Prediction of short term re-exacerbation in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: The objective of the study is to develop a scoring system for predicting a 90-day re-exacerbation in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD).

Methods: A total of 176 consecutive hospitalized patients with AECOPD were included. The sociodemographic characteristics, status before acute exacerbation (AE), presentations of and treatment for the current AE, and the re-exacerbation in 90 days after discharge from hospital were collected.

Gut-lung crosstalk in pulmonary involvement with inflammatory bowel diseases.

Pulmonary abnormalities, dysfunction or hyper-reactivity occurs in association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) more frequently than previously recognized. Emerging evidence suggests that subtle inflammation exists in the airways among IBD patients even in the absence of any bronchopulmonary symptoms, and with normal pulmonary functions. The pulmonary impairment is more pronounced in IBD patients with active disease than in those in remission.

Revelation of p53-independent function of MTA1 in DNA damage response via modulation of the p21 WAF1-proliferating cell nuclear antigen pathway.

Although metastasis-associated protein 1 (MTA1), a component of the nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex, is a DNA-damage response protein and regulates p53-dependent DNA repair, it remains unknown whether MTA1 also participates in p53-independent DNA damage response. Here, we provide evidence that MTA1 is a p53-independent transcriptional corepressor of p21(WAF1), and the underlying mechanism involves recruitment of MTA1-histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) complexes onto two selective regions of the p21(WAF1) promoter. Accordingly, MTA1 depletion, despite its effect on p53 down-regulation, superinduces p21(WAF1), increases p21(WAF1) binding to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and decreases the nuclear accumulation of PCNA in response to ionizing radiation.

Significance and relationship between infiltrating inflammatory cell and tumor angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between infiltrating inflammatory cell and tumor angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and their clinicopathological features.

Methods: The paraffin-embedded specimens from 70 cases with HCC were stained using EliVision immunohistochemistry with mAbs against CD68, tryptase, and CD34. The counts of tumor-associated macrophage (TAM), mast cell (MC) and tumor microvessel (MV) were performed in the tissue sections.

[A case-control study on the risk factors of nosocomial infection caused by imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

Objective: To explore the risk factors for nosocomial infection caused by imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (IRPA).

Methods: A case-control study was carried out for the comparison of 2 groups of 'case' patients with 'controlled' patients. The first group of 'case' patients had nosocomial isolation of IRPA, and the second group had imipenem-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ISPA).

[Expression of cyclins in hepatocellular carcinoma and its correlation to tumor cell apoptosis].

Background & Objective: Cyclins overexpress in various tumors, but its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its correlation to cell proliferation and apoptosis are unclear. This study was to determine the expression of Cyclins, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and cell apoptosis in HCC, and to analyze their interrelations.

Methods: Tissue microarray technology and SP immunohistochemistry were used to detect expressions of Cyclins A, B1, D1, E, and PCNA in 122 specimens of HCC.