Snuff use and smoking among senior high school students: effects of a snuff sales ban

OBJECTIVES: The popularity of snuff especially among adolescents is rising. The association between long-term snuff use and oral cancer discovered in epidemiological studies has prompted a variety of preventive measures to be taken to reduce snuff use and prevent adoption of the habit. In this study, the effect of a recent (I March, 1995) snuff sales ban introduced in Finland was investigated. Further, the rates of smoking, snuff use, alcohol use and drug experimenting were investigated before the introduction of the ban to characterize the study population.
DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Two questionnaire studies were carried out. The first was carried out 3 months prior to the ban in 1994 and the second 9 months after the ban in 1995 in a senior high school population in southwestern Finland. The participants were 793 students (aged 15–22 years) in the first survey and 545 students (aged 16–23) in the second. Associations between variables were analyzed using cross-tabulation and stepwise logistic regression. The effects of the ban were determined on the basis of direct questions in the second questionnaire relating to the snuff sales ban.
RESULTS: Snuff was used by 9% of the students participating in the first study. The results of the second questionnaire indicate that the implementation of the snuff sales ban reduced the rate of snuff use by 1% in the study population. The majority of the snuff users (76%) reported that they had maintained their snuff habit. Of those reporting that they were snuff users before implementation of the snuff sales ban, 12% had switched to smoking and 5% to drugs.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that the snuff sales ban in this population with a high rate of snuff use had little effect on snuff use rates and may have some short-term negative consequences as some snuff users switch to other substitutes, such as smoking, with known adverse health effects.     

中药癌痛克对人肝癌细胞HepG2增殖、凋亡及Rb基因表达的影响

目的:通过观察不同浓度癌痛克对肝癌细胞株HepG2增殖及凋亡的作用,以及在相应状态下细胞内Rb基因表达量的改变,探讨中药癌痛克抗肝癌的可能作用机制。方法:实验于2005-09/2006-03在广州医学院中心实验室完成。取对数生长期的HepG2细胞,使细胞静止于G0/G1期。随机分为癌痛克2,10,50mg/L组和对照组,癌痛克2,10,50mg/L组分别加入对应浓度癌痛克(购自河南省肿瘤研究所,由金蝎、土元、九香虫、大黄、人参、灵芝、黄芪等纯中药组成的粉状制剂,功能:消癌肿、消癌痛、消积水、升白排毒),对照组不加药物,每组设4个复孔。MTT法检测各组细胞24,48,72h增殖率,细胞增殖率=[(A570癌痛克组-A570对照组)/A570对照组]×100%;以流式细胞术检测各组细胞24,48,72h凋亡率;RT-PCR方法检测各组细胞24,48,72h细胞内Rb基因mRNA表达量。结果:①2～50mg/L癌痛克具有明显的增殖抑制作用,癌痛克2,10,50mg/L组在24,48,72h与对照组比较,差异有显著性意义(P<0.05);3组各时点两两之间比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.05);同组各时点之间比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.05)。②2～50mg/L癌痛克组可诱导HepG2细胞凋亡,相同作用时间癌痛克2,10,50mg/L组与对照组比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.001);同一时点各组比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.05);同组不同作用时间点比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.001)。③2～50mg/L癌痛克可上调Rb基因的表达,各浓度组在各时点与对照组比较,差异均有显著性意义(P<0.05);24,48,72h癌痛克2,10,50mg/L组之间比较差异无显著性意义(P>0.05);3组各时点比较差异有显著性意义(P<0.05)。结论:中药癌痛克可通过抑制HepG2细胞增殖或诱导其凋亡,而发挥抗肝癌作用;且其诱导细胞凋亡的机制之一可能为通过增加Rb基因的表达而实现。     

A human antibody binds to alpha-galactose receptors and mimics the effects of Clostridium difficile toxin A in rat colon

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Nearly all human sera contain an immunoglobulin G antibody (antigalactose) that binds the trisaccharide Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc expressed on cells from most mammals but not humans. Because the Clostridium difficile toxin A receptor in rodents contains this trisaccharide, the aim of this study was to examine whether antigalactose could mimic the enterotoxic effects of toxin A and bind to receptors containing this trisaccharide. METHODS: Fluid secretion, [3H]-mannitol permeability, and release of rat mast cell protease II and prostaglandin E2 were measured after luminal exposure of rat colon to either purified human anti-galactose, control immunoglobulin G, toxin A, or buffer. RESULTS: Toxin A (5 micrograms) and antigalactose (250 micrograms) but not control immunoglobulin (250 micrograms) stimulated colonic fluid secretion and caused increased mannitol permeability and rat mast cell protease II release. Antigalactose and toxin A and, to a lesser degree, control immunoglobulin G also stimulated release of prostaglandin E2, but only toxin A produced acute inflammation of rat colonic mucosa. Antigalactose and toxin A bound specifically to a single class of colonic brush border receptors with dissociation constants of 10(-6) mol/L and 5.4 x 10(-8) mol/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Fluid secretion, increased permeability, and mast cell activation occur in rat colon when toxin A or human antigalactose immunoglobulin G bind to receptors bearing the trisaccharide Gal alpha 1-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc. (Gastroenterology 1996 Jun;110(6):1704-12)     

Protein phosphorylation in neutrophils from patients with p67-phox- deficient chronic granulomatous disease

