Research on application value of combined detection of serum CA125, HE4 and TK1 in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of joint examination of cancer antigen 125 (CA125), thymidine kinase-1 (TK1) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) in the serum of patients with ovarian cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 75 ovarian cancer specimens (ovarian cancer group), 40 benign ovarian specimens (benign group) and 35 ovarian specimens of healthy women (normal control group) were collected. The serum levels of HE4, CA125 and TK1 and the positive detection rates in the three groups were compared. Meanwhile, the sensitivity and specificity of the three tumor markers in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer in the three groups were compared. RESULTS: The levels of HE4, CA125 and TK1 in the ovarian cancer group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05), and those in the ovarian cancer group were significantly higher than those in the benign group (p<0.05). The positive rates of CA125 as well as TK1 in the ovarian cancer group and the benign group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05), and those in the ovarian cancer group were significantly higher than those in the benign group (p<0.05). In the detection of an individual tumor marker, the sensitivity of CA125 was the highest, followed by HE4. The specificity of HE4 was the highest, followed by TK1. For the combination of two tumor markers, the sensitivity of CA125+HE4 ranked the first (92.18%), and the specificity of TK1+HE4 ranked the first (88.37%). The sensitivity and specificity of the joint detection of CA125+HE4+TK1 were 94.18% and 79.53%, respectively. The sensitivity of the joint detection of CA125+HE4+TK1 was significantly higher than that of the detection of a single tumor marker and that of joint detection of two tumor markers (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Combined detection of CA125, HE4 and TK1 can significantly improve the sensitivity in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Incidence and factors associated with nosocomial infections in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of an urban children's hospital in China.

OBJECTIVE: The study's aim was to assess incidence and epidemiologic profile of nosocomial infection (NI) in a NICU of China, and to identify main risk factors of NIs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chi square test for discrete variables and independent t-test for continuous variables to examine the association with NI. Univariate regression model was applied to the variables to predict the NI status. Finally the multivariate model was utilized with stepwise methods included all variables in the univariate model to extrapolate the independent variables to NI. RESULTS: Infection rate in NICU during the study period was 6.2 episodes per 100 patients. Infection density was 4.2 episodes per 1,000 patient-days. Infection rate of ventilation-related pneumonia was 3.4 episodes per 1,000 mechanical ventilation (MV) days. Central line-associated bloodstream infection rate was 5.4 episodes per 1,000 central line days. Gestational age < 32 weeks, with congenital malformation, twins or triplets, gastric tube feeding, operation, duration of prophylaxis antibiotic use, duration of probiotic use, duration of parenteral nutrition were the risk factors associated with NI in NICU. We discussed the association between intrinsic factors of infants and health care procedures with NI. CONCLUSION: This study provided information for prevention strategies of NI, that will ultimately improve the healthcare service level.

Six different mutations of TGFBI (betaig-h3, keratoepithelin) gene found in Japanese corneal dystrophies.

PURPOSE: To investigate mutations of the human transforming growth factor beta-induced gene (TGFBI), transforming growth factor-beta-induced gene product (betaig-h3, keratoepithelin), in Japanese patients with Avellino corneal dystrophy (ACD), lattice corneal dystrophy (LCD), granular corneal dystrophy (GCD), and Reis-Bücklers corneal dystrophy (RBCD). METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 75 patients and 7 unaffected relatives from 60 families with ACD, 34 patients and 8 unaffected relatives from 21 families with LCD, 4 patients and 4 unaffected relatives from 4 families with GCD, and 4 patients and an unaffected relative from 3 families with RBCD. Fifty normal volunteers served as controls. Exons 4, 11, and 12 of the TGFBI gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and were directly sequenced. RESULTS: Six different heterozygous missense mutations were detected in codons R124, L518, L527, and R555 of the TGFBI gene in the 117 patients from 88 families. A R124H mutation was detected in the patients with ACD. A R124C mutation was detected in the patients with LCD type 1 (LCD1), L518P was in atypical LCDI, and L527R in LCD with opacities deep in stroma. A R555W mutation was detected in the patients with GCD. A R555Q mutation was detected in the patients with RBCD. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that codons R124 and R555 of the TGFBI gene are also hot spots in Japanese patients with ACD, LCD, GCD, and RBCD. Many Japanese patients with CD had ACD with R124H mutation. GCD with R555W mutation was rare.