Living near a Major Road in Beijing: Association with Lower Lung Function, Airway Acidification, and Chronic Cough / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The effects of near-road pollution on lung function in China have not been well studied. We aimed to investigate the effects of long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution on lung function, airway inflammation, and respiratory symptoms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We enrolled 1003 residents aged 57.96 ± 8.99 years living in the Shichahai Community in Beijing. Distances between home addresses and the nearest major roads were measured to calculate home-road distance. We used the distance categories 1, 2, and 3, representing <100 m, 100-200 m, and >200 m, respectively, as the dose indicator for traffic-related air pollution exposure. Lung function, exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH, and interleukin 6 levels were measured. As a follow-up, 398 participants had a second lung function assessment about 3 years later, and lung function decline was also examined as an outcome. We used regression analysis to assess the impacts of home-road distance on lung function and respiratory symptoms. As the EBC biomarker data were not normally distributed, we performed correlation analysis between home-road distance categories and EBC biomarkers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Participants living a shorter distance from major roads had lower percentage of predicted value of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1% -1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.20 to -2.89). The odds ratio for chronic cough was 2.54 (95% CI: 1.57-4.10) for category 1 and 1.97 (95% CI: 1.16-3.37) for category 2, compared with category 3. EBC pH was positively correlated with road distance (rank correlation coefficient of Spearman [rs] = 0.176, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution in people who live near major roads in Beijing is associated with lower lung function, airway acidification, and a higher prevalence of chronic cough. EBC pH is a potential useful biomarker for evaluating air pollution exposure.</p>

Evaluation of a portable device based on peripheral arterial tone in the detection of obstructive sleep apnea / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the accuracy of a wrist-worn device (Watch-PAT 200) in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAHS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-three adult subjects with suspected OSAHS simultaneously had a standard in-laboratory polysomnogram (PSG) and wore the Watch-PAT 200 during a full-night recording. PSG sleep and respiratory events were scored according to standard criteria. The PSG recordings were blindly manually analyzed, while Watch-PAT data were scored automatically based on the algorithm developed previously.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean age of the subjects was (42.2 ± 12.2) years (x(-) ± s), and mean body mass index was (28.0 ± 3.9) kg/m(2). Mean PSG apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was (34.9 ± 29.9) events per hour, and mean PAT-AHI was (36.0 ± 29.2) events per hour. There was a significant correlation between PAT AHI and AHI by PSG (r = 0.931, P < 0.01). A Bland-Altman plot of PAT AHI and PSG AHI was also used to assess the accuracy of Watch-PAT 200. At lower levels of AHI, PAT tended to overestimate disease severity, while at higher levels of AHI, Watch-PAT underestimated severity. To assess sensitivity and specificity of Watch-PAT, constructed receiver operator characteristic curves using a variety of AHI threshold values (5, 15 and 30 events per hour). For AHI ≥ 5 events per hour as threshold value, the Watch-PAT diagnosing rate was 93%, and sensitivity as well as specificity were 94.7% and 80.0%. The misdiagnosis rate and missed diagnosis rate were 20.0% and 5.3%. Optimal combinations of sensitivity and specificity for the AHI threshold values (15 and 30 events per hour) were 82.6% and 100.0%, 95.0% and 95.7% respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Watch-PAT 200 may offer an accurate, robust, and reliable ambulatory method for the detection of OSAHS, with minimal patient discomfort.</p>

Expression and gene polymorphisms of B cell activating factor in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the polymorphisms of B cell activating factor (BAFF) gene and the plasma levels of BAFF in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), and to investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of ITP.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Alleles specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to identify polymorphisms -871C/T of BAFF promotor in 133 ITP patients and 117 healthy controls. The plasma levels of BAFF were assayed by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In ITP group, the frequency of C/C, C/T and T/T was 33.1%, 42.1% and 24.8%, respectively, the corresponding frequency in control group was 55.6%, 33.3% and 11.1%, respectively. The allele frequency of T in ITP and control groups was 45.9% and 27.4%, respectively. There was a significant difference in the BAFF -871C/T genotypic frequency between the ITP and control groups (P < 0.05). BAFF antigen in untreated ITP, treated patients and controls was 875.86 pg/ml, 502.59 pg/ml and 736.88 pg/ml, respectively, being also a significant difference among the three groups (P < 0.05). BAFF antigen in homozygous T/T was higher than that in homozygous C/C and heterozygous C/T, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Over expression of BAFF may be a risk factor for ITP patients. There is a correlation of the BAFF promotor polymorphism -871C/T with ITP, but the polymorphism does not affect the expression of BAFF.</p>

