Green tea drinking habits and gastric cancer in southwest China.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between green tea consumption and gastric cancer development. METHODS: A population-based case-control study including 200 cases and 200 controls was conducted in the southwest area of China from May 2010 to February 2011. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data on factors influencing gastric cancer development, including tea drinking, conditional logistic regression being used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: Cases with higher economic status had a reduced risk of gastric cancer, while those with cancer family history, drinking and smoking showed increased risk. Hot and very hot tea temperature was significantly related to high risk of gastric cancer with ORs (95%Cl) of 1.82 (1.03-3.52) and 3.07 (1.78-7.36), respectively. Further analysis indicated elevated risk of gastric cancer in former drinkers, former smokers and current drinkers when the measured tea temperature was hot. CONCLUSION: Drinking tea at high temperature increases the gastric cancer risk, especially in drinkers and smokers.

Analyses of differential proteome of human synovial fibroblasts obtained from arthritis.

There is mounting evidence indicating that the synovial fibroblasts (SFs) contribute to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The present study showed the differential proteins expression pattern of SFs from patients with RA or osteoarthritis (OA) and healthy control. Cellular proteins of cultured SFs were subjected to 2-DE and visualized by silver nitrate staining. A total of 49 spots that were statistically and differentially overexpressed in RA or OA in comparison to healthy ones were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, and 25 proteins were successfully identified. Western blot was used to further verify some of the differential proteins. These proteins included enzymatic and structural proteins, signal transduction proteins, calcium binding protein, etc. From all of the identified proteins, a number of proteins have been implicated that involved in the healthy or pathological SFs function (e.g., S100A4, S100A10, cathepsin D) or that have potential diagnostic and prognostic value for RA (alpha-enolase and TPI) or that may be the new therapeutic targets (Annexin, SOD, PRX).

[Study of xenotransplantation of fetal pig skin precursor tissue].

OBJECTIVE: To select the optimal pregnancy time window of embryonic pig skin precursor tissue for xenotransplantation and study its ability in wound repair. METHODS: Skin precursor tissues were obtained from pig fetus of fetal age of 35, 42, 56, 70 days, and were minced into microskin and transplanted to dorsal wounds of BALB/c nude mice, then they were covered with residual skin after plastic surgery of patients or adult pig skin (white). The characteristics of growth and development were observed after transplantation. Pathological examination was performed on 6 and 12 post operation weeks respectively to observe the tissue structure and tumorigenicity. RESULTS: Skin precursor tissues from fetal pig survived and developed after transplantation, and the microskin fused. New tissue area from skin precursor tissues with fetal age of 42 days was (47 +/- 6) mm2, which was higher than that of 35 days (18 +/- 8 mm2), 56 days (31 +/- 12 mm2), 70 days (20 +/- 8 mm2, P < 0.05). The skin precursor developed into "intact skin" with hair, sebaceous glands and sweat glands, and melanocytes were also detected in epidermis. The newly-grown skin tissue included epidermal and dermal layer, and obvious dermal papillae. Teratoma was not found after transplantation in skin precursor tissue with fetal age of 56, 70 days. CONCLUSION: Fetal pig skin precursor tissue with fetal age of 56 days can be used to repair wound as xenotransplantation.