Metric method for sex determination based on the 12th thoracic vertebra in contemporary north-easterners in China.

Many studies have shown that discriminant function equations, used in the determination of sex from skeletons, are population specific. The aim of the present research was to develop discriminant function equations for sex determination using the 12th thoracic vertebra (T12) in a contemporary northeast Chinese sample and to investigate whether the differences of the T12 between males and females consist more in shape than in size. Thirty linear measurements were obtained from 141 three-dimensional reconstructed T12 models (78 males and 63 females), and then 112 ratios were calculated by using the thirty linear measurements. Of the 30 linear measurements, 28 were sexually dimorphic, and their univariate discriminant function equations predicted sex with 56.4-90.1% accuracies. Of the 112 ratios, 62 were sexually dimorphic, with accuracies ranging from 56.7% to 73.8%. Using stepwise method of discriminant function analysis, four variables predicted sex with 94.2% accuracy. It is concluded that the T12 vertebra of the north-easterners in China is useful for sex determination, and the size of the T12 vertebra contributes more than the shape in the differences of the T12 vertebra between males and females.

Effects of GM-CSF, IL-3, and GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein on apoptosis of human myeloid leukemic cell line Tf-1 induced by irradiation.

AIM: To observe the effects of three cytokines on the apoptosis of Tf-1 cells induced by gamma irradiation and investigate the relationship between apoptosis and caspase-3 activity. METHODS: Different cytokines GM-CSF, IL-3 and GM-CS/IL-3 fusion protein were added into the irradiated Tf-1 cells. MTT assay, morphology, flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation assay were used to observe the effects of cytokines on apoptosis. The caspase-3 activity was determined with a fluorocytometer. RESULTS: Irradiated Tf-1 cells showed typical morphological characteristic of apoptosis demonstrated by transmission electron microscopy and were accumulated in G0/G1 phase. In the groups treated with growth factors after irradiation, three cytokines significantly increased the viability rate, distinctly decreased the apoptosis rate and the proportion of DNA fragmentation. When Tf-1 cells were irradiated by gamma irradiation, caspase-3 activity was increased at different time points. In comparison with the control group in which no growth factor was added after the cells were irradiated, the caspase-3 activity of irradiated Tf-1 cells was significantly inhibited by addition of the above cytokines. Thirty-six hours after irradiation, in the control group, GM-CSF, IL-3, GM-CSF and IL-3 in combination, and two GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein groups, the apoptosis rate was 73 %, 11 %, 15 %, 13 %, 12 %, and 13 %. The percent of fragmented DNA was 36 %, 19 %, 18 %, 14 %, 13 %, and 14 %. The fluorescence intensity was 16923, 5529, 6581, 5322, 5426, and 5485. CONCLUSION: GM-CSF, IL-3, and GM-CSF/IL-3 fusion protein could protect Tf-1 cells from apoptosis induced by gamma irradiation. After Tf-1 cells were irradiated, the caspase-3 activity was significantly increased but was dramatically decreased by the above cytokines. The remarkable inhibition of caspase-3 activity may be one of the mechanisms of these hematopoietic growth factors exerting their anti-apoptotic effects.

[In vitro and in vivo functional evaluation of anti-human bladder tumor human-mouse chimeric antibody ch-BDI].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo function of anti-human bladder tumor human-mouse chimeric antibody ch-BDI and its future clinical application. METHODS: With ch-BDI in high-expression cell-line medium, affinity chromatography was used for the purification. Labeled with (99m)Tc through reduction method, its immunoreactive fraction and association constant were measured. The constant was injected into nude mice with xenografted human bladder tumor. The biodistribution of the labeled ch-BDI was studied with radioimmunoimaging. RESULTS: ch-BDI showed desirable immunoreactive fraction (76%) and association constant (3.56 x 10(9) M(-1)) in vitro and a terrific specific targeting effect in vivo. CONCLUSION: ch-BDI has fairly good function against human bladder tumor both in vitro and in vivo, and is promising in clinical use.