Combined serum hepatoma-specific alpha-fetoprotein and circulating alpha-fetoprotein-mRNA in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, its prognosis is poor, and early detection is of utmost importance. Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a useful marker for detecting and monitoring HCC development, the false-negative or false-positive rates with AFP alone may be as high as 30%-40% for patients with small HCCs. To enhance the specificity and accuracy of AFP measurements for HCC, we analyzed AFP expression states in livers, detected the hepatoma-specific AFP (HS-AFP) fraction and AFP-mRNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and explored their clinical implications for HCC diagnosis. METHODS: AFP expression and hepatocyte distributions in liver specimens were investigated by an immunohistochemical assay. Total RNAs were extracted from circulating blood, synthesized to cDNA through random primers and reverse transcriptase, and fragments of the AFP gene were amplified by a nested-PCR assay. The HS-AFP fraction was separated by lectin-affinity chromatography and its level was detected by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The incidence of AFP was 73.3% in HCC tissues and its expression in HCCs with moderate or low differentiation was significantly stronger than that of HCCs with high differentiation (P<0.05). The incidence of AFP gene fragments was 100% in HCCs, and 60% in paracancerous tissues (P<0.01). In the HCC and liver cirrhosis groups, the incidence of HS-AFP was 91.7% and 18% (P<0.01), and of AFP-mRNA was 56.7% and 16% (P<0.01), respectively, and neither was found in controls. HS-AFP or AFP-mRNA was not significantly related to size or number of HCC, but to its differentiation, metastasis, and relapse (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Different AFP expression is present in different parts of HCC tissues. HS-AFP and AFP-mRNA fragments improve sensitivity and specificity, and both are useful markers to diagnose HCC or monitor metastasis and relapse.

Human plasma DNP level after severe brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between DNP level after human severe brain injury and hyponatremia as well as isorrhea. METHODS: The peripheral venous plasma as control was collected from 8 volunteers. The peripheral venous plasma from 14 severe brain injury patients were collected in the 1, 3, 7 days after injury. Radioimmunoassay was used to detect the DNP concentration. Meanwhile, daily plasma and urine electrolytes, osmotic pressure as well as 24 h liquid intake and output volume were detected. RESULTS: The normal adult human plasma DNP level was 62.46 pg/ml+/-27.56 pg/ml. In the experimental group, the plasma DNP levels were higher from day 1 to day 3 in 8 of the 14 patients than those in the control group (P(1)=0.05, P(3)=0.03). Negative fluid balance occurred in 8 patients and hyponatremia in 7 patients. The increase of plasma DNP level was significantly correlated with the development of a negative fluid balance (r =-0.69, P<0.01) and hyponatremia (chi(2) =4.38, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increase of plasma DNP level is accompanied by the enhancement of natriuretic and diuretic responses in severe brain-injured patients, which is associated with the development of a negative fluid balance and hyponatremia after brain injury.

Plasma vasopressin, an etiologic factor of motion sickness in rat and human?

Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is considered as an etiologic hormone in motion sickness. However, the possible role of plasma AVP in motion sickness is still controversial. A number of studies have found a gender difference in susceptibility to motion sickness in humans and experimental animals, with female subjects being more susceptible. However, the existence of a gender difference in the AVP response to motion sickness is not known. This study was designed to verify the assumption that plasma vasopressin plays a role in motion sickness. Changes in plasma vasopressin were observed after motion sickness-inducing rotatory stimuli in both sexes in human subjects and rats receiving or not anti-motion-sickness treatments. Plasma vasopressin levels in motion sickness rats exhibited a decrease after rotation in female, but not in male rats. The vasopressin content of the pituitary increased in both sexes. Plasma vasopressin in rats of both sexes tended to increase after a 15-day adaptive training of rotation, but pituitary vasopressin content was not affected under this condition. In contrast, in human subjects, plasma vasopressin levels increased after rotation in all males, but not in females. When anti-motion-sickness drugs (domperidone 10 mg + flunarizine 5 mg) were administered, plasma vasopressin levels were elevated in both females and males. It is concluded that plasma vasopressin increases after motion sickness-induced stimulation provided subjects have become trained to motion sickness. These results do not support an etiologic role of plasma vasopressin in the genesis of motion sickness.