Oral health self-management barriers among rural older adults in Guangxi, China: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Objective: To understand the barriers associated with self-management of oral health among rural older adults in Guangxi, and to explore the high incidence of oral problems. This information will assist in the formulation of relevant strategies to solve the oral health problems in this population. METHODS: Taking a phenomenological approach, the current status of, and barriers to, oral health self-management in rural older adults from different regions of Guangxi were explored. Participants were purposively selected and interviewed face-to-face. RESULTS: The interviews yielded four overarching themes and six corresponding sub-themes pertaining to barriers in oral health self-management. These included: (1) Older adults' understanding of oral health and disease, perceptions of oral health and their oral health behaviours; (2) Problems in accessing oral health information; (3) Role of family support; and (4) Barriers to healthcare that included access to dental services, oral treatment experience and financial burden of access to dental care. CONCLUSION: Rural older adults in Guangxi face oral health self-management barriers. Improving access to oral healthcare services and changing existing oral health perceptions and habits may assist them in overcoming self-management challenges.

The effect of oropharyngeal colostrum administration on the clinical outcomes of premature infants: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Preterm complications are now the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age. Colostrum is essential to prevent infection and promote maturation in preterm infants. Guidelines recommend that preterm infants be fed colostrum by the oral and pharyngeal routes as early as possible after birth to provide immune protection; however, due to disease and an uncoordinated sucking and swallowing function, it is challenging to provide colostrum through the oropharyngeal route, which limits the immune protection it provides. OBJECTIVE: To update the existing meta-analysis, evaluate the effect of oropharyngeal colostrum administration on related outcomes in preterm infants and explore the optimal frequency and duration of oropharyngeal colostrum administration through subgroup analysis. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Ovid databases were searched for randomized control trials (RCTs) of oropharyngeal colostrum administration for preterm infants. Two researchers screened the literature strictly according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluated the quality. Primary data and data from the included literature were extracted. Finally, the data were statistically analyzed by the Review Manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 1736 preterm infants were included in 16 RCTs. The meta-analysis showed that the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, feeding intolerance, and death was lower, the time to full enteral feeding was shorter, and the day of recovery to birth weight was earlier in the intervention group (oropharyngeal colostrum administration group) than in the control group, and this difference was statistically significant. Subgroup analysis: Frequency of oropharyngeal colostrum administration: The incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis in the once every 4 h group was lower than that in the control group, and the time to complete enteral feeding was shorter. Duration of oropharyngeal colostrum administration: In the 1-3 days group and 4-7 days group, the time to full enteral feeding in the intervention group was shorter. In the 8-10 days group, the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis and late-onset sepsis was lower in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Oropharyngeal colostrum administration can reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, late-onset sepsis, feeding intolerance and mortality, shorten the time to full enteral feeding, and lead to a faster recovery to birth weight in preterm infants. The appropriate oropharyngeal colostrum administration frequency may be 4 h, and the optimal duration may be 8-10 days. Therefore, it is recommended that clinical medical staff implement oropharyngeal colostrum administration for premature infants based on existing evidence. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Oropharyngeal colostrum administration can reduce the incidence of complications in preterm infants and shorten the time to full enteral feeding.

The Epidemiology of Tinea Capitis in Guangxi Province, China.

The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics and pathogen spectrum of tinea capitis in Guangxi, southern China. A multicenter prospective descriptive study was conducted in 8 hospitals across Guangxi. From January 2019 to July 2022, one hundred seventy-one (171) patients diagnosed with tinea capitis were included. Demographic data, risk factors, and fungal data were collected. If necessary, species were further identified by morphological or molecular sequencing in the central laboratory. Of the 171 cases of tinea capitis, 74.3% occurred in patients aged 2-8 years. Children with tinea capitis were mainly boys (59.6%) and were more likely than adults to have a history of animal contact (44.2% vs. 33.3%) and zoophilic dermatophyte infection (76.9% vs. 46.7%, P = 0.008). The adults were mainly female (53%) and were more likely than children to have a history of infection with anthropophilic organisms (53.3% vs. 18.9%). The causative agents of tinea capitis in Guangxi were diverse, and the most common pathogen was Microsporum canis (M. cani, n = 98, 62%), followed by Trichophyton mentagrophytes (T. mentagrophytes n = 18, 11.4%) and Trichophyton tonsurans (T. tonsurans n = 12, 7.6%). In addition, tinea capitis caused by Nannizzia incurvata (N. incurvata) and Trichophyton verrucosum (T. verrucosum) was detected in the study. Notably, the proportion of patients with kerion in the study was 41.5% (n = 71), and most of those patients were children (n = 68), especially neglected children living in the rural mountainous areas of Guangxi, where they were unable to receive timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In conclusion, the causative agents of tinea capitis in Guangxi, South China, are diverse, and the incidence of kerion is high, indicating that diagnosis and treatment modalities in the region remain grossly inadequate. Clinicians and policy-makers should collaborate to adopt public health strategies to control the disease.

