Cost-Effective Monolithic Hierarchical Carbon Cryogels with Nitrogen Doping and High-Performance Mechanical Properties for CO2 Capture.

Cost-effective nitrogen-doped monolithic hierarchical carbon cryogels with excellent mechanical properties and carbon dioxide (CO2) adsorption performance were prepared from phenol, melamine, and formaldehyde (PMF) by the sol-gel, freeze-drying, and then, pyrolysis processes under an inert atmosphere. The morphology, mechanical properties, pore structure, and chemical characteristics of these cryogels were investigated. The results showed that the dilution ratio played a crucial role in the preparation of nitrogen-doped PMF carbon cryogels with controlled structures. The prepared carbon cryogels were a kind of monolithic materials composed of a hierarchical pore structure and had high compression properties (0.67 and 9.4 MPa for strength and modulus), porosity (97.6%), surface area (1406 m2/g), and heteroatom nitrogen content (0.98-2.09%). CO2 adsorption capacities up to 5.75 mmol/g at 0 °C and 4.50 mmol/g at 25 °C under 1 bar were obtained, which is at a high level among N-doped carbon materials and far better than resorcinol-based carbon gels reported. These superior CO2 adsorption capacities, high isosteric adsorption heat (Qst), and good CO2/N2 adsorption selectivity were ascribed to the synergistic effect of high surface area, appropriate pore size, and also heteroatom doping.

Olmesartan Medoxomil, An Angiotensin II-Receptor Blocker, Ameliorates Renal Injury In db/db Mice.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) and also a major cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Olmesartan medoxomil (OM) is an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) and has been shown to exhibit renoprotective effects on a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model. Yet, whether OM affects DN progression and renal injury in db/db mice, a type 2 diabetic murine model, has not been established. METHODS: Wild-type (n = 15) and db/db mice (n = 15) were treated with control saline or OM via oral gavage. The physiological and biochemical parameters were evaluated and histological examinations of kidney specimens were performed. RESULTS: Compared with saline-treated db/db mice, db/db mice administered with OM showed ameliorated diabetic physiological and biochemical parameters. In addition, OM decreased urinary albumin excretion and plasma creatinine level in db/db mice. Moreover, histologically, OM reduced glomerular hypertrophy and injury, and also ameliorated tubular injury, thus suggesting that OM improves renal function and minimizes renal pathological deterioration in db/db mice. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a beneficial role of OM in ameliorating DN in db/db mice, which is associated with its renoprotective function.

Overexpression of SNHG12 regulates the viability and invasion of renal cell carcinoma cells through modulation of HIF1α.

BACKGROUND: Cumulative evidences demonstrated the aberrant overexpression of Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 12 (SNHG12) in diverse human cancer. However, the expression status and involvement of SNHG12 in renal cell carcinoma is still elusive. METHODS: The expression of SNHG12 was determined by q-PCR. The transcriptional regulation was interrogated by luciferase reporter assay. Cell viability was measured with CCK-8 kit. The anchorage-independent was evaluated by soft agar assay. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V/7-AAD double staining. The migration and invasion were determined by trans-well assay and wound scratch closure. The in vivo tumor growth was monitored in xenograft mice model. Protein expression was quantified by immunoblotting. RESULTS: SNHG12 was aberrantly up-regulated in renal carcinoma both in vivo and in vitro. High expression of SNHG12 associated with poor prognosis. Deficiency of SNHG12 significantly suppressed cell viability, anchorage-independent growth and induced apoptosis. In addition, SNHG12 silencing inhibited migrative and invasive in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, SNHG12 modulated HIF1α expression via competing with miR-199a-5p, which consequently contributed to its oncogenic potential. MiR-199a-5p inhibition severely compromised SNHG12 silencing-elicited tumor repressive effects. CONCLUSION: Our data uncovered a crucial role of SNHG12-miR-199a-5p-HIF1α axis in human renal cancer.

miR-19 promotes the proliferation of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by targeting the FRK-PTEN axis.

