Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of 3-Acyl Chromones by the Tandem Reaction of Ynones and Methyl Salicylates.

A facile and effective tandem reaction of ynones and methyl salicylates was developed to obtain a broad range of 3-acyl chromones in moderate-to-excellent yields. This protocol underwent a Michael addition and cyclization process, which exhibited easily accessible substrates, broad substrate scope, and high regioselectivity under mild and transition-metal-free conditions. Moreover, gram-scale reaction and further chemical transformation of the products were also further studied.

Chinese Consensus Report on Family-Based Helicobacter pylori Infection Control and Management (2021 Edition).

OBJECTIVE: Helicobacter pylori infection is mostly a family-based infectious disease. To facilitate its prevention and management, a national consensus meeting was held to review current evidence and propose strategies for population-wide and family-based H. pylori infection control and management to reduce the related disease burden. METHODS: Fifty-seven experts from 41 major universities and institutions in 20 provinces/regions of mainland China were invited to review evidence and modify statements using Delphi process and grading of recommendations assessment, development and evaluation system. The consensus level was defined as ≥80% for agreement on the proposed statements. RESULTS: Experts discussed and modified the original 23 statements on family-based H. pylori infection transmission, control and management, and reached consensus on 16 statements. The final report consists of three parts: (1) H. pylori infection and transmission among family members, (2) prevention and management of H. pylori infection in children and elderly people within households, and (3) strategies for prevention and management of H. pylori infection for family members. In addition to the 'test-and-treat' and 'screen-and-treat' strategies, this consensus also introduced a novel third 'family-based H. pylori infection control and management' strategy to prevent its intrafamilial transmission and development of related diseases. CONCLUSION: H. pylori is transmissible from person to person, and among family members. A family-based H. pylori prevention and eradication strategy would be a suitable approach to prevent its intra-familial transmission and related diseases. The notion and practice would be beneficial not only for Chinese residents but also valuable as a reference for other highly infected areas.

miR-124-3p increases in high glucose induced osteocyte-derived exosomes and regulates galectin-3 expression: A possible mechanism in bone remodeling alteration in diabetic periodontitis.

The mechanisms underlying the two-way relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontitis are unclear. We examined a possible effect of galectin-3 (Gal-3), a factor in DM and bone metabolism, on periodontitis with or without DM. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we detected saliva Gal-3 in patients with periodontitis, with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In animal models, we measured periodontal bone microarchitecture via micro computed tomography, and detected Gal-3, Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression in alveolar bone. Applying dual luciferase reporter assay, we explored the target binding of miR-124-3p and Gal-3. We examined osteocyte-derived exosomes with transmission electron microscopy and detected miR-124-3p, Gal-3, and IL-6 expression in exosomes. Saliva Gal-3 was increased in DM compared with controls but decreased in patients with moderate periodontitis and DM compared with those who had moderate periodontitis only. Alveolar bone mass was increased in DM and exacerbated in DM with periodontitis. Gal-3 and Runx2 were both increased in periodontitis and DM compared with controls, but decreased in DM with periodontitis compared with DM alone. MiR-124-3p targeted and inhibited Gal-3 expression in vitro. Osteocytes secreted exosomes carrying miR-124-3p, Gal-3, and IL-6, which were influenced by high glucose. These findings indicate that osteocyte-derived exosomes carrying miR-124-3p may regulate Gal-3 expression of osteoblasts, especially under high-glucose conditions, suggesting a possible mechanism for DM-related alveolar bone pathologies.

Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors of Small Intestine Angiosarcoma: a Retrospective Clinical Analysis of 66 Cases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Primary angiosarcoma of the small intestine is a rare neoplasia, and there are limited data from systematic analyses. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and pathological characteristics in addition to the prognostic factors for this rare neoplasia. METHODS: We retrospectively collected the clinical records and prognostic information of 66 patients with small intestine angiosarcoma reported between 1970 and 2017. We used the Chi-square test, the log-rank test, and Cox regression analyses to evaluate the data. RESULTS: There were 66 patients diagnosed with small intestine angiosarcoma. The onset age ranged from 24-92 years old. There were 24 patients diagnosed before the year 2000, and 42 patients were diagnosed after 2000. The data indicated that 49 cases were diagnosed as primary disease, and the remaining 15 cases were secondary disease. The main clinical symptoms were nonspecific and included gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and abdominal pain. Additionally, we found multi-center foci were one of the characteristics of this disease. Radiation-induced small intestine angiosarcoma (RSIA) is a special type of disease with a similar prognosis. This type was more frequent in females and decreased after the year 2000. We also found that GI bleeding was less common in RSIA cases. The log-rank test results revealed that old-age, poor differentiation, and GI bleeding were associated with worse prognosis. Surgical treatment showed a trend toward a prolonged survival time. However, the result was not statistically significant. Our results show treatment with adjuvant therapy improved prognosis. The multivariate Cox analysis demonstrated adjuvant therapy was an independent indicator of a favorable outcome in small intestine angiosarcoma patients. CONCLUSION: Pay attention to the unexplained gastrointestinal bleeding could lead to a faster diagnosis and control of small intestine angiosarcoma. Furthermore, treatments including adjuvant therapy can effectively improve the prognosis.

Tumor-specific expression of shVEGF and suicide gene as a novel strategy for esophageal cancer therapy.

AIM: To develop a potent and safe gene therapy for esophageal cancer. METHODS: An expression vector carrying fusion suicide gene (yCDglyTK) and shRNA against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was constructed and delivered into EC9706 esophageal cancer cells by calcium phosphate nanoparticles (CPNP). To achieve tumor selectivity, expression of the fusion suicide gene was driven by a tumor-specific human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter. The biologic properties and therapeutic efficiency of the vector, in the presence of prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Both in vitro and in vivo testing showed that the expression vector was efficiently introduced by CPNP into tumor cells, leading to cellular expression of yCDglyTK and decreased VEGF level. With exposure to 5-FC, it exhibited strong anti-tumor effects against esophageal cancer. Combination of VEGF shRNA with the fusion suicide gene demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity. CONCLUSION: The shVEGF-hTERT-yCDglyTK/5-FC system provided a novel approach for esophageal cancer-targeted gene therapy.

miR-625 suppresses cell proliferation and migration by targeting HMGA1 in breast cancer.

Dysregulation of microRNA contributes to the high incidence and mortality of breast cancer. Here, we show that miR-625 was frequently down-regulated in breast cancer. Decrease of miR-625 was closely associated with estrogen receptor (P = 0.004), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (P = 0.003) and clinical stage (P = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analyses indicated miR-625 as an independent factor for unfavorable prognosis (hazard ratio = 2.654, 95% confident interval: 1.300-5.382, P = 0.007). Re-expression of miR-625 impeded, whereas knockdown of miR-625 enhanced cell viabilities and migration abilities in breast cancer cells. HMGA1 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-625. The expressions of HMGA1 mRNA and protein were induced by miR-625 mimics, but reduced by miR-625 inhibitor. Re-introduction of HMGA1 in cells expressing miR-625 distinctly abrogated miR-625-mediated inhibition of cell growth. Taken together, our data demonstrate that miR-625 suppresses cell proliferation and migration by targeting HMGA1 and suggest miR-625 as a promising prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of the global response of Synechococcus to high light stress.

Sufficient light is essential for the growth and physiological functions of photosynthetic organisms, but prolonged exposure to high light (HL) stress can cause cellular damage and ultimately result in the death of these organisms. Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 (hereafter Synechococcus 7002) is a unicellular cyanobacterium with exceptional tolerance to HL intensities. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in HL response by Synechococcus 7002 are not well understood. Here, an integrated RNA sequencing transcriptomic and quantitative proteomic analysis was performed to investigate the cellular response to HL in Synechococcus 7002. A total of 526 transcripts and 233 proteins were identified to be differentially regulated under HL stress. Data analysis revealed major changes in mRNAs and proteins involved in the photosynthesis pathways, resistance to light-induced damage, DNA replication and repair, and energy metabolism. A set of differentially expressed mRNAs and proteins were validated by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. Twelve genes differentially regulated under HL stress were selected for knockout generation and growth analysis of these mutants led to the identification of key genes involved in the response of HL in Synechococcus 7002. Taken altogether, this study established a model for global response mechanisms to HL in Synechococcus 7002 and may be valuable for further studies addressing HL resistance in photosynthetic organisms.

