[Safety and efficacy of donor-derived chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy in patients with relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]

Objective: To investigated the safety and efficacy of donor-derived CD19+ or sequential CD19+ CD22+ chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy in patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Methods: The data of 22 patients with B-ALL who relapsed after allo-HSCT and who underwent donor-derived CAR-T therapy at the Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University and the 920th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of the People's Liberation Army of China from September 2015 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints were event-free survival (EFS), complete remission (CR) rate, and Grade 3-4 adverse events. Results: A total of 81.82% (n=18) of the 22 patients achieved minimal residual disease-negative CR after CAR-T infusion. The median follow-up time was 1037 (95% CI 546-1509) days, and the median OS and EFS were 287 (95% CI 132-441) days and 212 (95% CI 120-303) days, respectively. The 6-month OS and EFS rates were 67.90% (95% CI 48.30%-84.50%) and 58.70% (95% CI 37.92%-79.48%), respectively, and the 1-year OS and EFS rates were 41.10% (95% CI 19.15%-63.05%) and 34.30% (95% CI 13.92%-54.68%), respectively. Grade 1-2 cytokine release syndrome occurred in 36.36% (n=8) of the patients, and grade 3-4 occurred in 13.64% of the patients (n=3). Grade 2 and 4 graft-versus-host disease occurred in two patients. Conclusion: Donor-derived CAR-T therapy is safe and effective in patients with relapsed B-ALL after allo-HSCT.

[Relation factor analysis for the short-term preservation of ipsilateral renal function after partial nephrectomy]

Objectives: To analyze the factors relative to the short-term preservation of ipsilateral renal function after partial nephrectomy. Methods: The clinical data of 83 patients who were treated with partial nephrectomy from December 2014 to December 2019 in the Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were retrospectively analyzed. There were 54 males and 29 females, aging (M (IQR)) 49 (17) years (range: 27 to 74 years). The ischemia time in operation was 25 (18) minutes (range: 10 to 67 minutes). Emission computed tomography scan and CT scan were performed before (within 1 month) and after (3 to 12 months) surgery. The volume of the ipsilateral and contralateral kidney was measured on the basis of preoperative and postoperative CT scans. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) specifically in each kidney was estimated by emission computed tomography. Recovery from ischemia is determined by the formula: GFR preservation/volume saved×100%. Linear regression was used to explore the factors ralative to the short-term preservation of ipsilateral renal function after partial nephrectomy. Results: The GFR preservation of the ipsilateral kidney was 80.9 (25.2) % (range: 31.0% to 109.4%). The volume loss of the kidney resulted in a decrease of 12.0% (5.8 ml/(min×1.96 m2)) of GFR, while the ischemic injury resulted in a decrease of 6.5% (2.5 ml/(min×1.96 m2)) of GFR. The volume saved from the ipsilateral kidney was 87.1 (12.9) % (range: 27.0% to 131.7%). Recovery from ischemia was 93.5 (17.5) % (range:44.3% to 178.3%). In multivariate analysis, GFR preservation of the ipsilateral kidney was significantly correlated with the volume saved of the ipsilateral kidney (β=0.383, 95%CI: 0.144 to 0.622, P=0.002). It was not related to the ischemia time (β=0.046, 95%CI:-0.383 to 0.475, P=0.831). Conclusion: In the condition of limited ischemic time, in the short term ipsilateral renal function after partial nephrectomy is mainly determined by the loss of kidney volume, while ischemic injury only plays a minor role.

[Clinicopathological analysis of pseudostratified ependymal tubules in ovarian mature teratoma]

Objective: To investigate the morphology and immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of pseudostratified ependymal tubules in ovarian mature teratoma (MT). Methods: Five cases of ovarian MT with pseudostratified ependymal tubules were collected from Shenzhen Hospital(Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and the Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from March 2019 to March 2022. In addition, 15 cases of ovarian MT with monolayer ependymal epithelium from Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine and seven cases of immature teratoma (IMT) from Hainan Provincial People's Hospital from March 2019 to March 2022 were collected as control. The morphologic characteristics and immunophenotypes of pseudostratified ependymal tubules, monolayer ependymal epithelium, and primitive neural epithelial tubules were observed and compared by H&E stain and IHC expression pattern of genes related to the differentiation status of neuroepithelium, namely SALL4, Glypican3, nestin, SOX2, Foxj1, and Ki-67. Results: Mean age of the five patients of ovarian MT with pseudostratified ependymal tubules was 26 years (range from 19 to 31 years). Two tumors were located in the left ovary and three in the right. All five cases were excised, and clinical follow-up was available (mean follow-up 1.5 years; range 0.5 to 3 years). No recurrence was noted in any cases. The pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT, which were lined with columnar or oval epithelia up to 4-6 layers, were morphologically similar to the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT and different from monolayer ependymal epithelium of ovarian MT. By immunohistochemistry, SALL4 and Glypican3 were negative, Foxj1 was positive and Ki-67 index was lower in the pseudostratified ependymal tubules and the monolayer ependymal epithelium of ovarian MT. However, the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT showed variably expression of SALL4 and Glypican3, were negative for Foxj1 and high Ki-67 index. All the above three groups expressed nestin and SOX2. Conclusions: The pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT, which have morphological similarities to the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT, are similar to the monolayer ependymal epithelia of the MT in immunophenotype. IHC assessment of Foxj1 and Ki-67 is helpful to differentiate the pseudostratified ependymal tubules of ovarian MT from the primitive neuroepithelial tubules of IMT.

[Efficacy of partial nephrectomy in patients with localized renal carcinoma: a 20-year experience of 2 046 patients in a single center]

Objectives: To analyze the long-term survival of patients with localized renal cell carcinoma after partical nephrectomy. Methods: The clinicopathological records and survival follow-up data of 2 046 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma, who were treated with partial nephrectomy from August 2001 to February 2021 in the Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 1 402 males and 644 females, aged (M(IQR)) 51 (19) years (range: 6 to 86 years). The primary end point of this study was cancer-specific survival. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the difference test was performed by Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were fitted to determine factors associated with cancer-specific survival. Results: The follow-up time was 49.2 (48.0) months (range: 1 to 229 months), with 1 974 patients surviving and 72 dying. The median cancer-specific survival time has not yet been reached. The 5- and 10-year cancer specific survival rates were 97.0% and 91.2%, respectively. The 10-year cancer-specific survival rates for stage pT1a (n=1 447), pT1b (n=523) and pT2 (n=58) were 95.3%, 81.8%, and 81.7%, respectively. The 10-year cancer-specific survival rates of patients with nuclear grade 1 (n=226), 2 (n=1 244) and 3 to 4 (n=278) were 96.6%, 89.4%, and 85.5%, respectively. There were no significant differences in 5-year cancer-specific survival rates among patients underwent open, laparoscopic, or robotic surgery (96.7% vs. 97.1% vs. 97.5%, P=0.600). Multivariate analysis showed that age≥50 years (HR=3.93, 95%CI: 1.82 to 8.47, P<0.01), T stage (T1b vs. T1a: HR=3.31, 95%CI: 1.83 to 5.99, P<0.01; T2+T3 vs. T1a: HR=2.88, 95%CI: 1.00 to 8.28, P=0.049) and nuclear grade (G3 to 4 vs. G1: HR=2.81, 95%CI: 1.01 to 7.82, P=0.048) were independent prognostic factors of localized renal cell carcinoma after partial nephrectomy. Conclusions: The long-term cancer-specific survival rates of patients with localized renal cancer after partial nephrectomy are satisfactory. The type of operation (open, laparoscopic, or robotic) has no significant effect on survival. However, patients with older age, higher nuclear grade, and higher T stage have a lower cancer-specific survival rate. Grasping surgical indications, attaching importance to preoperative evaluation, perioperative management, and postoperative follow-up, could benefit achieving satisfactory long-term survival.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXTENDED-RANGE BONNER SPHERE SPECTROMETER FOR CHINA INITIATIVE ACCELERATOR-DRIVEN SYSTEM

To measure the extended-range neutron spectra and calibrate the extended-range neutron dosemeters of the China initiative Accelerator-Driven System (CiADS), an Extended-range Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (EBSS) has been developed. The EBSS was designed based on the PHITS codes, investigating various combinations of materials and diameters of the neutron moderators and the neutron multipliers for extended-range neutrons. Finally, seven polyethylene-only spheres and seven extended-range spheres were selected and subsequently built. The neutron multipliers of the extended-range spheres embedded concentric shells of lead, copper and tungsten. The response functions of the EBSS were analyzed and experimentally validated. It was subsequently tested with 252Cf neutron source and cosmic ray neutron source. The results demonstrate that the EBSS is capable of accurately measuring neutron spectra.

