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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem worldwide. When CKD patients progress to the stage of kidney failure, kidney replacement therapy (KRT) or conservative treatment (palliative or non-dialysis treatment) will be needed. The risk prediction models of chronic kidney failure have been developed in recent years. These models, focusing on demographic indicators, clinical indicators, and laboratory data, are used to predict the likelihood of progression to kidney failure and requiring KRT. This article will retrieve prediction models for chronic kidney failure as an outcome, demonstrate the current research progress, and hope that it may be helpful for the strategies of preventing chronic kidney failure.

Purpose: The function of B cells in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is controversial. The role of B-cell-related tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) is still unclear. Whether B cells exert their anti-tumor effect through forming TLS in PTC needs further investigation., Methods: We detected the percentage of B cells in PTC tissues by multi-parameter flow cytometry. Paraffin-embedded tumor tissues of 125 PTC patients were collected and stained with Haematoxylin-Eosin (H&E) for inflammatory infiltration analysis in combination with clinical features. Multiplexed immunohistochemistry (mIHC) was performed to verify the TLSs in above inflammatory infiltration. Correlation of B cells and TLSs with prognosis was analyzed using the TCGA database., Results: We observed that PTC patients with higher expression of B lineage cell genes had improved survival and the percentage of B cells in the PTC tumor tissues was variable. Moreover, PTC tumor tissues with more B cells were surrounded by immune cell aggregates of varying sizes. We furtherly confirmed the immune cell aggregates as TLSs with different maturation stages. By analyzing PTC data from TCGA database, we found the maturation stages of TLSs were associated with genders and clinical stages among PTC patients. Moreover, patients with high TLSs survived longer and had a better prognosis., Conclusion: B cells are associated with the existence of TLSs which have different maturation stages in PTC. Both B cells and TLSs are associated with the survival rate of PTC. These observations indicate that the anti-tumor effects of B cells in PTC are associated with TLSs formation., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Italian Society of Endocrinology (SIE).)

Objective: To understand the compliancy to on-demand HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related factors in men who have sex with men (MSM) accessing to PrEP service through an Internet platform. Methods: A cross-sectional study method was used to recruit survey respondents through the Heer Health platform from July 6 to August 30, 2022, and a questionnaire survey on the current status of medication use was conducted in MSM who use PrEP through the platform and take medication on demand. The MSM's information collected in the survey mainly included socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral characteristics, risk perception characteristics, PrEP awareness and the status of dose taking. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate factors related with compliancy to PrEP. Results: A total of 330 MSM who met the recruitment criteria were included during the survey period, with a valid response rate of 96.7% (319/330) to the questionnaire survey. The age of the 319 MSM was (32.5±7.3) years. Most of them had education level of junior college or college and above (94.7%, 302/319), most of them were unmarried (90.3%, 288/319), most of them had full-time works (95.9%, 306/319), and 40.8% of them had average monthly income ≥10 000 yuan (130/319). The proportion of the MSM with good compliancy to PrEP was 86.5% (276/319). The results of univariate and multivariate logistic analyses showed that the MSM with good awareness of PrEP had relatively better compliancy to PrEP compared with those with poor awareness of PrEP (a OR =2.43, 95% CI :1.11-5.32). Conclusions: The compliancy to on-demand PrEP was good in MSM who accessed to the services through Internet platform, but there is still a need to strengthen PrEP promotion in MSM for the further improvement of PrEP compliancy and reduction of the risk for HIV infection in this population.

In 2012, the World Health Organization (WHO) released tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) as pre-exposure prophylaxis drug to help people at risk of HIV infection in specific populations, and various clinical trials and real-world data have confirmed the effectiveness of TDF/FTC in preventing HIV infection. In 2019, propofol tenofovir combined with emtricitabine (TAF/FTC) was approved in the United States as the second oral drug for pre-exposure prophylaxis(PrEP). However, for people who cannot take the drug or have poor adherence to the drug, second-generation PrEP, or long-acting antiretrovirals, provide more options. This artical reviewed the research progress of the first generation of oral PrEP and the new PrEP developed in recent years to provide reference for the promotion of HIV PrEP in China.

Three patients diagnosed with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in the First Hospital of Peking University from September to November 2020 were recruited in the study. Based on stereotactic electroencephalogram (SEEG) or electrocorticogram (ECoG) analysis to localize the seizure onset zone (SOZ), RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis was performed for the SOZ and para-SOZ tissue obtained from surgery. The differentially expressed genes between SOZ and para-SOZ samples were analyzed by performing Go (Gene ontology) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis."Extracellular matrix"was significantly enriched, which included collagen synthesis genes (e.g., COL1A1)."Ether lipid metabolism"was enriched in the KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. These differences could be the potential biological markers for SOZ localization.

