established in Sichuan, the following activities were introduced: active case finding in Sichuan of (a) laboratory diagnosed Streptococcus suis infection and (b) clinically diagnosed probable cases with exposure history; supplemented by (c) monitoring reports on meningococcal meningitis. Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infection was confirmed by culture and biochemical reactions, followed by sequencing for specific genes for serotype and virulence factors.

RESULTSFrom June 10 to August 21, 2005, 68 laboratory confirmed cases of human Streptococcus suis infections were reported. All were villagers who gave a history of direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in their backyards where slaughtering was performed. Twenty six (38%) presented with toxic shock syndrome of which 15 (58%) died. Other presentations were septicaemia or meningitis. All isolates were tested positive for genes for tuf, species-specific 16S rRNA, cps2J, mrp, ef and sly. There were 136 clinically diagnosed probable cases with similar exposure history but incomplete laboratory investigations.

CONCLUSIONAn outbreak of human Streptococcus suis serotype 2 infections occurred in villagers after direct exposure to deceased or sick pigs in Sichuan. Prohibition of slaughtering in backyards brought the outbreak to a halt. A virulent strain of the bacteria is speculated to be in circulation, and is responsible for the unusual presentation of toxic shock syndrome with high case fatality.

Animals ; Bacteremia ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Humans ; Meningitis, Bacterial ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Shock, Septic ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Streptococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; veterinary ; Streptococcus suis ; isolation & purification ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; microbiology

Objective: To explore the heterogeneity and correlation of clinical phenotypes and genotypes in children with disorders of sex development (DSD). Methods: A retrospective study of 1 235 patients with clinically proposed DSD in 36 pediatric medical institutions across the country from January 2017 to May 2021. After capturing 277 DSD-related candidate genes, second-generation sequencing was performed to analyzed the heterogeneity and correlation combined with clinical phenotypes. Results: Among 1 235 children with clinically proposed DSD, 980 were males and 255 were females of social gender at the time of initial diagnosis with the age ranged from 1 day of age to 17.92 years. A total of 443 children with pathogenic variants were detected through molecular genetic studies, with a positive detection rate of 35.9%. The most common clinical phenotypes were micropenis (455 cases), hypospadias (321 cases), and cryptorchidism (172 cases) and common mutations detected were in SRD5A2 gene (80 cases), AR gene (53 cases) and CYP21A2 gene (44 cases). Among them, the SRD5A2 mutation is the most common in children with simple micropenis and simple hypospadias, while the AMH mutation is the most common in children with simple cryptorchidism. Conclusions: The SRD5A2 mutation is the most common genetic variant in Chinese children with DSD, and micropenis, cryptorchidism, and hypospadias are the most common clinical phenotypes. Molecular diagnosis can provide clues about the biological basis of DSD, and can also guide clinicians to perform specific clinical examinations. Target sequence capture probes and next-generation sequencing technology can provide effective and economical genetic diagnosis for children with DSD.
3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase/genetics* ; Child ; China/epidemiology* ; Cryptorchidism/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development/genetics* ; Female ; Genital Diseases, Male ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypospadias/genetics* ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Penis/abnormalities* ; Phenotype ; Retrospective Studies ; Steroid 21-Hydroxylase/genetics*