The relationship between plasma homocysteine levels and MTHFR gene variation, age, and sex in Northeast China

Background

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is the risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. However, the impacts on the genetic variation of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) on plasma homocysteine levels in the Northeast Chinese population have not been studied. Therefore, this study was carried out to determine the relationship between HHcy and MTHFR gene variation, and whether it was influenced by age and sex of the population in Northeast China.

Materials and Methods

A total of 466 subjects were randomly enrolled in this study. According to the homocysteine levels (Hcy ≥ 15 μmol/L) of the subjects, they were divided into hyperhomocysteine (HHcy = 206) and normal homocysteine (Hcy = 260). Polymerase chain reaction/high-resolution dissolution curve and homocysteine determination kit methods were used for genotype testing and homocysteine detection, respectively.

Results

High plasma homocysteine levels are associated with MTHFR 677T and 1298A [P < 0.00, odds ratio (confidence interval) = 1.842 (1.418-2.394) >1], which is related to increasing age (P_range = 0.0005-0.0161), with the homocysteine levels of males higher than females (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

High plasma homocysteine levels were linked to the MTHFR gene mutation. In addition, plasma homocysteine levels increased significantly with age with male's homocysteine levels higher than that of females.

Cellular immunological changes in patients with LADA are a mixture of those seen in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes

There is currently scarce knowledge of the immunological profile of patients with latent autoimmune diabetes mellitus in the adult (LADA) when compared with healthy controls (HC) and patients with classical type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The objective of this study was to investigate the cellular immunological profile of LADA patients and compare to HC and patients with T1D and T2D. All patients and age‐matched HC were recruited from Uppsala County. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from freshly collected blood to determine the proportions of immune cells by flow cytometry. Plasma concentrations of the cytokine interleukin (IL)‐35 were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The proportion of CD11c⁺CD123^– antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) was lower, while the proportions of CD11c⁺CD123⁺ APCs and IL‐35⁺ tolerogenic APCs were higher in LADA patients than in T1D patients. The proportion of CD3^–CD56^highCD16⁺ natural killer (NK) cells was higher in LADA patients than in both HC and T2D patients. The frequency of IL‐35⁺ regulatory T cells and plasma IL‐35 concentrations in LADA patients were similar to those in T1D and T2D patients, but lower than in HC. The proportion of regulatory B cells in LADA patients was higher than in healthy controls, T1D and T2D patients, and the frequency of IL‐35⁺ regulatory B cells was higher than in T1D patients. LADA presents a mixed cellular immunological pattern with features overlapping with both T1D and T2D.

Abstract P2-06-14: The role of SLC7A5 (LAT1) in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer

Endocrine therapies are commonly used to treat estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers, which comprise 70% of all new breast cancer cases. Unfortunately, emergence of resistance to these therapies presents a major clinical challenge. Cancer cells can adapt to the dysregulation of cellular metabolism induced by endocrine therapy in order to evade cell death.Central to this adaptation is the scavenging of free-formed amino acids from the tumor microenvironment. For example, we found 109 solute carrier (SLC) mRNAs to be differentially expressed between endocrine-sensitive and resistant cells. We began our mechanistic studies of these genes with SLC family 7 member 5 (SLC7A5 or LAT1). SLC7A5 is a key component of a transmembrane transporter, which can complex with CD98 and increase the uptake of large, neutral amino acids (such as leucine or tyrosine).

We used a panel of endocrine therapy-resistant (LCC9) and sensitive (MCF7; LCC1) breast cancer cells. SLC7A5 expression was upregulated by estrogen in MCF7 and LCC1 cells; this induction was blocked by fulvestrant treatment. Basal expression of the SLC7A5 protein in the absence of estrogen was 2.75-fold higher in LCC9 cells compared with MCF7 cells; SLC7A5 mRNA expression was 71-fold higher. Fulvestrant treatment did not significantly alter SLC7A5 mRNA or protein expression in LCC9 cells. Inhibiting SLC7A5 function using either a pharmacological inhibitor (JPH203), or depleting expression using siRNA, led to significant suppression of LCC9 cell growth. Cell cycle analysis revealed that SLC7A5 depletion caused cells to accumulate in the G1-phase, with a concurrent reduction of cells in S-phase. In four publicly available datasets of ER+, tamoxifen treated breast cancer patients, high expression of SLC7A5 was significantly associated with poor relapse-free survival.

