Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to determine 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels for clinical assessment of vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D is responsible for multiple metabolic functions in humans. Rickets are the most common disease caused by vitamin D deficiency. It is caused by poor calcium intake resulting in poor serum-ionized calcium. The purpose of this study is to develop a rapid, sensitive, and feasible method to determine the 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels in blood samples for clinical assessment. In this study, gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry with trimethylsilyl derivatization (TMS-GC-MS) is the most suitable protocol for quantitative analyses of 25(OH)D3. Performance of method was evaluated and compared with liquid chromatography and immunoassay. Method validation has been carried out with plasma specimens. The limit of quantitation of TMS-GC-MS method is 1.5 ppb with good linear correlation. Furthermore, the dietary intake and nutritional status of vegetarian and non-vegetarians in Taiwan were assessed by our validated method. As a result, this vitamin D nutrition survey demonstrates that most Taiwanese people have insufficient vitamin D. Due to dietary habits; the male vegans may have the highest risk of vitamin D deficiency.     

乳腺癌21基因检测的研究进展

乳腺癌是一类具有异质性的肿瘤，不同患者的治疗方法和疗效都不相同。尽管目前仍在努力为激素受体（hormone receptor，HR）阳性（+）、人表皮生长因子受体2（human epidermal growth factor receptor 2,HER-2）阴性（-）、淋巴结（axillary lymph node，ALN）阴性（-）的早期乳腺癌患者寻找合适的治疗方法，但其术后是否需要化疗仍然是肿瘤科医生面临的一个难题。以往治疗主要依赖于经典的组织病理学和免疫组织化学技术，随着精准医疗时代的到来，我们需要更定量的诊断方法和合理的个体化治疗。虽然化疗可降低疾病复发风险并提高生存率，但它带来的不良反应事件会降低患者的生活质量，尤其低复发风险（recurrence risk,RS)有可能超过化疗益处。21基因检测不仅可以预测这类早期乳腺癌化疗疗效及评估预后，还可提供精准的个体化治疗方案指导用药，为患者增添信心。本文就乳腺癌21基因检测的研究进展进行综述。     

补骨脂素抗增生性瘢痕作用机制研究

目的探讨补骨脂素抗增生性瘢痕的作用机制。方法体外培养成纤维细胞,按随机数字表法分为正常组(培养正常成纤维细胞)、瘢痕组(培养增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞)、TGF-β1组(10 ng/ml TGF-β1处理增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞5 min^12 h)、Smurf2 RNA干扰组[Smad泛素化调节因子2(Smad ubiquitin regulatory factor2,Smurf2)siRNA转染增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞72 h]、补骨脂素组(10μmol/L补骨脂素处理增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞继续培养72 h)、补骨脂素+TGF-β1组(增生性瘢痕成纤维细胞加入补骨脂素培养72 h后加入TGF-β1培养6 h)。采用Western blot法检测Smurf2、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白(α-actin SMA,α-SMA)蛋白表达;RT-PCR法检测Ⅰ型胶原蛋白mRNA表达;ELISA法检测TGF-β1蛋白分泌。结果与正常组比较,瘢痕组Smurf2蛋白[(0.83±0.08)比(0.38±0.07)]表达增加(P<0.05);与瘢痕组比较,Smurf2 RNA干扰组TGF-β1[(2.2±0.18)比(4.2±0.47)]表达降低(P<0.05);TGF-β1组Smurf2[(0.71±0.06)比(0.42±0.04)]、α-SMA[(1.42±0.12)比(0.91±0.09)]蛋白表达增加(P<0.05),Ⅰ型胶原蛋白mRNA[(0.72±0.09)比(0.41±0.07)]表达增加(P<0.05);补骨脂素组Smurf2[(0.05±0.01)比(0.42±0.04)]、α-SMA[(0.71±0.07)比(0.91±0.09)]蛋白表达降低(P<0.05),Ⅰ型胶原蛋白mRNA表达[(0.12±0.04)比(0.41±0.07)]降低(P<0.05)。结论补骨脂素可能通过TGF-β1/Smurf2信号通路抑制α-SMA蛋白表达,从而降低Ⅰ型胶原蛋白表达,起到抑制瘢痕形成的作用。     

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester,a propolis polyphenolic,attenuates potentially cadmium-induced testicular dysfunction in mice

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) as environmental pollutant can induce severe damage, particularly to the testis. This study investigated the effects of Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) on testicular dysfunction induced by Cd. Adult mice were intraperitoneally injected with cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) with different doses of CAPE pretreatment. After CdCl₂ injection, body/testis weight ratio decreased, Cd levels accumulated and zinc levels decreased in testis. Furthermore, Cd intoxication caused a significant increase of oxidative stress levels, antioxidant enzymes activities, and glutathione levels. Interestingly, significant improvements were observed after the administration of CAPE. Our results demonstrated the protective effect of CAPE, linking Cd testicular dysfunction to oxidative stress.     

立家之本:血管外科开放手术

近年来,血管外科腔内治疗手段飞速发展和进步,因其创伤小、并发症少、术后恢复快及对患者一般情况要求较宽松等优势,使得很多临床医生和患者更倾向于通过腔内手段治疗血管疾病,逐渐忽视了外科手术治疗的重要性,甚至出现忽视患者病情的个体情况而盲目选择腔内治疗的趋势。作为血管疾病治疗的重要方式,开放手术乃是血管外科的立家之本,是血管外科临床医生的基本技能,在很多情况下有着不可替代的作用,应当再次被强调、被重视。     

WT1基因与急性髓系白血病的预后及主动特异性免疫治疗的研究进展

WT1基因位于人类染色体11p13，在80%的急性髓系白血病（acute myeloid leukemia，AML）患者中高表达，是AML预后不良的分子标志，可作为AML预后评估和微小残留病变（minimal residual disease，MRD）监测的有效指标。由于WT1在AML中均有异常高表达，故认为是一种AML抗原，可作为特异性免疫治疗的新靶点。一些小规模的临床试验证实以WT1为靶点的免疫治疗是有效的、安全的，这些免疫治疗可作为那些有高危复发风险及初始标准化疗失败的AML患者的辅助治疗。本文就近几年WT1与AML的预后及有关以WT1为靶点的主动特异性免疫治疗的研究进展予以综述。