Repairing rabbit radial defects by combining bone marrow stroma stem cells with bone scaffold material comprising a core-cladding structure

We prepared a bone scaffold material comprising a PLGA/β-TCP core and a Type I collagen cladding, and recombined it with bone marrow stroma stem cells (BMSCs) to evaluate its potential for use in bone tissue engineering by in vivo and in vitro experiments. PLGA/β-TCP without a cladding was used for comparison. The adherence rate of the BMSCs to the scaffold was determined by cell counting. Cell proliferation rate was determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. The osteogenic capability was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity. The scaffold materials were recombined with the BMSCs and implanted into a large segmental rabbit radial defect model to evaluate defect repair. Osteogenesis was assessed in the scaffold materials by histological and double immunofluorescence labeling, etc. The adherence number, proliferation number, and alkaline phosphatase expression of the cells on the bone scaffold material with core-cladding structure were significantly higher than the corresponding values in the PLGA/β-TCP composite scaffold material (P < 0.05). An in vivo test indicated that the bone scaffold material with core-cladding structure completely degraded at the bone defect site and bone formation was completed. The rabbit large sentimental radial defect was successfully repaired. The degradation and osteogenesis rates matched well. The bone scaffold with core-cladding structure exhibited better osteogenic activity and capacity to repair a large segmental bone defect compared to the PLGA/β-TCP composite scaffold. The bone scaffold with core-cladding structure has excellent physical properties and biocompatibility. It is an ideal scaffold material for bone tissue engineering.

Effects of flavones of sea buckthorn fruits on growth performance, carcass quality, fat deposition and lipometabolism for broilers

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of flavones of sea buckthorn fruits (FSBF) on growth performance, carcass quality, fat deposition, and lipometabolism for broilers. 240 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments (0, 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% FSBF) with 6 replicates of 10 birds. Broilers were reared for 42 d. Results showed FSBF quadratically improved average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and final body weight (BW) (P = 0.002, P = 0.019 and P = 0.018, respectively). The abdominal fat percentage in 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% FSBF supplementation groups was decreased by 21.08%, 19.12%, and 19.61% with respect to the control group, respectively (P < 0.05). The intramuscular fat (IMF) content in the breast muscle of the broilers was increased by 7.21%, 23.42% and 6.30% in 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.15% FSBF groups, and that in the thigh meat was raised by 4.43%, 24.63% and 12.32%, compared with the control group, respectively (P < 0.05). FSBF had a quadratic effect on the abdominal fat percentage and IMF in the breast muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary FSBF also modified fatty acids of muscular tissues, resulting in a higher ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids (P < 0.05). Supplementing FSBF in the diet greatly decreased the levels of triglyceride, cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.05). Moreover, the quadratic responses were also observed in the levels of insulin and adiponectin in serum (P = 0.020 and P = 0.037, respectively). Abdominal fat percentage was correlated negatively with insulin and positively with adiponectin (P < 0.05). IMF content in the breast and thigh muscles were correlated positively with insulin, and negatively with adiponectin (P < 0.05). A positive correlation existed between breast muscle, IMF, and leptin (P < 0.05). In conclusion, adding FSBF into the diets affected growth performance and fat deposition of broilers by regulating lipometabolism. Fat deposition and distribution of broilers were closely associated with concentrations of insulin and adiponectin. The optimal level of FSBF supplemented in diet was 0.05 to 0.10% in this study.