This study uncovers a novel adaptive mechanism in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer cells that is facilitated by increased expression of SLC7A5, which enables them to supplement their increased metabolic needs and promoting cell growth. Blocking the functions of SLC7A5, perhaps in conjunction with inhibition of autophagy, may therefore offer a new avenue of potential therapeutic intervention against endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancers.

Citation Format: Sevigny CM, Sengupta S, Luo Z, Jin L, Pearce D, Clarke R. The role of SLC7A5 (LAT1) in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-06-14.

[Research progress on non-coding RNAs in the molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Primary liver cancer arises from chronic liver disease, and cirrhotic liver gradually develops into dysplastic nodules that eventually form malignant tumors. In recent years, molecular biotechnology development has deepened people's understanding on the pathogenesis of liver cancer. Epigenetic modifications play a significant role in DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, chromatin remodeling, and histone modification. This review focuses on the progress of currently implicated non-coding RNAs in the molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma, and its potential application in improving the diagnosis and treatment.

[Clinical and immunological characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Tibet plateau, China]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical, immunological characteristics and organ involvement of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in Tibet plateau, China.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated 70 patients admitted in the Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital between May 2014 and April 2016. In the study, 120 hospitalized patients with SLE from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology of the Peking University People's Hospital were randomly selected as the control (plain) group. The major organ involvement, clinical and immunological characteristics were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

The female to male ratio of Tibet plateau group was 10.7, while the corresponding ratio of plain group was 11.0. The mean age at disease diagnosis was (32.21±11.40) and (35.38±13.25) years, respectively. the most common initial manifestations of SLE were arthritis (78.6%), alopecia (55.7%) and malar rash (48.6%) in Tibet plateau group, the prevalence of arthritis and alopecia was significantly higher than in plain group (P<0.05). The incidence of neuropsychiatric and kidney involvement was significantly lower in Tibet plateau group compared with plain group (P<0.05). As for the serological manifestations, the positivity of anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) (57.1%), anti-Smith (Sm) antibody (55.7%), anti-Sjögren syndrome A (SSA) antibody (72.3%), anti-Sjögren syndrome B (SSB) antibody (41.4%) and anti-u1-ribosenuclear protein (u1RNP) antibody (45.7%) was significantly higher in Tibet plateau group (P<0.05). While the incidence of low serum complement C3 (61.4%), C4 (38.6%) less frequent in Tibet plateau group. Mean SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) score was similar in the Tibet plateau group (12.18±5.58) and plain group (12.69±7.28). Moreover, there were 13 (18.6%) SLE patients suffering from tuberculosis and 7 (10%) SLE patients infected with hepatitis B virus in Tibet plateau group. The number of recent-onset SLE patients with lower 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (25-OH-VD3) in Tibet plateau group was fewer than that in the plain group (76.7% vs. 90.0%, P=0.046). Serum 25-OH-VD3 levels in Tibet plateau plateau group were (31.14±18.74) nmol/L, those in plain group were (26.91±14.27) nmol/L, and the difference was not significant.

CONCLUSION

The age, gender and SLEDAI scores in Tibet plateau group was similar to those in plain group. But there are significant differences in clinical manifestations, distributions of antibodies and immunological changes between Tibet plateau group and plain group. The patients with lower serum 25-OH-VD3 levels were more in plain group than in Tibet plateau group, while there was no significant difference in the 25-OH-VD3 level between the two groups.

Structure and formation of highly luminescent protein-stabilized gold clusters

Highly luminescent gold clusters simultaneously synthesized and stabilized by protein molecules represent a remarkable category of nanoscale materials with promising applications in bionanotechnology as sensors. Nevertheless, the atomic structure and luminescence mechanism of these gold clusters are still unknown after several years of developments. Herein, we report findings on the structure, luminescence and biomolecular self-assembly of gold clusters stabilized by the large globular protein, bovine serum albumin. We highlight the surprising identification of interlocked gold-thiolate rings as the main gold structural unit. Importantly, such gold clusters are in a rigidified state within the protein scaffold, offering an explanation for their highly luminescent character. Combined free-standing cluster synthesis (without protecting protein scaffold) with rigidifying and un-rigidifying experiments, were designed to further verify the luminescence mechanism and gold atomic structure within the protein. Finally, the biomolecular self-assembly process of the protein-stabilized gold clusters was elucidated by time-dependent X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements and density functional theory calculations.

