Is chronic inflammatory change in the prostate the major cause of rising serum prostate‐specific antigen in patients with clinical suspicion of prostate cancer?

AIM: To evaluate the cause of elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in patients with transrectal needle biopsy negative for prostate cancer. METHODS: Serum PSA concentration, prostate volume, and pathologic findings were examined in 223 patients with negative biopsy for prostate cancer. The degree of prostate inflammation was determined by the extent and degree of inflammation shown by biopsy specimens and is expressed as an inflammation score (range: 0-36). RESULTS: A significant correlation was found between PSA concentration and prostate total volume (P=0.0001). Prostate chronic inflammation showed no correlation with PSA concentration (P=0.485, F=0.488). After allocating patients to normal PSA (4 ng/mL) groups, we found that serum PSA concentrations in both groups were predominantly affected by prostate total volume. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in prostate volume appears to be the major contributor to a high serum PSA concentration in patients with negative biopsy for prostate cancer. However, in contrast to previous reports, there was no correlation between the degree of prostate chronic inflammation and serum PSA concentrations.     

Randomized Evaluation of an Inflatable Femoral Artery Compression Device After Cardiac Catheterization

Mechanical femoral artery compression devices have several limitations. We compared a novel disposable beltheld pneumatic compression device to manual compression alone in 213 patients randomized into two equal groups. Both were comparable for age, gender, current therapy with aspirin (ASA) and warfarin, diameter of the arterial sheath, previous procedures via the same artery, procedure duration, and blood pressure. Manual compression time was 12 ± 3 minutes. Pneumatic compression was reduced during 60 minutes. Patient discomfort was assessed as none (82% vs 88%), mild (13% vs 8%), moderate (3% vs 4%), or severe (2% vs 0%) for the manual versus pneumatic group, respectively. Bleeding and hematoma occurred in 7.5% of patients with no difference between the treatment groups. However, manual compression was significantly more effective in the higher range of systolic blood pressure, and pneumatic in the lower range, with a cut point of approximately 170 mmHg. Predictors for bleeding were systolic blood pressure and dose of ASA. Among 113 patients with systolic blood pressure < 160 mmHg and low dose (75 mg) or no ASA, only / patient (0.9%) experienced bleeding while 31% of 16 patients with both elevated systolic blood pressure and high dose ASA (150–330 mg) bled. We conclude that pneumatic femoral artery compression does not reduce bleeding and hematoma compared with manual compression. The use of low dose (75 mg) or no ASA, as well as giving special attention to patients with elevated systolic blood pressure, may reduce the risk of bleeding after cardiac catheterization .     

DNA flow-cytometric analysis in colorectal cancer: A comparison of metastasizing and non-metastasizing tumours

The most common cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer is metastatic liver disease. In order to identify patients at a high risk of developing hepatic secondaries from colorectal cancers, DNA content was measured in metastasizing colorectal primaries (Group I, n= 32) as well as in their subsequently resected liver secondaries and in sections of non-metastasizing colorectal cancers (Group II, n= 25). A modified interpretation system involving both a DNA index and percentage of cycling cells (those in S and G2 + M phases) was developed. DNA content was measured in paraffin-embedded sections by flow cytometry using internal controls (human peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and non-malignant tissue controls (19 patients with diverticular disease). In Group I there were significantly more tumours with both abnormal ploidy (aneuploid or abnormal tetraploid peak) and > 15% cycling cells compared with Group II (Chi-squared; P= 0.034). The combination of abnormal ploidy and > 15% cycling cells was superior to Dukes’ classification for identifying metastasizing tumours (Logistic Regression; P= 0.047). However, it was not possible to discriminate between the two groups using either DNA ploidy or the percentage of cycling cells alone. The metastasizing colorectal cancers exhibited similar DNA ploidy characteristics and had a similar percentage of cycling cells compared with their liver metastases. These results suggest that tumour DNA ploidy plus the percentage of cycling cells may predict the development of liver metastases and thus survival in patients with colorectal cancer.     

Non-prescribed drug use during methadone treatment by clinic- and community-based patients

We investigated the efficacy of methadone maintenance treatment in clinic-based (n= 10) and community-based (n= 10) patients by studying the relationships between dose, plasma concentrations of methadone and non-prescribed drug-use using logistic regression. We found that clinic-based patients had significantly reduced odds of having a urine sample test positive for illicit drugs when compared to community-based patients (OR = 0.20; 95% confidence interval 0.10–0.38: p < 0.001). There was no relationship between either methadone dose or plasma methadone concentration and testing positive for non-prescribed drugs (including cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine, ecstasy, benzodiazepines). We looked specifically at the misuse of opiate drugs. Location was again important and clinic-based patients had significantly reduced odds of having a urine sample test positive for opiate drugs (OR= 0.36, 95% confidence internal 0.13–0.71: p～0.004). Opiate drug use in our patients was also significantly related to plasma methadone concentration, increasing noticeably when the drug concentration < 0.48 nmol/L (p～0.04). We found no relationship between methadone dose and odds of having a positive urine drug test in either clinic- or community-based patients.     

