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Highlights: [•] Oviparous and viviparous Phyrnocephalus lizards from China form sister taxa. [•] This resolves recent debates about the relationships among these species. [•] The two groups diverged about 9.7Ma ago (95% posterior interval: 7.2–13.0Ma ago). [•] The high altitude viviparous lineage appears to have evolved during major uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. [•] Speciation events tend to be more recent in the viviparous clade (<5Ma). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examined body size, litter size and evidence for Bergmann's and Rensch's rules among eight closely related viviparous Phrynocephalus ( Agamidae) lineages from the Qinghai- Xizang ( Tibetan) Plateau. Mean snout-vent length and (relative) abdomen length was greater in females than males, whereas absolute and relative mean head size, fore - and hindlimb length was larger in males. These patterns suggest that body size may reflect sexual evolutionary conservatism. The lizards are smaller at higher elevations or in colder climates, representing the converse of Bergmann's rule. Absolute differences in female body size among taxa are not equal to the male differences among taxa. This results in a slope less than one when male size is regressed on female size, which allows rejection of Rensch's rule for this group. The female body size elevation-related cline was steeper than the corresponding male cline. Litter sizes were both smaller and less variable at higher elevations. These elevational clines remained after application of phylogenetic comparative methods, indicating that ecological processes play a more important role than phylogeny in shaping patterns of size and reproductive variation in these lizards. It is suggested that seasonal activity and temperature are important environmental factors that contribute to the converse Bergmann's cline, while fecundity selection in females and sex-specific differential-plasticity likely explain why patterns do not conform to Rensch's rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether lung cancer clusters in families in a high incidence county of China, an analysis was conducted using data on domestic fuel history and tobacco use for family members of 740 deceased lung cancer probands and 740 controls (probands' spouses). Lung cancer prevalence was compared among first-degree relatives of probands and of controls, taking into account various factors using logistic regression and generalised estimating equations. First-degree relatives of probands, compared with those of controls, showed an excess risk of lung cancer (odds ratio (OR)=2.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.68-2.53). Overall, female relatives of probands had a greater risk than did their male counterparts, and the risk was 2.90-fold for parents of probands as compared with parents of spouses. Female relatives of probands had 2.67-fold greater risk than female controls. Lung cancer risk was particularly marked among mothers (OR=3.78, 95% CI: 2.03-7.12). Having two or more affected relatives was associated with a 2.69-5.40-fold risk increase. The risk elevation was also found for other cancers overall. Results confirm previous findings of a genetic predisposition to lung cancer, and also imply that lung cancer may share a genetic background with other cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This in vitro study aimed to investigate the influence of flowable composite lining with different thicknesses on the marginal quality and internal porosity of Class II composite restorations. Thity-two intact molars, each prepared with two box-only Class II cavities, were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1, P60 filling alone; Group 2, ultrathin flowable composite lining/co-cured with overlaying composite; Group 3, thin lining/pre-cured and Group 4, thick lining/pre-cured. The teeth were then thermocycled for 1500 cycles (between 5 °C and 60 °C) and dye immersed for 24 hours. Exterior surface replicas of these restorations were fabricated before and after thermocyling and examined by SEM to evaluate percentages of the five marginal patterns. Data was statistically evaluated using one-way ANOVA test. The teeth were subsequently sectioned longitudinally. The interface microleakage of cervical margin was measured as to the extent of dye penetration. Internal voids were separately recorded in the cervical interface and the cervical and occlussal halves of the restorations. Mann-Whitney test was applied to analyze the interface microleakage and internal voids. Results revealed that replicas of Group 4 presented the highest percentage of marginal openings both before and after thermocycling in SEM examination. Group 2 exhibited superior marginal quality in interface microleakage evaluation compared to the other groups, while Group 4 exhibited the worst. The pre-cured groups (Group 3 and 4) showed significant reduction in interface and cervical voids. Despite the reduction in interface voids, a thick lining may impair the marginal sealing, especially after thermocycling. It was concluded that a minimally thin flowable composite lining improved cavity adaptation and marginal sealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constitutively activated signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) factors, in particular STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5, have been demonstrated in a variety of human tumours and cancer cell lines. However, data on the expression of these STATs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are limited. In this study, the expression patterns of STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5 were immunohistochemically examined on the archival specimens from 61 patients with NPC. Staining results of each STATs were then correlated with the clinical parameters and prognosis of these patients. The results showed that constitutive activation of STAT3 and STAT5 was detected in the majority, 70.5 and 62.3%, respectively, of the 61 tumour specimens. Furthermore, coexpression of activated STAT3 and STAT5 was found in 54.1% of the specimens. In contrast, constitutive activated STAT1 could only be detected in 8 (13.1%) cases. Surprisingly, following radiotherapy, patients with constitutive STAT5 activation, or activation of both STAT3 and STAT5, had better disease-free survival and overall survival than those without activated STAT5. To our knowledge, this is the first report providing the overall expression patterns and prognostic significance of specific STATs in NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the influence of a flowable composite lining