Novel insights into causal associations of body mass index or height with pneumothorax: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Observational studies have reported an association between body mass index (BMI) as well as height and the risk of pneumothorax. However, it has long been unclear whether BMI or height are causally associated with pneumothorax.

Methods: Genetic summary data for BMI, height and pneumothorax were retrieved from multiple independent large genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

A predictive molecular signature consisting of lncRNAs associated with cellular senescence for the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma.

The role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been verified by more and more researches in recent years. However, there are few reports on cellular senescence-associated lncRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Therefore, to explore the prognostic effect of lncRNAs in LUAD, 279 cellular senescence-related genes, survival information and clinicopathologic parameters were derived from the CellAge database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.

[Pollution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Surface Dusts and Surrounding Green Land Soils from Yellow River Custom Tourist Line in Lanzhou].

In order to investigate the contamination levels of dust and its surrounding green land soil heavy metal pollution and potential ecological and health risks in the scenic areas of urban waterfront parks, the gardens, squares, and theme parks of the Yellow River Custom Tourist Line in Lanzhou were selected as the research area, using 27 dust samples and 26 soil samples from its surrounding green lands. The contamination characteristics and potential ecological risks of eight heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were evaluated using the geo-accumulation index (), single-factor pollution index (), Nemerow integrated pollution index (), and improved potential ecological risk index (RI). The human health risk assessment was also evaluated using the exposure risk model.

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of colorectal cancer: meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Background: Growing body of laboratory evidence supports the beneficial effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. Epidemiologic studies investigating the relationship between n-3 PUFAs intake and risk of CRC, however, have been inconsistent. We aimed to clarify the relation by conducting a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

[Association of health literacy with health management among diabetics].

Objective: To understand status of health literacy among diabetics and their health management behaviors, and analyze the relationship of health literacy and health management.

Methods: A two-staged cluster randomized sampling method was used to investigate 1 130 diabetics in Beijing, Ningbo and Xiamen from October to November in 2012. All participants should be diagnosed by primary hospital and above and have lived in the community over six months.

[Dynamic observation on MDA, iNOS and antisuperoxide anion in the liver of rats induced by acute nickel carbonyl poisoning].

Objective: To investigate the level of malondiadehyde (MDA), antisuperoxide anion and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in liver of rats poisoned by nickel carbonyl in order to discuss the mechanism of acute nickel carbonyl poisoning.

Methods: Healthy SD rats were intoxicated acutely by different concentrations of nickel carbonyl (20, 135 and 250mg/m3 for low, middle and high dose groups, respectively). SD rats inhaled by chlorine (250mg/m3 for chlorine group) were used as positive control group and other healthy SD rats as normal control group.

[Adriamycin enhances the sonodynamic effect of chlorin e6 against the proliferation of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of adriamycin (ADM) in enhancing the sonodynamic effect of chlorin e6 against the proliferation of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro.

Methods: MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with ultrasound/Chlorin e6 alone or in combination with ADM, and the changes in the cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay.

Results: Ultrasound (1.

[The sonodynamic effects of Chlorin e6 on the proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma cell SPCA-1].

Background And Objective: Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) is a promising new approach for cancer therapy. The purpose of this study is to detect the effects of SDT on the cell proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma cell SPCA-1, using Chlorin e6 as a sonosensitizing agent activated by ultrasound.

Methods: SPCA-1 and normal peripheral mononuclear cell (PMNC) were treated with ultrasound or Chlorin e6 alone and combined.

Sonodynamic and photodynamic therapy in advanced breast carcinoma: a report of 3 cases.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an established therapeutic method, first approved by the FDA for certain kinds of cancer in 1998. There are also increasing data to show that a related procedure, sonodynamic therapy (SDT), is a promising new modality for cancer treatment. Here, the authors report clinical results in 3 advanced refractory breast cancer patients who were treated using a combination of sonodynamic and photodynamic therapy (SPDT), along with conventional therapies.

The tumoricidal effect of sonodynamic therapy (SDT) on S-180 sarcoma in mice.

There are increasing data showing that sonodynamic therapy (SDT), which refers to a synergistic effect of drugs and ultrasound, is a promising new modality for cancer treatment. However, few clinical data on SDT have been published. One reason is the lack of suitable drugs for clinical SDT use.

[Multi-center phase II clinical trial of humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 combined with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safty of the humanized anti-epidermal factor receptor monoclonal antibody h-R3 in combination with radiotherapy for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: Totally, 137 patients from 7 medical center around China were randomly divided into combined therapy group or control group. There was no difference in Karnofsky performance score between two groups.

