Age and total and free prostate-specific antigen levels for predicting prostate volume in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia

Objectives: To investigate the predictive values of free prostate-specific antigen (fPSA), total PSA (tPSA) and age on the prostate volume.

Methods: The data of 2148 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms were analyzed retrospectively. The patients who had transrectal ultrasonography guided 10 core biopsies owing to the findings obtained on digital rectal examination and presence of high PSA levels (PSA?=?2.5–10?ng/dl), and proven to have BPH histopathologically were included in the study. Age, tPSA, fPSA and the prostate volumes (PV) of the patients were noted.

Results: One thousand patients that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The PV of the patients were significantly correlated with age, tPSA and fPSA (p?r?=?0.307, p?r?=?0.382, p?r?=?0.296, respectively). On linear regression model, fPSA was found as a stronger predictive for PV (AUC?=?0.75, p?p?p?=?0.013).

Conclusions: Although tPSA is an important prognostic factor for predicting PV, the predictive value of fPSA is higher. PV can easily be predicted by using age, and serum tPSA and fPSA levels.     

The aging male in the 21st century

Background.?Prostate cancer incidence varies significantly among different ethnic groups. However, the report concerning the clinical outcome after radical prostatectomy (RP) in the low incidence Asian population is still limited. We aimed to compare the clinical outcome in patient treated with RP among different ethnic groups and to identify significant prognostic factors in Taiwanese patients.

Methods.?A total of 341 patients with clinical localized prostate cancer undergoing curative RP in three medical centers in Taiwan were included in this study. Ethnic group comparison was performed using the CaPSURE, SEARCH databases from United States (US) and one large European series. The Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard model were used to identify significant predictors for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) recurrence.

Results.?Compared to the Caucasian white population in the US and Europe studies, the Taiwanese population have higher age at surgery and higher pre-operative PSA level. With mean and median follow-up of 39.1 months and 31.0 months (range 5–120 months), 127 men (37.2%) had PSA recurrence which was significant higher than the Western series. Significant predictors for PSA recurrence identified in the post-operative overall model were PSA level, pathological Gleason Score, pathological tumor stage and lymph node metastasis.

Conclusions.?The clinical outcome of Taiwanese male with prostate cancer post-RP appears inferior to the Western country, which is largely due to delay surgery at higher PSA level. Earlier diagnosis and treatment may improve the cancer control of RP.     

Clinical experiences with testosterone therapy: prostate safety

Due to a decrease in Leydig cell function, a considerable proportion of men over 50 years of age will develop hypogonadism. Consequently, loss of libido and several other testosterone-dependent symptoms may become evident. When decreased levels of biologically available testosterone are found, and corresponding symptoms are present, these men could be eligible for testosterone substitution therapy. Testosterone treatment in testosterone-deprived men has been shown to improve general well-being, osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, libido and - if present - anemia. Despite these positive effects, testosterone treatment has to be performed with caution. Although it has not been proven that elevation of the serum testosterone level to the normal range results in a greater risk of developing prostate cancer, the effects of testosterone on a prostate cancer already present are well established. Several studies have demonstrated that testosterone treatment does not result in a significant increase in serum levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or prostate volume. The long-term effects, however, are currently unknown. For these reasons, testosterone treatment should be performed only when the presence of prostate cancer is unlikely; i.e. when PSA levels are within normal limits and digital rectal examination does not reveal any suspicious findings. These examinations may still miss some small prostate cancers that could be promoted by testosterone treatment. The determination of PSA levels under testosterone treatment is necessary every 3 months, at least for the first year. Steadily rising PSA levels require immediate cessation of testosterone administration and the initiation of further diagnostic procedures (prostate biopsy), to rule out prostate cancer.     

Prostate-specific antigen decline pattern in advanced prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy and relationship with prostate-specific antigen progression

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate prostate-specific antigen decline pattern including prostate-specific antigen kinetics following androgen deprivation therapy on prostate-specific antigen progression in the patients with advanced prostate cancer.

Materials and methods: Ninety-seven advanced prostate cancer patients receiving maximum androgen deprivation therapy were enrolled in case–control study. Baseline prostate-specific antigen, Gleason Score, bone metastase, nadir prostate-specific antigen, time to nadir prostate-specific antigen, declining slope to nadir prostate-specific antigen, estimated baseline prostate-specific antigen half-time, current prostate-specific antigen, post-nadir prostate-specific antigen time, estimated prostate-specific antigen, estimated decline of baseline prostate-specific antigen as quantitative, and ratio were recorded and calculated.

Results: The ratio of prostate-specific antigen progression was significantly lower at the patients who had slower declining slope to prostate-specific antigen, longer time to nadir prostate-specific antigen, and lower estimated decline ratio of baseline prostate-specific antigen (p: .016, p: .020, and p: .026, respectively).

Conclusions: The shorter time to nadir prostate-specific antigen following androgen deprivation therapy, faster declining slope to nadir prostate-specific antigen and higher estimated decline ratio of baseline prostate-specific antigen are associated with higher risk of disease progression in patients with hormone-sensitive prostate cancer.     

