Oxidative DNA damage results from DNA adducts such as 8-oxo-7, 8 dihydro-2 0 -deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), which is a pro-mutagenic lesion. No known association between 8-oxo-dG, disease progression and survival exists in colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined levels of 8-oxo-dG in sporadic CRC to determine its relationship with pathological stage and outcome. A total of 143 CRC patients and 105 non-cancer patients were studied. Nuclear and cytoplasmic 8-oxo-dG was assessed using immunohistochemistry. Double immunofluorescence using 8-oxo-dG and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) antibodies localised cytoplasmic 8-oxo-dG. Apoptosis was detected using TUNEL. Nuclear staining levels were similar in tumour tissue and matched normal mucosa in both epithelial (P ¼ 0.22) and stromal (P ¼ 0.85) cells. Epithelial cytoplasmic staining was greater in tumour tissue (Po0.001). Double immunofluorescence localised cytoplasmic 8-oxo-dG to mitochondria. Epithelial and stromal nuclear 8-oxo-dG decreased with local disease spread, but highest levels were found in distant disease (Po0.01). Survival was related to epithelial nuclear and stromal staining in normal mucosa (Po0.001) and tumour (Po0.01) but was unrelated to cytoplasmic staining. Normal control cells in tissue from cancer patients with high levels of 8-oxo-dG failed to undergo cell death. 8-oxo-dG may be an important biomarker of disease risk, progression and survival for CRC patients. British Journal of Cancer (2009) Colorectal cancer is one of the commonest cancers in the Western World (Ferlay et al, 2007) and genetic events associated with tumour initiation and progression have been extensively studied (Fearon and Vogelstein, 1990). The majority of mutations found in sporadic colorectal cancer are due to single-base substitutions (Sjoblom et al, 2006) such as GC to TA transversions.Oxidative stress is defined as a disturbance in the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defences. It is associated with aging and implicated in a variety of disease processes including atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and cancer (Pacifici and Davies, 1991;Maritim et al, 2003;Valko et al, 2004;Minuz et al, 2006). Endogenous sources of reactive oxygen species production include oxidative phosphorylation and inflammatory cell activation, and despite multiple conserved redox modulating systems, a proportion of reactive oxygen species continuously escape the mitochondrial respiratory chain. The significance of reactive oxygen species within antioxidant systems and its role in carcinogenesis is not fully understood. Enhanced antioxidant mechanisms in gastrointestinal tumour cells in vivo are associated with chemo-resistance, metastasis and poor prognosis, whereas many in vitro studies suggest that antioxidant enzymes have tumour-suppressing properties (Janssen et al, 1998;Toh et al, 2000), although the majority of conflicting results may be explained by reference to the net redox status of malignant cells (Kinnula and Crapo, 2004).The DNA adduct, 8-oxo-7,...

and adolescents, with a median age of 9.9 years (ranging from 2 to 18 years), was identified.Forty-five patients (82%) were bitten between May and September. Thirty-five patients (64%) received antivenom therapy, 28 of them (80%) within two hours after being bitten. No fatalities occurred and only five of 35 patients (14%) had major morbidity when treated according to the protocol. Thirty-one snakes (56%) were identified and 12 of them (38%) were Naja atra. This study indicates that a protocol for children affected by snakebites is valuable for guiding emergency physicians to treat these patients immediately. Further strategies are required to reduce the morbidity rate that occurs as a result of Naja atra bite.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the status of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and its association with metabolic syndrome (MS) and different MS components among premenopausal women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China. Patients and methods Altogether 113 premenopausal women with SLE and the age-matched healthy cohorts were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Clinical manifestations and laboratory data including serum 25(OH)D concentration were collected. A multivariable analysis was performed to analyze the association of 25(OH)D with MS and its components. Results The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency (25(OH)D < 20 ng/ml) and MS were common (24.8% and 30.1%, respectively) in premenopausal patients with SLE in China. Analysis of the association between 25(OH)D, MS and its components demonstrated that the lower level of 25(OH)D was associated with increased MS prevalence (OR = 0.920, p = 0.012), a decreased level of high-density lipoprotein (OR = 1.059, p = 0.033) and a higher level of fasting glucose (OR = 0.810, p = 0.004). These associations were still detectible after adjustment for age, body mass index and SLE-related variables. Conclusion The level of 25(OH)D is associated with MS and its components in premenopausal women with SLE.