[Clinical investigation of IRESSA in the treatment of patients with advanced refractory non-small cell lung cancer].

Background: Chemotherapy is a main method for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC is usually a drug-resistant neoplasm. Innate or acquired drug-resis-tance contributes to the chief cause for bad effect in the treatment of patients with NSCLC.

Ex vivo activated immune cells promote survival and stimulate multilineage hematopoietic recovery in myelosuppressed mice.

Recovery of multilineage hematopoiesis from severe myelosuppression due to chemotherapy and radiotherapy remains a clinical problem. The authors have developed a simple immunotherapy to treat this disease in a mouse model. Syngeneic spleen cells or xenogeneic human peripheral mononuclear cells were cultured ex vivo with a combination of IL-2 at 500 IU/mL, GM-CSF at 200 U/mL, and calcium ionophore A23187 at 100 ng/mL for 2 days and injected intravenously into mice that had previously received a lethal dose of carboplatin and radiation.

[Rapid serum-free culture of dendritic cells from human peripheral blood monocytes and their intracellular signal transduction].

Objective: To explore the methods for rapid in vitro culture of the dendritic cells (DCs) from human peripheral blood monocytes (PBMCs) under serum-free conditions and ascertain whether intracellular signal transduction pathway differs between calcium ionophore (CI) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha during their induction of dendritic cell differentiation.

Methods: PBMCs isolated from healthy donors were plated in serum-free medium supplemented with 50 ng/ml rhGM-CSF. Cells cultured overnight were induced to differentiate with 100 ng/ml A23187 or 50 ng/ml TNF-alpha, given before or 30 min after pre-treatment with 0.

[Signal transduction in the differentiation of human peripheral blood mononucleocytes towards dendritic cells induced by calcium ionophore].

Aim: To explore the intracellular signal transduction pathway in the differentiation of human peripheral blood mononucleocytes (PBMCs) towards dendritic cells (DCs) induced by calcium ionophore (CI).

Methods: PBMCs isolated from a healthy donor were cultured with A23187 plus rhGM-CSF, 100 microg/L each. In some experiments, PBMCs were cultured for 30 minutes with W-7 (10 micromol/L), CsA(0.

[The effect of calcium ionophore on dendritic cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells].

Aim: To explore the effect of calcium ionophore (CI) on dendritic cells (DC) derived from peripheral blood monocytes.

Methods: Peripheral blood monocytes from healthy donors were treated with 100 microg/L rhGM-CSF, 100 microg/L rhGM-CSF plus (10 microg/L) CI, and 100 microg/L rhGM-CSF plus (100 microg/L) respectively. After cultivation of 40 hours, cellular morphology was observed under light microscope and electron microscope.

[Effect of immunocyte therapy on benzene-induced bone marrow haemopoietic dysfunction].

Objective: To explore the effect of treatment with immunocyte therapy on benzene-induced haemopoietic dysfunction.

Methods: Mono-nuclear cells (MNC) were separated from 40 - 50 ml peripheral blood in patients and mixed with interleukin-2 and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for six day cultivation. The new formed immunocytes were collected and transfused into the patients.

Ex vivo immunotherapy for patients with benzene-induced aplastic anemia.

Aplastic anemia is a bone marrow failure disorder characterized by pancytopenia and a hypocellular marrow. Benzene is one of the etiologic agents capable of inducing the disease. With modest to severe aplastic anemia, one previously untreated patient and 13 patients who had failed immunosuppressive therapy were studied.

The detection of phytohemagglutinin-lymphokine activated killer cells' in vitro antitumor action with MTT colorimetry.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the in vitro antitumor action of phytohemagglutinin and lymphokine activated killer (PHA- LAK) cells. METHOD: MTT colorimetric assay was used to detect the in vitro cytotoxicity of PHA-LAK cells on K562 MGc80-3 143TK Hela and LoVo. RESULTS: The significant cytotoxicity of PHA-LAK cells on these five tumor cells from different organs could be found in vitro.

[Dendritic cells transfected with carcinoembryonic antigen-vaccinia recombinant virus induces CEA-specific immunity mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vitro].

Objective: To observe whether dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-vaccinia recombinant virus (rV-CEA) induces cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated CEA-specific immunity in vitro.

Methods: DCs derived from peripheral blood monocytes were transfected with rV-CEA and then cocultured with autologous T cells. The proliferation of the induced T cells and their cytotoxic activity against CEA-secreting tumor cells were assessed and compared with those of T cells induced by DCs without rV-CEA transfection.