Objective: To investigate the role of autophagy mediated by mTOR signaling pathway in the inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) induced by cadmium. Methods: HBMSCs were divided into 0, 2.5 or 5.0 μmol/L groups according to the exposure dose of cadmium chloride (CdCl 2 ), and each group was treated for 1 day, 4 days and (or) 7 days. The ALP activity and mRNA and protein expression levels of osteogenesis markers (ALP, RUNX2 and OSTERIX), autophagy-related proteins (LC3 and Beclin-1) and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins (mTOR, p-mTOR and p-p70S6K) expression, alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining were detected. MHY 1485 was selected as the signaling pathway activator. The control group, CdCl 2 group (5.0 μmol/L), MHY 1485 group and CdCl 2 +MHY 1485 combined treatment group were set. After 7 days of treatment, the expression levels of autophagy related proteins and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins of hBMSCs in each group were detected. Results: There was no significant difference in ALP activity between 0, 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L groups on day 1 and 4 ( P >0.05); On day 7, compared with the 0 μmol/L group, the ALP activity, expression of osteogenic markers (ALP, RUNX2, OSTERIX) and mTOR signaling pathway related proteins (mTOR, p-mTOR, p-p70S6K) expression decreased in the 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L group ( P <0.05). Compared with the 0 μmol/L group, the staining of the 2.5 and 5.0 μmol/L groups became lighter, and the formation of ALP and mineralized nodules was reduced. Compared with the CdCl 2 group, the autophagy related protein expression in the CdCl 2 +MHY 1485 combined treatment group decreased, and the mTOR signaling pathway related protein expression increased. The difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The inhibition of osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs by cadmium may be related to autophagy mediated by mTOR signaling pathway.

Objective: To explore the predictive factors of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for middle-low rectal cancer. Methods: A case-control study was conducted. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) colonoscopy, digital examination or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a distance from the lower edge of the tumor to the dentate line of no more than 10 cm; (2) complete clinicopathological data were available; (3) preoperative biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma; (4) preoperative pelvic MRI or endorectal ultrasonography was performed; (5) no distant metastasis was found. Exclusion criteria: (1) preoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy were not administrated according to the standard; (2) simultaneous multiple primary cancer and familial adenomatous polyposis were observed. According to the above criteria, clinicopathological data of 245 patients with middle-low rectal cancer undergoing preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in Changhai Hospital of Navy Medical University from January 2012 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were used to identify the clinical factors predicting pCR. pCR is defined as complete disappearance of cancer cells under the microscope in cancer specimens (including lymph nodes) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Results: A total of 72 patients with pCR were enrolled in this study. Univariate analysis showed that preoperative T stage, tumor circumference, tumor morphology, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, interval between the end of neoadjuvant therapy and operation were associated with pCR (all P <0.05). The above 5 variables were included in multivariate logistic analysis and the results revealed that the T stage (OR=5.743, 95% CI: 2.416-13.648, P <0.001), tumor circumference (OR=7.754, 95% CI: 3.822-15.733, P <0.001), tumor morphology (OR=0.264, 95% CI: 0.089-0.786, P =0.017) and the interval between the end of neoadjuvant therapy and operation (OR=0.303, 95% CI: 0.147-0.625, P =0.001) were independent predictive factors of pCR, while CA 19-9 level was not an independent factor (OR=1.873, 95% CI:0.372-9.436, P =0.447). Conclusion: By knowing the clinical features of preoperative T stage, tumor circumference, tumor morphology and the interval between neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and operation, patients with higher likelyhood of pCR after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy may be identified.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of early phase full donor chimerism (FDC) after myeloablative allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT). Methods: The clinical data of 72 hematological patients received myeloablative allo-PBSCT from Feb. 2016 to Jul. 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The median age was 36.5 years (range 4-59), 44 were males and 28 females. Of the donors, there were 35 HLA matched sibling donors, 27 haploidentical donors and 10 unrelated donors. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of short tandem repeat sequence (PCR-STR) was used to detect donor cell chimerism (DC) rate of recipient bone marrow at one, two and three months after transplantation. Results: The median follow-up was 462 d (range: 47-805 d), 55 cases were still alive, and 45 cases were disease-free survival (DFS) at the end of follow-up. The 2-year overall survival (OS) and DFS were (68.9±7.7)% and (59.5±6.3)%, respectively. A number of 16 cases underwent relapses, with 2-year cumulative incidence of (24.1±5.3)%. The median time of recurrence was 157(32-374) d. Forty cases (55.6%) developed acute graft-versus-host diseases (aGVHD), with median time of 35.5 (13-90) d. Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) occurred in 23 patients (31.9%), with median time of 169 (94-475) d. Univariate analysis found the following factors were not related to OS, DFS or relapse rate (RR), including age, sex, blood type and sex of donor-recipient, occurrence of aGVHD and cGVHD. The OS and DFS in cases reached FDC and no FDC at two months after transplantation were (85.2±6.9)% vs (66.1±7.7)% ( P =0.051) and (76.7±7.7)% vs (48.9±8.1)% ( P =0.021), respectively. The RR rate in FDC group was lower than that in no FDC group [(16.6±6.8)% vs (30.4±7.8)%, P =0.187, respectively]. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the important value for predicting the prognosis with whether or not the patients reached FDC at the early phase after allo-PBSCT. The OS and DFS in cases with FDC at two months after transplantation were significantly higher than those of no FDC patients.

