Can hemifacial spasm lead to glaucomatous changes?

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between hemifacial spasm (HFS) patients and glaucoma as a function of the Botox dosage required. METHODS: A retrospective review of clinical documents and procedure records. RESULTS: Information of 76 consecutive patients (58 females) with HFS who received Botox treatment were reviewed. The age at onset of HFS was 66±11 (32-85) years, and all manifested unilaterally. Ten (13%, 95% confidence interval: 6.5-22.9%) patients were diagnosed with glaucoma, including 8 primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (4 unilateral and ipsilateral to the HFS), and 2 bilateral chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG). Nine of the 10 patients developed glaucoma after the onset of the HFS. The Botox dosage was significantly higher among those diagnosed with glaucoma (31+/8 vs. 26+/7units, P<0.05). There was a positive relationship between the presenting intraocular pressure (IOP) and the Botox dosage required (R=0.31, P=0.0116). However, there was a weak relationship between the Botox dosage required and the vertical cup to disc ratio (R=0.076, P=0.525). The presenting IOP of the HFS-affected eyes in those diagnosed with glaucoma was higher than those without glaucoma (19±3.5 vs. 13±3.2mmHg, P=<0.05). The presenting IOP between the HFS-affected and unaffected eyes was similar (16±4.8 vs. 15+/4.6mmHg, P=0.430). Smoking status, history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obstructive sleep apnea were not different between HFS patients with or without glaucoma. CONCLUSIONS: Hemifacial spasm patients with glaucoma were associated with a higher Botox dosage. We found a positive relationship between the Botox dosage required and the presenting IOP. Whether hemifacial spasm can result in fluctuation of IOP, eventually causing glaucomatous damage, remains to be studied further.

Downregulation of linc00961 contributes to promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cell by sponging miR-367 in patients with coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis is one of the most important risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), and growing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can serve as prospective markers for atherosclerosis. In this study, we mainly focused on the potential roles of linc00961 in CHD patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to detect the expressions of linc00961 and miR-367 in CHD patients and ApoE-/-mice, and the correlations were analyzed. Then, HA-VAMC was respectively treated with 5 inflammatory factors and hypoxia conditions to explore the factors that affect linc00961 levels. Furthermore, the linc00961 overexpression lentivirus (LV-linc00961) and linc00961 downregulation lentivirus (LV-sh linc00961) were purchased and transfected into human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). CCK8 assay was carried out to measure the cell proliferation of VSMC, and the levels of Cyclin D1, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. Moreover, the Luciferase assay was performed to explore the binding site of linc00961 and miR-367. Finally, the miR-367 inhibitor was transfected into LV-sh linc00961 VSMCs to confirm the linc00961 functions via miR-367. RESULTS: We found that linc00961 was significantly decreased in patients with CHD and ApoE-/-mice. Additionally, linc00961 was reduced in VSMCs at the conditions of hypoxia and C-reactive protein (CRP). Most importantly, the overexpression of linc00961 significantly inhibited the VSMCs proliferation, repressed the levels of Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2, and increased the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. However, the downregulation of linc00961 promoted VSMCs proliferation, increased the levels of Cyclin D1 and Bcl-2, and repressed the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. We also found that miR-367 was downregulated following the upregulation of linc00961, while it was upregulated following the downregulation of linc00961. The Luciferase gene reporter assay indicated that linc00961 could directly bind with miR-367 in VSMCs. Finally, we found that linc00961 could inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of VSMCs via binding with miR-367. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, our study revealed that linc00961 was significantly decreased in patients with CHD and ApoE-/-mice. Furthermore, our findings firstly uncovered that linc00961 was reduced by hypoxia and CRP in VSMCs. The downregulation of linc00961 contributed to promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of VSMCs by sponging miR-367 in CHD patients, which might provide a potential target for treating atherosclerosis.

[Effect of obstructive sleep apnea on the severity of acute pulmonary thromboembolism].

