OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship between Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC) and the metastasis potential in human breast cancer. METHODS Breast cancer tissue sections from 75 patients, grouped according to the local lymph node status were examined immunohistochemically for protein level of DARC. Microvessel density (MVD) was counted by endothelial cells immunostained using anti-CD34 antibody.

RESULTSStrong positive DARC immunostaining in lymph node negative and positive groups was detected in 31 cases (81.6%) and 18 cases (48.6%), respectively (P < 0.01). MVD was (35.67 +/- 17.96)/HP and (53.38 +/- 20.29)/HP in DARC strong positive and less positive cases (P < 0.01). In those patients with lung, bone, hepatic distant metastasis (13 cases), 9 cases (69.2%) were DARC less positive, 4 cases (30.8%) were DARC strong positive. The correlation coefficient was -0.412 between DARC expression and MVD and the corresponding value was -0.346 between DARC expression and lymph node status and -0.333 between DARC expression and distant metastasis in breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONDARC may play a negative role in the process of neoangiogenesis, and probably has an association with the lymph node status.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Bone Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Breast Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Down-Regulation ; Duffy Blood-Group System ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; secondary ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVETo survey the incidence of acute febrile reaction in elderly patients receiving intravenous zoledronic acid for osteoporosis and identify the related factors.

METHODSThirty-eight elderly patients with osteoporosis were hospitalized and treated with intravenous infusion of 5 mg zoledronic acid in 2010. The incidence of acute fever reaction was observed in these patients , and the time of fever onset, duration, average maximum temperature, and antipyretic drug used were recorded. The patients with and without acute febrile reaction were compared for age, duration of osteoporosis, sex ratio, use of parathyroid hormone before zoledronic acid treatment, β-fragment of collagen breakdown, calcitonin, osteocalcin, serum calcium, and use of anti-osteoporosis drugs before the treatment.

RESULTSAcute fever reaction occurred in 12 (31.6%) of the patients. Two of the patients had fever on the day of zoledronic acid treatment, and the other patients developed fever after the first day of treatment, with a mean duration of 1 day and a maximum temperature of (38.5∓0.84) degrees celsius;. The fever was treated with a mean of 3.55∓1.21 pseudoephedrine tablets. The patients with fever showed significantly higher parathyroid hormone levels before treatment than those without fever (P<0.05); osteocalcin, calcitonin, β-fragment of collagen breakdown, or serum calcium showed no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONAcute febrile reaction, often moderate and transient, is common in elderly patients receiving intravenous zoledronic acid for osteoporosis, and its occurrence is possibly associated with parathyroid hormone levels before the treatment.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Density Conservation Agents ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; China ; epidemiology ; Diphosphonates ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Female ; Fever ; chemically induced ; Humans ; Imidazoles ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Incidence ; Infusions, Intravenous ; Male ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; Parathyroid Hormone ; blood

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between insulin resistance and methylation of insulin receptor (INSR) gene in the endometrium of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

METHODSBased on the HOMA index, 35 patients with PCOS were divided into insulin resistant group (IR group, n=18) and non-resistant group (NIR group, n=18). The patients age, serum estriol, testosterone, FSH and LH, fasting insulin and fasting blood glucose were compared between the two groups. The endometrial samples were obtained from the patients to examine DNA methylation status of INSR gene in the endometrial cells using methylation-specific PCR.

RESULTSThe BMI, WHR, fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and HOMA index differed significantly between the two groups (P<0.05). PCR analysis showed partial methylation in the promoter region of INSR gene in 13 samples in IR group and 11 samples in NIR group, without detection of full methylation of the INSR gene in either group. The methylation status showed no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.328).

CONCLUSIONPartial methylation of the INSR gene occurs in the endometria of PCOS patients, but this study does not provide a strong evidence supporting the relationship between insulin resistance and INSR gene methylation in women with PCOS.

Adult ; DNA Methylation ; Endometrium ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, Insulin ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the incidence and spatiotemporal dynamic variation of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Shandong province.

METHODSAccording to surveillance data on HFRS epidemics and host animals, a 'contour area multifractal model' was estimated on the HFRS' incidence and multi-analysis model was applied to study spatiotemporal dynamic variation.

RESULTSThe process could be classified into 5 periods: 1st period (1974-1981) when HFRS was in completely natural focal state in Shandong, and the nature of focus was typical Apodemus type. 2nd period (1982-1986) indicated the process of expanding and merging of the Apodemus type focus in the southeastern part of Linyi district and the Rattus type focus was in the southern part of Jining city. 3rd period (1987-1990) indicated that through the expanding and merging of the two epidemic focuses,one mixed focus dominated by the Apodemus type had been formed in the hilly area of the southern and middle part of Shandong while another one dominated by the Rattus type in the Yellow River valley of the northwestern part of Shandong. 4th period (1991-1993) showed that the process of the spatial pattern of the mixed focus dominated by the Rattus type in Shandong. 5th period (1994-2004) referred to the spatial pattern of the mixed focus dominated by the Rattus became stabilized.

CONCLUSIONEvolution of the characteristics of HFRS focus in Shandong province experienced the following three processes: the simple Apodemus type and the simple Rattus type were seen separately to the mixed foci with the Apodemus type dominant and the Rattus dominant type coexisted and merged to the stable state of the mixed focus with Rattus as the dominant one.

