Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of epithelial cell adhesion molecule(EpCAM) and Claudin-18 in gastric cancer.Methods Surgical specimens of gastric cancer were taken from 64 patients.The histological diagnostic criteria were based on WHO standards.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect expression levels of EpCAM and Claudin-18 in all samples.The relationship between the expression of EpCAM and Claudin-18 and clinicopathological parameters of gastric cancer was analyzed.Correlations of the prognosis of gastric cancer patients with EpCAM and Claudin-18 expression were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.Results The positive expression rate of EpCAM was elevated with the increase in tumor size and the occurrence of distant metastasis(x2 =4.526 and 36.090,P=0.033 and 0.000).There were significant differences in Claudin-18 protein expression among different age,TNM stage,growth pattern,depth of invasion and distant metastasis patients(all P＜0.05).Cox regression model analysis showed that tumor size and distant metastasis were the main risk factors affecting the survival of patients with gastric cancer (RR =50.076 and 1.617,P =0.016 and 0.032),while levels of EpCAM and Claudin-18 were not independent risk factors (both P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions EpCAM and Claudin-18 are closely related to the invasiveness of gastric cancer,but abnormally high levels of EpCAM and Claudin-18 are not independent risk factors for the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.

AIM To observe the curative effects of Boerning capsules plus the XELOX (oxaliplatin,capecitabine) regimen in the treatment of colorectal cancer after operation.METHODS Sixty-four colorectal cancer patients were randomly divided into either a treatment group or a control group.Both groups were treated with the XELOX regimen,and Boerning capsules were additionally used in the treatment group.Therapeutic effects and adverse reactions were observed.RESULTS The response rate was 53.1％ in the treatment group and 40.6％ in the control group,and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Boerning capsules markedly reduced the adverse reactions associated with chemotherapy and improved the quality of life in colorectal cancer patients (P ＜ 0.05).There was a significant change in T-cell count/function,a parameter of the patients' immune function (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION Boerning capsules can improve the quality of life of colorectal cancer patients by ameliorating the adverse symptoms caused by chemotherapy.

Objective To establish a method of PKH26 labeled bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) into rats with liver fibrosis and observe cell immigration and differentiation in the liver after transplantation.Methods Bone marrow-derived EPCs were isolated and cultured from rats with liver fibrosis,and then labeled with PKH26 in vitro.Under the scanning confocal microscopy and flow cytometry,PKH26 fluorescent labeling rate and cell survival rate were measured.EPCs of PKH26 fluorescent labeling were transplanted into rats with liver fibrosis via the tail vein,and the migration situation was observed in the liver.Endothelial cell markers CD31 and von willebrand factor (vWF) were detected by using immunofluorescence.Results The PKH26-labeled EPCs appeared red fluorescence and the labeling rate was 96.65 ％.As compared with unlabeled cells,the labeled cells grew well,and had no significant changes in the growth curve.After transplantation into the liver of rats,the PKH26 labeled cells were mainly distributed in blood vessel endothelium along fibers and hepatic sinusoids in hepatic lobule.Endothelial cell-specific antigens such as CD31 and vWF could be detected along the vascular walls.Conclusion PKH26 could be used to label and track EPCs in the liver of rats with liver fibrosis in vitro.The PKH26-labeled cells may migrate to the surrounding of the hepatic vessels and differentiate into mature endothelial cells.

AIM:To investigate whether there were symptom-based tendencies in the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients. METHODS:A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study of H. pylori eradication for FD was conducted. A total of 195 FD patients with H. pylori infection were divided into two groups: 98 patients in the treatment group were treated with rabeprazole 10 mg twice daily for 2 wk, amoxicillin 1.0 g and clarithromycin 0.5 g twice daily for 1 wk; 97 patients in the placebo group were given placebos as control. Symptoms of FD, such as postprandial fullness, early satiety, nausea, belching, epigastric pain and epigastric burning, were assessed 3 mo after H. pylori eradication. RESULTS:By per-protocol analysis in patients with successful H. pylori eradication, higher effective rates of 77.2% and 82% were achieved in the patients with epigastric pain and epigastric burning than those in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The effective rates for postprandial fullness, early satiety, nausea and belching were 46%, 36%, 52.5% and 33.3%, respectively, and there was no significant difference from the placebo group (39.3%, 27.1%, 39.1% and 31.4%) (P > 0.05). In 84 patients who received H. pylori eradication therapy, the effective rates for epigastric pain (73.8%) and epigastric burning (80.7%) were higher than those in the placebo group (P < 0.05). The effective rates for postprandial fullness, early satiety, nausea and belching were 41.4%, 33.3%, 50% and 31.4%, respectively, and did not differ from those in the placebo group (P > 0.05). By intention-to-treat analysis, patients with epigastric pain and epigastric burning in the treatment group achieved higher effective rates of 60.8% and 65.7% than the placebo group (33.3% and 31.8%) (P < 0.05). The effective rates for postprandial fullness, early satiety, nausea and belching were 34.8%, 27.9%, 41.1% and 26.7% respectively in the treatment group, with no significant difference from those in the placebo group (34.8%, 23.9%, 35.3% and 27.1%) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION:The efficacy of H. pylori eradication has symptom-based tendencies in FD patients. It may be effective in the subgroup of FD patients with epigastric pain syndrome.

OBJECTIVE:To study the clinical efficacy of PEG-Interferon alpha-2a combined with ribavirin in eldly chronic hepatitis.METHODS:Forty patients with chronic hepatitis C were divided into treatment group and comparative group. The twenty eldly patients of treatment group receive peg-interferon alpha-2a 135-180 microg subcutaneous injection every week combined with ribavirin 600-1000 mg/d for 48 weeks, and twenty adult patients of control group receive peg-interferon 135-180 microg subcutaneous injection every week combined with ribavirin 800-1200 mg/d for 48 weeks. The rapid virological response (RVR) rate, early virological response (EVR) rate, end of treatment virological response (ETVR) rate, sustained virological response (SVR) rate, nonresponder rate, relapse rate and the side reaction was assessed, then to compare the differences between the two groups.RESULTS:The RVR rate, EVR rate, ETVR rate, SVR rate, nonresponder rate, relapse rate was 60%, 70%, 75%, 60%, 10%, 10% respectively, accordingly the rate in control group was 75%, 80%, 85%, 75%, 5%, 10%. The difference between the two group were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the rate of neutropenia was higher in treatment group (P < 0.05). There was no difference between the two groups in influenza-like side effect, anemia, thrombocytopenia and gastrointestinal side reaction.CONCLUSIONS:The eldly patients with Chronic Hepatitis C using general dose peg-IFNalpha-2a combined with lower dose ribavirin can still obtain the similar efficiency and excellent tolerance when the basic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and side effects were treated successfully.