BACKGROUND: The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Fyn-related kinase (FRK) has been reported to affect cell proliferation in several cancer types. However, its effect on the proliferation of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains largely unknown. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and function of FRK in ccRCC. We further determined how FRK interacted with other molecules to regulate ccRCC proliferation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of FRK in ccRCC samples and paired normal renal tissues from 30 patients were analyzed by immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and quantitative PCR. Then the role of FRK in ccRCC proliferation was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assay and EdU incorporation assay. In addition, the miRNA targeting FRK was predicted through a bioinformatic approach and validated by quantitative PCR, immunoblotting and luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the underlying mechanism of FRK regulation of ccRCC proliferation was also determined. RESULTS: Low expression of FRK was detected in ccRCC samples and predicted poor survival for ccRCC patients. FRK inhibited the proliferation of ccRCC cells via phosphorylating downstream PTEN. miR-19 was identified as a novel suppressor of FRK in renal cancer cells and it promoted the proliferation of ccRCC by inhibiting the FRK-PTEN axis. CONCLUSION: Our results unravel a new regulatory mechanism involved in ccRCC proliferation and may be useful in the identification of therapeutic targets for ccRCC.

TRPM7 is overexpressed in bladder cancer and promotes proliferation, migration, invasion and tumor growth.

Recent findings suggest that the melastatin transient receptor potential channel 7 (TRPM7) is overexpressed in many types of cancers and is involved in tumorigenesis. However, its expression pattern and the potential role in bladder cancer remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression status of TRPM7 and its relationship with the development of bladder cancer. In the present study, we observed that the expression of TRPM7 was significantly elevated in bladder cancer tissues compared with that noted in the adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, increased TRPM7 expression was significantly associated with recurrence, metastasis and prognosis. In addition, after knockdown of the expression of TRPM7 by siRNA, the proliferation and the motility of T24 and 5637 cells were obviously inhibited, and downregulation of TRPM7 was found to play an important role in bladder cancer cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our findings suggest that TRPM7 plays an important role in bladder cancer, and TRPM7 may serve as a potentially unfavorable factor and novel target for human bladder cancer.

Epididymis rhabdomyoma: a case report and literature review.

Genital rhabdomyoma is very rare tumor that usually occurs in the vulvar of young women. Epididymis rhabdomyoma in a young man is extremely uncommon and has rarely been reported. Here, we report a case of epididymis rhabdomyoma of a 17-year-old man and review the literatures.

Up-regulation of glucosylceramide synthase in urinary bladder neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between the clinicopathologic features and the expression of GCS in bladder cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting method, 75 bladder cancer specimens were tested for expression of GCS. The correlation of GCS with clinicopathologic features of the patients was analyzed in combination with clinical data. Statistics analyses were done with SPSS 13.0 software, χ(2) test, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier method, Log-rank test. RESULTS: High and low level expression of GCS explored by immunohistochemistry were 61.3 (46/75) and 39.6 (29/75), respectively. The high expression group (n = 46) showed a significant correlation with high histologic grade (P = 0.021) and tended to show (P = 0.045) that up-expression of GCS was positive related to BNs with lymph node metastasis among the various clinicopathologic characteristics. The overall 5-year survival and disease-free survival rates were 39.5% and 18.4%, respectively. Mean overall survival time was 60.3 months for the low expression group and 45.1 months for the high expression group. Mean disease-free survival was 36.2 months for the low-expression group and 27.3 months for the high-expression group. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that up-regulation of GCS might make an aggressive choice of surgical therapy. A high expression of GCS seemed to be an indicator of poor prognosis.

