Socioeconomic Status Impacts the Prognosis of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Treated by Endoscopic Sinus Surgery: An Observational Cohort Study in Northeast China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and postoperative outcomes in patients with chronic sinusitis (CRS) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).@*METHODS@#We conducted an observational cohort study of 1,047 patients with CRS undergoing ESS. Discharged patients were followed up to 72 weeks for all-cause recurrence events. Baseline SES was established based on occupation, education level, and family income of the patients 1 year before the operation. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the recovery rate after ESS, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between SES and prognosis.@*RESULTS@#Patients of middle SES had lower unadjusted all-cause recurrence than those of low or high SES; 24-week overall recovery rate was 90.4% [95 % confidence interval ( CI): 89.6%-91.2%] in patients of middle SES, 13.5% (95 % CI: 12.8%-14.2%) in patients of low SES, and 31.7% (95 % CI: 30.7%-32.7%) in patients of high SES (both log-rank P < 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, hazard ratios ( HRs) were 7.69 (95 % CI: 6.17-9.71, P trend < 0.001) for all-cause recurrence for low SES versus middle SES, and 6.19 (95 % CI: 4.78-7.93, P trend < 0.001) for middle SES versus high SES.@*CONCLUSION@#Low SES and high SES were more associated with the worse prognosis of CRS patients after ESS than middle SES.

Optimization of Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation System of Armillaria gallica / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo optimize the existing genetic transformation system of Armillaria gallica to improve the transformation efficiency and lay a foundation for the follow-up research on Armillaria molecular marker-assisted breeding and gene function. MethodThe genetically transformed plasmid pH101-PAgGPD-GFP-TrpC was constructed，transformed into Escherichia coli，amplified， and cultured，and the plasmid was extracted. The extracted plasmid was transformed into four different agrobacteria LBA4404，EHA105，GV3101，and AGL-1，respectively. The transformed agrobacteria were used for impregnating A. gallica，and the agrobacteria with the highest conversion rate were screened out. Then the agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation system of A. gallica was optimized from the type and concentration of antibiotics，co-culture time，concentration of bacterial solution， and impregnation method. The phenotype profiles of A. gallica under different conditions were observed using Synbiosis ProtoCol 3. ResultThe optimized genetic transformation conditions of A. gallica were as follows： the Agrobacterium strain of EHA105 at absorbance A600 nm=0.6， the co-culture time of 2 d， the infection mode of negative pressure impregnation for 10 min， the primary screening medium of PDA medium containing 400 mg·L-1 cefotaxime sodium and 10 mg·L-1 hygromycin，and the secondary screening medium of PDA medium containing 12 mg·L-1 hygromycin. ConclusionIn this study，the existing genetic transformation system of A. gallica was optimized，and there was a significant difference in the transformation rate before and after optimization （P<0.05）. After optimization，the transformation efficiency of A. gallica was about 4.33%，which was about eight times higher than that before optimization.

Anti-aging Mechanism of Chinese Medicinal Polysaccharides： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

In the greying society， pension burden and high incidence of geriatric diseases have hindered social and economic development to a certain extent. Aging is a biological process involving multiple organs and factors， which leads to the occurrence of a variety of diseases. The occurrence of aging is related to a variety of signal pathways， such as nutrient sensing signal pathway and intracellular stress signal pathway， which attracts the interest of scholars in anti-aging drugs and poses a challenge to the development of such drugs. The anti-tumor， hypoglycemic， hypolipidemic， antioxidant， and antiviral activities of Chinese medicinal polysaccharides have been gradually confirmed， and they also have significant advantages in anti-aging. Thus， they are potential candidates for the development of anti-aging drugs. It has been verified that Chinese medicinal polysaccharides exert the anti-aging effect through a variety of mechanisms. To be specific， through dietary restriction， they promote the expression of longevity genes silencing information regulator 1 （Sirt1） and forkhead box O （FoxO） transcription factor， enhance the sensitivity to insulin， activate Sirt1 deacetylase or inhibit insulin/IGF-1 signaling （IIS） and mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signal pathway， thereby exerting the anti-aging effect. In addition， they can inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species （ROS） and the release of pro-inflammatory mediators， enhance anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity， and regulate the immunity to inhibit inflammation and aging. Moreover， they can also inhibit apoptosis and delay aging through p53-mediated pathway. Despite the extensive research on anti-aging effect of Chinese medicinal polysaccharides， and the diverse effects and ideal efficacy of the polysaccharides， the anti-aging mechanism has not been systematically reviewed. Therefore， this paper summarizes the relevant literature in PubMed and CNKI and systematically expounds the aging-related signal pathways regulated by Chinese medicinal polysaccharides， which is expected to provide a reference for researchers and clinical workers.