[Construction of a human health literacy indicator system for prevention of parasitic diseases based on Delphi method]

OBJECTIVE

To construct a human health literacy indicator system for prevention of parasitic diseases based on Delphi method.

METHODS

Based on literature reviews and expert interviews, a questionnaire was designed and a two-round Delphi consultation was performed. A human health literacy indicator system for prevention of parasitic diseases was constructed according to the deletion criteria and experts' advice.

RESULTS

A total of 14 experts completed the two-round consultation. The second-round authority coefficients were 0.91 to 0.96 for the first-level indicators, 0.87 to 0.97 for the second-level indicators and 0.86 to 0.97 for the third-level indicators. A human health literacy indicator system for prevention of parasitic diseases was constructed with the main framework of basic knowledge and awareness, healthy behaviors, and healthy skills, which contained 3 first-level indicators, 12 second-level indicators and 48 third-level indicators. Among the three first-level indicators, basic knowledge and awareness had the highest weighting coefficient (0.336 5), followed by healthy behaviors (0.334 9), and healthy skills had the lowest weighting coefficient (0.328 6). The three secondary-level indicators with the highest combined weights included awareness of the epidemic status (0.088 2), awareness of the resource of infection (0.085 8) and basic awareness of parasitic diseases (0.085 5).

CONCLUSION

A human health literacy indicator system for prevention of parasitic diseases is preliminarily constructed, which provides insights into the development of health literacy evaluation tools for prevention of parasitic diseases in the new era.

[Characteristics and risk factors of spinal epidural hematoma after unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion]

Objective: To investigate the incidence, characteristics and risk factors of spinal epidural hematoma after unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) lumbar spine surgery. Methods: The clinical data of 105 patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery under UBE in Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from February 2020 to March 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Of the patients, 48(45.7%) were male and 57(54.3%) were female, the mean age was (60.1±11.4) years (ranged 26 to 85 years). The MRI images at the third day post-surgery were observed, and the occurrence of hematoma was counted. Patients were assigned to normal group and hematoma group based on the presence of hematoma or not. The related clinical indicators of each patients were collected and used for comparison between two different groups. Logistic stepwise regression model was used to analyze whether each index was a risk factor for hematoma after the UBE lumbar fusion. Results: The total hematoma incidence rate was 28.6%(30/105), the symptomatic hematoma rate was 6.7%(7/105), and the hematoma reoperation rate was 0.9%(1/105). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertension (OR=3.368, 95%CI: 1.389-8.171), diabetes (OR=3.589, 95%CI: 1.230-10.476), admission systolic blood pressure>140 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa,OR=3.687, 95%CI: 1.493-9.017), platelets<200×10⁹/L (OR=0.300, 95%CI: 0.119-0.785), preoperative blood calcium<2.25 mmol/L (OR=0.340, 95%CI: 0.142-0.818), spinal stenosis grade D (OR=4.462, 95%CI: 1.810-10.996) were possible risk factors for spinal hematoma after UBE lumbar fusion. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that admission blood pressure systolic blood pressure>140 mmHg (OR=3.788, 95%CI:1.055-13.606), preoperative blood calcium<2.25 mmol/L (OR=78.544, 95%CI:3.895-1 584.058) and spinal stenosis grade D (OR=3.698, 95%CI:1.110-12.325) were risk factors for spinal hematoma after UBE lumbar fusion (all P<0.05). Conclusion: The types of spinal canal hematoma after UBE lumbar fusion include localized and extended type. The risk factors for hematoma include high systolic blood pressure on admission, low preoperative blood calcium and severe spinal stenosis.

Developing a near-infrared spectroscopy and microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography-based dual-modality imaging system

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) techniques can provide noninvasive in vivo hemoglobin oxygenation information but suffer from relatively low resolution in biological tissue imaging. Microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) can produce high-resolution images of the biological tissue anatomy but offer limited physiological information of samples because of the single species of the chromophore it maps. To overcome these drawbacks and take advantage of the merits of the two independent techniques, we built a dual-modality system by combining a NIRS system and a TAT system to image biological tissues. A series of phantom trials were carried out to demonstrate the performance of the new system. The spatial resolution is about 1 mm, with a penetration depth of at least 17.5 mm in the human subject. A cohort of five healthy subjects was recruited to conduct real-time forearm venous and arterial cuff occlusion experiments. Numerous results showed that this dual-modality system could measure oxygen metabolism and simultaneously provide anatomical structure changes of biological tissues. We also found that although the hemoglobin concentration varied consistently with many other published papers, the TAT signal intensity of veins showed an opposite variation tendency in the venous occlusion stage compared with other existing work. A detailed explanation is given to account for the discrepancy, thus, providing another possibility for the forearm experiments using TAT. Furthermore, based on the multiple types of information afforded by this dual-modality system, a pilot clinical application for the diagnosis of anemia is discussed.

[Establishment of a deep learning-based visual model for intelligent recognition of Oncomelania hupensis]

OBJECTIVE

To establish a deep learning-based visual model for intelligent recognition of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, and evaluate the effects of different training strategies for O. hupensis image recognition.

METHODS

A total of 2 614 datasets of O. hupensis snails and 4 similar snails were generated through field sampling and internet capture, and were divided into training sets and test sets. An intelligent recognition model was created based on deep learning, and was trained and tested. The precision, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, F1 score and Youden index were calculated. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model for snail recognition was plotted to evaluate the effects of "new learning", "transfer learning" and "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategies on the accuracy of the model for snail recognition.

RESULTS

Under the "transfer learning + data enhancement" strategy, the precision, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden index and F1 score of the model were 90.10%, 91.00%, 97.50%, 96.20%, 88.50% and 90.51% for snail recognition, which were all higher than those under both "new learning" and "transfer learning" strategies. There were significant differences in the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the model for snail recognition under "new learning", "transfer learning" and "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategies (all P values < 0.001). In addition, the area under the ROC curve of the model was highest (0.94) under the "transfer learning + dataenhancement" training strategy.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first visual model for intelligent recognition of O. hupensis based on deep learning, which shows a high accuracy for snail image recognition. The "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategy is helpful to improve the accuracy of the model for snail recognition.

Relationship Between Tea Drinking Behaviour and Rosacea: A Clinical Case-control Study

The exact mechanisms of rosacea development are unknown, but it has been suggested that tea consumption may be associated with its development. To determine the relationship between tea drinking behaviour and rosacea, this clinical case-control study recruited 2,063 participants, who completed a questionnaire about tea drinking behaviour. A 1:1 ratio propensity score matching method was used to generate 619 cases and 619 controls. High-frequency tea drinking (3 times/day: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.592; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.225-5.485; ≥ 4 times/day; aOR 8.86; 95% CI 3.43-22.887), non-fermented tea (aOR 2.172; 95% CI 1.562-3.022), and hot tea (aOR 2.793; 95% CI 1.796-1.344) were associated with an increased risk of rosacea. Further results showed that these tea drinking behaviours were significantly associated with an increased risk of flushing (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.07-1.87) and erythema (aOR 1.48; 95% CI 1.10-2.00). Tea drinking behaviour is closely related to rosacea and.