Rapamycin, a specific inhibitor of the target of rapamycin complex 1, disrupts intestinal barrier integrity in broiler chicks

To uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying the intestinal barrier integrity, this study determined whether the rapamycin (RAPA)-sensitive target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) pathway was involved in this process. Three groups of 4-day-old male chicks were randomly subjected to one of the following treatments for 6 days: high-dose RAPA [a specific inhibitor of TORC1; an intraperitoneal injection of 1.0 mg/kg body weight (BW), once daily at 09:00 hours], low-dose RAPA (0.4 mg/kg BW) and RAPA vehicle (control). Results showed that the RAPA treatment increased mortality, while decreasing villus height (p < 0.01), claudin 1 expression, content of immunoglobulin A (IgA), extent of TORC1 phosphorylation (p < 0.05), ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.01), and population of IgA-positive B cells in intestinal mucosa, particularly for the jejunum. Some aspects of these responses were dose dependent and appeared to result from weight loss. Together, RAPA exerts the expected inhibition of small intestinal development and IgA production in birds, suggesting the important role of TORC1 in gut barrier integrity.

Dexamethasone and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose prevent postoperative intraperitoneal adhesions in rats

We aimed to evaluate the effects of the barrier agent sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) with and without dexamethasone for the prevention of postoperative adhesion formation in a rat model of postoperative peritoneal adhesion. A total of 160 three-month old male and female Wistar rats underwent a laparotomy, and adhesions were induced by ileocecal abrasion. Rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n=40 each): group A, untreated; group B, treated with SCMC only; group C1, treated with SCMC + 3 mg dexamethasone, and group C2, treated with SCMC + 8 mg dexamethasone. After 12 days, adhesion formation and histopathological changes were compared. In groups A, B, C1, and C2, the mortality rates were 10, 5, 5, and 5%, respectively. In groups C1 and C2, the adhesions were filmy and easy to dissect and were milder compared with those in groups A and B. The total adhesion score in group C1 (3.38±0.49) was significantly lower than that of group B (6.01±0.57; P<0.01) or group A (8.01±0.67; P<0.05). There was no significant difference in adhesion formation between groups C1 and C2. Compared with groups A and B, groups C1 and C2 exhibited milder histopathological changes. SCMC in combination with dexamethasone can prevent adhesion formation and is a better barrier agent than SCMC alone. The safety and feasibility of SCMC in combination with dexamethasone to prevent adhesion formation after abdominal surgery warrants further clinical study.

A simple empirical model for the clarification-thickening process in wastewater treatment plants

In wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), activated sludge is thickened in secondary settling tanks and recycled into the biological reactor to maintain enough biomass for wastewater treatment. Accurately estimating the activated sludge concentration in the lower portion of the secondary clarifiers is of great importance for evaluating and controlling the sludge recycled ratio, ensuring smooth and efficient operation of the WWTP. By dividing the overall activated sludge-thickening curve into a hindered zone and a compression zone, an empirical model describing activated sludge thickening in the compression zone was obtained by empirical regression. This empirical model was developed through experiments conducted using sludge from five WWTPs, and validated by the measured data from a sixth WWTP, which fit the model well (R² = 0.98, p < 0.001). The model requires application of only one parameter, the sludge volume index (SVI), which is readily incorporated into routine analysis. By combining this model with the conservation of mass equation, an empirical model for compression settling was also developed. Finally, the effects of denitrification and addition of a polymer were also analysed because of their effect on sludge thickening, which can be useful for WWTP operation, e.g., improving wastewater treatment or the proper use of the polymer.

