OBJECTIVETo investigate the knowledge and willingness of breast cancers patients from Shanghai for genetic counseling and gene testing.

METHODSA total of 428 patients filled out the questionnaire and the data was statistically analyzed.

RESULTSMost of the patients were unaware of genetic counseling and gene testing. But after a brief introduction, a majority of them were willing to accept genetic counseling and recommend their family members to participate. The willingness was education- and age-related. When told that gene testing may benefit themselves, 92.1% of the patients were willing to be tested. However, when told that gene testing may only benefit their family, only 33.9% of the patients were willing to join the testing. The acceptance was also age-, education- and family income-related. The difference was statistically significant. Moreover, the willingness ratio to participate the gene testing was lower than expected. Overall, 74.1% of the patients were willing to accept cheaper preliminary gene screening, whilst only 19.2% were willing to accept genetic testing of higher price. Despite of being told that testing results will be maintained as confidential, still 43.2% worried about adverse effects. Such patients tended to younger, from low-income families, with a family history of associated cancers, or personal history of other cancers. The difference was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONThe majorities of patients do not know but are willing to accept genetic counseling and gene testing and recommend their family to participate. Lack of genetic knowledge, cost for the testing and concerns about discrimination are the obstacles for patients to participate in genetic counseling and gene testing. To spread the knowledge about breast cancer and establish a follow-up screening system for high-risk population may improve the tertiary prevention for breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; statistics & numerical data ; BRCA1 Protein ; genetics ; BRCA2 Protein ; genetics ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; ethnology ; genetics ; Chi-Square Distribution ; China ; Educational Status ; Female ; Genetic Counseling ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genetic Testing ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Social Class

OBJECTIVETo observe the clinical efficacy and side effects of brentuximab vedotin (BV) plus chlormethine hydrochloride (CH) in patients with relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after failure with BV alone.

METHODSFrom March, 2014 to December, 2014, 6 patients who failed with BV monotherapy were enrolled in this study. The chemotherapy regimen consisted of BV (1.2-1.8 mg/kg, iv. gtt, d1) and CH (6 mg/m2, iv. gtt, d1) was given for 3 weeks as one course, and all patients received about 3-8 courses of chemotherapy, with an median of 4 courses. Clinical efficacy and adverse events were assessed and observed by radiographic examination and serological detection.

RESULTSAmong 6 patients, the overall response rate was 100% with 2 complete remission and 4 partial remission. The main adverse events were grade I (2 patients) and IV (2 patients) bone marrow depression, grade II (2 patients)gastrointestinal reaction, grade I (1 patient) increase of transaminase and myocardial enzyme and grade I (1 patient) mouth ulcers.

CONCLUSIONThe combination of BV and CH in the treatment of relapsed and refractory HL after failure with BV alone was high effective and the toxicities were well tolerable.

Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating ; therapeutic use ; Hodgkin Disease ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Immunoconjugates ; therapeutic use ; Mechlorethamine ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of ganoderic acid A (GA-A) on the biological behaviors of human osteosarcoma cells in vitro.

METHODSMG63 and HOS cells were treated with 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 mmol/L GA-A, and the changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were evaluated using MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell assay, respectively. The expressions of STAT3, p38, and NF-κB1 in the cells were analyzed by Western blotting.

RESULTSGA-A effectively inhibited the proliferation of human osteosarcoma HOS and MG-63 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and induced obvious cell apoptosis in both cells. Treatment with 0.5 mmol/L GA-A also resulted in significant inhibition of the invasion of both cells. The results of Western blotting showed that GA-A down-regulated the expression level of phosphorylated STAT3 and increased the phosphorylation level of p38 and NF-κB1 expression in both cells.

CONCLUSIONGA-A can induce proliferation inhibition, apoptosis and suppression of invasion in human osteosarcoma HOS and MG-63 cells.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Bone Neoplasms ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Heptanoic Acids ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lanosterol ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit ; metabolism ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; Phosphorylation ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism

Female ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Rhabdoid Tumor ; diagnosis

China ; Humans ; Industry ; Pneumoconiosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics and antibiotic resistance profiles of Vibrio cholerae O139 in Shandong province.

METHODSA total of 13 strains of V. cholerae O139 (9 clinical strains and 4 environmental strains) isolated from cholera epidemics in Shandong province since 1997 were recovered and confirmed with serum agglutination and biochemical reaction. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was carried out for molecular subtyping. Virulence genes and drug resistance related genes were detected by PCR. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using micro-broth dilution method.

