[Dynamic changes of reproductive hormone levels and related factors in old and middleaged men in health examination].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dynamic changes of serum reproductive hormone levels in old and middleaged males in health examination and their correlation with age and lipid profile. METHODS: This study included 4 333 men in health examination from January 2011 to December 2014. The men were aged from 40 to 85 years old and divided into seven fiveyearspan age groups. We determined the levels of serum testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone (LH), folliclestimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and the testosterone secretion index (TSI = T/LH). We analyzed the obtained data using SPSS Pram, KruskalWallis H test, MannWhitney U test, exponential regression, and Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in LH, FSH, E2 and TSI among the seven age groups (P< 0.05). The levels of serum LH, FSH and E2 were significantly higher (P< 0.05) while TSI remarkably lower (P< 0.05) in the ≥70 yr group than in the other six groups. The serum T and E2 levels and TSI were markedly lower in the 40－44, 45－49 and 50－54 yr groups in 2014 than in the other three years (P< 0.05), and so were the levels of serum T and TSI in the 55－59 yr group (P< 0.05). The levels of serum LH, FSH and E2 were correlated positively while those of P, PRL and TSI negatively with age. The serum T level was correlated positively with HDLC but negatively with TC, TG and LDLC. The levels of serum LH, FSH and E2 showed a yearly average increase of 1.9%, 2.7% and 0.5%, respectively, while TSI an annual mean decline of 2.0% in the 40－85 yr group. CONCLUSIONS: LH, FSH and E2 were increased while TSI decreased with age in the >40 years old males. T and TSI were reduced in the 40－59 years old men from 2011 to 2014, and so was E2 in the 40－54 yr group. Lowlevel testosterone is closely related to dyslipidemia.

Expanding legal treatment options for medical marijuana in the State of Louisiana.

Background: The use of cannabis for 'medical' purposes has expanded throughout the USA. Despite the limited peer-reviewed medical research, medical marijuana therapy has been to treat chronic pain, stimulate appetite, treat nausea, and ameliorate muscle spasticity. Challenge: In the state of Louisiana, this potential treatment is strictly controlled. The ability of the individual patient to receive this therapy is limited since any prescribing provider had to be both licensed by the state medical board and registered with the board to prescribe medical marijuana. Medical cannabis could be used only for limited medical disorders. The 'Medical Marijuana' HB819 bill authorizes the recommendation of medical marijuana for additional conditions and allows any state-licensed physician to recommend/prescribe medical marijuana. Alternative options: The government may consider working with the state medical board to lessen its regulation allowing a collaborative effort to formalize protocols for safe prescribing of medical marijuana. A more liberal option would be to make it available to the consumer over the counter, while a state tracking mechanism is set in place to limit the amount purchased. Conclusions: Two stakeholders pertaining to this new legislation to focus on are the Louisiana State government and healthcare providers. This law probably has the biggest impact on healthcare providers and their relationship to patients. This legislation may allow providers to have more 'freedom in medical marijuana treatment plans'. These benefits would be monitored using such criteria as cost, access to care, as well as patient and healthcare provider satisfaction.

Low Expression LncRNA TUBA4B is a Poor Predictor of Prognosis and Regulates Cell Proliferation in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

We aimed to unveil the clinical roles and biological function of lncRNA TUBA4B in on-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The relative expression level of TUBA4B was estimated by qPCR in 114 pairs of NSCLC and NT samples and the relation of TUBA4B to clinical data of NSCLC patients was analyzed. We found TUBA4B was lower expressed in NSCLC and five cell lines. The lower expression of TUBA4B was remarkably correlated with advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis and served as a predictor for overall survival of NSCLC. After overexpression of TUBA4B, cell proliferation ability of A549 and NCI-H1299 remarkably decreased. Our study ascertained low expression TUBA4B in NSCLC tissue, cell lines and is a poor predictor for prognosis and can regulate cell proliferation in NSCLC.

Detection and Analysis of Wnt Pathway Related lncRNAs Expression Profile in Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Studies have shown that the expression profile of Wnt signaling pathway is very important in lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) and some lncRNAs can regulate the expression of key molecules of Wnt pathway. However, Wnt pathway related lncRNAs are not systematically analyzed and detected in lung adenocarcinoma. We used a high-throughput microarray to compare the lncRNA expression profiles in LAD and corresponding normal tissue (NT) samples. Several candidate Wnt pathway related lncRNAs were verified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. We found that 232 Wnt pathway related lncRNAs were obviously expressed (≥2-fold change) in lung adenocarcinoma samples and 13 Wnt pathway related lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma compared with matched histologically normal lung tissues by qPCR. Among these, RP11-181G12.2 and RP11-89 K21.1 were the most aberrantly expressed lncRNAs. Our study ascertained the expression of Wnt pathway related lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma. The results revealed that many Wnt pathway related lncRNAs were differentially expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, suggesting that they may play a key role in tumor development.

