[Effect of Yufeining on induced sputum interleukin-8 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the stable phase].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of Yufeining, a traditional Chinese medicine, on induced sputum interleukin-8 (IL-8) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the stable phase. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with COPD were divided into trial group (18 cases) and control group (18 cases) randomly. The trial group was treated with Yufeining pills taken orally for half a year; the control group was not given any medicine. Routine lung function was recorded before and after treatment. Total cell count (TCC), differential cell counts (DCCs) and IL-8 in induced sputum were determined at the baseline and 6 months later. RESULTS: The indices of lung function improved significantly after 6 months' treatment in trial group (P < 0.05); TCC and absolute neutrophil count decreased significantly compared with baseline in the trial group (P < 0.05); Sputum IL-8 concentration dropped significantly after 6 months' treatment, from a mean of 5.216 +/- 2.914 microg/L to 4.222 +/- 2.140 microg/L (P < 0.05). There were insignificant changes in the parameters in the control group between baseline and 6 months later. CONCLUSION: Yufeining could improve lung function, decrease sputum TCC, absolute neutrophil count and IL-8 concentration, and relieve airway inflammation in patients with COPD in the stable phase.

[Examination and significance of semenial prostate specific antigen in infertile patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of prostate specific antigen (PSA) examination in seminal plasma of infertile patients. METHODS: Eighty-five infertile patients were collected randomly. The level of PSA in seminal plasma was detected by ELISA method. The correlations between PSA and several seminal parameters including sperm density, motility and acid phosphatase (ACP) were analyzed. RESULTS: The PSA, ACP concentrations and sperm motility in 65 cases of abnormal liquefaction patients were obviously lower than those in normal liquefaction patients(P < 0.01). But there were no significant differences in sperm density among the three groups(P > 0.05). PSA levels were significantly correlated with ACP and sperm motility(P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The seminal PSA in infertile patients is markedly correlated with semen liquefaction. The abnormal quality and quantity of PSA can result in a depression of sperm motility and subinfertility.

[Relationship between genetic polymorphisms of metabolizing enzymes and prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVES: To study the possible relationship between CYP1A1, NAT2 genetic polymorphisms and the susceptibility of prostate cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with prostate cancer and 112 healthy cases were selected as the control randomly. NAT2 and CYP1A1 gene polymorphisms were analysed with the methods of PCR-RFLP, ASA and real-time fluorescence Light-Cycler. The difference of frequency between the patients and the controls was compared. RESULTS: Among prostate cancer patients and their matched controls, the frequencies of alleles and genotypes were significantly different with Ile-Val gene Polymorphisms (P < 0.05), in which the frequency of the allele G and GG genotypes were significantly higher than those in their matched controls with an odds ratio of 1.59 and 3.06(P < 0.05), respectively; No significant differences of the frequencies of the MspI alleles and genotypes were found between the patients with prostate cancer and the matched controls(P > 0.05). No significant differences of NAT2 slow acetylator genotype frequency were found between the controls and prostate cancer patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The CYP1A1 Ile-Val gene polymorphisms might be associated with the occurrence of prostate cancer, while MspI gene polymorphisms and NAT2 slow acetylator genotype might not be associated with the occurrence of prostate cancer.