IL6 derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts promotes chemoresistance via CXCR7 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Various factors and cellular components in the tumor microenvironment are key drivers associated with drug resistance in many cancers. Here, we analyzed the factors and molecular mechanisms involved in chemoresistance in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We found that interleukin 6 (IL6) derived mainly from cancer-associated fibroblasts played the most important role in chemoresistance by upregulating C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 7 (CXCR7) expression through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/nuclear factor-κB pathway. CXCR7 knockdown resulted in the inhibition of IL6-induced proliferation and chemoresistance. In addition, CXCR7 silencing significantly decreased gene expression associated with stemness, chemoresistance and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and suppressed the proliferation ability of ESCC cells in three-dimensional culture systems and angiogenesis assay. In clinical samples, ESCC patients with high expression of CXCR7 and IL6 presented a significantly worse overall survival and progression-free survival upon receiving cisplatin after operation. These results suggest that the IL6-CXCR7 axis may provide a promising target for the treatment of ESCC.

[Experts consensus on the management of the right heart function in critically ill patients]

To establish the experts consensus on the right heart function management in critically ill patients. The panel of consensus was composed of 30 experts in critical care medicine who are all members of Critical Hemodynamic Therapy Collaboration Group (CHTC Group). Each statement was assessed based on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) principle. Then the Delphi method was adopted by 52 experts to reassess all the statements. (1) Right heart function is prone to be affected in critically illness, which will result in a auto-exaggerated vicious cycle. (2) Right heart function management is a key step of the hemodynamic therapy in critically ill patients. (3) Fluid resuscitation means the process of fluid therapy through rapid adjustment of intravascular volume aiming to improve tissue perfusion. Reversed fluid resuscitation means reducing volume. (4) The right ventricle afterload should be taken into consideration when using stroke volume variation (SVV) or pulse pressure variation (PPV) to assess fluid responsiveness.(5)Volume overload alone could lead to septal displacement and damage the diastolic function of the left ventricle. (6) The Starling curve of the right ventricle is not the same as the one applied to the left ventricle,the judgement of the different states for the right ventricle is the key of volume management. (7) The alteration of right heart function has its own characteristics, volume assessment and adjustment is an important part of the treatment of right ventricular dysfunction (8) Right ventricular enlargement is the prerequisite for increased cardiac output during reversed fluid resuscitation; Nonetheless, right heart enlargement does not mandate reversed fluid resuscitation.(9)Increased pulmonary vascular resistance induced by a variety of factors could affect right heart function by obstructing the blood flow. (10) When pulmonary hypertension was detected in clinical scenario, the differentiation of critical care-related pulmonary hypertension should be a priority. (11) Attention should be paid to the change of right heart function before and after implementation of mechanical ventilation and adjustment of ventilator parameter. (12) The pulmonary arterial pressure should be monitored timingly when dealing with critical care-related pulmonary hypertension accompanied with circulatory failure.(13) The elevation of pulmonary aterial pressure should be taken into account in critical patients with acute right heart dysfunction. (14) Prone position ventilation is an important measure to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance when treating acute respiratory distress syndrome patients accompanied with acute cor pulmonale. (15) Attention should be paid to right ventricle-pulmonary artery coupling during the management of right heart function. (16) Right ventricular diastolic function is more prone to be affected in critically ill patients, the application of critical ultrasound is more conducive to quantitative assessment of right ventricular diastolic function. (17) As one of the parameters to assess the filling pressure of right heart, central venous pressure can be used to assess right heart diastolic function. (18). The early and prominent manifestation of non-focal cardiac tamponade is right ventricular diastolic involvement, the elevated right atrial pressure should be noticed. (19) The effect of increased intrathoracic pressure on right heart diastolic function should be valued. (20) Ttricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) is an important parameter that reflects right ventricular systolic function, and it is recommended as a general indicator of critically ill patient. (21) Circulation management with right heart protection as the core strategy is the key point of the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome. (22) Right heart function involvement after cardiac surgery is very common and should be highly valued. (23) Right ventricular dysfunction should not be considered as a routine excuse for maintaining higher central venous pressure. (24) When left ventricular dilation, attention should be paid to the effect of left ventricle on right ventricular diastolic function. (25) The impact of left ventricular function should be excluded when the contractility of the right ventricle is decreased. (26) When the right heart load increases acutely, the shunt between the left and right heart should be monitored. (27) Attention should be paid to the increase of central venous pressure caused by right ventricular dysfunction and its influence on microcirculation blood flow. (28) When the vasoactive drugs was used to reduce the pressure of pulmonary circulation, different effects on pulmonary and systemic circulation should be evaluated. (29) Right atrial pressure is an important factor affecting venous return. Attention should be paid to the influence of the pressure composition of the right atrium on the venous return. (30) Attention should be paid to the role of the right ventricle in the acute pulmonary edema. (31) Monitoring the difference between the mean systemic filling pressure and the right atrial pressure is helpful to determine whether the infusion increases the venous return. (32) Venous return resistance is often considered to be a insignificant factor that affects venous return, but attention should be paid to the effect of the specific pathophysiological status, such as intrathoracic hypertension, intra-abdominal hypertension and so on. Consensus can promote right heart function management in critically ill patients, optimize hemodynamic therapy, and even affect prognosis.

