[Susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in diabetic patients].

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare pulmonary fungal infectious disease. Domestic and international studies have shown that diabetes is the most common underlying condition of this disease, especially with poor glycemic control and diabetic ketoacidosis. The susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in diabetic patients are closely related to hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis-induced internal environment alterations. The detailed pathogenesis includes respiratory epithelial cell damage, vascular endothelial injury, immune cell dysfunction, coagulation abnormalities, iron-rich, and high keto-acid environment in diabetic patients. Pulmonary mucormycosis always presents atypical manifestations with rapid progress and poor prognosis in patients with diabetes. This article reviews the recent research progress in the susceptible mechanisms of pulmonary mucormycosis in patients with diabetes.

Risk factors for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy is a significant complication of cancer therapy. We aimed at investigating the risk factors of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy (OIPN) and providing evidence to enhance its prevention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Embase, China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database, and the Wanfang Database were searched comprehensively for observational studies investigating the prevalence and risk factors of OIPN from inception to November 30, 2021. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used by two independent reviewers to assess methodological quality. When applicable, we used meta-analysis to determine mean differences and odds ratios for continuous and nominal scaled data. RESULTS: We included 20 studies involving 10,900 participants for analysis. Factors associated with OIPN risk identified by meta-analysis were age, gender, diabetes, anemia, hypomagnesaemia, alcohol consumption, body mass index, body surface area, cumulative oxaliplatin dose and the number of chemotherapy cycles. Factors not associated with OIPN risk included smoking history and chemotherapy regimen. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis identified multiple variables associated with OIPN. The recognition of modifiable risk factors is an urgent priority to improve prevention and treatment outcomes.

[The expression and clinical significance of Bmi-1 gene in oral leukoplakia with different prognosis].

Objective: To detect the expression of Bmi-1 in oral leukoplakia (OL) cells and tissues, and analyze its role and clinical significance in the malignant transformation of OL. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate Bmi-1 expression in OL samples from 109 patients (51 males, 58 females, age range: 18-74 years) who were treated in the Department of Stomatology, the Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and the Center of Stomatology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, between 1996 and 2018. The correlation between Bmi-1 expression level and clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in patients with OL was analyzed. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Bmi-1 gene in normal oral mucosal epithelial cells, OL cells, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells, OL tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. The effects of Bmi-1 on the proliferation, colony formation and apoptosis were investigated by silencing expression of Bmi-1 in OL cell lines Leuk-1. Results: The protein level of Bmi-1 in OL tissue with severe and mild dysplasia was statistically different (6 819±994 vs 4 713±372, P=0.017). The OSCC-free survival rate of OL patients with high Bmi-1 expression was 65.5% (36/55), which was lower than that of OL patients with low Bmi-1 expression (88.9%, 48/54, P=0.003). Multivariate Cox proportional analysis indicated that Bmi-1 expression was the independent predictor for malignant transformation of OL (HR=2.522, 95%CI: 1.128-5.640, P=0.024). The mRNA level of Bmi-1 in OL specimens was 0.455±0.120, which was higher than that in paired adjacent normal tissues (0.063±0.009, P=0.014). The Bmi-1 mRNA level in malignant transformed OL specimens was (1.405±0.397), which was higher than that in untransformed OL specimens (0.145±0.017, P<0.001). After transfection of Bmi-1-shNC and Bmi-1-shRNA2 adenovirus into OL cell line Leuk-1, there were significant differences in the number of clone formation (824±40 vs 414±38, P=0.002) and apoptosis rate (17.7%±2.3% vs 36.0%±2.0%, P=0.004). Conclusions: The up-regulation of Bmi-1 expression promotes the malignant biological behavior of OL cells. Bmi-1 expression can be used as a predictor for malignant transformation of OL.

[Bacterial community diversity in Dermatophagoides farinae using high-throughput sequencing].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the bacterial community diversity in Dermatophagoides farinae. METHODS: Laboratory-cultured D. farinae was collected, and the composition of microbial communities was determined by sequence analyses of the V4 region in the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene on an Illumina PE250 high-throughput sequencing platform. Following quality control and filtering of the raw sequence files, valid reads were obtained and subjected to operational taxonomic units (OTU) clustering and analysis of the composition of microbial communities and alpha diversity index using the Usearch software, Silva database, and Mothur software. RESULTS: A total of 187 616 valid reads were obtained, and 469 OTUs were clustered based on a sequence similarity of more than 97%. OTU annotation showed that the bacteria in D. farinae belonged to 26 phyla, 43 classes, 100 orders, 167 families and 284 genera. The bacteria in D. farinae were mainly annotated to five phyla of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota, with Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum, and mainly annotated to five dominant genera of Ralstonia, norank-f-Mitochondria, Staphylococcus and Sphingomonas, with Wolbachia identified in the non-dominant genus. CONCLUSIONS: A high diversity is identified in the composition of the bacterial community in D. farinae, and there are differences in bacterial community diversity and abundance among D. farinae.

