Investigating the prognostic and predictive value of the type II cystatin genes in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence indicates that type II cystatin (CST) genes play a pivotal role in several tumor pathological processes, thereby affecting all stages of tumorigenesis and tumor development. However, the prognostic and predictive value of type II CST genes in GC has not yet been investigated. METHODS: The present study evaluated the expression and prognostic value of type II CST genes in GC by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) online database. The type II CST genes related to the prognosis of GC were then screened out. We then validated the expression and prognostic value of these genes by immunohistochemistry. We also used Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), Gene Multiple Association Network Integration Algorithm (GeneMANIA), Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), nomogram, genome-wide co-expression analysis, and other bioinformatics tools to analyze the value of type II CST genes in GC and the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: The data from the TCGA database and the KM plotter online database showed that high expression of CST2 and CST4 was associated with the overall survival (OS) of patients with GC. The immunohistochemical expression analysis showed that patients with high expression of CST4 in GC tissues have a shorter OS than those with low expression of CST4 (HR = 1.85,95%CI: 1.13-3.03, P = 0.015). Multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that the high expression level of CST4 was an independent prognostic risk factor for OS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that CST4 could serve as a tumor marker that affects the prognosis of GC and could be considered as a potential therapeutic target for GC.

[Epidemiological study of high risk human papillomavirus infection in 25 to 54 years old married women in Beijing.].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) prevalence among married women in Beijing and to study the high risk factors. METHODS: During March 2007 to September 2008, a total of 6185 married women sampled from 137 communities in 12 districts were screened by HR-HPV DNA test and cytological test. The interview was carried out with unified questionnaires. The database was set up and twice entered in EpiData 3.0. After checked up, the data were analyzed in SPSS 15.0. RESULTS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate was 9.89%. The HR-HPV infection rate of the city zone, the suburb and the exurb were 9.34%, 10.51% and 9.51% (P > 0.05). The HR-HPV infection rate of the native and the outlander were 9.53%, 11.30% (P < 0.05). (2) The age distribution of HR-HPV infection was that the rate was around 10% among 25 to 44 age groups, which was the highest (11.21%) in 30 to 34 age group; then the rate was descended as the age raising, the rate of 50 to 54 age group was the lowest (7.78%). (3) Multiple logistic regression showed that the related risk factors of HR-HPV infection mainly included 1000 RMB and above of family income per person per month, possessing more than 1 sexual partner of her husband, outlander and high levels of education. (4) The prevalence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) in HR-HPV positive group was significantly higher than that in HR-HPV negative group (29.76% vs 3.32%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: (1) The HR-HPV infection rate among aged 25 to 54 years was 9.9% and there was no significant difference in area distribution. (2) The high risk population which should strengthen screening was the married bearing-age women with high level of family income, outlander, high levels of education and her husband possessing more than 1 sexual partner. (3) HR-HPV infection is the main risk factor for CIN and cervical cancer, while does not provide a causal relationship with them. The high risk population should be checked regularly to understand the development of HR-HPV infection and CIN incidence.

[Influence of Reaction Time on Titanate Nanomaterials and Its Adsorptioi Capability for Lead in Aqueous Solutions].

Titanate nanomaterials (TNs) were synthesized via a simple hydrothermal method using TiO2 (ST-01) and NaOH as the raw materials, and presented different morphologies by adjusting the reaction time. The physico-chemical properties of the as-prepared TNs, such as morphology, structure, surface area, and chemical composition were characterized by XRD, SEM and BET. The adsorption capability and rules of Pb(II) in aqueous solutions were tested in the static system. The results showed that the TNs prepared with 12-72 h reaction time were pure monoclinic phase titanate and their specific surface areas were in the range from 243.05 m2 x g(-1) to 286.20 m2 x g(-1). TNs with reaction time between 12-36 h mainly showed sheet structure, and those with reaction time higher than 48 h showed linear structure. The adsorption capacity of Pb(II) by TNs-12, TNs-24, TNs-36, TNs-48, TNs-60 and TNs-72 was 479.40, 504.12, 482.00, 388.10, 364.60 and 399.00 mg x g(-1), respectively. The sheet TNs had a better adsorption capacity than the linear TNs. TNs-24 had the highest adsorbing capacity. The adsorption kinetics of Pb(II) by TNs-24 followed the pseudo-second-order model, and the equilibrium data was best fitted with the Langmuir isotherm model. The equilibrium adsorption time of TNs-24 was 120 min, and the adsorption was an exothermic process, with a high adsorption capacity at low temperature or room temperature; the optimal adsorption pH was 5.0. When pH was 1.0, the desorption rate of TNs-24 could reach 99.00%, and the removal efficiency of Pb(II) by regenerated TNs was still more than 97% after six times of usage. Therefore, TNs could efficiently remove Pb(II) in aqueous solutions, and the optimal reaction time should be controlled to 12-24 h. When Cd(II) or Ni(II) existed in the solution, the equilibrium adsorption capacity and removal rate of TNs-24 were decreased. The adsorption mechanism was mainly ion-exchanged between Pb(II) and H+/Na+ in TNs.