Differential gene expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in childhood asthma.

Objective: Asthma is a common childhood disease with strong genetic components. This study compared whole-genome expression differences between asthmatic young children and healthy controls to identify gene signatures of childhood asthma.

Methods: Total RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was subjected to microarray analysis.

Gene therapy in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal disease and notoriously difficult to treat. Only a small proportion of PC patients are eligible for surgical resection, whilst conventional chemoradiotherapy only has a modest effect with substantial toxicity. Gene therapy has become a new widely investigated therapeutic approach for PC.

Effects of azathioprine and infliximab on mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow of rats in vitro.

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has been demonstrated to be promising in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Azathioprine (AZA) is widely used in IBD patients. Infliximab, as a representative of biological therapy for IBD, is important in the treatment regimen.

The association between IFN-γ and IL-4 genetic polymorphisms and childhood susceptibility to bronchial asthma.

The present study aims to investigate the association between the genetic polymorphisms of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-4 with childhood susceptibility to asthma and the levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and immunoglobulin (Ig) E among asthmatic children. A total of 100 asthmatic children and 122 control children were enrolled in the present study. The genotypes of the IFN-γ gene at the -179G/T locus and the IL-4 gene at the -33C/T and -589C/T loci were detected using polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 in the esophageal mucosa of patients with reflux esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus and their relationship with endoscopic and histologic grading.

Introduction: This study investigated the expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the esophageal biopsies from patients with reflux esophagitis (RE) and Barrett's esophagus (BE) and their relationships with endoscopic grading and histologic grading.

Methods: Ninety individuals were recruited (30 RE, 30 BE, and 30 normal control) and underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with esophageal biopsy. Immunohistochemistry was used to semi-quantitatively detect the expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 in the specimens.

Knockdown of hTERT by SiRNA suppresses growth of Capan-2 human pancreatic cancer cell via the inhibition of expressions of Bcl-2 and COX-2.

Objective: To investigate the effects of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) on the growth of Capan-2 human pancreatic cancer cell and apoptosis.

Methods: Cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle were analyzed by cell counting and flow cytometry. mRNA and protein expressions of hTERT, Bcl-2 and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 were assessed by real time PCR and Western blot.

[Toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells].

Objective: To investigate the toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 (Lipo) in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells.

Methods: Capan-2 cells were cultured in the presence of Lipo at toxic concentrations, and the cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle changes were evaluated by cell counting and flow cytometry.

Results: The concentrations of both Lipo and siRNA affected the transfection efficiency.

[A randomized and case-control clinical study on trimebutine maleate in treating functional dyspepsia coexisting with diarrhea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome].

Objective: To observe the efficacy and adverse drug reaction of trimebutine maleate in treating patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) coexisting with diarrhea dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

Methods: 129 patients were enrolled in this randomized, case-control and prospective study and divided into 3 groups. Group A was treated with trimebutine maleate and bacillus licheniformis, Group B with trimebutine maleate and Group C with bacillus licheniformis.

Effects of sulfasalazine on biopsy mucosal pathologies and histological grading of patients with active ulcerative colitis.

Aim: To investigate the mechanisms of sulfasalazine (SASP) in the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Changes of pathological signs and histological grading of 106 patients with active UC were observed before and after the treatment with SASP, 1 g, thrice daily for 6 wk.

Results: The effect of SASP on the vasculitis in lamina propria was 48.

Characteristics and therapeutic efficacy of sulfasalazine in patients with mildly and moderately active ulcerative colitis.

Aim: To investigate the characteristics and short-term efficacy of sulfasalazine (SASP) in patients with mildly and moderately active ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-eight patients with mildly and moderately active UC were recruited, 106 patients in 1993-1995, and 122 patients in 2000-2002, they were assigned as the 1990s group (n = 106) and the 2000s group (n = 122), prospectively. The general characteristics, clinical manifestations, colonoscopic and histological data were compared between the two groups.

Clinical analysis of primary small intestinal disease: A report of 309 cases.

Aim: To evaluate the major clinical symptom, etiology, and diagnostic method in patients with primary small intestinal disease in order to improve the diagnosis.

Methods: A total of 309 cases with primary small intestinal disease were reviewed, and the major clinical symptoms, etiology, and diagnostic methods were analyzed.

Results: The major clinical symptoms included abdominal pain (71%), abdominal mass (14%), vomiting (10%), melaena (10%), and fever (9%).

Clinical features and risk factors of patients with fatty liver in Guangzhou area.

Aim: There is still no accepted conclusion regarding the clinical features and related risk factors of patients with fatty liver. The large-scale clinical studies have not carried out yet in Guangzhou area. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical features and related risk factors of patients with fatty liver in Guangzhou area.