[Incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis in different occupational positions among populations from jinchang cohort]

Objective: To investigate the incidence and rank of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis to the workers in different occupational positions in Jinchang Cohort. Methods: In January 2014, a cohort of follow-up population in jinchang city was taken as the research object, 17843 individuals among follow-up populations in Jinchang Cohort Study, removed the individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis before 2013, and counted the new incidence individuals diagnosed by the A-Class hospital in Grade III in Jinchang City, Gansu Province, as the investigation objects to investigate the incidence rate & rank of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis. The statistical significance was tested by chi-square test. Results: The 2-year incidence rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Pneumoconiosis in the population of Jinchang Cohort Study were 11.60‰, 13.51‰ for male and 8.46‰ for female. the ranks of 2-year incidence rates of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumoconiosis and other phenotypes of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were 7.06‰、3.42‰、0.84‰、0.34‰, respectively. Incidence rate of chronic bronchitis among administrators and executive staffs were 10.45‰; incidence rate of chronic bronchitis among service staffs were 10.45‰; incidence rate of pneumoconiosis among mining staffs were 3.44‰. Conclusion: The first incidence rank of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumoconiosis in Jinchang cohort is chronic bronchitis, and the risk factors are smoking and occupational exposure.

[A phase Ⅰ dose-escalating trial of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma]

Objective: To explore the maximum tolerated dose of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in combination with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone as a modified CHOP regimen for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma were eligible for this trial. PLD was administered in cycle 1 and categorized into 4 dose level (30 mg/m², 35 mg/m², 40 mg/m², 45 mg/m² D1) according to a 3 + 3 approach for dose-escalation. Doxorubin was used in cycles 2-6. In this combination regimen, the doses of cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m² D1), vincristine (1.4 mg/m² D1, maximum dose of 2 mg) and prednisone (100 mg D1-5) were fixed. Toxicities of cycle 1 were documented. Results: Totally, 21 patients were enrolled in this trial. Among them, 15 patients had T-cell lymphoma and 6 had B-cell lymphoma. When the dose of PLD was escalated to the level of 45 mg/m², 2 of 3 patients developed grade 3 mucositis, which met the criteria of dose-limiting toxicity. Therefore, the dose was de-escalated for one level. At the level of 40 mg/m², only one among 12 patients had pneumonia and grade 4 neutropenia. In all dose levels, the grade 3/4 toxicities observed were neutropenia (13 cases, 61.9% ), mucositis (2 cases, 9.5% ), thrombocytopenia (1 case, 4.8%) and pneumonia (1 case, 4.8%). Conclusion: When combined with cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone as a combination regimen, the maximum tolerated dose of PLD was 40 mg/m².

Peptides with carboxyl-terminal sequence of alanine-proline: detection by a human monoclonal antibody

A human B lymphoblastoid cell line JWCI-L94 secretes an IgM human monoclonal antibody (HuMAb) that reacts with human melanoma cell lines, M14 and M12. To identify the antigenic epitope of this antibody, we screened lambda gt11 expression libraries constructed from M14 and M12. A total of 12 immunoreactive clones were isolated, and their DNA sequences were determined. The only sequence shared by all these clones was alanine-proline (A-P) at the carboxyl (C) terminal. HuMAb L94 reacted not only with C-terminal A-P-containing fusion proteins, but also with the synthetic dipeptide A-P. None of the peptides containing A-P internally or amino terminally reacted to HuMAb L94. Proline or alanine alone had no ability to bind to HuMAb L94. When alanine was replaced by glycine (G-P) or proline (P-P), the binding activity of these peptides was similar to that of A-P. On the other hand, when alanine was replaced by serine, valine, leucine, glutamine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, or hydroxyl proline, the resulting peptide completely lost the antigenic activity of HuMAb L94. These results demonstrate that HuMAb L94 recognizes C-terminal A-P, G-P, or P-P, and that a human antibody can recognize peptides as small as a two-amino acid residue.

[Evaluation of dark field microscopic techniques and correlation between DFM data and clinical periodontal parameters]

Two subgingival sampling methods (curette and washing) used in DFM were compared. The effect of repeated washing sampling to subgingival microflora were also evaluated. These results demonstrated that washing techniques and curette could be used alternatively. No significant change of subgingival flora were observed after repeated washing sampling were used. 204 bacterial samples obtained from different periodontal status were analysed by DFM. The data showed that there was significant positive correlation between spirochete%, motile rods % and P1I. BI. PD, both incross-sectioned and longitudinal analysis (22 samples DFM assessed before and after periodontal treatment). Also, our data suggested that it was impossible to establish a threshold level of microorganism to diagnose periodontal diseases only by DFM analysis.

Comparison of TestPack and Ovustick for predicting ovulation

A study was designed to compare two methods of predicting the time of ovulation by detection of the urinary luteinizing hormone (LH) surge with two immunoassay kits designed for home use. A newly developed kit, TestPack, was compared with an existing kit, Ovustick. A group of 20 women with regular cycles were studied for one menstrual cycle. Ovulation was established with a serum LH surge and disappearance of the dominant follicle using transvaginal sonography followed by a rise in the serum progesterone level. In the 20 subjects, presumptive evidence of ovulation was obtained by determining the LH surge and the subsequent progesterone peak. In 18 of the 20, disappearance of the dominant follicle was also documented. Ovulation was predicted in 17 of the 20 subjects by both TestPack and Ovustick. Both tests were effective in predicting the day of ovulation, but TestPack provided a more easily defined end point and required less time and effort to perform.