NOX4 Signaling Mediates Cancer Development and Therapeutic Resistance through HER3 in Ovarian Cancer Cells

Development of resistance to therapy in ovarian cancer is a major hinderance for therapeutic efficacy; however, new mechanisms of the resistance remain to be elucidated. NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) is responsible for higher NADPH activity to increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In this study, we showed that higher levels of NOX4 were detected in a large portion of human ovarian cancer samples. To understand the molecular mechanism of the NOX4 upregulation, we showed that NOX4 expression was induced by HIF-1α and growth factor such as IGF-1. Furthermore, our results indicated that NOX4 played a pivotal role in chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer cells. We also demonstrated that NOX4 knockdown increased sensitivity of targeted therapy and radiotherapy through decreased expression of HER3 (ERBB3) and NF-κB p65. Taken together, we identified a new HIF-1α/NOX4 signal pathway which induced drug and radiation resistance in ovarian cancer. The finding may provide a new option to overcome the therapeutic resistance of ovarian cancer in the future.

Plasma metabolome alteration in dairy cows with left displaced abomasum before and after surgical correction

Left displaced abomasum (LDA) leads to substantial changes in the metabolism of dairy cows. Surgical correction of LDA can rapidly improve the health of cows; however, changes in metabolism following surgery are rarely described. To investigate the changes of plasma metabolome in cows with LDA before and after surgical correction, blood samples were collected from 10 healthy postpartum cows and 10 cows with LDA on the day of diagnosis, then again from the LDA cows 14 d after surgery. Serum nonesterified fatty acid, β-hydroxybutyric acid, cortisol and histamine concentration, and antioxidant enzyme (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) activities were evaluated, and the metabolic profile in plasma was analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results demonstrated that cows with LDA experienced severe negative energy balance and oxidative stress, which can be improved by surgical correction. The metabolic profile was analyzed using multidimensional and univariate statistical analyses, and different metabolites were identified. In total, 102 metabolites differed between cows with LDA and healthy cows. After surgical correction, 65 metabolites changed in cows with LDA, compared with these cows during the LDA event. Following surgical correction, AA levels tended to increase, and lipid levels tended to decrease in cows with LDA. Pathway analysis indicated marked changes in linoleic acid metabolism, Arg biosynthesis, and Gly, Ser, and Thr metabolism in cows at the onset of LDA and following surgical correction. Surgical treatment reversed the changes in AA and lipid metabolism in cows with LDA.

Chemosensory proteins participate in insecticide susceptibility in Rhopalosiphum padi, a serious pest on wheat crops

Rhopalosiphum padi is a worldwide agricultural pest. Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are considered to be a type of transporters which can bind chemicals from external environments. Previous research showed that the expression of some insect CSPs were significantly increased after exposure to insecticides, and CSPs were involved in insecticide resistance or susceptibility. However, the role of CSPs in the susceptibility and response of R. padi to insecticides is still unknown. In this study, we identified eight CSP (RpCSP) from R. padi by genome-wide investigation. Seven RpCSP genes had two exons, while RpCSP7 had three exons. qPCR analyses showed that the mRNA levels of the eight RpCSP genes were significantly affected by imidacloprid and beta-cypermethrin in different post-treatment periods. Molecular docking predicted that there were hydrogen bonding sites which played key roles in binding of RpCSP4, RpCSP5, RpCSP6, RpCSP7 and RpCSP10 with imidacloprid and beta-cypermethrin. Knockdown of RpCSP4, RpCSP5, RpCSP6 and RpCSP10 by RNA interference significantly increased the aphid mortality under two sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid. Mortalities under two sublethal concentrations of beta-cypermethrin conditions were significantly higher after injection of R. padi with dsCSP4 and dsCSP6. The results indicate that some RpCSP genes are involved in the insecticide susceptibility of R. padi.

[Role of institutional cultural building in the schistosomiasis control program of Jiangsu Province]

Jiangsu Province was once one of the provinces that are hyperendemic for schistosomiasis in China. Following the concerted efforts for nearly 70 years, the transmission of schistosomiasis was interrupted in the province in 2019, which is the first province to achieve the national criteria of interruption of schistosomiasis transmission among the 5 provinces locating in the marshland and lake regions. In addition to political, economic and scientific and technical factors that greatly contribute to the huge achievements from schistosomiasis control in Jiangsu Province, the spiritual implication of Jiangsu schistosomiasis control culture that is mainly characterized by dedication, rigorousness, truth-seeking and innovation play a vital role in the schistosomiasis control program of Jiangsu Province, which encourages generations of schistosomiasis control professionals working in Jiangsu Province to fight against the "God of plague".

[The South-to-North Water Diversion Project and schistosomiasis: an overview]

Before and after the construction of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, a number of studies have been conducted to assess the possibility of the northward spread of Oncomelania snails and schistosomiasis caused by the construction of the project, the survival and reproduction of snails moved north of their natural distribution, and the transmission of schistosomiasis by the survival snails moved north of their natural distribution. The effect of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project on the transmission of schistosomiasis is restricted along the Jiangsu section of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the Water Transfer Project from the Yangtze River to Han River of the middle route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. It has been demonstrated the water diversion pattern via the pump stations and the ecological conditions in the water transfusion channels of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project are unlikely to result in the northward spread of Oncomelania snails or schistosomiasis, and no snails or schistosomiasis spread was found during the surveillance before and after the operation of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the Water Transfer Project from the Yangtze River to Han River of the middle route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Nevertheless, sustainable surveillance of Oncomelania snails along the South-to-North Water Diversion Project will provide scientific support and safety guarantee for the construction and operation of the subsequent projects.

[Surveillance of Oncomelania hupensis distribution and water levels in Gaoyou sections of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project following operation of the project]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails and changes of water levels in Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal following the operation of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.

METHODS

The Oncomelania snails were monitored in the river banks and water bodies of Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal by means of systematic sampling combined with environmental sampling as well as collection of the floaters from 2014 to 2019, and the water levels were collected in Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal at the typical hydrological year before the operation of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and during the period between 2016 and 2019.

RESULTS

A total area of 235.42 hm² were investigated and a total of 75.8 kg floaters were collected in Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal from 2014 to 2019; however, no snails were found. The water level in Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal was predominantly high in the flood season and low in the dry season before the operation of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and the water level was elevated in the dry season and relatively low in the flood season after the operation of the project.

CONCLUSIONS

Following the operation of the eastern route project of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the original river bank that is characterized by "land in winter and water in summer" has changed in Gaoyou sections of the Li Canal, which is not favorable for snail breeding.

[Progress of interruption of schistosomiasis transmission in Jiangsu Province]

Schistosomiasis was once heavily endemic in Jiangsu Province. Following the control efforts for several decades, schistosomiasis was almost eradicated in all endemic counties in Jiangsu Province in 1980, and transmission control was achieved in the province in 2011. According to the principle of "implementing the control measures with adaptation to local circumstances and guiding the control programs with classified interventions", an integrated strategy with emphasis on the management of both infectious sources and snails has been recently employed for schitsosomiasis control in Jiangsu Province. In addition, a sensitive and highly effective surveillance system has been built and the application of novel techniques and information construction has been intensified to effectively interrupt the transmission of schistosomiasis in the Province. Transmission interruption of schistosomiasis was achieved in all endemic counties in Jiangsu Province. The paper summarizes the endemic situation of schistosomiasis, progress of schistosomiasis control, and major schistosomiasis control measures implemented during the stage of transmission interruption in Jiangsu Province.