Research progress on Astragali Radix and prediction of its quality markers (Q-markers) / 中国中药杂志

Astragali Radix, a medicinal herb for invigorating Qi, has anti-aging, anti-tumor, immunoregulatory, blood sugar-and lipid-lowering, anti-fibrosis, anti-radiation and other pharmacological effects. This article reviewed the studies about the chemical components and pharmacological effects of Astragali Radix. According to the theory of quality markers(Q-markers) of Chinese medicinal materials, we predicted the Q-markers of Astragali Radix from traditional efficacy, chemical component validity, measurability, plant phylogeny, and pharmacokinetis. The results showed that total polysaccharides, flavonoids(e.g., calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, formononetin, calycosin, quercetin, and ononin), and saponins(e.g., astragalosides Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ) can be taken as the main Q-markers. This review lays a foundation for regulating the quality research and standard establishment of Astragali Radix, and benefits the control and quality supervision of the production process of Astragali Radix and its related products.

Analysis on the influencing factors of low back pain in the occupational workers of key industries in China / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influencing factors of low back pain and the relationship of the influence of bad working posture, weight load and frequency of load and the dose-response relationship among the occupational workers of key industries in China. METHODS: A total of 57 501 employees from 15 key industries in China were selected as research subjects using stratified cluster sampling method. The occurrence of low back pain in the past one year, as well as occupational factors such as job type, labor organization and work posture were investigated by using the Chinese version Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. RESULTS: The prevalence of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China was 16.4%(9 448/57 501). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of low back pain in females was higher than that in males(P<0.01). Married, obese, occasional and frequent smokers, and a history of lower back disease were associated with increased risk of low back pain(all P<0.05). The risk of low back pain was associated with older age, higher education level, and lower frequency of physical exercise(all P<0.01). The risk of low back pain was higher with longer working time, greater back curvature, and the high frequency of long standing and sitting position work, uncomfortable working posture, repeated operation per minute, and lifting>5 kg weight(all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The influencing factors of low back pain in the occupational population of key industries in China include bad working posture, high frequency load, weight load and other individual factors. There is a dose-response relationship with low back posture load and frequency of load.

Assessment of Benchmark Dose in BEAS-2B Cells by Evaluating the Cell Relative Viability with Particulates in Motorcycle Exhaust / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#This study aimed to use an air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure system to simulate the inhalation exposure of motorcycle exhaust particulates (MEPs) and then investigate the benchmark dose (BMD) of MEPs by evaluating cell relative viability (CRV) in lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells.@*Methods@#The MEPs dose was characterized by measuring the number concentration (NC), surface area concentration (SAC), and mass concentration (MC). BEAS-2B cells were exposed to MEPs at different concentrations @*Results@#Our results reveal that BMD of NC and SAC were estimated by the best-fitting Hill model, while MC was estimated by Polynomial model. The BMDL for CRV following ALI exposure to MEPs were as follows: 364.2#/cm @*Conclusion@#These results indicate that MEPs exposure