on marginal microleakage and internal voids in a Class II composite restoration. Forty-eight extracted molars were prepared with Class H cavities and randomly divided into four groups: Group I-Prodigy filling/ Revolution lining; Group H-Prodigy filling only; Group III-Tetric Ceram/Tetric Flow lining; Group IV-Tetric Ceram filling only. After thermocycling tests and dye soaking, these teeth were sectioned longitudinally. Gingival-marginal microleakage and internal voids in three separate portions of the restoration (Interface, Cervical and Occlusal voids) were observed with a stereomicroscope. Results revealed no significant difference in the marginal sealing between pairs with or without the flowable composite lining. Restorations conducted with a flowable composite lining (Groups I and III) exhibited fewer total voids and fewer voids in the interface (p<0.05). However, there was no significant correlation between the number of restoration voids and the associated microleakage. A flowable composite lining in a Class II resin filling could effectively reduce the voids in the interface and the total number of voids in the restoration, but may not necessarily improve marginal sealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution pattern of certain monosaccharides in the epithelial cells of the hamster buccal pouch was studied during carcinoma development induced by 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzathrancene (DMBA). An avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) immunohistochemical technique with high affinity biotinylated lectins was employed to identify monosaccharides. Lectins used in this experiment included Concanavalin A (Con A), for identifying mannose or glucose, Ricinus communis agglutinin I(RCA-I), for identifying galactose, and Ulex europaeus agglutinin I(UEA-I), for identifying fucose. The results show that in normal buccal pouch epithelial cells, fuctose or galactose were concentrated predominantly on the cellular membrane, while mannose and glucose were distributed in the cytoplasm. In the epithelial cells undergoing neoplastic transformation induced by DMBA, most cells showed decreased staining of the above-mentioned monosaccharides, while in other areas the cells were heavily stained. However, the most striking change which occurred was that galactose and fucose shifted from the cellular membrane to the intracytoplasmic area during the malignant transformation. Thus, the changes of anatomic location and intensity of staining of monosaccharides in the buccal pouch epithelium may be used as a criteria for early histochemical diagnosis of malignant transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a nuclear protein synthesized in the late G1 and S phase of the cell cycle which can be detected immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tissue as a useful marker for the proliferating fraction of cells in tissue specimens. Thirty-eight cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were studied in groups according to clinical staging and histological grading (UICC system), these included 5 cases of T1, 13 cases of T2, and 20 cases of T3, and 19 cases of Gl, 12 cases of G2, and 7 cases of G3. The mean percentage of PCNA positively stained tumor cells in this series was 29.2. The mean percentages of PCNA-positive cells in each stage and grade were: T1 (13.7%), T2 (24.4%), and T3 (34.3%); GI (30.5%), G2 (24.8%), and G3 (33.2%). The results indicate that the percentage of PCNA positively stained tumor cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma was significantly greater when tumor size was larger than 2 cm (T1 versus T2/T3). However, there was no significant difference between T2 and T3. There was no correlation between the number of PCNA- stained tumor cells and histological grade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse lipoid pneumonitis is rare. Prednisolone can be beneficial, but no other method of treatment has been tried. The first case of diffuse lipoid pneumonitis successfully managed with whole lung lavage is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Malnutrition is common among inpatients with cirrhosis. However, data on the prevalence of malnutrition among stable ambulatory patients with cirrhosis is lacking. We sought to investigate the prevalence of patents at risk of malnutrition (ARMN) among ambulatory patients with cirrhosis using the Royal Free Hospital-Nutrition Prioritizing Tool (RFH-NPT) and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and compare their correlation to clinical outcomes., Methods: Patients attending an outpatient liver cirrhosis clinic at a tertiary hospital were screened for ARMN using both the RFH-NPT and MUST (defined by a score of ≥2 for either tool). Differences in clinical outcomes after 6 mo were compared., Results: There were 134 patients recruited. The RFH-NPT identified more ARMN patients compared with MUST (32.8% versus 8.2%; P < 0.01; Cohen κ, 0.27 [95% CI, 0.12-0.42]; P < 0.001). Fluid overload at recruitment was the only independent predictor of disagreement between the RFH-NPT and MUST (odds ratio [OR], 43.14; 95% CI, 8.70-214.00; P < 0.001). There was a trend toward an increased risk of mortality for ARMN patients by the RFH-NPT (hazard ratio, 3.58; 95% CI, 0.81-15.83; P = 0.06) but not by the MUST (P = 0.62). The incidence of hospital admissions in ARMN patients was higher by the RFH-NPT, with an incidence rate ratio of 13.27 (95% CI, 5.11-43.70; P < 0.001), but not in ARMN patients by the MUST (P = 0.85). Being ARMN by the RFH-NPT was the only independent predictor of hospital admissions (OR, 15.08; 95% CI, 2.47-91.98; P = 0.003)., Conclusions: The RFH-NPT identified more ARMN patients when compared with the MUST, especially among patients with fluid overload. Patients at risk of malnutrition were at an increased risk of hospital admissions and possibly death., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This paper introduces the distribution of global lithium resources and absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of lithium in the human body, discussing the positive effect of lithium in the environment on the nervous system and its neuroprotective mechanism. The tiny amounts of lithium that enter the body through the food chain have been linked to beneficial health effects, such as improved cognition and reduced depression and violence. However, the safe dose range of lithium is narrow, and the health effects of drinking high concentrations of lithium water in high-lithium areas are unclear. It is necessary to study the health effects and mechanisms of different doses of lithium, especially high concentrations of lithium in the environment.

