A study on the effect of IL-6 gene polymorphism on the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed clinical diseases. IL-6 is a multifunctional cytokine that is related to chemotactic factors and tumor biological regulation. -174G/C polymorphism in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene single-nucleotide polymorphism is the -174 position change from G to C. However, the relationship between the IL-6 gene polymorphism and prognosis of lung cancer is elusive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of -174G/C polymorphism on the prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of 434 cases diagnosed with NSCLC by cytologic or histologic examination. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (NlaIII) was used to detect the genotype of -174G/C. Based on the functional activity of the IL-6 gene polymorphism, genotypes were divided into G vector (CG/GG) (high yield) and CC genotype (low yield). Prognosis of patients was analyzed and independent risk factors evaluated. A quantitative analysis of the degree of pain after diagnosis was performed to evaluate the correlations between gene polymorphisms and the degree of pain and use of analgesics. RESULTS: Survival analysis showed that survival of the patients carrying the G allele (CG/GG) was significantly lower than that of patients with CC genotype (42.31 versus 62.79 months; P=0.032). The IL-6 gene promoter region revealed the presence of polymorphic variants, which may be associated with changes in the gene transcription process that affect the level of serum cytokines. IL-6 -174G/C gene polymorphism is associated with a significant morphine equivalent daily dose (IL-6 GG, 69.61; GC, 73.17; CC, 181.67; P=0.004). Homozygous IL-6 -174C/C genotype carriers required higher doses of opioids than GG or GC carriers. CONCLUSION: Polymorphism of -174G/C in IL-6 is closely related to cancer pain in NSCLC patients, the use of analgesics, and survival prognosis. It is necessary to further confirm the related results and determine the underlying pathogenic mechanisms.

Expression variations of connective tissue growth factor in pulmonary arteries from smokers with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Cigarette smoking contributes to the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the pulmonary vascular remodeling, the structural basis of PH, could be attributed to abnormal proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs).In this study, morphometrical analysis showed that the pulmonary vessel wall thickness in smoker group and COPD group was significantly greater than in nonsmokers. In addition, we determined the expression patterns of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and cyclin D1 in PASMCs harvested from smokers with normal lung function or mild to moderate COPD, finding that the expression levels of CTGF and cyclin D1 were significantly increased in smoker group and COPD group. In vitro experiment showed that the expression of CTGF, cyclin D1 and E2F were significantly increased in human PASMCs (HPASMCs) treated with 2% cigarette smoke extract (CSE), and two CTGF siRNAs with different mRNA hits successfully attenuated the upregulated cyclin D1 and E2F, and significantly restored the CSE-induced proliferation of HPASMCs by causing cell cycle arrest in G0. These findings suggest that CTGF may contribute to the pathogenesis of abnormal proliferation of HPASMCs by promoting the expression of its downstream effectors in smokers with or without COPD.

Effectiveness and safety of macrolides in bronchiectasis patients: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

PURPOSE: Macrolides has been studied as a potential therapeutic anti-inflammatory agent for bronchiectasis patients, which has used as an immunoregulation agent. However, the efficacy and safety results of macrolides across available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are controversial. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of macrolides in bronchiectasis. METHODS: RCTs of macrolides treatment for the patients of bronchiectasis published in PubMed and Cochrane Library were searched. Two authors independently extracted data and assessment the methodological quality. The primary efficacy outcome was the impact on the number of pulmonary exacerbation. Safety outcomes included adverse events and mortality. RESULTS: Seven RCTs were found in the systematic review and six studies were included in the present meta-analysis. Macrolides treatment showed a significant reduced rate of pulmonary exacerbation (RR = 0.55, 95%CI = 0.43-0.70) compared with control groups. However, subgroup analysis failed to find any significant changes in total 46 patients (RR = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.03-1.58) for treatment not more than 3 months. The incidence rates of total adverse events showed no significant difference among the macrolides group and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment of bronchiectasis with macrolides can reduce incidence of pulmonary exacerbation, especially in the subgroup treatment 6 months or more. There was no evidence of increased adverse events with macrolides. However, to verify the best macrolides regimen, more studies based on larger sample size and stratified by ethnicity are still needed. CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS STUDIED IN THIS ARTICLE: Erythromycin (PubChem CID 12560); Azithromycin (PubChem CID: 447043); Clarithromycin (PubChem CID: 84029); Roxithromycin (PubChem CID: 5480431).

