Vegetation-fire feedbacks increase subtropical wildfire risk in scrubland and reduce it in forests

Climate dictates wildfire activity around the world. But East and Southeast Asia are an apparent exception as fire-activity variation there is unrelated to climatic variables. In subtropical China, fire activity decreased by 80% between 2003 and 2020 amid increased fire risks globally. Here, we assessed the fire regime, vegetation structure, fuel flammability and their interactions across subtropical Hubei, China. We show that tree basal area (TBA) and fuel flammability explained 60% of fire-frequency variance. Fire frequency and fuel flammability, in turn, explained 90% of TBA variance. These results reveal a novel system of scrubland-forest stabilized by vegetation-fire feedbacks. Frequent fires promote the persistence of derelict scrubland through positive vegetation-fire feedbacks; in forest, vegetation-fire feedbacks are negative and suppress fire. Thus, we attribute the decrease in wildfire activity to reforestation programs that concurrently increase forest coverage and foster negative vegetation-fire feedbacks that suppress wildfire.

Bacteroides methylmalonyl-CoA mutase produces propionate that promotes intestinal goblet cell differentiation and homeostasis

Propionate is a short-chain fatty acid that is generated upon microbiome-mediated fiber fermentation in the intestine. By modulating immune and metabolic pathways, propionate exerts many health benefits. Key bacterial species, such as Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, generate propionate, but the biochemical pathways and specific functions remain undetermined. We identified a gene operon-encoding methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM) that contributes to propionate biosynthesis in B. thetaiotaomicron. Colonization of germ-free mice with wild-type or MCM-deficient strains as well as in vitro examination demonstrated that MCM-mediated propionate production promotes goblet cell differentiation and mucus-related gene expression. Intestinal organoids lacking the propionate receptor, GPR41, showed reduced goblet cell differentiation upon MCM-mediated propionate production. Furthermore, although wild-type B. thetaiotaomicron alleviated DSS-induced intestinal inflammation, this effect was abolished in mice receiving the MCM-deficient strain but restored upon propionate supplementation. These data emphasize the critical role of MCM-mediated propionate biosynthesis in goblet cell differentiation, offering potential pathways to ameliorate colitis.

Proteomics profiles reveal the potential roles of proteins involved in chicken macrophages stimulated by Lipopolysaccharide

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a core part of gram-negative bacteria, is crucial for inducing an inflammatory response in living things. In the current study, we used LPS from Salmonella to stimulate chicken macrophages (HD11). Proteomics was used to investigate immune-related proteins and their roles further. Proteomics investigation revealed 31 differential expression proteins (DEPs) after 4 hours of LPS infection. 24 DEPs expressions were up-regulated, while seven were down-regulated. In this investigation, ten DEPs were mainly enriched in S. aureus infection, complement, and coagulation cascades, which were all implicated in the inflammatory response and clearance of foreign pathogens. Notably, complement C3 was shown to be up-regulated in all immune-related pathways, indicating that it is a potential protein in this study. This work contributes to a better understanding and clarification of the processes of Salmonella infection in chickens. It might bring up new possibilities for treating and breeding Salmonella-infected chickens.

Human RSPO1 Mutation Represses Beige Adipocyte Thermogenesis and Contributes to Diet-Induced Adiposity

Recent genetic evidence has linked WNT downstream mutations to fat distribution. However, the roles of WNTs in human obesity remain unclear. Here, the authors screen all Wnt-related paracrine factors in 1994 obese cases and 2161 controls using whole-exome sequencing (WES) and identify that 12 obese patients harbor the same mutations in RSPO1 (p.R219W/Q) predisposing to human obesity. RSPO1 is predominantly expressed in visceral fat, primarily in the fibroblast cluster, and is increased with adiposity. Mice overexpressing human RSPO1 in adipose tissues develop obesity under a high-fat diet (HFD) due to reduced brown/beige fat thermogenesis. In contrast, Rspo1 ablation resists HFD-induced adiposity by increasing thermogenesis. Mechanistically, RSPO1 overexpression or administration significantly inhibits adipocyte mitochondrial respiration and thermogenesis via LGR4-Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Importantly, humanized knockin mice carrying the hotspot mutation (p.R219W) display suppressed thermogenesis and recapitulate the adiposity feature of obese carriers. The mutation disrupts RSPO1's electrostatic interaction with the extracellular matrix, leading to excessive RSPO1 release that activates LGR4-Wnt/β-catenin signaling and attenuates thermogenic capacity in differentiated beige adipocytes. Therefore, these findings identify that gain-of-function mutations and excessive expression of RSPO1, acting as a paracrine Wnt activator, suppress fat thermogenesis and contribute to obesity in humans.

Towards two-dimensional color tunability of all-solid-state electrochromic devices using carbon dots

Electrochromic devices (ECDs) that display multicolor patterns have gradually attracted widespread attention. Considering the complexity in the integration of various electrochromic materials and multi-electrode configurations, the design of multicolor patterned ECDs based on simple approaches is still a big challenge. Herein, it is demonstrated vivid ECDs with broadened color hues via introducing carbon dots (CDs) into the ion electrolyte layer. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of electrodes and electrolytes, the resultant ECDs presented a rich color change. Significantly, the fabricated ECDs can still maintain a stable and reversible color change even in high temperature environments where operating temperatures are constantly changing from RT to 70°C. These findings represent a novel strategy for fabricating multicolor electrochromic displays and are expected to advance the development of intelligent and portable electronics.