Moshen granule ameliorates membranous nephropathy by blocking intrarenal renin-angiotensin system signalling via the Wnt1/ß-catenin pathway.

BACKGROUND: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the cardinal causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults, but an adequate treatment regimen is lacking. PURPOSE: We assessed the effect of Moshen granule (MSG) on patients with MN and cationic bovine serum albumin (CBSA)-induced rats. We further identified the bioactive components of MSG and revealed the underlying molecular mechanism of its renoprotective effects. METHODS: We determined the effect of MSG on patients with MN and CBSA-induced rats and its components on podocyte injury in zymosan-activated serum (ZAS)-elicited podocytes and revealed their regulatory mechanism on the Wnt/ß-catenin/renin-angiotensin system (RAS) signalling axis. RESULTS: MSG treatment improved renal function and reduced proteinuria in MN patients and significantly reduced proteinuria and preserved the protein expression of podocin, nephrin, podocalyxin and synaptopodin in CBSA-induced MN rats. Mechanistically, MSG treatment significantly inhibited the protein expression of angiotensinogen, angiotensin converting enzyme and angiotensin II type 1 receptor, which was accompanied by inhibition of the protein expression of Wnt1 and ß-catenin and its downstream gene products, including Snail1, Twist, matrix metalloproteinase-7, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and fibroblast-specific protein 1, in CBSA-induced MN rats. We further identified 81 compounds, including astragaloside IV (AGS), calycosin, barleriside A and geniposidic acid, that preserve the podocyte-specific protein expression in ZAS-induced podocytes. Among these four compounds, AGS exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects on podocyte protein expression. AGS treatment significantly inhibited the protein expression of RAS components and Wnt1 and ß-catenin and its downstream gene products in ZAS-induced podocytes. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of AGS on podocyte-specific proteins, ß-catenin downstream gene products and RAS components was partially abolished in ZAS-induced podocytes treated with ICG-001 and ß-catenin siRNA. CONCLUSION: This study first demonstrates that AGS mitigates podocyte injury by inhibiting the activation of RAS signalling via the Wnt1/ß-catenin pathway by both pharmacological and genetic methods. Therefore, AGS might be considered a new ß-catenin inhibitor that inhibits the Wnt1/ß-catenin pathway to retard MN in patients.

[A comparative study of three different circumcision devices for redundant prepuce and phimosis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of disposable titanium nail circumcision stapler (TNCS), one-off circumcision stapler (Shang Ring) and disposable double-handle circumcision suture device (DHCSD) in the treatment of redundant prepuce and phimosis. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical data on 150 cases of redundant prepuce or phimosis treated with the TNCS (n = 50), DHCSD (n = 50) or Shang Ring (n = 50) from September 2018 to July 2020. We compared the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, wound healing time, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores during and at 1 hour and 7 days after operation, postoperative complications and the patients' satisfaction with postoperative penile appearance among the three groups. RESULTS: The operation time was significantly longer (P < 0.05) but the wound healing time remarkably shorter (P < 0.05) in the TNCS and DHCSD groups than in the Shang Ring group. The intraoperative blood loss was markedly less in the TNCS and Shang Ring groups than in the DHCSD group (P < 0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed in the patients' satisfaction with postoperative penile appearance among the three groups (P > 0.05). The VAS scores during and at 1 hour and 7 days after operation and the incidence rate of postoperative complications were significantly higher in the Shang Ring and DHCSD groups than in the TNCS group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The disposable titanium nail circumcision stapler is superior to disposable double-handle circumcision suture device and Shang Ring in the treatment of redundant prepuce and phimosis and deserves clinical promotion and application.?