Effects on Fertility of Rabbits After Active Immunization With Rat Testicular Cytochrome ct

ABSTRACT: A Male rabbit was immunized with rat testicular cytochrome (Cyt) c_t and mated with normal, unimmunized females. The matings resulted in abnormal pregnancies: no offspring or stillborn or undersized liveborn offspring weighing 25–30 gm each. Another unusual observation was that fur-pulling behavior, normally exhibited by pregnant female rabbits at the end of the gestational period, was absent in all of these pregnancies. Therefore, immunization of a normal rabbit with testicular cyt c_t appeared to interfere with physiological and behavioral aspects of pregnancy in normal female rabbits. The immunological basis of these findings remains to be determined.     

In vitro metabolism of the new insecticide flupyrazofos by rat liver microsomes

1. The in vitro metabolism of the new insecticide flupyrazofos was studied using rat liver microsomes. Two metabolites were produced and identified as O, O -diethyl O -(1- phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-5-pyrazoyl) phosphoric acid ester (flupyrazofos oxon) and 1- phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxypyrazole (PTMHP) based on UV and mass spectral analysis. 2. Cytochrome P450 oxidatively converted flupyrazofos to flupyrazofos oxon, a major metabolite and phenobarbital-induced microsomes increased this desulphuration by 8- fold. 3. Flupyrazofos oxon was converted to PTMHP with a half-life of 47 8?min by chemical hydrolysis and this conversion also proceeded non-enzymatically under our microsomal incubation conditions.     

三维颅面水平参考平面的确定方法

目的:比较在三维影像选取双侧耳点和双侧眶下点构建的不同水平面之间差异,分析不同水平面对双侧耳点和双侧眶下点位置的影响,为颅面部三维头影测量水平参考平面的确定提供依据。方法:选取32名正畸治疗前面部基本对称患者(颏下点离正中矢状面≤2 mm), 获取DICOM格式的大视野锥形束CT数据并导入到Dolphin软件,将鼻根点、蝶鞍点和枢椎齿突最高点构建正中矢状面,测量双侧耳点和双侧眶下点中随机三点构建的4种水平参考平面。分别定义为,平面1:水平面由右侧耳点和双侧眶下点构成;平面2:水平面由左侧耳点和双侧眶下点构成;平面3:水平面由双侧耳点与右侧眶下点构成;平面4:水平面由双侧耳点与左侧眶点构成。记录4个平面在三维空间当中的俯仰角、侧偏角和横滚角。间隔两周,一位研究者进行两次测量。计算组间相关系数(interclass correlation coefficient,ICC)比较两次测量结果的一致性,检验测量者自身的可靠性,进行单因素重复测量方差分析检验组内4个平面之间的差异,按年龄分为13~17岁组和≥18岁组。以枢椎齿突最高点为原点计算双侧耳点和双侧眶下点位置,应用圆周长公式分析头部转动对双侧耳点和双侧眶下点的影响。结果:单因素重复测量方差分析结果显示,不同三点构建的4种平面之间俯仰角、侧偏角和横滚角差异均无统计学意义(P=0.196、0.314、0.341)。头位转动对双侧耳点和双侧眶下点的影响分析结果为:1°俯仰角变化产生耳点约0.5 mm、眶下点约1.6 mm的变化;1°侧偏角变化产生耳点约1.1 mm、眶下点约1.5 mm的变化;1°横滚角变化产生耳点约1.2 mm、眶下点约0.7 mm的变化。结论:对于面部基本对称个体,应用三维头颅影像对双侧耳点和双侧眶下点中随机选取三个点构建的4种水平面之间差异无统计学意义;以双侧眶下点和右侧耳点构建的水平面可能最适合临床使用;头部不同方向的转动使双侧耳点和双侧眶下点产生不同位置的变化。     

Sexual behavior survey and screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea in university students in South Korea

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to define the prevalence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections and status of sexual risk behavior among university students (18-25 years old) in the capital region of South Korea. METHODS: Participants filled out a self-administered questionnaire related to sexuality. First-void urine was analyzed for chlamydial and gonococcal infection by strand displacement amplification (BDProbTecET, BD Diagnostic Systems, MD). RESULTS: A total of 622 students from 15 colleges in three universities took part in the study. The median age was 21 and 39.1% of them reported having sexual intercourse at least once. The prevalence of C. trachomatis among sexually active men and women was 8.4% and 10.6%, respectively. Gonococcal infection was noted in one symptomatic male. Factors significantly associated with infection were the number of sexual partners during past year and lifetime and condom use. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first sexually transmitted infection (STI) screening in university students in South Korea. Urine-based STI screening was both feasible and acceptable in university students in South Korea. It should be considered a routine part of programs to control STI nationally.