Tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy: an investigative survey of women in 9 developing nations

Objectives. We examined pregnant women''s use of cigarettes and other tobacco products and the exposure of pregnant women and their young children to secondhand smoke (SHS) in 9 nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.Methods. Face-to-face surveys were administered to 7961 pregnant women (more than 700 per site) between October 2004 and September 2005.Results. At all Latin American sites, pregnant women commonly reported that they had ever tried cigarette smoking (range: 78.3% [Uruguay] to 35.0% [Guatemala]). The highest levels of current smoking were found in Uruguay (18.3%), Argentina (10.3%), and Brazil (6.1%). Experimentation with smokeless tobacco occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and India; one third of all respondents in Orissa, India, were current smokeless tobacco users. SHS exposure was common: between 91.6% (Pakistan) and 17.1% (Democratic Republic of the Congo) of pregnant women reported that smoking was permitted in their home.Conclusions. Pregnant women''s tobacco use and SHS exposure are current or emerging problems in several low- and middle-income nations, jeopardizing ongoing efforts to improve maternal and child health.Tobacco use is widely recognized as one of the leading threats to global health.¹ Historically, the prevalence of smoking among women in the developing world has been very low, in part because of strong cultural constraints against women''s smoking; approximately 50% of men in developing nations smoke cigarettes, compared with 9% of women.² Averting an increase in the prevalence of smoking among women in developing nations is widely recognized as a significant public health opportunity.^3,4Pregnant women are a priority population for tobacco control efforts because both cigarette smoking and smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy pose serious risks to fetal health. Smoking during pregnancy may cause preterm delivery, low birthweight, and sudden infant death syndrome; smokeless tobacco use during pregnancy has been associated with stillbirth, preterm birth, and reduced birthweight.^5–8 Maternal tobacco use is also likely to expose infants and children to secondhand smoke (SHS) and to provide a role model for children''s use of tobacco. Intervening during pregnancy is also important because of the health risks to the woman, who potentially has many years of remaining life. For cigarette smoking, these health risks include lung and other cancers, coronary heart disease and stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; health risks from smokeless tobacco products include oral and pancreatic cancer.^9,10The US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development''s Global Network for Women''s and Children''s Health Research consists of 10 research units chosen for scientific merit that are focused on improving maternal and children''s health in the developing world. To determine whether pregnant women''s tobacco use and SHS exposure are emerging public health issues, the Global Network undertook an investigative survey of pregnant women''s knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding tobacco use and SHS exposure. Here we report findings on pregnant women''s experimentation with and use of tobacco products, their perceptions of the social acceptability of tobacco use by women, and their and their young children''s exposure to SHS.     

胃癌及其癌前病变组织Yes相关蛋白和Survivin的表达及其意义

目的:检测YAP和Survivin的表达水平,探讨YAP及Survivin表达与胃癌发生的关系和意义。方法:采用PV9000免疫组化方法分别检测98例胃癌及配对正常胃黏膜,58例肠上皮化生,32例不典型增生组织中YAP和Survivin的表达水平。结果:YAP在不典型增生(37.5%)、胃癌组织(48.0%)中的阳性表达率显著高于正常胃黏膜组织(13.3%),P<0.01;Survivin在肠上皮化生(53.4%)、不典型增生(59.4%)及胃癌(65.3%)组织中的阳性表达率显著高于正常胃黏膜组织(11.2%),P<0.01;弥漫型胃癌组(74.6%)Survivin阳性表达率显著高于肠型胃癌组(51.3%),P<0.05。伴淋巴结转移胃癌组Survivin阳性表达率(76.9%)显著高于无淋巴结转移组(41.2%),P<0.01。在98例胃癌组织中YAP与Sur-vivin表达呈正相关,等级相关系数rk=0.246,P<0.01。结论:YAP可能诱导凋亡抑制因子Survivin的表达,Survivin可能通过抑制胃癌中细胞凋亡及调节细胞有丝分裂的发生进而参与胃癌的发生、发展及转移。将两指标联合检测,有助于...     

T regulatory cell markers in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Relationship with survival and tumor aggressiveness

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a heterogeneous cell family which plays an important role in tumor-associated immune response. Of these, T regulatory (Treg) cells have also been shown to inhibit anti-tumor response. We aimed to evaluate the expression of T regulatory cell markers (CD4, CD25, CTLA-4 and FoxP3) in samples of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) and lip SCC (LSCC) by immunohistochemistry. The relationship of Treg markers with survival data and the proliferative index were also evaluated. We observed similar numbers of CD4-, CD25- and FoxP3(+) cells in OCSCC and LSCC. On the other hand, numbers of CTLA-4(+) cells were significantly lower in OCSCC than in LSCC. OCSCC samples with high numbers of CD4 exhibited a high proliferative index, while samples with high CTLA-4 counts demonstrated a low tumoral proliferative index. A log-rank test showed that patients with OCSCC that presented high counts of CD4 showed a significantly decreased survival compared with patients with low cell counts. In contrast, high CD25(+) cell counts were associated with increased survival. Our results suggest an association of CD4 with poor prognosis, while CD25 expression is related with favorable prognosis. These findings result from the heterogeneity of TIL subsets that display an antagonistic role in tumor immune cell response.     