Progress in the study of markers related to glioma prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: In the era of precision medicine, molecular and genetic biomarkers act as the key indicators for glioma patients' recurrence and prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We summarize the biomarkers of glioma prognosis from molecular level, gene level and microRNA level. RESULTS: In molecular biomarkers, cyclinD1 high expression/P16 low expression, MIF high expression and VEGF high expression were all related to glioma patients' poor prognosis; in genetic biomarkers, MGMT promoter methylation absence, IDH1 wild type, HIF-α high expression, Chromosome 1p/19q non-deletion and TERT promoter mutation were associated with poor prognosis for glioma; in microRNA biomarkers, miR-524-5p, miR-586, miR-433, miR-619, miR-548d-5p, miR-525-5p, miR-301a, miR-210, miR-10b-5p, miR-15b-5p and miRNA-182 high expression, miR-124, miR-128, miR-146b and miR-218 low expression were commonly seen in glioma poor prognosis patients. CONCLUSIONS: With the continuous development of science and technology, the diagnosis of glioma will tend to the gene and molecular level. Finding specific markers is helpful for the early diagnosis and accurate prognosis of glioma, which provides the possibility for individualized treatment.

Comparison of IMRT and VMAT radiotherapy planning for Graves' ophthalmopathy based on dosimetric parameters analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To compare volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for the treatment of Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO) based on the dosimetric data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 19 patients diagnosed with GO were recruited in this study. For each patient, a dual-partial-arc VMAT plans and a 7-fixed-field IMRT plans were replanned. Dosimetric parameters of the targets and organs at risk (OARs) originated from the two kinds of plans were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: Homogeneity index (HI) was superior in IMRT plans compared with VMAT (p=0.0014) but there was no significant statistical difference in conformity index (CI) between them (p=0.0673). IMRT plans revealed advantage in the OARs protection especially for the left and right lenses, optic nerves and eyeballs (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: VMAT and IMRT are both feasible techniques in radiotherapy in GO from the perspective of dosimetric parameters. Homogeneity and OAR protection were slightly superior in IMRT plans compared with VMAT plans.

Role of sonoelastography in assessment of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of shear-wave elastography (SWE) and strain elastography (SE) for axillary lymph nodes (ALNs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched until September 2018. Weighted mean difference was calculated for continuous variables. The accuracy of sonoelastography was assessed by calculating pooled sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). All data were analysed using Stata 12.0. RESULTS: Ten studies with 1,038 ALNs were included in the meta-analysis. Five studies evaluated the use of SE, and the other five evaluated the SWE. The SWE stiffness values of malignant ALNs were significantly higher than those of benign nodes. Both SE and SWE have relatively high specificity and sensitivity. The max stiffness in SWE showed the highest specificity (0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.98), PLR (12.1; 95% CI, 4-36.5), NLR (0.29; 95% CI, 0.12-0.69), AUC (0.94; 95% CI, 0.91-0.96), and DOR (42; 95% CI, 12-154); in contrast, the mean stiffness showed the highest sensitivity (0.80; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91). CONCLUSION: Sonoelastography demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating between malignant and benign ALNs. The max and mean stiffness on SWE appeared to exhibit the highest accuracy. Thus, SWE is an effective accompaniment to sentinel node biopsy, and is appropriate for preoperative assessment of ALNs in the post-Z0011 era.