China ; epidemiology ; Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence

Objective To investigate the association between both regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES)-403G/A,-28C/G gene polymorphism and the susceptibilities to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection,among people with Dong and Han ethnicities,in Guizhou.Methods A total of 229 individuals with HBV persistence infection,161 HBV clearanced patients and another 200 controls were recruited to conduct a case-control study among residents with Dong or Han ethnicities.Allelic frequencies of both RANTES-403G/A and-28C/G were identified by TaqMan-MGB probe.Results Both RANTES-403G/A and-28C/G polymorphism in the HBV-persistent group,when compared to the HBV-clearances group,no significant difference was found (P＞0.05).Results from the univariate analysis showed that subjects carrying-403AG and-28GG genotype had higher risk on the susceptibility to HBV persistence infection.The distributions of RANTES-28C/G gene polymorphism between Dong minority and Han ethnicities regarding HBV persistence showed statistically significant difference (P＜0.05).There was no difference on the distributions of RANTES-403G/A gene polymorphism between Dong minority and Han ethnicities.Conclnsion Patients that carrying both RANTES-403AG and-28GG genotype had higher risk on the persistence to HBV,while RANTES-403A had contributed to the clearance of HBV infection.

BACKGROUNDChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is usually complicated with mucus overproduction in airway. Recently the increased expression of the human calcium-activated chloride channel 1 (CaCC(1)) was found to play an important role in mucus overproduction in the asthmatic airways. To investigate the relationship of CaCC(1) and mucus overproduction in the airway of Chinese patients with COPD, the expressions of CaCC(1), MUC5AC and mucus in bronchial tissues were examined.

METHODSBronchial tissues were obtained from fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchial biopsy in West China Hospital from April to July in 2004. Twenty-five patients were diagnosed as the patients with COPD overproduction, and other 20 were the control subjects. The expressions of CaCC(1), MUC5AC and mucin in bronchial tissues were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), in situ hybridization with digoxigenin (DIG)-labeled RNA probe, immunohistochemical and alcian blue-periodic acid Schiff (AB-PAS) staining, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the stronger expressions of CaCC(1) were further detected throughout the bronchial tissues from patients with COPD (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the stronger expressions of the CaCC(1) mRNA were related to the severity of airflow obstruction. Samples from COPD showed a stronger staining for MUC5AC than those in control subjects (P < 0.01) and AB-PAS staining revealed more mucins in COPD patients' submucosal gland comparing with that in control subjects (P < 0.01). Expression levels of the CaCC(1) mRNA were respectively negatively correlated with the patients' forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV(1))/forced vital capacity (FVC) data, FEV(1)% predicted data, V(50)% predicted data, V(25)% predicted data (r = -0.43, r = -0.43, r = -0.35, r = -0.36, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, P < 0.05). While the expression levels of the CaCC(1) mRNA were well correlated with the expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA of airway epithelium and the PAS-AB stained area of submucosal glands (r = 0.39, r = 0.46, P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA were negatively correlated with the patients' FEV(1)/FVC data (P = 0.01), FEV(1)% pred data (P = 0.01), V(50)% predicted data, V(25)% predicted data (r = -0.53, r = -0.53, r = -0.48, r = -0.43, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.01). While the expression levels of the MUC5AC mRNA were well correlated with the positively PAS-AB stained area of submucosal gland (P < 0.05), and the correlation coefficients were 0.43.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the stronger gene expression of CaCC(1) exists, complicated with mucus overproduction in the airway of Chinese patients with COPD.

Adult ; Aged ; Bronchi ; metabolism ; Chloride Channels ; genetics ; Female ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mucin 5AC ; Mucins ; genetics ; Mucus ; physiology ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Vital Capacity

Aged ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; complications ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pituitary Apoplexy ; complications ; etiology ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; complications ; diagnosis ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo investigate the radiosensitizing effect and its mechanism of 3-MA in human hypopharynx cancer cells.

METHODS5 mmol/L of 3-MA combined with 2 Gy or 4 Gy of X-ray was utilized to deal with Fadu cells, and the cell livability (cloning efficiency) and DNA lesion severity (tail moment) of each groups was examined by clonogenic survival assay and comet assay, then differences were compared between groups by independent-sample T test. Fadu cells were then treated with different dose of 3-MA (1, 2, 5, 10 mmol/L), the alteration of cell cycle distribution was detected by flow cytometer, and differences among groups were analyzed through one-way analysis of variance. The expression of p62 and cyclinB1 in each group was examined by western blot.

RESULTSThe livability and DNA lesion severity of cells treated with 3-MA alone showed no notable variation. Compared with non-3-MA groups, the cloning efficiency of cells treated with 3-MA decreased much more after irradiated with 2 Gy or 4 Gy of X-ray (t = 13.41 or 13.98, P < 0.001), and the cells showed a more serious DNA lesion (t = 7.07 or 6.91, P < 0.001). The G2/M percentages of cells in the control group and groups treated with 1, 2, 5, 10 mmol/L of 3-MA were 17.10 ± 1.20, 23.30 ± 2.3, 39.90 ± 3.12, 58.47 ± 1.65, 76.13 ± 3.51 and differences among groups were statistically significant (F = 278.4, P < 0.05). The expression of p62 in cells treated with 3-MA showed a dose-dependent increase, while cyclinB1 showed a dose-dependent decrease.

CONCLUSIONSThe autophagy inhibitor 3-MA could enhance radiosensitivity of human hypopharynx cancer cells by inducing G2/M arrest and enhancing irradiation-induced DNA damage.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; metabolism ; Adenine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin B1 ; metabolism ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Humans ; Radiation Tolerance ; drug effects ; Radiation-Sensitizing Agents ; pharmacology ; Sequestosome-1 Protein

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Colonoscopy ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Agents ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Infant ; Lactulose ; adverse effects ; pharmacology ; Male