circPVT1 Inhibits the Proliferation and Aids in Prediction of the Prognosis of Bladder Cancer.

Background: Circular RNA PVT1 (circPVT1) is aberrantly expressed in several cancers, but its functional role and clinical relevance in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) remain unknown. This study aimed to identify the expression level of circPVT1 in BLCA and investigated its functional relevance with BLCA progression both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: GEPIA, UALCAN, and OncoLnc were referred to presented data. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was used for the measurement of transnational expression of genes in BLCA specimens and cell lines. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) assays were performed to detect HER2 amplification, Pearson's correlation analysis to analyze the correlation between circPVT1 expression and clinical characteristics, Cox regression and K-M survival analyses to analyze prognostic factors. A nomogram was constructed for predicting prognosis. The proliferation of cells was measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assay, and the proliferation in vivo was evaluated using nude mouse models. qPCR was used to detect the expression of proliferation-related genes. Results: circPVT1 was but mRNA PVT1 was not significantly overexpressed in BLCA. A high circPVT1 expression was associated with a better survival and negative HER2, but not with age, gender, and T stage. circPVT1 was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival of BLCA patients. Knocking down circPVT1 promoted BLCA proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Knocking down circPVT1 upregulated ERBB2, MKI67, and PCNA expression and downregulated TP53 expression, but exerted no influence on CCND1 and CCNB1 expression. Conclusion: circPVT1 is a tumor suppressor and novel prognostic biomarker for BLCA.

Characteristics and clinical significance of CD163+/CD206+M2 mono-macrophage in the bladder cancer microenvironment.

The tumor microenvironment may recruit monocytes, with a protumoral macrophage phenotype (M2) that plays an important role in solid tumor progression and metastasis. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of these cells for cancer prevention and treatment. Bladder cancer tissue samples and paracarcinoma tissues samples were collected, and the expression of CD163+ cells in tumor tissues was observed. Then, we observed the expression of infiltrating CD45+CD14+CD163+ cell subset and analyzed the molecular expressions related to immunity and angiogenesis. C57/BL6 mice were inoculated subcutaneously, and dynamic changes of CD11b+F4/80+CD206+ mononuclear macrophages expression for tumor-bearing mice were detected. The results showed that the proportion of CD45+CD14+CD163+ mono-macrophage subset infiltrated by tumor tissue was significantly higher than that in paracarcinoma tissues. In bladder cancer tissue, the expression rate of CD40 in CD45+CD14+CD163- mono-macrophage subset was significantly lower than that in CD45+CD14+CD163+ mono-macrophage subset. Similar results were found in the paracarcinoma tissues. We found that, as the proportion of CD11b+F4/80+CD206+ mono-macrophages increased gradually, the difference was statistically significant. CD163+/CD206+ mono-macrophages in bladder cancer microenvironment are abnormally elevated, and these cells are closely related to tumor progression. CD40 may be an important molecule that exerts biological function in this subset.

Knockdown of MCM8 inhibits development and progression of bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer is a frequently diagnosed urinary system tumor, whose mortality remains rising. Minichromosome maintenance eight homologous recombination repair factor (MCM8), a newly discovered MCM family member, has been shown to be required for DNA replication. Unfortunately, little is known concerning the roles of MCM8 in bladder cancer. METHODS: The present study, we aimed at probing into the impacts and detailed mechanisms of MCM8 in bladder cancer progression. In this study, MCM8 expression level was detected through immunohistochemistry staining (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. Silenced MCM8 cell models were constructed by lentivirus transfection. In vitro, the cell proliferation was evaluated by the MTT assay. The wound-healing assay and the transwell assay were utilized to assess the cell migration. Also, the cell apoptosis and the cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry. Moreover, the Human Apoptosis Antibody Array assay was performed to analyze the alterations of apoptosis-related proteins. The in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the effects of MCM8 knockdown on the tumor growth of bladder cancer. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that compared with normal adjacent tissues, MCM8 expression in bladder cancer tissues was strongly up-regulated. The up-regulation of MCM8 expression in bladder cancer may be a valuable independent prognostic indicator. Of note, MCM8 inhibition modulated the malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells. In terms of mechanism, it was validated that MCM8 knockdown made Akt, P-Akt, CCND1 and CDK6 levels down-regulated, as well as MAPK9 up-regulated. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our study demonstrated an important role of MCM8 in bladder cancer and created a rationale for the therapeutic potential of MCM8 inhibition in human bladder cancer therapy.

Measurement of Gas-Oil Two-Phase Flow Patterns by Using CNN Algorithm Based on Dual ECT Sensors with Venturi Tube.

