RESUMEN
We performed this study to investigate the diagnostic performance of prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) in a multicenter cohort of the Chinese Prostate Cancer Consortium. Outpatients with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels ≥4.0 ng ml-1 regardless of digital rectal examination (DRE) results or PSA levels <4.0 ng ml-1 and abnormal DRE results were included from 18 large referral hospitals in China. The diagnostic performance of PSAD and the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and high-grade prostate cancer (HGPCa) at different cutoff values were evaluated. A total of 5220 patients were included in the study, and 2014 (38.6%) of them were diagnosed with PCa. In patients with PSA levels ranging from 4.0 to 10.0 ng ml-1, PSAD was associated with PCa and HGPCa in both univariate (odds ratio [OR] = 45.15, P < 0.0001 and OR = 25.38, P < 0.0001, respectively) and multivariate analyses (OR = 52.55, P < 0.0001 and OR = 26.05, P < 0.0001, respectively). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of PSAD in predicting PCa and HGPCa were 0.627 and 0.630, respectively. With the PSAD cutoff of 0.10 ng ml-2, we obtained a sensitivity of 88.7% for PCa, and nearly all (89.9%) HGPCa cases could be detected and biopsies could be avoided in 20.2% of the patients (359/1776 cases). Among these patients who avoided biopsies, only 30 cases had HGPCa. We recommend 0.10 ng ml-2 as the proper cutoff value of PSAD, which will obtain a sensitivity of nearly 90% for both PCa and HGPCa. The results of this study should be validated in prospective, population-based multicenter studies.
Asunto(s)
Antígeno Prostático Específico/análisis , Antígeno Prostático Específico/clasificación , Neoplasias de la Próstata/diagnóstico , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Área Bajo la Curva , China/epidemiología , Estudios de Cohortes , Detección Precoz del Cáncer/métodos , Detección Precoz del Cáncer/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Oportunidad Relativa , Estudios Prospectivos , Antígeno Prostático Específico/sangre , Neoplasias de la Próstata/sangre , Neoplasias de la Próstata/epidemiología , Curva ROCRESUMEN
Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide that is made by treating the chitin shells of shrimp and crustaceans with an alkaline substance, for example sodium hydroxide. Due to its unique physical and chemical properties, chitosan has a wide range of applications in the medical field. Currently, there are no effective treatments for liver fibrosis; therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of chitosan in a CCl4induced hepatic fibrosis (HF) rat model. The serum levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured by ELISA. Collagen (COL) 3 and αsmooth muscle actin (SMA) expression levels in the rat liver were detected by reverse transcriptionsemiquantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. The results demonstrated that treatment with chitosan significantly improved HF, by decreasing the serum levels of AST, ALT, and ALP; improving liver histology; and decreasing the expression levels of COL3 and αSMA. Chitosan may offer an alternative approach for the clinical treatment of HF.
Asunto(s)
Antioxidantes/uso terapéutico , Quitosano/uso terapéutico , Cirrosis Hepática/tratamiento farmacológico , Actinas/genética , Actinas/metabolismo , Alanina Transaminasa/sangre , Fosfatasa Alcalina/sangre , Animales , Antioxidantes/química , Aspartato Aminotransferasas/sangre , Tetracloruro de Carbono , Quitosano/química , Colágeno Tipo III/genética , Colágeno Tipo III/metabolismo , Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Cirrosis Hepática/inducido químicamente , Cirrosis Hepática/patología , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-DawleyRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Effects of tea catechin epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) against biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans and probiotic Lactobacillus casei in Yakult® (LcY) were examined. DESIGN: Biofilms were formed by S. mutans alone (Sm) and co-culture of S. mutans and LcY (Smâ¯+â¯LcY) in the absence or presence of EGCG. The biomass of biofilms, which were sonicated or not, was measured by the crystal violet assay. Biofilm morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Bacterial viability and extracellular polysaccharides were determined by SYTO9/propidium iodide and dextran-conjugated fluorescein staining, respectively, and confocal microscopy. Gene expression of glucosyltransferase was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: While 250⯵g/ml EGCG significantly decreased the biomass and acid production of Sm biofilms, 500⯵g/ml EGCG was required to inhibit Smâ¯+â¯LcY biofilm formation and acid production. EGCG decreased the amount of live bacteria present in both Sm and Smâ¯+â¯LcY biofilms. The level of dead bacteria in Smâ¯+â¯LcY biofilms was higher than in Sm biofilms when formed in the presence of 250⯵g/ml EGCG. EGCG decreased levels of extracellular polysaccharides in Sm and Smâ¯+â¯LcY biofilms. The extent of biofilm removal by sonication was not different between Sm and Sm+LcY biofilms formed in the absence or presence of 62.5 or 125⯵g/ml EGCG. The level of Sm gtfB and gtfD expression in Smâ¯+â¯LcY biofilms was higher than those in the Sm biofilms when formed in the presence of EGCG at 250⯵g/ml. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that LcY might interfere the inhibitory effects of EGCG against biofilm formation by S. mutans.