The effect of selenium yeast in the prevention of adverse reactions related to platinum-based combination therapy in patients with malignant tumors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this was study was to analyze the effect of selenium yeast in the prevention of adverse reactions related to platinum-based combination therapy in patients with malignant tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 86 patients with malignant tumors treated in Anhui No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital were randomized to receive either platinum-containing combined regimen with selenium yeast at a dose of 200 ug daily (observation group) or platinum-containing combined regimen without selenium yeast (control group), with 43 cases in each group. RESULTS: The platinum-containing combined regimen exhibited similar total effectiveness either with (25.58%) or without selenium yeast (23.26%) (p>0.05). Patients with selenium yeast treatment after chemotherapy had better appetites and more stable body weights than those without selenium yeast (p<0.05). The platinum-containing combined regimen significantly improved the quality of life of the patients, as evidenced by the elevated Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) scores of the two groups, and selenium yeast treatment potentiated this improvement (p<0.05). Selenium yeast treatment significantly reduced the incidence of adverse reactions in patients after chemotherapy by 23.26% (p<0.05), and patients also experienced milder adverse reactions after selenium yeast administration (z=-2.438, p=0.015). Chemotherapy with selenium yeast treatment provided better pain mitigation for patients vs. without selenium yeast administration (Z=0.854, p=0.041 <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the clinical treatment of patients with malignant tumors, a 200 ug dose of selenium yeast significantly reduced the adverse reactions related to chemotherapy, improved the patient's post-chemotherapy appetite, prevented weight loss, and provided significant pain mitigation. Therefore, selenium yeast may offer a viable alternative for the management of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy to enhance treatment effectiveness and reduce adverse events in clinical practice.

[Comparison of acquired immure deficiency syndrome-related knowledge and behavior between persons with and without human immunodeficiency virus- infection among young male students who have sex with men].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the differences between young male students who have sex with men (MSM) with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection in acquired immure deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge and behavior, and to provide a scientific reference to make targeted and effective measures in AIDS prevention. METHODS: Using snow balling sampling combined with participants' referral, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 548 young MSM students (in whom there were both HIV-positive and HIV-negative) in Harbin, Tianjin, Xi'an, and Chongqing cities from April 2017 to March 2018. The chi-square test and binary Logistic regression were used to compare the differences in AIDS-related knowledge and behavior between males with and without HIV-infection. RESULTS: A total of 583 questionnaires were obtained, of which 548 were valid, with an effective rate of 94.0%. Having a junior college education or below (P=0.002), a monthly consumption level of less than 2 000 RMB (P=0.021), and living off campus (P=0.004) were associated with being tested positive for HIV. In any period of schooling, receiving AIDS prevention education was a protective factor for HIV infection [Primary school OR=0.203 (0.073－0.561), junior high school OR=0.287 (0.142－0.581), senior high school OR=0.271 (0.142－0.518), and university OR=0.322 (0.168－0.616)]. There was no statistical difference between HIV positive and negative young MSM students in the cognition of "AIDS-related Knowledge for Public"(P=0.907) and "AIDS-related Knowledge for Youth"(P=0.782), with the awareness rate all about 90%. There was a statistical difference in the need for some specific knowledge (For "AIDS prevention and treatment policy", P=0.012, for "Ways to identify and prevent high-risk sexual behavior", P < 0.001). HIV-positive males had a younger age of first sexual activity (P=0.006), had more sexual partners in the early (P < 0.001) and had lower frequency of condom use (P < 0.001). However, there was no statistical difference in the later number of sexual partners (P=0.247) and the frequency of condom use (For regular sex partners, P=0.735, and for casual sex partners, P=0.765), which might be related to the change of sexual behavior characteristics caused by HIV infection (For regular sex partners, P < 0.001, and for casual sex partners, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: There was no statistical difference between HIV positive and negative young MSM students in the cognition of "AIDS-related Knowledge for Public" and "AIDS-related Knowledge for Youth", which were both lower than 95% required by the state. However, the specificity in the knowledge needs was certainly shown. There was no significant difference in the recent sexual behavior between the two groups, but HIV positive students were more likely to have high-risk sexual behaviors in the early stage, so we should strengthen and move forward the sex education and AIDS prevention education with adjusted contents, and prevent high-risk sexual behaviors within young MSM students in the early stage.

Herbaceous Dominant the Changes of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in the Transition Zone Between Desert and Typical Steppe in Inner Mongolia, China.