Attempts to increase inosinic acid in broiler meat by using feed additives

To explore regulation of inosinic acid content in chicken meat as a result of feed additives, 576 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allotted into 8 dietary treatments including control, purine nucleotide (P), betaine (B), soybean isoflavone (S), purine nucleotide + betaine (PB), purine nucleotide + soybean isoflavone (PS), betaine +soybean isoflavone (BS), and purine nucleotide + betaine + soybean isoflavone (PBS) by a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. At d 42 of age, broilers were slaughtered, and growth performance, carcass characteristics, inosinic acid content, and activities of enzyme closely related to inosinic acid metabolism of broilers were measured. The results revealed that these feed additives did not affect ADG and ADFI of the broilers (P > 0.05). However, supplementing purine nucleotides lowered feed/gain of broilers in PS and PBS groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant interaction on feed/gain of broilers between purine nucleotides and soybean isoflavone (P < 0.05). The abdominal fat percentages in groups B, S, BS, and PBS were lower than the control group, respectively (P < 0.05). The thigh muscle percentages of groups P and B were higher than that of group PB (P < 0.05). There were certain interactions on the percentage of thigh muscle (P = 0.05) and abdominal fat (P < 0.05) between P, B, and S groups. Compared with the control group, inosinic acid content in broiler breast meat was improved by using feed additives (P < 0.05). Supplementing purine nucleotides, betaine, soybean isoflavone, and their combinations increased alkaline phosphatase activity in breast meat of broilers (P < 0.05). Purine nucleotides improved the activity of adenosine deaminase, but decreased the activity of 5'-nucleotidase. Soybean isoflavone lowered the activity of alkaline phosphatase. There were no significant interactions on activities of creatine kinase, adenosine deaminase, alkaline phosphatase, and 5'-nucleotidase between these additives (P > 0.05). The umami rating of broiler breast meat increased in conjunction with supplementing these additives. In conclusion, supplementing standard feed with the additives investigated in this study could improve inosinic acid content in chicken meat by increasing synthase activity or inhibiting degradation enzyme activity without inferior growth performance and carcass quality.

Sequence variation in the Toxoplasma gondii eIF4A gene among strains from different hosts and geographical locations

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of animals, including humans. The T. gondii eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) protein is expressed in the tachyzoite, but its expression is markedly downregulated in the bradyzoite, and it is therefore considered to be associated with tachyzoite virulence. The present study examined sequence variation in the eIF4A gene among nine strains of different genotypes from different hosts and geographical localities using polymerase chain reaction amplification, sequence analysis, and phylogenetic reconstruction by Bayesian inference. The complete genomic sequence of the eIF4A gene was 3156 bp in length in the strain TgCgCaI, 3153 bp in the strain MAS, 3152 bp in the strain TgPNY, and 3154 bp in the other six strains. Sequence analysis identified 29 (0-0.8%) variable nucleotide positions among all strains, with 16 of these variations located in the coding region, while the other 12 were distributed between the two introns. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that these eIF4A sequences were not effective molecular markers for intra-species phylogenetic analysis and differential identification of T. gondii strains from different hosts and geographical locations. This study demonstrated the existence of low sequence variation in the eIF4A gene, suggesting that T. gondii eIF4A may represent a suitable candidate vaccine against toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry protein 38 gene: sequence variation among isolates from different hosts and geographical locations

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that is able to infect almost all mammalian species, and may lead to toxoplasmosis of the host. In the present study, we examined sequence variation in rhoptry protein 38 (ROP38) genes among T. gondii isolates collected from different hosts and geographical regions. The complete ROP38 gene from 13 T. gondii isolates was amplified and sequenced. The results of sequence alignments showed that the lengths of the entire ROP38 gene ranged from 2646 to 2650 bp, with a sequence variation of 0.2-1.1%, among the 13 T. gondii isolates. This result indicated low sequence variation in the ROP38 gene. Phylogenetic analysis of ROP38 sequences using Bayesian inference showed that the clustering of the 13 T. gondii isolates was not consistent with their respective genotypes. This result indicates that the ROP38 gene is not a suitable genetic marker for population genetic studies of different T. gondii genotypes from different hosts and geographical locations, but may represent a potential vaccine candidate against toxoplasmosis, and hence worthy of further research.

