The risks, degree of malignancy and clinical progression of prostate cancer associated with the MDM2 T309G polymorphism： a meta-analysis

To determine the risk, malignant degree and clinical progression of prostate cancer （PCa） associated with mouse double-minute 2 protein （MDM2） T309G variants, a meta-analysis was performed on all eligible published studies. Odds ratios （ORs） with 95% confidence intervals （CIs） were estimated to assess these associations in seven studies that included 5151 cases and 1003 controls. In the overall analysis, the 309G allele was significantly associated with a decreased PCa risk （0R=0.85, 95% CI： 0.74-0.97）; this was also the case for the homozygous comparison （0R--0.72, 95% Ch 0.55-0.95） and the dominant genetic model （0R=0.79, 95% Ch 0.65-0.96）. The 309G allele was also found to be significantly associated with lower degrees of PCa malignancy （0R=0.85, 95% Ch 0.75-0.96） in the overall analysis, as well as in the heterozygous comparison （0R=0.79, 95% Ch 0.65-0.96）, homozygous comparison （0R=0.76, 95% Ch 0.58-0.98） and dominant genetic model （0R=0.81, 95% CI： 0.68-0.96）. Furthermore, grouping analysis showed that the 309G allele in Caucasians was significantly correlated with a decreased PCa risk （0R=0.77, 95% Ch 0.61-0.96）; this was also the case in the homozygous comparison （0R=0.51, 95% Ch 0.31-0.86）. The grouping analysis also showed that the 309G variant in Caucasians was significantly associated with a lower degree of PCa malignancy in all of the genetic models. In addition, we found that the 309G variant in Caucasians was significantly associated with a slower PCa clinical progression in all of the genetic models. In summary, our meta-analysis showed that the MDM2 309G variant was significantly associated with a decreased PCa risk, lower malignant degree and slower clinical progression in Caucasians, but there was no obvious association in the Asian population.

Correlation between molecular biomarkers and risk factors for the clinical progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia using tissue microarray immunostaining

Background The pathogenesis of benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH） has been widely studied,and several biomarkers are known to play roles in its development.This study aimed to investigate the possible role of cysteine-rich protein 61 （CYR61）,vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）,androgen receptor （AR）,interleukin-6 （IL-6）,cytochrome c,caspase-3,and proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA） in the clinical progression of BPH.Methods Tissue specimens from 96 BPH cases who underwent transurethral resection of the prostate were processed and transferred to tissue microarrays.Patient age,prostate volume,serum prostate-specific antigen （PSA） level,and International Prostate Symptom Score （IPSS） of all BPH cases were collected before surgery.The expression of CYR61,VEGF,AR,IL-6,cytochrome c,caspase-3,and PCNA was examined by immunostaining in the BPH specimens,and any possible correlation between the different biomarkers and risk factors for BPH clinical progression was analyzed.Results The expression of CYR61,VEGF,AR,IL-6,cytochrome c,caspase-3,and PCNA in the BPH cases was 68.8％ （66/96）,77.1％ （74/96）,43.8％ （42/96）,31.3％ （30/96）,35.4％ （34/96）,56.3％ （54/96）,and 29.2％ （28/96）,respectively.The expression of both CYR61 and VEGF was positively correlated with patient age,prostate volume,and serum PSA level （P ＜0.05）.Furthermore,cytochrome c and caspase-3 expression were inversely related to prostate volume （P ＜0.05）,and AR expression was positively related to serum PSA level （P ＜0.05）.Conclusion CYR61 and VEGF expression might serve as biomarkers for predicting the clinical progression of BPH due to effects on stromal cell proliferation and angiogenesis.

Factors contributing to clinical picture and progression of Huntington's disease

Huntington’s disease（HD）is an autosomal dominant,monogenic,progressive,neurodegenerative and rare disease with a frequency of10 per 100,000 in the Caucasian population and occurring more rarely in other races（Squitieri et al.,1994）.HD is,nevertheless,one of the most frequently and extensively studied diseases of those caused by a dynamic mutation.The HD mutation is located on the short arm of the 4th chromosome within the HTT gene.