Asymmetric responses of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to precipitation were identified as a signal to predict ecosystem state shifts at temperate grassland zones in Inner Mongolia, China. However, mechanism studies were still lacking. This study hypothesized that the enhanced growth and newly emerged herbaceous after increased precipitation resulted in the highest asymmetry at the transition zone between desert and typical steppe. We monitored the responses of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of different species to precipitation events using un-manned aerial vehicle technology to test this hypothesis. NDVI and species richness were measured twice at fixed points in July and August with a time interval of 15 days. Results showed that: (1) From July to August, NDVI in the transition zone increased significantly after precipitation (P < 0.05), but NDVI in both the desert and typical steppe showed a non-significant change (P > 0.05). (2) In the transition zone, NDVI increases from the shrub and herbaceous contributed to 37 and 63% increases of the site NDVI, respectively. (3) There was a significant difference in species richness between July and August in the transition zone (P < 0.05), mainly caused by the herbaceous (Chenopodiaceae, Composite, Convolvulaceae, Gramineae, Leguminosae, and Liliaceae), which either emerged from soil or tillers growth from surviving plants. This study demonstrated that herbaceous dominant the changes of NDVI in the transition zone, which provides a scientific basis for the mechanism studies of ANPP asymmetric response to precipitation and warrants long-term measurements.

Long noncoding RNA LSINCT5 is upregulated and promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Long stress-induced noncoding transcripts 5 (LSINCT5) has been reported to be upregulated in several human cancers and related to poor prognosis. However, its involvement in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains largely unknown. We aim to evaluate the expression and putative role of LSINCT5 on the progression of ESCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: LSINCT5 expression was first examined in the ESCC cell lines using RT-qPCR, and the next-generation RNA-Seq technology was employed to analyze and functionally annotate the differential gene expression before and after LSINCT5 knockdown in ESCC was made. Based on the functional annotation results, the effects of LSINCT5 knockdown on cell growth, migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed in the ESCC cell lines. Finally, the expression and clinicopathological significance of LSINCT5 in ESCC and corresponding nontumor tissues were further explored using RT-qPCR. RESULTS: The RT-qPCR results showed that LSINCT5 expression was significantly upregulated in the ESCC cell lines. The differential gene expression analysis by next-generation RNA-Seq showed that 138 genes were up-regulated, and 227 genes were downregulated after LSINCT5 was knocked down in the ECA 109 cells. In addition, the functional annotation revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly functionally involved in tight junctions, ECM-receptor interactions, and MAPK signaling pathway. Further in vitro studies indicated that the knockdown of LSINCT5 significantly suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT in ESCC cells. Finally, a comparative study of paired ESCC and corresponding nontumor tissues showed that LSINCT5 was upregulated in the ESCC tissues, and the increased LSINCT5 expression was related to late clinical stages, large tumor sizes, and lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that LSINCT5 is upregulated in ESCC and may act as an oncogene promoting the progression of ESCC.

[The expression characteristics and clinical significance of candidate molecular markers in vocal cord leukoplakia].

Objective: To investigate the expression of marker proteins in vocal cord leukoplakia, and to find markers for the early stage of diagnosis and prognosis of precancerous lesions. Methods: The study included 119 cases, 68 cases of vocal cord leukoplakia (22 cases with epithelial simple hyperplasia, 46 cases with epithelial dysplasia), and 51 cases of vocal cords benign lesions(31 cases of vocal cord polyps, 20 cases of Reinke's edema). The expression of p53, Ki-67, p21, Survivin, p16, p27, PTEN, c-Myc and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in vocal cords leukoplakia were detected, vocal cord benign lesions (vocal cord polyps and Reinke's edema) acted as controls, comparing the expression differences of different pathological tissue. Data was analyzed by SPSS 22.0 software. Results: The expression of p53, p16, Ki-67, VEGF in vocal cord benign lesions and vocal cords leukoplakia with epithelial simple hyperplasia did not show significant differences. There was a grading increase in the positive expression of p53, Ki-67 in the vocal cord leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia contrasting to those in vocal cord benign lesions and vocal cords leukoplakia with epithelial simple hyperplasia (p53: χ(2)=13.340, P=0.002, Ki-67: χ(2)=53.386, P=0.000). The expression of p27, PTEN, c-Myc in vocal cord benign lesions and vocal cords leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia did not show significant differences. There was a grading increase in the positive expression of p21 Survivin in vocal cords leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia contrasting to those in vocal cord benign lesions (P<0.05). Expression of Survivin in vocal cords leukoplakia with mild-moderate epithelial dysplasia showed a significant increase than those in vocal cord benign lesions (P<0.05). The positive expression grade of p21 showed a rising trend (P=0.073) between the different grades of dysplasia. Conclusion: The positive expression grade of p53, Ki-67, p21 Survivin showed an increase in vocal cords leukoplakia with epithelial dysplasia contrasting to those in vocal cord benign lesions, which might be an implication for evaluating the diagnosis and prognosis of precancerous lesions. Expression of p21 was correlated to the degrees of dysplasia and expression of Survivin showed a significant difference in early stage of epithelial dysplasia contrasting to benign lesions.

[A retrospective analysis of CO(2) laser and microdebrider for the treatment of severe juvenile on-set recurrent respiratory papillomatosis].