Objective: To investigate the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the severity of acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). Methods: Clinical data of patients with acute PTE and OSA who were admitted to Anzhen Hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed in this study.According to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), patients were divided into AHI≤15/h group and AHI>15/h group. The levels of oxygen desaturation index (ODI), mean pulse oxygen saturation (MSO(2)), the lowest pulse oxygen saturation (LSaO(2)), oxygen saturation<90% time ratio (Ts90%), hemoglobin, hematocrit (HCT), blood platelet, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), homocysteine (HCY), prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer, fibrin degredation product (FDP), B-type natriuretic peptide, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO(2)), arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO(2)) were compared between AHI≤15/h group and AHI>15/h group. Differences in the severity of PTE between the two groups were compared; binary Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of acute PTE severity. Results: A total of 75 patients with acute PTE and OSA were enrolled. Patients in the AHI>15/h group were significantly older [(68.7±9.9) vs (62.8±12.8) years old, P=0.029], and were more likely to have chronic heart failure and/or lung disease (53.1% vs 23.1%, P=0.012) and elevated Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index scores (61.2% vs 30.8%, P=0.012) than those in the AHI≤15/h group. Compared to the AHI>15/h group, the levels of D-dimer and B-type natriuretic peptide were much lower in the AHI ≤15/h group [243.0 (140.0, 471.5) vs 408.0 (258.0, 1 009.5) µg/L, P=0.01; 48.0 (19.8, 87.5) vs 70.0 (34.5, 201.0) ng/L, P=0.039], while arterial oxygen partial pressure was significantly higher [(79.0±10.6) vs (73.4±8.2) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), P=0.015]. In patients with acute PTE and OSA, AHI (P=0.030) and B-type natriuretic peptide level (P=0.023) were independently associated with an increased risk of acute PTE severity. Conclusion: In patients with PTE and OSA, moderate or severe OSA may aggravate the severity of acute PTE.

Comparison of molecular diagnosis with serum markers and synovial fluid analysis in patients with prosthetic joint infection.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare the results of 16S/28S rRNA sequencing with the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and synovial fluid analysis in the diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection (PJI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between September 2015 and August 2016, 214 consecutive patients were enrolled. In the study population, there were 25 patients with a PJI and 189 controls. Of the PJI patients, 14 (56%) were women, and the mean age at the time of diagnosis was 65 years (38 to 83). The ESR and CRP levels were measured, and synovial fluid specimens were collected prospectively. Synovial fluid was subjected to reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)/sequence analysis targeting the 16S/28S rRNA, and to conventional culture. Laboratory personnel who were blind to the clinical information performed all tests. The diagnosis of PJI was based on the criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society. RESULTS: A total of 25 patients had a confirmed PJI. In 20 cases of monomicrobial PJI, the PCR products could be perfectly matched with the 16S/28S rRNA genes specific for different species of bacteria provided by sequence analysis. Of the five polymicrobial cases of PJI, 16S/28S rRNA PCR sequence analysis failed to identify the concordant bacteria species. In the 189 control patients, there was one false-positive RT-PCR result. The sensitivity and specificity of the molecular diagnosis method were 100% (95% confidence interval (CI) 85.7 to 100) and 99.5% (95% CI 97.1 to 99.9), respectively, whereas the positive and negative predictive values of PCR were 96.1% (95% CI 79.6 to 99.9) and 100% (95% CI 98.1 to 100), respectively. The PCR results were significantly better than serological diagnostic methods (p = 0.004 and p = 0.010 for ESR and CRP, respectively), the synovial fluid white blood cell (WBC) count (p = 0.036), and percentage of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN%) (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Stepwise RT-PCR and sequence analysis of the 16S/28S rRNA carried out under stringent laboratory conditions achieved highly sensitive and specific results for the differentiation between aseptic and septic joints undergoing arthroplasty. Sequence analysis successfully identified bacterial strains in monomicrobial infections but failed to identify molecular targets in polymicrobial infections. Further refinement of the protocols to identify the bacteria in polymicrobial infections is needed. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:1345-51.

High-quality thulium iron garnet films with tunable perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by off-axis sputtering - correlation between magnetic properties and film strain.

