Concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus adjuvant chemotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a phase 3 multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Background: The effect of the addition of adjuvant chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma is unclear. We aimed to assess the contribution of adjuvant chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone.

Methods: We did an open-label phase 3 multicentre randomised controlled trial at seven institutions in China.

Interaction between heavy smoking and CYP2A6 genotypes on type 2 diabetes and its possible pathways.

Objective: To explore the interactions between smoking and CYP2A6 genotypes on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as well as potential pathways for smoking in causing T2DM.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: A total of 1344 smokers with complete data from a community-based T2DM survey in Guangzhou and Zhuhai of China from July 2006 to June 2007 were interviewed with a structured questionnaire about socio-demographic status and daily cigarette consumption.

The relationships between erythrocyte membrane n-6 to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio and blood lipids and C-reactive protein in Chinese adults: an observational study.

Objective: To investigate the relationships between erythrocyte membrane n-6:n-3 PUFAs ratio and blood lipids and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

Methods: The observational study consisted of a population-based cross-sectional study of 456 Chinese and a subsequent 1-year follow-up study of 171 subjects with the fasting plasma total cholesterol of 5.13-8.

[Association between risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis in postmenopausal Chinese women].

Objective: To assess the relationship between cardiovascular risk factors and osteoporosis.

Methods: 2202 women aged 50 - 73 years were included in this cross-sectional study from the communities in Guangzhou, from July 2008 to January 2010. Cardiovascular risk factors including age, years since menopause, physical activity, anthropometrics, body composition, blood pressure, fasting serum lipids, glucose and uric acid, intima-media thickness (IMT) of carotid artery were assessed.

Dietary folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and methionine intake and the risk of breast cancer by oestrogen and progesterone receptor status.

Few studies have evaluated the relationship between the consumption of dietary folate and one-carbon metabolism-related nutrients and breast cancer risk defined by oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between dietary folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and methionine intake and the risk of breast cancer by ER and PR status among Chinese women in Guangdong. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted from June 2007 to August 2008, with 438 cases and 438 age (5-year interval)- and residence (rural/urban)-matched controls.

Dietary fat intake and risk of breast cancer: a case-control study in China.

The association between consumption of fat and specific types of fat and the risk of breast cancer has been examined in previous studies, but the results remain unclear. Moreover, few studies were conducted in China, where dietary habits are different from those of the Western countries. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study from June 2007 to August 2008 among Chinese women residing in Guangdong to investigate the associations of dietary fat and specific types of fat with the risk of breast cancer.

Effects of soy intake on glycemic control: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Evidence from animal and observational studies has supported the beneficial effects of soy intake on glycemic control, but intervention studies in humans have generated mixed results and have not been systematically examined.

Objective: We aimed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of soy intake on measures of glycemic control.

Design: We conducted a structured electronic search of PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (updated to March 2010) databases for randomized controlled trials that described the effectiveness of different soy regimes on measures of glycemic control [homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fasting glucose and insulin, glycated hemoglobin (Hb A(1c)), and 2-h glucose and insulin concentrations].

Intracellularly monitoring/imaging the release of doxorubicin from pH-responsive nanoparticles using Förster resonance energy transfer.

Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) have been receiving much attention as a drug-delivery vehicle for therapeutic applications; once internalized into cells, the intracellular fate of NPs and their drug release behavior in response to local stimuli must be understood for efficient delivery of therapeutics. In this study, we prepared pH-responsive doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded NPs, made of N-palmitoyl chitosan bearing a Cy5 moiety (Cy5-NPCS), as an anticancer delivery device. The results of our molecular dynamic simulations showed that the ability of Cy5-NPCS to self-associate offered the close proximity between the donor (DOX) and the acceptor (Cy5) required for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), while the pH-driven structure transition prescribed the on-to-off switch of the energy transfer.

Dairy products, calcium intake, and breast cancer risk: a case-control study in China.

The results of dairy food consumption and breast cancer risk are conflicting, and their relationship has not previously been studied in China. The objective of this study is to examine the association between dairy products, calcium intake, and breast cancer risk among Chinese women. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted among Chinese women in the Guangdong province from June 2007 to August 2008.

Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk among Chinese women.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and breast cancer risk among Chinese women.

Methods: Four hundred and thirty-eight cases with histologically confirmed primary breast cancer and 438 controls were consecutively recruited. Cases were frequency matched to controls on 5-year age group and rural-urban residence.

The impact of type of assistance on characteristics of peritonitis in elderly peritoneal dialysis patients.

Background: The elderly patients are the fastest-growing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population in Taiwan. Assisted peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been employed to overcome the barriers to PD. The aim of this retrospective, single-center study was to describe the status of assisted PD and the impact of type of assistance on peritonitis in elderly patients in Taiwan.

The characteristics, cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of nanoparticles made of hydrophobically-modified chitosan.

It has been reported that nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by hydrophobically-modified polymers could accumulate passively in the tumor tissue; however, their cellular uptake mechanism and intercellular trafficking pathway have never been understood. This study was designed to address these concerns, using NPs prepared by a hydrophobically-modified chitosan (N-palmitoyl chitosan, NPCS). Molecular dynamic simulations found that a degree of substitution (DS) of 5% of palmitoyl groups on its backbone was sufficient to allow NPCS to form NPs, due to a significant increase in the intra- and intermolecular hydrophobic interactions.

Protein nutrition index as a function of patient survival rate in peritoneal dialysis.