Detection of long-chain non-encoding RNA differential expression in non-small cell lung cancer by microarray analysis and preliminary verification.

Long­chain non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the development and progression of non­small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the roles of lncRNAs in NSCLC are not well understood. In this study, a high­throughput microarray was used to compare the lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in NSCLC and normal tissue (NT) samples. Several candidate adenocarcinoma­associated lncRNAs were verified by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR). Using abundant and varied probes, we were able to assess 30,586 lncRNAs and 26,109 coding transcripts in our microarray. It was observed that 1,242 lncRNAs and 1,102 mRNAs were differentially expressed (≥2­fold change) in NSCLC compared with NT samples, indicating that numerous lncRNAs were significantly upregulated or downregulated in NSCLC. We also observed via RT­qPCR that 10 lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in NSCLC compared with histologically matched normal lung tissues. Among these, RP11­385J1.2 and TUBA4B were the most aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, as estimated by RT­qPCR in 90 pairs of NSCLC and NT samples. In conclusion, the present study detected the lncRNA expression patterns in NSCLC by microarray. The results revealed that a number of lncRNAs were differentially expressed in NSCLC tissues, suggesting that they may play a key role in tumor development.

Use of an Artificial Neural Network to Construct a Model of Predicting Deep Fungal Infection in Lung Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: The statistical methods to analyze and predict the related dangerous factors of deep fungal infection in lung cancer patients were several, such as logic regression analysis, meta-analysis, multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis, retrospective analysis, and so on, but the results are inconsistent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 696 patients with lung cancer were enrolled. The factors were compared employing Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test or the Chi-square test and variables that were significantly related to the presence of deep fungal infection selected as candidates for input into the final artificial neural network analysis (ANN) model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the performance of the artificial neural network (ANN) model and logistic regression (LR) model. RESULTS: The prevalence of deep fungal infection from lung cancer in this entire study population was 32.04%(223/696), deep fungal infections occur in sputum specimens 44.05% (200/454). The ratio of candida albicans was 86.99% (194/223) in the total fungi. It was demonstrated that older (≥65 years), use of antibiotics, low serum albumin concentrations (≤37.18 g /L), radiotherapy, surgery, low hemoglobin hyperlipidemia (≤93.67 g /L), long time of hospitalization (≥14 days) were apt to deep fungal infection and the ANN model consisted of the seven factors. The AUC of ANN model (0.829±0.019) was higher than that of LR model (0.756±0.021). CONCLUSIONS: The artificial neural network model with variables consisting of age, use of antibiotics, serum albumin concentrations, received radiotherapy, received surgery, hemoglobin, time of hospitalization should be useful for predicting the deep fungal infection in lung cancer.

Ethnic disparities in the risk of colorectal adenomas associated with lipid levels: a retrospective multiethnic study.

BACKGROUND: Although data exists showing that uncontrolled lipid levels in white and black patients is associated with colorectal adenomas, there are currently no studies looking only at the Hispanic population. PURPOSE: With the rapid increase in the Hispanic population, we aimed to look at their risk of colorectal adenomas in association with lipid levels. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 1473 patients undergoing colonoscopy from 2009 to 2011 at a community hospital. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-squared for categorical variables and t test for continuous variables with age-, gender-, and race-adjusted odds ratios. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate 95 % confidence intervals (CI). SAS 9.3 software was used to perform all statistical analysis. RESULTS: In our general population, there was an association with elevated triglyceride levels greater than 150 and presence of multiple colorectal adenomas with odds ratio (OR) 1.60 (1.03, 2.48). There was an association with proximal colon adenomas and cholesterol levels between 200 and 239 with OR 1.57 (1.07, 2.30), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels of greater than 130 with OR 1.54 (1.04, 2.30). There was no association between high-density lipoproteins (HDL) levels and colorectal adenomas. The Hispanic population showed no statistical correlation between elevated triglycerides, cholesterol, or LDL with the presence, size, location, or multiplicity of colorectal adenomas. CONCLUSIONS: We found a significant correlation between elevated lipid levels and colorectal adenomas in white and black patients; however, there was no such association in the Hispanic population. This finding can possibly be due to environmental factors such as dietary, colonic flora, or genetic susceptibility, which fosters further investigation and research.

LncRNA expression profiles of EGFR exon 19 deletions in lung adenocarcinoma ascertained by using microarray analysis.