Thulium iron garnet (TmIG) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) were grown on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) (111) substrates by off-axis sputtering. High-resolution synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction studies and spherical aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (Cs-corrected STEM) images showed the excellent crystallinity of the films and their sharp interface with GGG. Damping constant of TmIG thin film was determined to be 0.0133 by frequency-dependent ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements. The saturation magnetization (Ms) and the coercive field (Hc) were obtained systematically as a function of the longitudinal distance (L) between the sputtering target and the substrate. A 170% enhancement of PMA field (H⊥) was achieved by tuning the film composition to increase the tensile strain. Moreover, current-induced magnetization switching on a Pt/TmIG structure was demonstrated with an ultra-low critical current density (jc) of 2.5 × 106 A/cm2, an order of magnitude smaller than the previously reported value. We were able to tune Ms, Hc and H⊥ to obtain an ultra-low jc of switching the magnetization, showing the great potential of sputtered TmIG films for spintronics.

Origin of magnetic properties in carbon implanted ZnO nanowires.

Various synchrotron radiation-based spectroscopic and microscopic techniques are used to elucidate the room-temperature ferromagnetism of carbon-doped ZnO-nanowires (ZnO-C:NW) via a mild C+ ion implantation method. The photoluminescence and magnetic hysteresis loops reveal that the implantation of C reduces the number of intrinsic surface defects and increases the saturated magnetization of ZnO-NW. The interstitial implanted C ions constitute the majority of defects in ZnO-C:NW as confirmed by the X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies. The X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra of O and C K-edge respectively indicate there is a reduction in the number of unpaired/dangling O 2p bonds in the surface region of ZnO-C:NW and the C 2p-derived states of the implanted C ions strongly affect the net spin polarization in the surface and bulk regions of ZnO-C:NW. Furthermore, these findings corroborate well with the first-principles calculations of C-implanted ZnO in surface and bulk regions, which highlight the stability of implanted C for the suppression and enhancement of the ferromagnetism of the ZnO-C:NW in the surface region and bulk phase, respectively.

Effects of individual and partner factors on anxiety and depression in Taiwanese prostate cancer patients: A longitudinal study.

Studies exploring the mediating and predictive factors of anxiety and depression for prostate cancer patients in Eastern countries are scant. Guided by the transactional model of stress and coping, this study determined the predictors and mediators of anxiety and depression in prostate cancer patients. The participants comprised 115 prostate cancer patients and 91 partners. The patients and partners completed questionnaires regarding physical symptoms, disease appraisals, coping behaviours, anxiety and depression in the period before confirmation of treatment decisions and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. The results revealed that partner anxiety engendered a stressful situation and aggravated patient anxiety. Patients' threat appraisals and affective-oriented coping behaviours mediated the relationships between their anxiety levels and those of their partners. The patients' most recent prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and hormonal symptoms were key predictors of their anxiety and depression levels. The patients' harm appraisals mediated the relationships between their most recent PSA levels and hormonal symptoms and depression. Their threat appraisals and affective-oriented coping behaviours mediated the relationships between their hormonal symptoms and anxiety and depression. To manage those key factors, reframing, appraising disease and improving coping behaviours may reduce anxiety and depression levels in prostate cancer patients.

[Lung function influenced the prognosis of cardiac surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

Objective: To investigate the value of lung function for the prognosis of cardiac surgery in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the hospitalized patients with coronary heart disease or valvular heart disease in Beijing Anzhen hospital during Janury 2013 to December 2015. The relationship between lung function and extubation time, time of staying in ICU, second time tracheal incubation, tracheotomy and mortality rate were analyzed. Results: There were 355 patients without surgery in a total 1 729 of patients, of which 65 (18.31%)suffered from severe pulmonary dysfunction. There were 242 patients with obstructive ventilation dysfunction, 75 with mild, 127 with moderate, and 40 with severe and very severe obstructive ventilation dysfunction. There were significant differences in the rates of planned extubation and late extubation between patients with normal lung function (81.6% and 10.7%) and those with abnormal lung function(74.4% and 12.8%). In patients with different GOLD classification (Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ-Ⅳ), there were significant differences in the rates of early extubation 14.7%, 14.2% and 5%, planned extubation (80%, 74% and 65%) and late extubation (5.3%, 11.8% and 30%). By comparison with patients without COPD, the extubation time of COPD patients increased by 20.3%, the time of staying in ICU prolonged by 14.2%, and the mortality rate increased to 180%(P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the rate of second time tracheal incubation or tracheotomy. Conclusion: There was a close relationship between GOLD classification and prognosis of cardiac surgery patients with COPD. Cardiac surgery needs to be cautious because of increase in incidence of postoperative adverse events in patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction.

