AIM: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the uridine-diphosphoglucurono-syltransferase (UGT) UGT1A7 and UGT1A1 genes and patients suffering from colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS:...AIM: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the uridine-diphosphoglucurono-syltransferase (UGT) UGT1A7 and UGT1A1 genes and patients suffering from colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A case-control study was designed in order to investigate the genotypes of the UGT1A7 and UGT1A1 genes, which were identified by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method, for 268 CRC patients and 441 healthy controls. RESULTS: The results of simple logistical regressions revealed odds ratios (ORs) of 1.97 (P<0.001),1.91 (P<0.001),and 2.03 (P<0.001) for patients who carried the UGT1A7*1/*3 genotype,UGT1A7*3 allele,and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele.The interaction of UGT1A7*3 allele and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele produced an additive effect on the risk for the development of CRC [observed OR (2.34) greater than expected OR (1.59)]. For the 268 patients, the results of simple logistical regressions indicated that the OR of developing metastases was 4.90 (P<0.001) and 4.89 (P<0.001) for the individuals possessing UGT1A7*3 allele and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele, respectively. The results of multivariate logistical regressions confirmed these findings (OR = 2.51, P= 0.01; and OR=2.71,P=0.01,respectively).The interaction of these two variants resulted in an additive effect on the risk for metastases amongst patients [observed OR (6.83) greater than expected OR (4.56)]. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, carriage of the UGT1A7*3 allele, as well as variant-211 UGT1A1 allele represents a risk factor for the development of, and a determinant for, metastases associated with CRC patients.展开更多
AIM： To evaluate the feasibility of a new clinical rating scale for a standardized assessment of cirrhosis-associated neuro-psychiatric symptoms. METHODS： Forty patients with liver cirrhosis （LC, with or without lo...AIM： To evaluate the feasibility of a new clinical rating scale for a standardized assessment of cirrhosis-associated neuro-psychiatric symptoms. METHODS： Forty patients with liver cirrhosis （LC, with or without low-grade hepatic encephalopathy） were investigated using a clinical neuro-psychiatric rating scale based on a comprehensive list of neurological, psychomotor, cognitive, affective, behavioral symptoms, and symptoms of disturbed bioregulation. RESULTS： The analysis revealed that the majodty of cirrhotic patients showed, besides characteristic neurological symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy, various psychomotor, affective and bioregulatory symptoms （disturbed sleep and sexual dysfunction）. Patients were impaired in the following subscales： sleep and biorhythm disorder （75.0% of patients）, Parkinsonoid symptoms （25.0%）, affective symptoms （17.5%）, and psychomotor retardation （12.5%）. The increase of total neuro-psychiatric clinical score was significantly associated with the degree of hepatic encephalopathy. CONCLUSION： This study suggests that a substantial number of patients with LC and low-grade hepatic encephalopathy manifest various clinical neuro-psychiatric symptoms. The use of a rating scale, which explores clinical dimensions of hepatic encephalopathy, would improve the management of patients with LC.展开更多
Objective To investigate the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) in the sera of connective tissue diseases (CTD) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and its correlation with clinical...Objective To investigate the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) in the sera of connective tissue diseases (CTD) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and its correlation with clinical manifestations. Methods AECAs in sera of 39 CTD patients with PAH,22 CTD patients without PAH,and 10 healthy donors as controls were detected with Western blotting. The prevalence of different AECAs in different groups was compared and its correlation with clinical manifestations was also investigated. Results The prevalence of AECAs was 82.1% in CTD patients with PAH,72.7% in CTD patients without PAH,and 20.0% in healthy donors. Anti-22 kD AECA was only detected in CTD patients with PAH (15.4%). Anti-75 kD AECA was more frequently detected in CTD patients with PAH than in those without PAH (51.3% vs. 22.7%,P<0.05). In CTD patients with PAH,anti-75 kD AECA was more frequently detected in those with Raynaud’s phenomenon or with positive anti-RNP antibody. Conclusion AECAs could be frequently detected in CTD patients with or without PAH,while anti-22 kD and anti-75 kD AECA might be specific in CTD patients with PAH.展开更多
