The expression and clinical significance of BATF2 in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To investigate the expression and clinical significance of BATF2 in the oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of BATF2 mRNA and protein in 16 paired OTSCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor mucosa were examined using quantitative PCR, western blotting analysis and immunohistochemistry assays, and the relation between BATF2 expression and clinical pathologic factor and prognosis was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 16 paired tissues, expression of BATF2 mRNA in 13 OTSCC tissues and expression of BATF2 protein in 14 OTSCC tissues were significantly lower than that in adjacent non-tumor mucosa. In 202 paraffin-embedded OTSCC samples, BATF2 was not expressed in 20 cases (9.9%), low expressed in 104 cases (51.5%) and highly expressed in 78 (38.6%). BATF2 expression level was significantly correlated with histological differentiation (P = 0.002). Patients with low BATF2 expression had significantly poorer overall survival and disease-free survival than those with high BATF2 expression (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BATF2 was low expressed in OTSCC and related to tumor differentiation and prognosis and may serve as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for this disease.</p>

Epidemiology investigation of allergic rhinitis in urban and rural areas of Ningbo and Yongzhou / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of allergic rhinitis (AR) in urban and rural areas of Ningbo and Yongzhou.@*METHOD@#Fifteen fields in the two cities from October 2006 to June 2007 were randomly selected. Cases suspected with symptoms of AR by a self-administered and interview questionnaire were recommended to special examinations for confirmed diagnosis.@*RESULT@#1. A total of 9969 individuals from 3803 families were surveyed, of whom 303 suffered with AR. 2. The prevalence rate was 4.10% in Ningbo and 1.65% in Yongzhou (the sex-adjusted rate was 4.10% and 1.64% respectively, and the age-adjusted rate was 4.33% and 1.58%); the population of island inhabitants had the lowest prevalence rate of 0.73%. 3. The prevalence rate in patients with asthma and that with family genetic history was 8% and 12% respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#It demonstrates that the prevalence rate is higher in Ningbo than in Yongzhou, in urban than in rural and in adolescent than in other ages. Allergic rhinitis may be associated with asthma and related to genetic factors. Allergic rhinitis may be curable.