Comparison of immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy and mastectomy alone for breast cancer: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare patient outcomes between immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after mastectomy and mastectomy alone. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search of PUBMED, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The primary outcomes evaluated in this review were overall survival, disease-free survival and local recurrence. Secondary outcome was the incidence of surgical site infection. All data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: Thirty-one studies, involving of 139,894 participants were included in this paper. Pooled data demonstrated that women who had IBR after mastectomy were more likely to experience surgical site infection than those treated with mastectomy alone (risk ratios 1.51, 95% CI: 1.22-1.87; p = 0.0001). There were no significant differences in overall survival (hazard ratios 0.92, 95% CI: 0.80-1.06; p = 0.25) and disease-free survival (hazard ratios 0.96, 95% CI: 0.84-1.10; p = 0.54) between IBR after mastectomy and mastectomy alone. No significant difference was found in local recurrence between two groups (risk ratios 0.92, 95% CI: 0.75-1.13; p = 0.41). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that IBR after mastectomy does not affect the overall survival and disease-free survival of breast cancer. Besides, no evidence shows that IBR after mastectomy increases the frequency of local recurrence.

Effects of ovarian ablation or suppression in premenopausal breast cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: The effect of ovarian ablation or suppression (OAS) in premenopausal women with breast cancer is controversial. The overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and adverse event of OAS versus no OAS were compared. METHODS: A literature review of EMBASE, Web of Science, PUBMED, and Cochrane Library was conducted. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for OS and DFS, as well as risk ratio (RR) and 95% CI for adverse events were evaluated. I-squared statistic (I2) represents heterogeneity. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies with a total of 21,249 women were included. In premenopausal women aged 40 years or younger, there were significant differences in OS (HR 0.78, 95% CI: 0.66-0.94, P=0.008, I2 = 0%) and DFS (HR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.97, P=0.02, I2 = 0%) between OAS and no OAS. In advanced stage breast cancer, a significant difference was found in OS (HR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60-0.96, P=0.02, I2 = 0%). Patients treated with OAS had more chances to have hot flushes (RR 1.91, 95% CI: 1.62-2.26, P < 0.01, I2 = 0%) and vaginal dryness (RR 1.19, 95% CI: 1.08-1.31, P=0.0003, I2 = 0%). No significant difference in depression (RR 1.28, 95% CI: 0.94-1.74, P=0.12, I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows that OAS plays a beneficial role in premenopausal women aged 40 years or younger and advanced stage breast cancer. However, OAS is associated with increase in hot flushes and vaginal dryness.

Relationship between the G75A polymorphism in the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) gene and the lipid regulatory effects of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia.

In this study, we investigated the relationship between the G75A polymorphism in the apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) gene and the lipid regulatory effect of pravastatin in patients with hyperlipidemia. A total of 179 patients were divided into two groups: the pravastatin (N = 97) and policosanol (N = 82) treatment groups. The total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-c), high-density lipoprotein, ApoA, and ApoB concentrations in the serum were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer before and after treatment for 12 weeks. The genotypes of the ApoA1 G75A SNP were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and were subsequently statistically analyzed. Pravastatin treatment induced a significant decrease in the TC, LDL-c, and ApoB levels in patients expressing the ApoA1 AA+GA genotype (P < 0.05), and not in those expressing the GG genotype (P > 0.05). However, policosanol treatment induced a non-significant decrease in the serum TC levels (P > 0.05) and a significant decrease in the ApoB levels (P < 0.05), and did not induce a decrease in the LDL-c (P > 0.05) levels in patients with the AA+GA genotype. Policosanol also induced a significant decrease in the TC and LDL-c levels in patients with the GG genotype (P < 0.05). The various genotypes of the ApoA1 G75A SNP influence the efficacy of lipid regulation by pravastatin and policosanol in patients with hyperlipidemia.

