Suboptimal therapy controls clinically apparent disease but not subclinical progression of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease

Purpose To evaluate clinical and angiographic differences in patients with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease during the early 4-month treatment phase with high- or medium-dose systemic corticosteroid therapy. Methods VKH patients treated at the Centre for Ophthalmic Specialized Care, Lausanne, Switzerland (n = 4), or the Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan (n = 5), underwent a pre-treatment indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and a follow-up ICGA four months after treatment began. Lausanne patients received high-dose, systemic corticosteroid therapy, with or without immunosuppressive therapy. Tokyo patients received medium-dose systemic corticosteroid therapy that included 3 days of intravenous pulse methylprednisolone. ICGA signs including choroidal stromal vessel hyperfluorescence and leakage, hypofluorescent dark dots (HDD), fuzzy vascular pattern of large stromal vessels and disc hyperfluorescence were retrospectively compared. Results The pre-treatment ICGA demonstrated that each of the nine patients had choroidal inflammatory foci, as indicated by HDD. At 4-month follow-up, clinical and fluorescein findings had improved almost equally in both groups. HDD had resolved in the Lausanne group but persisted in the Tokyo group. Sunset glow fundus occurred in three of the Tokyo patients and none of the Lausanne patients. Conclusions Submaximal doses of inflammation suppressive therapy are sufficient to suppress clinically apparent disease but not the underlying lesion process. This explains the propensity for sunset glow fundus in seemingly controlled disease.     

Prevalence of benign prostatic hyperplasia in a population-based study in Iranian men 40 years old or older

Epidemiology of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is incompletely understood. The following study was done to estimate the prevalence of BPH according to obstructive and irritative symptoms of prostate obstruction determined by uroflowmetry and prostate size. In a cross-sectional study a total of 8,466 men aged 40 or older were interviewed by 74 general practitioners and answered the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) questionnaire. The subjects were randomly identified from 30 counties of Iran. They were invited to have a digital rectal examination (DRE), serum total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) assay, abdominal ultrasonography to measure prostate size and measurement of maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax). Data on medical history, toxic habits, and current use of medications were obtained. Of the men interviewed, the prevalence of BPH, defined as I-PSS greater than 7, maximum flow less than 15 ml/s and prostate size greater than 30 gm, was 23.8%. The prevalence increased with age, from 1.2% in men 40–49 to 36% in those >70 years (tested for trend, P = 0.001). A positive association was found between BPH and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.04), height (P = 0.03), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.04), increased total energy intake (P = 0.02), age-adjusted levels of total PSA (P = 0.02), heart disease (P = 0.03), and marital status (P = 0.01). The prevalence of BPH is relatively high in Iran. The provided bothersome due to BPH did not correlate to symptom severity and should be considered independently in clinical decision-making.     

Vitamin D and prostate cancer prognosis: a Mendelian randomization study

Purpose

Decreased vitamin D levels have been associated with prostate cancer, but it is unclear whether this association is causal. A functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the group-specific component (GC) gene (T > G, rs2282679) has been associated with 25-hydroxy (25-OH) vitamin D and 1.25 dihydroxy (1.25-OH2) vitamin D levels.

Methods

To examine the hypothesized inverse relationship between vitamin D status and prostate cancer, we studied the association between this SNP and prostate cancer outcome in the prospective PROCAGENE study comprising 702 prostate cancer patients with a median follow-up of 82 months.

Results

GC rs2282679 genotypes were not associated with biochemical recurrence [hazard ratios (HR) 0.91, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.73–1.12; p = 0.36], development of metastases (HR 1.20, 95 % CI 0.88–1.63; p = 0.25) or overall survival (HR 1.10; 95 % CI 0.84–1.43; p = 0.50).

Conclusions

A causal role of vitamin D status, as reflected by GC rs2282679 genotype, in disease progression and mortality in prostate cancer patients is unlikely.

     

Psychometric evaluation of a radio electric auricular treatment for stress related disorders: a double-blinded,placebo-controlled controlled pilot study

Background  

The aim of this double-blind randomized study is to test the efficacy of a radio electric stimulator device using an auricular reflex therapy protocol for stress-related symptoms.     

Measurement properties of the benign prostatic hyperplasia impact index in tadalafil studies

Background  

To assess the measurement properties of the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index (BII) for use in men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) treated with tadalafil.     

Characterization of pollution transport into Texas using OMI and TES satellite,GIS and in situ data,and HYSPLIT back trajectory analyses: implications for TCEQ State Implementation Plans

