[Current status of pubertal sexual characteristics development of 2 704 girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing].

Objective: To understand the current status of pubertal sexual characteristics development of girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing and to compare the differences in sexual characteristics development among girls characterized as thin, normal, overweight, and obese. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2 844 girls aged 6-18 years in Tongzhou District of Beijing from September 2022 to July 2023. The developmental stages of breast and pubic hair were assessed on site, and menarche status was inquired. Weight and height were measured. The girls were subsequently characterized into thin, normal, overweight and obese groups. Basic information (including family and personal history) was obtained through questionnaires. Probit probability unit regression was applied to calculate the age of each Tanner stage of sexual characteristics development and the age of menarche. The χ2 test was applied to compare the counting data between two or multiple groups. Results: A total of 2 844 girls were surveyed and 2 704 girls met the inclusion criteria, resulting in a valid response rate of 95.1%. Among these girls, 1 105 (40.9%) were aged 6-9 years, 1 053 (38.9%) were aged 10-13 years, and 546 (20.2%) were aged 14-18 years. The of height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ), and body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ) were 0.46(-0.23,1.16), 0.69(-0.16,1.67), and 0.67(-0.27,1.73) respectively. The prevalences of thin, overweight, and obesity were respectively 1.7% (45/2 704), 17.3% (467/2 704), and 19.9% (538/2 704), respectively. There were 45 girls in the thin group, 1 654 girls in the normal weight group, 1 005 girls in the overweight and obesity group. The age of Tanner stage breast 2 (B2), Tanner stage pubic hair 2 (P2), and menarche was 9.0 (95%CI 8.9-9.1), 10.5 (95%CI 10.4-10.6), and 11.4 (95%CI 11.3-1.5) years, respectively. The current status of breast and pubic hair maturity in girls with pubertal development shows that 64.6% (1 211/1 874) of these girls had breast development preceding pubic hair development, 32.4% (607/1 874) had concurrent breast and pubic hair development, and 3.0% (56/1 874) had pubic hairs development preceding breast development. The interval age between B2 and B5 was 4.7 (95%CI 4.6-4.8) years, between P2 and P5 was 4.5 (95%CI 4.4-4.6) years, and between B2 and menarche was 2.4 (95%CI 2.3-2.5) years. The ages of sexual characteristics development in overweight and obese groups were earlier than that in normal and thin groups. The ages of B2 in thin, normal, overweight, and obese groups were 10.0 (95%CI 9.5-10.6), 9.3 (95%CI 9.2-9.4), and 8.6 (95%CI 8.4-8.7) years, respectively. The age of menarche in thin, normal, overweight, and obese groups were 13.1 (95%CI 12.4-13.7), 11.6 (95%CI 11.4-11.7), and 11.1 (95%CI 11.0-11.2) years, respectively. The interval ages between B2 and B5 and between P2 and P5 was 4.5 and 4.1 years, respectively in the overweight and obese groups, and those in normal group and thin group was 4.7 and 4.5 years, 4.6 and 4.7 years, respectively. Conclusions: The ages of sexual characteristics development and menarche tend in Tongzhou District of Beijing to be earlier than that being reported of Beijing's survey 20 years ago. Girls characterized as overweight and obese not only start puberty at an earlier age than girls of normal weight, but also have a shorter developmental process.

[Characteristics and changes of sensitization patterns of major allergens in children from 2010 to 2020 in a hospital of pediatric in Beijing].