Infiltrating immune cells and gene mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the immune profile within the microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and to investigate the prognostic value of intratumoral infiltrating immune/inflammatory cells (IICs) in patients after surgery. METHODS: Eighteen phenotypic markers representing 11 types of IIC and the protein products of genes TP53, CDKN2A/p16 and SMAD4/DPC4 were assessed by immunohistochemistry of specimens from patients with pancreatic cancer. The expression of IICs and the mutational status of the genes were correlated with tumour recurrence and survival, and results were validated in an independent cohort. RESULTS: CD15+ neutrophils, CD20+ B cells and CD206+ tumour-associated macrophages were seen frequently in tumours, and their presence was associated with reduced survival in a cohort of 79 patients. Expression of CD4+ T helper cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD117+ mast cells was associated with a favourable prognosis. A weighted Cox regression recurrence-predictive model was constructed that showed good correlation of IICs and gene mutations. A combination of CD15, CD206, CD117 and Smad4 expression was independently associated with overall (hazard ratio (HR) 3·63, 95 per cent c.i. 2·18 to 6·04; P < 0·001) and recurrence-free (HR 2·93, 1·81 to 4·75; P < 0·001) survival. These findings were validated in an independent cohort (151 patients) and in 54 tissue samples obtained by preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration. CONCLUSION: PDAC has a unique immunosuppressive phenotype that is associated with characteristic gene mutations, disease recurrence and survival after pancreatectomy. Surgical relevance The immune microenvironment plays a critical role in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PDAC is associated with mutations in major driver genes, including KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A/p16 and SMAD4/DPC4. This study shows that the microenvironment of PDAC has a unique immunosuppressive phenotype, which may be driven by oncogene mutations. Patients with PDAC with a highly immunosuppressive profile tended to have poor postoperative survival. A model including three intratumoral infiltrating immune markers (CD15+, CD206+ and CD117+) and a SMAD4 mutation can be used to predict recurrence and survival in patients after surgery for PDAC.

Deficits in executive functions among youths with autism spectrum disorders: an age-stratified analysis.

BACKGROUND: Impaired executive function (EF) is suggested to be one of the core features in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little is known about whether the extent of worse EF in ASD than typically developing (TD) controls is age-dependent. We used age-stratified analysis to reveal this issue. METHOD: We assessed 111 youths with ASD (aged 12.5 ± 2.8 years, male 94.6%) and 114 age-, and sex-matched TD controls with Digit Span and four EF tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Spatial Span (SSP), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), and Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift Test (I/ED). RESULTS: Compared to TD controls, youths with ASD performed poorer on the Digit Span, SWM, SOC, and I/ED tasks. The performance of all the tasks improved with age for both groups. Age-stratified analyses were conducted due to significant age × group interactions in visuospatial planning (SOC) and set-shifting (I/ED) and showed that poorer performance on these two tasks in ASD than TD controls was found only in the child (aged 8-12 years) rather than the adolescent (aged 13-18 years) group. By contrast, youths with ASD had impaired working memory, regardless of age. The increased magnitude of group difference in visuospatial planning (SOC) with increased task demands differed between the two age groups but no age moderating effect on spatial working memory. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support deficits in visuospatial working memory and planning in youths with ASD; however, worse performance in set-shifting may only be demonstrated in children with ASD.