Clinical research progress of traumatic brain injury related markers

Traumatic brain injury is a brain injury caused by biomechanics effects on brain tissue,In addition to primary brain injury,secondary brain injury caused by local brain injury,edema and high intracranial pressure on surrounding brain tissue further aggravates the disease.The improvement of modern medical equipment and medical technology can provide early intervention treatment for patients.However,due to the particularity of the disease and the complexity of pathological and physiological reactions,irreversible damage often occurs in the central nervous system,with high disability rate and mortality.In recent years,it has been found that the related biological markers in the process of TBI are related to brain tissue injury and neurological function,and have important clinical application value in judging the severity of brain injury and prognosis evaluation,which has been widely studied.This paper intends to summarize the clinical research progress of TBI-related prognostic markers.

Diagnostic value of serum human epididymis protein 4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have demonstrated that human epididymis protein 4(HE4)is overexpressed in various malignant tissues including ovarian,endometrial,lung,breast,pancreatic,and gastric cancers.However,no study has examined the diagnostic impact of HE4 in patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)until now.AIM To analyze the value of four serum tumor markers for the diagnosis of ESCC,and examine the associations of serum levels of HE4 with ESCC patients’clinicopathological characteristics.METHODS The case group consisted of 80 ESCC patients,which were compared to a control group of 56 patients with benign esophageal disease.Serum levels of HE4,carcinoma embryonic antigen(CEA),alpha fetal protein,and carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)were detected by ELISA.The associations of serum HE4 levels with ESCC patients’clinicopathological characteristics such as gender,tumor location,and pathological stage were also examined after operation.RESULTS The result of ELISA showed that serum HE4 level was significantly higher in the patients with ESCC than in the controls,and the staining intensity was inversely correlated with the pathological T and N stages.Serum HE4 levels had a sensitivity of 66.2%and specificity of 78.6%when the cutoff value was set at 3.9 ng/mL.Moreover,the combined HE4 and CA19-9 increased the sensitivity to 83.33%,and interestingly,the combination of HE4 with CEA led to the most powerful sensitivity of 87.5%.Furthermore,A positive correlation was observed between HE4 serum levels and pathological T and N stages(P=0.0002 and 0.0017,respectively),but there was no correlation between HE4 serum levels and ESCC patient gender(P=0.4395)or tumor location(P=0.6777).CONCLUSION The results of this study suggest that detection of serum HE4 levels may be useful in auxiliary diagnosis and evaluation of the progression of ESCC.

Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Post-stroke Depression

The patients with post-stroke depression often form a negative evaluation of themselves,and even have the idea of suicide in serious cases.Therefore,post-stroke depression has become one of the most common complications of mental illness after stroke,which seriously hinders the normal rehabilitation of the central nervous system,thus increasing the disability rate,early recurrence rate and mortality rate of patients.Therefore,the active treatment of post-stroke depression is very necessary.Western medicine uses antidepressant drugs for this kind of patients,but because the side effects of antidepressants are relatively large,the compliance of patients is not good,it is not easy to see the effect,while traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has many ways to deal with post-stroke depression with obvious advantages,the side effects are relatively small,and there is more compliance in patients.This paper focuses on several TCM treatment methods,hoping to provide a reference for the treatment of post-stroke depression.

Research Progress of Animal-specific Antibiotics

[Objective]In order to summarize the research progress of animal-specific antibiotics. [Methods]Mechanism of action and clinical application of animal-specific antibiotics which were commonly used in clinical were simply summarized. [Results] The most common animal-specific antibiotics are cephalosporins,aminoglycoside,pleuromutilin,macrolides,quinolones and chloramphenicols. [Conclusions] The study provides a reference for clinical veterinary staff.