锡叶藤种质资源调查

目的:开展锡叶藤种质资源调查,为锡叶藤种质资源的综合评价及筛选优良种质奠定基础。方法:采用走访、实地调查及文献查阅相结合的方法,对锡叶藤种质资源的地理分布及生境、生物学特性、群落特征和伴生植物等进行调查。结果:锡叶藤主要分布的区域是广东、广西、海南,间断分布于海拔0~681 m的区域,平均海拔179 m,在中国的水平分布范围主要是N 18°01'~23°75',垂直分布在E 101°37'~118°05',超出此范围的分布比较少或无分布。适宜的生境为亚热带常绿阔叶林和南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林下,喜欢生长在潮湿炎热的地区的阴湿沟谷或山坡林下或灌木丛中,湿度70%~91%。生长地的年均气温18.3~25.4℃,降雨量1 112.1~2 996.8 mm。结论:该调查初步明确锡叶藤的地理分布特点、生物学特性、伴生植物群落种类,热量因子及湿度是锡叶藤分布的主要限制指标。通过对其种质资源调查及主要有效成分分析发现,锡叶藤种质资源丰富,尤其生长在广东、香港一带的植被保护较好、药材质量好。同时对锡叶藤的应用前景做了分析,为锡叶藤资源的保护、开发、利用提供了参考依据。     

药操联合疗法治疗湿热下注型上尿路结石的临床随机对照研究

  目的：观察中医导引排石操联合周氏排石汤(药操联合疗法)治疗湿热下注型上尿路结石的临床疗效。  方法：将158例湿热下注型上尿路结石患者随机分为治疗组和对照组,每组79例。治疗组予周氏排石汤联合中医导引排石操(药操联合),对照组予周氏排石汤治疗。两组疗程均为1个月,观察临床疗效及用药安全性,比较中医证候积分及各症状评分的变化情况。  结果：①最终150例患者完成研究,治疗组75例,对照组75例。②治疗组、对照组总有效率分别为68.0%、60.0%;组间临床疗效比较,治疗组明显优于对照组(P＜0.05)。③治疗前后组内比较,两组中医证候总积分及各症状评分比较,差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05)。组间治疗后比较,治疗组中医证候总积分明显低于对照组(P＜0.05);治疗组尿道灼热、尿频、尿急评分明显低于对照组(P<0.05),而腰痛、血尿、尿痛、少腹拘急评分组间差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。  结论：中医导引排石操联合周氏排石汤(药操联合疗法)治疗湿热下注型上尿路结石,安全有效,疗效优于单纯中药治疗,可明显改善临床症状,促进结石排出,减轻患者痛苦。     

Comparative analysis of monoaminergic cerebrospinal fluid‐contacting cells in Osteichthyes (bony vertebrates)

Cerebrospinal fluid‐contacting (CSF‐c) cells containing monoamines such as dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5‐HT) occur in the periventricular zones of the hypothalamic region of most vertebrates except for placental mammals. Here we compare the organization of the CSF‐c cells in chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish, by analyzing the expression of synthetic enzymes of DA and 5‐HT, respectively, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), and draw an evolutionary scenario for this cell population. Due to the lack of TH immunoreactivity in this region, the hypothalamic CSF‐c cells have been thought to take up DA from the ventricle instead of synthesizing it. We demonstrate that a second TH gene (TH2) is expressed in the CSF‐c cells of all the three species, suggesting that these cells do indeed synthetize DA. Furthermore, we found that many CSF‐c cells coexpress TH2 and TPH1 and contain both DA and 5‐HT, a dual neurotransmitter phenotype hitherto undescribed in the brain of any vertebrate. The similarities of CSF‐c cells in chicken, Xenopus, and zebrafish suggest that these characteristics are inherited from the common ancestor of the Osteichthyes. A significant difference between tetrapods and teleosts is that teleosts possess an additional CSF‐c cell population around the posterior recess (PR) that has emerged in specific groups of Actinopterygii. Our comparative analysis reveals that the hypothalamus in mammals and teleosts has evolved in a divergent manner: placental mammals have lost the monoaminergic CSF‐c cells, while teleosts have increased their relative number.