Objective: To investigate the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in arsenite-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and malignant transformation of human liver epithelial cells (L-02 cells). Methods: After the L-02 cells were chronic treated with 2.0 μmol/L NaAsO(2) for 0 (reference), 10, 20, or 30 passages, con siRNA or HIF-1α siRNA was transfected into arsenite-transformed L-02 (T-L-02) cells by lipofectamine(TM)2000 and were set as T-L-02+con siRNA group and T-L-02+HIF-1α siRNA group as well as L-02 group and T-L-02 group, EMT index and levels of HIF-1α were detected by western blots. The reporter assays were performed to determine if HIF-1α directly regulate Snail transcriptional activity, and soft agar colony formation and Transwell assay were used to detect the malignancy, invasion, and migration ability of cells. Results: When L-02 cells were treated for 10 generations with 2 μmol/L NaAsO(2), relative expressions of E-cadherin were gradually increased compared to control cells, while the levels of N-cadherin, Snail, and HIF-1α were gradually increased in the L-02 cells compared to control cells, showing the longer the treatment time was, the more obvious the change was ( P< 0.05) . Down regulating the level of HIF-1α by siNRA caused E-cadherin levels to rise compared to T-L-02 group, while the levels of N-cadherin and Snail fall back compared to T-L-02 group ( P< 0.05) . Double luciferase reporter gene assays showed that HIF-1α directly targeted Snail to regulate its expression. Soft agar colony formation and Transwell assays showed that the numbers of formed colonies, invasion cells, and metastasis cells of cells in T-L-02 group were all lower than those in L-02 group ( P< 0.05) . Conclusion: HIF-1α is involved in arsenite-induced EMT and malignant transformation of human liver epithelial cells via regulating Snail.

Objective: To investigate the expressions and effects of G250, B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax) and Bcl-2 in rats with renal clear cell carcinoma (RCCC)., Materials and Methods: A total of 66 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected, among which 56 were selected to establish RCCC rat model and the remaining 10 were selected as control group. Three weeks after modeling, 4 rats failed in the modeling. Expressions of G250 in RCCC rat model group and healthy rat model control group were detected by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR); expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in each group were detected by Western blot and their effects were analyzed., Results: The positive expression rates of G250 in 52 RCCC rats in model group and 10 healthy rats in control group were 83.3% and 0%, respectively. The results showed that expression of G250 had a certain correlation with the pathological changes of RCCC (p < 0.01). Expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 were up-regulated in the RCCC group, while expressions were down-regulated in the healthy control group (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: G250, as a new specific marker of renal cell carcinoma, is involved in the pathological changes of renal cell carcinoma. Joint detection of Bax and Bcl-2 can be used as an important index for the diagnosis of RCCC.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the incidence of radiation pneumonitis (RP) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients undergoing helical tomotherapy (HT) and the clinical and dosimetric factors associated with it., Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from the treatment protocols of 62 NSCLC patients. The median total radiation dose was 64 Gy (range 57.6-66 Gy) at 1.8-2.2 Gy/fraction. Thirty-four of these patients underwent HT alone and 28 underwent HT in combination with chemotherapy. Treatment-related pneumonitis was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0., Results: We found that RP grades 1, 2, 3 and 5 occurred in 29 (46.8%), 23 (37.1%), 8 (12.9%), and 2 (3.2%) patients, respectively. Using univariate analyses, we found that a grade ≥3 RP was associated with poor performance status (PS), age, planning target volume, mean lung dose, and relative V5through V25, in increments of 5 Gy (P < 0.005). We determined that PS and V5V15were the most significant factors associated with grade ≥3 RP using multivariate analysis., Conclusions: We found that poor PS and V5-V15 were the risk factors associated with grade ≥3 RP in NSCLC patients treated with HT. Thus, for NSCLC patients treated with HT, the volume of total lung with low-dose region (V5-V15) should be carefully regulated and the use of HT should be restricted in patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group ≥2.

The aim of this study was to optimize candidate antigen proteins for serological screening of Chlamydia trachomatis infection. C. trachomatis positive serum and swabs of genital secretions were collected from 50 patients in the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, as well as from 30 patients negative for C. trachomatis. Samples were assessed by colloidal gold assay in a sexually transmitted disease clinic as follows: serum antibodies for eight kinds of C. trachomatis immunodominant proteins (Pgp3, CPAF, CT143, CT101, CT694, CT875, CT813, and IncA) were detected, and two traditional gold standards, immunofluorescence and C. trachomatis cell culture of genital secretions, were used for comparison in order to determine the antigen protein combinations with the highest sensitivity and specificity. Of the 50 samples that tested positive for C. trachomatis infection by colloidal gold assay, 44 tested positive by micro-immunofluorescence, whereas 6 tested negative. In contrast, 14 samples tested positive by cell culture, whereas 36 tested negative. Serological results of the immunodominant protein combination of Pgp3, CT694, and CT875 shared positive coincidence rates of 97.73 and 92.86% with C. trachomatis micro-immunofluorescence and cell culture, respectively. No antibodies of the three proteins were detected in the 30 C. trachomatis samples that tested negative by colloidal gold assay; these samples also tested negative in C. trachomatis genital secretion culture. Overall, the combination of the three immunodominant proteins Pgp3, CT694, and CT875 had good sensitivity and specificity for serological screening of C. trachomatis infection, and the process was simple and easy to apply.