Wireless LC Conformal Temperature Sensor Based on Ag Film (9912-K FL) for Bearing Temperature Measurement

As the key component of aero-engines and industrial gas turbines, a bearing’s working temperature at high speed is close to 300 ℃. The measurement of an engine bearing’s temperature is of great significance to ensure flight safety. In this study, we present a wireless LC conformal temperature sensor for bearing temperatures, which integrates silver on the bearing surface in situ through a screen-printing process. This process makes Ag film (9912-K FL) firmly adhere to the bearing surface and realizes wireless measurements for bearing temperatures in situ. A high-temperature holding experiment of the prepared sensor was conducted, and the results showed that the sensor can work stably for 10 h at 300 ℃. We tested the designed wireless LC conformal temperature sensor at 20−270 ℃. The results showed that the proposed temperature sensor attained as good accuracy and stability in the temperature range 20−270 ℃. The sensitivity of the temperature measurements was 20.81 KHz/℃ when the bearing rotateds, the maximum repeatability was 0.039%, the maximum uncertainty was 0.081%, and the relative error was stable within 0.08%.

Rapid metagenomic identification of two major swine pathogens with real-time nanopore sequencing

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a rapid deep-sequencing diagnostic tool for the unbiased identification of pathogens. In this study, we established a nanopore-sequencing-based mNGS protocol to detect two major viral pathogens of swine, Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). Samples were spiked with the serially diluted viruses as standard references to define the specific protocols. The utility of the method was evaluated with key parameters. The limits of detection for PRRSV and PEDV were 2.3 × 10² and 9.0 × 10⁴ copies per reaction, respectively, and good correlations between PCR quantification cycle value and the mapped read count (log value) were observed. Only the nanopore reads could be assembled de novo into nearly full-length of the PRRSV genome, with 99.9% pairwise identity, and 90.0% genome coverage for PEDV. The established protocol was validated in PRRSV-positive clinical samples. The results for PRRSV-positive tissue and serum samples tested with mNGS protocol were 100% concordant with quantitative PCR results. The protocol also recognized infections of single or multiple viruses in a single sample. In conclusion, we have established a nanopore-sequencing-based mNGS protocol that efficiently identifies and characterizes viral pathogen(s) in a variety of clinical sample types.

Increased odds ratio for erectile dysfunction in COVID-19 patients

PURPOSE

Erectile dysfunction and COVID-19 share similar risk factors, including vascular disruption of integrity, cytokine release, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between erectile dysfunction and COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

Odds ratio for erectile dysfunction in patients with a history of COVID-19 with and without comorbidities were calculated using a patients' registry platform i2b2. ICD-10 diagnoses codes were accessed for queries and data were analyzed using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Patients with COVID-19 were 3.3 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction with 95% CI (2.8, 3.8). The association became stronger with odds ratio 4.8 (95% CI (4.1, 5.7)) after adjusting for age groups. The odds ratio remained the same after adjusting for smoking status with 3.5 (95% CI (3.0, 4.1)). After adjusting for race, COVID-19 patients were 2.6 (95% CI (2.2, 3.1)) times more likely to have erectile dysfunction. The odds ratio were 1.6, 1.8, 1.9 and 2.3 after adjusting for respiratory disease, obesity, circulatory disease and diabetes, respectively.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction are strongly associated even after adjustment for known risk factors and demographics.

[Quantitative analysis of differential proteins in liver tissues of patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis using iTRAQ technology]

OBJECTIVE

To screen differentially expressed proteins (DSPs) in the liver tissues of patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) using proteomic technologies to identify potential therapeutic targets of NASH.

METHODS

Liver tissue specimens were obtained from 3 patients with pathologically confirmed NASH and 3 normal control subjects. The total proteins were extracted from the specimens, and iTRAQ reagent was used to label the peptides for liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) detection. The DSPs were identified by comparing the data against UniProt protein database using Mascot2.3.02 software and were annotated and enriched using GO database; KEGG database was used for enrichment of the pathways involving these proteins. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed to detect the mRNA expressions of the significant DSPs in NASH.

RESULTS

By the criteria that a DSP has >1.2 or < 0.8 fold difference between NASH group and the control group and with P < 0.05 as the threshold, a total of 648 significant DSPs in NASH were identified, including 246 up-regulated and 402 down-regulated proteins. GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the DSPs were involved mainly in small molecule metabolism, organic acid metabolism, oxygen acid metabolism and other biological processes, and were enriched in KEGG pathways including the metabolic pathways, complement coagulation cascades, and ribosomes. Among the 25 DEPs with a fold difference >2.0 or < 0.5 (P < 0.05), 6 proteins showed consistent results between qPCR verification and proteomic analysis, including 5 down-regulated proteins: Jumonji protein (JARID2), Lebasillinlike protein (LCA5L), synaptophysin 1 (SYN1) and collagen α-1 (XIII) chain (COL13A1), FYVE, RhoGEF and PH domain protein 5 (FGD5), and 1 upregulated protein glutathione S-transferase Mu 4 (GSTM4).

CONCLUSION

We identified 648 DEPs inthe liver tissue of patients NASH using iTRAQ technology and bioinformatics methods, and among them JARID2, SYN1, COL13A1, FGD5, and GSTM4 may serve as the key target proteins of NASH.

Relationship between electrocardiographic changes and EPO level in stable CAD patients with autonomic nerve functional damage

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between electrocardiographic changes and erythropoietin (EPO) level in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with autonomic nerve functional damage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinical data of 96 stable CAD patients who were treated in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were grouped according to whether autonomic nerve function damage was combined; the baseline characteristic data and the morphological characteristics of ECG scattergram were compared between 2 groups, and the relationship between ECG scattergram and EPO level & autonomic nerve function was analyzed.