Pollen limitation and Allee effect related to population size and sex ratio in the endangered Ottelia acuminata (Hydrocharitaceae): implications for conservation and reintroduction

Small populations may suffer more severe pollen limitation and result in Allee effects. Sex ratio may also affect pollination and reproduction success in dioecious species, which is always overlooked when performing conservation and reintroduction tasks. In this study, we investigated whether and how population size and sex ratio affected pollen limitation and reproduction in the endangered Ottelia acuminata, a dioecious submerged species. We established experimental plots with increasing population size and male sex ratio. We observed insect visitation, estimated pollen limitation by hand-pollinations and counted fruit set and seed production per fruit. Fruit set and seed production decreased significantly in small populations due to pollinator scarcity and thus suffered more severe pollen limitation. Although frequently visited, female-biased larger populations also suffered severe pollen limitation due to few effective visits and insufficient pollen availability. Rising male ratio enhanced pollination service and hence reproduction. Unexpectedly, pollinator preferences did not cause reduced reproduction in male-biased populations because of high pollen availability. However, reproductive outputs showed more variability in severe male-biased populations. Our results revealed two component Allee effects in fruit set and seed production, mediated by pollen limitation in O. acuminata. Moreover, reproduction decreased significantly in larger female-biased populations, increasing the risk of an Allee effect.

Inhibition of nuclear factor-κB by an antioxidant enhances paclitaxel sensitivity in ovarian carcinoma cell line

The objective of this study was to determine whether paclitaxel and a strong antioxidant, pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC), can affect the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) in SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cell line and the effect of these two agents on the growth and apoptosis of the cancer cells. The cells were treated with various concentrations of paclitaxel and/or PDTC at various time intervals. Following treatments, cell growth and apoptosis were determined by 2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulphonyl)-2H-tetrazolium (WST-8) (WST) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blot assay was used to determine the nuclear p65 protein and cytoplasmic IkappaB-alpha protein. High doses of PDTC significantly inhibited the growth of SKOV-3 cells and caused apoptosis. Paclitaxel and lower doses of PDTC combined demonstrated additive inhibition of cell growth and increased levels of apoptosis. Treatment of paclitaxel alone showed increased nuclear p65 protein and decreased cytoplasmic IkappaB-alpha protein expression, while pretreatment of PDTC reversed this function. PDTC blocks the paclitaxel-induced activation of NF-kappaB leading to increased chemosensitivity to paclitaxel and enhanced apoptosis. Combining antioxidants and paclitaxel has significant potential to overcome the risk of paclitaxel resistance.

Allergy practice worldwide: a report by the World Allergy Organization Specialty and Training Council

In 2004 the World Allergy Organization's Specialty and Training Council conducted a survey of World Allergy Organization (WAO) member societies to obtain information about the status of the specialty of allergy worldwide. Responses were received from 33 countries, representing a population of 1.39 billion people, of whom it was estimated that 22% may suffer from some form of allergic disease. Allergy was reported by 23 respondents to be a certified or accredited specialty in their country, and the number of certified allergists per head of population ranged from 1:25 million to 1:16,000. Allergists were ranked as the fifth most likely clinicians to see cases of allergic asthma, third most likely to see allergic rhinitis, and fourth most likely to see eczema or sinusitis. Nine countries only reported that children with allergic diseases would be seen by a pediatrician with appropriate training. The survey results highlight a pressing need for the development of allergy services worldwide.

[Significance and application of nuclear matrix protein 22 in detecting bladder cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the significance of nuclear matrix protein 22 (NMP22) in the detection of bladder cancer.

METHODS

The level of NMP22 was measured in the urine of 90 patients (40 patients with bladder cancer and 50 patients with non-bladder cancer) by ELISA and compared with urinic cytology (UC).

RESULTS

The level of NMP22 in bladder cancer group was significantly higher than that of control group, and it was not influenced by hematuria. The sensitivity of NMP22 was high, but the specificity was lower than that of UC.

CONCLUSION

NMP22 can be used to screen and follow up bladder cancer with high sensitivity.

[Early operation with anterior screw-plate system for cervical spine fracture and dislocation]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the function of the cervical spine anterior screw-plate system in the early operation of cervical spine fracture and dislocation.

METHODS

One hundred and fifteen patients with fracture and dislocation of lower cervical spine treated by cervical anterior decompression, reduction, iliac crest autograft, fixed with cervical anterior locking plate (AO, spine-tech, Orion).