Application of SmartRoot in Phenotype Profile Analysis of Armillaria gallica / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To establish a research platform for obtaining accurate phenotypic spectrum data is a technical difficulty that needs to be resolved in the research of traditional Chinese medicine resources. For example，the traditional phenotypic characterization method of Armillaria rhizomorph is mostly in a form of descriptive text，which is subjective and empirical. There is an urgent need for an objective and accurate method to characterize the phenotype of honey fungus rhizomorph. Method:Based on the image processing software Image J and the root identification plug-in SmartRoot combined with the Synbiosis ProtoCol 3 image analyzer，the growth picture of Armillaria spp. was analyzed，and the length，growth rate，branching situation，and angle of nascent rhizomorph of Armillaria gallica were measured to establish a measurement system for the phenotypic analysis of Armillaria rhizomorph. Result:Based on the method developed in this paper，the growth length，growth rate，number of branches，angle of nascent rhizomorph，and other phenotypic changes can be analyzed in a real-time manner without affecting the growth of Armillaria gallica. Armillaria spp. grew fastest at 9-12 days after generation，and the angle between the nascent rhizomorph and the parent rhizomorph was nearly vertical. This method had a certain correlation with the dry weight of traditional Armillaria biomass phenotypic parameters，with a high value in practical application. Conclusion:This study has established an objective，accurate，fast and real-time phenotypic analysis and measurement system for Armillaria rhizomorph，which expands the scope of application of SmartRoot and can be used for phenotypic analysis of traditional Chinese medicine resources under controlled experimental conditions.

Investigation on the risk of of Anisakis infection among high - risk populations along the coastal areas of Jiangsu Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the risk of Anisakis infections among high-risk populations along the coastal areas of Jiangsu Province, so as to develop the strategy for the prevention and control of anisakiasis in the province. Methods Three counties along the coastal areas of Jiangsu Province were selected as the study sites in 2018, including Rudong County in Nantong City, Haizhou District in Lianyungang City and Dongtai City in Yancheng City. The knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of anisakiasis prevention and control, and the prevalence of serum specific IgG antibody against Anisakis were investigated among high-risk populations among these three study sites, including fishermen, fish seller and people who liked eating fresh and live marine fish. Factors affecting the prevalence of the specific IgG antibody against Anisakis were identified using a multiple logistic regression model. In addition, Anisakis larvae infections were detected in fresh and live marine fish samples collected from local markets, and the prevalence and intensity of Anisakis infections were estimated. Results A total of 625 high-risk populations were investigated, including 349 men (55.8%). Only 13.0% of the subjects heard about anisakiasis, and a low awareness rate of anisakiasis prevention and control knowledge was seen among these three types of high-risk populations. There were 21.6% of the subjects eating raw or half-cooked marine fish, 5.8% eating undercooked marine fish, 3.2% presenting vomiting, nausea and diarrhea after eating marine fish, 5.1% developing systemic allergic symptoms, and 65.6% using the same chopping board for raw and cooked food. The sero-prevalence of the anti-Anisakis IgG antibody was 7.0% among the study subjects. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified education level [OR = 0.687, 95% CI (0.478, 0.987)] and development of systemic allergic symptoms [OR = 4.641, 95% CI(1.411, 15.268)]as factors affecting the positive anti-Anisakis IgG antibody among the study subjects. Among 494 fresh and live marine fish detected, the prevalence and intensity of Anisakis larvae infection was 64.0% and 8.1 larvae per fish, with high prevalence seen in Trichiurus haumela and Pneumatophorus japonicas. Conclusions The awareness of anisakiasis prevention and control knowledge is low among the high-risk populations living along the coastal areas of Jiangsu Province, and there are high-risk behaviors, such as eating raw or half-cooked food, using the same chopping board for raw and cooked food. In addition, the prevalence of Anisakis infections is high in the marine fish in these areas. Therefore, the health education and health promotion for anisakiasis prevention and control should be intensified.

