Identification of downstream target genes regulated by CX43 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The aim of study was to identify the downstream target genes of CX43 by Human Transcriptome Array. Therefore, a gene microarray was generated which consists of CX43-overexpressed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells transfected with the constructed plasmid and negative controls to identify candidate genes. Integrated bioinformatic analysis was used to clarify biological functions of the identified genes, including Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction network, and survival analysis. The candidate genes were further validated by qRT-PCR in liver cancer tissues and CX43-silenced HCC cells. We have found the mRNA and protein levels of CX43 significantly upregulated in HCC cells transfected with CX43 constructed plasmid. We identified 928 differentially expressed genes including 394 upregulated and 534 downregulated genes, enriched in the cancer related functions and pathways by GO and KEGG pathway analysis. The protein-protein interaction network revealed 9 hub genes in this study. Statistical analysis indicated that upregulation of RALA and SRC was associated with poor prognosis in liver cancer. The differential expression of 2 candidate genes were further validated in HCC cells and tissues. In conclusion, protein-coding genes RALA and SRC could be target genes of CX43 and therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma.

[Health economic evaluation of a 23 value pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination pilot programme among elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients in China].

Objective: From the perspective of health economics, to evaluate 23 pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination programme among chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patient. Methods: In the pilot counties of the project of integrated care pathway for COPD patient (Hanbin district of Hanzhong city in Shanxi Province, Qianjian district of Qingqing city, Huandao district of Qindao city in Shangdong Province, Wen county of Jiaozuo city in Henan Province), information of insurance participants of New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCS) was collected by local NRCM information system, which included general information as well as records of medical care and medical fee. Nonprobability sampling method was applied to select a total of 860 objects, who were over 60 years old with local household registration, hospitalized within one recent year due to COPD acute exacerbation, and without vaccination of 23 voluntary pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine within 3 years. A quasi-experimental design without control group was adopted. Objects were vaccinated with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine from January to December in 2013, then were followed up from January in 2014 for one year. Data of effectiveness and medical cost was collected by self-designed questionnaire and (Chinese version). Paired rank sum test applied to test the difference of quality of life, number and direct medical cost of treatment (including outpatient treatment and hospitalization) due to COPD acute exacerbation, one year before and after intervention. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and cost-benefit ratio (CBR) of the programme were calculated. Results: By January 2014, eight hundred sixty objects were vaccinated. By January 2015, seven hundred eighty eight objects were followed up, with 72 cases withdrawed (8.4%). On average, COPD patients reduced 1.12±2.51 treatments due to acute exacerbation, including 0.28±2.09 outpatient treatments and 0.85±1.15 hospitalizations. Total medical cost was saved by 3 610.21 per capita yuan, including outpatient cost of 241.41 yuan and hospitalization cost of 269.82 yuan; Quality of life was gained by 0.03 QALY gain per capita. The ICER was dominant and CBR was 12.00. Conclusion: COPD patients vaccinated with 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine within one year reduced treatments due to acute exacerbation. The vaccination was cost effective and cost saving , and we suggest the vaccine should be covered in the public health program or health insurance scheme in conditional region.

[Spatial distribution of canine echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution and changing trend of canine echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, so as to provide the scientific evidence for prevention and control of canine echinococcosis in high-risk areas of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. METHODS: All data pertaining to Echinococcus infections in canine feces and sampling survey of human echinococcosis were collected from the echinococcosis-endemic foci of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, and the prevalence of Echinococcus infections was investigated in dogs and humans. In addition, the spatial distribution characteristics and clusters of canine echinococcoses were identified. RESULTS: A total of 164 139 canine fecal samples were detected in the echinococcosis-endemic foci of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, and there were 2 136 fecal samples positive for Echinococcus coproantigens. The positive rates of Echinococcus coproantigens were 0.54% to 1.73% in dogs from 2012 to 2018, with a tendency towards a decline seen in the prevalence of Echinococcus infections in dogs (χ2 = 108.83, P < 0.01), and there was a significant difference in the positive rate of Echinococcus coproantigens in dogs among years (χ2 = 155.27, P < 0.01). Three-dimensional trend analysis showed that canine echinococcosis was mainly concentrated in east of central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and a high prevalence was detected in New Barag Right Banner and Sonid Right Banner. The global spatial distribution of canine echinococcosis appeared a random pattern in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018 (Moran's I > 0, P > 0.05), and there were "high-high" and "high-low" clusters of canine echinococcosis in local areas. The prevalence of human echinococcosis was 0.08%, and there was a significant difference in the prevalence among regions (χ2 = 147.61, P < 0.01), with a high prevalence seen in West Ujimqin Banner, Jarud Banner and New Barag Right Banner. In addition, the prevalence of human echinococcosis correlated positively with the Echinococcus coproantigen-positive rate in dogs (r = 0.52, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Echinococcus infections shows an overall tendency towards a decline in dogs in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2018, with a high prevalence found in New Barag Right Banner and Sonid Right Banner. Human echinococcosis is concentrated in clusters of canine echinococcosis, where health education and targeted control interventions requires to be intensified.

