Elevated levels of liver methylglyoxal and d-lactate in early-stage hepatitis in rats.

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is highly cytotoxic and its levels are elevated in diabetes, nephropathy and atherosclerosis. However, it has never been studied in liver disease. For this reason, we aimed to assess the levels of MGO and its metabolite d-lactate in an early hepatitis model.

Ki-67 and ProExC are useful immunohistochemical markers in esophageal squamous intraepithelial neoplasia.

Esophageal squamous intraepithelial neoplasia has been widely recognized as a precursor lesion for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Early detection offers the best prognosis for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The differentiation of squamous dysplasia from reactive change and the classification of squamous dysplasia into high-grade or low-grade are sometimes subjective and challenging.

Two different tests for total bilirubin in neonates and infants.

Background: The most readily available methods for testing serum total bilirubin in neonates are the capillary tube-directed optics color method and serum biochemistry. Because inconsistency between these two methods may cause confusion in clinical practice, this study was designed to quantify their differences.

Methods: In 46 neonates with clinical jaundice, total bilirubin was measured by two different methods, using a nonchemical photometric device and a laboratory analyzer.

Inducible nitric oxide synthase promoter polymorphism, cigarette smoking, and urothelial carcinoma risk.

Objectives: Bladder carcinoma has a high inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) content, and a highly polymorphic (CCTTT)n repeat in the iNOS promoter region has been identified. We explored whether this iNOS promoter polymorphism and cigarette smoking are associated with urothelial carcinoma (UC) risk.

Methods: A total of 250 patients with pathologically confirmed UC and 250 unrelated noncancer controls were serially recruited at the Chia Yi Christian Hospital from August 2002 to May 2005.

The role of TGF-beta 1 and cytokines in the modulation of liver fibrosis by Sho-saiko-to in rat's bile duct ligated model.

Liver fibrosis is an over-accumulation of extra-cellular matrix (ECM) and the hepatic stellate cell (Ito cell) play a central role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. There are a lot of growth factors and cytokines involved in the activation of hepatic stellate cell, including of transforming growth factor (TGF-alpha, TGF-beta1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), interleukin (IL-1alpha,beta, IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha). Sho-saiko-to (TJ-9; Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang in Chinese) was the most popular herbal medicine for the treatment of chronic liver disease in Chinese and Japanese.

Sho-saiko-to prevents liver fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation in rats.

Hepatic fibrosis is an over-accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). It is a result of an imbalance between collagen synthesis and degradation. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) has degradative activity against collagen, but tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP) control the active forms of MMP by blocking the active site of MMP.

High incidence of JC viruria in JC-seropositive older individuals.

The prevalence of the human JC virus (JCV) in the general population at various ages was investigated. Polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect viral DNA in the urine. The results showed that the incidence of JC viruria was low in the young population, but it was high in the elderly.