The correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and iron deficiency anemia in women.

OBJECTIVE: In recent years, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) has been increasingly associated with extra-digestive manifestations, including scleroderma, rheumatism, and blood system diseases. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a common chronic disease worldwide, with an insidious onset, but as the disease progresses, it will eventually seriously affect the quality of life of patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between H. pylori infection, iron deficiency (ID), and IDA, and to identify potential serological markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 998 individuals who had regular physical examinations at Beijing Shijitan Hospital from January 2021 to March 2022. We detected H. pylori infection by the 13C breath test, and recorded the patient's serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation, blood count, etc. We assessed the association between IDA and H. pylori infection and related serum markers using logistic regression and multiple linear regression. Afterward, we analyzed the correlation between sex and potential serum biomarkers. RESULTS: Among all study participants, 57.5% of patients had H. pylori and 42.5% did not have H. pylori. ID and IDA were significantly associated with H. pylori infection in women (p=0.031). This association persisted after further adjustment for sex, metabolic variables, liver function, and kidney function. Fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, and uric acid may be associated with IDA. CONCLUSIONS: In women, H. pylori infection is associated with ID and IDA. The relationship between H. pylori and IDA may be mediated by glycometabolism, lipid metabolism, and uric acid metabolism.

Socioeconomic Status and Risks of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 39 Prospective Studies.

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, increased attention has been paid to the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on cognition function and dementia, however, an ongoing debate continues to exist. The objective of our study was to explore the potential effect of SES on the risks of cognitive dysfunction and dementia. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE were searched for prospective studies from inception to 9 January 2022. Meta-analyses using random-effect models were performed, and then subgroup analyses stratified by study characteristics for specific outcomes were conducted. RESULTS: Thirty-nine prospective studies (1,485,702 individuals) were eligible for inclusion, of which 25 reported the incidence of dementia and 14 reported cognitive decline. Primary results of the meta-analyses found an elevated combined risk of cognitive impairment and dementia (relative risk [RR] = 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-1.49) in low-SES participants compared with high-SES participants. We also found an elevated risk of all-cause dementia (RR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.12-1.74) in low-SES participants. Further subgroup analyses stratified by education, occupation, and income showed that low education subgroup (RR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.04-1.41) and low-income subgroup (RR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.10-1.35) had an increased combined risks of cognitive impairment and dementia, but only individuals with lower education had a higher risk of dementia (RR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.20-2.32). CONCLUSIONS: Low SES substantially increased the risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction, suggesting that public health strategies could reduce the dementia burden by reducing social inequalities.

Probing Operator Spreading via Floquet Engineering in a Superconducting Circuit.

Operator spreading, often characterized by out-of-time-order correlators (OTOCs), is one of the central concepts in quantum many-body physics. However, measuring OTOCs is experimentally challenging due to the requirement of reversing the time evolution of systems. Here we apply Floquet engineering to investigate operator spreading in a superconducting 10-qubit chain. Floquet engineering provides an effective way to tune the coupling strength between nearby qubits, which is used to demonstrate quantum walks with tunable couplings, reversed time evolution, and the measurement of OTOCs. A clear light-cone-like operator propagation is observed in the system with multiple excitations, and has a nearly equal velocity as the single-particle quantum walk. For the butterfly operator that is nonlocal (local) under the Jordan-Wigner transformation, the OTOCs show distinct behaviors with (without) a signature of information scrambling in the near integrable system.

[Progressive massive fibrosis in pneumoconiosis is mimicking lung malignancy on (18)F-FDGPET-CT: two cases report].

Occupational pneumoconiosis is one of the main occupational diseases in China. Progressive massive fibrosis in pneumoconiosis should be distinguished from lung cancer for their similar imaging features which is often identified by (18)F-FDG PET-CT in clinic. Here we reported two cases of pneumoconiosis. Both of them were suspected of carrying malignant tumors by preoperative PET-CT exam, however, nodules in these two patients were all proved to be benign by intraoperative pathology which suggested that there is false-positive possibility in the distinguishment of pneumoconiosis nodules by (18)F-FDG PET-CT.