Objective: To analyze the sensitization characteristics and change of major allergens in children from 2010 to 2020 in Beijing, so as to provide basis for diagnosis, treatment and prevention of allergic diseases in children. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the children who were suspected of allergic diseases and tested for serum immunoglobulin E (total IgE and specific IgE) in the children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from January 2010 to December 2020. A total of 45 746 children aged 0-17 years in Beijing were enrolled with a median (interquartile range) of 3.8 (2.5, 5.3) years. There were 28 918 boys (63.2%) and 16 828 girls (36.8%) and 14 984 cases (32.8%) in the infant group (<3 years old), 22 049 cases (48.2%) in the preschool group (3-6 years old), and 8 713 cases (19.0%) in the school-age group (6 years old and above). Immunocap allergen detection system (fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) was used to detect and the characteristics and change trend of allergens during 11 years were statistically analyzed by Chi square test. Results: The top three positive rates of single food allergens sIgE were egg white 42.6% (2 788/6 577 tests), milk 38.4% (2 606/6 782 tests) and wheat 31.8% (1 417/4 449 tests), and the sequence of single inhaled allergens were Ragweed 42.6% (440/1 034 tests), Artemisia 38.4% (1 045/3 191 tests) and Alternaria alternata 31.3% (3 358/10 725 tests). The positive detection rates of egg white 47.0%(1 904/4 048 tests), milk 41.9%(1 769/4 226 tests) and wheat 33.9%(973/2 870 tests) in the infant group were the highest, and there have statistically significant(χ2=91.495, 73.907, 16.966, P<0.05). The positive rates of fx1 (22.5%, 121/537 tests), peanut (24.9%, 111/446 tests), soybean (20.0%, 74/370 tests) and shrimp (7.48%, 44/588 tests) were the highest in the school-age group(χ²=14.436, 10.751, 11.569, 13.703, P<0.05). The most common inhaled allergens were Alternaria alternata (14.8%, 422/2 859 tests) in the infant group, Ambrosia (34.5%, 143/415 tests) and Alternaria alternata (33.5%, 1 762/5 254 tests) in the preschool group, while in the school-age group were Ambrosia (56.4%, 282/500 tests) and Artemisia (48.2%, 573/1 189 tests). The positive rates of egg white, milk, wheat, sesame seed and peanut varied from 2010 to 2020, showing a trend of falling first and then rising(χ²=10.293,χ²=12.066,χ²=7.402,χ²=32.458,χ2=31.747,P<0.05).The positive detection rates of soybean showed a significant downward trend (21.4%, 173/809 tests in 2010, 15.4%, 70/455 tests in 2020, χ²=6.751,P=0.009), while that of shrimp and crab were at a stable low level(χ²=0.263, 1.346;P>0.05). From 2010 to 2020, mold (26.7%, 1 066/3 998 tests in 2010, 40.2% 1 705/4 243 tests in 2020), grass pollen (19.8%, 259/1 308 tests in 2010, 39.3%, 1 472/3 746 tests in 2020), tree pollen(17%, 180/1 058 tests in 2010, 29.8%, 916/3 075 tests in 2020) and animal dander (18.5%, 111/601 tests in 2010, 26.6%, 672/2 522 tests in 2020) were all showed significant upward trend (χ²=168.600, 163.601, 65.931 and 17.271 respectively, P<0.001) but dust mites (30.7%, 1 270/4 132 tests in 2010, 26.7%, 1 126/4 221 tests in 2020) showed a significant downward trend(χ²=16.822,P<0.001).In 2010, the most common inhaled allergen was dust mite 30.7% (1 270/4 132 tests), followed by mold 26.7% (1 066/3 998 tests), while they were mold 40.2% (1 705/1 243 tests), and grass pollen 39.3% (1 472/3 746 texts) respectively in 2020. Conclusion: In the past 11 years, the main food allergens in children were still egg white and milk, wheat, but the mold and pollen gradually replaced dust mite as the most common inhaled allergen.

[Change in obesity status and development of cardiometabolic disorders in school-age children].

Objective: To analyze the influence of obesity status on the development of cardiometabolic disorders in school-age children. Methods: Information about children's body weight, body height and cardiovascular risk factors were collected in baseline survey in 2017 and follow-up survey in 2019. The school-age children were divided into four groups based on their baseline and follow-up obesity status, i.e. sustained non-obesity group, restored obesity group, newly classified obesity group, and persistent obesity group. Analysis of covariance was used to compare the difference of change in levels of cardiometabolic factors among the four groups. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between obesity status and the incidence risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Results: The present study included 11 379 school-age children (boys accounting for 49.6%). During the 2 years, the incidence of obesity was 3.2% (95%CI: 2.9%-3.5%) with the restoration ratio of obesity of 4.4% (95%CI: 4.0%-4.8%). Compared with the sustained non-obesity group, increases in SBP, DBP, TG, LDL-C and non-HDL-C were much higher in newly classified obesity group and persistent obesity group, but lower in restored obesity groups except for DBP (all P<0.05). In addition, the incidence risk of hypertension, high glucose, dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic disorders (≥2 risks) were much higher in newly classified and persistent obese children than in sustained non-obese children. No difference was found in incidence risks of most cardiovascular disorders between restored obese children and sustained non-obese children, except for hypertension and cardiometabolic risks. Conclusion: Both newly classified obesity and persistent obesity increased the incidence risks for multi cardiovascular disorders, while these risks could be reduced when non-obese status restore.