In modern society, the oil industry has become the foundation of the world economy, and how to efficiently extract oil is a pressing problem. Among them, the accurate measurement of oil-gas two-phase parameters is one of the bottlenecks in oil extraction technology. It is found that through the experiment the flow patterns of the oil-gas two-phase flow will change after passing through the venturi tube with the same flow rates. Under the different oil-gas flow rate, the change will be diverse. Being motivated by the above experiments, we use the dual ECT sensors to collect the capacitance values before and after the venturi tube, respectively. Additionally, we use the linear projection algorithm (LBP) algorithm to reconstruct the image of flow patterns. This paper discusses the relationship between the change of flow patterns and the flow rates. Furthermore, a convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm is proposed to predict the oil flow rate, gas flow rate, and GVF (gas void fraction, especially referring to sectional gas fraction) of the two-phase flow. We use ElasticNet regression as the loss function to effectively avoid possible overfitting problems. In actual experiments, we compare the Typical-ECT-imaging-based-GVF algorithm and SVM (Support Vector Machine) algorithm with CNN algorithm based on three different ECT datasets. Three different sets of ECT data are used to predict the gas flow rate, oil flow rate, and GVF, and they are respectively using the venturi front-based ECT data only, while using the venturi behind-based ECT data and using both these data.

The status and characteristics of urinary stone composition in China.

OBJECTIVES: To explore characteristics of urinary stone composition in China, and determine the effects of gender, age, body mass index (BMI), stone location, and geographical region on stone composition. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively used Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to analyse stones from consecutive patients presenting with new-onset urolithiasis at 46 hospitals in seven geographical areas of China, between 1 June 2010 and 31 May 2015. Chi-squared tests and logistic regression analyses were used to determine associations between stone composition and gender, age, BMI, stone location, and geographical region. RESULTS: The most common stone constituents were: calcium oxalate (CaOx; 65.9%), carbapatite (15.6%), urate (12.4%), struvite (2.7%), and brushite (1.7%). CaOx and urate stones occurred more frequently in males, whereas carbapatite and struvite were more common in females (P < 0.01). CaOx and carbapatite were more common in those aged 30-50 and 20-40 years than in other groups. Brushite and struvite were most common amongst those aged <20 and >70 years. The detection rate of urate increased with age, whilst cystine decreased with age. Obese patients were more likely to have urate stones than carbapatite or brushite stones (P < 0.01). CaOx, carbapatite, brushite, and cystine stones were more frequently found in the kidney than other types, whereas urate and struvite were more frequent in the bladder (P < 0.01). Stone composition varied by geographical region. CONCLUSIONS: The most common stone composition was CaOx, followed by carbapatite, urate, struvite, and brushite. Stone composition differed significantly in patients grouped by gender, age, BMI, stone location, and geographical region.

Preparation and Properties of CaCO3-Supported Nano-TiO2 Composite with Improved Photocatalytic Performance.

In order to improve the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of nano-TiO2, reduce its usage and realize recycling and reuse, CaCO3-TiO2 composite photocatalyst was prepared with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and TiO2 in a grinding machine through the integration of grinding depolymerization, dispersion and particle composition. The photocatalytic degradation performance, recycling performance, structure and morphology of CaCO3-TiO2 were studied. The interaction mechanism between CaCO3 and TiO2 and the improvement mechanism for the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 were also discussed. The results show that under the UV light irradiation for 20 and 40 min, the degradation efficiency of methyl orange by the composite photocatalyst with 40% TiO2 (mass fraction) was 90% and 100%, respectively. This was similar to that of pure TiO2, and the performance of the composite photocatalyst was almost unchanged after five cycles. CaCO3-TiO2 is formed by the uniform loading of nano-TiO2 particles on the CaCO3 surface, and the nano-TiO2 particles are well dispersed. Due to the facts that the dispersion of nano-TiO2 is improved in the presence of CaCO3 and the charge transport capability is improved through the interfacial chemical bonds between CaCO3 and TiO2, the formation of this complex is an intrinsic mechanism to improve the photocatalytic efficiency of nano-TiO2 and reduce its usage in application processes.

