Immunization of mice with plasmids coexpressing HPV16 E5 and the novel oncogene hWAPL.

The novel human oncogene hWAPL is associated with uterine cervical cancer. The HPV16 E5 oncoprotein could induce genomic instability in normal human cells. However, the mechanism of E5 interaction with hWAPL still awaits definition. In our present studies, the eukaryotic expression plasmids, pcDNA3-hWAPL and pcDNA3-hWAPL-E5 were constructed and carried out to vaccinate mice directly. The result that indicated the polyclonal antibody titer in immunized mice sera was increased by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, the proliferative responses of immunized mice spleen cells showed the optical densities values in vaccinated group remarkably higher than that in the control group. In conclusion, the recombinant plasmids could induce strong humoral and cellular immune response and exhibited great potential as therapeutic targets in the treatment of cervical cancer. However, the result didn't show significant difference in group with coexpression of HPV16 E5-hWAPL and group with only hWAPL expression. Consistent with these observations, we demonstrated that HPV16 E5 was not the optimal factor to cooperate with hWAPL in gene therapy.

Relationship between pulmonary function and indoor air pollution from coal combustion among adult residents in an inner-city area of southwest China.

Few studies evaluate the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 mm in diameter (PM2.5) in relation to a change in lung function among adults in a population. The aim of this study was to assess the association of coal as a domestic energy source to pulmonary function in an adult population in inner-city areas of Zunyi city in China where coal use is common. In a cross-sectional study of 104 households, pulmonary function measurements were assessed and compared in 110 coal users and 121 non-coal users (≥18 years old) who were all nonsmokers. Several sociodemographic factors were assessed by questionnaire, and ventilatory function measurements including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), the FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were compared between the 2 groups. The amount of PM2.5 was also measured in all residences. There was a significant increase in the relative concentration of PM2.5 in the indoor kitchens and living rooms of the coal-exposed group compared to the non-coal-exposed group. In multivariate analysis, current exposure to coal smoke was associated with a 31.7% decrease in FVC, a 42.0% decrease in FEV1, a 7.46% decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio, and a 23.1% decrease in PEFR in adult residents. The slope of lung function decrease for Chinese adults is approximately a 2-L decrease in FVC, a 3-L decrease in FEV1, and an 8 L/s decrease in PEFR per count per minute of PM2.5 exposure. These results demonstrate the harmful effects of indoor air pollution from coal smoke on the lung function of adult residents and emphasize the need for public health efforts to decrease exposure to coal smoke.

Relationship between pulmonary function and indoor air pollution from coal combustion among adult residents in an inner-city area of southwest China

Few studies evaluate the amount of particulate matter less than 2.5 mm in diameter (PM2.5) in relation to a change in lung function among adults in a population. The aim of this study was to assess the association of coal as a domestic energy source to pulmonary function in an adult population in inner-city areas of Zunyi city in China where coal use is common. In a cross-sectional study of 104 households, pulmonary function measurements were assessed and compared in 110 coal users and 121 non-coal users (≥18 years old) who were all nonsmokers. Several sociodemographic factors were assessed by questionnaire, and ventilatory function measurements including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), the FEV1/FVC ratio, and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were compared between the 2 groups. The amount of PM2.5 was also measured in all residences. There was a significant increase in the relative concentration of PM2.5 in the indoor kitchens and living rooms of the coal-exposed group compared to the non-coal-exposed group. In multivariate analysis, current exposure to coal smoke was associated with a 31.7% decrease in FVC, a 42.0% decrease in FEV1, a 7.46% decrease in the FEV1/FVC ratio, and a 23.1% decrease in PEFR in adult residents. The slope of lung function decrease for Chinese adults is approximately a 2-L decrease in FVC, a 3-L decrease in FEV1, and an 8 L/s decrease in PEFR per count per minute of PM2.5 exposure. These results demonstrate the harmful effects of indoor air pollution from coal smoke on the lung function of adult residents and emphasize the need for public health efforts to decrease exposure to coal smoke.

[The problem of birth control in schizophrenic patients].

PIP: A study was made of 250 sterilized schizophrenics (50 men and 200 women) who had been hospitalized between 1972-1983. All had been diagnosed by more than 2 physicians as being schizophrenic for at least 5 years, and had used at least 1 kind of birth control since becoming ill. 258 healthy subjects were chosen as a control group. The marriage rate of schizophrenics is between 32.8-45.6% for males, and 57.6-67.9% for females. The subjects ranged in age from 26-50 years, 40.5% of whom were between 31-40 years. Length of illness was between 5-21 years, averaging 11.8 years. Prior to sterilization, subjects had an average of 2.7 children. Following the 1980 directive of having 1 child per couple, the schizophrenic 1 child rate was 1/8-1/4--that of the control group. 56.8% of the subjects started birth control 6-12 years after the onset of illness, and 3/5 used contraceptives for sterilization. 42.4% of the subjects' children were born after 1 of the parents had become ill; 2/3 of these children were conceived during the illness. The rate of complication from the birth control operation was similar to that of healthy persons. The rate of effectiveness in birth control was lower among schizophrenics, especially the women, than in healthy people, as evidenced by the fact 15.2% of the subjects' children were born after the subjects had taken birth control measures. It is concluded that female schizophrenics be given priority and that sterilization be the foremost method of birth control.^ieng