Tau Pathologies Mediate the Associations of Vascular Risk Burden with Cognitive Impairments in Non-demented Elders: The CABLE Study.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggested that vascular dysfunction might increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms still remain obscure. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the associations of vascular risk burden with AD core pathologies and investigate the effects of AD core pathologies on relationships between vascular risk burden and cognitive impairments. DESIGN: The Chinese Alzheimer's Biomarker and LifestyLE (CABLE) study was principally focusing on aging, as well as the risk factors and biomarkers of AD initiated in 2017. SETTING: The CABLE study was a large cohort study established in Qingdao, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 618 non-demented elders were obtained from CABLE study. MEASUREMENTS: The general vascular risk burden was assessed by the Framingham General Cardiovascular Risk Score (FGCRS). Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of FGCRS with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers and cognition. Casual mediation analyses were performed to investigate the mediating effects of AD biomarkers on cognition. RESULTS: Increased FGCRS was related to higher levels of CSF total tau (t-tau, p < 0.001), phosphorylated tau (p-tau, p < 0.001) as well as the ratio of t-tau and amyloid-ß 42 (t-tau/Aß42, p = 0.010), and lower Chinese-Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (CM-MMSE, p = 0.010) score. Stratified analysis indicated that age modified the associations, with FGCRS being significantly associated with tau pathology (p < 0.001 for t-tau and p-tau) in middle-aged group (<65 years old), instead of older group. The influences of FGCRS on cognitive impairments were partially mediated by tau pathologies (a maximum proportion of 20.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Tau pathology might be a pivotal mediator for effects of vascular risk on cognitive decline. Early and comprehensive intervention for vascular risk factors might be a potential approach to delaying or preventing cognitive impairment and AD.

Association of Subjective Cognitive Decline with Risk of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Longitudinal Studies.

BACKGROUND: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) as an early pathological manifestation of brain aging has become more prevalent among older adults. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the associations of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) with the combined risk of cognitive impairment and dementia. DESIGN: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis via searching Embase, PubMed and Cochrane electronic databases from January 1 st 1970 to June 4th, 2020. SETTING: Prospective cohort studies Participants: Healthy individuals were recruited from community, clinics and population. MEASUREMENTS: Healthy individuals with SCD were classified into exposure groups, while those without were considered as the reference group. Adjusted relative risks (RR) were estimated in a random-effects model. Both primary and subgroup analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Of 28,895 identified studies, 21 studies containing 22 cohorts were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. SCD increased the risk of subsequent cognitive disorders (RR=2.12, 95% confidence intervals [CI] =1.75-2.58, I2=87%, P<0.01). To be specific, SCD conferred a 2.29-fold excess risk for cognitive impairment (RR=2.29, 95% CI=1.66-3.17, I2=83%, P<0.01) and a 2.16-fold excess risk for dementia (RR=2.16, 95% CI=1.63-2.86, I2=81%, P<0.01). In subgroup analyses, participants with SCD in the subgroup of 65-75 years old, long-education (>15 years) subgroup and subgroup of clinics showed a higher risk of developing objective cognitive disorders. CONCLUSIONS: SCD is associated with an increased combined risk of cognitive impairment and incident dementia and should be considered a risk factor for objective cognitive disorders.

The Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease Modifiable Risk Factors and Prevention.

Mild Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia, accounting for 50-70% of cases. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease, which affects daily life activities and social functioning. As life expectancy increases and demographic ageing occurs, the global prevalence of Alzheimer's disease is expected to continue to rise especially in developing countries, leading to a costly burden of disease. Alzheimer's disease is a complex and multifactorial disorder that is determined by the interaction of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors across the life course. Epidemiological studies have identified potential modifiable risk and protective factors for Alzheimer's disease prevention. Moreover, Alzheimer's disease is considered to start decades earlier before clinical symptoms occur, thus interventions targeting several risk factors in non-demented elderly people even middle-aged population might prevent or delay Alzheimer's disease onset. Here, we provide an overview of current epidemiological advances related to Alzheimer's disease modifiable risk factors, highlighting the concept of early prevention.

[Clinical effect of pre-expanded deltopectoral flap in the repair of faciocervical lesion and defect].