RESULTS

The levels of EPO and red cell volume distributing width (RDW) in stable CAD patients with autonomic nerve dysfunction were significantly higher than that of CAD patients without autonomic nerve dysfunction (p<0.05). The length of scattergram in stable CAD patients with autonomic nerve dysfunction was significantly shorter than that of those without autonomic nerve dysfunction (p<0.05). The cometary sign proportion of ECG scattergram in stable CAD patients with autonomic nerve dysfunction was significantly lower than that of stable CAD patients without autonomic nerve dysfunction (p<0.05). There was negative correlation between EPO levels and scattergram length in stable CAD patients with and without autonomic nerve dysfunction (r=0.44, p=0.02). There was no correlation between EPO levels and scatter width in stable CAD patients with and without autonomic nerve dysfunction (r=0.10, p=0.58). The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that EPO level was the independent risk factor for the occurrence of autonomic dysfunction in patients with stable CAD (p<0.05). The length of scattergram was the independent protective factor of autonomic nerve function impairment in patients with stable CAD (p<0.05). The AUC of EPO level and scattergram was 0.74 and 0.72 respectively, both of which have similar prediction value.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of EPO in stable CAD patients with autonomic nerve dysfunction was related to the change of ECG; and the EPO level and scattergram length can be used to predict the occurrence risk of autonomic nerve dysfunction.

A Bacterium Isolated From Soil in a Karst Rocky Desertification Region Has Efficient Phosphate-Solubilizing and Plant Growth-Promoting Ability

Phosphorus in the soil accessible to plants can easily be combined with calcium ion, the content of which is high in karst rocky desertification (KRD) regions, thereby resulting in a low utilization efficiency of phosphorus. The application of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) from the KRD region would facilitate enhanced phosphate availability in the soil. In the present study, the strains belonging to Acinetobacter, Paraburkholderia, and Pseudomonas with efficient phosphate-solubilizing ability were isolated from fruit tree rhizosphere soils in KRD regions. Particularly, Acinetobacter sp. Ac-14 had a sustained and stable phosphate-solubilizing ability (439–448 mg/L, 48–120 h). Calcium carbonate decreased the phosphate-solubilizing ability in liquid medium; however, it did not affect the solubilization index in agar-solidified medium. When cocultivated with Arabidopsis thaliana seedling, Ac-14 increased the number of lateral roots, fresh weight, and chlorophyll content of the seedlings. Metabolomics analysis revealed that Ac-14 could produce 23 types of organic acids, majorly including gluconic acid and D-(-)-quinic acid. Expression of Ac-14 glucose dehydrogenase gene (gcd) conferred Pseudomonas sp. Ps-12 with a sustained and stable phosphate-solubilizing ability, suggesting that the production of gluconic acid is an important mechanism that confers phosphate solubilization in bacteria. Moreover, Ac-14 could also produce indole acetic acid and ammonia. Collectively, the isolated Ac-14 from KRD regions possess an efficient phosphate-solubilizing ability and plant growth-promoting effect which could be exploited for enhancing phosphorus availability in KRD regions. This study holds significance for the improvement of soil fertility and agricultural sustainable development in phosphorus-deficient KRD regions.

The effect of in-hospital high-dose vs. low-dose intensive statin in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

Background

Statins remain a standard treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We aimed to determine the association between different dosages of in-hospital statins and the prognoses among patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

NSTE-ACS patients were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014 from five centres in China. Patients receiving either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin during their hospitalizations were included. All the patients were categorized into high-dose statin group (40mg atorvastatin or 20mg rosuvastatin) or low-dose statin group (20mg atorvastatin or 10mg rosuvastatin). In-hospital events and long-term all-cause death was recorded.

Results

Of the 7,008 patients included in the study, 5,248 received low-dose intensive statin (mean age: 64.28±10.39; female: 25.2%), and 1,760 received high-dose intensive statin (mean age: 63.68±10.59; female: 23.1%). There was no significant difference in in-hospital all-cause death between the two groups (adjusted OR, 1.27; P=0.665). All-cause death was similar between the two groups during the long-term follow-up period (30-day: adjusted HR, 1.28; P=0.571; 3-year: adjusted HR, 0.83; P=0.082). However, there was a robust association between the high-dose statin and the reduction in in-hospital dialysis (adjusted OR, 0.11; P=0.030).

Conclusions

The in-hospital high-dose intensive statin is not associated with lower risks of in-hospital or follow-up all-cause death in NSTE-ACS patients undergoing PCI. Considering the robust beneficial effect of in-hospital dialysis, an individualized high-dose intensive statin can be rational in specified populations.

Univariate and multivariate analyses

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City athe China Youth Research Funding

Peripheral T-cell Lymphoma, NOS With Epstein-Barr Virus Positivity in an Elderly Patient With Myelodysplastic Syndrome: An Autopsy Case Report

Casestudy

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated peripheral T-cell lymphomas are a group of aggressive neoplasms with a geographic predilection for South America and Asia, but are very rare in Western populations.

Results

We report a case of a 74-year-old Caucasian female who presented with pancytopenia and B symptoms with EBV-IgG detected on admission. Past medical history included: ITP, chronic urticaria, and recently diagnosed myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) on bone marrow biopsy one month prior to admission. Excisional biopsies of an enlarged right neck lymph node (repeated within 6 months) and right axillary lymph node five years ago were negative for a lymphoproliferative disorder at the time. Repeated bone marrow biopsy, performed during the current admission, confirmed the diagnosis of MDS, with scattered T-cells without aberrant immunophenotype. Despite aggressive treatment from multiple specialties, the patient deteriorated and expired four weeks later from complications of MDS. At autopsy, there was diffuse lymphadenopathy involving the mediastinum, axilla, pelvis and peripancreatic fat. Lymph node sections demonstrated nodal architecture effacement by diffuse, vaguely nodular lymphoid infiltrates.

Histologically, the infiltrates were composed of medium to large lymphocytes with round to slight irregular nuclei, rare Reed-Sternberg-like multinucleated cells, clumped chromatin, and indistinct nucleoli. Individual cell necrosis was abundant with mitotic figures readily identifiable. Immunohistochemistry revealed CD2+ CD3+ neoplastic T-cells that co-express MUM1 and a subset of CD30, while negative for CD4, CD5, CD8, CD56, ALK1, and TDT. EBV-encoded RNA in-situ hybridization was focally positive. The final postmortem diagnosis was peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (NOS), with focal EBV positivity.