Association of leptin, visfatin, apelin, resistin and adiponectin with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Although an association between obesity and the occurrence of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been identified, the mechanism by which obesity functions to increase this risk of cancer remains unclear. Leptin, visfatin, apelin, resistin and adiponectin are peptide hormones secreted by adipocytes; it is considered that these may affect RCC development by exerting effects on proliferation, cell growth and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the aforementioned adipokine genes and clear cell RCC (CC-RCC). The GSE6344 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and the relative expression levels of the adipokine genes were analyzed. To verify the results of the mRNA microarray, 77 paired samples of CC-RCC and corresponding adjacent normal tissue were allocated into two groups. The extraction of total RNA was conducted, and the mRNA expression of adipokine genes was analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The data from the GSE6344 dataset indicated that the expression of visfatin and apelin was upregulated (P<0.0001 and P<0.01, respectively), and adiponectin was downregulated (P<0.001) in the CC-RCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. The data from RT-qPCR demonstrated that visfatin and resistin gene expression was increased (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) in the CC-RCC tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA expression level of leptin and adiponectin in the adjacent normal tissue was higher than those in the cancer tissue (P<0.01). The current study verifies that visfatin and adiponectin are associated with an increased risk of CC-RCC, which presents further insights into the molecular mechanisms of CC-RCC tumorigenesis.

Results of a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial with propiverine extended release 30 mg in patients with overactive bladder.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of the 30 mg extended release (ER) formulation of propiverine hydrochloride with the 4 mg ER formulation of tolterodine tartrate in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) in a non-inferiority trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients, aged 18-75 years and with symptoms of OAB, were enrolled in this multicentre, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, active-controlled study. After a 2-week screening period, patients were randomized at a 1:1 ratio to receive either propiverine ER 30 mg or tolterodine ER 4 mg daily during the 8-week treatment period. Efficacy was assessed using a 3-day voiding diary and patient's self-reported assessment of treatment effect. Safety assessment included recording of adverse events, laboratory test results, measurement of post-void residual urine and electrocardiograms. RESULTS: A total of 324 patients (244 female and 80 male) were included in the study. Both active treatments improved the variables included in the voiding diary and in the patient's self-reported assessment. The change from baseline in the number of voidings per 24 h was significantly greater in the propiverine ER 30 mg group compared with the tolterodine ER 4 mg group after 8 weeks of treatment (full analysis set [FAS] -4.6 ± 4.1 vs -3.8 ± 5.1; P = 0.005). Significant improvements were also observed for the change of urgency incontinence episodes after 2 weeks (P = 0.026) and 8 weeks (P = 0.028) of treatment when comparing propiverine ER 30 mg with tolterodine ER 4 mg. Both treatments were well tolerated, with a similar frequency of adverse drug reactions in both the propiverine ER 30 mg and tolterodine ER 4 mg groups (FAS 40.7 vs 39.5%; P = 0.8). More patients treated with tolterodine ER 4 mg discontinued the treatment because of adverse drug reactions compared with propiverine ER 30 mg (7.4 vs 3.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Propiverine ER 30 mg was confirmed to be an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for patients with OAB symptoms. This first head-to-head study showed non-inferiority of propiverine ER 30 mg compared with tolterodine ER 4 mg.

High-resolution Melting PCR Analysis for Genotyping Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Although several studies have documented the role of leptin receptor gene polymorphisms in cancers, the association between leptin receptor gene polymorphisms and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to develop a high-resolution melting (HRM) approach for genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms of leptin receptor gene on the LightCycler 480, and to explore the relation between polymorphisms of the leptin receptor gene and RCC. The study population consisted of 83 patients with renal cell carcinoma and 161 healthy control subjects. The Lys109Arg (A/G) and Gln223Arg (A/G) polymorphisms of leptin receptor gene were examined with HRM assay. Direct DNA sequencing and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms were used as a reference method for genotyping Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg, respectively. Three genotypes of Lys109Arg or Gln223Arg were clearly distinguishable from the melting curve shapes with HRM assay. The data also showed the results of the direct DNA sequencing or PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphisms analysis were in complete concordance to genotyping results obtained by HRM (kappa=1.0). In addition, the data showed the G-G haplotype frequency was higher (p<0.05), and that the A-G (p<0.001) and G-A (p<0.01) haplotypes frequencies were lower in the RCC than controls. We developed a rapid, low cost, high-throughput and reliable single-tube technology for genotyping Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg polymorphisms. In addition, our data suggest that Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg gene polymorphisms are associated with RCC in Chinese Han studied population.

Cripto-1 expression and its prognostic value in human bladder cancer patients.