Studies showed that long chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) involved in the development and progression of lung cancer. However, the mechanisms of EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma were unclear. Lung adenocarcinoma was divided into EGFR exon 19 deletion group and EGFR wild-type group. We studied the differential expression profiles of lncRNAs in EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma by high-throughput microarray. Using abundant and varied probes, we were able to assess 30,586 lncRNAs and 26,109 mRNAs in our microarray. Compared with the wild-type EGFR, we found that 1,533 lncRNAs and 1,406 mRNAs were differentially expressed (≥ twofold change) in EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma, indicating that many lncRNAs were significantly upregulated or downregulated in EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma. The 10 lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma compared with wild-type EGFR group validated by real-time RT-PCR. Among these, RP11-325I22.2 and LOC440905 were the most aberrantly expressed in 20 cases of EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma samples by real-time RT-PCR. Our study showed lncRNAs expression pattern in EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma by microarray. RP11-325I22.2 and LOC440905 might play an important role in the mechanism of EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma. The study may provide a new mechanism of EGFR exon 19 deletion in lung adenocarcinoma.

Investigation of the epidermal growth factor receptor mutation rate in non-small cell lung cancer patients and the analysis of associated risk factors using logistic regression.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the mutation rate of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to apply logistic regression analysis to investigate the factors associated with EGFR gene mutation to provide data for the treatment of NSCLC. Paraffin tissue, bronchoscopy or pleural effusion specimens were collected from 176 NSCLC patients following pathological diagnosis. The EGFR gene exon 19 delL747-S75linss and delL747-S752ins deletion mutations, and the exon 20 T790M and exon 21 L858R mutations were identified using amplification refractory mutation system analysis. The clinical data and laboratory results of the patients were collected, and the total mutation rate of the EGFR gene in exons 19, 20 and 21 in the 176 NSCLC patients was found to be 48.3% (85/176). In addition, the EGFR gene mutation rate in adenocarcinoma was found to be significantly higher than that in squamous cell and large cell carcinoma (χ2=12.454; P=0.002). Furthermore, the mutation rate was found to be significantly higher in females than in males (χ2=13.78; P=0.001). The rate of exon 19 mutation was 21.0% (37/176), whereas the rate of exon 20 T90M mutation was 1.7% (3/176) and that of exon 21 L858R mutation was 29.0% (51/176). The logistic regression analysis revealed that the female gender, adenocarcinoma, distant metastasis and chemotherapy are factors associated with EGFR gene mutation (P<0.05). The female gender resulted in an increased incidence (2.438 times that of males) of EGFR mutation. Similarly, adenocarcinoma, distant metastasis and chemotherapy exhibited an increase in EGFR mutation risk (by 2.571, 2.810 and 0.367 times, respectively). The rate of EGFR mutation was high in the NSCLC patients, predominantly in exons 21 and 19. Therefore, these factors (female gender, adenocarcinoma, distant metastasis and chemotherapy) may increase the probability of EGFR gene mutations.

Use of an artificial neural network to predict risk factors of nosocomial infection in lung cancer patients.

Statistical methods to analyze and predict the related risk factors of nosocomial infection in lung cancer patients are various, but the results are inconsistent. A total of 609 patients with lung cancer were enrolled to allow factor comparison using Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney test or the Chi-square test. Variables that were significantly related to the presence of nosocomial infection were selected as candidates for input into the final ANN model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of the artificial neural network (ANN) model and logistic regression (LR) model. The prevalence of nosocomial infection from lung cancer in this entire study population was 20.1% (165/609), nosocomial infections occurring in sputum specimens (85.5%), followed by blood (6.73%), urine (6.0%) and pleural effusions (1.82%). It was shown that long term hospitalization (≥ 22 days, P= 0.000), poor clinical stage (IIIb and IV stage, P=0.002), older age (≥ 61 year old, P=0.023), and use the hormones were linked to nosocomial infection and the ANN model consisted of these four factors .The artificial neural network model with variables consisting of age, clinical stage, time of hospitalization, and use of hormones should be useful for predicting nosocomial infection in lung cancer cases.

Long noncoding RNA expression profiles of lung adenocarcinoma ascertained by microarray analysis.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the development and progression of lung cancer. However, the roles of lncRNAs in lung cancer are not well understood. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used a high-throughput microarray to compare the lncRNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression profiles in lung adenocarcinoma and normal tissue (NT) samples. Several candidate adenocarcinoma-associated lncRNAs were verified by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Using abundant and varied probes, we were able to assess 30,586 lncRNAs and 26,109 mRNAs in our microarray. We found that 2,420 lncRNAs and 1,109 mRNAs were differentially expressed (≥2-fold change) in lung adenocarcinoma samples and NT, indicating that many lncRNAs were significantly upregulated or downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma. We also found, via quantitative PCR, that 19 lncRNAs were aberrantly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma compared with matched histologically normal lung tissues. Among these, LOC100132354 and RPLP0P2 were the most aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, as estimated by quantitative PCR in 100 pairs of lung adenocarcinoma and NT samples. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our study ascertained the expression patterns of lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma by microarray. The results revealed that many lncRNAs were differentially expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and NT, suggesting that they may play a key role in tumor development.

