Changes in Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Spleen-Qi Deficiency Syndrome

Many functional diseases are related to dysautonomia, and heart rate variability has been used to assess dysautonomia. However, heart rate variability has not been studied in Spleen-Qi deficiency syndrome (SQDS). Healthy volunteers (n = 37) and patients with SQDS (n = 67), recruited from the Clinic of the State University of Ecatepec Valley were included in the study. Outcome measures were average heart rate, standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals, low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF) power, and the LF/HF ratio. Also, intestinal peristalsis, gastrointestinal symptoms (GSs), fatigue, and level of attention were measured. Standard deviation of the normal-to-normal heartbeat intervals (17 ± 2.3%) and HF (14 ± 3.1%) were lower in SQDS patients (17 ± 1.3%) than in healthy volunteers. SQDS patients had higher heart rate, LF power, LF/HF ratio, and fatigue scores (9.6 ± 1.12%, 16 ± 2.1%, 22 ± 3.8%, and 21 ± 4.1%). The fatigue correlated positively with the LF/HF ratio and negatively with HF power. The SQDS group had lower concentration performance (16.2 ± 1.9%) in the d2 test. The intestinal peristalsis showed a reduction (15 ± 1.3%) as compared with control. GS score and peristalsis correlated negatively with HF. Our results suggest that the pathology of SDQS could be associated with a low vagal tone which causes a decrease in peristalsis, increased fatigue, reduced attention, and appearance of GSs.     

Relation between high density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary artery disease in asymptomatic men

The well established inverse relation of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and the risk of coronary artery disease was tested in a cross-Sectional group of 572 asymptomatic aircrew members who were being screened for risk of coronary artery disease. A battery of tests was performed, including determinations of fasting serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides and performance of a maximal symptomlimited exercise tolerance test. Of the 572 patients, 132 also had an abnormal S-T segment response to exercise testing or were otherwise believed to have an increased risk of organic heart disease and subsequently underwent coronary angiography. Significant coronary artery disease was found in 16 men and minimal or subcritical coronary disease in 14; coronary angiograms were normal in the remaining 102 men. The remaining 440 men, who were believed to have a 1 percent chance of having coronary artery disease by sequential testing of risk factors and treadmill testing, had a mean cholesterol level of 213 mg/100 ml, a mean HDL cholesterol of 51 mg/100 ml and a mean cholesterol/HDL ratio of 4.4. The mean values for cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and cholesterol/HDL cholesterol did not differ significantly in men with normal angiographic findings and those with subcritical coronary disease. However, 14 of 16 men with coronary artery disease had a cholesterol/HDL ratio of 6.0 or more whereas only 4 men with normal coronary arteries had a ratio of 6.0 or more. Of the classic coronary risk factors evaluated, the cholesterol/HDL ratio of 6.0 or more had the highest odds ratio (172:1). It appears that determination of HDL cholesterol level helps to identify asymptomatic persons with a greater risk of having coronary artery disease.     

口腔鳞癌中Ⅰ、Ⅳ型胶原及基质金属蛋白酶-1、2的表达及意义

目的探讨Ⅰ型胶原(ColⅠ)、Ⅳ型胶原(ColⅣ)、基质金属蛋白酶(MMP)-1、2在口腔鳞癌中的表达及与肿瘤的生物学行为的关系。方法采用免疫组化通用型两步法检测80例口腔鳞癌患者的癌旁正常组织和癌组织中ColⅠ、ColⅣ、MMP-1、MMP-2的表达。结果口腔鳞癌中ColⅠ、ColⅣ的表达降低(P<0.05),MMP-1、MMP-2的表达升高(P<0.05)。随着分化程度的降低,ColⅠ、ColⅣ的表达下降,MMP-1、MMP-2的表达增强,但是高分化与中、低分化鳞癌中MMP-2的表达水平基本一致(P>0.05)。ColⅠ、ColⅣ表达与口腔鳞癌的临床分期、淋巴结状况呈负相关;MMP-1、MMP-2的表达与口腔鳞癌的临床分期、淋巴结状况呈正相关;MMP-1、MMP-2的表达与ColⅠ、ColⅣ的表达呈负相关。结论ColⅠ、ColⅣ、MMP-1、MMP-2的表达与口腔鳞癌的侵袭、转移关系密切。     

Iron deficiency in infants: the influence of mild antecedent infection

In this study of 467 healthy term infants seen for routine 1-year health maintenance examination, we determined the influence of mild prior infection on the concentration of hemoglobin and other laboratory evidence of iron deficiency. In addition we studied the Hgb response in 261 infants randomized to receive a 3-month course of treatment with either iron or placebo. Infants who had had one or more clinic visits because of infection during the previous 3 months or who were reported as not being entirely well during the past month or who had an elevated sedimentation rate were more likely to have anemia or "low normal" Hgb, higher erythrocyte protoporphyrin and serum ferritin values, and lower serum iron concentration than infants who had been well. Hgb response greater than or equal to 1 gm/dl after iron treatment occurred more commonly in infants who had had prior visits because of infection. The results indicate that upper respiratory and other mild antecedent infections commonly predispose to iron deficiency (probably because of a decrease in iron absorption).     

Experience with daily immunotherapy in 59 adult allergic patients

Fifty-nine adult men with seasonal allergic rhinitis received immunotherapy that was administered five to six times per week until maintenance doses were achieved. Immunologic response was monitored with titrated prick skin tests, which revealed increased sensitivity at 2 wk, followed by progressive decline coinciding with a rise in IgG blocking antibody. Specific serum IgE (RAST) did not change. When compared with a group receiving conventional weekly injections, these subjects required the same number of injections to reach maintenance and had the same incidence of adverse reactions.     

Induction of apoptosis in estrogen dependent and independent breast cancer cells by the marine terpenoid dehydrothyrsiferol

Breast cancer (BCA) represents the highest incidence of death in 35- to 60-year-old women. Above all, hormone unresponsive BCA is still associated with poorer prognosis than hormone receptor expressing malign, mammary tumors. There is a consistent need for effective compounds to treat especially the first variant of this disease. Therefore, we investigated the cytotoxic effects of the marine polyether triterpenoid dehydrothyrsiferol (DT) in four BCA cell lines. Annexin V labeling revealed higher rates of DT-induced apoptosis in hormone insensitive than in estrogen receptor expressing cells. Flow cytometric analysis of combined DNA fragmentation and total DNA labeling allowed us to ascribe apoptotic cells to their cell cycle stage. Although, high cell mortality was detected in mitogen dependent G(1)-phase, time, concentration, and cell line dependent populations of apoptotic cells were also found to be of S-phase and G(2)/M-phase origin. These results suggest that the induction of apoptosis by DT might be transduced through more than one effector pathway. Cell cycle distributions and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation varied in a treatment dependent manner and differed from control experiments with colchicine and doxorubicin which exclude that DT functions as a mitosis inhibitor. In summary, we propose that DT might be an interesting candidate for an antitumor drug development regimen.