Conclusion

Co-existence of a de-novo MDS and non-Hodgkin lymphoma without any prior chemotherapeutic exposure is a highly unusual finding, although MDS-like presentations can occur with EBV-associated lymphomas. Peripheral T-cell lymphoma, NOS is an aggressive lymphoma and EBV positivity has been found correlated with a poor prognosis. This case demonstrates how postmortem examination remains an important tool in clinical- pathological correlation and highlights the potential pathogenetic role EBV plays in MDS and T-cell lymphoma.

XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND

Previously published data on the association between the XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and thyroid cancer (TC) remain controversial.

METHODS

To clarify the association between the XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism and susceptibility to TC, a meta-analysis of case-control studies was conducted. We systematically searched PubMed and CNKI to identify relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) of various genetic models were estimated using fixed and random effects models. Heterogeneity was detected by Q-statistic, and the Egger's test was used to evaluate the publication bias.

RESULTS

A total of seven eligible studies for the XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism (1500 patients and 2358 controls) were included in this meta-analysis. The results of our study failed to suggest an association between the Arg194Trp polymorphism and susceptibility of TC. However, in the subgroup analyses by ethnicity, the OR was 0.82 (C allele vs. T allele, 95% CI 0.68-0.98; P = 0.24 for heterogeneity) among the Chinese population. Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed in the Caucasian population in any genetic model.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that the C allele of XRCC1 had an 18% significantly decreased risk of TC in Chinese, and there were no significant associations among Caucasians under all genetic models.

Endothelial CDS2 deficiency causes VEGFA-mediated vascular regression and tumor inhibition

The response of endothelial cells to signaling stimulation is critical for vascular morphogenesis, homeostasis and function. Vascular endothelial growth factor-a (VEGFA) has been commonly recognized as a pro-angiogenic factor in vertebrate developmental, physiological and pathological conditions for decades. Here we report a novel finding that genetic ablation of CDP-diacylglycerol synthetase-2 (CDS2), a metabolic enzyme that controls phosphoinositide recycling, switches the output of VEGFA signaling from promoting angiogenesis to unexpectedly inducing vessel regression. Live imaging analysis uncovered the presence of reverse migration of the angiogenic endothelium in cds2 mutant zebrafish upon VEGFA stimulation, and endothelium regression also occurred in postnatal retina and implanted tumor models in mice. In tumor models, CDS2 deficiency enhanced the level of tumor-secreted VEGFA, which in-turn trapped tumors into a VEGFA-induced vessel regression situation, leading to suppression of tumor growth. Mechanistically, VEGFA stimulation reduced phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) availability in the absence of CDS2-controlled-phosphoinositide metabolism, subsequently causing phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate (PIP3) deficiency and FOXO1 activation to trigger regression of CDS2-null endothelium. Thus, our data indicate that the effect of VEGFA on vasculature is context-dependent and can be converted from angiogenesis to vascular regression.

Expression and characterization of recombinant human lactoferrin in edible alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Lactoferrin (LF) is a naturally occurring iron-binding glycoprotein with a variety of biological functions. It has increasing demand every year and huge market potential. In this study, we explored the feasibility of expressing human LF (hLF) in edible algae C. reinhardtii. A codon-optimized hLF gene was synthesized, inserted into pCAMBIA-1301C and transformed into C. reinhardtii SP strain. In total, 7 hLF-expressing clones were selected with clone 121 exhibiting the highest expression level. The hLF-containing algal extract significantly inhibited the growth of bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella variicola. During acute toxicity experiment no acute toxicity was detected, especially on changes of the body weight and histopathology of organs. The recombinant hLF possessed a similar or modestly reduced stability compared to commercial hLF standard. Our data indicated that expression of hLF in C. reinhardtii is feasible and paved a way to commercial production of lactoferrin using edible Chlamydomonas expression system.

Abbreviations: atrazine chlorohydrolase gene (atzA); bovine serum albumin (BSA); human LF (hLF); lactoferrin (LF); Luria-Bertani (LB); quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) ; SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE); Tris-acetate phosphate (TAP); western blotting (WB)

Leukocyte Cytoskeleton Polarization Is Initiated by Plasma Membrane Curvature from Cell Attachment

Cell polarization is important for various biological processes. However, its regulation, particularly initiation, is incompletely understood. Here, we investigated mechanisms by which neutrophils break their symmetry and initiate their cytoskeleton polarization from an apolar state in circulation for their extravasation during inflammation. We show here that a local increase in plasma membrane (PM) curvature resulting from cell contact to a surface triggers the initial breakage of the symmetry of an apolar neutrophil and is required for subsequent polarization events induced by chemical stimulation. This local increase in PM curvature recruits SRGAP2 via its F-BAR domain, which in turn activates PI4KA and results in PM PtdIns4P polarization. Polarized PM PtdIns4P is targeted by RPH3A, which directs PIP5K1C90 and subsequent phosphorylated myosin light chain polarization, and this polarization signaling axis regulates neutrophil firm attachment to endothelium. Thus, this study reveals a mechanism for the initiation of cell cytoskeleton polarization.

EDACO, a derivative of myricetin, inhibits the differentiation of Gaoyou duck embryonic osteoclasts in vitro

1. This study determined the effects of (E)-3-(2-(4-(3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acryloyl)phenoxy)ethoxy)-5,7-dimethoxy-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4H-chromen-4-one (EDACO) on the differentiation of Gaoyou duck embryonic osteoclasts cultured in vitro. 2. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) were collected from 23-d-old Gaoyou duck embryos and induced by macrophage colony-stimulating factor and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand in the presence of EDACO at different concentrations (i.e. 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 µM). Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and resorption ability determination were conducted. 3. Results suggested that EDACO suppressed the shaping of positive multinucleated cells and the number of TRAP-positive cells in the 20, 40, 80 and 160 μM EDACO groups was significantly decreased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Besides, the absorption activity of differentiated duck embryonic osteoclasts was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) in both 80 and 160 μM EDACO groups. 4. Overall, EDACO can inhibit the differentiation of BM-MNC into mature osteoclasts in duck embryos.1.

