Association of serum testosterone with atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association between the level of serum testosterone and atherosclerosis in middle-aged and elderly men.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We conducted a population-based study of 413 males aged 40-75 years in a community in Guangzhou. We obtained the sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data, physical measurements, and laboratory results of sex hormones, blood glucose, and blood lipid of the subjects. We also measured the carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) by color Doppler ultrasonography.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The subjects were divided into a carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) group (CIMT ≥ 0.9 mm) and a non-CAS group (CIMT < 0.9 mm). The medians of free testosterone (FT) were 57.41 and 59.72 pmol/L in the CAS and non-CAS groups, respectively (P = 0.005), and no significant difference was found between the two groups in total testosterone (TT). The levels of serum FT and TT were negatively correlated to CIMT, with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of -0.126 (P = 0.011) and -0.188 (P < 0.001), respectively. The incidence rates of CAS were 23.30, 13.46, 17.48, and 7.77% in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively according to the quartile of FT (P for trend = 0.008) and 17.48, 18.27, 16.50, and 9.71% respectively according to the quartile of TT (P for trend = 0.116). Based on the quartile of FT and after adjustment for age, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and HbAlc, the risk of CAS was significantly increased in the Q1 group as compared with Q4 (OR = 2.491, 95% CI 1.01-6.149), but no statistically significant differences were observed according to the quartile of TT.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A low serum FT level may be a risk factor of atherosclerosis in Chinese men aged 40 years or older.</p>

Changes of AFP and beta-hCG in testicular tumors analyzed by a function method / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a new function method for the analysis of a-fetoprotein (AFP) and beta-hCG in testicular tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We reexamined the serum levels of AFP and beta-hCG after radical orchiectomy, and calculated the measured coordinate, with the abscissa representing the number of the half-lives of tumor markers, and the ordinate representing the measured value of tumor markers. Referring to the measured value of tumor markers before surgery as a, the number of half-lives as x, and their theoretical value over a period of x elimination half-lives as y (logarithm to the base 2 of y), we calculated the predicted coordinate according to the formula y = log2(a/2x) ==> x + y = log2a (function 1). Then we assessed tumor residue and metastasis by analyzing the relationship between the measured and predicted coordinates.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The pathological examination of case 1 revealed a germ cell tumor of a mixed histological pattern of syncytiotrophoblast and yolk sac tumor. The measured coordinates of AFP and beta-hCG were (2.22, 6.21) and (10, 8.38), and the predicted coordinates (2.22, 6.34) and (10, 4.41) , indicating the elimination of the yolk sac tumor and metastasis of the syncytiotrophoblast tumor. Case 2 demonstrated the mixed pathological nature of teratocarcinoma and yolk sac tumor. The measured coordinates of AFP and beta-hCG were (2.67, -1.03) and (12, -3.32), and the predicted coordinates (2.67, 1.41) and (12, -5.80). But the review times of AFP and beta-hCG were out of the effective range of half-lives, with the measured values below the normal, which suggested no tumor residue or metastasis. Case 3 was found to be embryonal carcinoma. The measured coordinate of AFP was (0.22, 9.25) , and the predicted coordinate (0.22, 9.55) , indicating the elimination of tumor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The change of the tumor markers predicted by the function method coincided with the natural course of disease in the three cases. The coincidence of the measured with the predicted coordinate after radical orchiectomy indicates no metastasis, while their disagreement suggests possible residue and metastasis of the tumor.</p>

Gene expression differences between high and low metastatic cells of adenoid cystic carcinoma / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the complex differences between high metastatic and low metastatic cells of the Adenoid cystic Carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Gene expression patterns were examined in high metastatic cell ACC-M strain and low metastatic ACC-2 strain with the method SSH (suppression subtractive hybridization).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>although extensive similarity was noted between the expression profiles, twelve genes were highly expressed of, in low metastatic cell ACC-2 tester, compared with driver, high metastatic cell ACC-M. These genes were cysteine-rich angiogenic-inducer protein (cyr61), chromosome7 clone RP11-52501, G protein, was family member Iferritin heavy polypeptide I, jumping translocation breakpoint, eukaryotic translation elongation, folate receptor, ribosomal proteins L7a, S21, P0 and other two novel genes-ACC metastasis-associated RNH and ACC metastasis-associated suspected protein. GenBank accession number were AF522024 and AF522025 respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>the result suggests that the obtainment of the ability of metastasis is related to the low expression or mutation of these genes. These data provide insight into the extent of expression differences underlying metastasis-related genes that may prove useful as diagnostic or prognostic markers.</p>