Rapid genomic change has been demonstrated in several allopolyploid plant systems; however, few studies focused on animals. We addressed this issue using an allotetraploid lineage (4nAT) of freshwater fish originally derived from the interspecific hybridization of red crucian carp (Carassius auratus red var., ♀, 2n=100) × common carp (Cyprinus carpio L., ♂, 2n=100). We constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library from allotetraploid hybrids in the 20th generation (F20) and sequenced 14 BAC clones representing a total of 592.126 kb, identified 11 functional genes and estimated the guanine-cytosine content (37.10%) and the proportion of repetitive elements (17.46%). The analysis of intron evolution using nine orthologous genes across a number of selected fish species detected a gain of 39 introns and a loss of 30 introns in the 4nAT lineage. A comparative study based on seven functional genes among 4nAT, diploid F1 hybrids (2nF1) (first generation of hybrids) and their original parents revealed that both hybrid types (2nF1 and 4nAT) not only inherited genomic DNA from their parents, but also demonstrated rapid genomic DNA changes (homoeologous recombination, parental DNA fragments loss and formation of novel genes). However, 4nAT presented more genomic variations compared with their parents than 2nF1. Interestingly, novel gene fragments were found for the iqca1 gene in both hybrid types. This study provided a preliminary genomic characterization of allotetraploid F20 hybrids and revealed evolutionary and functional genomic significance of allopolyploid animals.

Objective: Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein involved in cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess its expression in colorectal cancer, see whether and how it correlates with clinicopathological features, and evaluate its potential prognostic significance., Patients and Methods: SPARC expression was detected by microarrays containing 847 immunohistochemically stained specimens, and further correlated with the clinicopathological and prognostic data. The prognostic significance of its expression was assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival with log-rank tests. Multivariate regression utilizing Cox's proportional hazard model was used to evaluate prognostic factors., Results: SPARC expression in the normal colorectal mucosa and colorectal cancer tissue was significantly different (p < 0.001). Low SPARC expression was found to be associated with poor prognosis, and it was unfavorably correlated with overall survival and disease-free survival in colorectal cancer patients. In addition, SPARC expression in surrounding mesenchymal and stromal cells, bowel wall invasion, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis were independent prognostic factors for overall survival and disease-free survival., Conclusions: Reduced expression of SPARC in colorectal cancer tissue is associated with poor prognosis and aggressive clinicopathological features. Therefore, SPARC expression could potentially be used as a prognostic predictor for colorectal cancer patients.

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is a deciduous tree originating in the Black Sea/Caspian Sea region where Asia and Europe converge. Being highly valued for its timber and fruit, sweet cherry has been cultivated and naturalized on all continents. Over the past decade, the area of sweet cherry cultivation increased rapidly in China and has reached 140,000 ha. In April 2013, sweet cherry trees (cv. Summit) exhibiting floral virescence symptoms were observed in two orchards located in suburban Taian, Shandong Province, China. The diseased trees developed flowers having white petals with green veins or abnormal floral structures having cupped, green petals. The affected flowers failed to set fruit. A month following the first appearance of the virescence symptoms, the diseased trees became wilted and eventually died. Leaf and stem samples were collected from nine symptomatic and two nearby symptomless trees. Total DNA was extracted from each sample using the Plant Quick DNA Extract Kit (TianGen, Beijing, China). Nested-PCR was carried out using phytoplasma-universal primer pairs P1/P7 and R16F2n/R16R2 (1). All PCR assays with DNA templates from symptomatic samples yielded an amplicon of 1.25 kb, corresponding to the full-length F2nR2 region of phytoplasmal 16S rDNA. No amplicon was generated in PCRs containing DNA templates from symptomless plants. The amplicons were cloned into plasmid vector pMD18-T (TaKaRa, Dalian, China) and sequenced. The obtained sequences were nearly identical, and a representative sequence was deposited into GenBank (Accession No. KF268424). An analysis of the sequence through the iPhyClassifier (4) revealed that the sweet cherry virescence (SCV) disease was associated with infection by a phytoplasma closely related to the reference strain of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi.' The 16S rDNA F2nR2 region of the SCV phytoplasma shared 99.8% nucleotide sequence identity with that of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma ziziphi' reference strain (Accession No. AB052876). A computer-simulated restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the SCV phytoplasma 16S rDNA F2nR2 sequence with a set 17 restriction enzymes (3) resulted in a collective RFLP profile identical to the reference pattern of the elm yellows phytoplasma group, subgroup B (16SrV-B). Phytoplasmal diseases of sweet cherry were reported previously in Europe and the etiological agents were phytoplasmas of other groups, including the aster yellows group (16SrI), the X-disease group (16SrIII), and the apple proliferation group (16SrX) (2). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a phytoplasmal disease of sweet cherry in China, and the SCV phytoplasma is a new member of the subgroup 16SrV-B. Presence of 16SrV-B phytoplasmas and their etiological association with various plant diseases in China have been reported previously; affected host plants included jujube, hemp fiber, paper mulberry, Chinese cherry, plum, apricot, red barberry, clover, dianthus, elm, and sunshine tree. Our identification of the SCV phytoplasma expands the known plant host range of the 16SrV-B phytoplasma lineage. The impact of the SCV phytoplasma in the regional ecosystem and in sweet cherry production is being assessed. References: (1) I. M. Lee et al. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 48:1153, 1998. (2) S. Paltrinieri et al. Acta Hort. 550:365, 2001. (3) W. Wei et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 57:1855, 2007. (4) Y. Zhao et al. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 59:2582, 2009.