[Mechanism of impaired attention network in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the influences of stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) on attention functions. METHODS: The research objects came from the Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University from February to September in 2011. Attention network test (ANT) was employed to compare stable COPD patients (n = 38) with healthy controls (n = 36) in the efficiencies of anatomically defined attentional networks: alertness, orientation and executive attention. RESULTS: Significant group differences were found in orientation ((27 ± 8) ms vs (57 ± 4) ms, P = 0.001), but not in alertness ((19 ± 7) ms vs (32 ± 4) ms, P = 0.115) or executive attention network ((94 ± 15) ms vs (119 ± 11) ms, P = 0.196). The accuracy of attention network test was significantly slower in the COPD group than in the healthy controls (90.2% ± 1.6% vs 96.3% ± 1.7%, P = 0.011). The score of verbal fluency test was significantly lower in COPD patients than in healthy controls (18.2 ± 0.5 vs 21.4 ± 0.6, P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The attention functions of COPD patients are impaired, especially oriental network efficiency. It is probably due to chronic hypoxia, hypoxia-related low blood flow of temporal or parietal lobe or long-term anticholinergic drug use.

Thiolated eggshell membranes sorb and speciate inorganic selenium.

Eggshell membranes (ESMs) provide a unique, disulfide bond-rich surface. Thioglycolate reduction was used to generate thiol (-SH) groups on the ESM surface by S-S bond cleavage. The thiol-bearing ESMs (TESMs) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The fibrous network structure of the ESM is retained in the TESMs. TESMs adsorb both Se(IV) and Se(VI) but by different mechanisms: Se(VI) is retained reversibly, possibly via ionic interactions, while Se(IV) is reduced to Se(0) and deposited. We thus demonstrate speciation of selenium species, by using samples (a) as such and after prior oxidation to Se(VI), (b) preconcentration on a TESM microcolumn, (c) elution by 0.5 M HNO(3) that only elutes Se(VI) and (d) detection by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The Se(IV) amount is determined by difference. For a 1.0 mL sample, the enrichment factor was 17.2, the S/N = 3 detection limit was 0.06 µg L(-1) and the precision was 3.3% at 0.50 µg L(-1). The linear range was 0.25-2.50 µg L(-1). The procedure was validated by analyzing selenium in certified reference materials of human hair (GBW 09101) and rice (GBW 10010). We further demonstrate utility by speciation of inorganic selenium in a series of water samples.

[Clinical analysis of 76 patients with upper airway obstruction].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics of upper airway obstruction (UAO). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 76 UAO patients who had been treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to April 2007. RESULTS: Among these 76 UAO patients, the clinical diagnoses included pulmonary amyloidosis (n = 19, 25.0%), relapsing polychondritis (n = 23, 30.3%), tumor (n = 25, 32.9%), and tuberculosis (n = 10, 13.0%). Clinical manifestations included chronic persistent cough (n = 46), dyspnea (n = 36), hoarseness (n = 43), and productive cough (n = 29). Among 56 patients who underwent pulmonary function test, 27 patients had obstructive ventilatory disturbance pattern and 14 had mixed disturbance pattern. Among 70 patients who underwent bronchoscopy, 67 patients had pathological abnormalities from severe airway mucosal inflammation, tracheobronchial cartilage destruction, and tracheobronchial wall collapse (n = 35) to neoplasms (n = 32). Among 60 patients who underwent pathological examinations, the pathological changes were consistent with amyloidosis (n = 16), relapsing polychondritis (n = 5), tuberculosis (n =4), tumors (n = 25), or chronic granulomatous inflammation of mucosa (n = 10). CONCLUSION: Careful and prompt pulmonary function test and bronchoscopy are helpful for early diagnosis and treatment of UAO.