TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you are given a passage which has a question and the context. You have to generate an answer to the question based on the information present in the context.
PROBLEM: Context: Radiation induces an important apoptosis response in irradiated organs. The objective of this study was to investigate the radioprotective effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) on irradiated lymphocytes and discover the possible mechanism of protection.', 'Lymphocytes were pretreated for 12 h with TMP (25-200 μmol·L(-1)) and then exposed to 4 Gy radiation. Cell apoptosis and the signaling pathway were analyzed.', 'Irradiation increased cell death, DNA fragmentation, activated caspase activation and cytochrome c translocation, downregulated B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and up-regulated Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax). Pretreated with TMP significantly reversed this tendency. Several anti-apoptotic characteristics of TMP, including the ability to increase cell viability, inhibit caspase-9 activation, and upregulate Bcl-2 and down-regulate Bax in 4Gy-irradiated lymphocytes were determined. Signal pathway analysis showed TMP could translate nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) from cytosol into the nucleus.\Question: Does tetramethylpyrazine protect lymphocytes from radiation-induced apoptosis through nuclear factor-κB?

SOLUTION: The results suggest that TMP had a radioprotective effect through the NF-κB pathway to inhibit apoptosis, and it may be an effective candidate for treating radiation diseases associated with cell apoptosis.

PROBLEM: Context: Crohn's disease is a heterogeneous inflammatory bowel disease. The impact of age at diagnosis on the clinical course of patients varies widely as reported in the Western literature. Using the Vienna Classification, we seek to determine whether young Crohn's disease patients in an Asian population followed a different clinical course than old patients.", "The case records of 100 Crohn's disease patients who were treated at the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, Singapore General Hospital, were studied retrospectively. The age group and location of disease and behavior according to the Vienna classification were determined at diagnosis.", 'A1 group (age <40 years) defined as "young" and A2 group (age > or =40) defined as "old" contained 65 and 35 patients, respectively. Median age for the young group was 27.4 years and that for the old group was 52.6 years. Of the young patients, 66.7% flared at least once compared with 28.6% of the old patients, odds ratio of 5.0 (P < 0.001). Young patients were more likely to be steroid dependent (20.0% of A1 versus 8.6% of A2, P = 0.14), received azathioprine (38.5% of A1 versus 5.7% of A2, P < 0.001) and experienced complications (31% of A1 versus 20% of A2, P = 0.25)-numerically higher rates that did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference between the age groups for the location and behavior of disease as well as requirement for surgery.\Question: Does crohn 's disease run a more aggressive course in young Asian patients?

SOLUTION: In this first Asian study looking specifically at the impact of age at diagnosis of Crohn's disease, we found that young patients underwent a more aggressive clinical course.

PROBLEM: Context: Hepatitis B s antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance is regarded as the optimal virological end-point.', 'To investigate the dynamic changes in serum cytokine levels around the time of HBsAg seroclearance.', 'This was a case-control study. Consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who lost HBsAg were matched with those remained positive for HBsAg with same age, gender, HBeAg status and presence of cirrhosis in 1:2 ratio. Relevant serum cytokines [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12, IL-15, IL-21 interferon-γ, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10)] were assayed at the time (Year 0) and 3 years before (Year -3) HBsAg seroclearance.', 'Seventy-one and 142 CHB patients who did and did not achieve HBsAg seroclearance were included. Mean age was 48 ± 11 years; 76% were male, 20% had positive HBeAg, 99 (46%) patients received anti-viral therapy, and mean baseline HBV DNA was 3.78 ± 2.28 log IU/mL vs. 4.36 ± 2.13 log IU/mL respectively (P = 0.05). In those who achieved HBsAg seroclearance, serum IL-15 and GM-CSF levels decreased significantly from Year -3 to Year 0 (P = 0.017 and 0.05 respectively). When compared to controls, only serum IP-10 level was significantly lower at Year 0 than at Year -3 in patients with HBsAg seroclearance. Lower serum IP-10 level at Year 0 was the only factor associated with HBsAg seroclearance. There was no correlation between serum IP-10 and HBsAg levels around the time of HBsAg seroclearance.\Question: Do serum interferon-inducible protein 10 levels predict hepatitis B s antigen seroclearance in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

SOLUTION:
Lower serum IP-10 level at Year 0 was the only factor associated with HBsAg seroclearance.