Vitamin A maintains the airway epithelium in a murine model of asthma by suppressing glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper

BACKGROUND

The effects of glucocorticoids (GCs) on the repair of the airway epithelium in asthma are controversial, and we previously reported that the GC dexamethasone (Dex) inhibits the repair of human airway epithelial cells and that this process is mediated by glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) through MAPK-ERK signaling in vitro. Vitamin A (VA) is involved in the regulation of the MAPK-ERK pathway but has not been widely supplied during asthma treatment. It is unclear whether VA attenuates the negative regulation of GILZ on the MAPK-ERK pathway and maintains airway epithelium integrity during asthma treatment.

METHODS

Female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and subsequently treated with Dex, VA or intranasal inhalation of adenovirus sh-GILZ vectors. Indexes of airway epithelium integrity, including pathological alterations, pulmonary EGFR expression and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), were then measured. The expression of GILZ and key components of activated MAPK-ERK signals (p-Raf-1, p-MEK, and p-Erk1/2) were also detected.

RESULTS

Dex failed to relieve OVA-induced asthma airway epithelium injury, as assessed through H&E staining, EGFR expression and AHR. Moreover, in the OVA-challenged mice treated with Dex, GLIZ expression was increased, whereas the ratios of p-Raf-1/Raf-1, p-MEK/MEK and p-Erk1/2/Erk1/2 were significantly decreased. Further study indicated that GILZ expression was decreased and that the ratios of p-Raf-1/Raf-1, p-MEK/MEK and p-Erk1/2/Erk1/2 were up-regulated in the GILZ-silenced OVA-challenged mice and VA-fed OVA-challenged mice, independent of Dex treatment. The airway epithelium integrity of the OVA-challenged mice was maintained by treatment with both VA and Dex.

CONCLUSIONS

Vitamin A maintained the Dex-treated asthma airway epithelium via the down-regulation of GILZ expression and the activation MAPK-ERK signaling, and these effects might contribute to improving the effects of GC therapeutics on asthma.

Effect of dietary fiber and diet particle size on nutrient digestibility and gastrointestinal secretory function in growing pigs

Reduction of diet particle size (PS) increases feed efficiency due to an increase in the apparent total tract (ATTD) of GE. However, other effects of PS on the gut secretory function are not known. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to measure the effect of diet composition (DC) and PS on nutrient digestibility, gastrointestinal hormones, total bile acids (TBA), total cholesterol and glucose concentrations in plasma of finishing pigs ( = 8/diet). Pigs were fed finely (374 ± 29 µm) or coarsely (631 ± 35 µm) ground corn-soybean meal (CSB), CSB + 35% corn dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS), and CSB with 21% soybean hulls (SBH) diets for 49 d. Diet composition, nutrient digestibility, along with fasting plasma concentrations of gastrin, insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP), TBA, cholesterol, and glucose were measured. Fine ground diets had greater ( < 0.05) ATTD of GE as well as greater ( < 0.05) ME than coarse ground diets independent on the DC. Fine ground diets also had greater ( < 0.05) ATTD of DM, N, ether extract, and NDF, independent of DC. A decrease in PS also caused an increase ( < 0.05) in ATTD of N, K, and S, but it did not affect ATTD of Ca, P, or Na. The DC and PS affected plasma gastrin, insulin and TBA but not GIP, GLP-1, glucose, and cholesterol. Gastrin concentration was greater ( < 0.05) in pigs fed coarse DDGS compared with feeding coarse CSB and SBH diets. Insulin concentration of pigs fed CSB was greater ( < 0.01) in pigs fed fine compared with coarse DDGS, and was greater ( < 0.05) in coarse compared with fine SBH diets. Pigs fed DDGS had greater ( < 0.05) TBA than those fed SBH and fine CSB diets. Gastrin, insulin, TBA and cholesterol tended ( < 0.10), or correlated ( < 0.05) with P, K and Fe intake. Insulin, TBA, and cholesterol were correlated ( < 0.05) with Na and S intake. In conclusion, a decrease in diet PS increases the ATTD of nutrients independently of DC, while mineral intake affects gastrointestinal secretion of hormones with potential metabolic impacts. Plasma insulin and glucose concentrations were correlated with DM intake, and glucose was associated with lipid and protein intake. Diet energy, nutrient digestibility, and plasma gastrin, insulin and TBA concentrations were affected by DC and PS.