RESULTS

All the cases were free from complication except one patient was complicated with infection of the surgical wound and another one with a transient dysfunction of recurrent laryngeal nerve. Symptom of patients were significantly improved in postoperation and no hardware failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Early anterior decompression operation for cervical fracture and dislocation can achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes, anterior cervical vertebral screw-plate system is safety, simplicity, rigidity and can provide good conditions for early anterior cervical spine operation.

Monitoring percent free PSA in serial specimens: improvement of test specificity, early detection, and identification of occult tumors

We have measured the serum concentration of prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and determined the percent free PSA (% fPSA) in serial specimens from 64 patients with prostate cancer, 35 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and 3 patients with prostitis. We found that the % fPSAs were not a constant for individual patients during the course of the disease. When we compared only the % fPSA of the first specimen of serial specimens from individual patients, who were largely untreated, 37% of BPH specimens were above 22%, whereas only 1.6% cancer samples were above that value. We also found that 67% of cancer specimens and 14% of BPH samples were below 8%, respectively. Although % fPSA distribution pattern remained similar between two types of specimens, less differentiation was found between BPH and prostate cancer in random specimens compared to the study using first specimens of an individual patient's serial samples. Percent fPSA apparently are affected by treatment. However, the most important benefit for the determination of % fPSA appears to be the sensitivity of % fPSA to identify occult tumors when the tPSAs were in the normal concentration range. Determination of % fPSA also seems to improve the specificity of tPSA, not only during screening for the differentiation between BPH and prostate cancer, but also during monitoring of treatment and recurrence.

Serum chromogranin A: early detection of hormonal resistance in prostate cancer patients

We monitored both chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) in serial serum specimens from 14 patients with prostate cancer (CAP patients) showing resistance to hormonal treatment. Elevated serum CgA was detected in 10 out of these 14 patients (71%) during treatment, and an early appearance of elevated serum CgA was found in 6 of 14 (43%) of these patients when serum tPSA levels were still in the normal range. If patients with radical prostatectomy were not included, the percentage of patients showing an early appearance of elevated serum CgA would have been much higher. Elevated serum CgA levels also were found in patients not subject to hormonal therapy. Serial specimens from two out of three prostate cancer patients, randomly selected, contained elevated serum CgA. Serum NSE was not detectable in any of the serial specimens we studied, suggesting that CgA, not NSE, should be used as a marker for neuroendocrine differentiation. We also compared the serum CgA in random serum specimens between patients with BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia) and with prostate cancer in the concentration range of serum tPSA between 3-15 ng/mL. Although serum CgA concentrations in BPH patients overlapped considerably with those levels in patients with prostate cancer, levels > 100 ng/mL should suggest prostate cancer. The early appearance of elevated serum CgA allows an early change of therapy to be made and can lead to the effective prevention of any further development of metastases.

Production of milligram concentrations of free prostate specific antigen (fPSA) from LNCaP cell culture: difference between fPSA from LNCaP cell and seminal plasma

We have established a procedure for the production of milligrams of free PSA (fPSA) from LNCaP cells derived from a human carcinoma of the prostate. By growing LNCaP cells in a serum-free medium in the presence of a synthetic androgen (R1881) and taking advantage of the special design of the Micro-mouse Hollow Fiber Bioreactor, relatively pure fPSA could be obtained. We found that columns containing either Sephacryl S-100 or S-200 could be used to remove the small amount of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complex (PSA-ACT) from the preparation. More than 90% of the PSA from LNCaP cell cultures are fPSA. Like fPSA from seminal plasma, two fractions of fPSA differing in protease activity can be separated by DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. Based on the band pattern exhibited on the Western blot following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis separation, fPSA from LNCaP contains more inactive PSA isoforms. This was confirmed by chromatofocusing: the isoelectric point (pl) of the major PSA isoforms from the LNCaP cell culture were higher (6.8 and 6.6) than that (6.4 and 6.1) of fPSA from seminal fluid. We conclude that the LNCaP cell culture is a reliable source for obtaining large quantities of pure fPSA both for the preparation of assay calibrators and controls and for studying the difference in fPSA between benign prostate disease and prostate cancer.