Objective: To explore the clinical effect of pre-expanded deltopectoral flap in the repair of faciocervical lesion and defect. Methods: From July 2004 to August 2018, 355 patients with faciocervical lesion and defect were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University, including 200 males and 155 females aged 4 to 48 years with major conditions including thermal burn scars, and type Ⅲ and Ⅳ facial-cervical deformities. During the stage Ⅰ skin soft tissue expander implantation surgery, according to the size and location of lesion and defect, expanders with appropriate volume were placed to expand the deltopectoral area. During the stage Ⅱ flap pedicled transposition surgery, after the expander was expanded to the desired volume, the impairment tissue was removed, the flap was designed according to the size of the defect (the unilateral defect area was 7 cm×5 cm to 17 cm×16 cm) and pedicled transposition was carried out. The incision in the chest donor area was directly sutured and closed. After the flap survived, stage Ⅲ flap delay and pedicle division surgery was carried out. The area of one single flap was 8 cm×5 cm to 20 cm×18 cm. The numbers of flaps and expanders, rated volume and expansion of expander, the intervals between surgeries in each stage, flap survival, postoperative complications in surgeries in each stage, and follow-up were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 460 pre-expanded deltopectoral flaps were used, including 250 unilateral flaps and 105 bilateral flaps. Totally 460 expanders were used in this group of patients. The rated volume was mostly 500 mL (163 expanders) and 600 mL (142 expanders). The expansion multiple of the expander was (1.14±0.19) times of the rated volume. The flap expansion time of the patients was (96±30) d, the pedicle time was (32±8) d, and the delay time was (7.5±1.6) d. The postoperative complications of patients mainly included infection (29 patients), expander exposure (18 patients), and hematoma (10 patients). During the follow-up of 6 to 120 months, the elasticity, texture, and color of the flaps of patients were similar to the surrounding tissue of the recipient area, and the face and neck were symmetrical, not bloated. Conclusions: The deltopectoral flap obtained by overexpansion has a larger area and a thinner thickness, and the elasticity, texture, and color are similar to the surrounding tissue of the recipient area. After transfer, a stable appearance of the face and neck can be obtained. The main complications are infection and expander exposure, most of which occurred after stage Ⅰ skin soft tissue expander implantation surgery.

[Clinical effects of expanded forehead flaps in repairing midfacial defects].

Objective: To explore the clinical effects of expanded forehead flaps in repairing midfacial defects. Methods: From January 2003 to December 2018, 19 patients with midfacial defects were admitted to our unit, including 8 males and 11 females, aged 7 to 52 years. One cylindrical expander with rated capacity ranged from 100 to 170 mL was placed in the forehead of patients in the first stage of expansion, and the total water injection volume was about 2 times of the rated capacity of the expander during 1 to 2 months. The area of midfacial defects was 4 cm×2 cm to 9 cm×5 cm after resection in the second stage surgery. Expanded forehead flaps with vascular pedicle of supratrochlear vessels or frontal branch of superficial temporal vessels were used to repair the midfacial defects, with flap size ranging from 5 cm×2 cm to 16 cm×6 cm. The donor sites were closed by direct suturing. Three weeks later, the pedicle was divided. The complications, blood supply after flap transfer and pedicle division, and the treatment effects during follow-up were observed. Results: Among the patients, flaps of 11 patients had vascular pedicle of supratrochlear vessels; flaps of 8 patients had vascular pedicle of frontal branch of superficial temporal vessels. All the flaps survived with no complications and good blood supply after flap transfer and pedicle division. During the follow-up of 6 to 12 months after the third stage surgery of pedicle division of 12 patients, no lower eyelid ectropion occurred, the appearance of the flaps was similar to the surrounding tissue with no swelling. Conclusions: The application of expanded forehead flaps can not only repair the defects but also effectively avoid the complication of lower eyelid ectropion, which is a promising method in repairing midfacial defects.

Randomized open-label trial comparing topical prescription triamcinolone to over-the-counter hydrocortisone for the treatment of phimosis.

BACKGROUND: Phimosis is a common condition affecting most infant boys and generally resolves over time without symptoms. Severe cases of phimosis can lead to balanoposthitis, urinary tract infections, and urinary retention. Medical treatment for symptomatic phimosis includes topical corticosteroids with manual foreskin retraction. OBJECTIVE: Over-the-counter hydrocortisone 1% cream was compared in a randomized controlled fashion with prescription triamcinolone 0.1% cream for the medical management of symptomatic phimosis. METHODS: The study institution conducted a randomized open-label trial for the treatment of grades 4-5 phimosis (phimosis grade scale 0-5). Boys aged 3-13 years were randomized to hydrocortisone 1% cream or triamcinolone 0.1% cream dosed at least twice daily for a course of 12 weeks. Instructions were provided for appropriate application and manual retraction of the foreskin. Evaluations were performed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Successful completion of the study was determined by reaching phimosis grade 2 or less or after completing 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 52 boys enrolled in the trial, with a total of 32 boys completing the 12-week duration. Of the 13 boys in the hydrocortisone arm, there was a 30.8% success rate at 4 weeks, 53.8% success rate at 8 weeks, and 61.5% success rate at 12 weeks. Of the 19 boys in the triamcinolone arm, there was a 31.6% success rate at 4 weeks, 52.6% success rate at 8 weeks, and 68.4% success rate at 12 weeks. There was no statistical difference between the two arms at each interval. DISCUSSION: To the study authors' knowledge, this is the first open-label trial with direct comparison of hydrocortisone 1% cream with triamcinolone 0.1% cream. The study results support those reported in other studies when each topical steroid was compared with placebo. Limitations of the study include loss to follow-up, unblinded treatment allocation, and reduced power to detect differences by treatment frequency and duration. CONCLUSION: Over-the-counter hydrocortisone 1% cream is not inferior to triamcinolone 0.1% cream when paired with manual retraction for the treatment of grade 4-5 phimosis. Successful treatment response may be seen up to 12 weeks.

