The authors declare to have no competing interests. JSH conceived and designed the study, collected and analysed the data and drafted the manuscript. UCN, TA and HR contributed to the data collection and critically revised the manuscript. ML obtained funding for the study, discussed experiments and critically revised the manuscript. “
“Natural killer (NK) cells are affected by infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) manifested by increased expression of the HLA-E binding activating receptor NKG2C. We here show that HCMV seropositivity

was associated with a profound expansion of NKG2C+CD56dim NK cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. GSK126 purchase Multi-color flow cytometry revealed that the expanded NKG2C+CD56dim NK

cells displayed a highly differentiated phenotype, expressed high amounts of granzyme B and exhibited polyfunctional responses (CD107a, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) to stimulation with antibody-coated as well as HLA-E expressing target cells but not when stimulated with IL-12/IL-18. More importantly, NKG2C+CD56dim NK cells had a clonal expression pattern of inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) specific for self-HLA class I molecules, with predominant usage of KIR2DL2/3. KIR engagement dampened NKG2C-mediated activation suggesting that such biased expression of self-specific KIRs may preserve self-tolerance and limit immune-pathology Regorafenib cost during viral infection. Together, these findings shed new light on how the human NK-cell compartment adjusts to HCMV infection resulting in clonal expansion and differentiation of educated

and polyfunctional NK cells. Natural killer (NK) cells have the ability to kill targets without prior sensitization and their involvement in antiviral and antitumor immunity is well established 1, 2. Recent studies have demonstrated a high degree of functional heterogeneity in the NK-cell compartment attributable to a vast network of inhibitory or activating receptors that allow these cells to recognize target cells 3, 4. Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and CD94/NKG2 heterodimers are two major types of HLA class I binding Megestrol Acetate receptors that regulate NK cell function 5, 6. Both these receptor-families exist in activating and inhibitory forms and contribute to the functional education of human NK cells by interactions with their cognate ligands 7, whereas KIR are expressed in a stochastic manner with a variegated distribution in the NK cell population 8, 9, NKG2A is expressed on all CD56bright NK cells and disappears gradually during differentiation of CD56dim NK cells 10, 11. NKG2C and NKG2A are covalently associated with CD94 12.

Immunization with 25k-hagA-MBP induced high levels of antigen-specific serum IgG Sirolimus and IgA, as well as salivary IgA. High level titers of serum IgG and IgA were also induced for almost 1 year. In an IgG subclass analysis, sublingual immunization with 25k-hagA-MBP induced both IgG1 and IgG2b antibody responses. Additionally, numerous antigen-specific IgA antibody-forming cells were detected from the salivary gland

7 days after the final immunization. Mononuclear cells isolated from submandibular lymph nodes (SMLs) showed significant levels of proliferation upon restimulation with 25k-hagA-MBP. An analysis of cytokine responses showed that antigen-specific mononuclear cells isolated from SMLs produced significantly high levels of IL-4, IFN-γ, and TGF-β. These results indicate that sublingual immunization with 25k-hagA-MBP induces efficient protective immunity against P. gingivalis infection in the oral cavity via Th1-type and Th2-type cytokine production. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory malady that causes both alveolar bone absorption followed by tooth loss, as well as systemic

diseases such as cardiac disease (Destefano et al., 1993), diabetes mellitus (Roeder & Dennison, 1998), osteoporosis (Krejci, 1996; Reddy, 2002), and premature, low-birth-weight babies (Offenbacher et al., 1996). Therefore, selleck chemical prevention or treatment of periodontal disease is very important for maintaining

health. Porphyromonas gingivalis, which is a gram-negative and asaccharolytic anaerobic bacterium with high adherence activity to erythrocytes and epithelial Chlormezanone cells, is one of the major virulent bacteria causing periodontal disease. It exerts virulence through fimbriae, lipopolysaccharides, outer membrane proteins, and outer membrane vesicles (Holt et al., 1999). Hemagglutinin protein, which is expressed on the cell surface of P. gingivalis, regulates bacterial adhesion to the host cells, as well as agglutinates and hemolyzes erythrocytes. Multiple hemagglutinin genes have been cloned from P. gingivalis by functional screening (Lee et al., 1996; Lépine et al., 1996; Song et al., 2005). Among these, hemagglutinin A (hagA) is thought to possess a functional domain and thus to be a potential candidate for periodontal vaccination. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of mucosal immunization for delivering vaccines, which induces mucosal and systemic immune responses via oral (Yamamoto et al., 1997; Liu et al., 2010), nasal (Koizumi et al., 2008; Momoi et al., 2008), and sublingual routes (Cuburu et al., 2007; Song et al., 2008; Zhang et al., 2009). Of the vaccination methods available, sublingual vaccination has recently been reported to induce significant antibody (Ab) production in nasal, bronchial, and oral mucosa (Cuburu et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2009).

