Demographic and clinical characteristics of resectable hepatocellular carcinoma in China and Japan.

Background/aims: To describe and compare the demographic and clinical characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients subject to surgical operation at two referral centers in China and Japan.

Methodology: Information on surgical HCC patients was retrieved from medical records. All patients were subjected to regular follow-up.

A multiprotein complex that mediates translational enhancement in Drosophila.

Modulating the efficiency of translation plays an important role in a wide variety of cellular processes and is often mediated by trans-acting factors that interact with cis-acting sequences within the mRNA. Here we show that a cis-acting element, the Hsp83 degradation element (HDE), within the 3'-untranslated region of the Drosophila Hsp83 mRNA functions as a translational enhancer. We show that this element is bound by a multiprotein complex, and we identify components using a novel affinity-based method called tandem RNA affinity purification tagging.

Reactions of peroxynitrite and nitrite with organic molecules and hemoglobin.

In this work, the reactions of nitrite (NO2-) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) with organic molecules as well as with hemoglobin (Hb) were examined and the potential interference with the detection of hydrogen peroxide and Hb was investigated. ONOO- at low concentrations (35-140 microM) induced a concentration-dependent oxidation of o-phenylenediamine and guaiacol, and this process can be improved by the addition of Hb in a concentration-dependent manner. This enhancing effect of Hb was possibly due to the formation of such highly reactive species as ferrylHb during the reaction of ONOO- and Hb.

[Analysis of hepatitis virus infection in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving surgical operation in China and Japan].

Objective: To describe and compare the hepatitis virus infection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients receiving surgical operation in China and Japan.

Methods: Information of surgical HCC patients was retrieved from the medical records. The concerned characteristics of the HCC cases from two countries were described and compared.

[Factors associated with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with normal angiographic findings of the coronary artery].

Objective: To identify the factors related to acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) with normal angiographic findings of the coronary artery.

Methods: An retrospective analysis of the electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and angiographic data of 271 STEMI cases was conducted. Of these patients, 29 had normal coronary artery by angiography and from the rest patients presenting abnormal angiographic findings of the coronary artery, 60 were randomly selected to serve as the control group.

Potential of peroxynitrite to promote the conversion of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin.

Superoxide anion and NO can react to form the highly oxidizing species peroxynitrite (ONOO-) which can react directly with hemoglobin (Hb) even in the presence of physiological concentration CO2. This research was to determine the ONOO- -mediated oxidation damage to the heme of oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) under conditions expected in blood. Results showed that 8-10 mol ONOO- was needed to quickly and completely convert 1 mol oxyHb to methemoglobin (metHb).