Long-chain non-coding RNA Linc00888 promotes the proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cells by downregulating miR-34a expression.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the role and potential mechanism of long-chain non-coding RNA 00888 in esophageal cancer (EC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of Linc00888 in esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent ones, as well as corresponding cell lines, was measured by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Survival prognosis information of patients was collected, and KM survival analysis was performed to determine the prognostic value of Linc00888. To better understand the effect of Linc00888 on the proliferative and migration ability of EC cells, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), clone formation, and transwell assays were performed after Linc00888 was knocked down in EC cell lines. Furthermore, bioinformatics prediction website was used to discover the potential target of Linc00888. Then, Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to verify the binding relationship between Linc00888 and the downstream gene miR-34a. Then, the expression relationship between the two was measured both in cell lines and tissues. Finally, to clarify the regulation between Linc00888 and miR-34a, a recovery experiment was performed using co-transfection technology. RESULTS: Linc00888 was aberrantly upregulated in esophageal cancer tissues. The survival analysis showed that the higher expression of Linc00888 was significantly correlated with shorter overall survival. Cell functional experiment results suggested that Linc00888 played a role in promoting tumor proliferative and migration ability in EC cells. Besides, Dual-Luciferase reporter genes assay indicated that miR-34a and Linc00888 had binding sites. Meanwhile, we confirmed that there was a negative correlation between the expression levels of miR-34a and Linc00888 in cells and tissues. Cellular functional recovery experiments revealed that Linc00888 could modulate the progression of EC by miR-34a. CONCLUSIONS: Linc00888 promotes the proliferative and migration ability of EC through miR-34a.

LncRNA HAGLR exacerbates hepatocellular carcinoma through negatively regulating miR-6785-5p.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HAGLR in exacerbating the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by targeting microRNA-6785-5p (miR-6785-5p). PATIENTS AND METHODS: HAGLR levels in 46 HCC tissues and paracancerous tissues were detected. The relationship between HAGLR level and clinical features of HCC patients was analyzed. After knockdown of HAGLR, proliferative, and metastatic potential changes in Bel-7402 and Hub7 cells were assessed. Thereafter, the interaction between HAGLR and miR-6785-5p, as well as the involvement of miR-6785-5p in HAGLR-regulated HCC phenotypes were finally determined. RESULTS: It was found that HAGLR level was higher in HCC tissues than paracancerous ones and correlated with rates of lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis but not with age, gender, and tumor staging in HCC patients. Survival analysis uncovered that HAGLR level was negatively linked to overall survival in HCC. After knockdown of HAGLR, proliferative, and metastatic potentials in Bel-7402 and Hub7 cells were attenuated. MiR-6785-5p was proven as the target gene binding to HAGLR. It was lowly expressed in HCC species, and negatively correlated with HAGLR level. Moreover, rescue experiments demonstrated that miR-6785-5p was responsible for HAGLR-regulated HCC phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA HAGLR stimulates proliferative and metastatic potentials in HCC via negatively regulating miR-6785-5p level, thus exacerbating the development of HCC.

LncRNA FAM83A-AS1 aggravates the malignant development of esophageal cancer by binding to miR-495-3p.

