Objective To select the calibrator for the conventional measurement system of serum a-Amylase (Amy).Methods The Amy levels of forty frozen serum samples were detected by the IFCC reference method (reference system),the conventional system A which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Roche PNPG7 method,and the conventional system B which used the Bioassay routine reagent and Randox calibrator,and was calibrated by the Rondox liquid stable PNPG7 method,respectively,and the acceptability of the two conventional systems was evaluated.Results The regression equations of the measurement values between the IFCC reference method and the conventional systems A and B were Y =0.964X +0.376 and Y =1.095X + 3.131,respectively.Among them,X and Y represented the results of the IFCC reference method and the conventional system,respectively.Compared with the IFCC reference method,the results of the conventional system A was reliable.Condusion With the guidance of the IFCC reference method,the domestic biochemical reagents matched with the suitable calibrators may provide the acceptable results.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the abnormal change of immune function in patients with Pi-Qi deficiency Syndrome, and to explore the genomic mechanism of its genesis by cDNA chip techniques.

METHODSThe cross probe was made by extracting and microamplifying the total RNA and mRNA of peripheral white blood cells (WBC) in healthy subjects and patients with chronic gastritis and ulcerative colitis, which were labeled by Cy3 and Cy5 respectively. Then equal quantity of the two labeled probes were mixed and hybridized with cDNA chip, fluorescent signal of the chips were scanned with scanner. Data obtained were analyzed for comparing the difference of the expressive levels of immune associated genome in peripheral WBC in healthy subjects with those in patients.

RESULTSExpressions of CD9, CD164, PF4 and RARB gene in WBC of patients, both gastritis and colitis, were down-regulated while those of IGKC, DEFA1 and GNLY were up-regulated.

CONCLUSIONThe genesis of Pi-Qi deficiency syndrome has its immune associated genomic basis, and the immune functions are disordered in patients with that syndrome.

Adult ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; genetics ; immunology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gastritis ; genetics ; immunology ; Genome ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Qi ; Splenic Diseases ; genetics ; immunology ; Yang Deficiency ; genetics ; immunology

Child ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis ; complications ; Male ; Nephritis, Interstitial ; etiology ; Prognosis

UNLABELLEDOBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy by Qingying Huoxue Decoction (QHD) combined ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) in treating patients with early and mid-term primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). METHODS Totally 78 patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 39 in each group. All patients received basic treatment and took UDCA (at the daily dose of 13-15 mg/kg). Patients in the treatment group took QHD, one dose per day. The treatment course for all was 6 weeks. Clinical efficacy, gamma-glutamyl transferase (γ-GGT), alkaline phospatase (ALP), TBIL, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate transaminase (AST) were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS Totally 21 (53. 8%) patients obtained complete response in the treatment group, with statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (11 cases, 30. 8%). Levels of GGT, ALP, ALT, AST, and TBIL decreased in the two groups after treatment (P < 0.01). Levels of ALP, GGT, and TBIL were obviously lower in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSQHD combined UDCA in treating early and mid-term PBC patients was superior to the effect of using UDCA alone. It also could improve patients' liver function.

Alanine Transaminase ; metabolism ; Aspartate Aminotransferases ; metabolism ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; drug therapy ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid ; therapeutic use ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; metabolism

Objective To establish a quantitative RT-PCR method with self-quenched fluorogenic probe for detection of bcr/abl mRNA in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia for providing a useful tool for diagnosis of CML,evaluation of therapeutic effect and monitoring of minimal residual disease(MRD). Methods bcr/abl gene from cultured K562 cells was amplified by conventional RT-PCR.The standard quantitative plasmid was constructed by A-T clone method.The self-quenched fluorogenic quantitative RT- PCR method(FQ-RT-PCR)for determination of bcr/abl mRNA was established successfully using the ABI PRISM 7000 PCR Detector.The linear range,sensitivity,stability,and repetitiveness of the method were determined.The marrow samples from 25 CML patients and 3 ALL patients were assessed.Results The sensitivity of the FQ-RT-PCR was 10 copies/?l recombined plasmid,and bcr/abl mRNA can be detected from 1 K562 cell in 10~5 normal cells.The linear range was 10~2-10~9 copies/?l recombined plasmid.The coefficient variation(CV)value was 2.1% in intra-assay and 6.1% in inter-assay.The median ber/abl mRNA expression level was 4.50?10~4 copies/?g RNA [(0.45-89.00)?10~4],5.45?10~4 copies/?g RNA [(2.95-19.30)?10~4 ],13.00?10~4 copies/?g RNA [(4.10-89.00)?10~4] and 2.35?10~4 copies/?g RNA [(0.45-5.12)?10~4] in 25 CML patients,11 patients in the incipient chronic phase,6 patients in blastic crisis,8 patients in chronic period after treatment,respectively.The bcr/abl mRNA level in blastic crisis was significantly higher than that in chronic phase(q= 3.41,P

Objective To evaluate the safety of mefformin in the treatment of elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). Methods Two hundred and forty-three cases of elderly T2DM hospitalized from Jan.1996 to Dec. 2006 were reviewed; the changes of fasting blood glucose(FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), liver and renal function and blood lactic acid were evaluate before and after treatment. Results The mean time of treatment with mefformin was (6.6±3.9) years (3 months-21 years)in these 243 cases. The levels of FBG, PBG and HbAlc significantly reduced after treatment with mefformin only in 43 cases (17.7%), mefformin combined with other oral hypoglycemic drugs in 124 cases (51.0%) and mefformin combined with insulin in 76 cases (31.3%). There was only 18.1% of the cases with normal range ( > 80 ml/min) of creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), and 25.8% of the cases with Ccr≤50 ml/min. The liver and renal function as well as the blood lactic acid had no significant change after treatment no matter in total cases or in different groups separated by Ccr.Conclusions Mefformin is safety in the treatment of elderly T2DM patients. Ageing is not the contraindication of mefformin. To the patients with high risk, we should monitoring the level of blood lactic acid.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety and efficacy of intraoperative argon/helium cryosurgery in surgical resection of advanced hepatic carcinoma.