Cripto-1 is an important embryonic gene that involved in self-renewal and maintenance of pluripotency of stem cells. Overexpression of Cripto-1 has been found to be correlated with tumorigenesis and may affect tumor recurrence and metastasis. The previous studies indicate that Cripto-1 might be a potential prognostic biomarker for several malignancies. The aim of this study is to examine Cripto-1 expression pattern and clinicopathological significance in human bladder cancer patients. We investigated Cripto-1 expression in 30 paired bladder cancer tissues and corresponding noncancerous bladder tissues using real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Moreover, Cripto-1 expression in 130 bladder cancer specimens and bladder cancer T24 and 5637 cells were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays. The recurrence/metastasis-free survival was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Cox regression was also used for univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors. The results showed that Cripto-1 expression is increased in bladder cancer tissues and is significantly associated with tumor size (P = 0.005) and tumor grade (P = 0.035). In addition, the expression level of Cripto-1 in bladder cancer was also found to be significantly associated with SRY-related HMG-box gene 2 expression (P = 0.003) and Ki-67 (P = 0.001). Compared with the patients with low Cripto-1 expression, the patients with high Cripto-1 expression had significantly poorer recurrence/metastasis-free survival (P = 0.011). Cox regression showed that Cripto-1 might be an independent prognostic factor for recurrence/metastasis-free survival (P = 0.036). Our findings suggest that high Cripto-1 expression might be involved in the development of bladder cancer and a potentially effective prognostic marker in bladder cancer patients.

[Efficacy and safety of Saw Palmetto Extract Capsules in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Saw Palmetto Extract Capsules in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: We conducted a multi-centered open clinical study on 165 BPH patients treated with Saw Palmetto Extract Capsules at a dose of 160 mg qd for 12 weeks. At the baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks of medication, we compared the International Prostate Symptom Scores (IPSS), prostate volume, postvoid residual urine volume, urinary flow rate, quality of life scores (QOL), and adverse events between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline, both IPSS and QOL were improved after 6 weeks of medication, and at 12 weeks, significant improvement was found in IPSS, QOL, urinary flow rate, and postvoid residual urine. Mild stomachache occurred in 1 case, which necessitated no treatment. CONCLUSION: Saw Palmetto Extract Capsules were safe and effective for the treatment of BPH.

Association of leptin receptor Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg polymorphisms with increased risk of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although roles of genetic polymorphisms of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene in several cancers have been documented, the association between polymorphisms of LEPR and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CC-RCC) remains unknown. The aim of this study was to explore any relation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 77 patients with CC-RCC and 161 healthy control subjects. Polymorphism analyses of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg were performed by direct DNA sequencing and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism approaches respectively. RESULTS: Comparisons of allelic and genotypic frequencies in Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg showed no significant difference between the cases and controls. However, when evaluating the combined genotype of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg, risk with GG/GG was increased (OR=1.85, 95%CI=1.04-3.30) and with GA/GG or GG/GA was decreased (OR=0.07, 95%CI=0.01-0.54; OR and 95%CI of the latter could not be calculated for a value of zero) . Furthermore, the G-G haplotype frequency of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg in the cases was higher (OR=1.68; 95%CI=1.02-2.76). In contrast, the A-G and G-A haplotype frequencies in the cases were lower than those in the controls (OR=0.06; 95%CI=0.01 to 0.47; OR and 95%CI of the latter could not be calculated for a value of zero). In addition, the Lys109Arg A allele was in LD with the Gln223Arg A allele (d'=0.9399) in the CC-RCC subjects, but not in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the GG/GG combined genotype and G-G haplotype of Lys109Arg and Gln223Arg can act as evaluating factors for CC-RCC risk.

GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: evidence from a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) is thought to be involved in the detoxification of reactive carcinogen metabolites. Numerous epidemiological studies have evaluated the association of GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism with the risk of prostate cancer. However, the results remain inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation, a meta-analysis was performed. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify the eligible studies. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the relationship. The overall association was not significant (Val/Val vs. Ile/Ile OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.90-1.25, P = 0.50; Val/Val vs. Val/Ile+Ile/Ile: OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.91-1.25, P = 0.44). In subgroup analyses by ethnicity and prostate cancer grade, the similar results were observed. However, in stratified analysis by clinical stage, we found a significant association with low-stage prostate cancer (Val/Val vs. Ile/Ile: OR = 2.70, 95% CI = 1.73-4.22, P<0.001; Val/Val vs. Val/Ile+Ile/Ile: OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.38-3.33, P = 0.001). Moreover, there was no statistically significant evidence of multiplicative interactions neither between the GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism and GSTM1, nor between smoking status and GSTP1 on prostate cancer risk. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis showed that GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism might not be significantly associated with overall prostate cancer risk. Further stratified analyses showed a significant association with low-stage prostate cancer.

Predictive value of Sox2 expression in transurethral resection specimens in patients with T1 bladder cancer.