Treatment with effective antibiotics is one important strategy for syphilis control in China. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of azithromycin resistance to T. pallidum in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 391 patients with early syphilis recruited from STD clinics in eight cities during October 2008 and October 2011. The swabs were obtained from the moist lesions of the participating patients. A touchdown/nested PCR of the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was performed on DNA samples extracted from these specimens. The presence or absence of the A2058G point mutation, conferring resistance to azithromycin, was determined by restriction enzyme digestion analysis of the PCR amplicon by MboII. Two hundred and eleven patients with primary or secondary syphilis were found to have T. pallidum DNA in their moist lesions by PCR assays. The A2058G mutation was present in 91.9% (194/211, 95% CI, 87.2-95.1%) of these patients, with no significant differences noted between patients from the eastern part (93.8%), southern part (88.6%) and northern part (95.2%) of China (χ(2) = 2.303, p 0.316). Compared with patients who had not taken macrolides in previous years before study entry, the patients who had taken the antibiotics had a significantly higher prevalence of azithromycin resistance (97.0% vs. 62.5%), with an odds ratio of 19.65 (95% CI, 5.77-66.93). It can be concluded that prevalence of azithromycin resistance is substantial in China and consequently that the macrolides should not be used as a treatment option for early or incubating syphilis in China., (© 2012 The Authors Clinical Microbiology and Infection © 2012 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.)

A set of 120 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) was developed from the newly assembled pear sequence and evaluated for polymorphisms in seven genotypes of pear from different genetic backgrounds. Of these, 67 (55.8 %) primer pairs produced polymorphic amplifications. Together, the 67 SSRs detected 277 alleles with an average of 4.13 per locus. Sequencing of the amplification products from randomly picked loci NAUPy31a and NAUpy53a verified the presence of the SSR loci. When the 67 primer pairs were tested on 96 individual members of eight species in the Rosaceae family, 61.2 % (41/67) of the tested SSRs successfully amplified a PCR product in at least one of the Rosaceae genera. The transferability from pear to different species varied from 58.2 % (apple) to 11.9 % (cherry). The ratio of transferability also reflected the closer relationships within Maloideae over Prunoideae. Two pear SSR markers, NAUpy43c and NAUpy55k, could distinguish the 20 different apple genotypes thoroughly, and UPGMA cluster analysis grouped them into three groups at the similarity level of 0.56. The high level of polymorphism and good transferability of pear SSRs to Rosaceae species indicate their promise for application to future molecular screening, map construction, and comparative genomic studies among pears and other Rosaceae species.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the effects of body mass index (BMI) at 1 year after transplantation on chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN)., Methods: We grouped 564 kidney transplanted patients between June 1997 and March 2005 according to BMI at 1 year after transplantation: group I showed a BMI more than 18.5 and less than or equal to 25 (normal weight); group II, BMI greater than 25 and less than or equal to 30 (overweight); and group III, BMI greater than 30 (obese). We retrospectively studied all patients. All donors were living donors, none of whom were prisoners., Results: One-year posttransplant BMI was greater than preoperative values in groups II and III (P < .05 and P < .01 respectively). The CAN incidences among the three groups were 34.9% (128/367), 38.4% (48/125), and 43.1% (31/72), respectively (group I vs III; P < .05). With the increase in 1-year posttransplant BMI the rates of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia increased, but there was no difference in acute rejection episodes among the three groups. Multivariate analysis revealed BMI at the first postoperative year to show a significant influence on CAN., Conclusions: One-year BMI after kidney transplantation has a strong association with CAN. Thus diet control, exercise, and decreased immunosuppressive agent exposure may control BMI and decrease the incidence of CAN., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thirteen strains of Chlamydia trachomatis were exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of erythromycin (0.5 microg ml(-1)), azithromycin (0.5 microg ml(-1)) and josamycin (0.04 microg ml(-1)) to select macrolide-resistant mutants with serial passages. The C. trachomatis mutants presented with low-level resistance to erythromycin, azithromycin and josamycin for which a 16-fold increase, a 16-fold increase and an 8-fold increase respectively in the minimal inhibitory concentration (MICs) for the mutant strains compared with the MIC for the susceptible strains were found. The results of chemosensitivity showed that josamycin had the highest susceptibility rate compared with erythromycin and azithromycin in the treatment of C. trachomatis. The ribosomal protein L4 and 23S rRNA genes of the susceptible and resistant strains of C. trachomatis were partially sequenced. A double mutation was found in ribosomal protein L4 of the mutants, leading to Pro109(CCG)-->Leu(CTG), and Pro151(CCG)-->Ala(GCC) (Escherichia coli numbering) in the corresponding protein, but these mutations were also found in parent strains. An investigation into the sequences of 23S rRNAs in the mutants revealed point mutations of A2057G, A2059G and T2611C (E. coli numbering). These results suggest that point mutations located in 23S rRNA were associated with macrolide resistance in C. trachomatis.