Overexpression of microRNA-29b induces apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells through down regulating Mcl-1.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs), which regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression and degradation. Several lines of evidences have indicated that miRNAs act as tumor suppressors and oncogenes. However, the role of miRNAs in pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the profile of miRNA expression of primary MM cells, using miRNA microarray and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques. These results showed that in the bone marrow specimens analyzed, miRNA-29b was significantly downregulated. Similar results were also observed in human myeloma cell lines (HMCLs). Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of miR-29b induced apoptosis and elevated caspase-3 activation in HMCLs. Using a bioinformatics approach, we found a perfect complementarity between miRNA-29b and the 3'UTR of myeloid-cell-leukemia 1(Mcl-1). It is further confirmed that miRNA-29b downregulated the level of Mcl-1 without effect on the mRNA level using both qRT-PCR assays and Western blot analyses. Moreover, we observed that enforced miR-29b expression by using a retarget miRNA-29b expression vector (Ad5F11p-miR-29b) could induce apoptosis and elevate caspase-3 activation in HMCLs. Our results also indicated that miRNA-29b-induced apoptosis acted antagonistically with IL-6 in HMCLs. These findings suggest that miRNA-29b may play an important role in MM as a tumor suppressor.

An improved HAdV-41 E1B55K-expressing 293 cell line for packaging fastidious adenovirus.

Human adenovirus type 41 (HAdV-41) is difficult to cultivate under laboratory conditions. Tripartite leader sequence (TPL) of HAdV-41 was cloned, inserted into eukaryotic expression plasmid, and used to establish a HAdV-41 E1B55K-transduced cell line (293TE7). HAdV-41 E1B55K was expressed more abundantly in 293TE7 than in 293E12, an HAdV-41 E1B55K-expressing cell line developed previously. After being infected with E1-deleted HAdV-41 vector (HAdV-41-GFP), 293TE7 synthesized more viral genomic DNA and structural proteins, which led ultimately to a significant increase of the yield of progeny viruses. Typically, 293TE7 produced progeny viruses 3-15 times more than 293E12 did, depending on the amount of seed viruses and culture time. These data demonstrated that 293TE7 was an effective packaging cell line, and implied its application for wild-type HAdV-41 isolation, HAdV-41 virological study and recombinant HAdV-41 construction.

[Diagnosis and treatment for the corticomedullary mixed tumor of adrenal gland].

OBJECTIVE: To study and summarize the diagnosis and treatment for the corticomedullary mixed tumor of adrenal gland. METHODS: The clinical data of 25 cases of adrenal corticomedullary mixed tumor from January 2000 to April 2008 were analyzed retrospectively, which including 9 males and 16 females. The ages were from 25 to 60 years old, and the average age was 39 years old. Thirteen cases had paroxysmal hypertension and 11 cases had central obesity, as well as 8 cases with hypokalemia. There were different degree abnormalities in plasma endocrine hormones in laboratory examination. Every case underwent b-ultrasound and CT normal plus extensive scan to make the diagnosis. RESULTS: Adrenalectomy was performed in the 25 cases, which contain 9 cases of open operations and 16 cases of endoscopic adrenalectomies. All of the cases had blood pressure fluctuation during dissection of the adrenal tumors, with the highest blood pressure reached to 230/140 mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa). Postoperative histopathological study revealed that the pathological changes was corticomedullary mixed tumor of adrenal gland, which was supported by immunohistochemical study. CONCLUSIONS: In cases with complex phenomenon that can't explain with single cortical or medullary changes, it must beware of the mixed pathological changes in adrenal gland.

Effects of the aqueous extract of the Chinese medicine Danggui-Shaoyao-San on rat pineal melatonin synthesis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate if the aqueous extract of the Chinese medicine Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) can increase the plasma level of melatonin and enhance the function of the pineal gland of naturally aged rats. METHODS: The rats were treated with DSS at doses of 3ml or same volume of distilled water by oral administration at 11 p.m. for three weeks. The plasma level of melatonin were measured by radioimmunoassay. The function of pineal gland were measured through three parameters: pineal beta adrenergic receptor binding investigated by [3H]DHA binding; pineal expression of NAT mRNA detected by real-time RT-PCR; phosphorylation of CREB (P-CREB) and total level of CREB (T-CREB) measured by western blot analysis. RESULTS: DSS significantly increased melatonin level at night after oral administration for 3 weeks. By measurement of pineal [3H]DHA binding, it was found DSS improved the beta-adrenergic receptors binding in pineals. The stimulatory effect of DSS on the expression of NAT mRNA in the old rat pineal gland has been demonstrated in this study. Western blot analysis showed that DSS significantly increased phosphorylation of CREB. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that a downstream pathway for DSS induction of melatonin synthesis in the rat pineal gland acts via cyclic AMP-dependent cascade and transcription mechanism.