Axillary lymph node dissection versus sentinel lymph node biopsy alone for early breast cancer with sentinel node metastasis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In early breast cancer patients with sentinel node metastasis, the effect of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare the safety and efficacy of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone versus ALND in patients with early breast cancer and sentinel node metastasis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from 1965 to February 2014. All data were analyzed using Review Manager Software 5.2. RESULTS: 12 studies, which included 130,575 patients from five randomized controlled trials and seven observational studies, met our inclusion criteria. 26,870 early breast cancer patients underwent SLNB alone and 103,705 underwent ALND. Patients underwent ALND had more paresthesia (risk ratio [RR] 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20-0.33; p < 0.01) and lymphedema (RR 0.28, 95% CI 0.20-0.41; p < 0.01) than those had SLNB alone. There were no significant differences in overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] 0.95, 95% CI 0.85-1.06; p = 0.35), disease-free survival (HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.98-1.02, p = 0.96), and locoregional recurrence (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.59-1.44; p = 0.73). CONCLUSION: Current evidence indicates that axillary dissection may be omitted in early breast cancer patients with sentinel lymph metastasis.

Androgen deprivation increases the risk of fracture in prostate cancer patients: a population-based study in Chinese patients.

UNLABELLED: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or orchiectomy is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis or fracture. In this nationwide database analysis, we found that ADT or orchiectomy increased the risk of fracture in Chinese patients with prostate cancer. However, the magnitude of increase is seemingly not as large as that in Western populations. INTRODUCTION: ADT using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists or orchiectomy is associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis or fracture. To investigate the effects of ADT duration or orchiectomy on any type of fracture in Asian patients with prostate cancer, we conducted this retrospective analysis using a nationwide database in Taiwan. METHODS: We included 17,359 subjects who were newly diagnosed with prostate cancer between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2007. The risk of first fracture was our primary endpoint. RESULTS: The rates of fracture from 12 months after prostate cancer diagnosis until the last follow-up date were 8.7 % for all patients, 7.1 % for patients who did not receive ADT or orchiectomy, 9.8 % for patients who received ADT, and 14.4 % for patients who received orchiectomy with or without ADT (P < 0.0001). In a Cox proportional hazard analysis, the relative risk of fracture increased steadily with the number of doses of GnRH agonists received during the first year after cancer diagnosis and with dose density. A significant hazard ratio was observed in patients who received at least nine doses within 1 year after diagnosis and in those whose dose density exceeded two doses per year. Age greater than or equal to 65 years was associated with a significantly lower risk of fracture. CONCLUSION: ADT or orchiectomy increases the risk of fracture in Chinese patients with prostate cancer. However, the magnitude of this increase is seemingly not as large as that in Western populations.

Non-enzymatic glucose sensing by enhanced Raman spectroscopy on flexible 'as-grown' CVD graphene.

Unmodified, as-grown few layered graphene on copper substrates have been used for glucose sensing using Raman spectroscopy. Graphene with a stronger 2D band is a better Raman enhancer with significant fluorescence suppression and finer line widths of the Raman signals. The origin of the graphene enhanced Raman spectroscopy (GERS) signal of glucose is attributed to a fractional charge transfer (calculated to be 0.006 using electrochemical parameters) between glucose and graphene aided by a possible π-π interaction. Physiological concentrations of glucose (10-500 mg dl(-1)) in PBS have been used for the study. For each glucose concentration, the spectral reproducibility is within 5-25% as calculated by the relative standard deviation of several measurements. The intensity ratio of the 1122 cm(-1) peak of glucose and the 2D peak of graphene varied linearly with the glucose concentration and can be used as a calibration curve for unknown sample measurements.

Antitumor effects of oncolytic adenovirus armed with PSA-IZ-CD40L fusion gene against prostate cancer.