Retinoic acid and its analogues play important roles in modulating cell growth, differentiation, immunity and apoptosis. Clinically they are used for cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Based upon the moiety of 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxy phenyl ring, a series of substituted aromatic amide, ester and chalcones were designed and synthesized, which mimic the molecular shape, size, and spacial disposition of functional groups of retinoic acid. The general structure is as follows: [formula: see text] where R stands for hydrogen atom or methyl group, Y is the linkage -CONH-, -NHCO-, -COO-, -COCH = CH-, or a member of a heterocycle, X represents various substituents at different positions. The SAR indicates that the presence of hydrophobic group(s) at one end of the molecule, and a carboxyl group at the other end, and a conjugative system of molecule are necessary and full prerequisite for exhibiting activity. Loss of any one factor of them will abolish the activity. Being obligatory for anti-oxidative effect, the phenolic hydroxy group does not convey biological activity, because after methylation of the hydroxy group the compound increases the differentiation-inducing activity and loses the anti-oxidative effect, indicating that there is no correlation between the two activities. With a stable conformation of two phenyl rings with cis-conformation N-methylated acyl amide (No. 30) features in bent shape of the molecule, instead of an extended conformer, which is taken by the non-N-methylated partner and all-trans retinoic acid. A bent conformer of No. 30 accounts for the inactivity. In this paper compounds No. 4f, 4g, 5a, 7, 13, 32, 37, and 38 exhibited significant activity among them 4-[3-(3, 5-di-t-4-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxo-1-propenyl] benzoic acid (No. 38) showed high activity comparable to that of retinoic acid. The pharmacological action of No. 38 is under investigation.

Risk factors predicting deterioration to diabetes mellitus were examined in 181 subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Fifty-seven subjects had impaired glucose tolerance on one occasion followed by normal glucose tolerance at a repeat oral glucose tolerance test, and 124 subjects had impaired glucose tolerance on two successive oral glucose tolerance tests. Subjects were followed for a median period of 5.0 years (range 1.0-17.2). The age- and sex-adjusted cumulative incidence of diabetes at 10 years of follow-up was higher in subjects who had impaired glucose tolerance on both tests (70%) than in those whose glucose tolerance was normal at the repeat test (53%), [rate ratio (RR) = 1.6, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.0-2.5]. Proportional hazards analyses were used to identify baseline risk factors (measured at the repeat oral glucose tolerance test) for subsequent diabetes, and incidence rate ratios were calculated for the 90th percentile compared with the 10th percentile of each continuous variable for the whole group. In all subjects, in separate models, higher body mass index [RR = 2.0, 95% CI = 2.2-9.9], high fasting serum insulin concentrations [RR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.4-4.2], and low early insulin response [RR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.3-0.8] 30 min after a glucose load were significant predictors for deterioration to diabetes. In a multivariate analysis which controlled for age and sex, 120-min post-load glucose, fasting insulin and late insulin response predicted diabetes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

High blood pressure, abnormal glucose tolerance, and obesity are frequently associated with each other, but the mechanism of these associations is poorly understood. Studying them in children may help in understanding the pathogenesis of hypertension. Blood pressure, height, weight, and plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test were measured in 1,698 Pima Indian children aged 6-17 years who participated in an ongoing epidemiologic study. Weight relative to height was used as an index of obesity. The parents of many of the children were also examined. Fasting and 2-hour glucose and insulin concentrations, adjusted for age, sex, and relative weight, were positively related to systolic blood pressure but not to diastolic blood pressure. Relative weight, 2-hour glucose, and fasting insulin concentrations were independently and significantly associated with systolic blood pressure in a stepwise regression analysis that included age and sex. After parental hypertension was taken into account, maternal but not paternal non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, controlled for the child's relative weight and glucose and insulin concentrations, was significantly associated with higher blood pressure in children. The stronger association with maternal diabetes suggests a greater sharing of environmental factors between mother and child than between father and child, but familial similarities in obesity and glucose and insulin concentrations, the diabetic intrauterine milieu, and shared environmental factors probably all contribute to this association.

Isochromosomes related to chromosomes 1, 5, 6, 8, and 9 were frequently observed in 23 cases of lung cancer. Their existence in tumor cells might be nonrandom. Premature centromere separation (PCS) was found in the PGT-131 cell line of a lung cancer. It is suggested that PCS may play a role in the formation of isochromosomes in lung cancer.

