ABSTRACT. The aim of this study was to characterize variations in Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) expression and related signaling molecules in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma. Cancerous and precancerous tissues were collected from patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma and normal tissue was collected from healthy controls. RKIP expression was detected in these tissues and the serum levels of NF-κB p65 and T-lymphocyte subsets were measured. Positive RKIP expression was higher in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma tissues than in precancerous tissues. The serum level of total NF-κB p65 was higher in patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma than in healthy controls. Levels of NF-κB p65 did not correlate with positive and negative expression of RKIP, but were higher in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without it. The cellular immune function of the gastric cardia adenocarcinoma group was lower than in normal controls, particularly in cases with negative RKIP expression. RKIP is downregulated in gastric cardia adenocarcinoma tissues, which is related to the occurrence, progression, invasion, and metastasis of tumors. The possible mechanism for this may be the inhibition of NF-κB activity and cellular immune function, which allows for the escape of tumor cells from immune surveillance.

This study investigated the value of arterial elasticity measurement in the early diagnosis of angiographic coronary artery atherosclerosis in 105 consecutive elderly patients. They were divided into two groups according to the results of selective coronary angiography: 55 with coronary atherosclerosis and 50 with a normal coronary angiogram. The Gensini score of the coronary artery was acquired and capacitive arterial compliance (C1) and oscillatory arterial compliance (C2) were measured. An independent-sample ttest was used to evaluate the difference in C1 and C2 between the two groups. Bivariate analyses were performed to study the association between the Gensini score and C1 and C2. A significant difference between the two groups in C2 was found and the Gensini score of the coronary artery was significantly correlated with C2. Identification of early coronary atherosclerosis in geriatrics may be aided by the prognostic value of C2.

ABSTRACT. Physical localization of molecular markers and assignment of the 15th linkage group to chromosome 11 of the karyotype in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) were achieved using primed in situ labeling. Amplified signals for both the EST507-1 and SSRY13-5 markers were consistently observed in different stages of cell division. A comparison of the length, arm ratio, and other morphological characteristics of somatic metaphase chromosomes in karyotype analysis indicated that the EST507-1 and SSRY13-5 markers were localized on the short and long arm of cassava chromosome 11 with the relative map positions of 41.67 and 23.07, respectively. The physical localization of the 2 markers on chromosome 11 of the karyotype corresponds to their positions on the 15th linkage group in cassava.