The present study was designed to identify the changes in microvesicle-dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP IV) levels in human urine and serum, and to determine whether there were correlations with the severity of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). A total of 127 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were divided into three groups according to the urinary albumin/ creatinine ratio (UACR): microalbuminuria group (n = 50); macroalbuminuria group (n = 34) and normoalbuminuria group (n = 43), and 34 age-and sex-matched non-diabetic healthy subjects were selected as controls. Microvesicle-bound DPP IV and free urinary DPP IV were separated by a filtra-centrifugation method. The total microvesicles were captured by a specific monoclonal antibody, AD-1. DPP IV activity was determined by measuring the cleavage of chromogenic free 4-nitroaniline from Gly-Pro-p-nitroanilide at 405 nm with an ELISA plate reader. DPP IV protein levels were determined by ELISA and Western blot. Our results showed that the microvesicle-bound type was the major form of DPP IV in urine; the urinary microvesicle-DPP IV excretion of each T2DM group was significantly higher compared with controls. The urinary microvesicle-DPP IV level was positively correlated with UACR in patients with T2DM. These findings suggest that the urinary level of microvesicle-bound DPP IV is associated with the severity of DKD.

BackgroundObesity is known to be associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes mellitus. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSHR) is the receptor for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH, or thyrotropin), the key regulator of thyroid functions. The expression of TSHR, once considered to be limited to thyrocytes, has been so far detected in many extrathyroidal tissues including liver and fat. Previous studies have shown that TSHR expression is upregulated when preadipocytes differentiate into mature adipocytes, suggestive of a possible role of TSHR in adipogenesis. However, it remains unclear whether TSHR expression in adipocytes is implicated in the pathogenesis of obesity.MethodsIn the present study, TSHR expression in adipose tissues from both mice and human was analyzed, and its association with obesity was evaluated.ResultsWe here showed that TSHR expression was increased at both mRNA and protein levels when 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate. Knockdown of TSHR blocked the adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes as evaluated by Oil-red-O staining for lipid accumulation and by RT-PCR analyses of PPAR-γ and ALBP mRNA expression. We generated obesity mice (C57/BL6) by high-fat diet feeding and found that the TSHR protein expression in visceral adipose tissues from obesity mice was significantly higher in comparison with the non-obesity control mice (P < 0.05). Finally, the TSHR expression in adipose tissues was determined in 120 patients. The results showed that TSHR expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is correlated with BMI (body mass index).ConclusionTaken together, these results suggested that TSHR is an important regulator of adipocyte differentiation. Dysregulated expression of TSHR in adipose tissues is associated with obesity, which may involve a mechanism of excess adipogenesis.

Abstract. Synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers are uncommon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment and prognosis of synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers. The clinicopathological characteristics of 43 patients with synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University between 1999 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Our results revealed that the median age at the time of diagnosis was 51 years (range, 29-71). The common presenting symptoms were abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB, 65.12%), abdominal mass (25.58%), abdominal pain and abdominal fullness (39.53%). An elevated CA125 level was observed in the majority of patients (n=20, 76.9%). Endometrioid type accounted for 60.47% of uterine carcinomas and different pathological types, including serous adenocarcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, adenosquamous and acanthoadenocarcinoma, were also identified in synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers. All patients underwent surgical intervention (hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy or debulking surgery). The 5-year survival rate was 86.05% and nine patients had recurrence (20.93%). The early stage group (FIGO stages I and II) had more favorable prognosis than the advanced stage group (FIGO stages III and IV; P<0.05). In conclusion, synchronous primary endometrial and ovarian cancers are different from either primary endometrial carcinoma or ovarian cancer and are usually identified at early stages with a good prognosis.

Abstract. The majority of primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) are diffuse large B cell lymphoma, characterized by poor prognosis. In the present study, the expression of cluster of differentiation (CD)10, B cell lymphoma (BCL)-6, multiple myeloma-1 (MUM-1), BCL-2, CD138 and Ki-67 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in 89 Chinese PCNSL cases, and the potential prognostic significance was evaluated. CD10, BCL-6, MUM-1, BCL-2 and CD138 were positive in 16.9 (15/89), 51.7 (46/89), 92.1 (82/89), 73.3 (63/86) and 0% (0/65) of all cases, respectively. According to the Hans algorithm, 71 patients (79.8%) were classified into the non-germinal center B cell-like (non-GCB) group, indicating a post-germinal center origin of PCNSL. The median follow-up time of 73 patients was 13 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 10.93-15.08]. The median overall survival (OS) time was 45.3 months (95% CI, 25.01-65.59) and the median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 30.0 months (95% CI, 13.43-46.57). Age (>60 years) was associated with a shorter OS time (P=0.009). Ki-67 (cutoff point 90%) was associated with shorter OS (P=0.037) and shorter PFS (P=0.039) times. No other immunohistochemical markers were associated with prognosis. On multivariate analysis, age (>60 years) was associated with shorter OS time (P=0.038), but immunophenotype and expression status of Ki-67, CD10, BCL-6 and BCL-2 did not predict prognosis. In conclusion, high Ki-67 expression may predict poor prognosis in PCNSL. The present study was limited by its sample size and short follow-up time. This requires more evidence to further clinical study.

Background: It is not known whether NR4A1 plays a role in ER stress-induced β-cell apoptosis.Results: NR4A1 expression in β-cells or islets correlated positively with Survivin expression and negatively with CHOP expression and apoptosis rate upon treatment with ER stress inducers.Conclusion: NR4A1 protects β-cells from ER stress-induced apoptosis by up-regulating Survivin and down-regulating CHOP expression.Significance: Our findings provide clues to prevent diabetes.