[Study on multiple aldosterone-producing adenomas].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the experience on diagnosis and treatment of multiple adrenal aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA). METHODS: Eighteen cases of multiple adrenal APA were analyzed retrospectively, which were admitted from October 1992 to April 2006. RESULTS: Adrenalectomy was performed for 4 cases of unilateral synchronous multiple APA, which were discovered with three adenomas by 3D-CT; bilateral tumor resection was performed for 6 cases of bilateral synchronous multiple APA. There were 8 cases of bilateral metachronous multiple APA, including 2 cases of ipsilateral recurrent adrenal APA after adrenal tumor removal, which underwent tumor resection. Another 6 cases were contralateral APA following adrenalectomy due to adrenal APA, and underwent tumor resection. After operation, the adrenal function seemed to be normal, and no recurrence had been found on follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral multiple synchronous APA require adrenalectomy. Tumor resection should be performed for bilateral or asynchronous APA, and it is very important to preserve healthy adrenal tissue as much as possible. 3D-CT has much value on diagnosis of small APA, unilateral multiple synchronous APA and ipsilateral recurrent adrenal APA.

[Clinical analysis in diagnosis and treatment of 11 patients with hereditary renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of hereditary renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: Clinical data of 11 patients with hereditary renal cell carcinoma were analyzed retrospectively. Eight patients were male and 3 were female, age ranged from 32 to 67 (mean: age 48 years). Four cases were bilateral renal cell carcinoma, and 4 were multiple renal cell carcinoma. Two cases were diagnosed as Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, 6 as familial clear cell renal cell cancer, and 3 as hereditary papillary renal carcinoma. RESULTS: Ten patients performed nephron-sparing surgery and/or radical nephrectomy and 1 had no operation. The patients were followed up from 12 to 114 months. Tumor recurrence was observed in 4 patients, 1 patient died of tumor metastasis, and 2 died of other causes. Four patients survived free of tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Hereditary renal carcinoma appears in the youth, and it is predominantly multiple and bilateral. Nephron-sparing surgery is the standard method of treatment for the patients.

[Significance of expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and 4 in prostatic carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2 and 4 (BMP-2 and BMP-4) in prostatic carcinoma (PCa) and investigate their relationship with clinical stage and Gleason score of tumor. METHODS: Forty-eight PCa cases and 5 normal prostatic tissue were analysed for the expressions of BMP-2 and BMP-4 by Western bolt assay. RESULTS: The optical densities of BMP-2 expressions in the tumor with Gleason score < or =5, 6-8, and > or = 9 were 7547.1 +/- 1964.12, 9657.4 +/- 2010.54, 12467.7 +/- 2496.75 and of BMP-4 expressions were 5174.4 +/- 1400.54, 5940.3 +/- 1587.42, 6332.1 +/- 1647.83, respectively. The optical densities of BMP-2 expressions in the tumor in T1 - T2 and T3 - T4 stages were 8003.37 +/- 1889.23, 12385.55 +/- 2506.72 and of BMP4 expressions were 5267.41 +/- 1 464.19, 6543.75 +/- 1668.46, respectively. There were significant differences between tissues with Gleason score < or =5 and > or =9 (P <0.01), and tissues in T1 - T2 and T3 - T4 stages, in expressions of BMP-2 protein. The expression of BMP-2 protein was significantly high in the PCa with bone metastasis compared with that without bone metastasis. CONCLUSION: The expressions of BMP-2 and BMP-4 increase with the progression of clinical stage and Gleason score compared with normal prostatic tissue. The expression of BMP-2 protein is significantly upregulated in bone metastasis of PCa, which indicates a poor prognosis.

[Expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA in prostate carcinoma tissues and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA in prostate carcinoma tissues and its significance. METHODS: RT-PCR method was used to examine the expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA in normal and carcinomatous prostate tissues. RESULTS: The relative content of TGF-beta1 mRNA of normal prostate tissues was (0.74 +/- 0.11), while those of carcinomatous prostate tissues at T1-T2 and T3-T4 stages were (0.69 +/- 0.10) and (0.44 +/- 0.08) respectively, with significant difference between T1-T2 and T3-T4 (P < 0.05). And the relative contents of TGF-beta1 mRNA of carcinomatous prostate tissues with Gleason score < or = 5, 6-8 and > or = 9 were (0.70 +/- 0.12), (0.54 +/- 0.11) and (0.42 +/- 0.09) respectively. CONCLUSION: The expression of TGF-beta1 mRNA was negatively correlated with the clinical stage and Gleason score of prostate carcinoma.

[The role of protein kinase C alpha in recurrence of superficial bladder carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of protein kinase C-alpha (PKCalpha) expression/activation with tumor differentiation and resistance to chemotherapy drugs in superficial bladder carcinoma. METHODS: Expression of PKCalpha was measured by Western-blot analysis in 76 samples including tumor and normal tissues, respectively. A human RT4 bladder cancer cell line stably expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-PKCalpha (RT4/PKCalpha) was established. The sensitivity of the RT4/PKCalpha and parental cells to adriamycin (ADM) was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The change of sensitivity of the RT4/PKCalpha to ADM were observed under the conditions of PKC activation and inhibition, respectively. RESULTS: Total level of PKCalpha expression and the ratio of the amount of PKCalpha expression or PKC activity in membrane to that in cytosol (M/C) were all more higher in cancerous tissues than in normal tissues (P < 0.01); With the increase of tumor grade, the relative level of PKCalpha expression significantly increased in membrane (P < 0.01) and decreased in cytosol (P < 0.01), M/C of PKCalpha was significantly elevated (P < 0.01), and total relative level of PKCalpha expression significantly increased (P < 0.01). Thirty-eight cases recurred during the follow-up period in total seventy cases. Multivariate analysis showed that high M/C of PKCalpha was independent prognostic factor for tumor recurrence after standard ADM treatment in the 2-year follow-up (RR = 3.98, 95% CI 1.22-5.68, P = 0.03). Transfection of PKCalpha increased resistance of RT4 cells to ADM [resistance index (RI): 6.97, t = 3.24, P < 0.01]. PKCalpha activation further greatly promoted the resistance (RI: 148.11, t = 5.18, P < 0.001) while inhibition of PKCalpha did conversely (RI: 1.6, t = 1.29, P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The abnormal activation and expression level of PKCalpha closely correlate with both tumor grade and intrinsic resistance to ADM in patients with superficial bladder carcinoma.

APF, HB-EGF, and EGF biomarkers in patients with ulcerative vs. non-ulcerative interstitial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder, with symptoms including pelvic and or perineal pain, urinary frequency, and urgency. The etiology of IC is unknown, but sensitive and specific biomarkers have been described, including antiproliferative factor (APF), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF). However, the relative sensitivity of these biomarkers in ulcerative vs. nonulcerative IC is unknown, and these markers have yet to be validated in another laboratory. We therefore measured these markers in urine from patients with or without Hunner's ulcer, as well as normal controls, patients with bladder cancer, and patients with bacterial cystitis, at the First Hospital of China Medical University. METHODS: Urine specimens were collected from two groups of Chinese IC patients (38 IC patients with Hunner's ulcers, 26 IC patients without Hunner's ulcers), 30 normal controls, 10 bacterial cystitis patients and 10 bladder cancer patients. APF activity was determined by measuring 3H-thymidine incorporation in vitro, and HB-EGF and EGF levels were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: APF activity (inhibition of thymidine incorporation) was significantly greater in all IC patient urine specimens than in normal control specimens or in specimens from patients with bacterial cystitis or bladder cancer (p < 0.0001 for each comparison). Urine HB-EGF levels were also significantly lower and EGF levels significantly higher in both groups of IC patients than in the three control groups (p < 0.0001 for each comparison). Although APF and HB-EGF levels were similar in ulcerative and nonulcerative IC patients, EGF levels were significantly higher in IC patients with vs. without ulcers (p < 0.004). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that APF, HB-EGF and EGF are good biomarkers for both ulcerative and nonulcerative IC and validate their measurement as biomarkers for IC in Chinese patients.