[The clinical characteristics of 346 patients with IgG4-related disease]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of IgG₄-related disease (IgG₄-RD)so as to improve the understanding of IgG₄-RD in China. Methods: IgG₄-RD patients were recruited from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2011 and January 2016. All patients were followed-up for more than 6 months. The demographic characteristics, symptoms, organ involvements, laboratory examinations and treatment efficacy were evaluated and analyzed. Results: A total of 346 patients were finally enrolled, including 230 males (66.5%) and 116 females (33.5%). The mean age of disease onset was (53.8±14.2) years old. The mostly common involved organs were lymph nodes (56.4%) and submandibular glands (52.6%). Other affected organs and manifestations included: swelling of the lacrimal glands (46.5%), autoimmune pancreatitis (38.4%), pulmonary involvement (28.0%), sclerosing cholangitis (25.4%), naso-sinusitis (23.4%), parotid gland swelling (21.7%), retroperitoneal fibrosis (19.9%), large arteries involvement (9.5%), kidney involvement (obstructive nephropathy caused by retroperitoneal fibrosis was excluded) (6.9%), skin lesions (6.4%). Rare features consisted of thyroid glands, pituitary glands, gastrointestinal tract, pachymeningitis, pericardium, sclerosing mediastinitis and orchitis. The majority of patients had multi-organ involvement, such as 74.3% patients with 3 and more, 18.2% and 7.5% patients with 2 and single organ involvement respectively. The average IgG₄-RD responder index (IgG₄-RD RI) was 13.21±5.70. History of allergy was found in 172 (49.7%) patients. As to the laboratory tests, elevated serum IgG₄ levels were confirmed in 285 (94.1%) patients, which was positively correlated with IgG₄-RD RI. There were 33.5% patients receiving monotherapy of glucocorticoid, 52.6% treated with glucocorticoids combined with immunosuppressive agents, 4.9% patients with immunosuppressant only, and 9.0% patients with mild disease not receiving medication. The majority (336, 97.1%) patients improved the above regimens. Conclusion: IgG₄-RD is a systemic fibro-inflammatory disease with multiple organ involvement. The mostly common involved organs include lymph node, submandibular glands, and pancreas. Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents were effective for IgG₄-RD.

Effects of different menopausal hormone replacement regimens on body composition in Chinese women

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different menopausal hormone therapy regimens on body composition in healthy postmenopausal Chinese women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred and twenty-three healthy postmenopausal Chinese women were randomly assigned to either group A (0.625 mg conjugated equine estrogens [CEE] plus 100 mg micronized progesterone [MP]), group B (0.3 mg CEE plus 100 mg MP), or group C (0.625 mg CEE plus 10 mg dydrogesterone). Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

RESULTS

One hundred and two women completed the trial at 1 year. A small but significant gain in lean body mass (619 ± 1019 g, p = 0.002) and a decrease of fat mass in all separate regions was observed in group A. A significant shift from gynoid to android fat distribution was observed in group B and group C (android/gynoid fat percentage ratios increased by 0.06 ± 0.08, p = 0.000 and 0.03 ± 0.08, p = 0.018, respectively), whereas no significant change was observed in group A (0.02 ± 0.06, p = 0.103).

CONCLUSIONS

In healthy postmenopausal Chinese women, 0.625 mg of CEE combined with 100 mg of MP was associated with a more favorable fat distribution compared with 0.3 mg CEE plus 100 mg MP or 0.625 mg CEE plus 10 mg dydrogesterone.

Variability of seed oil content, fatty acid composition, and nervonic acid content in

The seed oil of 138 accessions of 14 Acer truncatum (Aceraceae family) populations native to China were analyzed by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. The oil content ranged from 17.81% to 36.56% (mean: 28.57%), which mainly consisted of 14 types of fatty acids. Palmitic (4.69%), stearic (2.30%), oleic (25.19%), linoleic (32.97%), linolenic (2.76%), cis-11-eicosenoic (7.90%), erucic (16.49%), and nervonic (5.76%) fatty acids accounted for 98% of total fat. The nervonic acid content ranged from 3.90% to 7.85% among the accessions. Significant variations in oil content and predominating fatty acids were observed among populations. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis detected obvious geographical variation trends among A. truncatum populations which correlate with environmental variations (especially altitude, temperature, and precipitation) and supported the grouping of the populations into three groups according to geographic locations.

[Impact of chemotherapy on ovarian function and quality of life of patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia]

Objective: Using a questionnaire to evaluate different regimens of chemotherapy on ovarian function and quality of life of patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) . Methods: At least 6 months after completion of chemotherapy, 200 patients with GTN treated in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2010 to June 2017 were randomly selected to fill up the questionnaire. The questionnaire items were included the patient's menstrual cycles, sexual life, gestational issues and common health. The patients were divided into 3 groups by chemotherapy regimens: actinomycin D (Act-D) group, floxuridine+Act-D+vincristine (FAV) or floxuridine+Act-D+etoposide+vincristine (FAEV) group (FAV-FAEV group) , and etoposide+methotrexate+Act-D (EMA) /vincristine+cyclophosphamide (CO) or EMA/ etoposide+cisplatin (EP) group (EMA/CO-EMA/EP group) . Chi-square test was used with a significance level of P-value less than 0.05. Results: One hundred and seventy-three (86.5%,173/200) of the patients completed the questionnaire. Forty three point two percent (43.2%, 19/44) in the EMA/CO-EMA/EP group had a normal menstrual cycle, which were significantly lower than those of Act-D group (84.6%,22/26) and FAV-FAEV group (71.2%, 37/52; all P<0.05) . Amenorrhea rate was also significantly higher in EMA/CO-EMA/EP group (25.0%, 11/44) than in Act-D group (0) and FAV-FAEV group (17.3%, 9/52; all P<0.05) . The sexual life parameters were comparable among 3 groups. Ten out of thirty-two patients conceived after chemotherapy, 2 had miscarriages and 8 had full-term delivery of healthy babies. The common health and labor capacity were significantly decreased after chemotherapy (all P<0.05) . Conclusions: EMA/CO or EMA/EP regimen have a worse impact on ovarian function than Act-D and FAV or FAEV regimen. Gynecologic oncologist should be concerned about the ovarian function and quality of life of GTN patients.