Sox2 is thought to be an important regulator of self-renewal in embryonic stem cell. According to the cancer stem cell (CSC) theory, the overexpression of Sox2 is potentially involved in carcinogenesis and could affect tumor recurrence and metastasis. Previous study proved Sox2 might be prognostic marker for multiple human malignancies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological significance of Sox2 expression in human non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. We examined Sox2 expression in 32 paired non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qrtRT-PCR). In addition, we analyzed Sox2 and Ki-67 expression in 126 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer samples and bladder cancer cell line T24 by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays. The recurrence-free survival was determined by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Cox regression was adopted for univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors. The expression of Sox2 was significantly increased in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer tissues. Sox2 expression was significantly correlated with that of Ki-67 (P < 0.001). The expression of Sox2 was significantly associated with tumor size (P = 0.006), tumor number (P = 0.037), and tumor grade (P < 0.001). Patients with high Sox2 expression had significantly poorer recurrence-free survival (P = 0.0002) when compared with patients with the low expression of Sox2. On multivariate analysis, Sox2 expression and tumor grade were found to be independent prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (P < 0.05). Our data suggested for the first time that the high expression of Sox2 may contribute to the development of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer and serve as a novel prognostic marker in patients with T1 bladder cancer.

Association of GSTM1 null allele with prostate cancer risk: evidence from 36 case-control studies.

BACKGROUND: Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) is thought to be involved in detoxifying several carcinogens and may play a vital role in tumorigenesis. Numerous studies have evaluated the association between GSTM1 null/present polymorphism and risk of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the results remain inconsistent. To derive a more precise estimation, we performed a meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all eligible case-control studies. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. The overall association was significant (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.11-1.48, P = 0.001). Moreover, subgroup analyses showed GSTM1 null genotype significantly associated with PCa risk among Asians (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.78, P = 0.03) but not among Caucasians (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.96-1.31, P = 0.16). In addition, we did not find that smoking modified the genotype effect on the risk of PCa. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present meta-analysis suggested that GSTM1 null allele was a low-penetrant risk factor for PCa among Asians.

RNASEL Asp541Glu and Arg462Gln polymorphisms in prostate cancer risk: evidences from a meta-analysis.

Epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between RNASEL Asp541Glu and Arg462Gln polymorphisms and prostate cancer (PCa) risk. However, the results remain inconclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the association between RNASEL polymorphisms and PCa risk, we performed a meta-analysis based on nineteen case-control studies. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. Overall, we found that both Asp541Glu and Arg462Gln polymorphisms were not associated with PCa risk (for Asp541Glu polymorphism: Glu/Glu vs. Asp/Asp: OR 1.17, 95% CI: 0.95-1.45, P = 0.13; Glu/Asp vs. Asp/Asp: OR 1.02, 95% CI: 0.92-1.14, P = 0.70; for Arg462Gln polymorphism: Gln/Gln vs. Arg/Arg: OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.88-1.08, P = 0.62; Gln/Arg vs. Arg/Arg: OR 0.97, 95% CI: 0.91-1.04, P = 0.53). The insignificant association was maintained in the dominant and the recessive genetic models. In subgroup analyses, the significant association was not detected in Caucasian populations. However, we found the significant association of RNASEL Asp541Glu polymorphism with sporadic PCa (Glu/Glu vs. Asp/Asp: OR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.59, P = 0.02; Glu/Asp vs. Asp/Asp: OR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.03-1.50, P = 0.03). In conclusion, we found that these RNASEL polymorphisms were not related to overall PCa risk, especially in Caucasians. However, in subgroup analyses we found a suggestion that RNASEL 541Gln allele might be a low-penetrent risk factor for sporadic PCa.

MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms and male infertility risk: a meta-analysis.

Epidemiological studies have evaluated the association between MTHFR 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms and risk of male infertility. However, the results from the published studies on the association between these two MTHFR polymorphisms and male infertility risk are conflicting. To derive a more precise estimation of association between the MTHFR polymorphisms and risk of male infertility, we performed a meta-analysis. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all case-control studies of MTHFR polymorphisms and male infertility risk. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. Overall, we found that both 677C>T and 1298A>C polymorphisms were not significantly associated with male infertility risk. However, in stratified analysis by ethnicity, we found that the 677C>T polymorphism was significantly associated with the risk of male infertility in Asian population (TT vs. CC: OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.05-2.37, P = 0.03; TT vs. TC + CC: OR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.05-1.86, P = 0.02; TT + TC vs. CC: OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.01-1.77, P = 0.04). Although some modest bias could not be eliminated, this meta-analysis suggested that the MTHFR 677T allele might be a low-penetrant risk factor for male infertility, especially in Asian population.