Willingness-to-Pay and Benefit-Cost Analysis of IPL for Rosacea Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study in China

BACKGROUND

Intense pulsed light (IPL), as a therapeutic approach for rosacea, had advantage in removing erythema and telangiectasia and was gradually accepted by rosacea patients, but there have been few studies on economic evaluation of this therapy.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to detect willingness-to-pay (WTP) of IPL treatment for rosacea and to conduct a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) among the Chinese population, so as to provide an economic reference for doctors to make treatment decisions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational, cross-sectional study assessed respondent's demographic characteristics and willingness-to-pay (WTP) of IPL and rosacea patients' clinical data and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). WTP was obtained by contingent valuation (CV) method. In brief, contrast figures of three cases treated with IPL (Case1, Case2, and Case3 represented the increasing severity of rosacea) were showed and WTP was inquired. The costs were obtained according the market and compared with WTP (benefits) to get a benefit-cost ratio (BCR). Predictors of cost-effective WTP were identified using the multivariable logistic regression model.

RESULTS

A total of 303 rosacea patients and 202 controls were included in the study. The average cost of a single IPL treatment for rosacea was USD 208.04 in Changsha, China. The mean WTP for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3 was USD 201.57, 214.64, and 221.74, respectively. WTP was statistically lower for Case 1 than that for Case 2 or Case 3 (P<0.05). The BCRs were 0.85, 1.03, and 1.06 for Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3, respectively. WTP is significantly associated with household monthly income, previous treatment cost, and DLQI after adjustments for demographic characteristics (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

IPL is an acceptable treatment for rosacea with moderate to severe erythema. For patients with relatively high income or severely impaired quality of life, IPL is an economically feasible therapy and deserves to be recommended.

[Establishment and operation of schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province]

OBJECTIVE

To construct the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province, and to examine the role and diagnostic efficiency of the reference laboratory.

METHODS

A schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory was built in Jiangsu Province according to the requirements of the construction of the national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in China. Inter-laboratory comparisons were conducted and the diagnostic capability of grassroots laboratories was evaluated in Jiangsu Province.

RESULTS

The organization structure, environmental conditions, administration and quality systems of the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province all met the requirements for construction of the national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in China, and the schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory in Jiangsu Province was issued a certificate of a province-level schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory. During the 6 inter-laboratory comparisons performed by national schistosomiasis diagnostic reference centers of China, the qualitative and quantitative results of each detection item were all in agreement with the reference samples (Kappa = 1), and the diagnostic capability was identified excellent. The results of indirect hemagglutination assay of 426 serum samples from 4 grassroots laboratories were re-examined, and the mean coincidence rate was 94.13% (range, 92.08% to 96.25%) with the grassroots laboratories, with a mean Kappa value of 0.85 (range, 0.83 to 0.86) and a mean missing rate of 10.19% (range, 0 to 17.65%).

CONCLUSIONS

The schistosomiasis diagnostic reference laboratory has been successfully established and effectively operated in Jiangsu Province, which plays an active role in improving the capability of schistosomiasis diagnostic equality in the province.

[Research and field application of molluscicides in China]

Oncomelania hupensis, the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, is an indispensable part in the transmission of schistosomiasis, and snail control play a critical role in schistosomiasis prevention and control in China. This paper reviews the major molluscicides used currently and in the past and their application techniques in China. It is suggested that the research and development of molluscicides and their operational studies remain to be emphasized; notably, the novel molluscicides and new snail control techniques that meet the environmental protection requirements should be intensified. In addition, attentions should also be paid to the monitoring and evaluation of the field efficacy of molluscicides and snail control approaches, and it is necessary to evaluate the effect of molluscicides on environment and ecological security.

[Effectiveness of snail control by immersion of molluscicides through tide diversion in marshlands: a field evaluation]

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effectiveness of snail control between immersion of molluscicides through tide diversion and mollusciciding by spraying in marshland areas.

METHODS

Immersion of 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide through tide diversion and spraying 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide alone were employed for snail control in two neighboring snail-breeding marshlands, and snails were surveyed before and after mollusciciding. The mortality of snails and the density of living snails were estimated.

RESULTS

The density of living snails reduced by 72.19% and 100.00% 1 and 2 years after immersion of 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide through tide diversion, and 5.93% and 18.15% 1 and 2 years after spraying 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide alone.

CONCLUSIONS

Immersion of 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide through tide diversion is significantly superior to spraying 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide along for snail control, and implementation of immersion of 26% suspension concentrate of metaldehyde and niclosamide through tide diversion for more than 2 successive years may achieve a higher snail control efficiency.

Apigenin Inhibits IL-6 Transcription and Suppresses Esophageal Carcinogenesis

Esophagus cancer is the seventh cause of cancer-related deaths globally. In this study, we analyzed interleukin 6 (IL-6) gene expression in human esophagus cancer patients and showed that IL-6 mRNA levels are significantly higher in tumor tissues and negatively correlated with overall survival, suggesting that IL-6 is a potential therapeutic target for esophagus cancer. We further demonstrated that apigenin, a nature flavone product of green plants, inhibited IL-6 transcription and gene expression in human esophagus cancer Eca-109 and Kyse-30 cells. Apigenin significantly and dose-dependently inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis while stimulating the cleaved PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase) (C-PARP) and caspase-8 expression. It suppressed VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth Factor) expression and tumor-induced angiogenesis. Pretreatment of cells with IL-6 could completely reverse apigenin-induced cellular changes. Finally, using a preclinical nude mice model subcutaneously xenografted with Eca-109 cells, we demonstrated the in vivo antitumor activity and mechanisms of apigenin. Taken together, this study revealed for the first time that apigenin is a new IL-6 transcription inhibitor and that inhibiting IL-6 transcription is one of the mechanisms by which apigenin exhibits its anticancer effects. The potential clinical applications of apigenin in treating esophagus cancer warrant further investigations.

Suppression of miR-143 contributes to overexpression of IL-6, HIF-1α and NF-κB p65 in Cr(VI)-induced human exposure and tumor growth

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is a known occupational and environmental contaminant and carcinogen, but new mechanisms of Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis remain to be elucidated. In this study, we found that expression of miR-143 is decreased, whereas that of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is increased in blood samples of Cr(VI)-exposing workers compared with corresponding unexposed workers. In addition, IL-6 was increased in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-Cr) exposed to Cr(VI) compared with unexposed BEAS-2B cells. To further investigate the mechanisms by which Cr(VI) promotes these changes, we assessed the effects of miR-143 on gene expression and found that miR-143 suppressed expression of IL-6, HIF-1α and NF-κB p65, and that inhibiting miR-143 promoted expression of IL-6, HIF-1α and NF-κB p65. Interestingly, IL-6 regulated expression of HIF-1α, and HIF-1α transcriptionally regulated expression of IL-6. Experiments in animals showed that miR-143 inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis by regulating IL-6/HIF-1α and downstream signaling pathways in vivo. These outcomes support the hypothesis that the miR-143/IL-6/HIF-1α pathway functions to regulate Cr(VI)-induced carcinogenesis.

Plasma metabolite changes in dairy cows during parturition identified using untargeted metabolomics

The metabolic responses of cows undergo substantial changes during the transition from late pregnancy to early lactation. However, the molecular mechanisms associated with these changes in physiological metabolism have not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to investigate metabolic changes in transition cows from the perspective of plasma metabolites. Plasma samples collected from 24 multiparous dairy cows on approximately d 21 prepartum and immediately postpartum were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry in positive and negative ion modes. In conjunction with multidimensional statistical methods (principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis), differences in plasma metabolites were identified using the t-test and fold change analysis. Sixty-seven differential metabolites were identified consisting of AA, lipids, saccharides, and nucleotides. The levels of 32 plasma metabolites were significantly higher and those of 35 metabolites significantly lower after parturition than on d 21 prepartum. Pathway analysis indicated that the metabolites that increased from late pregnancy to early lactation were primarily involved in lipid metabolism and energy metabolism, whereas decreased metabolites were related to AA metabolism.