Ethnic disparities in the risk of colorectal adenomas associated with aspirin and statin use: a retrospective multiethnic study.

BACKGROUND: Although data on the inverse association between colorectal adenomas (CRA) and daily aspirin or statin therapy exists in white and black patients, scarce data exists on these associations in the Hispanic population. With a rapidly increasing Hispanic population in the United States, defining the association in Hispanics is crucial. METHODS: The study sample included 1,843 consecutive patients who underwent a colonoscopy (screening or diagnostic) from 2009 to 2011 at a community hospital in East Meadow, New York. Data was then extracted from patient charts regarding aspirin and/or statin use. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the association between colonoscopy findings and aspirin, statin, or aspirin/statin use. RESULTS: In our total population including all races, aspirin user had an increased risk for having two or more adenomas (OR =1.73, 95% CI: 1.00, 2.99, P=0.05) and presence of an adenoma in the proximal colon (OR =1.66, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.58, P=0.02). In the total study population, those who used both statin and aspirin had an increased risk for having two or more adenomas (OR =2.56, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.39, P=0.01). In the Hispanic population, users of both medications had an increased risk for having two or more adenomas (OR =19.04, 95% CI: 1.30, 280.09, P=0.03), adenoma present in the distal colon (OR =5.75, 95% CI: 1.64, 20.21, P=0.01) and largest adenoma in distal colon (OR =5.75, 95% CI: 1.64, 20.21, P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Aspirin use and aspirin/statin use was associated with abnormal colonoscopy findings, particularly in the Hispanic population. These findings may be due to environmental factors such as dietary, colonic flora, or genetic susceptibility. The findings warrant further investigational research, particularly in Hispanics.

The association of H. pylori and colorectal adenoma: does it exist in the US Hispanic population?

BACKGROUND: Although data on the association between colorectal adenomas and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) exists in White and Black patients, there is no data on this association in a US Hispanic population. Our aim was to study the association of adenoma detection and biopsy proven H. pylori infection in a cohort of US Hispanics. METHODS: Data were collected from Nassau University Medical Center, a 530-bed tertiary care teaching hospital in East Meadow, New York. Patients who underwent both an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and colonoscopy from July 2009 to March 2011 were pulled from an electronic database. A total of 1,737 patients completed colonoscopies during this time with 95 excluded: 17 inflammatory bowel disease, 12 malignancy, 22 prior history of colorectal adenoma, and 44 incomplete. Among the colonoscopies, 799 patients had EGD's performed prior to colonoscopies that were eligible for our study. RESULTS: H. pylori prevalence was highest in Hispanics 40.9%, followed by Blacks 29.1% (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.42-0.84), then Whites 7.9% (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.06-0.24). The adenoma detection rate was significantly higher in Whites 23.2% and Blacks 21.8% compared to Hispanics 14.5%, P=0.0002 respectively. Smoking and alcohol were lower in the H. pylori group, 18.6% (n=44) vs. 26.1% (n=147) for smoking (P=0.02) and 14.4% (n=34) vs. 19% (n=107) for alcohol (P=0.12), respectively. There was no evidence in the Hispanics for an association between adenoma detection and H. pylori infection. Furthermore size, location, and multiple polyps did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: While data has shown an association between H. pylori and colorectal adenomas, we did not find this in our Hispanic population. With the growing population of Hispanics in the U.S, large scale studies are needed to conclusively characterize the role of H. pylori infection in colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma in this group of patients.

The diagnostic value of apolipoprotein E in malignant pleural effusion associated with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein E (apoE) levels have been shown to be elevated in pleural effusion of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the diagnostic value of apoE in pleural effusion in NSCLC has not been well validated and established. METHODS: Samples of malignant pleural effusions (MPE) and benign effusions were collected and analyzed for apoE, tumor markers, and other biochemical changes. RESULTS: ApoE levels were significantly higher in MPE (n=160) than in benign pleural effusions (n=40). They were higher in adenocarcinoma-associated MPE than in squamous cell carcinoma- and large cell carcinoma-associated MPE. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of apoE for the diagnosis of MPE were 87.5% and 85.3%, respectively, at the cutoff 105 ng/ml, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.748. For the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma-associated MPE, apoE achieved sensitivity and specificity of 70.8% and 83.30%, respectively, and the AUC was the highest of all the markers. CONCLUSIONS: ApoE levels are significantly increased in the pleural effusion of patients with NSCLC. Increased concentration of apoE in a pleural effusion is a potential marker for the diagnosis of MPE as well as for differential diagnosis of MPE in NSCLC.