This meta-analysis studied the association between interleukin 2 receptor a (IL2RA) gene polymorphisms rs2104286 and rs12722489 and susceptibility to multiple sclerosis (MS). Case-control genetic association studies published before January 2011 were retrieved from the PubMed and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Library. Eight studies comprising 13 569 patients and 23 435 controls met the selection criteria for metaanalysis of the IL2RA rs2104286 polymorphism. Using a fixed-effects model, the T allele and the TT and TT + TC genotypes of the IL2RA rs2104286 polymorphism were found to be associated with MS. Five studies comprising 5643 patients and 6415 controls met the selection criteria for meta-analysis of the IL2RA rs12722489 polymorphism. Using a fixed-effects model, the C allele and the CC genotype of the IL2RA rs12722489 polymorphism were found to be associated with MS but the CC + CT genotype was not. It was concluded that both of the IL2RA gene polymorphisms, rs2104286 and rs12722489, were associated with increased susceptibility to MS.

Study objective: To establish a predictive scoring system and to determine its effectiveness for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) cases confirmed by RT-PCR in patients with fever. Methods: A study was conducted of 484 consecutive patients seen in the emergency department (ED) of our tertiary care center during the SARS outbreak in Taiwan. The scoring system was divided into triage and screening station stages. Data were analysed with multivariable and logistic regression analysis. Results: Of 737 patients who presented to our ED for possible SARS from March to June 2003, we enrolled 484 patients with a temperature .38.0˚C (.100.3˚F) (age .18 years). Dyspnoea, diarrhoea, travel, close contact, hospital exposure, and household history were identified as predictive indicators in the triage stage. The triage score was the total of six items. With a one-point cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 81.8% (18/22) and 73.6% (340/462). Leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, and CXR were identified as predictive indicators in the fever screening stage. Screening station scores (the sum of 10 items) consisted of triage scores, white blood cell count, and CXR. With a three-point cutoff value, the sensitivity and specificity were 95.5% (21/22) and 87.2% (403/462). Conclusions: Syndromic and traditional surveillance play a role in early identification of SARS in an endemic area. The SARS scoring system described is easily applicable and highly effective in screening patients during outbreaks.

In studies of radiation effects on materials for reactor applications, it is desirable to identify irradiation methods that induce microstructural effects similar to those of neutrons, but at reduced time and expense. In the present study, 2 MeV protons were used to introduce up to seven displacements per atom in Zircaloy 4 at 350°C. The effect on the intermetallic precipitates, the formation of dislocation loops and hardness were investigated by analytical and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, the precipitate evolution during 600 keV Ne ion irradiation at 350°C was monitored by in situ TEM. The results are compared with literature data for neutron-irradiated Zircaloy. While Ne irradiation leads to precipitate amorphization, no amorphization or chemical redistribution is observed in the proton-irradiated sample. The dislocation-loop size and density in the Zr matrix of the proton-irradiated alloy are similar to those in the neutron-irradiated alloys.

Colonoscopy is the reference standard procedure for the prevention and diagnosis of colorectal cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Singapore. Artificial intelligence systems are automated, objective and reproducible. Artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy has recently been introduced into clinical practice as a clinical decision support tool. This review article provides a summary of the current published data and discusses ongoing research and current clinical applications of artificial intelligence-assisted colonoscopy.

ABSTRACT. Numerous studies have evaluated the association between Glu504Lys polymorphism in the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) gene and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. However, the specific association remains controversial. To assess the relationship between the ALDH2 Glu504Lys polymorphism and CRC, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of five case-control studies comprising 1664 patients with CRC and 2777 controls. The results of this metaanalysis showed that the ALDH2 Glu504Lys polymorphism was associated with a significantly reduced risk of CRC [Lys/Lys vs Glu/ Glu: odds ratio (OR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.58- was observed in our meta-analysis. Based on the statistical data, our meta-analysis indicates that the ALDH2 Glu504Lys polymorphism is associated with reduced risk of developing CRC.