Influence of hormone therapy or C. foetida extract on breast tenderness in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prevalence of breast tenderness in a population treated with menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) or Cimicifuga foetida extract.

METHODS

A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Ninety-six postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to three groups: group A, 1 mg estradiol valerate daily plus 4 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), days 19-30; group B, 1 mg estradiol valerate daily plus 100 mg micronized progesterone (MP), days 19-30; group C, 100 mg C. foetida extract daily. Breast tenderness was evaluated daily for 12 months.

RESULTS

Seventy-three patients completed the study. Group A had the highest prevalence of breast tenderness, while group C had the lowest. More than 50% of all participants reported no symptoms throughout the period. The participants in group A experienced a sharp increase in breast tenderness after treatment, but decreased after 1 month. No significant decline was found in the duration of pain in group B. The patients in group C reported no remarkable changes after 1 month. Compared to estrogen only, estrogen plus MPA/MP led to a higher incidence of prolonged breast symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to MHT groups, C. foetida extract had the lowest prevalence of breast tenderness. Most participants experienced mild or no symptoms.

[Comparison of efficacy between sorafenib and sunitinib as first-line therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma and analyze prognostic factors for survival]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and drug related adverse reactions of sorafenib and sunitinib as first-line tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and analyze the clinical prognostic factor for survival. Methods: The data of 271 patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma who had complete clinicopathological data were retrospectively analyzed, including 174 cases in sorafenib group and 97 cases in sunitinib group, to access patients' overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Prognostic values of all characteristics were determined by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. Results: The objective response rates (ORR) of the sorafenib and sunitinib groups were 14.9% and 19.6%, respectively, and the disease control rates (DCR) were 85.1% and 88.6%, respectively. No significant difference was found between the sorafenib and sunitinib group in ORR (P=0.325) or DCR (P=0.408). The most common grade 3 to 4 adverse events in the sorafenib group were hand-foot syndrome (6.7%), diarrhea (2.3%), and rash (2.3%). The most common grade 3 to 4 adverse events in the sunitinib group were neutropenia (6.2%), hand-foot syndrome (6.2%), and thrombocytopenia (4.6%). During the follow-up, 97 cases death occurred and 81 cases disease progression occurred in sorafenib group. The median PFS was 12 months (95% CI: 9-15 months), and the median OS was 25 months (95% CI: 21-29 months) in sorafenib group. While 74 cases death occurred and 40 cases disease progression occurred in sunitinib group, the median PFS was 12 months (95% CI: 10-12 months) and the median OS was 23 months (95% CI: 20-32 months) in sunitinib group. No significant difference was found between the sorafenib and the sunitinib group in PFS (P=0.771) or OS (P=0.548). Multivariate analysis showed Fuhrman grades (HR=1.358, 95%CI: 1.004-1.835), number of metastatic sites (HR=1.550, 95%CI: 1.143-2.101) and MSKCC risk grade (Intermediate risk group: HR=1.621, 95%CI: 1.117-2.232; Poor risk group: HR=2.890, 95%CI: 1.942-4.298) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Fuhrman grades (HR=2.135, 95%CI: 1.533-2.974), number of metastatic sites (HR=1.774, 95%CI: 1.279-2.461) and MSKCC risk grade (Intermediate risk group: HR=1.415, 95%CI: 1.002-1.998; Poor risk group: HR=3.161, 95%CI: 2.065-4.838) were independent prognostic factors for OS. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that sorafenib and sunitinib are both effective as the first-line TKIs for mRCC patients and sorafenib has comparable efficacy to sunitinib. But they have differences in the incidence of adverse effects. Fuhrman grades, number of metastatic sites and MSKCC risk grade are independent prognostic factors for mRCC patients.

[Effect of low-dose or standard-dose conjugated equine estrogen combined with different progesterone on bone density in menopause syndrome women]

Objective: To explore the effect of low-dose or standard-dose conjugated equine estrogen (CEE) combined with natural progesterone or dydrogesterone on bone density in menopause syndrome women. Methods: Totally 123 patients with menopause syndrome were recruited and randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: group A (low-dose CEE+progesterone) , group B (standard-dose CEE+progesterone) , group C (standard-dose CEE+dydrogesterone) . Using continuous sequential regimen, the duration of intervention was 12 cycles. The bone mineral density of lumbar 2-4 and neck of femur, the bone metabolic markers, the level of FSH and estradiol were examined just before the drug administration and 12 months after the beginning of experiment. Results: There were 107 cases completed the one year trial. (1) Bone density: after 12 cycles of treatment, there was no significant change in bone density in group A (P>0.05) ; lumbar vertebrae of group B and C increased significantly, at 3.0% and 2.1%respectively (all P<0.05) . The bone density of left femoral neck of group C significantly increased by 2.9% (P=0.029) . There was no significant difference among the treatment groups at the beginning of experiment (P>0.05) . (2) Bone metabolic markers: after 12 cycles of treatment, the levels of calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, Ca/Cr decreased significantly, the difference were statistically significant (all P<0.05) . There was no significant difference among the treatment groups at the beginning of experiment (P>0.05) . (3) Levels of FSH and estradiol: after 12 cycles of treatment, the levels of FSH in three groups were decreased significantly (all P<0.01) . The levels of estradiol in three groups were increased significantly (all P<0.01) . There was no significant difference among the treatment groups at the beginning of experiment (P>0.05) . Conclusions: Both low-dose and standard-dose menopause hormone therapy (MHT) could elevate the level of estradiol, reduce bone turnover, prevent bone loss of postmenopausal women effectively. The standard dose of MHT could also increase the density of vertebrae and femoral neck, and generate more clinical benefits.