Blood pressure was measured in 490 non-proteinuric Pima Indians from the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona at least 1 year before the diagnosis of Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Urine albumin concentration was measured in the same subjects 0-24 years (mean 5 years) after diabetes was diagnosed. Prevalence rates of abnormal albumin excretion (albumin-to-creatinine ratio > or = 100 mg/g) after the onset of Type 2 diabetes were 9%, 16%, and 23%, respectively, for the lowest to highest tertiles of pre-diabetic mean blood pressure. When controlled for age, sex, duration of diabetes and pre-diabetic 2-h post-load plasma glucose concentration, higher pre-diabetic mean blood pressure predicted abnormal urinary excretion of albumin after the onset of diabetes. This finding suggests that the higher blood pressure seen in diabetic nephropathy is not entirely a result of the renal disease, but may precede and contribute to it.

To identify factors related to the development of end-stage renal disease after the onset of proteinuria, its incidence was determined in 364 Pima Indians aged 35 years or older with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and proteinuria (protein-to-creatinine ratio > or = 0.5 g/g). Of these 364 subjects, 95 (36 men, 59 women) developed end-stage renal disease. The cumulative incidence was 40% 10 years after and 61% 15 years after the onset of proteinuria. The incidence of end-stage renal disease was significantly related to the duration of diabetes, the duration of proteinuria, higher 2-h plasma glucose concentration, type of diabetes treatment, and the presence of retinopathy at the time of recognition of the proteinuria, but not to age, sex, or blood pressure. Duration of proteinuria influenced the risk of end-stage renal disease, contingent, however, upon the duration of diabetes at the onset of proteinuria. The higher cumulative incidence of end-stage renal disease 15 years after the onset of proteinuria in Pima Indians (61%) than in Caucasians from Rochester, Minnesota (17%) may be attributable, in part, to the younger age of onset of Type 2 diabetes in Pima Indians than in Caucasians, to ethnic differences in susceptibility to renal disease, or to lower death rates among the Pima Indians from competing causes of death, such as coronary heart disease.

Direct chromosome analyses were performed in 50 cases of primary breast carcinoma. Thirty-six cases had modal chromosome counts in the diploid range; the other 14 cases were polyploid. Of the 22 cases with detailed G-banding analyses, the most frequent structural changes involved chromosome 1 (15 of 22), 3 (13 of 22), and 6 (13 of 22). Deletion of chromosome 1p was noted in nine cases, and both 3p- and 6q- were noted in 10 cases.

Among Pima Indians with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus the relationships between glycated haemoglobin (HbA1), fasting or 2-h post-load plasma glucose and diabetic retinopathy were examined by cross-sectional and prospective analyses, and the strengths of the associations were directly compared by receiver operating characteristic analysis. In the cross-sectional analysis, HbA1, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose were each significantly related to retinopathy among 789 diabetic subjects by separate logistic models. In a stepwise multiple logistic model in which HbA1, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose were included, HbA1 was selected as having the strongest association with retinopathy and neither fasting nor 2-h plasma glucose contributed significantly to the model once HbA1 was entered. Similarly, in the prospective analysis, HbA1, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose all predicted retinopathy in 227 diabetic subjects by separate proportional-hazards models. In a stepwise proportional-hazards model with HbA1, fasting and 2-h plasma glucose available to the model, HbA1 was again selected as having the strongest association with the incidence of retinopathy, and neither fasting nor 2-h plasma glucose significantly added to the prediction of retinopathy. A receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine if HbA1 was statistically significantly better than fasting or 2-h plasma glucose in assessing the risk for retinopathy. In neither the cross-sectional nor the prospective data did the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for HbA1 differ significantly from that for fasting or 2-h plasma glucose (p > 0.05 for each).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cytogenetic findings in a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis in a 60-year-old patient was observed for the first time. The stemline karyotype of the tumor was 46,XY,del(2) (q33q36),der(4)t(4;?)(p16;?),der(5;15)(q10;q10),der(8)t(8;?13)(p21 ;?),-13,- 13,-15,+3mar.

Two cell lines of human pancreatic cancer have been established, which can be successfully transplanted into pancreas of nude mice, the first of this kind of cell lines in China. Fresh specimens human of pancreatic cancer taken surgically were transplanted in the pancreas of pure line BALB/C-nu/nu nude mice. The transplanted tumours grew and reproduced successfully, and were named PINMP-1 and PINMP-2, respectively. So far, 9 generations of PINMP-1 and 6 generations of PINMP-2 were obtained. Their biological properties, ways of invasion and metastasis and morphological characteristics under light and electron microscope were studied. The results showed a 95%-100% transplanting success rate, with the success rate of transplanting from tissues revivified from the liquid nitrogen preservation being 100%. Both of the lines could produce large amount of CEA, and chromosome analysis confirmed that they had retained a karyotype of the human cancer cells. In nude mice transplanted with the tumours, metastasis could be found in the lymph nodes, lungs and livers. Metastasis via lymphatic channels and blood vessels were also demonstrated. The pathological and ultrastructural examination confirmed that the transplanted tumours had identical characteristics as their donor tumours. The transplanted cells grew independently in the pancreas of the nude mice, making a better model for study on tumour invasion and metastasis than subcutaneously transplanted tumours. This indicated that the microenvironment in the transplantation site had certain influence on the biological behavior of the transplanted tumours. The models could be used in the study on the invasion, metastasis and experimental therapy of pancreatic carcinomas.