*P < 0·05; **P < 0·01; ***P < 0·001. Fig. S3. Thymocyte populations from non-obese diabetic (NOD)-scid IL2rγnull- bone marrow, liver, thymus (NSG–BLT) not irradiated and mice from each group were then implanted with 1 mm3 fragments of human fetal thymus

and liver in the renal subcapsular space. All mice were then injected intravenously with 1 × 105 to 5 × 105 CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells derived from the autologous human CD3-depleted fetal liver. At 12 weeks post-implant, thymic tissues were recovered and the total number of CD45+ cells (a) and the proportion of CD4 and CD8 single-positive and double-positive cells (b) were determined using flow cytometry. **P < 0·001. Fig. S4. Irradiation does not alter the activation status of human T cells in haematopoietic stem cells-engrafted non-obese Acalabrutinib in vitro diabetic (NOD)-scid IL2rγnull (NSG) mice implanted with human thymic tissues. NSG mice were irradiated RXDX-106 order with 200 cGy or not irradiated (0 cGy) and mice from each group were then implanted with 1 mm3 fragments of human fetal thymus and liver in the renal subcapsular space (thymic implant) or left unmanipulated (no thymic implant). All mice were then injected intravenously with 1 × 105 to 5 × 105 CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells derived from the autologous

human CD3-depleted fetal liver. Human CD4+ T cells (a,b,c) and CD8+ T cells (d,e,f) were examined for the expression of CD45RA in the peripheral blood at 12 (a,d) and 16 (b,e) weeks and in the spleen at 16 weeks (c,f). The values shown represent the percentages of human CD4+ or CD8+ T cells expressing CD45RA. Data from NSG mice injected with human HSC in the absence of irradiation is not shown due to the very low levels of T cell development.

Representative flow cytometry histograms for expression of CD45RA and CD62L on CD4+ (g,h) and CD8+ (i,j) T cells is shown for mice implanted with human fetal thymus and liver tissues. *P < 0·05; **P < 0·01; ***P < 0·001; ****P < 0·0001. Fig. S5. Human CD4 and CD8 T cells from non-obese diabetic (NOD)-scid IL2rγnull-bone marrow, Epothilone B (EPO906, Patupilone) liver, thymus (NSG–BLT) mice produce cytokines following in-vitro stimulation. NSG mice were either irradiated with 200 cGy or not irradiated and mice from each group were then implanted with 1 mm3 fragments of human fetal thymus and liver in the renal subcapsular space. All mice were then injected intravenously with 1 × 105 to 5 × 105 CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells derived from the autologous human CD3-depleted fetal liver. The ability of human CD4 T cells (a,c,e,g) and human CD8 T cells (b,d,f,h) from the spleens of mice from each group to produce interferon (IFN)-γ (a,b), interleukin (IL)-2 (c,d), IL-17A (e,f) and IL-22 (g,h) was determined at 12 weeks after tissue implant. Splenocytes were stimulated ex vivo with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ionomycin for 5 h in a standard intracellular cytokine assay, as described in Materials and methods. *P < 0·05; ***P < 0·001. Fig. S6.

