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Background Huntingtin‐interacting protein 1‐related (HIP1R) is a multi‐domain gene that exerts many cellular functions including altering T cell–mediated cytotoxicity and controlling intracellular trafficking. However, its clinical significance and function in gastric cancer (GC) have not been described. Methods The expression levels of HIP1R were tested by the transcriptional and translational expression analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) in matched adjacent non‐tumorous vs tumor tissue specimens. The biological function of HIP1R on apoptosis, migration, and proliferation was evaluated by flow cytometry, Transwell, Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assays, colony formation assays, and EdU labeling assays, respectively. Results We found downregulated HIP1R in GC compared with adjacent non‐tumorous tissue, and HIP1R expression associated with N classification. We further found that the expression of HIP1R could induce apoptosis and inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion of GC cells, possibly through modulating Akt. Conclusions Our data indicate that HIP1R may act as a potential diagnostic biomarker and a tumor suppressor gene in GC, potentially representing a novel therapeutic target for future GC treatment.

Aims Accumulating evidence over the past decade has shown that abnormal activation of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to tumour progression and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we investigated the expression of interleukin-like EMT inducer (ILEI) and EMT-associated markers (E-cadherin, vimentin) in CRC tissues and determined the correlations between ILEI expression and clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and EMT in CRC. Methods and results In total, 194 patients diagnosed with CRC based on histopathological evaluation and those subjected to surgical resection at the First Hospital of China Medical University between 2003 and 2005 were examined. Immunohistochemical staining for ILEI, vimentin and E-cadherin was performed for each specimen. Cytoplasmic overexpression of ILEI usually accompanied down-regulation of E-cadherin and positive expression of vimentin. Conversely, ILEI was simultaneously down-regulated with overexpression of E-cadherin and negative expression of vimentin. ILEI overexpression was associated significantly with T-stage, N-stage, TNM stage and EMT phenotype (P = 0.024

Today, most persons with Down syndrome (DS) survive into middle age, but information on their social conditions as adults is limited. We addressed this knowledge gap using data from national registers in Denmark. We identified a national cohort of 1,998 persons with DS who were born between 1968 and 2007 (1,852 with standard trisomy 21, 80 with Robertsonian translocations and 66 with mosaicism) using the Danish Cytogenetic Register. We followed this cohort from 1980 to 2007. Information on social conditions (education, employment, source of income, marital status, etc.) was obtained by linkages to national registers, including the Integrated Database for Longitudinal Labor Market Research. For those aged 18 and older, more than 80% of persons with DS attended 10 years of primary school, with about 2% completing secondary or post-secondary education. About 4% obtained a full-time job, whereas the remaining mainly received public support from the government. Only a few (1-2%) of persons with DS were married or had a child. No significant differences in these social conditions were seen between males and females. More persons with mosaic DS attended secondary or post-secondary education, had a full-time job, were married, or had a child (18%, 28%, 15%, and 7%, respectively), compared with persons with standard DS (1%, 2%, 1%, and 1%, respectively). These data may provide families with better insight into social conditions and society with a better understanding of the social support needed for persons with DS. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Aims Recent studies have revealed that glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) plays important roles in cancer progression. The role of GAD65 in gastric cancer development, progression and prognosis is currently unknown, and we aimed to investigate this. Methods and results Immunohistochemistry revealed that GAD65 expression in 313 gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than in 60 adjacent non-tumour tissues. Moreover, the expression level of GAD65 significantly correlated with the depth of tumour invasion and TNM stage. GAD65 expression level was a significant prognostic factor in univariate survival analysis, but did not remain an independent prognostic factor following Cox multivariate analysis. For tumours with an intermediate type growth pattern, when those showing low expression of GAD65 were reclassified with expanding type tumours, and those showing high expression with infiltrative type tumours, there was a significant difference in prognosis between these two novel subgroups, and this remained a significant prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. Conclusions Our findings indicate that GAD65 is involved in the development and progression of gastric cancer as a tumour oncoprotein. Further elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of GAD65 is warranted.

Cancer risk in parents may be related to congenital malformations (CMs) in their children if they share genetic susceptibility or environmental exposure that may be teratogenic and carcinogenic. We conducted a population-based cohort study based on Danish register data. We identified 795,607 mothers and 781,424 fathers who had all their children between 1977 and 2007 in Denmark. Information on CM was obtained from the Danish Hospital Registry and information on cancer was obtained from the Danish Cancer Registry. Parents were followed from the birth of their first child until the diagnosis of cancer, death, emigration, or December 31, 2007. We used Cox regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for cancer including cancer in specific organs in mothers and fathers. Overall, 75,701 (9.5%) mothers and 72,724 (9.3%) fathers had at least one child diagnosed with CMs within the first year of life. Neither mothers (HR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.99–1.04) nor fathers (HR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.98–1.09) who had a child with a CM had a higher overall risk of cancer. Mothers (HR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58–1.00) or fathers (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.66–1.19) who had a child with a chromosomal malformation had a lower overall cancer risk. The findings also showed a higher risk for some specific types of cancer in parents who had children with a CM in the specific system. Some, or perhaps all, of these findings may be due to chance caused by multiple comparisons. We present all results on paper or online to provide clues for further research and to avoid publication bias.