[Expression of lung resistance-related protein gene in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of lung resistance-related protein (LRP) in intrinsic multidrug resistance (MDR) of bladder cancer and detect the relationship of LRP expression with the clinical pathologic parameters. METHODS: 66 patients were studied with newly diagnosed primary bladder cancer (T(a) = 12, T(1) = 26, T(2) = 11, T(3) = 10, T(4) = 7; G(1) = 35, G(2) = 19, G(3) = 12). No patient was treated preoperatively with either radiation or chemotherapy. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for measure of mRNA expression for LRP, multidrug-resistance gene 1 (MDR1), and multidrug resist nce-associated protein 1 (MRP1). Expressions of LRP, P53 and P63 proteins were examined by immunohistochemistry staining. RESULTS: LRP mRNA had the highest expression rate (64%, 42/66) among three MDR markers in primary bladder cancers without chemotherapy and its level was significantly higher in normal bladder tissue than in TCC of bladder (t = 2.82, P < 0.01), in low grade than in high grade cancers (t = 4.14, P < 0.01), and in superficial than in invasive cancers (t = 3.58, P < 0.05). LRP mRNA expression showed no correlation with either MDR1 or MRP1, but close correlation with LRP protein level (r = 0.89, P < 0.01). LRP was associated with low-grade (r = 0.81, P < 0.01) and low-stage (r = 0.78, P < 0.05) cancers, but not with tumor suppressor P53 or P63 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The grade and stage-related expression pattern of LRP indicates that it may be a predictive index for intrinsic MDR in bladder cancer. Anti-cancer drugs out of the MDR spectrum of LRP may be more effective for patients with early bladder cancer.

[Parapelvic cyst of kidney].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical features, treatment and diagnosis of parapelvic cyst. METHODS: Twenty-three patients of parapelvic cyst of the kidney were reviewed retrospectively. Fourteen cases (61%) complained of lumbar pain or discomfort, and 4 patients (17%) accompany hematuria and hypertension. RESULTS: In 15 patients receiving surgery, 2 were treated by nephrectomy, one by radical nephrectomy for misdiagnosis. Postoperative diagnosis confirmed a cyst. Eight patients were treated conservatively for cyst being small and without clinical symptoms. Nineteen cases were followed up for 0.5 - 12.0 years. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography and CT scan are the main diagnostic methods. Enhanced CT is extremely helpful in differential diagnosis of hydronephrosis. Surgical management is suitable for big cysts, lumbar pain, hematuria, hypertension and other complications.

Comparison of APF activity and epithelial growth factor levels in urine from Chinese, African-American, and white American patients with interstitial cystitis.

OBJECTIVES: Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder for which the etiology is unknown. We have previously shown that antiproliferative factor (APF), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are sensitive and specific biomarkers for IC in white American patients. Because little is known about the epidemiology of this disorder, it is unclear whether these factors would also be useful biomarkers for IC in patients from different racial groups and/or geographic locations. METHODS: Urine specimens were collected from Chinese, white American, and African-American women with IC and age and race-matched asymptomatic normal control women. APF activity was determined by (3)H-thymidine incorporation into primary normal adult human bladder epithelial cells in vitro. The HB-EGF and EGF urine levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: The Chinese, African-American, and white American women with IC had significantly greater urine APF activity (P <0.000001, P = 0.0008, and P <0.000001, respectively), lower urine HB-EGF levels (P <0.000001, P = 0.02, and P <0.000001, respectively), and greater urine EGF levels (P <0.000001, P = 0.002, and P <0.000001, respectively), than their matched asymptomatic controls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirm the utility of APF, HB-EGF, and EGF as biomarkers for IC in patients from three different racial groups and two different countries.