Efficacy and safety evaluation of Cimicifuga foetida extract in menopausal women

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term treatment with Cimicifuga foetida extract in menopausal women.

METHODS

A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 96 early postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to three groups: group A received 1 mg estradiol valerate daily plus 4 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate on days 19-30; group B received 1 mg estradiol valerate daily plus 100 mg micronized progesterone on days 19-30; group C received 100 mg C. foetida extract daily. The efficacy was evaluated. Safety parameters were recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 81 patients completed the treatment and follow-up visit. The modified Kupperman Menopausal Index scores decreased after 3 months in all groups. No significant changes were observed in the liver, renal function and components of metabolic syndrome in group C (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the incidences of metabolic syndrome among the three groups (p > 0.05). After 24 months, the endometrial thickness increased significantly in group B (p = 0.014), but not in the C. foetida extract group (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

C. foetida extract is safe and effective for the treatment of menopausal symptoms in postmenopausal women.

Arterial spin labelling MRI for detecting pseudocapsule defects and predicting renal capsule invasion in renal cell carcinoma

AIM

To evaluate prospectively the performance of combining morphological and arterial spin labelling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting pseudocapsule defects in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and to predict renal capsule invasion confirmed histopathologically.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty consecutive patients with suspicious renal tumours underwent MRI. Renal ASL imaging was performed and renal blood flow was measured quantitatively. The diagnostic performance of T2-weighted images alone, and a combination of T2-weighted and ASL images for predicting renal capsule invasion were assessed.

RESULTS

Twenty renal lesions were evaluated in 20 patients. All lesions were clear cell RCCs (ccRCCs) confirmed at post-surgical histopathology. Fifteen ccRCCs showed pseudocapsule defects on T2-weighted images, of which 12 cases showed existing blood flow in defect areas on perfusion images. To predict renal capsule invasion, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 100%, 71.4%, 86.7%, 100%, respectively, for T2-weighted images alone, and 92.3%, 100%, 100%, 87.5%, respectively, for the combination of T2-weighted and ASL images.

CONCLUSION

ASL images can reflect the perfusion of pseudocapsule defects and as such, the combination of T2-weighted and ASL images produces promising diagnostic accuracy for predicting renal capsule invasion.

Retrospective Validation of a Computer-Assisted Quantification Model of Intracerebral Hemorrhage Volume on Accuracy, Precision, and Acquisition Time, Compared with Standard ABC/2 Manual Volume Calculation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intracerebral hemorrhage accounts for 6.5%-19.6% of all acute strokes. Initial intracerebral hemorrhage volume and expansion are both independent predictors of clinical outcomes and mortality. Therefore, a rapid, unbiased, and precise measurement of intracerebral hemorrhage volume is a key component of clinical management. The most commonly used method, ABC/2, results in overestimation. We developed an interactive segmentation program, SegTool, using a novel graphic processing unit, level set algorithm. Until now, the speed, bias, and precision of SegTool had not been validated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In a single stroke academic center, 2 vascular neurologists and 2 neuroradiologists independently performed a test-retest experiment that involved repeat measurements of static, unchanging intracerebral hemorrhage volumes on CT from 76 intracerebral hemorrhage cases. Measurements were made with SegTool and ABC/2. True intracerebral hemorrhage volumes were estimated from a consensus of repeat manual tracings by 2 operators. These data allowed us to estimate measurement bias, precision, and speed.

RESULTS

The measurements with SegTool were not significantly different from the true intracerebral hemorrhage volumes, while ABC/2 overestimated volume by 45%. The interrater measurement variability with SegTool was 50% less than that with ABC/2. The average measurement times for ABC/2 and SegTool were 35.7 and 44.6 seconds, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

SegTool appears to have attributes superior to ABC/2 in terms of accuracy and interrater reliability with a 9-second delay in measurement time (on average); hence, it could be useful in clinical trials and practice.

Outcomes of standard dose EC-MPS with low exposure to CsA in DCD renal transplantation recipients with DGF

AIMS

The lower limit of exposure to cyclosporine A (CsA) has not yet been established in donation after cardiac death (DCD) renal transplantation recipients with delayed graft function (DGF) receiving enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) therapy. Stable and adequate mycophenolic acid (MPA) dosing may facilitate lower CsA exposure after DCD renal transplantation in recipients with DGF without compromising safety.

METHODS

A 12-month, single-centre open-label prospective trial was performed in our centre. According to their DGF risk index using the previous DGF prediction models, we divided up the patients on oral CsA into either a DGF group (n = 26) and no DGF group (n = 48). All of the patients initially received the standard EC-MPS dosing (1440 mg/day). The initial dose of CsA in the low risk of DGF group was 4.5 mg/kg/day and in the high risk of DGF group was 2.5 mg/kg/day. Efficacy parameters, safety and tolerability were assessed over a 12-month study period.

RESULTS

The incidence of DGF was 18.5% in the 162 DCD recipients. Between the DGF group and the no DGF group, the 1-year patient survival and graft survival were not significantly different. The incidence of BPAR was higher in the DGF group (26.9% vs. 8.3%, p = 0.032). Most patients in the DGF group had recovery of renal function after 1 month. The adverse events between the two groups were not significantly different. The daily EC-MPS doses of the DGF group were significantly higher than the no DGF group before the 6-month follow-up period. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the mean AUC levels during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show that low expose CsA with standard dosing of EC-MPS and thymoglobulin was efficacious, safe and well-tolerated in DCD renal transplant recipients with DGF in China. Furthermore, stable and adequate MPA exposure helped to reduce the dose of and exposure to CsA. Thus, this may lead to less-induced nephrotoxicity and better renal function recovery.