WZW is the corresponding author. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. “
“Although periodontal tissue is continually challenged by microbial plaque, it is generally maintained in a healthy state. To understand the basis for this, we

investigated innate antiviral immunity in human periodontal tissue. The expression of mRNA encoding different antiviral proteins, myxovirus resistance A (MxA), protein kinase R (PKR), oligoadenylate synthetase Doxorubicin in vivo (OAS), and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) were detected in both healthy tissue and that with periodontitis. Immunostaining data consistently showed higher MxA protein expression in the epithelial layer of healthy gingiva as compared with tissue with periodontitis. Human MxA is thought to be induced by type I and III interferons (IFNs) but neither cytokine type was detected in healthy periodontal tissues. Treatment in vitro of primary human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) with α-defensins, but not with the antimicrobial peptides β-defensins or LL-37, led to MxA protein expression. α-defensin was also detected in healthy periodontal tissue. In addition, MxA in α-defensin-treated HGECs was associated with protection against avian influenza H5N1 infection and silencing of the MxA gene using MxA-targeted-siRNA abolished this antiviral activity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to uncover

a novel pathway of human MxA ever induction, which is initiated by an endogenous antimicrobial peptide, namely α-defensin. This pathway may play an important role in the first line of antiviral find more defense in periodontal tissue. Periodontal tissue is a tooth-supporting structure, which includes gingiva, periodontal ligaments, cementum, and alveolar bone. Chronic inflammation of the periodontal tissue, periodontal disease, is one of the most common inflammatory diseases in humans. The advanced form of the disease, periodontitis, with severe bone destruction may cause tooth loss. The etiologic importance

of bacteria in periodontal disease has been well recognized. Bacterial plaque biofilms continually form on the tooth surfaces adjacent to gingiva. Recent studies have proposed that viral co-infection could enhance the development and progression of periodontitis [[1, 2]]. Detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2, human cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), have been reported in dental plaque biofilm, gingival crevicular fluid, and periodontitis tissue specimens [[3]]. In healthy periodontal specimens, some viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can also be found, but generally at lower levels than in periodontitis [[4-6]]. Even so, the precise role of viruses in periodontal disease remains unclear. Periodontal tissue is continually exposed to bacterial plaque; therefore an effective innate immune response is critical to maintain homeostasis.

A χ2 test was used to compare the incidence of adverse effects of

the two groups. All statistical tests were two-sided, with P-value less than 0.05 considered significant. A total of 75 patients with IgA nephropathy were initially screened from five centres. After screening, 69 of these patients were deemed eligible and 68 patients ultimately completed the study. Among these 68 patients, 42 were from one centre and 26 were from the other four centres. The 68 patients (27 males, Compound Library 41 females) were randomly divided into two groups: the treatment group (probucol combined with valsartan, n = 33) and the control group (valsartan only, n = 35). Table 1 shows the baseline characteristics of the treatment and control groups. The median age was 34 (range 19–67) years in the treatment group and 34 (range 18–74) years in the control group. There were no significant differences between these two groups in blood pressure, Scr, 24-h urinary protein excretion, or any of the other parameters listed in Table 1. Table 2 shows the baseline Oxford classification scores of

IgA nephropathy (M/E/S/T) in the treatment and control groups. Again, there was no significant difference Roxadustat between the two groups (P > 0.05). All 68 patients were followed for 3 years and none developed ESRD. However, 43 patients (23 (69.7%) in the treatment group, 20 (57.1%) in the control Methisazone group) had reductions of 24-h urinary protein by 50% or more relative to baseline levels (secondary endpoint). Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that the time to 50% reduction in 24-h urinary protein was significantly shorter in the treatment group than in the control

group, the median of two groups was 8.13 months, 19.63 months, respectively (P = 0.019) (Fig. 2). At the 1-year follow-up, the level of 24-h urinary protein in the treatment group (995.49 ± 561.13 mg) and control group (1055.84 ± 761.09 mg) were reduced by 28.4% (P = 0.02) and 28.0% (P = 0.03) compared with baseline levels (Fig. 3). At the 2-year follow-up, the mean 24-h urinary protein in the treatment group (756.65 ± 475.21 mg) was markedly reduced compared with baseline (P < 0.01); but there was no significant difference compared to the control group (1432.33 ± 1135.33 mg, P = 0.056). The mean 24-h urinary protein in the control group (1432.33 ± 1135.33 mg) was higher than the level at the 1-year follow-up (1055.84 ± 761.09 mg), but not significantly different from the baseline level (P = 0.92) (Fig. 3). At the 3-year follow-up, the 24-h urinary protein in the treatment group (1385.32 ± 999.77 mg) and the control group (1343.31 ± 941.34 mg) were comparable to the baseline levels (P = 0.99 and P = 0.66, respectively) (Fig. 3). At the 1-year and 2-year follow-ups, the mean Scr in the treatment and control groups were comparable to the baseline levels (Table 3).