Impact of assay parameters on the accuracy of free PSA test: source and stability of calibrator, calibration curve fitting, and level of total PSA in the serum

The measurement of PSA is recommended for men over 50 years of age for screening of prostate cancer. However, proper differentiation of prostate cancer from benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) relies on an accurate measurement of free PSA (fPSA) and a correct calculation of percent fPSA. Because of the extremely low concentration of fPSA in the serum, any slight deviation from its true value may produce large errors in percent fPSA calculated. Therefore, we undertook a study examining carefully those parameters of the fPSA assay which might affect the fPSA determination. We found that the integrity of the calibrator, the computer curve-fitting program selected, the source of the calibrator, and the total PSA or fPSA + PSA complexes (tPSA) concentration of the specimen all had an impact on the accuracy of the fPSA value assayed. We found that an examination of the slope of the calibration curve was important to reveal whether the calibrator had or had not been denatured during storage. We also found that the 4-parameter cure fitting program was best suited for plotting the fPSA calibration curve. The calibrator we isolated from LNCaP cells was acceptable for our assay because it had an affinity for the assay antibody very similar to that of serum fPSA. We also determined the effect of tPSA concentration on the fPSA determinations and found that within the concentration range of 4-10 ng/mL the impact on the percent fPSA calculated was not significant. We believe that our assay produces accurate fPSA values when all these assay parameters are well controlled.

Development of an immunoassay specific for the PSA-ACT complex without the problem of high background

We have developed an assay specific for the PSA-ACT (PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin) complex that effectively diminishes the problem of high assay background commonly reported by other investigators. The assay follows a two-site ELISA format. Polyclonal anti-PSA antibodies were coated on the microplate to capture the PSA complex from the serum, whereas the biotinylated anti-ACT polyclonal antibodies and HRP-conjugated streptavidin were used for detection. The high background ordinarily associated with this assay was greatly reduced when milk casein was added in addition to albumin for blocking and when the Super Block was also included in the diluents for sample dilution and dilution of enzyme conjugated detecting antibodies. The assay has a sensitivity of 0.05 ng/mL. The within-run precision ranges from 4.2-7.2% and the between-run precision falls between 5.8-8.5%. Cross reactions with ACT and free PSA (fPSA) are 0.0001% and 0.02%, respectively. The highest concentration of PSA-ACT complex in the maternal sera was < 0.4 ng/mL by this assay, much less than reported in the literature. Using this improved assay, the sum of fPSA and PSA-ACT concentrations were less than that of their corresponding total PSA (tPSA) most of the time. We believe that this improved assay should be used to replace the current tPSA assay for screening, monitoring, and managing patients with prostate cancer.

Serum chromogranin A: early detection of hormonal resistance in prostate cancer patients

We monitored both chromogranin A (CgA) and neuron specific enolase (NSE) in serial serum specimens from 14 patients with prostate cancer (CAP patients) showing resistance to hormonal treatment. Elevated serum CgA was detected in 10 out of these 14 patients (71%) during treatment, and an early appearance of elevated serum CgA was found in 6 of 14 (43%) of these patients when serum tPSA levels were still in the normal range. If patients with radical prostatectomy were not included, the percentage of patients showing an early appearance of elevated serum CgA would have been much higher. Elevated serum CgA levels also were found in patients not subject to hormonal therapy. Serial specimens from two out of three prostate cancer patients, randomly selected, contained elevated serum CgA. Serum NSE was not detectable in any of the serial specimens we studied, suggesting that CgA, not NSE, should be used as a marker for neuroendocrine differentiation. We also compared the serum CgA in random serum specimens between patients with BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia) and with prostate cancer in the concentration range of serum tPSA between 3-15 ng/mL. Although serum CgA concentrations in BPH patients overlapped considerably with those levels in patients with prostate cancer, levels > 100 ng/mL should suggest prostate cancer. The early appearance of elevated serum CgA allows an early change of therapy to be made and can lead to the effective prevention of any further development of metastases.