Objective: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most ordinary fatal cancers. Recent studies have identified the vital role of genes in the development and progression of Tri-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this research, DGCR8 was studied to identify how it functioned in the metastasis of TNBC., Patients and Methods: DGCR8 expression of tissues was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) in 50 TNBC patients. Wound healing assay and transwell assay were used to observe the changes in the biological behaviors of TNBC cells through knockdown or overexpression of DGCR8. In addition, qRT-PCR and Western blot assay were performed to discover the potential target protein of DGCR8 in TNBC., Results: DGCR8 expression level in TNBC samples was higher than that of adjacent ones. Besides, the migration ability and invasion ability of TNBC cells were inhibited after DGCR8 was silenced, while they were promoted after DGCR8 was overexpressed. In addition, TGF-β was downregulated after silencing of DGCR8 in TNBC cells, while TGF-β was upregulated after overexpression of DGCR8 in TNBC cells. Furthermore, TGF-β was upregulated in TNBC tissues, which was positively associated with DGCR8., Conclusions: Our study uncovers a new oncogene in TNBC and suggests that DGCR8 can enhance TNBC cell migration and invasion via targeting TGF-β, which provides a novel therapeutic target for TNBC patients.

Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by social interaction and communication impairments, accompanied by repetitive behaviors. Little is known about the causes and contributing factors for autism. It is difficult to prevent and cure, and has become a globe public health problem. With the development in the prevalence of autism, the idea how the environmental factors cause the autism, gains all attentions. Summarizing latest epidemiological studies and experimental evidence, this review is focused on the effect of environmental factors, including air pollutant, heavy metal and pesticides, and discussed the relation between environmental risk factors and autism. The results showed that risks of autism in children may increase following in prenatal exposure to air pollutants, heavy metal and pesticides. It is needed to do the research on the mechanism of environmental risk factor and autism for more prevention, treatment and control suggestions.

Increasing evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as important regulatory factors in tumor progression. However, their roles in breast cancer remain largely unknown. In present studies, we identified aberrantly expressed long intergenic non-coding RNA APOC1P1-3 (lincRNA-APOC1P1-3) in breast cancer by microarray, verified it by quantitative real-time PCR, and assessed methylation status in the promoter region by pyrosequencing. We also investigated the biological functions with plasmid transfection and siRNA silencing experiments, and further explored their mechanisms by RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation to identify binding proteins. We found that 224 lncRNAs were upregulated in breast cancer, whereas 324 were downregulated. The lincRNA-APOC1P1-3 was overexpressed in breast cancer, which was related to tumor size and hypomethylation in its promoter region. We also found that APOC1P1-3 could directly bind to tubulin to decrease α-tubulin acetylation, to inactivate caspase-3, and to inhibit apoptosis. This study demonstrates that overexpression of APOC1P1-3 can inhibit breast cancer apoptosis.