Background/aims: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is a well-known risk factor of long-term survival in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Serum albumin is a measure of visceral protein, lean body mass is a measure of somatic protein stores and normalized protein nitrogen appearance is a measure of daily protein intake. A protein nutrition index (PNI) that combined these 3 factors was designed and tested as a function of survival in PD patients.

Hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome: associations with chronic kidney disease.

The effects of serum uric acid (SUA) and metabolic syndrome on chronic kidney disease (CKD) remain controversial. This study grouped subjects according to a combination of their uric acid and metabolic syndrome status and investigated the association between these groups and CKD to clarify the relationships of SUA and metabolic syndrome to CKD. This survey analyzed data from 81,799 adults (45,148 men and 36,651 women) who underwent health examinations at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, in northern Taiwan, from 2000 through 2007.

Factors associated with blood concentrations of indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Background: Accumulating evidence supports the important role of protein-bound uremic toxins such as indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol in uremic syndrome. They exert direct deleterious effects on a variety of cells and could link to clinical outcome. Factors relevant to indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol levels in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients have rarely been investigated.

Effects of soy protein and isoflavones on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity: a 6-mo double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in postmenopausal Chinese women with prediabetes or untreated early diabetes.

Background: In vitro and animal studies have suggested that soy protein and isoflavones have favorable effects on glucose and insulin regulation, but intervention studies in humans are limited, and the results are controversial.

Objective: We investigated whether soy protein with isoflavones and soy isoflavone extracts could improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women with early hyperglycemia.

Design: This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that included 180 postmenopausal Hong Kong Chinese women with prediabetes or early untreated diabetes.

Early C-reactive protein in the prediction of long-term outcomes after acute coronary syndromes: a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies.

Objective: To assess the overall effects by a meta-analysis.

Data Sources: Electronic searches on PubMed and Ovid Medline from their start to October 2009 were carried out. Objective Cohort studies and secondary analysis of randomised controlled trials reporting the relative risk (RR) of recurrent cardiovascular events or death associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) obtained within 72 h from acute coronary syndromes (ACS) onset.

Effect of milk and calcium supplementation on bone density and bone turnover in pregnant Chinese women: a randomized controlled trail.

Objective: Calcium demand is increased during pregnancy. However, few randomized controlled trials examined the effects of calcium supplementation on bone mass during pregnancy. This study determined effects of calcium and milk supplementation on maternal bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover in pregnant Chinese women with habitual low calcium intake.

Validation of an FFQ to estimate the intake of fatty acids using erythrocyte membrane fatty acids and multiple 3d dietary records.

Objective: The estimation of dietary intake in population-based studies is often assessed by the FFQ. The objective of our study is to evaluate the validity of an FFQ used to assess dietary fatty acid intake among middle-aged Chinese adults in Southern China.

Design: The method of triads was applied to obtain the validity coefficients (VC) of the FFQ for specific fatty acids.

Concurrent renal cell carcinoma and central nervous system lymphoma in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Objective: To report an unusual case of synchronous renal cell carcinoma and CNS lymphoma in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD).

Case Presentation And Intervention: A 58-year-old woman presented with progressive right hemiparesis of 2 months' duration. A brain CT scan revealed multiple enhanced lesions in the basal ganglia and the right occipital lobe.

Meat and egg consumption and risk of breast cancer among Chinese women.

Objective: The association between meat and egg consumption and breast cancer risk has been examined in previous studies, but the results were inconsistent. We conducted a hospital-based case-control study during June 2007 to August 2008 among Guangdong Chinese women to investigate associations between meat and egg intake and breast cancer risk.

Methods: Four hundred and thirty-eight consecutively recruited cases with primary breast cancer were frequency matched to 438 controls by age (5-year interval) and residence (rural/urban).

Serum uric acid is independently associated with metabolic syndrome in subjects with and without a low estimated glomerular filtration rate.

Objective: The relationship among serum uric acid (SUA), metabolic syndrome, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unclear. We examined whether SUA level is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease and whether the association between SUA and metabolic syndrome is affected by kidney function.

Methods: We analyzed 28,745 subjects (17,478 men, 11,267 women, age 20-49 yrs) who underwent health examinations at this hospital between 2000 and 2007.

pH-triggered injectable hydrogels prepared from aqueous N-palmitoyl chitosan: in vitro characteristics and in vivo biocompatibility.

In-situ forming hydrogels triggered by environmental stimuli have emerged as a promising injectable strategy targeted for various biomedical applications. However, several drawbacks associated with temperature-stimulated hydrogels have been reported. Employing a hydrophobically-modified chitosan (N-palmitoyl chitosan, NPCS), we developed a pH-triggered hydrogel system which showed a rapid nanostructure transformation within a narrow pH range (pH 6.

Impact of gender, viral transmission and aging in the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen.

Background: Age, gender, and perinatal infection are associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. The influence of perinatal transmission in chronic hepatitis B virus infection between genders at different ages is not well documented.

Methods: A consecutive series of individuals who had general check-ups and three groups of relatives of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were analyzed.

Greater vegetable and fruit intake is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer among Chinese women.

The effect of vegetable and fruit consumption on breast cancer risk is controversial. We examined the association between vegetable and fruit intake and breast cancer risk in a hospital-based case-control study conducted in Guangdong, China. Four hundred and thirty-eight cases were frequency matched to 438 controls by age (5-year interval) and residence (rural/urban).