OBJECTIVE: It is of significance to screen out differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that can be utilized as tumor biomarkers in esophageal cancer. This study aims to uncover the effect of lncRNA FAM83A-AS1 on regulating migratory potential in esophageal cancer and the underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor tissues and adjacent normal ones were collected from 62 esophageal cancer patients for detecting FAM83A-AS1 levels. Correlations of FAM83A-AS1 with clinical indexes and overall survival of esophageal cancer patients were analyzed. Thereafter, regulatory effects of FAM83A-AS1 on migratory potential in OE19 and OE33 cells were examined by transwell and wound healing assay. Then, the target genes of FAM83A-AS1 were predicted and functionally analyzed, and a protein interaction network was constructed. Finally, the mechanism of FAM83A-AS1 in regulating the downstream gene miR-495-3p was analyzed through Luciferase assay and rescue experiments. RESULTS: It was found that FAM83A-AS1 was upregulated in esophageal cancer tissues and cell lines. Higher rates of lymphatic and distant metastasis and worse survival were observed in esophageal cancer patients expressing higher level of FAM83A-AS1. Besides, the knockdown of FAM83A-AS1 suppressed migratory potential in OE19 cells, while the overexpression of FAM83A-AS1 yielded the opposite trend in OE33 cells. Moreover, miR-495-3p was indicated to be the target gene binding FAM83A-AS1, and it was lowly expressed in esophageal cancer and negatively regulated by FAM83A-AS1. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-495-3p partially abolished the regulatory effect of FAM83A-AS1 on migratory potential in esophageal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: FAM83A-AS1 is upregulated in esophageal cancer, and it stimulates migratory potential in esophageal cancer by negatively regulating miR-495-3p.

The function and molecular mechanism of CEP55 in anaplastic thyroid cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of centrosomal protein of 55 kDa (CEP55) in anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) and to further explore the mechanism, which might provide a new molecular marker for treatment of ATC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression level of CEP55 in clinical cases was tested by fluorescence quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Also, qRT-PCR assay was performed in different TC cell lines. The relationship between CEP55 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was statistically analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox's proportional hazards regression model were performed in survival analysis. Further, Western blot assay was used to analyze the protein expression changes in PI3K/Akt pathway. RESULTS: The expression level of CEP55 in TC tissues showed a noticeable upgrade, especially in ATC. In vitro, CEP55 expression was also increased in four kinds of TC cells, in which, the highest expression was found in ATC (TA-K) cells. The clinicopathological features, including lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and prognostic index were found to be correlated with the expression level of CEP55. Besides, the ATC patients with higher expression of CEP55 had a statistically worse overall survival (OS) time. In univariate analyses and multivariate analyses, the CEP55 level was an independent prognosis index of patients with ATC. In vitro study, CEP55 protein expression level was significantly reduced in si-CEP55-transfected TA-K cells. Notably, the downregulation of CEP55 could suppress the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that CEP55 could promote ATC progression, and PI3K/AKT pathway might be the downstream target of its action. These results provided a new therapeutic direction for the treatment of ATC.

[Developmental characteristics on body composition in Chinese urban children and adolescents aged 3-17 years old].

Objective: To describe the body composition related developmental characteristics in Chinese children and adolescents aged 3-17 years. Methods: Data were obtained from the 'China Child and Adolescent Cardiovascular Health (CCACH) cross-sectional survey' in 2015, which including seven cities. Questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements were carried out with body composition also measured, using the Hologic Discovery Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scanner. BMI, fat mass percentage (FMP), fat mass index (FMI) and fat free mass index (FFMI) were calculated. SAS 9.4 and SPSS 20.0 softwares were used for data analysis. Results: A total of 10 867 participants aged 3-17 years were involved in this study, including 5 512 boys (50.7%). FMP in boys decreased obviously between 10-15 years old[ß=-1.811 (95%CI: -1.987 - -1.635)]. FMP in girls decreased between 3-7 years old[ß=-0.896 (95%CI: -1.100 - -0.691)] and increased obviously between 12-15 years old [ß=0.989 (95%CI: 0.753-1.224)]. In general, FMP in girls were higher than that in boys in every age group, except for the 9 and 10 years old groups ( all P<0.05). FFMI of boys was higher than that in girls at all ages. Differences on FFMI were getting bigger between boys and girls in the 11 years old group and above. FMI increased with age [boys: ß=0.033 (95%CI: 0.018-0.048); girls: ß=0.192 (95%CI: 0.181-0.204)] and intersected between genders. Adiposity rebound age was earlier in the obese group than that in both overweight and normal weight groups. FMI in normal weight boys decreased with age and remained lower than 5 kg/m(2), while FMI in overweight [ß=0.114 (95%CI: 0.091-0.136)] and obese [ß=0.211 (95%CI: 0.176-0.245)] boys increased with age. FMP in boys decreased with age from 10 years old in all weight status groups [normal weight: ß=-0.836 (95%CI: -0.924 - -0.748); overweight: ß=-1.090 (95%CI: -1.269 - -0.910); obese: ß=-1.144 (95%CI: -1.321- -0.967)]. BMI, FFMI, FMI in girls changed with age similarly in all weight status groups and increased from 8 years old[normal weight: ß=0.174 (95%CI: 0.165- 0.182); overweight: ß=0.325 (95%CI: 0.304-0.346); obesity: ß=0.447 (95%CI: 0.406-0.488)]. Changes in FMP in girls increased significantly with age after 12 years old [normal weight: ß=0.963 (95%CI: 0.851-1.074); overweight: ß=0.910 (95%CI: 0.695-1.125); obesity: ß=0.895 (95%CI: 0.569-1.221)]. In total, correlation indexes of BMI and FMI were strong (boys: r=0.767; girls: r=0.873) and were different in various weight status groups. Conclusions: The growth chart of BMI presented inconsistently with the different developmental characteristics of body fat, and gender. Measurement on body composition needs to be developed for children and adolescents to give more precisely assessment on growth and development of children.

