Reduced zinc concentration in expressed prostatic secretion relates to the pain symptoms of types Ⅲ and Ⅳ prostatitis / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>Objective</b>To determine the zinc levels in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of the patients with different types of chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, and explore the reference value of zinc concentration in EPS in the diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We collected EPS samples from 35 healthy men and 173 patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis, including 65 cases of type ⅢA, 69 cases of type ⅢB, and 39 cases of type Ⅳ, according to the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI). We compared the zinc levels in the EPS samples among different groups and analyzed the correlations of zinc concentration with the NIH-CPSI scores, WBC count, pH value, and age of the subjects.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The participants were aged 17－65 (32.5±8.5) years. The zinc concentrations in the EPS were significantly lower in the ⅢA (［162.2±10.8］ μg/ml) and ⅢB (［171.2±12.0］ μg/ml) than in the Ⅳ (［234.6±17.9］ μg/ml) (P<0.05 ) and the control group (［259.5±14.6］ μg/ml) (P<0.05 ). The zinc level was correlated negatively with the NIH-CPSI pain score (r=－0.248, P<0.01), quality of life score (r=－0.232, P<0.01), severity score (r=－0.270, P<0.01), total NIH-CPSI score (r=－0.281, P<0.01), and the pH value in EPS (r=－0.208, P<0.01), but showed no correlation with the WBC count and age of the subjects.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The reduced zinc concentration in the EPS of the patients with chronic nonbacterial prostatitis may be associated with the pain symptoms of the disease, which suggests the potential reference value of measuring the zinc concentration in EPS in the diagnosis and treatment of prostatitis.</p>

Value of Doppler echocardiography derived myocardial energy expenditure measurements in chronic heart failure patients / 中华心血管病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the relationship between myocardial energy expenditure (MEE) level and cardiac function in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 99 CHF patients were divided into 3 groups according to the LVEF (HFNEF > or = 50%, n = 37; HFREF1 35.1% - 49.9%, n = 30; HFREF2 < or = 35%, n = 32) or the New York Heart Association (NYHA II, n = 26; III, n = 42; IV, n = 31) criteria. Thirty patients with cardiovascular disease and without CHF served as controls. Routine examinations including serum CRP (ELISA) and plasma NT-proBNP (chemiluminescence sandwich ELISA) were made on the next morning after admission; echocardiography was performed on the third day after admission. LVMW, LVMWI, RWT, LVIDd, LA, LV, LVEF, LVFS, E/A, EDT, IVRT, Tei index and MEE were measured or calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MEE was significantly higher in HFREF patients than in controls (P < 0.01) and similar between HFNEF patients and controls (P > 0.05). MEE increased in proportion to decrease of LVEF and increase of NYHA grades in CHF patients (all P < 0.05). Bivariate analysis confirmed that MEE was significant correlated with LVMW, LVMWI, RWT, LVIDd, LA, LV, LVEF (r = -0.540, P < 0.01), LVFS (r = -0.454, P < 0.01), E/A, EDT, IVRT, Tei index, NYHA grades, CRP and NT-proBNP.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>MEE derived from standard echocardiographic measurements is an effective indicator for myocardial bioenergetics and significantly correlated with cardiac function in CHF patients, especially in CHF patients with reduced LVEF.</p>

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in malignant melanoma / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and their relationship in malignant melanoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>32 cases of malignant melanoma and 11 samples of normal skin were examined for HIF-1 alpha and VEGF expression by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression rate of HIF-1 alpha and VEGF was 62.5% (20/32) and 84.8% (27/32), respectively, in malignant melanoma, and 9.1% (1/11) and 18.2% (2/11), respectively, in normal skin, showing a significant difference between the two groups. Positive relationship between the expression of HIF-1 alpha and VEGF was found in malignant melanoma (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>1) The high expression of HIF-1 alpha and VEGF in malignant melanoma indicates that it may play an important role in the generation and development of malignant melanoma. 2) The positive correlation between the expression of HIF-1 alpha and VEGF in malignant melanoma suggests that HIF-1 alpha may be involved in the regulation of VEGF in malignant melanoma.</p>