Neutrophils are known to contain a major 67-kD protein that undergoes enhanced phosphorylation and translocation to the membrane during cell stimulation. Recent studies have assumed that this 67-kD phosphoprotein is the 67-kD subunit of the phagocyte oxidase (p67-phox). We compare here the protein phosphorylation patterns in lysates of normal neutrophils and neutrophils from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) that are completely deficient in p67-phox. The phosphoproteins were labeled by incubation of the cells with radioactive inorganic phosphate (32Pi) or by the addition of [gamma- 32P]ATP to electropermeabilized neutrophils. With either method, stimulation of the normal or CGD cells always resulted in an enhanced incorporation of 32p into two proteins in the 67-kD area. The extent of phosphorylation of these two proteins was very similar in the normal and CGD cells when permeabilized neutrophils loaded with [gamma - 32P]ATP were compared. Moreover, no overall differences in the protein phosphorylation patterns were observed between the normal and CGD cells. Our data indicate that the major 67-kD phosphoproteins observed in stimulated neutrophils are clearly different from p67-phox.     

Opportunistic infections and organ‐specific diseases in HIV‐1‐infected children: a cohort study (1990–2006)

Objectives

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically changed the natural history of HIV infection in children, but there are few studies in the literature about the incidence of clinical manifestations after HAART in this population, compared with adults. The aim of this study was to describe the influence of the widespread use of HAART on the development of opportunistic infections and organ‐specific diseases in HIV‐infected children.

Methods

An observational study of a cohort of 366 vertically HIV‐infected children followed from 1990 to 2006 was carried out. According to the main antiretroviral protocol used, three calendar periods (CPs) were defined and compared: CP1 (1990–1996: no patients on HAART), CP2 (1997–1999: <60% on HAART) and CP3 (2000–2006: >60% on HAART).

Results

Children experienced a progressive increase in CD4 T cell count (P<0.05) and a decrease in HIV viral load from 1996 onwards (P<0.05). Similarly, rates of death, AIDS, opportunistic infections (bacteraemia, candidosis, cryptosporidiosis and bacterial pneumonia) and organ‐specific diseases (wasting syndrome, thrombocytopenia, cardiomyopathy, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia and HIV‐associated encephalopathy) were lower in CP2 and CP3 than in CP1.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence of improved clinical outcomes in HIV‐infected children over time and shows that mortality, AIDS, opportunistic infections and organ‐specific diseases declined as HAART was progressively instituted in this population.

     

The cytoskeleton in Chediak-Higashi syndrome fibroblasts

The Chediak-Higashi syndrome (CHS) trait is expressed in cultured human skin fibroblasts as an abnormal perinuclear concentration of moderately enlarged lysosomes. The cytoskeleton of CHS fibroblasts appears intact. Microtubules are normal in number and morphology, as assessed by colchicine binding studies, antitubulin immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy. Deformability by shear force is unaltered and microfilaments are abundant. However, CHS lysosomes appear to interact abnormally with the cytoskeleton, since the perinculear aggregation partially disperses after depolymerization of cell microtubules with colchicine. These results suggest that CHS is associated with a defect of either the lysosomal membrane itself or of lysosomal membrane- microtubule interaction.     

Deleterious effects of irradiation and bone marrow transplantation therapy in the genetically anemic an/an mouse

The efficacy and outcome of bone marrow transplantation therapy following lethal irradiation were examined in syngeneic mice that had a hereditary macrocytic anemia (an/an) or were genotypically normal (+/+). Successful RBC and WBC replacement, based on blood cell parameters and donor genetic markers, were observed in all combinations of transplant therapy. Nevertheless, the an/an mice died prematurely several months after treatment, whether they received +/+ or an/an marrow cells. In contrast, the +/+ recipients of either +/+ or an/an marrow cells survived for at least 1 year after transplantation. Premature death of the an/an mice was associated with lymphopenia, anemia, kidney lesions, and severe pathogen-free pneumonitis. On the basis of our results, we hypothesize that the premature deaths of an/an mice are caused by a kind of chronic irradiation damage to which an/an mice are especially susceptible.     

Epstein–Barr virus in the pathogenesis of oral cancers

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous gamma‐herpesvirus that establishes a lifelong persistent infection in the oral cavity and is intermittently shed in the saliva. EBV exhibits a biphasic life cycle, supported by its dual tropism for B lymphocytes and epithelial cells, which allows the virus to be transmitted within oral lymphoid tissues. While infection is often benign, EBV is associated with a number of lymphomas and carcinomas that arise in the oral cavity and at other anatomical sites. Incomplete association of EBV in cancer has questioned if EBV is merely a passenger or a driver of the tumorigenic process. However, the ability of EBV to immortalize B cells and its prevalence in a subset of cancers has implicated EBV as a carcinogenic cofactor in cellular contexts where the viral life cycle is altered. In many cases, EBV likely acts as an agent of tumor progression rather than tumor initiation, conferring malignant phenotypes observed in EBV‐positive cancers. Given that the oral cavity serves as the main site of EBV residence and transmission, here we review the prevalence of EBV in oral malignancies and the mechanisms by which EBV acts as an agent of tumor progression.     

2010年欧洲神经病学联盟阿尔茨海默病诊疗指南

一、概述 (一)目的 2008年成立工作组的目的是修改前一版欧洲神经病学联盟(EFNS)的阿尔茨海默病(AD)诊疗指南.前一版指南采用了第4版诊断和统计手册(DSM Ⅳ)及美国国立神经病学、语言障碍和脑卒中研究所-阿尔茨海默病及相关疾病学会(NINCDS-ADRDA)对痴呆综合征和AD的诊断标准.