[Effects of ICAT silencing in Wnt signaling pathway and NSC67657 induced cell differentiation of HL-60 cells]

目的

探讨β-catenin相关蛋白1（ICAT）沉默对Wnt信号通路及甾醇类新药NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞单核系分化的影响。

方法

NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞分化，流式细胞术检测细胞表面分化抗原CD14的表达，检测细胞分化程度；构建慢病毒LV-ICAT-RNAi载体，感染HL-60细胞，采用荧光实时定量PCR和Western blot技术检测感染前后ICAT基因和蛋白表达情况，判断干扰效果；采用免疫共沉淀技术检测β-catenin与ICAT蛋白在细胞内的相互作用；采用Western blot技术分析NSC67657诱导非感染HL-60细胞（HL-60v组）和LV-ICAT-RNAi载体感染HL-60细胞（HL-60i组）前后Wnt/β-catenin通路下游靶点Cyclin D1、TCF-1和c-Jun的表达情况；NSC67657分别作用HL-60v组和HL-60i组细胞24 h，采用瑞氏染色、透射电子显微镜、流式细胞术观察细胞分化情况。

结果

10 µmol/L NSC67657可以诱导HL-60细胞向单核系分化，连续诱导5 d后，CD14⁺细胞比例为（92.30±5.14）%；HL-60i细胞ICAT mRNA表达（0.07±0.01）明显低于HL-60v组（1.00±0.08）（P=0.002）（平均敲减效率为93.2%），Western blot结果与PCR结果一致（P=0.001）；免疫共沉淀结果显示，ICAT与β-catenin蛋白在细胞分化前后都存在相互作用，药物诱导细胞分化后两者相互作用条带吸光度明显增加。药物作用HL-60i细胞Wnt信号通路下游靶蛋白Cyclin D1、TCF-1和c-Jun表达明显高于HL-60v组，但低于非药物处理组。NSC67657作用HL-60i细胞CD14⁺细胞比例为（8.33±3.14）%，明显低于HL-60v组的（19.08±4.73）%，但仍高于非药物处理非感染HL-60细胞组（0.60±0.03）%（F=119.24，P=0.010），细胞形态和超微结果符合细胞表面分化抗原检测结论。

结论

ICAT蛋白参与了NSC67657诱导HL-60细胞的单核系分化，Wnt/β-catenin信号通路可能起到桥梁作用。

[Relationship between c-kit mRNA expression and prognosis in patients with rectal carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the correlation between c-kit mRNA expression and prognosis in patients with rectal carcinoma. Methods: The expression of c-kit mRNA in rectal carcinoma tissues(n=66) was detected by multiplex branched-DNA liquid chip method. According to the expression level, the patients were classified into the c-kit mRNA high expression group and the low group. We analyzed the relationship between the c-kit mRNA expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients, as well as the factors affecting patients'prognosis. Results: Of the 66 rectal carcinoma patients, 18(27.3%)cases were c-kit mRNA high expression. No significant correlation was found between the c-kit mRNA expression and gender, age, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen, preoperative hemoglobin, distance to verge, lymph node metastasis, tumor thrombus, T stage, TNM stage and tumor differentiation (P>0.05). In follow-up, 34 patients died, 32 patients and 36 patients were recurrence or metastasis. The 1-, 3-, 5-year overall survival(OS) of c-kit mRNA high expression group were 100.0%, 77.8%, 77.8%, respectively, while those of the low one were 93.8%, 56.3%, 45.8%, respectively. The difference was statistically significant(P=0.025). Lymph node metastasis, T stage and TNM stage were also significant associated with OS(P<0.05). The 1-, 3-, 5-year disease free rate (DFS)of the c-kit mRNA high expression group were 100.0%, 77.8% and 77.8%, respectively, while those of the low one were 77.1%、43.8% and 41.7%, respectively, and the difference between the two groups was significant (P=0.044). As a reslut, c-kit mRNA expression (P=0.038) and TNM stage (P=0.039) were the independent prognostic factors affecting the OS in rectal cancer patients. Conclusions: Low expression of c-kit was associated with poor prognosis of rectal carcinoma. And the mechanism underlying this phenomenon deserves further exploration.

Ovostatin 2 knockdown significantly inhibits the growth, migration, and tumorigenicity of cutaneous malignant melanoma cells

BACKGROUND

We previously identified ovostatin 2 (OVOS2) as a new candidate gene for cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in a Chinese population. In this study, we aimed to investigate the exact role of OVOS2 in cell proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenesis of melanoma A375 cells.

METHODS

The downregulation of OVOS2 expression was performed using lentiviral vectors with specific shRNA. The effects of OVOS2 expression on cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell migration, cell invasion, and potential of tumorigenesis were further investigated.

RESULTS

The downregulation of OVOS2 significantly suppressed the proliferation of A375 cells and led to a G2/M phase block. The transwell cell migration assay showed that the reduced expression of OVOS2 also significantly inhibited the transmigration of A375 cells. The western blot results showed downregulated expression of p-FAK, p-AKT, and p-ERK. This was accompanied by the upregulated epithelial phenotypes E-cadherin and β-catenin, and downregulated expression of mesenchymal phenotype N-cadherin after OVOS2 knockdown. The transplantation tumor experiment in BALB/C nude mouse showed that after an observation period of 32 days, the growth speed and weight of the transplanted tumors were significantly suppressed in the BALB/c nude mice subcutaneously injected with OVOS2 knocked-down A375 cells.

CONCLUSION

The inhibition of OVOS2 had significant suppressive effects on the proliferation, motility, and migration capabilities of A375 cells, suggesting a crucial promotive role of OVOS2 in the pathogenesis and progression of CMM. The involved mechanisms are at least partly associated with the overactivation of FAK/MAPK/ERK and FAK/PI3K/AKT signals.

[Research advances in diagnostic and therapeutic application of long-chain non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma]

In recent years, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has become one of the serious health-threatening malignancies worldwide, and its incidence and mortality rates continue to rise. Hepatitis B (HBV) is moderately endemic in China, with enormous numbers of HBV-related HCC cases. Although serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound are the major diagnostic methods for HCC, they have limited application for screening out early or small HCC. The current management of HCC is based on tumor size and location, not on suppressing tumorigenesis, and therefore patients are often faced with low 5-year survival and high relapse rates. Recent studies have shown that long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with HCC tumorigenesis, which may have considerable utility as new diagnostic marker and treatment target for HCC. Here, we review the application of lncRNAs in the diagnosis, metastasis, treatment, recurrence, and prognosis of HCC.

[Chronic hepatitis C: from discovery to cure]

Chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection is one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In recent years, the treatment of HCV infection has undergone a revolutionary change. Chronic HCV infection has become a curable disease. This article reviews the developmental history of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C since the discovery of HCV.

An observational descriptive survey of rosacea in the Chinese population: clinical features based on the affected locations

BACKGROUND

There is currently no study that has evaluated the differences in epidemiological and clinical characteristics among rosacea patients according to different facial sites.

METHODS

Clinical and demographic data were obtained from 586 rosacea patients. The patients were divided into four groups based on the main sites involved with the rosacea lesions (full-face, cheeks, nose, or perioral involvement). Clinical signs were measured through self-reported, dermatologist-evaluated grading of symptoms, and physiological indicators of epidermal barrier function.

RESULTS

There were 471 (80.4%), 49 (8.4%), 52 (8.9%), and 14 (2.4%) cases in the full-face, cheek, nasal and perioral groups, respectively. Compared with the healthy control, the full-face group had lower water content and higher transepidermal water loss (TEWL) in the cheeks, and chin; the perioral group had lower water content and higher TEWL in the chin; while the nasal group had the normal water content and TEWL. Compared with the full-face group, the nasal group had more severe phymatous changes, less severe self-reported and dermatologist-evaluated grading of symptoms. All the patients in the perioral or the nasal group had their first rosacea lesions start and remain at the chin or on the nose. In the full-face group, 55.8% of patients had their lesions start with the full face, 40.1% on the cheek, and the rest (4.1%) on the nose.

CONCLUSION

Significant differences in clinical features were observed among rosacea patients with lesions at four different sites. The lesion localization of each group was relatively stable and barely transferred to other locations.

