To investigate the association between the potentially functional polymorphisms in IL12A and IL12B, HBV infection and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population, we genotyped three polymorphisms, rs568408 (3 0 UTR G>A), rs2243115(5 0 UTR T>G) in IL12A and rs3212227 (3 0 UTR A>C) in IL12B in a case-control study of 869 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)cases and 891 cancer-free controls. We found that the IL12A rs568408 GA/AA variant genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of HCC (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 5 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5 1.17-2.00), compared with the wild-type GG homozygote. In the stratified analyses, the increased risk of HCC associated with rs568408 GA/AA was more evident in patients who were negative for HBsAg (adjusted OR 5 1.71, 95% CI 5 1.23-2.39). However, no significant associations between IL12A rs2243115 T/G, IL12B rs3212227 A/C and risk of HCC were observed. Our findings indicate that IL12A rs568408 may contribute to the risk of HCC and modify HCC risk associated with HBV infection.

AimsThe purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacies of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with sorafenib versus TACE monotherapy for treating patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsWe enrolled 321 patients and selected 280 with advanced HCC (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage C) who underwent TACE therapy between February 2009 and February 2013. TACE alone (monotherapy group) was administered to 198 patients (70.7%), and the remaining 82 (29.3%) underwent repeat combined TACE and sorafenib therapy (combined group). To minimize selection bias, these latter 82 patients were matched using propensity-score matching at a 1∶2 ratio with 164 patients who received TACE monotherapy. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and related subgroup analysis. The secondary endpoints were time to progression (TTP) and treatment-related adverse events.ResultsOf the respective patients in the combined and monotherapy groups, 64.6% and 49.2% had vascular invasion, 87.8% and 91.1% had extrahepatic metastasis, and 54.3% and 47.1% had both. In the propensity-score–matched cohort, the OS survival of the combined group was significantly higher compared with the monotherapy group (7.0 months vs. 4.9 months, respectively, P = 0.003). The TTP was significantly longer in the combined group (2.6 months vs. 1.9 months, respectively, P = 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that the outcomes of patients with advanced HCC without main portal vein invasion who were treated with combined therapy were significantly better compared with those who received monotherapy (P<0.05). Univariate and subsequent multivariate analyses revealed that the addition of sorafenib was an independent predictor of favorable OS and TTP (adjusted hazard ratios, 0.63 and 0.62, respectively; P<0.05 for both).ConclusionSorafenib plus TACE was more effective than TACE monotherapy for treating patients with advanced HCC without main portal vein invasion. Future trials with larger samples are required to validate these preliminary findings.

In summary, patients with a previous MI and chronic heart failure could potentially benefit from isolated CABG (i.e., those who received CABG only) combined with BMMNCs delivered through a graft vessel. (Stem Cell Therapy to Improve Myocardial Function in Patients Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting [CABG]; NCT00395811).

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Many of the compounds in drugs cannot be effectively delivered using current drug delivery techniques (e.g., pills and injections). Transdermal delivery is an attractive alternative, but it is limited by the extremely low permeability of the skin. As the primary barrier to transport is located in the upper tissue, MicroElectro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) technology provides novel means, such as microneedle array and PZT pump, in order to increase permeability of human skin with efficiency, safety and painless delivery, and to decrease the size of the pump. Microneedle array has many advantages, including minimal trauma at penetration site because of the small size of the needle, free from condition limitations, painless drug delivery, and precise control of penetration depth. These will promote the development of biomedical sciences and technology and make medical devices more humanized. So far, most of the insulin pumps being used are mechanical pumps. We present the first development of this novel technology, which can assemble the PZT pump and the microneedle array together for diabetes mellitus. The microneedle array based on a flexible substrate can be mounted on non-planar surface or even on flexible objects such as a human fingers and arms. The PZT pump can pump the much more precision drug accurately than mechanical pump and the overall size is much smaller than those mechanical pumps. The hollow wall straight microneedle array is fabricated on a flexible silicon substrate by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) and anisotropic wet etching techniques. The fabricated hollow microneedles are 200 lm in length and 30 lm in diameter. The microneedle array, which is built with onboard fluid pumps, has potential applications in the chemical and biomedical fields for localized chemical analysis, programmable drug-delivery systems, and very small, precise fluids sampling. The microneedle array has been installed in an insulin pump for demonstration and a leak free packaging is introduced.

Gold nanoclusters (GNCs) release insulin to reduce high blood glucose in diabetes.

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The positive rate of angiographic findings in 26 patients with postoperative gastrointestinal hemorrhage was 81%. Transcatheter arterial embolization seems to be an effective and safe method in the management of postoperative gastrointestinal hemorrhage.