Expectant therapy versus curettage for retained products of conception after second trimester termination of pregnancy: analysis of outcomes and complications / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prognosis and complications of expectant therapy and curettage for retained product of conception (RPOC) after second trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 270 patients with RPOC following second trimester TOP in Nanfang Hospital between January, 2014 and December, 2015 were included in this study. The duration of vaginal bleeding time and menstruation recovery interval were compared between patients receiving expectant therapy and curettage for RPOC, and binary logistic regression was used to assess the risk factors for complications in bivariate and multivariate analyses.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The duration of vaginal bleeding time was significantly longer in expectant therapy group than in curettage group (P=0.005), while the menstruation recovery interval did not differ significantly between the two groups. The incidence of vaginal bleeding time for over 42 days was significantly higher in curettage group than in expectant therapy group (P=0.040), and the incidence of a menstruation recovery interval beyond 60 days was comparable between them. The incidence of complications was significantly higher in curettage group than in expectant therapy group either with adjustment of age, gravidity, parity, history of uterine surgery status, gestational age, type of indications, regimens for TOP and induction-abortion interval (OR=18.26 [95% CI: 3.57-93.42], P<0.001) or without adjustment (OR=10.60, [95% CI: 2.36-47.66], P=0.002).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Expectant therapy and curettage for RPOC after second trimester TOP have comparable prognosis, but curettage is associated with a significantly higher rate of complications.</p>

Transcriptional Factor Snail Mediates Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Induced by Silica / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in fibrotic diseases. We have previously showed that silica induces EMT in human bronchial epithelial cells (BECs); however, the underlying mechanism of silica-induced EMT is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the role of Snail in silica-induced EMT in human BECs in vitro. Human BECs were treated with silica at various concentrations and incubation times. Then MTT assay, western blot, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), and small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection were performed. We found that silica increased the expression and DNA binding activity of Snail in human BECs. SNAI siRNA inhibited the silica-induced expression of Snail. Moreover, SNAI siRNA upregulated the expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin, but attenuated the expression of mesenchymal marker α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin in silica-stimulated cells. These results suggest that Snail mediates the silica-induced EMT in human BECs.

EXT1 and EXT2 mutation identified by denaturing high performance liquid chromatograph in three families with hereditary multiple exostoses / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a new denaturing high performance liquid chromatograph (DHPLC)-based method to screen patients with EXT gene mutation and to study the gene mutation in three families with multiple exostoses.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All the exons of EXT gene, including the intro-exon boundaries, were amplified by PCR. Linkage analysis and DHPLC screening were carried out to identify the mutations. DNA sequencing was used to confirm the mutations.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two known splice site mutations, IVS2+1 G to A and IVS7+1 G to T, and two SNPs have been detected in EXT2 or EXT1 gene.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The transversions of IVS2+1 G to A and IVS7+1 G to T in EXT2 gene are suggested to be the disease-causing mutations and the DHPLC is a high throughout, sensitive, simple, quick, economical method to screen gene mutation in hereditary multiple exostosis.</p>