[Giant angioleiomyoma of the neck: a rare tumor case and literature review].

Summary The patient was admitted of the chief complain "progressive snoring for two years, gradual enlargement of the neck neoplasm for six months". Specific examination indicated that bilateral cervical-mandibular margin to cervical root diffuse apophysis, most notably in the right thyroid plane.Posterior pharyngeal wall underwent an apophysis while no related vein engorgement was noticed. Ultrasound examination indicated that multiple hypoechoic nodules with calcification from posterior thyroid to submandibular. MRI examination indicated bilateral posterior pharyngeal plexus malformation. The patient was first treated with angiography and embolization in the department of interventional and followed by "cervical mass resection" in the department of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery. The tumor size was 11 cm×8 cm×3 cm. Histology of the tumor was angioleiomyoma with immunohistochemical results Desmin（+），SMA（+），CD31（-），CD34（+），Ki67（+，1%），Vimentin（+），D-240（-），p53（-）.

Clinical significance of fascin-1 and laminin-5 in non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Fascin-1 and laminin-5 were associated with the invasiveness and prognoses of several cancers. The expression and the serum levels of fascin-1 and laminin-5 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were analyzed in this study. The expression of fascin-1 and laminin-5 were examined in 378 patients and their serum level was measured in 154 patients. The health of all patients was followed post-surgery. The expression of fascin-1 (P = 0.000) and lanminin-5 (P = 0.001) and the serum levels of fascin-1 (P = 0.015) and laminin-5 (P = 0.046) were related to the relapse of patients with NSCLC. Both serum levels and expression of fascin-1 and laminin-5 can be used to effectively evaluate the prognoses of patients with NSCLC.

[A comparison of leak compensation in six acute care ventilators during non-invasive ventilation].

Objective: To compare the ability of leak compensation in 6 medical ventilators during non-invasive ventilation. Methods: Six medical ventilators were selected, including 3 non-invasive ventilators (V60, Flexo and Stellar150), and 3 invasive ventilators(Avea, Servo I and BellaVist). Using a lung simulator, the ability of leak compensation was evaluated during triggering and cycling in 2 respiratory mechanics conditions (high airway resistance condition and high elastance resistance condition), and each condition was performed under 2 PEEP levels (4, and 8 cmH(2)O, 1 mmHg=0.098 kPa) at 4 air leak level conditions (L0: 2-3 L/min, L1: 8-10 L/min, L2: 22-27 L/min, L3: 35-40 L/min). Results: In the high elastance resistance condition (L2, L3)with different leak levels, the number of auto-triggering and miss-triggering of the non-invasive ventilator Flexo was significantly less than those of the others (L2: 1, 1; L3: 1.67, 1.33, P<0.01), and had better synchronization (L2: 2.33, 2.33; L3: 3.33, 3.33, P<0.01). In the high airway resistance condition with PEEP 4 cmH(2)O, V60 had less number of auto-triggering than other ventilators (P<0.01), while in the high airway resistance condition with PEEP 8 cmH(2)O, Stellar150 had less number of miss-triggering than other ventilators (1, 0.67, 0, P<0.01). Flexo had a shorter trigger delay time than other ventilators in both high airway resistance and high elastance resistance conditions with L0 and L1 leak levels and PEEP levels [ARDS, PEEP=4: (109.8±1.8) ms, (112.0±0.6) ms; ARDS, PEEP=8: (103.1±0.7) ms, (109.7±0.7) ms; COPD, PEEP=4: (207.3±1.1) ms, (220.8±1.1) ms; COPD, PEEP=8: (195.6±6.7) ms, (200.0±1.2) ms , P<0.01]. Stellar150 had the shortest trigger delay time in high airway resistance condition with PEEP 4 cmH(2)O and high leak level L3[(262.8±0.8) ms , P<0.01]. V60 had a good performance on trigger delay time in high elastance resistance condition with PEEP 4 and 8 cmH(2)O, and also was most stable in increasing leak levels. Conclusion: In high airway resistance and high elastance resistance conditions with different PEEP levels and leak levels, V60, Stellar150, Flexo and BellaVista ventilators could be synchronized, among which V60, Stellar150 and Flexo presented a good performance features in specific conditions.