High-flow Nasal Cannula Versus Noninvasive Ventilation for Treatment of Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure in Renal Transplant Recipients

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy compared with noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for the treatment of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure in renal transplant recipients.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively collected from a tertiary intensive care unit (ICU) from July 1, 2011, to September 31, 2015. All renal recipients who had acute respiratory failure at that period of time were classified into the HFNC or NIV group depending on the initial form of respiratory support.

RESULTS

A total of 38 patients were enrolled in this study. Twenty patients received HFNC and the other 18 received NIV as the initial respiratory support. The ICU mortality in the HFNC group was 5% (1 patient), compared with 22.2% (4 patients) in the NIV group (P = .083). The median length of the ICU stay was 12 days in the HFNC group, compared with 14 days in the NIV group (P = .297). The number of ventilator-free days at day 28 was significantly higher in the HFNC group than in the NIV group (26 ± 3 vs 21 ± 3; P < .001). The incidences of both pneumothorax (0% vs 22.2%; P = .042) and skin breakdown (0% vs 22.2%; P = .042) were significantly lower in the HFNC group.

CONCLUSIONS

In renal transplant recipients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure secondary to severe pneumonia, HFNC achieved outcomes similar to NIV. In addition, HFNC was associated with an increased number of ventilator-free days at day 28 and fewer complications.

An integrated analysis identifies STAT4 as a key regulator of ovarian cancer metastasis

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the most common gynecological cancers, with diagnosis often at a late stage. Metastasis is a major cause of death in patients with EOC, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Here, we utilized an integrated approach to find potential key transcription factors involved in ovarian cancer metastasis and identified STAT4 as a critical player in ovarian cancer metastasis. We found that activated STAT4 was overexpressed in epithelial cells of ovarian cancer and STAT4 overexpression was associated with poor outcome of ovarian cancer patients, which promoted metastasis of ovarian cancer in both in vivo and in vitro. Although STAT4 mediated EOC metastasis via inducing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ovarian cancer cells in vivo, STAT4 failed to induce EMT directly in vitro, suggesting that STAT4 might mediate EMT process via cancer-stroma interactions. Further functional analysis revealed that STAT4 overexpression induced normal omental fibroblasts and adipose- and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells to obtain cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)-like features via induction of tumor-derived Wnt7a. Reciprocally, increased production of CAF-induced CXCL12, IL6 and VEGFA within tumor microenvironment could enable peritoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer via induction of EMT program. In summary, our study established a model that STAT4 promotes ovarian cancer metastasis via tumor-derived Wnt7a-induced activation of CAFs.

Discordance between patient and clinician reports of adverse reactions to MDR-TB treatment

SETTING

An urban out-patient clinic in Durban, South Africa, providing community-based treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB).

OBJECTIVE

To describe concordance between patient report and clinician documentation of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to treatment for multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB).

DESIGN

ADRs were documented by interview using an 18-item symptom checklist and medical record data abstraction during a cross-sectional parent study with 121 MDR-TB patients, 75% of whom were co-infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Concordance was analyzed using Cohen's κ statistic, Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC) 1, and McNemar's test.

RESULTS

ADRs were reported much more frequently in patient interviews (μ = 8.6) than in medical records (μ = 1.4). Insomnia was most common (67% vs. 2%), followed by peripheral neuropathy (65% vs. 18%), and confusion (61 vs. 4%). κ scores were very low, with the highest degree of concordance found in hearing loss (κ = 0.23), which was the only ADR not found to be significantly different between the two data sources (P = 0.34).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed a lack of concordance between patient report and clinician documentation of ADRs. These findings indicate the need for improved documentation of ADRs to better reflect patients' experiences during MDR-TB treatment. These data have important implications for country-level pharmacovigilance programs that rely on clinician documentation of ADRs for MDR-TB policy formation.