Abstract A015: Protein arginine deiminase enzymes which citrullinate epitopes for MHC II presentation are independent predictors of survival in colorectal cancer

Citrullination of proteins is associated with a number of autoimmune diseases. Protein Arginine Deiminases (PADs) are a family of Ca2+ dependent enzymes that under cellular stress post-translationally convert arginine to citrulline within protein substrates to generate self-modified neo-antigens. It has been shown that presentation of citrullinated peptides on MHC class II stimulates CD4 T cells to mediate potent anti-tumor immunity (1). In this study we focus on the role of the PADI2 and PADI4 family members in colorectal cancer. Using a tissue microarray of colorectal cancers and compiling a comprehensive database of clinicopathological variables, the expression of PADI2 and PADI4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a study cohort. This data was used to correlate PADI2 and PADI4 expression with patient survival.

In the study cohort 462 colorectal tumors were stained for PADI2 and PADI4. Of these 171 (37%) and 231 (50%) could not be evaluated for PADI2 and PADI4 staining respectively due to the absence of enough tissue core or no evaluable tumor cells (i.e. all stroma) in the core. Of the 291 evaluable colorectal tumors stained with a PADI2 specific antibody, only 18/291 (6.2%) tumors failed to stain. A further 153/291 (52.5%) stained weakly, 102/291 (35.1%) moderate and 18/291 (6.2%) stained strongly. Of the 231 evaluable colorectal tumors stained with a PADI4 specific antibody, no tumors failed to stain. All cases stained strongly for PADI4 expression within the nucleus. In the cytoplasm 63/231 (27.3%) stained weakly, 143/231 (61.9%) moderate and 25/231 (10.8%) stained strongly.

PADI2 expression did not correlate with any clinicopathological variables whereas nuclear but not cytoplasmic PADI4 showed a strong association with histological type (p = 0.008). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed there was a correlation of PADI2 and cytoplasmic PADI4 expression with improved survival. Expression of PADI2 gave an increase in survival time from 44.8 months (95% CI 24.3 to 65.4) to 76.2 months (95% CI 69.9 to 82.4, log rank test, p = 0.012). Expression of cytoplasmic PADI4 increased survival time from 57.9 months (95% CI 43.6 to 72.3) to 77.3 months (95% CI 69.6 to 85.1, log rank test, p = 0.012). No significant correlation was observed between PADI2 and the cytoskeletal protein Vimentin or the glycolytic enzyme α-enolase both reported to be citrullinated by PAD enzymes. PADI2 expression was significantly associated with expression of the Nuclear antigen Ki67 (p = 0.046) a cellular marker for proliferation. Nuclear PADI4 significantly correlated with the cytoplasmic glycolytic enzyme α-enolase only (p = 0.001) and cytoplasmic PADI4 was highly significantly associated with α-enolase located in both the cytoplasm (p&lt;0.001) and shorter nuclear form (p&lt;0.001) known as MBP-1, a transcription factor known to downregulate the activity of the c-myc proto-oncogene. Cytoplasmic PADI4 expression also significantly correlated with expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 (p = 0.028). Multivariate analysis using Cox regression showed that PADI2 (p = 0.040)/Cytoplasmic PADI4 (p = 0.036), the stress related protein MICA (p = 0.006/0.022), vascular invasion (p&lt;0.001, 0.040) and tumor stage (p&lt;0.001/&lt;0.001) are all independent markers of good prognosis in colorectal cancer. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that stressed tumor cells present citrullinated epitopes allowing their growth to be controlled by T cells.

References

1. Brentville VA, Metheringham RL, Gunn B, Symonds P, Daniels I, Gijon M, Cook K, Xue W, Durrant LG (2016). Citrullinated vimentin presented on MHC-II in tumor cells is a target for CD4+ T cell-mediated antitumor immunity. Cancer Research 2016 Feb 1;76(3):548-60

Citation Format: R. Metheringham, M. Gijon, I. Daniels, K. Cook, P. Symonds, T. Pitt, W. Xue, V. Brentville, L. Durrant. Protein arginine deiminase enzymes which citrullinate epitopes for MHC II presentation are independent predictors of survival in colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A015.

[Value of perineural invasion in prostatectomy specimen in the assessment on tumor progression and prognosis]

OBJECTIVE

To assess perineural invasion in prostatectomy specimen(PNIp)on tumor progression and prognosis after radical prostatectomy.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis including 502 prostate cancer patients admitted in Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University from December 2002 to May 2014 was studied.Differences of serum prostate specific antigen(PSA), Gleason score of prostate biopsy, Gleason score of prostatectomy specimen, tumor stage, capsular invasion, positive surgical margin, seminal invasion, pelvic lymph node metastasis, nadir PSA were analyzed in patients with PNIp and without PNIp. Logistic regression analysis, Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis was used to analyzed the data, respectively.

RESULTS

There were 91 patients with PNIp(18.1%) and 411 patients without PNIp(81.9%). Differences of serum PSA, Gleason score of prostate biopsy, Gleason score of prostatectomy specimen, tumor stage, capsular invasion, seminal invasion, nadir PSA between the two groups were found(all P<0.05). In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, PNIp was independent predictor of Gleason score of prostate biopsy, Gleason score of prostatectomy specimen, tumor stage, capsular invasion(OR=1.515, 1.955, 2.069, 1.859, all P<0.05). One hundred and twenty-one patients with biochemical serum recurrence(26.7%). Serum PSA, Gleason score of prostate biopsy, Gleason score of prostatectomy specimen, tumor stage, PNIp, seminal invasion were related to biochemical serum recurrence(P<0.05). In the multivariable cox regression analysis, serum PSA, Gleason score of prostate biopsy, PNIp, seminal invasion were independent predictors of biochemical serum recurrence(HR=1.021, 1.441, 1.663, 3.257, all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

PNIp is the important predictor of the tumor progression and prognosis of prostate cancer.