It is unlikely that any single treatment option will significantly alter patient outcomes, but rather incremental

gains will be achieved with an integrated, multidisciplinary approach. BVM devices have had a moderate effect on the reduction of the incidence of IDH; however, its effects are limited to an at-risk population. The expansion and integration of these technologies to create an individual patient dialysis profile may prove more successful. The role of cool temperature dialysis shows greater promise in reducing IDH; however, there is still uncertainty about the necessary reduction in temperature to achieve optimal results. With the technologies available today, BTM technology is more mature and offers a relatively simple and effective means of combating IDH in susceptible patients. The widespread use of BVM and BTM monitoring in the general HD population, not prone to IDH, cannot be supported with the evidence selleck chemicals currently available. Ultimately, these technologies will need to be trialled in combination, in a way that demonstrates a mortality and morbidity benefit, and to effectively allow the determination of an individualized HD profile that can account for the multitude of dialysis and patient factors that contribute to IDH. “
“The BLOCADE Feasibility Study aims to determine the feasibility of a large-scale randomised controlled trial with clinical endpoints comparing 5-Fluoracil ic50 the beta-blocking

agent carvedilol to placebo in patients receiving dialysis. The BLOCADE Feasibility Study is a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group feasibility study comparing the beta-blocking agent carvedilol to placebo. Patients receiving dialysis for ≥3 months and who are aged ≥50 years, or who are ≥18 years and have diabetes or cardiovascular disease, are eligible. The primary outcome is the proportion of participants who complete Thiamet G a 6-week Run-in phase in which all participants receive carvedilol titrated from 3.125mg twice daily to 6.25mg twice daily. Other measures include how many patients

are screened, the proportion recruited, the overall recruitment rate, the proportion of participants who remain on study drug for 12 months and the incidence of intra-dialytic hypotension while on randomised treatment. The BLOCADE Feasibility Study commenced recruiting in May 2011 and involves 11 sites in Australia and New Zealand. The BLOCADE Feasibility Study will inform the design of a larger clinical endpoint study to determine whether beta-blocking agents provide benefit to patients receiving dialysis, and define whether such a study is feasible. “
“1. Targets Patients with diabetes, hypertension Those with family history of chronic kidney disease (CKD) Individuals receiving potentially nephrotoxic drugs, herbs or substances or taking indigenous medicine Patients with past history of acute kidney injury Individuals older than 65 years 2.

Elite non-progressors. Affected mothers (to study both mother and infants). Patients with T1D. Healthy control children (to properly age-match). This is a critical resource and knowledge gap and has been traditionally difficult to achieve. There was consensus on a need to begin building a ‘Gold Standard’ Sample Repository immediately, where samples would be collected prospectively through the living biobank effort. This would

allow for later click here validation of an integrated pipeline of biomarker assays and allow sharing of samples for parallel analysis with multiple approaches. The cohort linked with this effort would thus be a ‘validation’ cohort. It was noted that the design of this resource should be protocol-driven, with appropriate equipment and procedures to collect the samples. Participants with background in industry settings suggested that the development of less complex assays and protocols to stabilize samples soon after collection should be paramount here. The repository would not need to be in a single physical location, and some assays could be performed by centralized laboratories to reduce variability; however, it would be helpful to export these assays to other laboratories for a comprehensive analysis. Target Selective Inhibitor Library chemical structure An effective strategy would be to create a collection of serum/plasma

samples for non-cell-based assays, and a collection of frozen peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) for non-live-cell-based assays from the same samples following rigorous standardized protocols [39]. Finally, all data generated could link to a centralized database (see next section) to allow for merging of data from different groups. Highly relevant to the Gold Standard Repository discussion

are efforts in place with the n-POD. There is already a system in place in this network for tissue/sample processing, archiving and efficient distribution to investigators. It was noted that n-POD has begun instituting working groups that study, collaboratively, samples from the same patients these with a multitude of approaches. Importantly, the design of the approach is discussed collectively, whereby critical details are worked out that allow for maximizing co-ordination and the potential for discovery; for example, co-ordinating tissue sections allows for examinations of multiple parameters by different investigators on the same islets (using serial sections). Results are shared within the groups in real time to guide study progression further and incorporate changes or developments. Finally, n-POD offers the opportunity to correlate emerging biomarkers with pathology in the pancreas (for example, markers of β cell stress, mass, etc.) and a number of ongoing n-POD projects are generating data on these aspects at this time [40]. A central, shared database for the Gold Standard-type biomarker samples was deemed critical to make real progress in the field of T1D.