炎症性肠病免疫学研究进展

炎症性肠病是一组病因未明的慢性肠道炎症性疾病，多以腹痛与腹泻为主要肠道症状．近年来人们发现其病因包括多种因素，其中与机体的免疫系统有明显关系．患的HLA—DR1、HLA—DQw5明显增高；肠粘膜免疫细胞散量增多，肠局部体液或细胞免疫活性增强、多数UC患P—ANCA阳性；TH1/TH2失衡；以及在IBD初期，内皮细胞表达ICAM-1明显增加．     

Oral administration: a preferred route of testosterone intake

Objective.?The influence of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) kinetics on the outcome of metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) after androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) remains poorly characterised. We evaluated the prognostic significance of PSA nadir and time to PSA nadir as well as their interactive effect on prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) and all-cause mortality (ACM) after ADT.

Methods.?A total of 650 men with advanced or metastatic PCa treated with ADT were studied. The prognostic significance of PSA nadir and time to PSA nadir on PCSM and ACM were analysed using Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox regression model.

Results.?On multivariate analysis, clinical M1 stage, Gleason Score 8–10, PSA nadir ≥ 0.2 ng/ml and time to PSA nadir < 10 months were independent predictors of PCSM and ACM. The combined analysis showed that patient with higher PSA nadir and shorter time to PSA nadir had significantly higher risk of PCSM and ACM compared to those with lower PSA nadir and longer time to PSA nadir (hazard ratios?=?6.30 and 4.79, respectively, all P < 0.001).

Conclusions.?Our results suggest that higher PSA nadir level and faster time to reach PSA nadir after ADT were associated with shorter survival for PCa.     

头孢噻肟钠人工抗原的合成与鉴定

采用碳化二亚胺法将头孢噻肟钠（CTX）与牛血清白蛋白（BSA）以及卵清白蛋白（OVA）分别进行偶联,合成完全抗原（CTX—BSA,CTX—OVA）,紫外吸收光谱（uV）和凝胶电泳（SDS．PAGE）进行鉴定并测定CTX—BSA的偶联比,结果显示：与CTX（235．0nm）、BSA（278nm）、OVA（232．0,278．0nm）相比,CTX-BSA（213．0,275．5nm）,CTX—OVA（223．5,274．5nm）特征吸收峰位移明显,CTX—BSA的偶联比为5．8：1．CTX—BSA与BSA以及CTX—OVA与OVA的SDS—PEG图谱相比,完全抗原泳动速度滞后．以CTX—BSA免疫动物并用间接酶联免疫吸附法（ELISA）测定抗血清效价,血清效价≥1：100000．以CTX对免疫血清进行间接竞争ELISA测定,CTX可有效抑制免疫血清效价．     

用进口渔粉去皮豆粕生产仔猪浓缩饲料的试验研究

现代养猪生产要实现高投入、高产出、高效率,断乳仔猪是最理想的生产阶段。断乳仔猪与其他生理阶段的猪不同,对饲粮蛋白营养水平与蛋白营养质量都要求高。特别是断乳后营养应激对其生长发育影响最大。因此,根据断乳仔猪对营养源的适应性差的生理特点,科学合理地选择适宜的蛋白饲料,对降低仔猪断乳应激,控制腹泻,促进生长发育具有重要意义。     

Screening for prostate cancer by using random-effects models

Summary. Random-effects models are used to screen male participants in a long-term longitudinal study for prostate cancer. By using posterior probabilities, each male can be classified into one of four diagnostic states for prostate disease: normal, benign prostatic hyperplasia, local cancer and metastatic cancer. Repeated measurements of prostate-specific antigen, collected when there was no clinical evidence of prostate disease, are used in the classification process. An individual's screening data are considered one repeated measurement at a time as his data are collected longitudinally over time. Posterior probabilities are calculated on the basis of data from other individuals with confirmed diagnoses of each of the four diagnostic states.     

新城疫疫苗(抗原)抗体复合物诱导鸡免疫应答

本文报道了用新城疫疫苗 (抗原 )与新城疫抗血清制备的新城疫疫苗 (抗原 )—抗体复合物诱导鸡的免疫应答反应试验。结果为 1日龄和 7日龄鸡接种新城疫灭活疫苗 (抗原 )—抗体复合物 (IV -Ab -C)和新城疫活疫苗 (抗原 )—抗体复合物 (V -Ab -C)后血凝抑制 (HI)抗体效价都很低 (3log2以下 ) ,但加强免疫一次后HI抗体效价迅速升高 ,达到 4log2以上。 1日龄接种新城疫病毒IV -Ab -C 2 8d后强毒攻击保护率达 91.6 7%— 10 0 %。以上结果表明 ,新城疫疫苗 (抗原 )—抗体复合物不能诱导 1日龄和 7日龄鸡产生好的体液免疫应答