[Epidemic situation of human echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: a sampling survey from 2012 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of human echinococcosis in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, so as to provide evidence for the development of the precision control strategy of human echinococcosis in the region. METHODS: A sampling survey of human echinococcosis was conducted in 28 banners (counties, districts) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2017, and the epidemiological characteristics were descriptively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 90 058 residents were examined for echinococcosis in 28 banners (counties, districts) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2012 to 2017, and 71 patients were detected with echinococcosis, with a detection rate of 0.08%. No echinococcosis cases were identified in 8 banners (counties), and there were 6 banners (counties) with echinococcosis prevalence of 0.1% to 1%, and 14 with prevalence of 0 to 0.1%. The echinococcosis prevalence was significantly greater in women (0.11%) than in men (0.05%) (χ2 = 10.09, P = 0.001), and the highest prevalence was detected in patients at ages of over 50 years (38 cases, 53.52%). In addition, the highest echinococcosis prevalence was detected in herdsmen (0.14%), or in primary school children (0.13%). CONCLUSIONS: Human echinococcosis is widely, but lowly prevalent in Inner Mongolia Region, with a diverse density of infections. Echinococcosis has remarkable characteristics of regional and population clusters in Inner Mongolia Region, and the management of echinococcosis requires to be reinforced in key regions and populations.

[Spatial distribution characteristics of reported echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spatial distribution patterns and changing tendency of reported echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018, so as to provide the evidence for the management of echinococcosis in high-risk areas. METHODS: All data pertaining to echinococcosis patients in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were captured from the National Notifiable Communicable Disease Reporting System from 2013 to 2018 and analyzed using a spatial epidemiological method. RESULTS: The incidence of reported echinococcosis was 0.22 to 0.41 per 100 000 in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from 2013 to 2018, and the number of banner reporting echinococcosis patients increased from 24 in 2013 to 39 in 2018. The highly prevalent areas of echinococcosis were mainly concentrated in West Ujimqin Banner (the highest incidence, 19.23 per 100 000), East Ujimqin Banner (the highest incidence, 12.93 per 100 000) and New Barag Right Banner (the highest incidence, 11.66 per 100 000). Three-dimensional trend analysis showed that the areas with high incidence of reported echinococcosis were mainly located in central by eastern parts of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There was a positive spatial autocorrelation in the number of echinococcosis patients, and the cases appeared a clustering distribution (Moran's I > 0, P < 0.05), with "high-high" and "low-high" regions. CONCLUSIONS: The reported echinococcosis patients show a spatial aggregation in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and the hotspot areas are mainly concentrated in Xilingol League and Chifeng City, in which targeted control interventions for Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are recommended to be intensified.

Ecological risk assessment using RAPD and distribution pattern of a rare and endangered species.