Transcriptome-Based Network Analysis Reveals Hirudin Potentiates Anti-Renal Fibrosis Efficacy in UUO Rats.

Background: Hirudin has been widely used in the treatment of antifibrosis. Previous studies have shown that hirudin can effectively improve the clinical remission rate of chronic kidney disease. However, the mechanism of its renal protection has not been systematically investigated. Methods: In this study, the reliability of UUO-induced renal interstitial fibrosis was evaluated by histopathological verification. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing was used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of hirudin, differentially expressed mRNAs were identified, and their functions were analyzed by GO analysis and GSEA. In addition, the RNA-seq results were validated by in vitro and vivo experiments. Results: We found 322 identical differential expressed genes (IDEs) in the UUO hirudin-treated group compared with the sham group. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that cellular amino acid metabolic processes were the most obvious enrichment pathways in biological processes. In terms of molecular functional enrichment analysis, IDEs were mainly enriched in coenzyme binding, pyridoxal phosphate binding and other pathways. In addition, microbody is the most obvious pathway for cellular components. A total of 115 signaling pathways were enriched, and AMPK, JAK-STAT, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were the important signaling pathways enriched. We found that PI3K, p-Akt, and mTOR expression were significantly reduced by hirudin treatment. In particular, our results showed that hirudin could induce a decrease in the expression of autophagy-related proteins such as P62, LC3, Beclin-1 in TGF-ß1-induced NRK-52E cells. Conclusion: Our results suggest that hirudin may protect the kidney by ameliorating renal autophagy impairment through modulating the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Differential Alternative Splicing Genes and Isoform Regulation Networks of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) Infected with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional level of gene expression regulation that increases transcriptome and proteome diversity. How the AS landscape of rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) changes in response to the fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is unknown. Here, we analyzed 18 RNA-seq libraries of mock-inoculated and S. sclerotiorum-inoculated susceptible and tolerant B. napus plants. We found that infection increased AS, with intron retention being the main AS event. To determine the key genes functioning in the AS response, we performed a differential AS (DAS) analysis. We identified 79 DAS genes, including those encoding splicing factors, defense response proteins, crucial transcription factors and enzymes. We generated coexpression networks based on the splicing isoforms, rather than the genes, to explore the genes' diverse functions. Using this weighted gene coexpression network analysis alongside a gene ontology enrichment analysis, we identified 11 modules putatively involved in the pathogen defense response. Within these regulatory modules, six DAS genes (ascorbate peroxidase 1, ser/arg-rich protein 34a, unknown function 1138, nitrilase 2, v-atpase f, and amino acid transporter 1) were considered to encode key isoforms involved in the defense response. This study provides insight into the post-transcriptional response of B. napus to S. sclerotiorum infection.

Brassica napus Infected with Leptosphaeria maculans.

Alternative splicing (AS) is a post-transcriptional regulatory process that enhances transcriptome diversity, thereby affecting plant growth, development, and stress responses. To identify the new transcripts and changes in the isoform-level AS landscape of rapeseed (Brassica napus) infected with the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, we compared eight RNA-seq libraries prepared from mock-inoculated and inoculated B. napus cotyledons and stems. The AS events that occurred in stems were almost the same as those in cotyledons, with intron retention representing the most common AS pattern. We identified 1892 differentially spliced genes between inoculated and uninoculated plants. We performed a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify eight co-expression modules and their Hub genes, which are the genes most connected with other genes within each module. There are nine Hub genes, encoding nine transcription factors, which represent key regulators of each module, including members of the NAC, WRKY, TRAF,AP2/ERF-ERF, C2H2,C2C2-GATA, HMG, bHLH, and C2C2-CO-like families. Finally, 52 and 117 alternatively spliced genes in cotyledons and stems were also differentially expressed between mock-infected and infected materials, such as HMG and C2C2-Dof; which have dual regulatory mechanisms in response to L. maculans. The splicing of the candidate genes identified in this study could be exploited to improve resistance to L. maculans.