Objective: Juvenile on-set recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JORRP) can be an aggressive and potentially life-threatening disease. To emphasize the importance of complication prevention in local excision surgery, the single-center experience of RRP treatment in a group of patients with relatively short recurrence-free-interval (>4 times/yrs) was reported. Methods: Data of 49 patients underwent papilloma resection during 2002-2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Combined techniques of laser microsurgery and microdebriders were used to remove papillomas, prevent the formation of scar tissue and improve respiratory distress. Forty-nine cases were followed up for 99.0[74.5; 121.0]months, ranging from 39 to 185 months. The age of disease onset was 2[1; 3] years old. Most of the patients had difficulty in breathing(42 of 49 cases). Seven patients had hoarseness.53.0% patients had subglottic or trachea papillomatosis spreading. The rate of complications, synechia formation, tracheal stenosis, needing for tracheostomy, mortality was recorded. Patients were followed up for at least three years. The characteristics of the patients, improvement in symptoms, recurrence-free interval, and the rate of tracheal extubation were evaluated. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and chi-square test were used for data comparation. Results: Long-term relieve in disease(≤2 surgeries were needed/year) were achieved in 29(59.1%) subjects, in which 8(16.3%) of the subjects did not need surgical treatment for at least 3 years. Long-term relieve had been achieved in 25 of subjects who did not accept tracheostomy. Seven subjects did not need surgical treatment for at least 3 years. The rate of successful tracheal extubation was 53.8% in 13 patients who had undergone tracheostomy. Three cases dead of intrapulmonary spread. Conclusions: Combined techniques of laser microsurgery and microdebriders are effective in improvement in both respiratory distress and voice quality. The combined technique are helpful to avoid inevitable long-term stenotic complications, ultimately affecting the quality of life.

[Clinical and pathological characteristics of vocal fold leukoplakia and influential factors of recurrence and malignancy].

Objective:To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of vocal fold leukoplakia and influential factors of recurrence and malignancy. Method:The study included 555 cases of vocal fold leukoplakia. All patients received surgical treatment. The relationship between the clinical and pathological features, and influential factors of recurrence and malignancy were analyzed. Result:The pathological types included squamous epithelial simple hyperplasia in 58.0%, mild hyperplasia in 15.5%, moderate hyperplasia in 10.1%, severe hyperplasia and carcinoma in situ in 8.1%, infiltrative carcinoma in 8.3%. The different pathological types varied among different ages significantly(P<0.01). The tobacco and alcohol abuse had no relationship with pathological types(P>0.05). The more severe the pathology were, the more decreasing of the mucosal waves would be(P<0.01). The pathologic severity had an apparent correlation with p53 positivity and the level of p53 and Ki67 positivity. The p53 positive proportion may increase with the increasing pathological severity(P<0.01), so were the p53 and Ki67 positive levels(P<0.01).Among 232 cases of postoperation follow-ups, 83 cases(35.8%) relapsed while 8 cases(3.4%) malignancy. Bilateral lesions had a higher rate of relapse and malignancy than unilateral lesions(95%CIOR 0.378 ［0.197-0.723］，P<0.01). The relapse and malignancy had a relationship with the pathologic severity. The incidence of disease recurrence and malignancy were positively correlated with pathological severity(P<0.05). p16 positive patients relapsed for more times(P<0.01) and with an uprising tendency of relapse and malignancy（P>0.05）. Conclusion:Pathological types of vocal fold leukoplakia are different. The older men, decreasing of mucosal wave of vocal folds and bilateral lesions were very important factors to predict disease severity. p53 and Ki67 positive rating and pathological severity were positively correlated. The bilateral lesions, pathological severity and p16 positivity had a tendency to increasing relapse and malignancy.

Prolonged effect of troglitazone (CS-045) on xenograft survival of hybrid artificial pancreas.

Troglitazone (CS-045), a thiazolidinedione derivative, is a new oral antidiabetic agent that enhances insulin sensitivity and improves insulin responsiveness. In this study we examined the effects of CS-045 on the survival of xenografted bioartificial pancreas. Isolated rat islets were microencapsulated with three-layer agarose microcapsules (polybrene, carboxymethyl cellulose, and an agarose-polystyrene sulfonic acid mixture). Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin 220 mg/kg. Recipient diabetic mice were separated into two groups. In the CS-045 treated group, the recipient mice were given feed mixed with CS-045 (0.2% w/w) starting from 1 wk before transplantation up to graft failure. The mice in the control group had feed without CS-045. Three hundred microencapsulated rat islets were xenotransplanted into the intraperitoneal cavity of each recipient mouse in both groups. One month after xenotransplantation, IVGTT was performed for all recipients. Xenotransplantation of 300 rat islets in microcapsules decreased the nonfasting blood glucose levels of both groups within 2 days. In the CS-045-treated group (n = 3), the normoglycemic period lasted for more than 1 mo without administration of immunosuppressive drugs (45 +/- 4.3 days). However, in the control group (n = 4), the blood glucose levels of all recipients were already elevated on day 4. In the IVGTT study, the glucose assimilation was markedly and significantly better in the CS-045-treated group than in the control group (K = 1.7 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.7 +/- 0.28 respectively, p < 0.01). This study demonstrates that a newly developed oral antidiabetic agent, CS-045 could favorably ameliorate the diabetic state of the recipients xenotransplanted with the bioartificial pancreas, leading to an improved glucose tolerance and longer xenograft survival.