These developments in

vaccinations mirror the tumour immunoprotective challenges and opportunities that the mucin-expressing cancers provide. Further, induction of MUC-1 and MUC-1-dependent oscillations of calcium signalling in immune cells and its association with phenotypic alterations of T cells, especially to a T-reg type, requires a complete investigation. Besides the interface between mucin and immune cells goes BGB324 molecular weight well beyond the immediate cellular milieu of the cancer and the net of interactions both within and away from the cancer decides the outcome of the immune response. One of the authors (AAK) is grateful to CSIR for NET-JRF/SRF Fellowship. “
“OTHER THEMES PUBLISHED IN THIS IMMUNOLOGY IN THE CLINIC REVIEW SERIES Metabolic diseases, host responses, cancer, autoinflammatory diseases, allergy. Thymus dysfunction, this website especially immune suppression,

is frequently associated with various virus infections. Whether viruses may disturb the thymus function and play a role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is an open issue. Enteroviruses, especially Coxsackievirus B4 (CV-B4), have been largely suggested as potential inducers or aggravating factors of type 1 diabetes (T1D) pathogenesis in genetically predisposed individuals. Several pathogenic mechanisms of enterovirus-induced T1D have been suggested. One of these mechanisms is the impairment of central self-tolerance due to viral infections. Coxsackievirus-B4 is able to infect

murine thymus in vitro and in vivo and to infect human thymus in vitro. Thymic epithelial cells and thymocytes are targets of infection with this virus, and several abnormalities, especially disturbance of maturation/differentiation processes, were observed. Altogether, these data suggest that CV-B infection of thymus may be involved in the pathogenesis of T1D. Further investigations DOCK10 are needed to explore this hypothesis. Infection of the thymus with viruses is an issue that has been addressed but has been poorly investigated, except in the case of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection [1]. As well as HIV, other viruses can infect the thymus which may have consequences on the architecture and functions of that organ. Marked abnormalities of the thymus and its functions have been reported in the course of viral infections, although the presence of viruses in the thymus has not been evidenced [2]. The thymus is a major part of the immune system, therefore infection of that organ with a virus can facilitate immune tolerance towards viral antigens, and thus may greatly influence the outcome of the infection, with persistence of the virus in the host [3,4]. Thymus being the central site for self-tolerance establishment, it cannot be discounted that a viral infection may lead to thymus dysfunction resulting in disturbed self-tolerance, possibly involved in autoimmune pathogenic processes.

By immunohistochemical staining, we confirmed Thy-1 expression on ECs derived from OVA-immunized WT mice (Fig. 4B) and a lack of Thy-1 expression on ECs in Thy-1−/− mice (Fig. 4D). Most importantly, Thy-1 was also not detectable on ECs in the lungs of chimeric mice, but several cells in the inflammatory infiltrate (most likely TCs) were Thy-1 positive PF-562271 solubility dmso (Fig. 4F). To exclude any effects of the lack of Thy-1 on TCs on the control of the extravasation of eosinophils during acute inflammation, chimeric mice were immunized with OVA, according to the standard protocol. Thy-1−/− mice and WT mice were immunized as controls. As shown in Fig. 5A, the total number of inflammatory cells in the BAL

was significantly diminished in Thy-1−/− mice as well as in chimera, https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Adrucil(Fluorouracil).html compared to WT mice. Differential staining showed that the number of both eosinophils and macrophages in the BAL fluid was diminished