Correlation of RKIP, STAT3 and cyclin D1 expression in pathogenesis of gastric cancer.

RKIP is proposed as a new metastasis suppressor. Our recent study showed that RKIP inhibits malignant phenotypes of gastric cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism of RKIP function in gastric cancer is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of RKIP, STAT3 and cyclin D1 expression in the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer. RKIP, STAT3 and cyclin D1 proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry in tissues of gastric ulcer (n = 27), gastric adenomatous polyp (n = 7), intestinal metaplasia (n = 26), dysplasia (n = 40), gastric carcinoma (n = 169) and metastatic lymph node (n = 36). RKIP, STAT3 and cyclin D1 mRNA levels were analyzed by RT-PCR in SGC7901 cells. We found that RKIP protein expression was significantly decreased in advanced gastric cancer and metastatic lymph node tissues while cyclin D1 and STAT3 protein expression was markedly increased in severe dysplasia, gastric cancer and metastatic lymph node tissue (P < 0.01). RKIP expression in gastric cancer was negatively correlated with the invasion, TNM stage and lymphoid node metastasis (P < 0.01), while cyclin D1 and STAT3 expression was positively correlated with histological differentiation and lymphoid node metastasis (P < 0.01). RKIP protein level was negatively correlated with cyclin D1 and STAT3 protein level, while cyclin D1 protein level was positively correlated with STAT3 protein level in gastric cancer samples. Moreover, reconstitution of RKIP in SGC7901 gastric cancer cells led to reduced cyclin D1 and STAT3 mRNA levels. In conclusion, these data suggest that RKIP inhibits gastric cancer metastasis via the downregulation of its downstream target genes STAT3 and cyclin D1.

The value of serum pepsinogen levels for the diagnosis of gastric diseases in Chinese Han people in midsouth China.

BACKGROUND: Serum pepsinogen (PG) levels are valuable in the diagnosis of gastric diseases. However, PG levels are affected by many factors such as the area and race. This study aimed to investigate serum PG levels in patients with different gastric diseases who were Chinese Han people in Hunan Province, midsouth China. METHODS: A total of 248 gastric disease patients and 34 healthy controls were enrolled. The patients included those with non-atrophic and chronic atrophic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer, early and advanced gastric cancer. Serum PG I and II levels were detected by Biohit ELISA kit (Finland), and PG I/II ratio was calculated. Differences in patients with gastric disease and healthy controls were analyzed using paired t-test. RESULTS: Compared with controls, patients with early and advanced gastric cancer had a significantly lower PG I level and PG I/II ratio (p <0.005). In contrast, patients with gastric and duodenal ulcer had a significantly higher PG I level (p <0.005). Compared with atrophic gastritis patients, patients with early and advanced carcinoma of the stomach had a significantly lower PG I/II ratio (p < 0.001). Combination of the cut-off levels of PG I (70 µg/L) and PG I/II ratio (6) provided 62.1% sensitivity of and 94.2% specificity for the diagnosis of gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Decreased PG I level and PG I/II ratio are risk factors for gastric cancer. Combined use of serum PG I level and PG I/II ratio may help the early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Screening for novel protein targets of indomethacin in HCT116 human colon cancer cells using proteomics.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as indomethacin (IN), inhibit colorectal cancer (CRC) growth through cyclooxygenase (COX)-independent mechanisms, however, the precise biological mechanisms are not completely understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate new molecular factors potentially associated with IN in HCT116 human CRC cells, which do not express COX, using a proteomic approach. The total proteins from the IN-treated and untreated groups were separated by immobilized pH gradient-based two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The differentially-expressed proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF) based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The PMF maps were searched in the SWISS-PROT/TrEMBL database using the PeptIdent software. Between the IN-treated and untreated groups, a total of 45 differential protein spots were detected and 15 differentially-expressed proteins were identified by PMF. IN downregulated Wnt1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1, Bcl-2-related protein A1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase, inhibited HCT116 cell growth and induced apoptosis. In conclusion, IN may exert its effects on CRC to induce HCT116 cell apoptosis and suppress growth through COX-independent pathways.

[Changes in the antioxidant level, cell cycle progression and apoptosis of testicular cells in rats with diet-induced impaired glucose regulation].