We examined whether angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II type 1 receptor blockers (ARB) prevent isoproterenol (ISO)-induced left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in dogs. The effects of a large dose of ISO, 1 microg/kg/min, 3 h infusion, were investigated in three groups with simultaneous infusion of an ACE inhibitor (quinaprilat), ARB (candesartan) or saline. ISO infusion significantly decreased LV dP/dt, LV ejection fraction and LV fractional shortening, and significantly increased tau, the time constant of isovolume relaxation of LV, and LV end diastolic pressure. All of these changes were significantly attenuated in both the ACE inhibitor and ARB groups, especially in the ARB group. Serum levels of creatinin kinase isoform MB, lactate dehydrogenase and lipid peroxide were significantly increased by ISO. However, the increases in these markers of myocardial damage were significantly diminished by simultaneous infusion of an ACE inhibitor or ARB, especially by ARB. In conclusion, an ACE inhibitor and ARB prevent LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction as well as myocardial damage induced by excess beta-adrenergic stimulation.

Statement of Problem: Because conventional glass ionomer cements are moisture sensitive, a surface coating is recommended during the initial setting stage. It is unknown whether resin-modified glass ionomer cements also need surface protection., Purpose: This study investigated the effect of various surface protections on microleakage with Class V resin-modified glass ionomer restorations., Material and Methods: Forty extracted molars with buccal and lingual Class V cavity preparations were restored with a resin-modified glass ionomer (Fuji II LC). The occlusal margin of each restoration was on enamel and the cervical margin on dentin. After immediate finishing and polishing, the teeth were divided into 4 groups according to the following surface protection treatments: group I, unprotected; group II, Fuji varnish; group III, resin adhesive; and group IV, acid etching and resin adhesive. After these procedures, all teeth were stored in isotonic saline for 24 hours, thermocycled 1500 times at 5 degrees C to 60 degrees C, and soaked in dye solution for 24 hours. The teeth then were longitudinally sectioned and observed under a stereomicroscope. The degree of dye penetration was recorded and analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests (P<.05), Results: None of the 4 groups demonstrated complete margin sealing at either the occlusal or cervical margins. Groups II and III displayed the least microleakage at cervical margins; a significant difference existed between groups I and III (P=.034). Compared with the other 3 groups, group IV showed significantly greater microleakage at the cervical margins., Conclusion: Although resin-modified glass ionomers can be finished immediately, they remain moisture sensitive. Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that resin adhesive should be used as a surface protection to reduce margin microleakage of resin-modified glass ionomer restorations.

We report a genetic carrier of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN 2A) who underwent prophylactic total thyroidectomy. The asymptomatic carrier of MEN 2A, an 8-year-old Taiwanese girl, was admitted for early thyroidectomy. Preoperative basal plasma concentrations of calcitonin and intact parathyroid hormone, and urine vanillylmandelic acid excretion, were normal. Ultrasonography of the thyroid was also normal. Pathology did not reveal any gross lesion but C-cell hyperplasia of the thyroid gland was found microscopically. Prophylactic total thyroidectomy is encouraged and is justified during the first decade of life for MEN 2A carriers.

Microarray technology was used to gain an insight into the molecular events of tumor cell growth inhibition mediated by the soy isoflavone genistein. For this, a susceptible bladder tumor line TCCSUP was treated with the inhibitory dose (50 microM) of genistein for various periods of time, followed by mRNA isolations, cDNA probe preparations, and hybridization individually to cDNA chips containing 884 sequence-verified known human genes. After analyzing the hybridization signals with a simple quantitative method developed by this study, we detected that egr-1, whose expression has been associated with proliferation and differentiation, was transiently induced and this expression pattern was later confirmed by RT-PCR. Thus, microarray technology is a reliable and powerful tool for profiling gene expression patterns in many biological systems related to cancer. We further detected many groups of genes with distinct expression profiles and most of them encode for proteins that regulate the signal transduction or the cell cycle pathways. These genes warrant further investigation as regards their roles in the susceptibility of the tumor cell line to the antitumor drug., (Copyright 2001 National Science Council, ROC and S. Karger AG, Basel)