G protein-coupled estrogen receptor enhances melanogenesis via cAMP-protein kinase (PKA) by upregulating microphthalmia-related transcription factor-tyrosinase in melanoma

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the role and mechanism of action of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in melanogenesis.

METHODS

GPER expression was detected in the A375 human melanoma cell line and B16 mouse melanoma cell line. Cell proliferation, melanin content, tyrosinase (TYR) activity, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) level, and TYR and microphthalmia-related transcription factor (MITF) expression were measured. GPER activation was altered by agonist and antagonist treatment and its expression was downregulated by gene silencing. Estradiol-induced melanin synthesis and the activation of related signaling pathways were suppressed by inhibiting GPER via antagonist treatment. The relationship between GPER and TYR was evaluated in clinical chloasma samples by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Upregulation of GPER in A375 cells promoted melanogenesis, favored as indicated by increases in TYR and MITF expression and TYR activity. GPER activated melanin production via the cAMP-protein kinase (PK) A pathway, suggesting that GPER plays an important role in estrogen-induced melanin synthesis. The effect of GPER activation on cAMP-MITF-TYR signaling was also demonstrated in B16 cells. A significant association was observed between GPER and TYR expression in chloasma skin lesions relative to normal skin.

CONCLUSION

GPER enhances melanin synthesis via cAMP-PKA-MITF-TYR signaling and modulates the effects of estrogen in melanogenesis. GPER is therefore a potential drug target for chloasma treatment.

Correlation between hepatitis B virus DNA levels and diagnostic tests for HBsAg, HBeAg, and PreS1-Ag in chronic hepatitis B

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the serum markers HBsAg and HBeAg and PreS1 protein (PreS1-Ag) in quantifying the levels of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). One thousand CHB patients were recruited from Beijing You'an Hospital between June and December 2012. Serum HBsAg and HBeAg levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fluorescence quantitative PCR were used to determine the level of PreS1-Ag and HBV DNA, respectively. We observed a low correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA (r = 0.172, P < 0.001) expression; however, the correlation coefficient increased gradually with the increase in HBV DNA levels, and was more significant when HBV DNA log10 > 7 (r = 0.597, P < 0.001). Additionally, HBsAg and HBV DNA showed a significant positive correlation in the HBeAg+ group (r = 0.321, P < 0.001), whereas no correlation was observed in the HBeAg- group (r = -0.016, P = 0.825). HBV DNA expression was correlated with HBeAg (χ2 = 83.07, P < 0.001) and PreS1-Ag (χ2 = 36.01, P < 0.001). HBV DNA-positive rate was higher in HBeAg/PreS1-Ag++ patients (72.26%) than that in the single-positive groups (P < 0.001). Therefore, serum HBsAg is not a good marker for the prediction of HBV replication, and co-detection of HBeAg and PreS1-Ag, which can better predict HBV DNA replication, can be used as a reliable method for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHB.

[Expression of renal PLA2R in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy and its relationship with the curative effect of immunotherapy]

OBJECTIVE

To detect the expression of renal M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), and to explore the relationship between renal PLA2R and the curative effect of immunotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 56 patients who were diagnosed as IMN from January 2012 to June 2014 in the department of nephrology in First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University, were included in this study. The expression of renal PLA2R was detected by immumofluorescence assay. The IMN patients were treated with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, and the relationship between renal PLA2R and the curative effect of immunotherapy was observed.

RESULTS

The ratio of PLA2R related IMN (renal PLA2R-positive) patients was 71.4%(40/56). The recovery conditions in proteinuria and serum albumin were better in the non-PLA2R related IMN group since 6 months after the treatment (P<0.05). The overall response rate in PLA2R related IMN group was 58.3%, 62.5% and 62.5% after 6, 9, 12 months, respectively. However, the overall response rate in non-PLA2R related IMN group almost reached 100% after treatment for 6 months. Compared with PLA2R related IMN group, the time which patients reached complete remission was significantly shorter in the non-PLA2R related IMN group [(5.4±3.5) vs (10.5±1.6) months, P<0.05].

CONCLUSIONS

Detection of renal PLA2R can be helpful to diagnose IMN. Non-PLA2R related IMN patients usually have a better curative effect of immunotherapy and a shorter time to onset of efficacy.

Long-term outcome of HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without in vitro T-cell depletion based on an FBCA conditioning regimen for hematologic malignancies

Haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) is an alternative for patients who need a transplant without having conventional donors. One hundred and five consecutive patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent G-CSF-primed peripheral blood haplo-HSCT without in vitro T-cell depletion in our single center were reported in this study. Patients were categorized into the intermediate-risk group (n=28) or high-risk group (n=77) according to the risk stratification. The conditioning regimen included fludarabine, busulfan, cyclophosphamide and anti-lymphocyte globulin. The cumulative incidence of grades II-IV acute GvHD (aGvHD) on day +100 was 21.9%, and that of grades III-IV aGvHD was 14.3%. The 2-year cumulative incidence of total chronic GvHD (cGvHD) was 24.1%, and that of extensive cGvHD was 5.6% in 83 eligible patients. The 3-year cumulative incidence rates of relapse and no relapse mortality were 21.9% and 30.5%, respectively. After a median follow-up of 35 months, the 3-year probabilities of overall and disease-free survival for the intermediate-risk and high-risk groups were 63.2% and 39.8% and 61.2% and 32.2%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, the outcome of survival (overall survival and disease-free survival) was associated with the risk stratification, disease status at transplant and dose of infused mononuclear cells. Our results suggest that unmanipulated peripheral blood stem cell allograft performed with fludarabine, busulfan, cyclophosphamide and anti-lymphocyte globulin conditioning regimen is feasible.

Testes-specific protease 50 promotes cell invasion and metastasis by increasing NF-kappaB-dependent matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression

The high mortality in breast cancer is often associated with metastatic progression in patients. Previously we have demonstrated that testes-specific protease 50 (TSP50), an oncogene overexpressed in breast cancer samples, could promote cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. However, whether TSP50 also has a key role in cell invasion and cancer metastasis, and the mechanism underlying the process are still unclear. Here we found that TSP50 overexpression greatly promoted cell migration, invasion, adhesion and formation of the stellate structures in 3D culture system in vitro as well as lung metastasis in vivo. Conversely, TSP50 knockdown caused the opposite changes. Mechanistic studies revealed that NF-κB signaling pathway was required for TSP50-induced cell migration and metastasis, and further results indicated that TSP50 overexpression enhanced expression and secretion of MMP9, a target gene of NF-κB signaling. In addition, knockdown of MMP9 resulted in inhibition of cell migration and invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Most importantly, immunohistochemical staining of human breast cancer samples strongly showed that the coexpression of TSP50 and p65 as well as TSP50 and MMP9 were correlated with increased metastasis and poor survival. Furthermore, we found that some breast cancer diagnosis-associated features such as tumor size, tumor grade, estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) levels, were correlated well with TSP50/p65 and TSP50/MMP9 expression status. Taken together, this work identified the TSP50 activation of MMP9 as a novel signaling mechanism underlying human breast cancer invasion and metastasis.

Single nucleotide polymorphism in the RECQL5 gene increased osteosarcoma susceptibility in a Chinese Han population

In this study, we investigated the association between a RECQL genetic polymorphism and osteosarcoma in a Chinese population. We selected rs820196 in the RECQL5 gene and genotyped 185 patients with osteosarcoma and 201 age- and gender-matched non-cancer controls. We found that the CC genotype was more frequent in the osteosarcoma group compared to the control group (P = 0.011). We also found that the C allele was more common in osteosarcoma patients than that in control subjects (P = 0.004). Our results suggested that the RECQL5 genetic polymorphism was associated with osteosarcoma in a Chinese population.