miR-223-RhoB signaling pathway regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of colon adenocarcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can function as tumor suppressor or oncogenic genes. The putative targets of miR-223 include tumor suppressor gene, RhoB. Here we sought to investigate the role of miR-223-RhoB signaling pathway in proliferation of colon cancer. We used Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, or RT-PCR to detect expression levels of miR-223 and RhoB in colon adenocarcinoma and adjacent non-cancerous tissue samples, or in human colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. MTT assay was used to determine proliferation and apoptosis in cell lines. We further used Western blot to determine levels of cell cycle regulators CDK1 and Cyclin B1 with anti-miR-223 or apoptosis with overexpression of RhoB. The expression level of miR-223 was significantly upregulated in clinical samples and cell lines of colon adenocarcinoma, in contrast to down-regulation of RhoB. In addition, we showed that inhibition of miR-223 led to upregulation of RhoB and in turn suppression of proliferation of colon adenocarcinoma. Moreover, inhibition of miR-223 or overexpression of RhoB induced cell arrest or apoptosis in colon adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that miR-223-RhoB signaling pathway plays an important role in modulation of proliferation, cell arrest, and apoptosis in colon cancer.

Meta-analysis of the association between three microRNA polymorphisms and breast cancer susceptibility.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in three microRNAs (miRNAs), rs2910164 in miR-146a, rs11614913 in miR-196a2, and rs3746444 in miR-499, have been associated with breast cancer (BC) susceptibility, but the evidence is conflicting. To obtain a more robust assessment of the association between these miRNA variants and BC risk, we carried out a meta-analysis through systematic literature retrieval from the PubMed and Embase databases. A total of 9 case-control studies on rs2910164, 12 on rs11614913, and 7 on rs3746444 were included. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate associations with BC risk. Overall analysis showed that rs2910164 was not associated with BC susceptibility in any genetic model, whereas rs11614913 was associated with a decreased risk in both the allelic contrast and recessive models, and rs3746444 imparted an increased risk in all genetic models. Stratified analyses showed that rs11614913 may decrease the risk of BC in the heterozygote model in Asians, and in all genetic models, except the heterozygote model, when the sample size is ≥ 500. Subgroup analysis indicated that rs3746444 was associated with increased risk of BC in Asians, but not Caucasians, at all sample sizes. This meta-analysis suggests that rs11614913 in miR-196a2 may decrease the risk of BC, while rs3746444 in miR-499 may increase it, especially in Asians when the sample size is large. We propose that rs11614913(C > T) and rs3746444 (A > G) may be useful biomarkers predictive of BC risk.

Biological function and mechanism of lncRNA-MEG3 in Tenon's capsule fibroblasts proliferation: By MEG3-Nrf2 protein interaction.

OBJECTIVE: The proliferation of Tenon's capsule fibroblasts after glaucoma filtration surgery is a harmful element for operation failure. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-MEG3 in the proliferation of Glaucoma Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (GTFs) with a model of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß)-induced proliferation which has been used in previous studies to explore the mechanism underlying glaucoma surgery failure. METHODS: In vitro cell proliferation model was made by TGF-ß2 (5ng/mL)-stimulated GTFs obtained from patients with glaucoma filtration surgery, and cell viability and cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay and [3H] thymidine incorporation assay respectively. Relative expression of MEG3 and Nrf2 mRNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Nrf2 protein level was detected by western blot. Functional interaction between MEG3 and Nrf2 was examined by RNA pull down and RNA Binding Protein Immunoprecipitation (RIP). RESULTS: As detected in isolated Tenon's capsule fibroblasts, expression level of both MEG3 and Nrf2 is decreased in GTFs compared with control fibroblasts (HTFs). Adenovirus mediated overexpression of MEG3 attenuates cell ability and cell proliferation, as well as contributed to upregulation of Nrf2 protein in TGF-ß2-stimualted GTFs. MEG3 positively affects the expression of Nrf2 protein rather than Nrf2 mRNA. We found that this functional interaction of them depends on MEG3-Nrf2 protein formation by RNA pull down and RIP analysis and also is proved to be involved in TGF-ß2-induced cell proliferation. CONCLUSION: The above data suggested that the functional interaction between lncRNA-MEG3 and Nrf2 constitutes the mechanism by which TGF-ß2 induces Tenon's capsule fibroblasts proliferation after glaucoma filtration surgery via the direct binding of MEG3 to Nrf2.

Is adjuvant chemotherapy necessary for patients with microinvasive breast cancer after surgery?