OBJECTIVE: To detect the changes of the antioxidant level, cell cycle progression, necrosis and apoptosis, calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+] i) and mitochondrial membrane potential (deltapsim) in the model rats of impaired glucose regulation (IGR) induced by long-range high-fat diet, and to explore IGR-induced male reproductive injury and its mechanisms. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal control (n = 10) and an IGR model group (n = 30), and the IGR model was established by 20 weeks of long-range high-fat diet. Pathological changes in the rat spermatogenic cells were detected by HE staining; the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were measured with biochemical methods; changes in the cell cycle progression, necrosis and apoptosis were determined using flow cytometry with propidium iodide (PI) dyeing and the Annexin V-FITC kit, respectively, and [Ca2+]i and deltapsim were detected by flow cytometry with Fluo-3 and Rhodamine probe labeling, respectively. RESULTS: After 20 weeks of continuous high-fat diet, fasting blood glucose was kept at 6.1 - 7.0 mmol/L and blood glucose at 7.8 - 11.1 mmol/L after 2 h glucose load in 12 rats, with a 40% success rate of modeling. Lots of dividing spermatocytes and spermatids were seen in the tissue sections of the normal control rats under the microscope, but few or none in the IGR models. Compared with the normal controls, the IGR model rats showed remarkably increased MDA content and decreased SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities in the testis tissue (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) , reduced G0/G1 cells and increased G2/M cells (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), decreased necrotic cells and increased apoptotic cells (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), increased [Ca2+]i and decreased deltapsim (P < 0.01), but no significant changes in the percentages of S cells and normal cells. CONCLUSION: IGR can cause spermatogenic cell division disorder in rats, which may be attributed to increased oxidative damage, decreased antioxidant enzyme activities, G2/M phase arrest, [Ca2+]i elevation, deltapsim reduction, and apoptosis of testicular cells.

Inhibition of Pim-1 kinase ameliorates dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice.

BACKGROUND: Pim-1 kinase is involved in the control of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. Recent evidence suggests that Pim kinases play a role in immune regulation and inflammation. However, the role of Pim-1 kinase in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) remains unclear. AIMS: The aims of this study were to explore the role of Pim-1 kinase in the pathology of IBD and to assess whether inhibiting Pim-1 kinase may be of therapeutic benefit as a treatment regimen for IBD. METHODS: Colitic mouse model was established by the induction of dextran sodium sulfate. The expression of Pim-1 in the colonic samples of control and colitic mice was examined. Furthermore, the mice were treated with Pim-1inhibitor (PIM-Inh), then the body weight and colon inflammation were evaluated, and the production of cytokines including IFN-γ, IL-4, TGF-ß and IL-17 in colon tissues was determined by ELISA. The expression of T cell master transcription factors T-bet, ROR-γt, GATA-3 and Foxp3 and Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and inducible nitric oxide synthase in colon tissues was detected by real-time PCR and western blot. Finally, the effect of LPS on Pim-1 expression and the effects of PIM-Inh on LPS-induced upregualtion of p65 and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells were examined by real-time PCR and western blot. RESULTS: Pim-1 expression was correlated with the degree of mucosal inflammation in vivo, and it was significantly induced by LPS in vitro. PIM-Inh had protective effects on acute colitis in vivo. Mechanistically, PIM-Inh reduced the proinflammatory immune response through the inhibition of the overactivation of macrophages and the down-regulation of excessive Th1- and Th17-type immune responses. Furthermore, PIM-Inh could skew T cell differentiation towards a Treg phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Pim-1 kinase is involved in mucosal injury/inflammation and Pim-1 kinase inhibitor may provide a novel therapeutic approach for IBD.