Environmental and ecological risk assessment always provide useful evidence for characterisation and conservation of the rare and endangered species, e.g. seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides Rehd.). Seven-son flower is a deciduous arbor species, but endangered, with a restricted distribution in the subtropical forests of China. Genetic risk assessment of 56 samples of the flower from nine main populations in Zhejiang (China) was carried out by using the RAPD analysis. This was to study the ecological characteristics, spatial distribution and genetic features of the seven-son flower communities and establish a feasible conservation plan. Twenty-one primers screened from 50 yielded 119 RAPD bands with 72 polymorphic products and 60.50% of total bands. The genetic variation was found to be partitioned mainly among rather than within populations. Percentages of genetic diversity among populations were quantified by Shannon index and the Nei's gene diversity coefficient. AMOVA also demonstrated that these relict populations were highly differentiated. The high level of population variation observed is in contrast to that expected for a primarily outcrossed woody perennial plant, and suggests that there may be a degree of inbreeding. The dendrogram constructed from genetic distances through UPGMA method based on Nei's coefficients shows two groups among nine population clusters, which is further supported by a principle components analysis (PCA) of RAPD phenotypic data. The analysis showed that the biologic characteristics and habitat fragmentation were the reasons of the great genetic variation among populations. Some strategies of its genetic diversity conservation were proposed in the fragmented habitats based on its genetic structure and its biological characteristics in this study.

Risk factors for stomach cancer in sixty-five Chinese counties.

Stomach cancer mortality data were compared with dietary and biochemical data from 65 Chinese counties to provide clues to reasons for the marked geographic variation of stomach cancer mortality rates in China. Sex-specific correlation and multivariate regression analyses showed significant positive associations with consumption of salted vegetables and eggs, prevalence of antibodies to Helicobacter pylori, and levels of plasma albumin; and significant negative associations with intake of green vegetables and levels of plasma selenium and beta-carotene. Limitations of ecological data preclude causal inferences, but these findings suggest factors that may contribute to making stomach cancer the leading cause of cancer death in China and other countries.

Correlation of cervical cancer mortality with reproductive and dietary factors, and serum markers in China.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among Chinese women. Within China, a considerable geographical variation in mortality rates has been observed, but the reasons are not well understood. METHODS: Cervical cancer rates were examined in relation to indices of reproductive factors, dietary habits, and selected serum biomedical markers in 65 rural Chinese counties. RESULTS: Cervical cancer mortality rates correlated positively and significantly with antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) (r = 0.40, P < 0.01), serum levels of ferritin (r = 0.33, P < 0.01), body mass index (BMI) (r = 0.42, P < 0.01) and cigarette smoking (r = 0.51, P < 0.05) and negatively and significantly with age at first birth (r = -0.51, P < 0.01), consumption of green vegetables (r = -0.40, P < 0.01) and animal foods (r = -0.40, P < 0.01), and serum levels of selenium (r = -0.26, P < 0.05). When these variables were considered in the multiple regression analysis, early age at first birth and higher BMI were positively associated with cervical cancer mortality, while consumption of green vegetables and animal foods were negatively correlated. In the serum model, infection with HSV-2 and low levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were positively related to cervical cancer mortality. No relation was found for consumption of fruits. CONCLUSIONS: Although limitations of these ecologic data preclude causal inferences, findings in this study, including associations with HSV-2 infection, early age at first birth, consumption of green vegetables and animal foods, may provide clues to cervical cancer aetiology.

Correlations of choriocarcinoma mortality with alcohol drinking and reproductive factors in China.

This country-based correlation study examined associations of choriocarcinoma mortality with reproductive characteristics and lifestyle factors using data from an ecological survey in 49 Chinese rural counties. Univariate correlation and multivariate regression analyses showed that choriocarcinoma mortality rates among Chinese women were significantly related to alcohol consumption, number of pregnancies and age at menopause, and inversely associated with age at first birth. No clear association was seen between choriocarcinoma mortality and smoking, body mass index, dietary factors and levels of serum nutrients, sex hormones, and antibodies to herpes simplex virus. Limitations of these ecological data preclude causal inferences, but the findings add to the limited evidence of the role of reproductive characteristics in choriocarcinoma risk and provide additional clues to other risk factors for this rare and seldom examined cancer.

Diet, serum markers and breast cancer mortality in China.

This county-based correlation study examined associations of breast cancer mortality with dietary habits and certain serum biochemical markers, utilizing data collected from an ecological survey in 65 Chinese rural counties. Univariate correlation and multivariate regression analysis showed that consumption of animal foods, including eggs, fish and meat, was positively linked to county-wide mortality rates of breast cancer in Chinese women. No clear associations between breast cancer mortality rates and consumption of green vegetables, carrots and fruits were observed in this study. A modest inverse correlation between serum vitamin C levels and breast cancer mortality was observed, while selenium levels were positively related to the mortality rates. Positive correlations for serum ferritin and hemoglobin were found, in agreement with recent reports of an elevated cancer risk with increased body iron stores. Limitations of these ecological data preclude causal inferences, but the findings provide clues to breast cancer risk and protective factors in a low incidence area of the world.