Transport of pollution from remote sources into the state of Texas has been shown by modeling techniques, satellite, and in situ data. Attaining a better understanding of the impact (i.e., temporally) of remote pollution sources will provide a more robust/quantifiable basis for State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that govern air quality. Utilizing Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and in situ data for ozone (O₃) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT), we assess whether high-pollution events in Texas are primarily sourced locally (i.e., within Texas) or remotely. We focus on TES and OMI dates that exemplify high O₃ and NO₂, over Texas’s lower troposphere from August 5, 2006, to June 21, 2009. For all dates and altitudes, 4-day back trajectory analyses, exemplified by high TES O₃, show that remotely sourced from the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast USA, Midwest USA, Northeast USA, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mexico to Texas. The only exception is air at 1 km on July 22, 2006, which shows that air at this altitude is sourced within Texas. Throughout half of the eastern portion of Texas, TES shows O₃ enhancements in the boundary layer and OMI shows O₃ and NO₂ enhancements via tropospheric column profiles (O₃ between 75 and 90 ppbv; NO₂ ≥5.5 molecules cm^?2). These enhancements complement the HYSPLIT 4-day trajectory analyses, which gives further indication that they are influenced by transport from remote sources. Dates with co-located satellite and in situ data (e.g., August 2, 2005) further exemplify the need to consider satellite and in situ data and modeling data/forecasts when creating SIPs for compliance with Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality air quality standards. Despite the fact that quantifying local versus remote sources is in its early stages, Texas has become increasingly compliant with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Environmental Systems Research Institute’s ArcGIS exemplifies the noticeable decrease in the number of days that locales in Texas exceed EPA’s limit for O₃. From 2005 to 2009, population standard deviation and standard error of the mean, and true sample deviation of the sample mean for O₃ and NO₂, at all 16 monitoring sites distributed throughout Texas, are temporally consistent and small—reinforcing the reliability of in situ data as they are consistent throughout. This investigation has global implications for regions within countries that enforce air quality mandates. Such governing bodies should consider utilizing data assimilation (of in situ data) for air quality prediction as a part of the governmental process that produces such laws. This could potentially keep regions more accountable for emissions both locally and far from high source points.     

Treatment of hemangioma by transfection of antisense VEGF gene

The effect of transfection of antisense vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） gene on the growth of hemangioma was studied. A total of 49 cases of capillary hemangiomas of the skin were collected. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of PCNA in hemangioma tissues. According to the finding, 49 cases of hemangiomas fell into proliferating phase （27 cases） and involuting phase （22 cases） respectively. Another 5 cases of normal skin tissues adjacent to the tumor tissues served as control. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of VEGF in the tumor tissues and the normal tissues. The average absorbance （A） values and the average positive area rate of VEGF were measured by image analysis system （HPIAS-2000）. Endothelial cells from the tumor tissues in proliferating phase were cultured. Eukaryotic expression vector was constructed by sub-cloning, and transfected into human hemangioma endothelial cells by using cation liposome as vector. The expression of VEGF mRNA and protein was detected by RT-PCR and indirect immunofluorescence assay （IFA）, respectively, and the biological characteristics of the transfected endothelial cells were examined by MTT assay and flow cytometry （FCM） after transfection. Immunohistochemical results showed that the expression of VEGF in proliferating endothelial cells was remarkably higher than those in involuting endothelial cells and normal endothelial cells （P〈0.01）, but there was no significant difference in the expression of VEGF between involuting endothelial cells and normal ones （P〉0.01）. Electrophoresis and sequencing indicated that the eukaryotic expression vector containing antisense VEGF gene, i.e. pcDNA3.1-VEGF, was success- fully constructed. After VEGF antisense RNA recombinant was transfected into hemangioma endothelial cells, RT-PCR revealed that the expression of VEGF mRNA in pcDNA-VEGF （V） group and blank group was obviously higher than that in pcDNA-VEGF （A） group, and that the expression of endogenous VEGF mRNA in pcDNA-VEGF （A） group was significantly inhibited. Immunohistochemical result demonstrated that, compared with blank group, there was statistically significant difference between pcDNA-VEGF （A） and pcDNA-VEGF （V） groups （P〈0.01）, but there was no significant difference between pcDNA-VEGF （V） group and blank group （P〉0.05）. The activity of endothelial cell proliferation was reduced significantly after transfection, and obvious apoptosis occurred in hemangioma endothelial cells after transfection of antisense VEGF. It was suggested that VEGF plays an important role in the pathological change of hemangiomas by promoting endothelial cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Antisense VEGF gene transfection could effectively inhibit the growth of hemanioma endothelial cells.     

Prediction of Trend between Water Environment Pollution of D Lake and Death Rate of Malignancy in Population

Waterisoneofthemostnecessarybasicsforhu manlifeandproductionactivities .Alotofattentionhasbeenpaidto predictionbetweenwaterenviron mentpollutionandpopulationhealth[1- 3] .Thee cosystemwherehumanexistsisverycomplexandthemechanismsbywhichwatercontaminationaffectpopulationhealtharealsoverycomplicated .Re searcheshaveshownthatbladdercancer ,stomachcancer ,coloncancer ,rectumcancer ,esophaguscan cerandlivercancerareamongthecommoncancerswhichhaveshownstatisticalsignificancebetweenpopulationandwatero…     

Anti-tumor angiogenesis with a recombinant ag43/FGFR1 chimeric protein as a model antigen

In order to investigate the anti-tumor angiogenesis activity with a recombinant Ag43/FGFR1 chimeric protein(AF)vaccine in a mouse H22 hepatoma model,tumor volume and survival rate of the mice were studied at a 3-day interval.Microvessel density(MVD)was detected by immunohistochemistry.The endothelial deposition of autoantibodies within tumor tissues was examined by immunofluorescent staining,and anti-FGFR1 antibody-producing B cells(APBCs)were tested by enzyme-linked immunospot(ELISPOT)assay.Compared with t...