OBJECTIVE: Survival and treatment of patients with microinvasive breast cancer (MIBC) remain controversial. In this paper, we evaluated whether adjuvant chemotherapy is necessary for patients with MIBC to identify risk factors influencing its prognosis and decide the indication for adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 108 patients with MIBC were recruited according to seventh edition of the staging manual of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). The subjects were divided into chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups. We compared the 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates between groups. Furthermore, we analyzed the factors related to prognosis for patients with MIBC using univariate and multivariate analyses. We also evaluated the impact of adjuvant chemotherapy on the prognostic factors by subgroup analysis after median follow-up time of 33 months (13-104 months). RESULTS: The 5-year DFS and OS rates for the chemotherapy group were 93.7% and 97.5%, whereas those for the non-chemotherapy group were 89.7% and 100%. RESULTS indicate that 5-year DFS was superior, but OS was inferior, in the former group compared with the latter group. However, no statistical significance was observed in the 5-year DFS (P=0.223) or OS (P=0.530) rate of the two groups. Most relevant poor-prognostic factors were Ki-67 overexpression and negative hormonal receptors. Cumulative survival was 98.2% vs. 86.5% between low Ki-67 (≤20%) and high Ki-67 (>20%). The hazard ratio of patients with high Ki-67 was 16.585 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.969-139.724; P=0.010]. Meanwhile, ER(-)/PR(-) patients with MIBC had cumulative survival of 79.3% compared with 97.5% for ER(+) or PR(+) patients with MIBC. The hazard ratio for ER(-)/PR(-) patients with MIBC was 19.149 (95% CI, 3.702-99.057; P<0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that chemotherapy could improve the outcomes of ER(-)/PR(-) patients (P=0.014), but not those who overexpress Ki-67 (P=0.105). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MIBC who overexpress Ki-67 and with negative hormonal receptors have relatively substantial risk of relapse within the first five years after surgery. However, adjuvant chemotherapy can only improve the outcomes of ER(-)/PR(-) patients, but not those who overexpress Ki-67. Further studies with prolonged follow-up of large cohorts are recommended to assess the prognostic significance and treatment of this lesion.

Lower cognitive function in patients with age-related macular degeneration: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the cognitive impairment in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Relevant articles were identified through a search of the following electronic databases through October 2015, without language restriction: 1) PubMed; 2) the Cochrane Library; 3) EMBASE; 4) ScienceDirect. Meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0 software. Standardized mean differences with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated. All of the included studies met the following four criteria: 1) the study design was a case-control or randomized controlled trial (RCT) study; 2) the study investigated cognitive function in the patient with AMD; 3) the diagnoses of AMD must be provided; 4) there were sufficient scores data to extract for evaluating cognitive function between cases and controls. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale criteria were used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. RESULTS: Of the initial 278 literatures, only six case-control and one RCT studies met all of the inclusion criteria. A total of 794 AMD patients and 1,227 controls were included in this study. Five studies were performed with mini-mental state examination (MMSE), two studies with animal fluency, two studies with trail making test (TMT)-A and -B, one study with Mini-Cog. Results of the meta-analysis revealed lower cognitive function test scores in patients with AMD, especially with MMSE and Mini-Cog test (P≤0.001 for all). The results also showed that differences in the TMT-A (except AMD [total] vs controls) and TMT-B test had no statistical significance (P>0.01). The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale score was ≥5 for all of the included studies. Based on the sensitivity analysis, no single study influenced the overall pooled estimates. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggests lower cognitive function test scores in patients with AMD, especially with MMSE and Mini-Cog test. The other cognitive impairment screening tests, such as animal fluency test and TMT, need more studies to assess.

Pathological observation of acute myocardial infarction in Chinese miniswine.