Significance of detection of anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody secreting B cells and platelet-specific antibody in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the frequencies of anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody secreting B cells and platelet-specific antibody in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and non-immune thrombocytopenia, and to evaluate their roles in the diagnosis of ITP and their clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The frequencies of circulating B cells secreting anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody and platelet-specific antibody in 58 ITP patients, 33 non-ITP patients and 31 healthy controls were tested by Enzyme-linked Immunospot Assay (ELISPOT) and modified monoclonal antibody immobilization of platelet antigens assay (MAIPA) respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies of circulating B cells secreting anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody in ITP patients \[(6.6 ± 4.2)/10(5) PBMNC\] were significantly increased (P < 0.05) than that of the controls \[(1.3 ± 0.5)/10(5) PBMNC\] and non-immune thrombocytopenic purpura patients \[(2.2 ± 2.0)/10(5) PBMNC\]. However there was no apparent difference between the latter two groups (P > 0.05). ELISPOT had a sensitivity of 70.69%, a specificity of 90.91% for the diagnosis of ITP, the sensitivity being higher than that of modified MAIPA's (43.10%) (χ(2) = 7.03, P < 0.05). The ROC curve showed the discriminative validity of cytometric bead array was 0.886.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The frequencies of circulating B cells secreting anti-GPIIb/IIIa antibody may reflect the pathogenesis of ITP. ELISPOT assay have high sensitivity and specificity than modified MAIPA for the diagnosis of ITP and the guidance for clinical therapy.</p>

Mechanisms of enhanced antileukemia activity of conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRAd) ZD55 by interleukin-24 / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the mechanisms of enhanced antileukemia activity of conditionally replicating adenovirus (CRAd) by interleukin-24 (IL-24).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The ability of CRAd ZD55 to infect leukemia cells was detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in leukemia cells treated with PBS, ZD55, ZD55-IL-24, and an adenovirus carrying IL-24 (Ad-IL-24) were determined by Western blot analysis. Animal xenograft tumor model was established by Mutz-1 cell line.Deparaffinized tumor sections were incubated with anti-CD31, and VEGF antibody, followed by immunohistochemistry analysis.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The GFP-positive cells were 5.1% and 42.3% in Mutz-1 cells treated with ZD55-EGFP vector at MOI of 10 and 100 for 48h, respectively. ZD55-IL-24 treatment resulted in the marked down-regulation of VEGF protein expression and ZD55 inhibited VEGF slightly; however, there was no change observed in the cells treated with Ad-IL-24. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that Ad-IL-24 inhibited slightly angiogenesis and ZD55 treatment resulted in significant inhibition of angiogenesis. ZD55-IL-24 treatment almost completely inhibited angiogenesis in tumor tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IL-24 enhances the antileukemia activity of ZD55 by inhibiting VEGF protein expression and angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo.</p>

Significance of B cell activating factor of TNF family promoter polymorphisms in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura / 中国实验血液学杂志

The study was aimed to examine the B cell activating factor promoter polymorphism of the TNF family (BAFF)-871 C/T in patients with immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and to explore its correlation with ITP and the relationship between the blood platelet count of newly diagnosed patients with ITP and genotypes of BAFF-871 C/T polymorphisms. Alleles specific polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis were used to identify polymorphisms -871 C/T of BAFF promotor in 133 ITP patients and 117 healthy controls, and determine the genotype of subjects. Meantime, the frequency of genotype and alleles were analyzed. The results indicated that out of 133 patients with ITP, 33.1% patients exhibited C/C, 42.1% patients were heterozygous C/T, and 24.8% patients were homozygous T/T. The corresponding frequencies in 117 healthy controls were 55.6% C/C, 33.3% C/T and 11.1% T/T. The allele frequency of T in ITP patients and healthy controls were 45.9% and 27.4% respectively. There was significant difference in the BAFF-871 C/T genotypic frequency between the ITP patients and healthy controls (p < 0.05). The allele frequency of T in ITP patients was higher than that in healthy controls. There was no significant difference in the blood platelet counts between the various genotype (p > 0.05). It is concluded that the polymorphism -871 C/T of BAFF promoter is correlated with the pathogenesis of ITP. However, there is no significant difference in blood platelet counts between the various genotype, so the polymorphism -871 C/T of BAFF promoter can not be referred as the analysis index for evaluating the severity of ITP.

Inhibition effect of topotecan on human myelodysplastic syndrome cells in vitro and in vivo / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of topotecan (TPT) on human myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) cells in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cell growth was measured by a MTT assay. The percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry after staining with annexin V-FITC and propidium iodide. The morphology of apoptotic cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Furthermore, the antitumor effect on MDS cells in xenotransplanted severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice was evaluated by tumor volume and survival. Western blot was used for determining the expression of topoisomerase I (Top1) protein.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The growth of Mutz-1 cells was suppressed by TPT treatment in a dose-dependent manner. The 50% inhibition in Mutz-1 cell growth (IC(50)) of TPT for 72 h was 272 ng/L. The percentage of apoptotic cells observed in the Mutz-1 cells after exposure to TPT (160 ng/L) in 48 h and 72 h was (54.16 +/-4.29)% and (72.97+/-6.12)%, respectively. TEM showed the characteristics of apoptosis in Mutz-1 cells treated with TPT. The xenotransplanted SCID mice treated with TPT showed inhibited tumor growth compared with control group. TPT treatment resulted in a longer survival as compared with the control group (P<0.001) and with the As2O3-treated group (P<0.001). The cells exposed to TPT exhibited a time-dependent decrease of Top1 protein expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TPT can inhibit Mutz-1 cell growth and induce apoptosis in vitro.The downregulation of Top1 may be involved in the apoptosis induced by TPT. TPT has a significant antitumor effect in vivo.</p>