Identification of major bioactive components and metabolites of Gandou decoction in rat urine by an integrative approach based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE coupled with xenometabolomics analytical platform / 药学学报

To identify major bioactive components and metabolites of Gandou decoction (GDD) in urine of normal and copper-laden rats, an integrative approach that ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE) coupled with xenometabolomics analytical platform was established. Mass spectral data information about retention time, accurate m/z and ionic strength of rat urine samples was performed under positive and negative ion modes. Unsupervised principal components analysis (PCA) and supervised orthogonal partial least-squared discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to reveal the differential ions. As a result, a total of 77 compounds including 45 prototypes and 32 metabolites in urine were detected. Results indicated that anthraquinones, alkaloids and tetracyclic triterpenoids and flavonoids were the main chemical components of GDD in rat urine; the main metabolic pathways of these compounds in rat urine mainly include hydroxyl, methylation, sulfating, glucuronidation, and so on. UPLC-QTOF-MSE coupled with xenometabolomics analytical platform is fast and efficient so that facilitates authentication of the material basis of Chinese herb compound in vivo, can also be used as an effective tool for ascertaining trace bioactive components in vivo. The animal experiments were approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine (No. 2019025).

Investigation of Anisakis infections in market-available marine fish in Dongtai City / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To understand the situation of Anisakis infection of in market-available marine fish in Dongtai City, so as to provide the evidence for the assessment of the risk of human Anisakis infections. Methods Raw and fresh marine fish caught in the sea of Dongtai City for sale were collected in 2018. The fish were weighted and dissected for the identification of Anisakis, and the prevalence and intensity of Anisakis infections were calculated. In addition, the correlation between the weight of Anisakis-infected marine fish and the infection intensity of Anisakis was examined. Results There were four species of marine fish infected with Anisakis, including Trichiurus haumela, Scomberomorus niphonius, Pneumatophorus japonicus and Larimichthys polyactis. Among the 149 fish samples, there were 78 with Anisakis infections, with a prevalence rate of 52.35%. The prevalence of Anisakis infection was 100.00% (28/28), 30.00% (9/30), 0 (0/30), 53.33% (16/30) and 80.65% (25/31) in T. haumela, S. niphonius, cuttle fish, P. japonicus and L. polyactis, respectively. A total of 1 049 Anisakis worms were collected, and the overall intensity of infection was 13.45 worms per fish. Spearman correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the weight of T. haumela and the intensity of Anisakis infection (rs = 0.38, P = 0.047), and no correlation was found in other fish species. Conclusions There is a high rate of Anisakis infection in marine fish along the offshore areas of Dongtai City. Intensification of health education is required and healthy and safe dietary habits are encouranged.

Identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum and Cervi Cornu by Allele-specific PCR / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To obtain a rapid,efficiency and convenient polymerase Chain reaction(PCR) identification method for medicinal Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum,Cervi Cornu and its common adulterates. Method: Based on three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of Cytb gene DNA sequences among Cervus nippon,C. elaphus and its adulterants,a pair of species-specific primers (LR-238.F and LR-238.R) was designed,the reaction conditions were optimized,and the PCR method for identification was explored and verified in terms of tolerance and feasibility. Result: Through the established allele-specific PCR method,under the annealing temperature of 56℃ and cycle number of 35,250 bp of fragments were amplified from DNA templates of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum,Cervi Cornu and its subspecies in origin animal samples as well as herbal medicines. All of the adulterants species of Przewalskium albirostris,Cervus eldi,Odocoileus hemionus,Dama dama,Alces alces,Elaphurus davidianus,Capreolus pygargus,Rusa unicolor and Rangifer tarandus were negative by the PCR assay. Conclusion: The identification primer is highly specific,and the allele-specific PCR identification method established in this paper can accurately identify the medicinal Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum and Cervi Cornu.

Effect of Huangqi decoction on entecavir pharmacokinetics in rat plasma / 药学学报

Entecavir (ETV), a guanosine nucleotide antiviral agent with activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Huangqi decoction (HQD) that exerts significant therapeutic effects in liver cirrhosis are used as an effective drug combination in the treatment of liver cirrhosis with HBV. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the effect of HQD on ETV pharmacokinetics in rat plasma. Spraque-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into single- and 7-day-dose experimental groups. The ETV and ETV-HQD groups were administered ETV and a simultaneous combination of ETV and HQD, respectively while the ETV-HQD-2h group received HQD 2 h after ETV treatment, all administered via intragastric (i.g.) gavage. A rapid, sensitive, and efficient ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-linear trap quadrupole (UHPLC-LTQ)-Orbitrap method was developed and validated to determine ETV in rat plasma from blood samples collected at different time points following treatment. The linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effects and stability of ETV were all satisfactory. The ETV-HQD group exhibited a decrease in the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), and a delay in time to achieve Cmax (tmax) following single- and multi-dose administrations, and decreased area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) following single dosing. ETV pharmacokinetics did not change significantly between the ETV and ETV-HQD-2h groups. In vitro everted intestinal sac models experiments indicated that HQD decreased the absorption of ETV. HQD prevented ETV from accessing the intestinal mucosa epithelial surface, thereby decreasing its absorption in rats.

