Objective To investigate the difference of the expression of HOXAIO gene in placental villi before and after the onset of labor. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the location of HOXAIO in placental villi. The expression of HOXAIO mRNA and protein were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Results lmmunohistochemistry showed that HOXAIO was only weakly expressed in placental villi of the natural labor group. However, it was strongly expressed in placental Villi of the surgical labor group. RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the expression of HOXAIO mRNA and protein were significantly lower in the natural labor group than in the surgical labor group （P〈0.05）. Conclusion The lower expression of HOXAIO during the onset of labor may be one of the major factors in initiating the normal labor. And to some extent, the lower expression of HOXAIO gene in the natural labor group may be related to ＂functional progesterone withdrawal＂.
Hong HEDe-min PURong LIUQiong-hua CHENDong-rui DENGTian LI
In this study, the current status for breast diseases in a region with high-incidence of cervical cancer were epidemiologically investigated. From March to August, 2009, 17618 women, from Wufeng area of Hubei province, China, were recruited to screen breast diseases by using breast infrared diagnostic apparatus. Other diagnostic methods, such as B-mode ultrasound, X-ray mammography, needle biopsy and pathological examination were, if necessary, used to further confirm the diagnosis. The screening showed that 5990 of 17618 cases (34.00%) had breast diseases, 5843 (33.16%) had mammary gland hyperplasia, 48 (0.27%) had breast fibroadenoma, 11 (0.06%) had breast carcinoma, and 88 (0.50%) had other breast diseases. The peak morbidity of breast cancer was found in the women aged 50–60 ages. The morbidity of breast cancer was significantly increased in women elder than or equal to 50 years old (n=8, 0.157%) in comparison with that in the subjects younger than 50 years old (n=3, 0.024%) (u=2.327, P<0.05). It was shown that the occurrence of breast diseases was concentrated in women aged 20–40 years, while the total morbidity reached its peak at the age of 30 years and then decreased sharply after age of 40. Compared with the patients elder than or equal to 40 years old (n=3289, 27.46%), the morbidity rate of breast diseases was significantly increased in women less than 40 years old (2648 cases, 47.18%; P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the morbidity of breast diseases between the age group of 20–29 years and that of 30–39 years (P=0.453), and both of them were high. There was no significant association between the morbidity of breast diseases and cervical cancer. Since the morbidity of breast diseases was higher among young women, more attention should be paid to the screening of breast diseases among young women for early diagnosis.