Identification of novel variants associated with warfarin stable dosage by use of a two-stage extreme phenotype strategy

Essentials Required warfarin doses for mechanical heart valves vary greatly. A two-stage extreme phenotype design was used to identify novel warfarin dose associated mutation. We identified a group of variants significantly associated with extreme warfarin dose. Four novel identified mutations account for 2.2% of warfarin dose discrepancies.

SUMMARY

Background The variation among patients in warfarin response complicates the management of warfarin therapy, and an improper therapeutic dose usually results in serious adverse events. Objective To use a two-stage extreme phenotype strategy in order to discover novel warfarin dose-associated mutations in heart valve replacement patients. Patients/method A total of 1617 stable-dose patients were enrolled and divided randomly into two cohorts. Stage I patients were genotyped into three groups on the basis of VKORC1-1639G>A and CYP2C9*3 polymorphisms; only patients with the therapeutic dose at the upper or lower 5% of each genotype group were selected as extreme-dose patients for resequencing of the targeted regions. Evaluation of the accuracy of the sequence data and the potential value of the stage I-identified significant mutations were conducted in a validation cohort of 420 subjects. Results A group of mutations were found to be significantly associated with the extreme warfarin dose. The validation work finally identified four novel mutations, i.e. DNMT3A rs2304429 (24.74%), CYP1A1 rs3826041 (47.35%), STX1B rs72800847 (7.01%), and NQO1 rs10517 (36.11%), which independently and significantly contributed to the overall variability in the warfarin dose. After addition of these four mutations, the estimated regression equation was able to account for 56.2% (R2Adj = 0.562) of the overall variability in the warfarin maintenance dose, with a predictive accuracy of 62.4%. Conclusion Our study provides evidence linking genetic variations in STX1B, DNMT3A and CYP1A1 to warfarin maintenance dose. The newly identified mutations together account for 2.2% of warfarin dose discrepancy.

Contributions of long-term tillage systems on crop production and soil properties in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China

BACKGROUND

This study determined the long-term effect of tillage systems on soil properties and crop yields in a semi-arid environment. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were alternately grown in six tillage systems at Dingxi (35° 28' N, 104° 44' E), north-west China starting in 2001.

RESULTS

After the first 6 years of experiments, conventional tillage with stubble incorporating (TS) and no-till with stubble cover (NTS) increased soil organic matter by 9.9% and 13.0%, respectively, compared to the conventional tillage with stubble removed (T); both TS and NTS also increased soil microbial counts, available K and P, and total N. No-till with stubble removed (NT), NTS and NTP (no-till with plastic mulching) had 20.7%, 62.6% and 43.7% greater alkaline phosphatase activity compared to the T treatment. Soil catalase, urease and invertase activities were all greater in the no-till treatments than in the T treatment. Averaged across 6 years, both wheat and pea achieved highest grain yields under NTS treatment.

CONCLUSION

No-till with stubble retention is the most promising system for improving soil physical, biological and chemical properties, and increasing crop yields, and thus, this system can be adopted in areas with conditions similar to the semi-arid north-west China. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Clinical efficacy of type-B ultrasound-guided intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion combined with systemic chemotherapy in advanced gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of systemic chemotherapy combined with intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion in advanced gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Forty-eight gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites who were admitted to our hospital were selected and randomly divided into the hyperthermic perfusion and control groups. The control group only received systemic chemotherapy, and the hyperthermic perfusion group received systemic chemotherapy combined with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion. The therapeutic efficacy, the survival time and the associated toxicity were determined for the two groups.

RESULTS

The efficacy was significantly higher in the hyperthermic perfusion group (85.7%) than in the control group (30.0%) (P 0.05). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the hyperthermic perfusion group (12 months) compared with the control group (6 months) (P < 0.05). The median overall survival (OS) was significantly longer in the hyperthermic perfusion group (21 months) compared with the control group (9 months) (P < 0.05). There was a significantly higher 1-year survival rate in the hyperthermic perfusion group (89.3%) than in the control group (36.4%) (P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference in the 3-year survival rate (10.7% vs. 10.0%). The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score in the hyperthermic perfusion group increased significantly from 62.8 ± 1.84 to 74.3 ± 5.0 after hyperthermic chemoperfusion (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Systemic chemotherapy combined with intraperitoneal hyperthermic perfusion exhibited significant clinical efficacy in advanced gastric cancer patients with malignant ascites, helped control ascites, improved the quality of life and extended PFS and OS. This treatment regimen is worth promoting.