Detection of oral helicobacter pylori infection using saliva test cassette

To investigate the incidence of oral infection with Helicobacter pylori [H. pylori] and identify related epidemiological factors among freshmen of four colleges in Yancheng. The data, scored positive or negative, were collected on 160 individuals who had been diagnosed by H. pylori Saliva Test Cassette [HPS] during October 2013 to October 2014. H. pylori Saliva Test Cassette [HPS] is to use colloidal gold technique to specifically identify urease in saliva. A standard questionnaire, with variables including sex, educational degree of parents etc., was used in the subjects. Statistical data of diagnostic test were analyzed by SPSS17.0 software. Out of 160, 82 subjects were detected positive and 78 were negative. In univariate analysis, dental plaque, family history of stomach diseases, habit of washing hands before meals and habit of brushing teeth twice daily were associated negatively with H. pylori infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that dental plaque and family history of stomach diseases were the risk factors which may be associated with H. pylori infection. Dental plaque and family history of gastric diseases were risk factors of oral H. pylori infection. It is vital for the prevention of H. pylori infection to focus on health education and oral hygiene, and avoid transmission by oral-oral route as well

The prognostic value of serum C-reactive protein-bound serum amyloid A in early-stage lung cancer / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Elevated levels of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) have been reported to have prognostic significance in lung cancer patients. This study aimed to further identify CRP-bound components as prognostic markers for lung cancer and validate their prognostic value.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CRP-bound components obtained from the serum samples from lung cancer patients or healthy controls were analyzed by differential proteomics analysis. CRP-bound serum amyloid A (CRP-SAA) was evaluated by co-immunoprecipitation (IP). Serum samples from two independent cohorts with lung cancer (retrospective cohort, 242 patients; prospective cohort, 222 patients) and healthy controls (159 subjects) were used to evaluate the prognostic value of CRP-SAA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CRP-SAA was identified specifically in serum samples from lung cancer patients by proteomic analysis. CRP binding to SAA was confirmed by co-IP in serum samples from lung cancer patients and cell culture media. The level of CRP-SAA was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls (0.37 ± 0.58 vs. 0.03 ± 0.04, P < 0.001). Elevated CRP-SAA levels were significantly associated with severe clinical features of lung cancer. The elevation of CRP-SAA was associated with lower survival rates for both the retrospective (hazard ration [HR] = 2.181, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.641-2.897, P < 0.001) and the prospective cohorts (HR = 2.744, 95% CI = 1.810-4.161, P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that CRP-SAA was an independent prognostic marker for lung cancer. Remarkably, in stages I-II patients, only CRP-SAA, not total SAA or CRP, showed significant association with overall survival in two cohorts. Moreover, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses also showed that only CRP-SAA could be used as an independent prognostic marker for early-stage lung cancer patients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CRP-SAA could be a better prognostic marker for lung cancer than total SAA or CRP, especially in early-stage patients.</p>