Comparison of Billroth I, Billroth II, and Roux-en-Y reconstructions after distal gastrectomy according to functional recovery: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer is common, with a high mortality rate. Billroth I (B-I), Billroth II (B-II), and Roux-en-Y (R-Y) are the major reconstruction procedures after distal gastrectomy. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the functional recovery following the B-I, B-II, and R-Y reconstructions through a network meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched until April 2018. From the included studies, first oral-intake time, early complications, endoscopic finding, quality of life (QoL), and body weight changes were extracted as the short- and long-term outcomes of reconstructions. The network meta-analysis was performed with R 3.4.2 software as well as "gemtc" and "forestplot" packages. RESULTS: Our work included a total of 26 articles involving 6212 patients with gastric cancer. Network meta-analysis revealed that R-Y reconstruction has a lower risk and degree of residual gastritis and bile reflex than B-I and B-II reconstructions. However, no differences in first oral-intake time, complications, risk of reflux esophagitis, and residual food, QoL, and body weight changes existed among the three reconstructions. CONCLUSIONS: R-Y may be the appropriate reconstruction procedure after distal gastrectomy based on postoperative functional recovery. However, more reports with a large sample size are warranted to investigate its long-term outcomes.

[Effect of artesunate on airway responsiveness and airway inflammation in asthmatic mice].

Objective: To observe the effects of artesunate on airway responsiveness and airway inflammation in asthmatic mice. Methods: Thirty female BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into control group, asthma group and artesunate group. In the asthma group and the artesunate group, the mice were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of 20 µg of ovalbumin (OVA) and 0.2 ml of aluminum hydroxide suspension (2 mg) on day 0 and 14, respectively, and 1% OVA 10 ml dissolved in sterile phosphate (PBS) buffer was aerosolized for 30 min from the 21st to 28th day. The control group was sensitized with 0.2 ml of 2 mg suspension of aluminum hydroxide on day 0 and 14, and aerosolized by 10 ml of sterile PBS from the 21st to 28th day. Before the challenge, the artesunate group was intraperitoneally injected with 0.2 ml of artesunate. Artesunate was replaced with the same amount of normal saline in the control group and the asthma group. The mice were treated after 24 hours of last stimulation. The airway responsiveness of mice was measured by airway intubation and the changes of airway resistance and compliance were observed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was classified by cytology, and pathological changes of left lung tissue were observed and scored. Results: The airway resistance of the three groups increased and the lung compliance decreased with the increase of methacholine (Ach) concentration. The airway resistance and lung compliance of the three groups were different under the same concentration (P<0.05). The airway resistance of the artesunate group at Ach 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/ml was lower than that of the asthma group at the same concentration [(1.01±0.48) vs (1.30±0.22), (1.06±0.44) vs (1.70±0.31), (1.30±0.64) vs (2.66±0.79), (1.82±0.55) vs (3.38±1.35), (2.49±0.85) vs (4.07±1.34) cmH(2)O·s(-1)·ml(-1)(1 cmH(2)O=0.098 kPa); t=3.862, 7.376, 9.113, 7.051, 6.685, all P<0.05]; the degree of lung compliance decrease at the concentration of Ach 3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100 mg/ml was lower than that of the asthma group at the same concentration [(3.89±0.55)×10(-2) vs (3.07±0.63)×10(-2), (3.61±0.52)×10(-2) vs (3.04±0.58)×10(-2), (3.48±0.38)×10(-2) vs (2.78±0.57)×10(-2), (3.09±0.52)×10(-2) vs (1.73±0.62)×10(-2), (2.32±0.60)×10(-2) vs (1.29±0.54)×10(-2), (1.87±0.59)×10(-2) vs (1.15±0.44)×10(-2) ml/cmH(2)O; t=-6.295, -4.921, -6.533, -11.135, -8.48, -6.319, all P<0.05]. The proportion of eosinophils in artesunate group in BALF was significantly lower than that in asthma group [(16.63±8.58)% vs (40.44±12.94)%; t=4.336, P<0.05]. In the asthma group, the inflammatory cells infiltration of the bronchi and the perivascular area, the bronchial epithelial edema and degeneration can be observed, and the artesunate could reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells around the bronchus and blood vessels, and the mucus secretion was also reduced in the artesunate group. Conclusion: Artesunate can improve airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation in asthmatic mice and has a certain therapeutic effect on asthma.