Expression analysis of ovostatin 2 reveals its involvement in proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of cutaneous malignant melanoma

The relationship of ovostatin 2 (OVOS2) expression with the clinicopathological features of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) was investigated to identify OVOS2 expression in cutaneous melanocytic lesions, and to reveal whether OVOS2 has a function in melanoma progression. Eight specimens of CMM and paracancerous tissue were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot for the mRNA and protein expression of OVOS2, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 52 CMM and 62 nevi, followed by clinicopathological significance analysis. The proliferative cells were visualized by staining with Ki-67 antibody. The intensity of angiogenesis was assessed by staining with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Real-time PCR and western blot analyses showed that OVOS2 was significantly upregulated in cutaneous melanoma than in paired normal skins. Immunohistochemistry showed that 86.5% (45/52) of malignant cases showed OVOS2 cytoplasmic expression compared with 29% (18/62) in benign nevi. OVOS2 expression was significantly higher in invasive and metastatic melanoma than in in situ melanoma (P < 0.01). Furthermore, OVOS2 expression was positively correlated with the known prognostic variables of melanoma including clinical stage, Clark level and Breslow depth. It was also significantly associated with ulcer status, Ki-67 labeling index and VEGF expression in primary melanoma. OVOS2 expression was significantly increased in CMM, which increased incrementally from benign nevi to melanoma and appeared to be involved in the progression of melanoma.

Bullous mycosis fungoides: report of a case complicated by Kaposi's varicelliform eruption

Vesiculobullous eruptions in mycosis fungoides (MF) are extremely rare. Here, we report a case of a 62-year-old woman presenting with erythematous patches and plaques of 2 years in duration, who had recently developed vesicles on erythematous MF plaques. Histopathological examination showed intra-subepidermal blisters, and infiltration of the epidermis by atypical lymphoid cells, forming Pautrier's microabscesses. Negative immunofluorescence excluded autoimmune blistering diseases. Immunohistochemistry revealed a CD4⁺ T-cell phenotype and gene rearrangement study confirmed a clonal T-cell proliferation. Kaposi's varicelliform eruption (KVE) developed in the patient 1 week after initiation of systemic corticosteroids and immunotherapy. Cluster of vesicles and erosions arising on the pre-existing plaque and a positive immunofluorescence test for Herpes simplex virus and histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of cutaneous herpes infection. This is the first case report on bullous MF complicated by KVE in the published work.

Arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis for time series possessing scaling statistics: comparison study with detrended fluctuation analysis and wavelet leaders

In this paper we present an extended version of Hilbert-Huang transform, namely arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis, to characterize the scale-invariant properties of a time series directly in an amplitude-frequency space. We first show numerically that due to a nonlinear distortion, traditional methods require high-order harmonic components to represent nonlinear processes, except for the Hilbert-based method. This will lead to an artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus the power law, if it exists, is contaminated. We then compare the Hilbert method with structure functions (SF), detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and wavelet leader (WL) by analyzing fractional Brownian motion and synthesized multifractal time series. For the former simulation, we find that all methods provide comparable results. For the latter simulation, we perform simulations with an intermittent parameter μ=0.15. We find that the SF underestimates scaling exponent when q>3. The Hilbert method provides a slight underestimation when q>5. However, both DFA and WL overestimate the scaling exponents when q>5. It seems that Hilbert and DFA methods provide better singularity spectra than SF and WL. We finally apply all methods to a passive scalar (temperature) data obtained from a jet experiment with a Taylor's microscale Reynolds number Re(λ)≃250. Due to the presence of strong ramp-cliff structures, the SF fails to detect the power law behavior. For the traditional method, the ramp-cliff structure causes a serious artificial energy flux from the low-frequency (large scale) to the high-frequency (small scale) part. Thus DFA and WL underestimate the scaling exponents. However, the Hilbert method provides scaling exponents ξ(θ)(q) quite close to the one for longitudinal velocity, indicating a less intermittent passive scalar field than what was believed before.

Second-order structure function in fully developed turbulence

We relate the second-order structure function of a time series with the power spectrum of the original variable, taking an assumption of statistical stationarity. With this approach, we find that the structure function is strongly influenced by the large scales. The large-scale contribution and the contribution range are, respectively, 79% and 1.4 decades for a Kolmogorov -5/3 power spectrum. We show numerically that a single scale influence range, over smaller scales is about 2 decades. We argue that the structure function is not a good method to extract the scaling exponents when the data possess large energetic scales. An alternative methodology, the arbitrary order Hilbert spectral analysis which may constrain this influence within 0.3 decade, is proposed to characterize the scaling property directly in an amplitude-frequency space. An analysis of passive scalar (temperature) turbulence time series is presented to show the influence of large-scale structures in real turbulence and the efficiency of the Hilbert-based methodology. The corresponding scaling exponents ζ(θ)(q) provided by the Hilbert-based approach indicate that the passive scalar turbulence field may be less intermittent than what was previously believed.

Impact of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project on the transmission of Schistosoma japonicum in China

The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP) is currently the key, national, water-conservation project in China, designed to optimise the use of water resources and relieve the water shortages in the north of the country. As one of the main water intakes for the project, that of the Eastern Route Scheme (ERS), is a breeding site for Oncomelania hupensis (the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum), there is concern that the snail may be carried far to the north, in the water passing through the project. To see if they could survive and breed to the north of their current range in China, O. hupensis were collected in marshland near Nanjing City and transferred to cages, on the banks of fish ponds, in the cities of Zhenjiang (in Jiangsu province, at 32 degrees 10'N), Xuzhou (in the same province but at a latitude of 34 degrees 23'N) and Jining (in Shandong province, at 35 degrees 23'N). Except over the first 6 months in Xuzhou, the snails moved north of their natural distribution did not survive and reproduce as well as those in Zhenjiang, and all those transferred to Jining died out within 1 year. Although the snail populations in Xuzhou survived for 7-8 years and retained their infectivity to S. japonicum, histological and histochemical studies revealed abnormalities in the reproductive organs of these snails. It is concluded that, unless global warming significantly increases the minimum winter temperatures in northern China, the SNWDP is unlikely to result in the northward spread of schistosomiasis japonica.

Preparation and Properties of Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/ Nano-Hydroxyapatite (NHA) Scaffolds by Thermally Induced Phase Separation and Rabbit MSCs Culture on Scaffolds

Biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composites scaffold can overcome the limitation of conventional ceramic bone substitutes such as brittleness and difficulty in shaping. To better mimic the mineral component and the microstructure of natural bone, novel nano-hydroxyapatite (NHA)/polymer composite scaffolds with high porosity and well-controlled pore architectures as well as high exposure of the bioactive ceramics to the scaffold surface is developed for efficient bone tissue engineering. In this article, regular and highly interconnected porous poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)/NHA scaffolds are fabricated by thermally induced phase separation technique. The effects of solvent composition, polymer concentration, coarsening temperature, and coarsening time as well as NHA content on the micro-morphology, mechanical properties of the PLGA/NHA scaffolds are investigated. The results show that pore size of the PLGA/NHA scaffolds decrease with the increase of PLGA concentration and NHA content. The introduction of NHA greatly increase the mechanical properties and water absorption ability which greatly increase with the increase of NHA content. Mesenchymal stem cells are seeded and cultured in three-dimensional (3D) PLGA/NHA scaffolds to fabricate in vitro tissue engineering bone, which is investigated by adhesion rate, cell morphology, cell numbers, and alkaline phosphatase assay. The results display that the PLGA/NHA scaffolds exhibit significantly higher cell growth, alkaline phosphatase activity than PLGA scaffolds, especially the PLGA/NHA scaffolds with 10 wt.% NHA. The results suggest that the newly developed PLGA/NHA composite scaffolds may serve as an excellent 3D substrate for cell attachment and migration in bone tissue engineering.

[Heteroplasmy in human mtDNA control region]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the length heteroplasmy and point heteroplasmy in human mtDNA control region.

METHODS

The peripheral blood, buccal cell, and single hair shaft from 50 individuals and 16 family members, related in their maternallineage were analyzed by direct sequencing, and clones from 20 individuals whose mtDNA sequences have a T-C transition at 16189 nt were sequenced.

