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A number of different clinical characteristics have been reported to singly correlate with therapeutic activity of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to identify predictive factors associated with prognostic benefits of gefitinib.EGFR gene typing in 33 advanced NSCLC patients received gefitinib (250 mg/day) were analyzed with mutant-enriched PCR assay. Gefitinib response was evaluated with potential predictive factors retrospectively.The overall objective response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) in the 33 patients treated by gefitinib were 45.5% and 3.0 (2.0-4.0) months. The ORR and median PFS in EGFR gene mutation patients were significantly higher/longer than those in EGFR gene wild-type patients (P0.01). Similarly, the ORR and median PFS in non-smoker patients were significantly higher/longer than those in smoker patients (P0.05, P0.01, respectively). However, no difference for ORR and median PFS occurred between male and female patients. Logistic multivariate analysis showed that only EGFR mutated gene was significantly associated with the ORR (P0.01). Both EGFR mutated gene and non-smoker were the major factors that contributed to PFS (P0.05).EGFR mutated gene and non-smoker status are potential predictors for gefitinib response in NSCLC patients.

Objective To investigate the relationship between albuminuria detection rate and blood pressure level or body weight index (BMI) in patients with essential hypertension in China9s five regions. Method 5021 patients with clearly diagnosed essential hypertension but without diabetes were enrolled in our study. The participants came from five cities of China. Urinary albumin/creatinine ratio was measured in these patients for two times. The relationships between albuminuria and levels of blood pressure and BMI were analysed. Results 1. There wasn9t any difference of the albuminuria incidence between patients less than 60-year-old and equal to or more than 60-year-old. The longer the hypertension exists, the higher the proportion of albuminuria. 2. The incidence of albuminuria associated with blood pressure levels significantly. The higher the blood pressure (BP) level, the more the urine protein excretion. The albuminuria detection rate in patients with normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, I, II or III stage hypertension were 26.3%, 27.3%, 28.7%, 31.5% and 40.3% respectively. 3. The incidence of albuminuria was different in patients with uncontrolled BP (BP>=140/90 mm Hg) compared with those with well controlled BP ( Conclusion The detection rate of proteinuria in hypertensive patients without known diabetes was 28.8% in China, among them the incidence of microalbuminuria was 18.6%, and the incidence of clinical albuminuria was 10.2%. Uncontrolled BP was important risk factor of proteinuria.

Objective To evaluate the effect of atrovastatin therapy on borderline vulnerable lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to investigate the relationship between lesion reversion and the level of MMP-9, TIMP-1, hs-CRP respectively. Methods Patients with ACS whose serum LDL-C is lower than 2.1 mmol/L underwent coronary angiography (CAG) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) investigation. If the culprit lesions were demonstrated to be borderline lesions (coronary artery stenosis between 50-70%) by CAG and minimal lumen cross-sectional area (CSA) >4.0 mm 2 by IVUS, the patients were enrolled in the present study. Intravascular ultrasound was performed to assess coronary atheroma at baseline and 12 months after atrovastatin therapy. The level of MMP-9, TIMP-1, hs-CRP were respectively measured by ELISA at baseline and 12 month-follow-up. Results No adverse events were reported during follow-up period. Comparing with baseline data, the level of ApoB decreased significantly at the end of the study (0.589±0.136 g/l vs 0.681±0.132 g/l, p=0.03). at 12 month IVUS follow-ups, minimal lumen CSA increased ((6.32+1.42) mm 2 vs (4.63+0.51) mm 2 , p Conclusions Atrovastatin therapy stabilises borderline vulnerable plaque and reverses atherosclerosis progression in patients with ACS. Reversion of the atherosclerotic progression of vulnerable plaque is accompanied by the decrement of the level of plasma MMP-9 and hs-CRP. Changes in the level of MMP-9 and hs-CRP could predict the stabilisation of vulnerable plaque.