[A comparative study on diagnostic cut points of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents in China].

Objective: To compare the power of dyslipidemia diagnosis by different sets of cut points in the prediction of cardiovascular metabolic risk factors and identify the appropriate cut points for the diagnosis of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents in China. Methods: Data were obtained from the baseline survey of 'School-based Cardiovascular and Bone Health Promotion Program' in Beijing in 2017. Dyslipidemia was diagnosed by using two set of cut points. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to assess the power of dyslipidemia diagnosis by the two set of cut points to predict the prevalence of hypertension, obesity, high fat mass percentage and impaired fasting glucose. Results: A total of 14 390 children and adolescents were in included in the study. The prevalence rates of high TC, high LDL-C, low HDL-C, and high TG in the participants were 2.7%, 2.7%, 14.4%, and 3.7% according to 'Chinese Reference Standard', and 5.0%, 3.7%, 13.3%, and 3.5% according to 'China Expert Consensus'. Low HDL-C and high TG defined by the 'Chinese Reference Standard' had better performance for the prediction of high fat mass percentage and obesity in boys, but worse performance in girls (P<0.001). Conclusions: Using 'China Reference Standard' can increase the true positive rate in the prediction of obesity or high fat mass percentage in boys, and reduce the false positive rate in girls. The cut points for the diagnosis of dyslipidemia in Chinese children and adolescents need to be further validated by using national representative sample and in longitudinal study.

[The baseline characteristics of School-based Cardiovascular and Bone Health Promotion Program in Beijing].

Objective: To describe the baseline characteristics of School-based Cardiovascular and Bone Health Promotion Program(SCVBH) in Beijing. Methods: Children and adolescents were selected in 30 schools (8 primary schools, 21 middle schools and one 12-year education school) from Dongcheng, Tongzhou, Fangshan and Miyun districts of Beijing by using a stratified cluster sampling method. 15 391 students in grade 1 to 4 from primary schools, grade 1 from junior and senior high schools were enrolled in the investigation with an exclusion of students who were not able to participate due to trauma or other uncomfortable physical conditions. The baseline survey including a questionnaire survey, physical examination and blood biochemical test was conducted from September 2017 to January 2018. Obesity, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, lipid, bone density and grip were evaluated. Results: The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia (impaired fasting glucose and diabetes), dyslipidemia, lower bone density were 22.3%(3 394), 14.8%(2 248), 10.4%(1 490), 20.3%(2 919) and 2.1%(316) in total respectively, and 27.2%(2 081), 16.3%(1 244), 12.8%(922), 22.2%(1 595) and 1.2%(94) for boys, 17.3%(1 313), 13.3% (1 004), 7.9%(568), 18.4%(1 324) and 2.9%(229) for girls. Boys had higher prevalence of obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia and lower prevalence of low bone density than girls (all P values <0.05) The mean of body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and grip of boys were significantly higher than that of girls (all P values <0.05).The mean of body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose and grip of boys were significantly higher than that of girls (all P values <0.05), the mean of fat mass percentage, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol of boys were significantly lower than those of girls (all P values <0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of risk factors of chronic cardiovascular disease was high and the low bone density was appearing in children and adolescents in this study. The promotion of cardiovascular and bone health should be implemented in children and adolescents.