Transtheoretical model intervention for reducing communicative anxiety in obese children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To explore the transtheoretical model(TTM) intervention effect on reducing communicative anxiety in obese children to improve their psychological status.Methods A quasi-experimental research was conducted in a randomly selected boarding school of Changsha.Seventy-three obese students with an average age of (9.60 ± 1.22) among Grade 3 to Grade 6 were included.After being enrolled in the intervention,all participants received the first assessment,including the stage-change scale and the communicative anxiety scale for children(including 2 parts:denial scary,social withdraw and annoyance).According to the baseline data,different intervention measures based on TTM were applied to different students.Follow-up assessments were collected respectively after 1-month and 6-month intervention,respectively.Repeated measurement data analysis of variance and follow-up Bonferroni test was conducted to assess intervention effect.Results Repeated measurement data ANOVA showed that after intervention,both scores of denial scary and social withdraw and annoyance significantly reduced(P ＜0.001),while body mass index had no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).Follow-up Bonferroni test showed after 1 month intervention,social anxiety scores had no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05),while 6-month after the scores were significant different compared with pre-intervention and 1-month intervention(all P ＜0.05).Conclusions TTM intervention may effectively decrease communicative anxiety of obese children.Whether it can make BMI reduced significantly needs more research.

The epidemiological study of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and related factors among automobile assembly workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the work-related musculoskeletal disorders among automobile assembly workers, to discusses the related risk factors and their relationship.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The selected 1508 automobile assembly workers from a north car manufacturing company were regarded as the study object. The hazard zone jobs checklist, Nordic musculoskeletal symptom questionnaire (NMQ) and pain questionnaire were used to perform the epidemiological cross-sectional and retrospective survey and study for the General status, awkward ergonomics factors and related influencing factors, and musculoskeletal disorders of workers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The predominant body sites of occurring WMSDs among automobile assembly workers were mainly low back, wrist, neck and shoulders, the predominant workshop section of occurring WMSDs were mostly concentrated in engine compartment, interior ornament, door cover, chassis and debugging section. The predominant body site of WMSDs among engine compartment and chassis section workers was low back, interior ornament workers were low back and wrist, door cover workers was wrist, chassis workers was low back, debugging workers were neck and low back. Neck musculoskeletal disorders had the trend with the increase of a body height; Smoking may increase the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The WMSDs appears to be a serious ergonomic proble assem among automobile assembly workers, predominant occurring site of WMSDs is with different workshop section, its characteristics is quite obvious, probably related to its existing awkward work position or activities. The worker height and smoking habits may be important factors which affect musculoskeletal disorders happen.</p>

Effect of adenovirus delivered tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 on the irradiation sensitivity of human papillomavirus positive cervical cancer cells / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of adenovirus-delivered tissue inhibitor of metalloprotein- ases-3 (Ad-TIMP-3) on the irradiation sensitivity of human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive cervical cancer cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An adenovirus expressing TIMP-3 (Ad-TIMP-3), alone or in combination with irradiation,was used to treat HPV-positive cervical cancer cells HeLa-Luc and CaSki. The effects of Ad-TIMP-3 on the proliferation of HeLa-Luc and CaSki cells were detected with MTT assay. The effect of the combination of Ad-TIMP-3 and X-ray on the proliferation of cells were determined by clone formation assay. Twenty nude mice were equally randomly divided into four groups: normal control group,Ad-TIMP-3 group,X-ray group,and combination group. The size of tumor was measured separately,and tumor growth curves were drawn.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ad-TIMP-3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of HPV-positive cervical cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Combination of Ad-TIMP-3 and X-ray significantly decreased the clones of HeLa-Luc and CaSki than Ad-TIMP-3 or X-ray alone (P<0.05). The tumor weights were (0.216±0.098), (0.276±0.073), and (0.044±0.043) g, respectively, in Ad-TIMP-3 group, X-ray group,and combination group, which were all significantly lower than that in normal control group [(0.534±0.218) g] (all P<0.05). In addition,the tumor weight in the combination group was significantly lower than that in Ad-TIMP-3 group and X-ray group (both P<0.05). The tumor inhibition rate was 59.60%, 48.30%, and 91.80% in X-ray group, Ad-TIMP-3 group and combination group, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Ad-TIMP-3 can effectively inhibit the proliferation of cervical cancer cells. When combined with X-ray,it can remarkably increase the irradiation sensitivity of HPV-positive cervical cancer cells,and thus suppress the tumorigenesis capability of these cells in vivo.</p>