The acute myocardial infarction (AMI) model in Chinese miniswine was built by percutaneous coronary artery occlusion. Pathological observation of AMI was performed, and the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in the infarct sites was detected at different days after modeling in Chinese miniswine. The experimental findings may be used as the basis for blood flow reconstruction and intervention after AMI. Seven experimental Chinese miniswine were subjected to general anesthesia and Seldinger right femoral artery puncture. After coronary angiography, the gelfoam was injected via the microtube to occlude the obtuse marginal branch (OM branch). At 1 d, 3 d, 5 d, 7 d, 10 d, 14 d and 17 d after modeling, hetatoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe the pathological changes and to detect the expression of TNF-α in the myocardial tissues. Cytoplasmic acidophilia of the necrotic myocardial tissues at 1 d after modeling was enhanced, and cytoplasmic granules were formed; at 3 d, the margins of the necrotic myocardial tissues were infiltrated by a large number of inflammatory cells; at 5 d, the nuclei of the necrotic myocardial cells were fragmented; at 7 d, extensive granulation tissues were formed at the margin of the necrotic myocardial tissues; at 10 d, part of the granulation tissues were replaced by fibrous scar tissues; at 14-17 d, all granulation tissues were replaced by fibrous scar tissues. Immunohistochemical detection indicated that no TNF-α expression in normal myocardial tissues. The TNF-α expression was first detected at 3 d in the necrotic myocardial tissues and then increased at 5 d and 7 d. After reaching the peak at 10 d, the expression began to decrease at 14 d and the decrease continued at 17 d. Coronary angiography showed the disappearance of blood flow at the distal end of OM branch occluded by gelfoam, indicating that AMI model was constructed successfully. The repair of the infarcted myocardium began at 10-17 d after modeling with safe blood flow reconstruction. TNF-α expression in the infarcted myocardium was the highest at 10 d, which can be explained by inflammation and repair of the infarcted myocardium.

Significance of thrombocytosis in clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of gastric cancer.

PURPOSE: We aimed to study the relationship between thrombocytosis and clinical features of gastric cancer focussing on platelet counts and gastric cancer progression through different TNM stages. METHODS: According to the normal range of platelet count in our institution, 1,596 patients were divided to two groups: a thrombocytosis group (120 patients, >400?1000/µL) and a control group (1,476 patients, ≤400?1000/µL). RESULTS: The incidence of thrombocytosis was 7.5%. Higher platelet counts were observed in patients with older age, larger tumor size, deeper invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and advanced TNM stage. In multivariate logistic regression, tumor size, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage were independent risk factors for thrombocytosis of gastric cancer patients. On prognostic analysis, age, tumor size, tumor location, histologic type, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and TNM stage and platelet count were important factors. Tumor size, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and the platelet count were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: Thrombocytosis is associated with clinical features of gastric cancer patients and correlates with a poor prognosis.

Comparison of Cancer Incidence between China and the USA.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of cancer varies around the globe, especially between less-developed and developed regions. The aim of this study is to explore differences in cancer incidence between China and the USA. METHODS: Data were obtained from the GLOBOCAN 2008 database. Estimated numbers of new cancer cases in the USA were obtained from the American Cancer Society, while the numbers of cases in China, including those in urban and rural areas, were obtained from 36 cancer registries (2003-2005). Cancer incidence for major sites between China and the USA were analyzed. RESULTS: In China, lung cancer was the predominant type of cancer detected in males; in females, breast cancer was the main type of cancer. Gastrointestinal cancers, such as those of the liver, stomach, and esophagus, were more commonly seen in China than in the USA. A significant difference in the incidence of melanoma of the skin was observed between China and the USA. During comparison of differences in the age-standardized rates by world population (ASRWs) of major cancer sites between the two countries, 4 sites in males (i.e., nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, and liver) and 6 sites in females (i.e., nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and cervix uteri) showed higher cancer incidence rates in China than in the USA. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in cancer incidence sites were found between the two countries. Cancer may be prevented through public education and awareness. Programs to promote cancer prevention in China, especially those of the lung, breast, and gastrointestinal region, must also be implemented.

[Expression of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase and its correlation with prognosis in breast cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) in breast cancer and its correlation with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis. METHODS: The expression of IDO, CD31, CD105 proteins in 40 specimens of breast cancer were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The overexpression rate of IDO in breast cancer was 67.5% (27/40), and expression of IDO was closely associated with clinical stage and lymph nodes metastasis. The disease-free survival rate in patients with IDO overexpression was not significantly lower than that in patients with negative or low expression of IDO (P > 0.05). Moreover, the expression of IDO was positively correlated with CD105-labeled microvessel density (r = 0.659, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of IDO is associated with clinical stage and lymph nodes metastasis, and microvessel densitty. IDO expression may promote the growth and metastasis of breast cancer, probably via the increased agiogenesis. A larger sample study is needed to verify whether the prognosis of beast cancer is significantly correlated with IDO expression.