The combined treatment of praziquantel with osteopontin immunoneutralization reduces liver damage in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of osteopontin neutralization treatment on schistosome-induced liver injury in BALB/C mice. We randomly divided 100 BALB/C mice into groups A, B, C, D and group E. Mice in all groups except group A were abdominally infected with schistosomal cercariae to induce a schistosomal hepatopathological model. Mice in group C, D and group E were respectively administered with praziquantel, praziquantel plus colchicine and praziquantel plus neutralizing osteopontin antibody. We extracted mouse liver tissues at 3 and 9 weeks after the 'stool-eggs-positive' day, observed liver histopathological changes by haematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining and detected the expression of osteopontin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-ß1) by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blot. We found that praziquantel plus neutralizing osteopontin antibody treatment significantly decreased the granuloma dimension, the percentage of collagen and the expression of osteopontin, α-SMA and TGF-ß1 compared to praziquantel plus colchicine treatment in both the acute and chronic stage of schistosomal liver damage (P<0·05). So we believe that the combined regimen of osteopontin immunoneutralization and anti-helminthic treatment can reduce the granulomatous response and liver fibrosis during the schistosomal hepatopathologic course.

Osteopontin expression is associated with hepatopathologic changes in Schistosoma japonicum infected mice.

AIM: To investigate osteopontin expression and its association with hepatopathologic changes in BALB/C mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. METHODS: The schistosomal hepatopathologic mouse model was established by abdominal infection with schistosomal cercaria. Liver samples were obtained from mice sacrificed at 6, 8, 10, 14, and 18 wk after infection. Liver histopathological changes were observed with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson trichrome staining. The expression of osteopontin was determined with immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blotting. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) were determined by immunohistochemistry. Correlations of osteopontin expression with other variables (α-SMA, TGF-ß1, hepatopathologic features including granuloma formation and degree of liver fibrosis) were analyzed. RESULTS: Typical schistosomal hepatopathologic changes were induced in the animals. Dynamic changes in the expression of osteopontin were observed at week 6. The expression increased, peaked at week 10 (P < 0.01), and then gradually decreased. Positive correlations between osteopontin expression and α-SMA (r = 0.720, P < 0.01), TGF-ß1 (r = 0.905, P < 0.01), granuloma formation (r = 0.875, P < 0.01), and degree of liver fibrosis (r = 0.858, P < 0.01) were also observed. CONCLUSION: Osteopontin may play an important role in schistosomal hepatopathology and may promote granuloma formation and liver fibrosis through an unexplored mechanism.

[Efficacy of bismuth-based quadruple therapy as first-line treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of bismuth-based quadruple therapy as the first-line treatment for H.pylori infection. METHODS: A total of 136 patients with H.pylori related peptic ulcer or chronic gastritis were randomized into two groups: 67 patients in bismuth-based quadruple group received esomeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 0.5 g,amoxicillin 1.0 g,and bismuth potassium citrate 220 mg for 7 d; 69 patients in standard triple group received esomeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 0.5 g and amoxicillin 1.0 g for 7 d. Outcome of eradication therapy was assessed by (14)C-UBT. On ITT and PP analysis, calculating the cost-effectiveness ratio (C/E) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (delta C/delta E). RESULT: On ITT and PP analysis, the eradication rates of the quadruple therapy group were 82.09% and 88.71%, and those of the triple therapy group were 66.67% and 73.02% (P<0.05). The cost-effectiveness ratio of two groups was 4.15 and 4.82; The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of quadruple therapy group was 1.02 as against triple therapy group. CONCLUSION: Compared to the standard triple therapy regimen, the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy regimen has higher eradication rate and cost-effectiveness, which can be recommended as the fist-line treatment for H.pylori infection.

[Effect and mechanisms of rutaecarpine on treating atopic dermatitis in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Rutaecarpine on the treatment of atopic dermatitis in mice. METHODS: DNCB was repeatedly applied on the back of NC/Nga mice to establish the animal model of atopic dermatitis. The mice without and with treatments with various does of Rutaecarpine were compared. Atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions were evaluated by skin histopathology and immunological parameters. The plasma IL-4, IgE and IFN-gamma were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Topical DNCB induced eczematous dermatitis in Nc/Nga mice. The animal model of atopic dermatitis had higher levels of plasma IgE than the normal mice [(124.42 +/- 11.14) ng/mL vs. (17.22 +/- 3.56) ng/mL, P < 0.05]. The animal model of atopic dermatitis treated with Rutaecarpine had higher levels of plasma IFN-gamma level [(68.29 +/- 1.39) pg/mL] than those without treatment [(51.23 +/- 11.45) pg/mL]. The animal model of atopic dermatitis treated with Rutaecarpine had lower levels of plasma IL-4 and IgE [(72.11 +/- 2.13) pg/mL and (69.17 +/- 4.15) ng/mL, respectively] than those without treatment [(95.49 +/- 6.32) pg/mL and (124.42 +/- 11.14) ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05]. No significant differences in plasma levels of IL-4, IFN-gamma and IgE were found between the mice treated with Rutaecarpine and those treated with Dexamethasone Acetate Cream [(76.14 +/- 3.63) pg/mL, (64.12 +/- 1.19) pg/mL, and (68.17 +/- 1.15) ng/mL, respectively, P > 0.05]. CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of Rutaecarpine on atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions may be taken through inhibiting IgE and IL-4 synthesis and promoting the secretion of IFN-gamma.