Lack of association between the hOGG1 gene Ser326Cys polymorphism and gastric cancer risk: evidence from a case-control study and a meta-analysis.

The association between the human 8-oxoguanine glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene Ser326Cys polymorphism (rs1052133) and gastric cancer has been widely evaluated, yet a definitive answer to whether this association exists is lacking. We first conducted a case-control study to assess this association in a large Han Chinese population, and then performed a meta-analysis to further address this issue. This case-control study involved 448 patients clinically diagnosed with gastric cancer and 372 cancer-free control individuals from China. Genotyping was conducted using the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. Meta-analysis was performed by the STATA software. Data and study quality were assessed in duplicate. Our case-control association study indicated that there were no significant differences in the genotype and allele distributions of the Ser326Cys polymorphism between gastric cancer patients and controls (P = 0.8026 for genotype, and P = 0.5857 for allele), consistent with the results of the subsequent meta-analysis involving 2745 patients and 4588 controls under both allelic [odds ratio (OR) = 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.91-1.14; P = 0.739] and dominant (OR = 0.97; 95%CI = 0.78-1.21; P = 0.803) models. Further subgroup analyses by ethnicity, source of controls, and sample size also did not detect any positive associations in this meta-analysis. Overall, our study in the Han Chinese population, along with the meta-analysis, failed to confirm the association of the hOGG1 gene Ser326Cys polymorphism with gastric cancer risk, even across different ethnic populations.

Dexamethasone alone vs in combination with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation or tropisetron for prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting in gynaecological patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is commonly reported after surgery and anaesthesia. We compared the effects of combinations of electrical acupoint stimulation or tropisetron with dexamethasone with the effects of dexamethasone alone, for inhibition of PONV in gynaecological patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery. METHODS: We randomized 157 patients undergoing elective gynaecological laparoscopic surgery under general anaesthesia into the following three groups: acupoint stimulation+dexamethasone (Group Acu, n=53), tropisetron+dexamethasone (Group Trp, n=53), and dexamethasone alone (Group Dxm, n=51). The incidence of nausea, vomiting, and need for rescue antiemetics was recorded 2, 6, 24, and 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: We found significant differences in the incidence of PONV during 24 h after surgery between the combination therapy groups and the dexamethasone-alone group (P=0.021). In the first 24 h, 28% of patients in Group Acu, 26% of patients in Group Trp, and 50% of patients in Group Dxm experienced nausea, vomiting, or both. The incidence of 24 h PONV in Group Acu was significantly lower than that in Group Dxm (P=0.048; odds ratio 0.389; 95% CI 0.170-0.891). The incidence of 24 h PONV in Group Trp was also significantly lower than that in Group Dxm (P=0.042; odds ratio 0.359; 95% CI 0.157-0.819). There was no significant difference between Group Acu and Group Trp (P=0.857). The need for antiemetic rescue medication was similar in the three groups. All groups expressed similar patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Combined with dexamethasone, electrical acupoint stimulation or tropisetron is more effective in PONV prophylaxis than dexamethasone alone in gynaecological patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT 02096835.

A thin-layer chromatography-bioautographic method for detecting dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors in plants.

A thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-bioautographic method was developed with the aim to detect dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) inhibitors from plant extracts. The basic principle of the method is that the enzyme (DPP IV) hydrolyzes substrate (Gly-Pro-p-nitroaniline) into p-nitroaniline (pNA), which diazotizes with sodium nitrite, and then reacts with N-(1-naphthyl) ethylenediamine dihydrochloride in turn to form a rose-red azo dye which provides a rose-red background on the TLC plates. The DPP IV inhibitors showed white spots on the background as they blocked enzymolysis of the substrate to produce pNA. The method was validated with respect to selectivity, sensitivity, linearity, precision, recovery, and stability after optimizing key parameters including plate type, time and temperature of incubation, concentration of substrate, enzyme and derivatization reagents, and absorption wavelength. The results showed good lineary within amounts over 0.01-0.1µg range for the positive control, diprotin A, with the coefficient of determination (r(2))=0.9668. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 5 and 10ng, respectively. The recoveries ranged from 98.9% to 107.5%. The averages of the intra- and inter-plate reproducibility were in the range of 4.1-9.7% and 7.6-14.7%, respectively. Among the nine methanolic extracts of medicinal herbs screened for DPP IV inhibitors by the newly developed method, Peganum nigellastrum Bunge was found to have one white active spot, which was then isolated and identified as harmine. By spectrophotometric method, harmine hydrochloride was found to have DPP-IV inhibitory activity of 32.4% at 10mM comparing to that of 54.8% at 50µM for diprotin A.