Advanced prostate cancer (PC) still remains incurable. Novel immunogene therapy shows promise as treatment strategy that can target both localized and metastasized PC. In this study, we have developed a PC-specific oncolytic adenovirus (Ad-PL-PPT-E1A) armed with fusion gene of prostate-specific antigen and CD40 ligand, and aimed to evaluate its therapeutic effect in vitro and in vivo. After they were rescued in human embryonic kidney 293 cells, we confirmed that Ad-PL-PPT-E1A could mediate the expression of E1A efficiently and produce abundant progeny viruses in PC cells in vitro. Our data showed that Ad-PL-PPT-E1A induced apoptosis and resulted in specific oncolytic toxicity in PC cells, which was detected by Annexin-V staining and crystal violet, respectively. After stimulation with lysates, immune phenotypes and cytokines expression of human dendritic cells was detected by flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. And, the results showed that the lysate of Ad-PL-PPT-E1A-infected LNCaP cells upregulated the expression of CD80, CD83, CD86 and mRNA level of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-12, IL-23 and tumor necrosis factor-α significantly. In established PC3M cell-xenografted mouse models, Ad-PL-PPT-E1A treatment improved the survival and suppressed the tumor growth obviously. In conclusion, Ad-PL-PPT-E1A exhibited enhanced antitumor activity is a promising approach for gene therapy of advanced PC.

Cavin-1 is essential for the tumor-promoting effect of caveolin-1 and enhances its prognostic potency in pancreatic cancer.

Caveolin-1 exhibits a stage-dependent, functional fluctuation during pancreatic cancer development, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report that cavin-1, a structural protein of caveolae, modulates the oncogenic function of caveolin-1 and cooperates with caveolin-1 to enhance pancreatic cancer aggressiveness. Cavin-1 expression is associated with caveolin-1 in pancreatic cancer tissue samples and cell lines, and predicts the metastatic potential of pancreatic cancer. Interactome analyses further revealed the physical interaction of cavin-1 and caveolin-1 and their colocalization in pancreatic cancer cells. Cavin-1 stabilizes caveolin-1 expression or activity by inhibiting its internalization and subsequent lysosomal degradation. More in-depth functional experiments showed that caveolin-1-enhanced aggressiveness of pancreatic cancer cells is dependent on the presence of cavin-1. In contrast, cavin-1 depletion inhibited the invasion and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells, which could not be restored by caveolin-1-rescue construct. Tissue microarray analyses in two independent clinic cohorts also supported the augment of cavin-1 on the prognostic potency of caveolin-1, and showed that combination of cavin-1 with caveolin-1 predicted worse survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Of note, the phenotypes because of cavin-1 could not be achieved by other cavins such as cavin-2, and the tumor-promoting role of cavin-1 in pancreatic cancer was found to be largely dependent on caveolin-1 expression, which highlights the critical role of cavin-1/caveoin-1 in pancreatic cancer progression, and suggests that the interruption of cavin-1/caveolin-1 interaction is a promising therapeutic strategy for pancreatic cancer.

Neural stem cells harvested from live brains by antibody-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles.

It stems from the magnetism: The extraction of stem/progenitor cells from the brain of live animals is possible using antibodies conjugated to magnetic nanoparticles (Ab-MNPs). The Ab-MNPs are introduced to a rat's brain with a superfine micro-syringe. The stem cells attach to the Ab-MNPs and are magnetically isolated and removed. They can develop into neurospheres and differentiate into different types of cells outside the subject body. The rat remains alive and healthy.

Long-term survival after hand-assisted laparoscopic approach of primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in male: case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Primary retroperitoneal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (PRMC) is a rare disease and mostly occurs in females, and there are only three male cases described in the literatures without long-term follow-up. CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old male presented with a left retroperitoneal cystic mass (7.5 ´ 7 ´ 3 cm) that upwardly displaced the left kidney and caused abdominal discomfort. The tumor was totally excised by the hand-assisted laparoscopic method without complications or recurrence in a follow-up period of 79 months. The etiology from coelomic metaplasia of peritoneal epithelium was proved by a spectrum of diverse cells (benign, borderline malignant, and malignant cells) during pathological examination. RESULTS: This is the fourth male case of PRMC in the world with a favorable outcome after hand-assisted laparoscopic excision, and this is also distinct by the longest follow-up period in this disease entity. CONCLUSIONS: Because of its low-malignant potential and recurrence rate, surgical excision is still the best choice of treatment, but the least invasion method should be adopted in front.