RESULTS

No point heteroplasmy were observed in peripheral blood, buccal cell, single hair shaft from the same individual, neither in maternally related individuals. Length heteroplasmy was observed in those individuals with a homopolymeric tract and the different clones from the same individual has different proportions of length variants, but the hair shafts from the same individual were very similar to the measurements made from blood DNA. No length heteroplasmy was observed between different tissues from the same individual.

CONCLUSION

mtDNA sequences have a characteristic of high consistency and genetic stability, mtDNA sequencing is a suitable tool for forensic applications such as individual identification.

[Application of differential wavelet in detecting QRS complexes of ECG signal]

An algorithm based on wavelet transforms (WT'S) has been developed for detecting QRS complexes of ECG signal. In this paper, we use Mallat algorithm to calculate dyadic Marr wavelet transforms, analyse the relationship between singularity of the signal (the peak of R wave) and local maximal value of WT's from the view of equivalent wavelet filter, discuss the performance distinction between quadratic differential wavelet and single differential wavelet for singularity detection. Some other tactics are also applied to improve the anti-interference performance of the algorithm and to increase the correct detection rate of QRS complexes. Verified by the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database, the correct detection rate of QRS complexes is 99.8%.

Report of the consensus conference on diagnostic criteria of ALI/ARDS at high altitudes in Western China

China is a mountainous country. The Qing-Zang plateau, Yun-Gui plateau, and Yellow Land plateau, which are known as the world's ridge, are located in the west of China. The highland area over 3,000 m in height occupies one-sixth of the land area of China and half the highland area of the world. About 60-80 million people live in the regions where the elevation ranges from 1,500 m to 4,000 m. In the latter half of the last century, the influence of complex environmental factors on the human body, such as low oxygen pressure, cold climate, strong radiation, high wind speed, and super-evaporation, were studied in an extensive and profound way and formed an important field of altitude medicine. For a long time, many researchers have carried out investigations related to the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and its pathophysiological mechanism initiated by cytokines and mediators, regarding which many problems are still unclear. However, systematic research into the mechanism from SIRS to ARDS to MODS in the highlands remains blank. The diagnostic criteria of ALI/ARDS in the highlands are quite different from that in the plain, and thus was a central topic for discussion at this meeting.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and its role in oncogenesis of human gastric carcinoma

AIM

To establish the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the oncogenesis of human gastric carcinoma more directly.

METHODS

The expression of VEGF and its receptor kinase-domain insert containing receptor (KDR) in human gastric cancer tissue were observed by immunohistochemical staining. VEGF levels were manipulated in human gastric cancer cell using eukaryotic expression constructs designed to express the complete VEGF(165) complimentary DNA in either the sense or antisense orientation. The biological changes of the cells were observed in which VEGF was up-regulated or down-regulated.

RESULTS

VEGF-positive rate was 50%, and VEGF was mainly localized in the cytoplasm and membrane of the tumor cells, while KDR was mainly located in the membrane of vascular endothelial cells in gastric cancer tissues and peri-cancerous tissue. In 2 cases of 50 specimens, the gastric cancer cells expressed KDR, localized in both the cytoplasm and membrane. Introduction of VEGF(165) antisense into human gastric cancer cells (SGC-7901, immunofluorescence intensity, 31.6%)) resulted in a significant reduction in VEGF-specific messenger RNA and total and cell surface VEGF protein (immunofluorescence intensity, 8.9%) (P<0.05). Conversely, stable integration of VEGF(165) in the sense orientation resulted in an increase in cellular and cell surface VEGF (immunofluorescence intensity, 75.4%) (P<0.05). Lowered VEGF levels were associated with a marked decrease in the growth of nude mouse xenografted tumor (at 33 days postimplantation, tumor volume: 345.40 +/- 136.31 mm3)(P<0.05 vs control SGC-7901 group: 1534.40 +/- 362.88 mm3), whereas up-regulation of VEGF resulted in increased xenografted tumor size (at 33 days postimplantation, tumor volume: 2350.50 +/- 637.70 mm3) (P<0.05 vs control SGC-7901 group).

CONCLUSION

This study provides direct evidence that VEGF plays an important role in the oncogenesis of human gastric cancer.

[Prediction and evaluation of heterosis of beef cattle and their application]

The genetic structure and genetic variation of eight beef cattle cross parents populations were analyzed by six microsatellite loci, and heterosis of beef cattle was predicted. On the basis of microsatellite analysis, the effect of 18 cross combinations was estimated by the method of individual animal model BLUP. A new method of molecular quantitative genetics that select best of all cross combination was submitted. The results showed that the combinations with Hereford Limousine and Charolais as paternal parent are better than others in Fengning and Longhua regions; the combinations with Limousine Angus and Hereford as paternal parent are better than others in Zanhuang regions; the combinations with Hereford Limousine and Piemontese as paternal parent are better than others in Funing regions. Effect of three breeds cross is better than two breeds.

Identification of subdominant cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes encoded by autologous HIV type 1 sequences, using dendritic cell stimulation and computer-driven algorithm

Conventional analysis of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to HIV-1 may underestimate the true breadth of CTL epitopes recognized. This underestimation could be due to several reasons, including (1) the use of laboratory-adapted stains of HIV or consensus sequences, which would lead to the identification of only highly conserved epitopes, (2) the use of EBV-transformed B cells (B-LCLs) and vaccinia virus constructs in standard assays that may obscure low level CTL responses due to high EBV or vaccinia reactivity, and (3) relatively insensitive assays wherein PBMCs instead of professional APCs are used to stimulate CTL responses. To address these problems, we first identified an immunodominant HLA-B7-restricted CTL epitope, by standard cloning methods, in a long-term nonprogressor (LTNP). To determine whether the patient had CTLs specific for autologous viral sequences other than the dominant epitope, proviral DNA was cloned and sequenced. A matrix-based epitope algorithm (EpiMatrix) was used to identify the top 2% of peptides from the viral sequences with the highest likelihood of binding to HLA-B7. These 55 peptides were synthesized and tested for HLA-B7 binding in a T2/B7 cell line; 10 peptides were able to stabilize HLA-B7 on the cell surface. By using peptide-pulsed autologous dendritic cells as a more sensitive method of CTL stimulation, we found three additional subdominant CTL epitopes.

[Clinical study on modified sijunzi decoction in treating intestinal metaplasia of gastric mucosa]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of Modified Sijunzi decoction (MSJZD) in treating gastric pre-cancerous lesion.

METHODS

Two hundreds and two patients with chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia (IM) of gastric mucosa diagnosed by gastroscopy and pathological examination of biopsy were divided into 2 groups, 117 cases of the treatment group were treated with MSJZD and 85 cases of the control group were treated with Weimeisu. For both groups, re-examination was taken after a 3-month treatment.

RESULTS

The cure rate and total effective rate of IM in the treatment group were 55.6% and 87.2% respectively, while in the control group were 11.8% and 55.3% respectively (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The intestinal metaplasia process of gastric mucosa is reversible and MSJZD has good effect on it. This study provided a new way of pre-cancerous lesion treatment and gastric cancer prevention.

A baculovirus vector derived from immediately early gene promoter of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus

A transfer vector was constructed in which the neomycin resistance (neo) gene was under the control of a copy of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV) IE1 gene promoter at the p10 locus. After cotransfection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) cells with the transfer vector and infectious AcMNPV DNA, the recombinant virus-containing neo gene was selected by serial passage of the mixed progenies from cotransfection. This was done at low MOI in the presence of G418 in growth medium and was followed by limited dilution. RNA dot hybridization showed that the neo gene was transcribed from immediately early phase to very late phase, in infected Sf9 cells. These results demonstrate that a new baculovirus vector system had been constructed in infected cells. Furthermore, a new method for selection of positive recombinant baculovirus had been developed.