A total of 1,210 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli collected from a university hospital in southern Taiwan were screened for production of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs). Expression of classical ESBLs (resistant to extended-spectrum beta-lactam agents and susceptible to beta-lactam inhibitors) was inferred in 18 isolates by the phenotypic confirmatory test. These included 10 isolates producing CTX-M-3, 2 strains carrying SHV-12, 1 strain harboring SHV-5, 1 strain expressing TEM-10, and 4 strains producing unidentifiable ESBLs with a pI of 8.05, 8.0, or 7.4. Eighteen isolates that showed decreased susceptibilities to ceftazidime and/or cefotaxime, negative results for the confirmatory test, and high-level resistance to cefoxitin (MICs of >/=128 microg/ml) were also investigated. Five isolates were found to produce CMY-2 AmpC enzymes, one isolate carried both CTX-M-3 and CMY-2, and the remaining three and nine isolates expressed putative AmpC beta-lactamases with pIs of >9.0 and 8.9, respectively. Thus, together with the isolate producing CTX-M-3 and CMY-2, 19 (1.6%) isolates produced classical ESBLs. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that all isolates carrying CTX-M-3 and/or CMY-2 were genetically unrelated, indicating that dissemination of resistance plasmids was responsible for the spread of these two enzymes among E. coli in this area. Among the 16 isolates expressing CTX-M-3 and/or CMY-2, 5 might have colonized outside the hospital environment. Our data indicate that CTX-M-3 and CMY-2, two beta-lactamases initially identified in Europe, have been disseminated to and are prevalent in Taiwan.

The therapeutic effects of both cytokine-secreting tumor vaccine and DNA vaccine were studied using mouse MBT-2 bladder cancer cells as a model. Cytokine-secreting MBT-2 cells were obtained by infecting cells with retroviral particles containing interleukin (IL) 2-, IL-4-, or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-expression vector. The MBT-2-IL-2 cells were not tumorigenic in syngenic C3H mice at all. Tumor formation decreased significantly for the MBT-2-GM-CSF cells. MBT-2-IL-2, -IL-4, and -GM-CSF cells were killed by irradiation and tested as tumor vaccines. The irradiated MBT2-IL-2 cells could complete protect mice from the growth of the preexisting tumor cells, and the immune memory lasted for 8 months. On the other hand, irradiated MBT-2-IL-4 and MBT-2-GM-CSF cells were less effective. When the loading tumor mass increased, all tumor vaccines lost protective effects. DNA vaccine encoding the tumor antigen neu was additionally tested to improve the therapeutic efficacy. Coinjection of 60 microg pSV-neu DNA was effective in enhancing the antitumor effects of MBT2-IL-2; however, DNA vaccine alone cannot prevent the progression of the preexisting tumor. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor infiltrate revealed massive increase of CD4+ lymphoid cells in the group of mice treated with both DNA vaccine and IL-2-secreted tumor vaccine. Western blotting demonstrated the presence of anti-neu antibody in the serum from immunized mice. In contrast, combination of DNA vaccine and MBT-2-GM-CSF has no additive effect. The results indicate the combination of DNA vaccine and IL-2-secreting tumor vaccine can additionally improve therapeutic efficacy, and the efficacy is correlated with the increase of CD4+ T lymphocytes and anti-neu antibody.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is strongly associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The metastasis to cervical lymph nodes represents a frequent initial manifestation of NPC. The usefulness of EBV detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the diagnosis of occult NPC with cervical metastasis has been reported. Our previous study showed that EBER1 in-situ hybridization was somewhat more sensitive and specific than PCR in detecting EBV in the evaluation of specimens from a population at high risk for NPC., Methods: Fine-needle aspiration cytologic specimens of neck masses from 30 patients were investigated, including 10 NPC primary tumors, 19 squamous cell carcinomas from other sites of the head and neck (9 oral cavity, 2 paranasal sinuses, 2 oropharynx, 3 larynx, and 3 hypopharynx), and 1 diffuse large-cell lymphoma. EBER1 in-situ hybridization was performed on direct smears made from aspirates., Results: EBER1 signals were detected in all neck metastases from the nasopharynx but none of the specimens from other primary sites., Conclusions: This study suggests that EBER1 in-situ hybridization can be used as a supplemental tool for differential diagnosis whenever fine-needle aspiration cytologic examination is presented with a neck metastasis without knowing the primary site., (Copyright 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Tie-2, angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 are all important vascular morphogenesis factors which exhibit their functions in angiogenesis and blood vessel remodeling in embryonic stage. However, their roles in post-natal inflammatory angiogenesis are still unclear. Pyogenic granuloma is a benign inflammatory lesion that mostly occurs on the gingiva of females with high levels of steroid hormones. Prominent capillary growth in hyperplastic granulation tissue is characteristic histopathologically in pyogenic granuloma. The purpose of this study was to detect and compare the expressions of Tie-2, Ang-1, Ang-2, ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 among pyogenic granuloma on human gingiva, gingiva diagnosed with periodontitis and healthy gingiva by immunohistochemistry. The immunostaining revealed that all of the endothelial cells and some mesenchymal cells expressed Tie-2. The cells which expressed Ang-1 and Ang-2 were mainly macrophage- or monocyte-like mesenchymal cells and smooth muscle cells surrounding blood vessels. The expression of ephrin-B2 and Eph-B4 was not exclusively limited to the endothelial cells of arteries and veins, respectively, as in mice embryo. Eph-B4 was expressed in the endothelial cells of newly budding capillaries and venules while ephrin-B2 was expressed in macrophage-like mesenchymal cells. Some of the ephrin-B2 positive cells were in direct contact with endothelial cells. The statistical analysis demonstrated that all of the five factors were upregulated in pyogenic granuloma compared to healthy gingiva. In conclusion, the 5 polypeptides mentioned above may play important roles in the process of adult inflammatory neovascularization, especially in pyogenic granuloma. It is highly plausible that most of the new capillaries in inflammatory angiogenesis originated from venules instead of arterioles.