RESULTSThirteen strains of V. cholerae O139 were differentiated into seven pulsetypes. One clinical strain and two environmental strains isolated from Jining in 2013 were clustered into the pulsetype namely KZGN11O139. CN0077, and an identical PFGE pattern of KZGN11O139. CN0002 was found among three clinical strains from Jinan in 2005, Jining in 2005 and Heze in 2009. Other pulsotypes were unique in China and found only in Shandong province. Because of deletion of ctxAB and tcpI, the PFGE patterns of two strains isolated from Yantai in 2000 and 2004 were different from other 11 strains which harbored ctxAB, tcpA, tcpI, rtxA, hlyA and toxR. All strains contained one or more drug resistance related genes such as intI 1, intI 4 and sxt, and were resistant to two kinds of antibiotics at least. Among the 12 kinds of antibiotics, the resistant ratioes to kamamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin and gentamicin were 11/13, 9/13, 7/13 and 7/13, respectively.

CONCLUSIONMolecular subtyping indicates possible epidemiological links among V.cholerae O139 in Shandong province, and almost all strains were toxigenic and drug resistant.

China ; Cholera ; Cholera Toxin ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Epidemics ; Humans ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vibrio cholerae O139 ; Virulence

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical effect of different surgical approaches for treating cervical ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) with spinal cord signal change.

METHODSThirty-eight patients with OPLL with spinal cord signal change were treated from January 2005 to January 2011. Surgical removal via an anterior approach or partial decompression was performed in 10 cases (group A), posterior approach open-door laminoplasty with decompression, bone grafting and internal fixation was performed in 12 cases (group B), and opening the cervical spinal meninges to relieve the pressure was performed in 16 cases (group C) on the basis of the procedures in group B. All the patients were followed up and the pre- and postoperative JOA scores, improvement ratio and inter-body implant fusion were evaluated. Imaging examinations including X-rays, CT and MRI were also performed pre- and postoperatively, and the surgical complications were recorded.

RESULTSAt 12 months postoperatively, the mean improvement rates in groups A, B, and C were 52.39%, 55.15%, and 60.32%, respectively, with the mean JOA scores of 13.54∓0.56, 13.56∓1.26, and 14.70∓1.41, respectively. The JOA scores and improvement rates significantly increased after the surgeries. One patient in group A became paraplegic after the operation with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and one patient in group B and one in group C reported numbness of the upper limb. Group C showed a shorter postoperative recovery time without severe complications.

CONCLUSIONPosterior open-door laminoplasty, decompression, bone grafting and internal fixation can be an effective approach for treatment of cervical OPLL with spinal cord signal change and requires shorter rehabilitation time after the operation.

Aged ; Cervical Vertebrae ; pathology ; Decompression, Surgical ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament ; pathology ; surgery ; Spinal Cord Compression ; etiology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEIn order to understand the glycyrrhizin content range in the wild and cultivated Glycyrrhiza uralensis in China and to find the related influencing factors of glycyrrhizin content.

METHODThe glycyrrhizin content of 165 wild and 1 013 cultivated G. uralensis samples from 37 countries in 9 provinces was determined by HPLC, and the effects of the producing region, medicinal parts, cultivation years, soil type and texture on the glycyrrhizin content were analyzed.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONThe average glycyrrhizin content was (4.43 +/- 1.32)% in the wild G. uralensis population, and (1.51 +/- 0.49)% in the cultivated and the glycyrrhizin content in the cultivated was less than the minimum sandards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The glycyrrhizin content was significant different in the wild and cultivated G. uralensis in different producing regions, respectively. The glycyrrhizin content in roots and rhizome of the wild G. uralensis had no significant difference, it had no significant difference in the cultivated G. uralensis from 1 to 4 years and it increased rapidly after 5 years, and the effects of the soil types and texture on it were significant.

China ; Glycyrrhiza uralensis ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Glycyrrhizic Acid ; analysis

Cloning of flanking sequences of double-copy gene is a challenge in molecular biology. We developed a method to solve this problem by combining an optimized inverse PCR (iPCR) with TAIL-PCR. First, Southern blotting analysis was used to determine a proper restriction enzyme that could obtain proper-length restriction fragments that contained the target gene. Then optimized iPCR was performed to amplify the restriction fragments that contained the separated copies of the gene. Based on the obtained sequences, TAIL-PCR was performed to amplify further flanking regions of the gene. With this method, we obtained all of the EcoR I restriction fragments (2.2-5.1 kb) and Hind III restriction fragments (8.5-11.7 kb) of mitochondrial atpA gene in cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line and maintainer line of Upland cotton. The results showed that this method was an efficient approach to clone flanking sequences of double-copy gene.
Chromosome Walking ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Mitochondrial ; Genes, Plant ; genetics ; Gossypium ; genetics ; Plant Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Terminal Repeat Sequences

OBJECTIVETo study quality test, and establish quality classification standard of Trollius chinensis.

METHODSeed purity, weight per 1 000 seeds, seed moisture content, seed viability and their exterior parameters of the seed samples from different producing areas were measured, K cluster analysis was applied for the data analysis.

RESULT AND CONCLUSIONQuality of T. chinensis seeds from different producing areas was analyzed, and the primary T. chinensis seed quality classification standard was established.

Quality Control ; Ranunculaceae ; chemistry ; Seeds ; chemistry