Since the mid-1980s Chinese calligraphy art has undergone a radical change and has opened itself to experimentation. A vivid debate on CCC （Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy） （Zhongguo xiandai shufa） is involving a...Since the mid-1980s Chinese calligraphy art has undergone a radical change and has opened itself to experimentation. A vivid debate on CCC （Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy） （Zhongguo xiandai shufa） is involving art critics in China nowadays. WANG Dongling and the modernists think that, despite many changes and influences, we can still refer to the traditional calligraphic lexicon to describe the calligraphic production of contemporary Chinese art. They still remain deeply rooted in the signified system of Chinese writing, even if they break with the strict rules of Chinese classical aesthetic （contamination of Western elements and focus on the stylistic exploration）. WANG Nanming and the Avant-garde think that ＂contemporary calligraphy is not calligraphy yet＂： It is ＂anti-calligraphy＂, annihilates Chinese tradition, rejects the use of legible characters, experiments with new languages and new media within the idiom of international contemporary art. The result is the creation of works of art that could be assimilated to Abstract art, Abstract expressionism, Conceptual art, Performance art, Contemporary dance, Multimedia art, and even Street art. This paper aims at showing how still valid and extremely productive are both these two theoretical and creative/practical approaches to Chinese calligraphy in China nowadays. They turned the art of calligraphy into a medium for global comprehension and communication.展开更多
A 27-year-old male started to have his ankles swollen during his military service. He was examined at a military hospital where electromyoneurography showed the signs of distal sensory-motor polyneuropathy with axon d...A 27-year-old male started to have his ankles swollen during his military service. He was examined at a military hospital where electromyoneurography showed the signs of distal sensory-motor polyneuropathy with axon demyelinization and weak myopathic changes, whereas histopathological examination of gastrocnemius muscle biopsy revealed some mild and nonspecific myopathy. Besides, he was found to have subcutaneous ankle tissue edemas and hypertransaminasemia. Due to these reasons, he was dismissed from the military service and examined at another hospital where bone osteodensitometry revealed low bone mineral density of the spine. However, his medical problems were not resolved and after the second discharge from hospital he was desperately seeing doctors from time to time. Finally, at our institution he was shown to have celiac disease (CD) by positive serology (antitissue transglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies) and small bowel mucosal histopathological examination, which showed total small bowel villous atrophy. Three months after the initiation of gluten-free diet, his ankle edema disappeared, electromyoneurographic signs of polyneuropathy improved and liver aminotransferases normalized. Good knowledge of CD extraintestinal signs and serologic screening are essential for early CD recognition and therapy.展开更多
基金Supported by a Grant From the National Science Council (NSC 93-3112-B-242-001), Taipei, Taiwan, China
文摘AIM: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the uridine-diphosphoglucurono-syltransferase (UGT) UGT1A7 and UGT1A1 genes and patients suffering from colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: A case-control study was designed in order to investigate the genotypes of the UGT1A7 and UGT1A1 genes, which were identified by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method, for 268 CRC patients and 441 healthy controls. RESULTS: The results of simple logistical regressions revealed odds ratios (ORs) of 1.97 (P<0.001),1.91 (P<0.001),and 2.03 (P<0.001) for patients who carried the UGT1A7*1/*3 genotype,UGT1A7*3 allele,and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele.The interaction of UGT1A7*3 allele and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele produced an additive effect on the risk for the development of CRC [observed OR (2.34) greater than expected OR (1.59)]. For the 268 patients, the results of simple logistical regressions indicated that the OR of developing metastases was 4.90 (P<0.001) and 4.89 (P<0.001) for the individuals possessing UGT1A7*3 allele and variant-211 UGT1A1 allele, respectively. The results of multivariate logistical regressions confirmed these findings (OR = 2.51, P= 0.01; and OR=2.71,P=0.01,respectively).The interaction of these two variants resulted in an additive effect on the risk for metastases amongst patients [observed OR (6.83) greater than expected OR (4.56)]. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, carriage of the UGT1A7*3 allele, as well as variant-211 UGT1A1 allele represents a risk factor for the development of, and a determinant for, metastases associated with CRC patients.