in Thy-1−/− mice as well as in chimera, compared to WT mice (Fig. 5B). Thus, although Thy-1−/− BM chimera expressed Thy-1 on 70% of TCs and Thy-1−/− mice did not express Thy-1 on TCs, in both mice the extravasation of leukocytes, especially eosinophils, was significantly reduced, compared to the WT mice. These results confirm that the decreased infiltration of the lung in Thy-1−/− mice was not merely a consequence of the lack of Thy-1 expression on TCs. We have shown that Thy-1 is involved in the control Acesulfame Potassium of leukocyte recruitment during inflammation. Next, we ask whether Thy-1-dependent leukocyte extravasation during inflammation has further functional

consequences, such as the release of chemokines, cytokines, and proteases by the leukocytes. To address this issue, BAL and peritoneal fluid of WT and Thy-1−/− mice were compared. Cytokine and chemokine expression in the BAL was analysed by a membrane-based cytokine/chemokine array. The array results represent the chemokine/cytokine profile of three different WT and Thy-1−/− mice, respectively (Fig. 6). In the BAL of WT mice IL-4, IL-5, eotaxin-2 (CCL24), TARC (CCL17), and MIP-1α (CCL3) were augmented (quotient >1.25), compared to Thy-1−/− mice (Fig. 6A). Analysis of mRNA expression of CCL3, CCL17, CCL24, IL-4, and IL-5 by semi-quantitative PCR revealed that these mediators were expressed by eosinophils and monocytes (Fig. 6B). In peritoneal fluid of WT mice, eotaxin-2 was also enhanced twofold, compared to Thy-1−/− mice (data not shown). In addition, we quantified the amount of MMP-9 since it is an important protease for the degradation of basement membrane components and, thus, plays a critical role during the transmigration of cells through basement membranes. MMP-9 was analysed by ELISA in the BAL and peritoneal fluid of WT mice and Thy-1−/−mice. Induction of lung inflammation by OVA challenges upregulated MMP-9 in BAL (Fig. 6C). Indeed, a significant decrease of MMP-9 levels was seen in the BAL of Thy-1−/− mice, compared to WT mice (Fig. 6C).

According to the developers’ instructions, the possible scores for each domain ranged from 0 (best health) to 100 (worst health).8 All data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD) or frequency and percentage. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) of the IPSS and KHQ was calculated for all domains except the single-item domains. A Cronbach’s alpha coefficient greater than 0.80 is considered excellent, while a value greater than 0.70 is acceptable.16 Exploratory factor analysis (principal component analysis) with

varimax rotation, which means the construct validity, was used to explore the underlying factor structure of the KHQ. The criteria used to indicate the appropriateness of factor analysis were a significant Bartlett’s test of sphericity and a approved range of values of Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin AUY-922 supplier (KMO, 0.7 to 1.0). Factors were extracted based on the Kaiser’s criterion of eigenvalues greater than 1. Furthermore, the discriminant validity of the KHQ was assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests with post hoc tests (Games-Howell

method) by comparing the subscales in the KHQ domains between mild, moderate, and severe LUTS group. The total, filling, and voiding IPSS between the three LUTS groups were also compared. All data were analyzed using SPSS version Midostaurin 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). A P-value many of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Among 393 men with at least one point in the IPSS, about 7.9% (n = 31) of participants had severe LUTS, while 25.4% (n = 100) had moderate LUTS, and 66.7% (n = 262) had mild LUTS. The mean ages for severe, moderate, and mild LUTS groups were 65.4 ± 11.1, 66.1 ± 11.5, and 60.9 ± 11.6 years, respectively. Table 1 shows the descriptive statistics and internal consistency reliability of the IPSS and the KHQ. The Cronbach’s α coefficients for eight KHQ subscales ranged from 0.750 to 0.943, while the Cronbach’s

α coefficient was 0.889, 0.714, and 0.889 for total, filling, and voiding IPSS, respectively. The appropriateness of factor analysis is supported by Bartlett’s test (χ2 = 5167.6, P < 0.001) and the KMO measure of sampling adequacy (KMO = 0.858). Table 2 shows that three factors were identified, and totally explained about 70.0% of the variance, while the explained variance for factors 1, 2, and 3 were 30.9, 23.4, and 15.3%, respectively. Table 3 shows the mean scores in the IPSS and the KHQ subscales by three LUTS groups. The results indicated that there were significant differences in mean scores for the total, filling, and voiding IPSS between severe, moderate, and mild groups (all P < 0.001).