Monitoring percent free PSA in serial specimens: improvement of test specificity, early detection, and identification of occult tumors

We have measured the serum concentration of prostate specific antigen (tPSA) and determined the percent free PSA (% fPSA) in serial specimens from 64 patients with prostate cancer, 35 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and 3 patients with prostitis. We found that the % fPSAs were not a constant for individual patients during the course of the disease. When we compared only the % fPSA of the first specimen of serial specimens from individual patients, who were largely untreated, 37% of BPH specimens were above 22%, whereas only 1.6% cancer samples were above that value. We also found that 67% of cancer specimens and 14% of BPH samples were below 8%, respectively. Although % fPSA distribution pattern remained similar between two types of specimens, less differentiation was found between BPH and prostate cancer in random specimens compared to the study using first specimens of an individual patient's serial samples. Percent fPSA apparently are affected by treatment. However, the most important benefit for the determination of % fPSA appears to be the sensitivity of % fPSA to identify occult tumors when the tPSAs were in the normal concentration range. Determination of % fPSA also seems to improve the specificity of tPSA, not only during screening for the differentiation between BPH and prostate cancer, but also during monitoring of treatment and recurrence.

Advantages of replacing the total PSA assay with the assay for PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin complex for the screening and management of prostate cancer

Several advantages become immediately apparent when the prostate specific antigen (PSA, or tPSA) assay is replaced by the assay specific for the serum PSA-alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (PSA-ACT) complex. For instance, random contributions to the tPSA value by various serum minor PSA isoforms can be avoided, making possible the determination of a more accurate relation of the PSA-ACT concentration to the tumor activity. Discrepancies in percent free PSA (% fPSA) values from the same specimens due to the use of different commercial kits also can be eliminated, mainly because the PSA-ACT assay does not have the problems in antibody selection and calibrator preparation usually associated with the tPSA assay. We found that at the present time different cutoffs of % fPSA for the differentiation of BPH from prostate cancer must be established for each individual tPSA assay. Cutoffs established using values from one tPSA assay should not be used for making clinical decisions when their tPSA values are determined by a different kit. Moreover, when we monitored the patients during treatment with serum tPSA, specific fPSA, and specific PSA-ACT complex assays simultaneously, it was clear that any interpretation of the patient's clinical status based on tPSA values alone could be misleading. Because there is less PSA-ACT complex in BPH specimens relative to that found in cancer serum samples, expressing fPSA as "fPSA/PSA-ACT x 100" and measuring PSA-ACT complex concentrations instead of tPSA during screening improve the measurable contrast between BPH and prostate cancer. Although individually modest, collectively these advantages can add up to considerable improvements.

[Three-dimensional computed tomography in the diagnosis of diseases of jaw bone(report of 22 cases).]

3DCT reconstruction,as a new roentnogenographic technique,has not been yet used so much in Oral Maxillofacial Surgery in our country.Scine early 1993,22 cases of 3DCT reconstruction have been performed on a Siemens Plus-s CT scanner for the diagnosis and surgical planning of jaw bone disease and injuries.It demonstrated that 3DCT reconstruction is a useful technique for the diagnosis and surgical planning of jaw bone disease.

Biomechanical assessment of below-knee residual limb tissue

In vivo indentation properties of the residual limb tissues of a group of senior subjects with below-knee (BK) amputation were measured and compared with those of nondisabled young adults. It was found that differences attributable to site variations, states of muscular activity, and the differences between the nondisabled young group and the group consisting of the seniors with amputation were all noted to be highly significant statistically. However, paired comparison between the residual limb and the sound contralateral limb of the senior group showed no significant difference. Residual limb properties measured right before the first prosthetic measurements and fittings and those measured at the first outpatient follow-up were found to be slightly different.