文摘AIM： To evaluate the feasibility of a new clinical rating scale for a standardized assessment of cirrhosis-associated neuro-psychiatric symptoms. METHODS： Forty patients with liver cirrhosis （LC, with or without low-grade hepatic encephalopathy） were investigated using a clinical neuro-psychiatric rating scale based on a comprehensive list of neurological, psychomotor, cognitive, affective, behavioral symptoms, and symptoms of disturbed bioregulation. RESULTS： The analysis revealed that the majodty of cirrhotic patients showed, besides characteristic neurological symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy, various psychomotor, affective and bioregulatory symptoms （disturbed sleep and sexual dysfunction）. Patients were impaired in the following subscales： sleep and biorhythm disorder （75.0% of patients）, Parkinsonoid symptoms （25.0%）, affective symptoms （17.5%）, and psychomotor retardation （12.5%）. The increase of total neuro-psychiatric clinical score was significantly associated with the degree of hepatic encephalopathy. CONCLUSION： This study suggests that a substantial number of patients with LC and low-grade hepatic encephalopathy manifest various clinical neuro-psychiatric symptoms. The use of a rating scale, which explores clinical dimensions of hepatic encephalopathy, would improve the management of patients with LC.
基金Supported by Chinese National Key Technology R&D Program (2006BAI01A07, 2008BAI59B02)Clinical Grant of Chinese Medicine Association (08010270105)
文摘Objective To investigate the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECAs) in the sera of connective tissue diseases (CTD) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and its correlation with clinical manifestations. Methods AECAs in sera of 39 CTD patients with PAH,22 CTD patients without PAH,and 10 healthy donors as controls were detected with Western blotting. The prevalence of different AECAs in different groups was compared and its correlation with clinical manifestations was also investigated. Results The prevalence of AECAs was 82.1% in CTD patients with PAH,72.7% in CTD patients without PAH,and 20.0% in healthy donors. Anti-22 kD AECA was only detected in CTD patients with PAH (15.4%). Anti-75 kD AECA was more frequently detected in CTD patients with PAH than in those without PAH (51.3% vs. 22.7%,P<0.05). In CTD patients with PAH,anti-75 kD AECA was more frequently detected in those with Raynaud’s phenomenon or with positive anti-RNP antibody. Conclusion AECAs could be frequently detected in CTD patients with or without PAH,while anti-22 kD and anti-75 kD AECA might be specific in CTD patients with PAH.
文摘Since the mid-1980s Chinese calligraphy art has undergone a radical change and has opened itself to experimentation. A vivid debate on CCC （Contemporary Chinese Calligraphy） （Zhongguo xiandai shufa） is involving art critics in China nowadays. WANG Dongling and the modernists think that, despite many changes and influences, we can still refer to the traditional calligraphic lexicon to describe the calligraphic production of contemporary Chinese art. They still remain deeply rooted in the signified system of Chinese writing, even if they break with the strict rules of Chinese classical aesthetic （contamination of Western elements and focus on the stylistic exploration）. WANG Nanming and the Avant-garde think that ＂contemporary calligraphy is not calligraphy yet＂： It is ＂anti-calligraphy＂, annihilates Chinese tradition, rejects the use of legible characters, experiments with new languages and new media within the idiom of international contemporary art. The result is the creation of works of art that could be assimilated to Abstract art, Abstract expressionism, Conceptual art, Performance art, Contemporary dance, Multimedia art, and even Street art. This paper aims at showing how still valid and extremely productive are both these two theoretical and creative/practical approaches to Chinese calligraphy in China nowadays. They turned the art of calligraphy into a medium for global comprehension and communication.
文摘A 27-year-old male started to have his ankles swollen during his military service. He was examined at a military hospital where electromyoneurography showed the signs of distal sensory-motor polyneuropathy with axon demyelinization and weak myopathic changes, whereas histopathological examination of gastrocnemius muscle biopsy revealed some mild and nonspecific myopathy. Besides, he was found to have subcutaneous ankle tissue edemas and hypertransaminasemia. Due to these reasons, he was dismissed from the military service and examined at another hospital where bone osteodensitometry revealed low bone mineral density of the spine. However, his medical problems were not resolved and after the second discharge from hospital he was desperately seeing doctors from time to time. Finally, at our institution he was shown to have celiac disease (CD) by positive serology (antitissue transglutaminase and antiendomysial antibodies) and small bowel mucosal histopathological examination, which showed total small bowel villous atrophy. Three months after the initiation of gluten-free diet, his ankle edema disappeared, electromyoneurographic signs of polyneuropathy improved and liver aminotransferases normalized. Good knowledge of CD extraintestinal signs and serologic screening are essential for early CD recognition and therapy.