Propofol suppresses proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells by upregulating microRNA-133a expression.

Propofol is a commonly used intravenous anesthetic. We evaluated its effects on the behavior of human pancreatic cancer cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. The effects of propofol on Panc-1 cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, caspase-3 activity measurement, and Matrigel invasion assay. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to assess microRNA-133a (miR-133a) expression. Anti-miR-133a was transfected into Panc-1 cells to assess the role of miR-133a in propofol-induced antitumor activity. Propofol significantly inhibited Panc-1 cell proliferation and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Propofol also efficiently elevated miR-133a expression. Moreover, transfection of anti-miR-133a reversed the effects of propofol on the biological behavior of Panc-1 cells. Propofol can effectively inhibit proliferation and invasion, and induce apoptosis of pancreatic cancer cells, at least partly through the upregulation of miR-133a expression.

Propofol suppresses proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells via downregulation of microRNA-221 expression.

Propofol is one of the extensively and commonly used intravenous anesthetic agents. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of propofol on the behavior of human gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms of this activity. The effects of propofol on SGC7901 and AGS cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were detected by MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis, and matrigel invasion assay. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess microRNA (miR)-221 expression. miR-221 mimics were transfected into SGC7901 and AGS cells to assess the role of miR- 221 in propofol-induced anti-tumor activity. Propofol significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and promoted apoptosis of SGC7901 and AGS cells. Propofol also efficiently reduced miR-221 expression. Moreover, transfection of miR-221 mimics reversed the effects of propofol on the biological behavior of gastric cancer cells. Propofol can effectively inhibit proliferation and invasion and induce apoptosis of gastric cancer cells through, at least partly, downregulation of miR-221 expression.

Relationship between genetic polymorphisms in MCP-1, CCR-2, and non-small-cell lung cancer in the Han nationality of Northern China.

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor worldwide and is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and its receptor chemokine receptor 2 (CCR-2) are important chemokines. We examined the polymorphisms of 338 unrelated patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and 200 unrelated healthy controls of Han nationality in Northern China using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. We found a significant increase in the frequency of the MCP-1 AA genotype [0.293 vs 0.195, odds ratio (OR) = 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.13-2.60] and a significant decrease in the frequency of the GG genotype (0.290 vs 0.41, OR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.47-0.87) in NSCLC patients compared to controls. The frequencies of AA-ww (0.151 vs 0.090, P = 0.041, OR = 1.80, 95%CI = 1.33-2.43) and AA-wm (0.136 vs 0.080, P = 0.049, OR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.01-3.27) were higher in lung cancer patients than in healthy controls; the frequency of GG-wm (0.121 vs 0.190, P = 0.030, OR = 0.60, 95%CI = 0.38-0.95) was lower in lung cancer patients than in healthy controls. Based on these results, the polymorphism in MCP-1 may be correlated with the development of NSCLC in the Han nationality of Northern China. However, the polymorphism in CCR-2 is not involved in NSCLC.

Association between RAGE gene polymorphisms and ulcerative colitis susceptibility: a case-control study in a Chinese Han population.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-related disease with genetic predisposition. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of three polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) gene with UC risk in a Chinese population. This case-control study involved 72 UC patients and 479 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. Genotyping was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method. Data were analyzed using the Haplo.stats program. There were no significant differences between patients and controls in the allele/genotype distributions of rs1800624 (P(allele)= 0.11; Pgenotype = 0.20), rs1800625 (P(allele) = 0.16; Pgenotype = 0.11), or rs2070600 (P(allele) = 0.37; Pgenotype = 0.65). In addition, no positive haplotypes were identified. To the best of our knowledge, the current study describes polymorphisms of RAGE in Chinese UC for the first time. We found no association between RAGE polymorphisms and the development of UC in the Chinese population.