Randomized study of thalidomide combined with vinorelbine and cisplatin chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the efficacy, median time to progression (TTP), quality of life and toxicity in the patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), treated with thalidomide plus vinorelbine and cisplatin (NP) or NP alone.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty six patients with advanced NSCLC were divided randomly into two groups, the trial and control groups. The trial group was treated with vinorelbine 25 approximately 30 mg/m(2) i.v. on D1 and D8, cisplatin 70 approximately 80 mg/m(2) i.v. on D1 (NP regimen), and thalidomide 200 mg orally and daily from D1. The control group received vinorelbine and cisplatin as above described.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 66 assessable patients, the overall response rate was 51.5% in the trial group and 36.4% in the control group (P = 0.22). The median TTP was 6.0 months for the trial group, and 3.6 months for the control group (P < 0.001). The score of quality of life in trial group was higher than that in the control group, but no significant difference was observed between the two groups (P > 0.05). There were no significant differences in toxicities between the two groups (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>NP regimen combined with thalidomide can significantly prolong the median time to tumor progression in patients with advanced NSCLC. Thalidomide may have a synergic activity with NP regimen without increased toxicities.</p>

Lung adenocarcinoma stem cell phenotypes and their correlation with patient prognosis / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the cancer stem cells and to evaluate their prognostic implication in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Three phenotypic markers of cancer stem cells (SP-C, CCSP and OCT4) in lung adenocarcinoma were detected by immunofluorecence staining. The correlation among the clinicopathological parameters and phenotypes of cancer stem cells as well as survival were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 57 cases, cancer stem cells were detected in 52, including OCT4(+) bronchioloalveolar stem cell (BASC) phenotype (SP-C(+) CCSP(+) OCT4(+)) in 40 cases and OCT4(-) BASC phenotype (SP-C(+) CCSP(+) OCT4(-)) in 12 cases. Statistical analysis revealed that the phenotype of cancer stem cells was related with the cellular differentiation, i.e. the OCT4(+) BASC phenotype occurred more frequently in the well-differentiated tumors, while the OCT4(-) BASC phenotype usually presented in most of the poorly-differentiated ones. Cox analysis showed that the OCT4(+) BASC phenotype was one of prognostic factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The lung adenocarcinoma stem cells have phenotypic features of bronchioalveolar stem cells (SP-C(+) CCSP(+)). The expression of self-renewal regulatory gene OCT4 in these cells indicates an aggressive nature and unfavorable prognosis.</p>

Relationship between the level of RRM1 expression and the sensitivity to gemcitabine in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1 (RRM1) is the intracellular target of gemcitabine (GEM). The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the level of RRM1 expression and the sensitivity to GEM in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Four esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (Kyse-150, Kyse-450, 9706 and Eca-109) were cultured in vitro. In the same period, RRM1 expression level was measured by RT-PCR and Western blot, and cell sensitivity to GEM was determined by CCK-8 assay. The relation between cell sensitivity and RRM1 expression was further analyzed. Kyse-450 cells were continuously cultured in the medium containing 50 nM GEM. RRM1 expression was measured at different time points to monitor the dynamic changes in the surviving cells. Inhibition of RRM1 expression by RNAi method was applied and the effect on GEM-sensitivity was further examined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The IC(50) of Eca-109, Kyse-150, Kyse-450 and 9706 cells were (0.92 +/- 0.17), (0.48 +/- 0.11), (0.29 +/- 0.06) and (0.02 +/- 0.01) mmol/L, respectively. The expressions of RRM1 protein and mRNA of Eca-109 cell line were the highest detected by Western blot and RT-PCR, followed by Kyse-150 and Kyse-450, and the lowest one was 9706 cell line. When Kyse-450 cells were continuously treated with 50 nmol/L GEM, the level of RRM1 protein was increasing in the surviving cells. RRM1 siRNA could effectively knock down the expression of RRM1 and significantly increase the cell sensitivity to GEM (P = 0.035).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The level of RRM1 expression correlates with the cell sensitivity to gemcitabine. The cells with a lower level of RRM1 expression are more sensitive to gemcitabine.</p>