Background: Studies suggest that children born very preterm have a high risk of developmental coordination disorder (DCD). We examined the relation between the larger spectrum of gestational age at birth and the risk of DCD. Methods: We used the 7-year follow-up data from 22898 singletons in the Danish National Birth Cohort. We calculated a total score from the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ), incorporated in the 7-year follow-up, and defined children with a score of 46 or below as having probable DCD. Information on gestational age was obtained from the Medical Birth Register. Results: Gestational age at birth was inversely associated with the risk of DCD; a decline in gestational age by a week was associated with a 19% [95% confidence interval 14%, 25%] increased risk of DCD screening positive among children delivered before 40 weeks. No significant increased risk of DCD was seen for children born post-term. Conclusion: Our data indicate that short gestational age at birth in a range up to gestational week 37 is related to an increased risk of DCD.

The bipolar spindle is a complex molecular machinery that drives chromosome congression and segregation. During meiosis in the mouse multiple microtubule organizing centers aggregate to form a bipolar intermediate followed by elongation and establishment of the barrel-shaped acentriolar meiotic spindle. Previous studies have shown that septin1 is localized to spindle poles in mitosis, suggesting its possible involvement in spindle assembly. We, therefore, asked whether perturbation of septin1 will impair the process of spindle assembly and investigated localization and function during mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. Septin1 was localized to the spindle at metaphase and at the midbody during cytokinesis. Disruption of septin1 function using siRNA caused a decrease in PBE and extensive spindle defects. Moreover, the process of chromosome congression was impaired. However, septin1 depletion did not cause aneuploidy in oocyte with an extruded polar body. Taken together, our results show that septin1 is a key player in spindle assembly and chromosome congression in mouse meiosis. Developmental Dynamics 240:2281–2289, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Objective To assess whether onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prior to conception is associated with a delayed time to pregnancy (TTP). Methods The study included pregnant women from across Denmark who enrolled in the Danish National Birth Cohort between 1996 and 2002 and had planned or partly planned the cohort pregnancy. RA diagnosis was identified using the Danish National Hospital Discharge Registry. Self-reported data, including TTP, maternal age, parity, prepregnancy height and weight, maternal occupational status, smoking, and alcohol consumption, were collected using a detailed computer-assisted telephone interview at ∼16 weeks of gestation. We used logistic regression analyses as well as a complementary log regression model to examine whether TTP was influenced by RA, adjusting for the abovementioned variables. Results Overall, compared with women with no recorded RA (n = 74,255), women with prevalent RA (onset prior to conception) (n = 112) were slightly older (mean ± SD age 30.8 ± 4.3 years versus 29.7 ± 4.1 years), were more likely to have been treated for infertility (9.8% versus 7.6%), and were more likely to have taken >12 months to conceive (25.0% versus 15.6%). The association between RA and TTP was borderline significant after adjusting for covariates in the regression analyses (odds ratio 1.6 [95% confidence interval 1.0-2.4]). Similar results were obtained after restricting the analyses to women who had planned the pregnancy or those who were nulliparous before the cohort pregnancy. Conclusion Women with RA onset prior to conception had a slightly longer TTP compared with those who did not have RA, indicating a slight reduction in fecundity. Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Objective. Increasing use of infertility treatment and a decline in demographic fertility in some countries have raised concern whether human fecundity is declining or has declined over time. A dramatic decline in semen quality over the past half- century has been proposed and widely discussed, but none of the existing studies provide data good enough for coming to any firm conclusion. Results. Results from 19 articles published during the last 5 years on semen quality and fecundity, covering data from the Nordic countries since the year 2000, do not indicate an ongoing decline in fertility. Conclusion. We will probably never know, whether semen quality and fecundity has declined over time, but we may be able to monitor biological fecundity and semen quality over time from now on. There are both research initiatives and interest from official channels that could provide more funding for infertility research.

Fatal Occupational Events in a Development Area in East China: 1991 to 1997: Jinliang ZHU, et al. School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University-We analyzed 383 occupational fatal events in a new development area in east China during the period 1991-1997. Most of the events took place during the period 1994-1997, because many large projects related to infrastructure development were ratified and implemented during that period. Extra working shifts on weekends were one of the risk factors in occupational fatalities. Falls, collisions, objects struck against, excavation cave-ins and electrocution were most important types of injury and accounted for the majority of the multiple incident accident types. The most common equipment or environment involved was the work surface, structures being built, cranes, and electric and electronic devices. The most common setting was construction and most incidents occurred in construction. We suggest that the prevention and control of occupational fatalities requires a comprehensive approach which includes improvement of product design, modification of the man-made environment, safety training, enforcement of relevant regulations and ergonomic controls.

To investigate the role of immunity-related medical conditions in the etiology of pancreatic cancer, we analyzed data from a population-based case-control study of pancreatic cancer conducted in Shanghai during 1992 and 1993. Information on prior histories of selected auto-immune diseases and allergic conditions was obtained from 108 incident pancreatic-cancer cases and 275 age- and gender-frequency matched controls by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. A prior history of auto-immune diseases was associated with a 2-fold elevated risk of pancreatic cancer (95% CI = 1.0-4.2), with an indication of a dose-response relation for the number of reported diseases. In contrast, a prior history of allergic condition was related to reduced risk (OR = 0.6, 95% CI = 0.4-1.1). With the possible exception of drug allergy, such an inverse association was seen for virtually all allergic conditions., although none of the OR was statistically significant. This study suggests that host immune function may be involved in the etiology of pancreatic cancer. Further investigations into the mechanism of these observed associations are warranted.