Periprostatic fat thickness measured on MRI correlates with lower urinary tract symptoms,erectile function,and benign prostatic hyperplasia progression

This study investigated the correlation between periprostatic fat thickness(PPFT)measured on magnetic resonance imaging and lower urinary tract symptoms,erectile function,and benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)progression.A total of 286 treatment-naive men diagnosed with BPH in our department between March 2017 and February 2019 were included.Patients were divided into two groups according to the median value of PPFT:high(PPFT>4.35 mm)PPFT group and low(PPFT<4.35 mm)PPFT group.After the initial evaluation,all patients received a combination drug treatment of tamsulosin and finasteride for 12 months.Of the 286 enrolled patients,244 completed the drug treatment course.Patients with high PPFT had larger prostate volume(PV;P=0.013),higher International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS;P-0.008),and lower five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function(IIEF-5)score(P=0.002)than those with low PPFT.Both high and low PPFT groups showed significant improvements in PV,maximum flow rate,IPSS,and quality of life score and a decrease of IIEF-5 score after the combination drug treatment.The decrease of IIEF-5 score was more obvious in the high PPFT group than that in the low PPFT group.In addition,more patients in the high PPFT group underwent prostate surgery than those in the low PPFT group.Moreover,Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis indicated that PPFT was positively correlated with age,PV,and IPSS and negatively correlated with IIEF-5 score;however,body mass index was only negatively correlated with IIEF-5 score.

Recent Progress in Basic and Clinical Research on Disorders of Consciousness

Severe brain injury can lead to disorders of consciousness （DOCs）. Since DOC patients cannot communicate functionally or behave purposefully, most remain bedridden and require laborious care. The medical community is often confronted with the expectations of the families of chronic DOC patients, and the social, economic, and ethical consequences are tremendous. Research on DOCs is attracting increasing attention from scientists and physicians in various fields. With the development of modern neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques, much progress has been made in the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of DOCs in the last decade.

PROGRESS IN SURGICAL TREATMENT OF HYDATID DISEASESIN CHINAA CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF 22 005 SURGICAL CASES

Altogether 27716 cystic hydatid cases and 445 alveolar hydatid cases slinically diagnosed and surgically treated in China were retrospectively studied.

Effect of Longbishu Capsule (癃闭舒胶囊) plus Doxazosin on Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia:A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective：To investigate the effect of Longbishu Capsule（癃闭舒胶囊,LBS）,doxazosin,and combination therapy on benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）.Methods：A randomized,double-blind,multi-center parallel trial was conducted involving 360 patients in hospitals in Beijing（108 cases）,Heilongjiang（90 cases）,Sichuan（90 cases）,Shanghai（72 cases）,China.They were randomly assigned with central randomization method to group A（LBS placebo plus doxazosin）,group B（LBS plus doxazosin）or group C（LBS plus doxazosin placebo）,120 cases for each group.The international prostate symptom score,maximum urinary flow rate,postvoid residual urine volume and prostate volume were measured for evaluating the efficacy of the three treatments.Results：At baseline,there was no significant difference in the measured variables among the three groups.After 12-month treatment,the three groups showed significant improvements in IPSS and maximum urinary flow rate from baseline（P〈0.01）.Although postvoid residual urine volume was not significantly different from the baseline in group A（P〉0.05）,it significantly decreased in group B and C（P〈0.05）.The incidence of adverse events were similar among the three groups.Conclusions：The treatment of LBS alone or LBS plus doxazosin was able to significantly improve IPSS in patients with BPH.The treatments may reduce the increase in prostate volume and postvoid residual urine volume as well.

Recent Highlights of Chinese Medicine for Advanced Lung Cancer

Owing to its unique superiority in improving quality of life and prolonging survival time among advanced lung cancer patients, Chinese medicine（CM） has, in recent years, received increased attentions worldwide. We utilized a bibliometric statistical method based on MEDLINE/Go Pub Med to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current application status of CM in lung cancer, by including annual and accumulated publications, origin distribution of countries and journals, and keywords with a higher frequency score. Then the relevant clinical trials and mechanistic studies were systematically summarized within the field according to research types. We have raised potential problems and provided potentially useful reference information that could guide similar studies in the future. The basic experimental results are highly consistent with clinical trials, leading us to conclude that CM can offer better overall therapeutic benefits when used in combination with routine Western medicine for patients with advanced lung cancer.