[The analysis of the association of sleep with high blood pressure among children and adolescents aged 6-16 years in Beijing].

Objective: To investigate the sleep status in children and adolescents and explore the relationship between the sleep and high blood pressure in them. Methods: Data was from the Schoolbased Cardiovascular and Bone Health Promotiow Program (SCVBH) in Beijing. And 13 471 children and adolescents aged 6-16 years were selected from grades 1 to 4 in 8 primary schools, grade 1 in 21 middle schools and senior grade 1 in one twelve-year education school in Dongcheng, Fangshan, Miyun and Tongzhou Districts of Beijing during 2017-2018 by using a cluster sampling method. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect the demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits of children and adolescents. The blood pressure was measured by electronic sphygmomanometer. Multiple logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between sleep and hypertension risk. Results: The sleep duration was (8.4±1.1) hours. The prevalence of high blood pressure was 15.0%(2 021/13 471). The incidence of mouth breathing, slobber, snoring, and suffocate was 28.4%(3 823/13 471), 23.6%(3 184/13 471) and 18.7%(2 513/13 471), 2.8%(378/13 471) respectively. After adjusting for age, gender, snoring, mouth breaking, slobber, suffocate, the time for bed and sleep duration, we found that snoring and sleep duration (5.0-6.9 h) were both associated with high blood pressure (OR=1.49, 95%CI:1.32-1.69; OR=1.53, 95%CI: 1.28-1.81). Conclusion: Snoring and sleep duration were positively associated with high blood pressure in this study. Interventions focusing on sleep status should be developed to reduce the incidence of high blood pressure in children and adolescents.

Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of a Chinese very virulent infectious bursal disease virus.

The complete genome sequence of a Chinese very virulent infectious bursal disease virus (vvIBDV) strain, Harbin-1, was determined. Based on the sequence analysis, the molecular characteristics and potential virulence determinants and origin of vvIBDV strains were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that a reassortment and/or recombination event may have occurred in the emergence of Chinese vvIBDV strains.

Prognostic significance of pleural lavage cytology in patients with lung cancer: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Cytologic approaches such as pleural lavage cytology (PLC) are considered as possible aids to assessing prognosis of lung cancer patients. We aimed to comprehensively review the evidence for use of PLC to predict prognosis of lung cancer. METHODS: Fifteen studies, including 6391 patients, were found to be eligible for the present meta-analysis. A meta-analysis was done on the log hazard ratios and their variances in these studies. RESULTS: Four studies dealt with pleural lavage before lung resection, six studies dealt with pleural lavage after lung resection, and five studies had PLC data from both before and after lung resection examination. For before lung resection studies, combined hazard ratios showed that positive PLC results had an unfavorable impact on survival: 3.96 (95% confidence interval 2.48-6.33), 4.55 (2.95-7.04), 5.00 (3.39-7.36), 5.67 (3.81-8.43), and 7.06 (5.04-9.90), for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year, respectively. For after lung resection studies, combined hazard ratios showed that positive PLC results had an unfavorable impact on survival: 6.02 (3.74-9.71), 6.64 (4.53-9.72), 7.06 (4.93-10.12), 7.29 (5.18-10.25), and 8.47 (6.12-11.73), for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-year, respectively. Totally, the combined hazard ratio was 5.61 (3.98-7.90), showing a worse survival when PLC was positive. These findings could be overestimated because of publication and reporting bias. CONCLUSIONS: PLC is a strong prognostic factor for survival in patients with lung cancer.