The prevalence and incidence of CHD, defined by ECG abnormalities according to the Tecumseh criteria for Minnesota Codes, were determined in Pima Indians greater than or equal to 25 yr of age. In a cross-sectional analysis, the age-sex-adjusted prevalence (+/- SE) of ECG abnormalities was higher in 1454 NIDDM patients (6.86 +/- 0.65%) than in 1696 nondiabetic subjects (3.23 +/- 0.63%; prevalence rate ratio = 2.12; 95% CI 1.39-3.25). In a prospective analysis, the age-sex-adjusted incidence (+/- SE) of ECG abnormalities was higher in 824 NIDDM patients (12.77 +/- 1.67) than in 935 nondiabetic subjects (5.93 +/- 1.43 cases/1000 person-yr; incidence rate ratio = 2.15; 95% CI 1.26-3.69). The prevalence of ECG abnormalities in insulin-treated NIDDM patients was significantly higher than in NIDDM patients not treated with insulin (age-sex-adjusted OR = 2.83; 95% CI 1.84-4.33); and this association persisted when adjusted for other factors such as sBP, BMI, duration of diabetes, serum cholesterol concentration, and oral hypoglycemic agents (OR = 2.12; 95% CI 1.34-3.37). In the prospective analysis, the incidence of ECG abnormalities in NIDDM patients treated with insulin was higher than in those NIDDM patients not treated with insulin, but, when controlled for age, sex, duration of diabetes, and oral hypoglycemic agents in a proportional-hazards model, the relationship with insulin treatment was not statistically significant (incidence rate ratio = 1.36; 95% CI 0.80-2.31). This suggests that insulin treatment may be a marker of more severe diabetes, and that factors associated with clinical indications for insulin treatment, rather than insulin treatment per se, are related causally to CHD. On the other hand, endogenous fasting and 2-h postload serum insulin concentrations were not associated with ECG abnormalities among 761 NIDDM patients not treated with insulin nor among 1226 nondiabetic subjects. Furthermore, in the prospective study, neither endogenous fasting nor 2-h postload serum insulin was associated with the subsequent development of ECG abnormalities in NIDDM patients or nondiabetic subjects.

Chromosome studies were performed on direct preparations of seven cases of primary colorectal carcinomas. Two cases had relatively simple chromosome changes: 48,XY,+8,+21/51, XY,+8,+9,+10,+i(17q),+21, and 47,der(X)t(X;14)(q11;q11)-Y,t(6;18)(p22;q24)+7,+8,der(19)t (19;?)(q13;?). The five others had complicated deletions and translocations; 1p- was noted in five cases, and i(17q) was noted in three cases.

In an attempt to investigate the harmful effects of the infection of Toxoplasma and associated with cytomegalovirus on the fetus infection acquired transplacentally during their mothers' pregnancy sera from 1000 pregnant women were tested for antibodies to both pathogens and the circulating antigen of Toxoplasma by using ELISA. The test was positive (titre > or = 1:60400) in 32 of 1000 cases. Judging from the sero-positive results together with the case history, clinical manifestations and B-scan results, the 32 cases were advised to end their pregnancy. Necropsy and pathological examinations of the foetuses revealed stillborn foetus, hydrocephalus, acephalus, pleural effusion, ascites and other congenital malformations. Toxoplasma gondii were found in the tissues of 21 fetuses.

Cytogenetic analysis was performed on eight primary gastric cancers. Three of them had simple chromosome changes: 47,XX,+X/48,XX,+X,+X; 48,XX,+8,+19,t(3;5) (q21;q31) and 47,XY,+del(7)(q22). The five others had complicated chromosome changes; both 3p- and 7q- were noted in four cases and i(5p) was noted in two cases.

The crystal structure of the aspartyl protease encoded by the gene pol of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1, isolate BRU) has been determined to 2.7 A resolution. The enzyme, expressed as an insoluble denatured polypeptide in inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli has been renatured and crystallized. It differs by several amino acid replacements from the homologous enzymes of other HIV-1 isolates. A superposition of the C alpha-backbone of the BRU protease with that of the SF2 protease gives a roots mean square positional difference of 0.45 A. Thus, neither the denaturation/renaturation process nor the amino acid replacements have a noticeable effect on the three-dimensional structure of the BRU protease or on the detailed conformation of the catalytic site, which is very similar to that of other aspartyl proteases.

In direct preparation of five primary esophageal cancers, chromosomes 1, 3, and 12 were most frequently involved in structural abnormalities; 12p- was consistently seen in all five cases and, thus, could be considered as one of the characteristic chromosome changes in esophageal cancer. Moreover, 2p-, 4p-, and 7q- were seen in three cases.

The trophoblast was dissociated from the underlying mesenchymal layer either with acetic acid after short-term prefixation or with mechanical power after fixation twice. The colcemid treatment time was shorted to 16 min and trypsin solution of low pH (6.2) was used for banding. By these steps, the quality of chromosome banding was greatly improved and complete standard chromosome diagnoses were made in 24 of 24 cases. With the modified technique, high resolution banding chromosomes were consistently obtained after short-term incubation.