ABSTRACT
The pathogenesis of metastasis of colon cancer (Cca) is to be further investigated. The dysfunction of apoptotic mechanism plays a role in the cancer cell over growth. This study tests a hypothesis by which intestinal bacterium-derived cyp27a1 prevents apoptosis in colon cancer cells. In this study, the levels of cyp27a1 in human stool samples were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The apoptosis of Cca cells was observed by flow cytometry. The expression of cyp27a1 was assessed by real time RT-PCR and Western blotting. We observed higher levels of cyp27a1 in the stool samples of Cca patients than that from healthy subjects. Cca colon epithelial biopsy contained high levels of cyp27a1 protein, but not the cyp27a1 mRNA. Cyp27a1 prevented Cca cell apoptosis induced by vitamin D3. In conclusion, intestinal bacterium-derived cyp27a1 facilitates Cca survival by inhibiting Cca cell apoptosis.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the linkage between -148C/T polymorphism of beta-fibrinogen gene and plasma fibrinogen levels in patients with acute cerebral infarction. METHODS: One hundred and fifty-one patients with cerebral infarction and 101 healthy individuals were enrolled in this trial. The beta-fibrinogen gene -148C/T polymorphism was analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and plasma fibrinogen levels were obtained from prothrombin time assay. RESULTS: Plasma fibrinogen levels of patients were significantly higher than those of controls (P<0.01). In both groups, T allele carriers had higher plasma fibrinogen levels than other those did (P<0.01); and the fibrinogen level difference was still significant if both groups was based on their sex (P<0.05). Divided by age, each group of the study cases has significant difference between two genotypes (P<0.05). T -148 allele frequency of the middle age case in study group was higher than that in control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: High plasma fibrinogen level is a risk factor to cerebral infarction. Plasma fibrinogen level is affected by -148C/T polymorphism of beta-fibrinogen gene. With or without other risk factors and environmental factors affecting, T allele increases plasma fibrinogen level and may be a heritable risk factor to cerebral infarction.