Early stages of infectious bursal disease virus infection in chickens detected by in situ reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Two infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) strains were inoculated both intranasally and by eye drop into 5-week-old specific pathogen free chickens. The bursa, the liver, the kidney, the spleen, the thymus, the caecal tonsil and the thigh muscle were harvested at 4, 8, 16, 28, 40, 56, 72, 96 h post-inoculation (p.i.) for IBDV detection by in situ reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and, at the same time, the pathological changes in these tissues were investigated. A typical positive signal was detected in the liver, the kidney and the spleen of chickens inoculated with the very virulent IBDV H strain at 4 h p.i., but not in the thymus, the caecal tonsil or the thigh muscle until 8 h p.i. Virus was also found in the liver, the spleen, the kidney, the thymus, the caecal tonsils and the muscle of birds inoculated with the cell-adapted Ts strain at 4 h p.i. A positive signal was observed in the bursa later than in the other tissues. The signals increased markedly at 8 h p.i. A decrease in bursal lymphocytes was observed in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections at 28 h p.i. for the H strain and at 40 h p.i. for the Ts strain.

Characterization of the genomic structure and tissue-specific promoter of the human nuclear receptor NR5A2 (hB1F) gene.

The human homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster orphan nuclear receptor fushi tarazu factor 1 (Ftz-F1), NR5A2 (hB1F), was initially identified as a regulatory factor that binds and activates enhancer II of hepatitis B virus. NR5A2 (hB1F) is expressed specifically in pancreas and liver, playing important roles in the regulation of several liver-specific genes. A detailed analysis on the genomic structure and promoter activity will greatly promote future studies on the function of the NR5A2 (hB1F) gene. In this report, a bacterial artificial chromosome clone and several phage clones covering the NR5A2 (hB1F) gene were isolated and the complete genomic sequence was obtained. Alignment of different cDNAs of the NR5A2 (hB1F) gene with the genomic sequence facilitated the delineation of its structural organization, which spans over 150 kb and consists of eight exons interrupted by seven introns. RT-PCR and 3'-RACE revealed that utilization of two polyadenylation signals results in the 3.8 and 5.2 kb transcripts that were observed previously. The transcription start site of the NR5A2 (hB1F) gene was mapped downstream of a canonical TATA box. An upstream fragment containing binding sites for several liver-specific and ubiquitous transcription factors exhibits hepatocyte-specific promoter activity. Transient transfections indicated that hepatocyte nuclear factors HNF1 and HNF3beta could activate NR5A2 (hB1F) promoter.

Genomic sequence and expression analyses of human chromatin assembly factor 1 p150 gene.

Chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1) plays essential roles in eukaryotic chromatin assembly during DNA replication (Smith and Stillman, 1989. Cell 58, 15-25), (Krude, 1999. Eur. J. Biochem. 263, 1-5). Its p150 subunit, involved in interaction with histone H3 and H4, is critical to the CAF-1 nucleosome assembly activity. In this study, we sequenced a 96-kb genomic DNA region that includes a 42.8-kb CAF-1 p150 subunit gene (CHAF1A), and a 41.1-kb EEN gene. A scripted bioinformatics analysis pipeline (research agent) has been set up to annotate the BAC sequence with a set of integrated algorithms. The CAF-1 p150 subunit gene contains 15 exons and 14 introns. The promoter region is characterized by deletional analyses, revealing a potential repressor. Tissue-correlated alternative splicing forms of the transcript was initially identified by EST clustering analysis, then confirmed by RT-PCR which resulted more splicing forms than computational prediction.

[Computer-assisted acquisition and analysis of high-resolution spectrum].

Based on the unique characteristic of spectral line center in the whole spectrum and noise threshold, a computer approach and program for the determination of spectral line position and relative intensity automatically are presented in this paper. Exploring this approach and computer program, we pre-analyzed the partially overlapped 16 line TuFIR experiment spectra of CHF3. The results of line positions and intensities for these TuFIR spectra are in excellent agreement with the results by least-square fit with heavily manual inference. The accuracy and efficiency of this method and program will ensure their wide application in complex high-resolution molecular spectrum.

EST analysis of gene expression in early cleavage-stage sea urchin embryos.