METHODSEighty-six surgical patients with advanced hepatic carcinoma were enrolled in this study, including 14 undergoing argon cryosurgery for tumor removal and 72 receiving cryosurgery in addition to surgical tumor reduction. Portal vein or hepatic arterial pump placement was performed in 15 patients for chemotherapy.

RESULTSNo death occurred in the operation or during the postoperative hospitalization period in these patients. Improvement of the clinical symptoms was observed in 66 cases (76.74%) and 43 (78.18%) patients showed significantly decreased blood AFP levels after the surgeries. Postoperative CT demonstrated obviously reduced tumor size in 58 cases (67.44%). Of the 70 patients available for the follow-up, 28 survived with a survival rate of 40%. The 0.5-, 1-, 3 and 5-year survival rates were 44/48 (91.67%), 35/48 (72.92%), 28/48 (58.33%), and 20/48(41.67%) in the patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC), respectively, as compared with those of 21/22 (95.45%), 18/22 (81.82%), 13/22 (50.09%), and 8/22 (36.36%) in patients with metastasis hepatic carcinoma (MHC). The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of the patients undergoing surgical tumor resection and cryosurgery were 65/72 (90.27%), 47/60 (78.33%) and 24/58 (41.38%), respectively, significantly higher than the rates of 10/14 (71.43%), 8/12 (66.67%) and 4/12 (33.33%) in the patients receiving cryosurgery only (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSArgon cryosurgery offers an effective and safe option for management of advanced hepatic carcinoma, and its combination with other therapeutic approaches may achieve better clinical effects.

Adult ; Aged ; Argon ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; surgery ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Cryosurgery ; Female ; Helium ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; secondary ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Analysis

OBJECTIVESTo study the possible relationship between CYP1A1, NAT2 genetic polymorphisms and the susceptibility of prostate cancer.

METHODSForty-eight patients with prostate cancer and 112 healthy cases were selected as the control randomly. NAT2 and CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms were analysed with the methods of PCR-RFLP, ASA and real-time fluorescence Light-Cycler. The difference of frequency between the patients and the controls was compared.

RESULTSAmong prostate cancer patients and their matched controls, the frequencies of alleles and genotypes were significantly different with Ile-Val gene Polymorphisms (P < 0.05), in which the frequency of the allele G and GG genotypes were significantly higher than those in their matched controls with an odds ratio of 1.59 and 3.06(P < 0.05), respectively; No significant differences of the frequencies of the MspI alleles and genotypes were found between the patients with prostate cancer and the matched controls(P > 0.05). No significant differences of NAT2 slow acetylator genotype frequency were found between the controls and prostate cancer patients (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe CYP1A1 Ile-Val gene polymorphisms might be associated with the occurrence of prostate cancer, while MspI gene polymorphisms and NAT2 slow acetylator genotype might not be associated with the occurrence of prostate cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase ; genetics ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A1 ; genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; genetics

OBJECTIVESTo investigate targeted blockage of BCR/ABL oncoprotein mediated cell transformation by STAT5 decoy oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), its effect on the growth and proliferation inhibition of K562 cells and the related molecular mechanisms.

METHODSSTAT5 decoy ODN, designed and synthesized in vitro, was transfected into K562 cells by cationic lipid. The cell growth curve and colony formation assay were used to reflect the growth and proliferation capacity of K562 cells, RT-PCR to detect the expression of three genes downstream STAT5.

RESULTSConfocal microscopy demonstrated that STAT5 decoy ODN was successfully transfected into K562 cells (95.2% positive cells). STAT5 decoy ODN inhibited the growth of K562 cells (inhibition rate 77.7%) and their colony formation capacity (Decoy ODN treated group 8.3% vs control group 35.7%, P < 0.05) after the treatment with STAT5 decoy ODN, the expressions of c-myc, bcl-X(L), cyclin D1 mRNA were down-regulated by 15.4%, 30.8%, 29.1%, respectively in the K562 cells.

CONCLUSIONSSTAT5 decoy ODN inhibits the growth and proliferation of K562 cells. The mechanisms may be that decoy ODN blocks the transcriptional activation potent of STAT5 and down-regulates the expression of these tumor related genes downstream STAT5.

Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin D1 ; genetics ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Liposomes ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Oligodeoxyribonucleotides, Antisense ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; STAT5 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; physiology ; Transfection ; bcl-X Protein ; genetics

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) has been a primary target of treatment as well as a prognostic indicator for breast cancer. The level of human X-box binding protein 1 (XBP-1) mRNA was related with that of ERalpha in breast tumors and was over-expressed in some breast tumors. These previous studies suggested that XBP-1 may interact with ERalpha. XBP-1 has two isoforms, XBP-1S and XBP-1U, as the result of unique splicing. GST pull-down assay showed that both XBP-1S and XBP-1U bound to ERalpha in vitro. The binding of XBP-1S to ERalpha was stronger than that of XBP-1U to ERalpha. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that the binding was in a ligand-independent manner. XBP-1S and XBP-1U interacted with the region of ERalpha that contains a DNA-binding domain. The ERalpha-interacting regions on XBP-1S and XBP-1U have been mapped to two regions, the N-terminal basic region leucine zipper domain (bzip) and the C-terminal activation domain. These findings suggest that XBP-1S and XBP-1U may participate in ERalpha signaling pathway through the mediation of ERalpha.
Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Regulatory Factor X Transcription Factors ; Signal Transduction ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; X-Box Binding Protein 1