Correlations of dietary intake and blood nutrient levels with esophageal cancer mortality in China.

Using dietary, blood nutrient, and esophageal cancer mortality data from 65 Chinese counties, we examined several correlations to help provide clues to the influence of diet and nutrition on the geographic variation of esophageal cancer in China. Esophageal cancer mortality was significantly inversely related to reported fruit consumption and to plasma ascorbic acid concentration. The age-adjusted mortality rates were more than three times higher for counties in the lowest compared with the highest quartile of fruit intake or plasma vitamin C. Positive correlations with intake of moldy vegetables were observed but not with tobacco and alcohol consumption. There were suggestive inverse associations with blood selenium and riboflavin but little effect of fat-soluble vitamins. Limitations of ecological data preclude causal inferences, but the relationships provide leads to dietary factors that may contribute to the exceptionally high rates of esophageal cancer in several areas of China.

Diet and serum markers in relation to primary brain tumor risk in China.

Associations between primary brain tumor mortality and dietary habits, certain serum biochemical markers, and life-style factors were evaluated in a county-based correlation study utilizing data collected from an ecological survey in 49 Chinese rural counties. Univariate correlation and multivariate regression analyses showed that high consumption of salt-preserved vegetables was linked to increased primary brain tumor mortality rates, although the association was significant only among men. In addition, high intake of green vegetables among men was associated with decreased rates. No clear association was seen between primary brain tumor mortality rates and tobacco use, body mass index, and serum biochemical markers. Limitations of these ecological data preclude causal inferences, but the findings provide etiologic clues to primary brain tumor mortality in rural China.

The association between enteric bacterial overgrowth and gastrointestinal motility after subtotal liver resection or portal vein obstruction in rats.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that intestinal motility is delayed after hepatectomy, which alters the ecology of the enteric microflora and contributes to the development of bacterial translocation from the gut. DESIGN: Open experimental study. SETTING: University department of surgery. MATERIAL: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 6 in each group at each time point). INTERVENTIONS: Sham operation, 90% hepatectomy, and portal venous obstruction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intestinal morphology, immunocytochemistry of the enteric nervous system, enteric bacterial growth in the small intestine and colon, and intestinal transit time. RESULTS: Intestinal transit was already delayed one hour after 90% hepatectomy, and histopathological alterations and overgrowth by Escherichia Coli had developed after two hours. There were significant differences in intestinal transit time between sham operated rats and those subjected to portal venous obstruction on the one hand, and those that underwent 90% hepatectomy on the other. There was no difference in intestinal transit time between rats with portal venous obstruction and the sham operated animals. CONCLUSION: Delayed intestinal transit after 90% hepatectomy may contribute to enteric bacterial overgrowth and thereby contribute to the development of bacterial translocation from the gut.

Retrospective cohort study of risk-factors for esophageal cancer in Linxian, People's Republic of China.

A retrospective cohort study of esophageal (including gastric cardia) cancer was conducted to examine dietary and other potential risk factors in Linxian, a high-risk area in P.R. China. Study subjects were identified based on participation in a cytology examination conducted in 1974. They were interviewed in 1989 to obtain information on esophageal cancer risk-factors and identify new cases and deaths. A total of 1,162 subjects from the analytic cohort of 12,693 were determined to have developed esophageal cancer over the 15-year follow-up period. Results indicate that increased age, male gender, a positive family history, low education level, surface-water use, and pork consumption were the strongest risk factors for esophageal cancer identified in this cohort, while use of corn as a primary staple and infrequent consumption of fresh vegetables also were possible risk factors. Traditional or suspected risk factors for esophageal cancer in this and other populations--smoking and alcohol use, and pickled vegetable and moldy food consumption--were not risk factors in this study. Some variation in risk was seen based on the subject's cytology result from 1974. We conclude that dietary factors appear to play a role in the etiology of esophageal cancer in this high-risk population, but are less important than other constitutional factors such as age, gender, and family history.