[Investigation of hearing loss and speech recognition ability of the elderly and analysis of its high risk factors]

Objective: To investigate the hearing loss and speech disorders in the elderly, to analyze the risk factors of the elderly deafness, as well as to provide reference for the clinical research of the elderly deafness. Methods: From March 2016 to March 2018, 913 elderly people, who were tested for hearing and speech disorders, were examined by a unified questionnaire to investigate the demographic data of the subjects and the related factors of deafness, and the hearing and speech recognition tests were carried out. According to the hearing loss, the hearing impaired group was divided into the hearing impaired group (500, 1 000, 2 000 and 4 000 Hz, the average hearing threshold>25 dBHL) and the non hearing impaired group (the average hearing threshold of the four frequencies ≤25 dBHL), and then the single factor analysis and the unconditional Logistic regression analysis were used. Finally, the risk factors of senile deafness were analyzed. Results: Of the 913 elderly subjects in the survey, 389 (42.61%, 389/913) had no hearing impaired, 345 (37.79%, 345/913) were mild hearing impaired, and 149 (16.32%, 149/913) had moderate hearing loss. Twenty-six patients were severe hearing loss (2.85%, 26/913); 4 patients had severe hearing loss (0.44%, 4/913). Among the 524 hearing-impaired elderly, there were 244 speech-recognition disorders (46.56%, 244/524), of whom 106 were mild hearing-impaired, accounting for 30.72% (106/345), 108 were moderate hearing loss, accounting for 72.48% (108/149), 26 were severe hearing loss, accounting for 100% (26/26), and 4 were the profound hearing loss, accounting for 100% (4/4). Statistical analysis showed that the age, job status, history of hypertension, history of hyperglycemia, and smoking history were independent risk factors for senile hearing loss (P<0.05). Conclusions: High incidences of hearing and speech recognition obstacle are found in health examination for the elderly patients. Noise exposure, age, history of hypertension, high blood sugar, and smoking history are high-risk factors for senile deafness, therefore, prevention and rehabilitation programs are urgent to be developed.

The expression and significance of WT1 in xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma treated by paclitaxel

In this study, the authors investigated the expression and significance of WTl in xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma cell SKOV3 of nude mice treated with paclitaxel. Xenotransplanted ovarian carcinoma was established in nude mice using the SKOV3 cell line. The mice were randomized into the treatment group with paclitaxel and control group with normal sodium. The sizes of the xenotransplanted tumors were measured and the tumor specimens were confirmed by routine hemotoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. The apoptosis index was then assayed using flow cytometry. WTl and bcl-2 expression were detected with immunohistochemistry, and WT1 mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The authors found that the growth of the xenotransplanted tumor was inhibited by paclitaxel therapy. Compared to the control group, the apoptosis rate was significantly increased in the treatment group (p < 0.05). At the same time, the expression of WTl, bcl-2 and WTI, mRNA were significantly decreased in the paclitaxel therapy group (p < 0.05). The authors conclude that the WTl gene may play an important role during apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma and the mechanism may be closely related to bcl-2.

Genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from cats in different geographic regions of China

Fourteen isolates of Toxoplasma gondii were isolated from cats from 4 different geographic provinces (Anhui, Hubei, Shanxi and Guangdong) in China and their genetic diversity with 8 nuclear loci SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and an apicoplast locus Apico, was analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Two genotypes from these 14 isolates were identified but none of them belongs to the typical genetic types (types I, II and III). It is unexpected that such high similarity was observed in these 14 isolates although their original regions are significantly distant. Our results strongly indicate that the three traditional clonal lineages of types I, II and III of this parasite may not be preponderant in China. In addition, our results show that the genotypes of T. gondii in China may be highly clonal with atypical genotypes and higher virulence.