MiR-154 inhibits cells proliferation and metastasis in melanoma by targeting AURKA and serves as a novel prognostic indicator.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence suggested that dysregulated miR-154 in several tumor tissues is involved in the clinical progress of cancers patients. The objective of this study was to explore the expression pattern of miR-154 and its potential effects in human melanoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Microarray data from GEO datasets were analyzed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs. Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the expressions of miR-154 in melanoma cell lines and tumor tissues. The associations between miR-154 levels and clinical progress were studied using a series of statistical methods. Cell viability, invasion, migration, and apoptosis were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, transwell assay, wound healing assays, and flow cytometry, respectively. TargetScan system was used to identify the target genes of miR-154 and Luciferase activity analysis was carried out to demonstrate the possible target. RESULTS: The expression levels of miR-154 were distinctly lower in tumor samples and melanoma cell lines than in normal controls (p < 0.01). The up-regulation of miR-154 in melanoma tissues was associated with advanced tumor stage (p = 0.028), ulceration (p = 0.046), and shorter overall survival (p = 0.0035). Moreover, the multivariate analysis suggested a decreased expression of miR-154 is an independent predictor of overall survival rates in melanoma patients. Functional observation showed that up-regulation of miR-154 suppressed the capability of proliferation, invasion, and migration, promoting apoptosis in melanoma cell lines. Bioinformatics analysis predicted AURKA (aurora kinase A) as a target of miR-154, which was confirmed using the luciferase activity assays. Besides, miR-154 overexpression rescued the suppressive effect of AURKA-mediated melanoma on cell proliferation, colony formation, and metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that miR-154 has clinical implications for targeted therapy of melanoma patients and indicated that miR-154 could represent a novel biomarker in predicting the clinical outcome for melanoma.

Measurement of acetabular inclination and anteversion via CT generated 3D pelvic model.

BACKGROUND: Inclination and anteversion were the main factors that determined the reliability of the acetabulum. Inclination and anteversion measurements included anatomical, operational and radiographic methods. The aim of our present study was to exhibit divergence of inclination and anteversion via the three measurements. METHODS: Inclination and anteversion were defined according to the definitions put forward by Murray. Three-dimensional models of pelvis of CT data were brought forth. Acetabular axis was determined by the rim of acetabula. Reference planes were established by bone landmarks including anterior superior iliac spine, pubic tubercles and sacral crests. Inclinations and anteversions were calculated according to the definitions. RESULTS: Forty-nine cases were involved in the research. Data of inclination form anatomical, operational and radiographic showed 37.48 ± 11.07, 45.12 ± 14.76 and 48.76 ± 14.36, and anteversion were 18.12 ± 7.59, 24.97 ± 9.68, 14.30 ± 5.64. A substantial deviation was noted in the inclinations (P < 0.01) and anteversions (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that the inclinations and anteversions of the three measurements varied, which might in turn interfere the decision of orthopedists.

[Petrous bone cholesteatoma: surgery approach and outcomes].

Objective: To investigate the choice of surgical approach of petrous bone cholesteatoma (PBC)and surgical outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 90 patients diagnosed and treated for PBC from January 2000 to December 2014 by the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital otolaryngologists. According to Sanna's classification, 40 out of the 90 cases were supralabyrinthine, five infralabyrinthine, four infralabyrinthine-apical, 25 massive and 16 apical. Five cases underwent transmastoid and retrolabyrinthine approach, translabyrinthine approach was performed on six patients, 19 cases underwent subtotal petrosectomy, seven cases underwent transotic approach, 41 cases underwent middle fossa approach, combined transmastoid/middle fossa approach was performed on 11 cases, translabyrinthine and sphenoid sinus approach were performed on one case. Supralabyrinthine cases mainly applied middle fossa approach (77.5%, 31/40) and combined transmastoid and middle-fossa approach(20.0%, 8/40). Combined transmastoid-retrolabyrinthine approach were applied for all the infralabyrinthine cases (100.0%, 5/5). Infralabyrinthine-apical cases mainly applied subtotal petrosectomy (75.0%, 3/4). Massive cases mainly applied subtotal petrosectomy (60.0%, 15/25), transcochlear approach (20.0%, 5/25), and translabyrinthine approach (16.0%, 4/25). Apical cases mainly applied middle fossa approach (62.5%, 10/16). Results: Ninty percent (18/20) of the patients who had preoperative grade Ⅰ facial nerve function maintained in the postoperative period. Out of 90 cases, only 11 cases received open cavity, and the rest cases received cavityobliteration. There were three cases of recurrence, four cases of cavity infection, three cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage, and one case of epidural hematoma, who all received surgeries. Conclusions: Sanna's classification should be used to classify different kinds of PBC cases, choose the best surgical approach for different cases, and preserve or repair facial function during removal of PBC, and thus reduce recurrence and complications.

Risk of failure of adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea in obese pediatric patients.