[Determination of nutrient fungus dietary fiber and structural characterization].

The simultaneous determination of trace elements in ultrafine agaric was carried out by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The experiments were done using wet acid digestion sample preparation. The samples were dissolved at 120 degrees C constant temperature. The requirements of determination by ICP-AES can be satisfied at an acidity controlled less than 10%. The method is simple, rapid and economic. National standard material GBW07602 was detected by authentication. Its accuracy is between 1.12% and 6.15. The precision is between 0.41% and 5.69%. At thesame time, the surface structure of ultrafine agaric powder was examined by scanning electron microscope. And the dietary fiber was determined for fungus protein, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture and ash content by chemical analysis. The study on external and internal relevance of agaric could provide a new approach to scientific research on the development and application of fungus dietary fiber.

Clinical significance of Fas and FasL protein expression in gastric carcinoma and local lymph node tissues.

AIM: To investigate the relation of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) protein expression with carcinogenesis and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Fas and FasL protein expression in 64 gastric carcinoma tissue samples and 20 normal gastric tissue samples. Relation between FasL and Fas expression, age and gender of gastric cancer patients, and pathological subtype and lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer was analyzed. RESULTS: The Fas expression level was significantly higher in normal gastric tissue samples than in gastric carcinoma tissue samples (85.0% vs 25.0%, P < 0.001), while the FasL expression level was significantly lower in normal gastric tissue samples than in gastric carcinoma tissue samples (30.0% vs 81.3%, P < 0.001). The Fas expression level was significantly higher in invasive lymph nodes than in non-invasive lymph nodes (82.9% vs 56.5%, P < 0.003) and in well-differentiated gastric carcinoma tissue samples than in poorly-differentiated gastric carcinoma tissue samples (50.0% vs 18.0%, P = 0.015). The FasL expression level was significantly lower in well-differentiated gastric carcinoma tissue samples than in poorly- differentiated gastric carcinoma tissue samples (42.9% vs 84.0%, P = 0.021). The Fas and FasL expression levels (25.0% and 81.3%) were significantly different in gastric carcinoma tissue samples (P < 0.001), but had a non-linear correlation (P = 0.575). CONCLUSION: Abnormal Fas and FasL expressions in gastric carcinoma and lymph node tissues are involved in carcinogenesis and metastasis of gastric cancer.

[The diagnostic value of double-balloon enteroscopy in 67 cases with obscure abdominal pain].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic valve of double balloon enteroscopy in patients with obscure abdominal pain and analyze the etiology of chronic abdominal pain resulted from enteral diseases. METHODS: Sixty-seven cases with chronic abdominal pain underwent a previous negative gastroscopy, colonoscopy, gastrointestinal barium, B ultrasound and electrocardiogram were received double balloon enteroscopy during June 2005 to June 2008. RESULTS: Thirty-six of 67 patients was done by enteroscopy via anus, and 19 cases via oral, and 12 cases via both anus and oral. The lesions were found in 41 of the 67 patients, with overall diagnostic yield of 61.19%. Among 41 cases of abdominal pain resulted from small bowel diseases, Crohn's disease were found in 15 cases (36.59%), non-specific small enteritis in 10 cases (24.39%), tumors in 8 cases (19.51%), other enteral diseases in 8 cases (19.51%). CONCLUSIONS: Double balloon enteroscopy was a diagnostic modality with a high diagnostic value for obscure abdominal pain resulted from small bowel diseases. The most common causes of obscure abdominal pain were Crohn's disease, non-specific small enteritis and tumors.