Background: Pyogenic granuloma is a benign inflammatory lesion demonstrating obvious activity of angiogenesis. Female steroid hormones are believed to play important roles in the etiology because the lesion is frequently found in females with high levels of sex hormones. Few molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis have been proposed and proven. The purpose of this study was to detect and compare the expression of angiogenesis-associated factors among healthy gingiva, gingiva from periodontitis, and pyogenic granuloma to clarify the pathogenesis of pyogenic granuloma., Methods: Fifteen specimens were collected from each of 3 groups of gingiva (healthy gingiva, periodontitis, and pyogenic granuloma). The subjects were age and gender matched. The specimens were processed for immunohistochemistry to detect and compare the expression of 2 angiogenesis enhancers, i.e., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), 2 angiogenesis inhibitors, i.e., angiostatin and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), and estrogen receptor (ER). Using the subject as the unit of statistical analysis, either analysis of variance or chi-square analysis was employed to show the statistically significant difference at a level P <0.05., Results: The pyogenic granuloma group expressed significantly more VEGF and bFGF than healthy gingiva and periodontitis. The positive staining of VEGF was mostly localized in the cytoplasm of macrophages and fibroblasts while that of bFGF was in the extracellular matrix of lamina propria. Angiostatin was expressed significantly less in pyogenic granuloma than the other 2 groups and was mostly localized in the nuclei of endothelial cells and epithelial cells. There was no significant difference in the expression of TSP-1 and ER among the 3 groups., Conclusions: The results of this research suggest that the etiology of pyogenic granuloma is due to the imbalance between angiogenesis enhancers and inhibitors. Whether and how the angiogenesis-associated factors are regulated by female steroid hormones remain to be answered.

A total of 543 specimens were cultured in parallel with the MB/BacT and BACTEC MGIT 960 systems and on the conventional solid media. Mycobacteria were identified from 95 (17.5%) specimens, including 63 (66.3%) Mycobacterium tuberculosis and 32 (33.7%) nontuberculous mycobacteria. The recovery rates for the MB/BacT, MGIT 960, and solid media were 91.6, 87.4, and 54.7%, respectively, for all mycobacteria; the recovery rates were 93.6, 88.9, and 63.4%, respectively, for M. tuberculosis complex alone, and 87.5, 84.4, and 37.5%, respectively, for all nontuberculous mycobacteria. The mean times to detection of all mycobacteria by individual systems were 13. 9, 8.7, 31.7 days for the MB/BacT, MGIT 960 and solid media, respectively, 13.9, 9.3, 32.9 days for M. tuberculosis alone, and 14. 1, 8.1, 27.2 days for all nontuberculous mycobacteria. The contamination rates of the MB/BacT and MGIT 960 were 10.2 and 5.4%, respectively. With regard to detection times and recovery rates, both automated systems are superior to the conventional media (all p < 0.005). As compared to the MB/BacT, the MGIT 960 detected mycobacterial growth more rapidly (p < 0.001), and had a lower contamination rate (p = 0.003); however, there was no statistically significant difference in recovery rates between these two systems. These results indicate that both MGIT 960 and MB/BacT systems are rapid, sensitive, and efficient methods for the recovery of mycobacteria from clinical specimens.