INTRODUCTION: Pediatric obesity is a leading risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition commonly treated with adenotonsillectomy (T&A). It has been hypothesized that obesity increases a child's risk of failing T&A for OSA, however this relationship has not yet been quantified. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between obesity as measured by perioperative Body Mass Index (BMI) and persistent OSA following T&A as measured by polysomnography (PSG). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Pediatric patients who underwent T&A between Jan. 2004 and Jan. 2016 were included. We recruited both obese and non-obese patients to compare caregiver/self reported improvement. Obese patients were recruited from a weight management clinic and included if they had a BMI z-score >1.65 and had pre- and post-operative polysomnograms (PSGs). Control patients included those undergoing T&A for OSA at our institution with BMI <1.65. These patients were age matched to the obese patient population. Age, gender, perioperative BMI z-score, caregiver/self reported improvement, total Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), and O2 saturation nadir were collected where available. Univariate linear regressions were calculated between perioperative BMI z-score and PSG data. RESULTS: 26 obese study and 47 control subjects were identified for analysis. T&A resulted in statistically significant improvements in total AHI (p = 0.030) and nadir O2 saturation (p = 0.013) in obese subjects. There was no significant difference between the rate of caregiver/self reported improvement in the two groups. There was a statistically significant correlation between perioperative BMI z-score and the change in total AHI (p = 0.049). Within our population, for every increase by 0.1 in perioperative BMI z-score, the improvement in total AHI post-operatively decreased by 1.63 events/hr. Further, patients with BMI more than 3 standard deviations away from the age-derived normative mean received essentially no benefit from T&A alone. CONCLUSIONS: Our study established an inverse linear relationship between perioperative BMI z-score and improvement in total AHI with essentially no improvement in patients with BMI z-scores >3. Further studies are required to further elucidate this relationship and investigate the role of additional procedures in the initial management of OSA in obese children.

[The expression and significance of heparanase in oral squamous cell carcinoma with different metastatic potentials].

Objective: To detect the expression of heparanase (HPSE) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) with different metastatic potentials and investigate its clinical significance. Methods: Transcriptional and translational status of HPSE in OSCC cell lines with different metastatic capacities, primary OSCC samples and their paired metastatic cancer tissues were determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting analysis. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate HPSE expression in 131 OSCC samples. The correlation between HPSE expression pattern and clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcome in patients with OSCC were analyzed. HPSE level was reduced using HPSE-siRNAs in OSCC cell lines and its impact on cell migration and invasion was measured by scratch assay and matrigel invasion assay. Results: The mRNA and protein levels of HPSE were remarkably up-regulated in OSCC cell lines with highly metastatic capacity (P<0.000 1) and metastatic OSCC tissues (P<0.000 1). The protein levels of HPSE were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis (P<0.000 1) and tumor node metastasis stage (P=0.012). Survival analyses revealed that high HPSE expression was associated with worse overall survival (P=0.000 3). Multivariate Cox proportional analyses indicated that HPSE expression was strongly associated with clinical outcome in patients with OSCC (HR=2.203, 95% CI: 1.203-3.988, P=0.009). The siRNA-mediated silencing of HPSE could suppress the migration and invasion (P=0.008) of HN12 cells in vitro. Conclusions: The up-regulation of HPSE contributes to invasion and metastasis of OSCC. HPSE may serve as a useful biomarker for patients with OSCC.

Far-reaching geometrical artefacts due to thermal decomposition of polymeric coatings around focused ion beam milled pigment particles.

Focused ion beam and scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) instruments are extensively used to characterize nanoscale composition of composite materials, however, their application to analysis of organic corrosion barrier coatings has been limited. The primary concern that arises with use of FIB to mill organic materials is the possibility of severe thermal damage that occurs in close proximity to the ion beam impact. Recent research has shown that such localized artefacts can be mitigated for a number of polymers through cryogenic cooling of the sample as well as low current milling and intelligent ion beam control. Here we report unexpected nonlocalized artefacts that occur during FIB milling of composite organic coatings with pigment particles. Specifically, we show that FIB milling of pigmented polysiloxane coating can lead to formation of multiple microscopic voids within the substrate as far as 5 µm away from the ion beam impact. We use further experimentation and modelling to show that void formation occurs via ion beam heating of the pigment particles that leads to decomposition and vaporization of the surrounding polysiloxane. We also identify FIB milling conditions that mitigate this issue.