A set of 956 expressed sequence tags derived from 7-hour (mid-cleavage) sea urchin embryos was analyzed to assess biosynthetic functions and to illuminate the structure of the message population at this stage. About a quarter of the expressed sequence tags represented repetitive sequence transcripts typical of early embryos, or ribosomal and mitochondrial RNAs, while a majority of the remainder contained significant open reading frames. A total of 232 sequences, including 153 different proteins, produced significant matches when compared against GenBank. The majority of these identified sequences represented 'housekeeping' proteins, i.e., cytoskeletal proteins, metabolic enzymes, transporters and proteins involved in cell division. The most interesting finds were components of signaling systems and transcription factors not previously reported in early sea urchin embryos, including components of Notch and TGF signal transduction pathways. As expected from earlier kinetic analyses of the embryo mRNA populations, no very prevalent protein-coding species were encountered; the most highly represented such sequences were cDNAs encoding cyclins A and B. The frequency of occurrence of all sequences within the database was used to construct a sequence prevalence distribution. The result, confirming earlier mRNA population analyses, indicated that the poly(A) RNA of the early embryo consists mainly of a very complex set of low-copy-number transcripts.

Prostate cancer expression profiling by cDNA sequencing analysis.

Prostate cancer is a frequently diagnosed solid tumor that is originated mostly from prostate epithelium. One of the key issues in prostate cancer research is to develop molecular markers that can effectively detect and distinguish the progression and malignancy of prostate tumors. Automated, single-pass cDNA sequencing was utilized to rapidly identify expressed genes in a number of cDNA libraries constructed from various normal and tumor prostatic tissues. These included cell lines as well as short-term epithelial culture. A total of 6604 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated and searched against on-line nucleotide and protein databases. A relational database centric software system was constructed to process, store, and analyze EST data rapidly. cDNA contigs were also obtained by assembly of multiple EST sequences. Protein structural signatures were annotated using motif analysis tools including BLOCKS and an in-house-designed neural network. Cross-library comparisons revealed their unique gene expression profiles. Several differentially expressed cDNA clones were identified, and their expression patterns were confirmed by RNA dot blot and RT-PCR analyses.

Fosinopril: pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in Chinese subjects.

This study examined thepharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fosinopril (IVand oral) in Chinese subjects to determine whether they were different from a group of somewhat heavier and older Western control subjects previously published using the same methods. It was an open-label, randomized, balanced, two-way crossover study comparing oral and IV pharmacokinetics in 12 healthy Chinese subjects in a clinic in Taiwan. Each subject received 10 mg of oral fosinopril or 7.5 mg of IV fosinoprilatin a randomized sequence with sampling for fosinoprilat concentrations over 48 hours. Standard pharmacokinetics, including AUC, Cmax Tmax, T 1/2, Vss, bioavailability, total clearance, and renal and nonrenal clearance, were determined as well as pharmacodynamic effects on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity. Following oral administration of 10 mg fosinopril, AUC0-T and AUCinf were 1,556 +/- 586 ng x hr/mL and 1,636 +/- 620 ng x hr/mL, respectively; T 1/2 was 17.4 +/- 11.4 hr; Cmax was 183.4 +/- 59.4 ng/mL; and median Tmax was 4.0 hr, with > 99% protein binding. Following IV administration of 7.5 mg fosinoprilat, AUC0-T and AUCinf were 7,727 +/- 2,638 ng x hr/mL and 7,816 +/- 2,693 ng x hr/mL, respectively; T 1/2 was 13.0 +/- 5.2 hr; and median Tmax was 4.0 hr, with 99.5% +/- 0.22% protein binding and a Vss of 5,850 +/- 2,780 mL. Bioavailability was 22.3% +/- 7.9%. Percent urinary excretion was 7.6% +/- 2.6% after oral dosing and 42.6% +/- 6.1% after IV dosing. After IV, dosing total clearance was 1,088 +/- 439 mL/hr, renal clearance was 472 +/- 213 mL/hr, and nonrenal clearance was 617 +/- 246 mL/hr. ACE inhibition was essentially complete through 12 hours and markedly reduced through 24 hours. Compared to a somewhat heavier and older previously reported control group, pharmacokinetic values were similar except for a slightly lower AUC and total clearance in Chinese and a statistically significantly lower nonrenal clearance. Pharmacodynamic effects on ACE activity were essentially identical. There is no reason to expect significant differences in fosinopril dosing or effect in a Chinese population compared to a Western population.