Hepatitis B virus infection is associated with gastric cancer in China: an endemic area of both diseases.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection was demonstrated to be a risk factor of several cancers of the digestive system. In addition, liver cirrhosis, which could possibly result from chronic HBV infection, was associated with a higher risk of gastric cancer. However, the association of HBV infection and gastric cancer has not been investigated. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study with 580 cases and 580 controls matched for age, sex and year of diagnosis was conducted. The associations between gastric cancer and HBV infection were explored with univariate and multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was positively associated with gastric cancer (AOR (95% CI): 1.49 (1.06-2.10)). This association remained significant in patients without family history of gastric cancer (AOR (95% CI): (1.06-2.11)). For HBsAg-negative population, being anti-HBc positive/anti-HBs negative, which possibly indicated occult HBV infection, was also found to have some associations with gastric cancer. In addition, some synergistic effects between HBV infection and blood type A in gastric cancer were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The HBV infection was positively related with gastric cancer, especially for patients without family history of gastric cancer. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm this relationship.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms on SHIP2 is associated with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese Han population.

OBJECTIVE: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by insulin resistance in the target tissue of insulin with insufficient insulin secretion in pancreatic ß-cells. Src homology 2-containing 5'-inositol phosphatase 2 (SHIP2) is a lipid phosphatase that hydrolyzes PI3-kinase product PI(3,4,5)P3 to PI(3,4)P2, which contributes to the negative regulation of insulin signaling both in vitro and in vivo. Some polymorphisms of SHIP2 have been reported to be associated with the metabolic syndrome including T2DM and hypertension in British, French and Japanese T2DM population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our present study, we investigated the relation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on SHIP2 gene and the pathogenesis of T2DM in Chinese Han population. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that the genotype and allele frequency of SHIP2 (+1893CC/AA) locus in T2DM patients showed significantly different from between the healthy control population. In addition, the G allele of SHIP2 (+2945A/G) seemed to increase the susceptibility to hypertension for T2DM patients.

Effect of hirulog-like peptide on middle cerebral artery occlusion-induced brain injury in mice.

Hirulog-like peptide (HLP) and low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) are thrombin inhibitor peptides. Our previous study demonstrated that HLP could reduce vascular neointimal formation or restenosis in animals undergoing balloon catheter injury in the carotid artery. However, the function of HLP during ischemic stroke is largely unknown. The present study investigated the effect of HLP on brain injury, which was induced by suture of middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. Mice were divided into four groups, which included a sham group and three treatment groups. Ischemia was induced by transient suture insertion into the middle cerebral artery for 90 min, and mice were either treated with saline, HLP or LMWH. Infarct volume, neurologic deficits and apoptotic factors were measured following 1-14 days of ischemia. We demonstrated that HLP intravenous injection alleviated brain infarct volume and improved neurologic outcomes (p<0.05). HLP decreased levels of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1), caspase-3, malondialdehyde (MDA) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), increased the activities of catalase and B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and improved the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax compared with the control (p<0.05). This study indicates that HLP and LMWH reduced infarct volume and improved neurobehavioral outcomes induced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). In addition, HLP had a beneficial effect on the regulation of the thrombin receptor and key apoptosis regulators in the mouse brain. These results suggest that HLP may be a potential alternative therapy for arterial occlusion-induced cerebral ischemia.

Quality of life after surgical resection compared with radiofrequency ablation for small hepatocellular carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important outcome measure in studies of cancer therapy. This study aimed to investigate HRQL and survival in patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with either surgical resection or percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). METHODS: Between January 2006 and June 2009, patients with newly diagnosed solitary, small (3 cm or less) HCC were invited to participate in this non-randomized prospective parallel cohort study. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Hepatobiliary (FACT-Hep) instrument was used for assessing HRQL. HRQL and survival were compared between the two treatment groups. RESULTS: A total of 389 patients were enrolled. Questionnaires were completed fully by 99.7 per cent of invited participants (388 of 389) at baseline, 98.7 per cent (383 of 388) at 3 months, 99.0 per cent (379 of 383) at 6 months, 98.4 per cent (365 of 371) at 1 year, 96.6 per cent (336 of 348) at 2 years and 95.1 per cent (289 of 304) at 3 years. There were no significant differences in disease-free and overall survival between the two groups. Patients treated with percutaneous RFA had significantly better HRQL total scores after 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months than those who had surgical resection (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.001, P = 0.003 and P = 0.025 respectively). On multivariable analysis, the presence of concomitant disease, cirrhosis and surgical resection were significant risk factors associated with a worse HRQL score after treatment. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous RFA produced better post-treatment HRQL than surgical resection for patients with solitary small (no more than 3 cm) HCC.