[Clinicopathological features of Sjogren's syndrome complicated with liver injury]

Objective: To study the clinicopathological features of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) with liver injury and to improve the understanding of this disease. Methods: Forty-nine patients with SS complicated with liver injury were collected from Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2008 to January 2022. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy, and all specimens were stained with HE. The histopathologic characteristics were observed and the pathologic indexes were graded. Immunohistochemical stains for CK7, CK19, CD38, MUM1 and CD10 were performed by EnVision method; and special histochemical stains for reticulin, Masson's trichrome, Rhodanine, Prussian blue, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and D-PAS stains were conducted. Results: The age of patients ranged from 31 to 66 years, including 3 males and 46 females. SS combined with drug-induced liver injury was the most common (22 cases, 44.9%), followed by autoimmune liver disease (13 cases, 26.5%, including primary biliary cholangitis in eight cases, autoimmune hepatitis in 3 cases, and PBC-AIH overlap syndrome in 2 cases), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, 9 cases, 18.4%) and other lesions (5 cases, 10.2%; including 3 cases of nonspecific liver inflammation, 1 case of liver amyloidosis, and 1 case of porto-sinusoidal vascular disease). Among them, 28 cases (57.1%) were associated with obvious interlobular bile duct injury, mainly in SS combined with PBC group and drug-induced liver injury group. Twenty-three cases (46.9%) were associated with hepatocyte steatosis of varying degrees. In SS with autoimmune liver disease group, ISHAK score, degree of fibrosis bile duct injury, bile duct remodeling, lymphocyte infiltration of portal area, and plasma cell infiltration, MUM1 and CD38 expression; serum ALP and GGT, IgM; elevated globulin; positive AMA, proportion of AMA-M2 positive and IgM positive were all significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). Serum ALT, direct bilirubin and SSA positive ratio in SS combined with drug liver group were significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). The serum total cholesterol level in SS combined with PBC group (P=0.006) and NALFD group (P=0.011) were significantly higher than those in other groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: The pathologic manifestations of SS patients with liver injury are varied. The inflammatory lesions of SS patients with autoimmune liver disease are the most serious, and the inflammatory lesions of SS patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-specific inflammation are mild. Comprehensive analysis of liver histopathologic changes and laboratory findings is helpful for the diagnosis of SS complicated with different types of liver injury.

[Follicular lymphoma with a predominantly diffuse growth pattern with 1p36 deletion: a clinicopathologic analysis of eight cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical and pathologic features and diagnosis of follicular lymphoma (FL) with a predominantly diffuse growth pattern (DFL) with 1p36 deletion. Methods: Eight cases of DFL with 1p36 deletion diagnosed at Department of Pathology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University (n=5) and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan Cancer Hospital (n=3) from January 2017 to January 2023 were included. Their clinicopathologic features and follow-up data were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were performed. Results: There were five males and three females, with a median age of 67 years, and inguinal lymphadenopathy was found as the main symptom. Histologically, similar morphologic features were sheared among all cases, with effaced nodal structure and characterized by proliferation of centrocytes in a diffuse pattern, with or without follicular components. The germinal center-related markers such as CD10 and/or bcl-6 were expressed in the tumor cells, and 1p36 deletion but not bcl-2 translocation was appreciable in these cases. Conclusions: DFL with 1p36 deletion is a rare subtype of FL, with some overlaps with other types of FL or indolent B-cell lymphomas in their pathologic features. An accurate diagnosis requires comprehensive considerations based on their clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features.

Clinical Implication of E2F Transcription Factor 1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tissues

Background: To date, the clinical management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients remains challenging and the mechanisms of E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1) underlying HCC are obscure. Materials and Methods: Our study integrated datasets mined from several public databases to comprehensively understand the deregulated expression status of E2F1. Tissue microarrays and immunohistochemistry staining was used to validate E2F1 expression level. The prognostic value of E2F1 was assessed. In-depth subgroup analyses were implemented to compare the differentially expressed levels of E2F1 in HCC patients with various tumor stages. Functional enrichments were used to address the predominant targets of E2F1 and shedding light on their potential roles in HCC. Results: We confirmed the elevated expression of E2F1 in HCC. Subgroup analyses indicated that elevated E2F1 level was independent of various stages in HCC. E2F1 possessed moderate discriminatory capability in differentiating HCC patients from non-HCC controls. Elevated E2F1 correlated with Asian race, tumor classification, neoplasm histologic grade, eastern cancer oncology group, and plasma AFP levels. Furthermore, high E2F1 correlated with poor survival condition and pooled HR signified E2F1 as a risk factor for HCC. Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes, coexpressed genes, and putative targets of E2F1 emphasized the importance of cell cycle pathway, where CCNE1 and CCNA2 served as hub genes. Conclusions: We confirmed the upregulation of E2F1 and explored the prognostic value of E2F1 in HCC patients. Two putative targeted genes (CCNE1 and CCNA2) of E2F1 were identified for their potential roles in regulating cell cycle and promote antiapoptotic activity in HCC patients.

[Progressively transformed germinal center-like follicular T-cell lymphoma:a clinicopathological analysis of 14 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of progressively transformed germinal center-like follicular T-cell lymphoma (PTGC-like FTCL). Methods: The clinicopathologic data of 14 PTGC-like FTCL cases that were diagnosed at the Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Medical University from January 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively collected. Clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection status were analyzed in these cases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect the clonal gene rearrangements of T cell receptor (TCR) and the immunoglobulin (Ig) in 10 and 8 cases, respectively. Results: The male to female ratio was 5∶2. The median age was 61 years (range 32-70 years). All patients had lymphadenopathy at the time of diagnosis. By using the Ann Arbor system staging, seven cases were classified as stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and seven cases as stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. Seven cases had B symptoms, four cases had splenomegaly, and two cases had skin rash and pruritus. Previously, three cases were diagnosed as classic Hodgkin's lymphoma, three cases as small B-cell lymphoma, two cases as atypical lymphoid hyperplasia unable to exclude angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), one case as EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder, and one case as peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) associated with the proliferation of B cells. All the 14 cases showed that the large nodules were composed of mature CD20+, IgD+B lymphocytes admixed with small aggregates of neoplastic cells with pale to clear cytoplasm. Moreover, hyperplastic germinal centers (GCs) and Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg-like (HRS-like) cells were seen within these nodules in two and five cases, respectively. The neoplastic cells expressed CD3 (14/14), CD4 (14/14), PD1 (14/14), ICOS (14/14), CD10 (9/14), bcl-6 (12/14), CXCL13 (10/14), and CD30 (10/14). The HRS-like cells in five cases expressed CD20 (2/5), PAX5 (5/5), CD30 (5/5), CD15 (2/5), LCA (0/5), OCT2 (5/5) and BOB1 (2/5). Moreover, neoplastic T cells formed rosettes around HRS-like cells. EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization showed scattered, small, positive bystander B lymphocytes in 8/14 cases, including 3/5 cases containing HRS-like cells. All tested cases (including five with HRS-like cells) showed monoclonal TCR gene rearrangement and polyclonal Ig gene rearrangement. Conclusions: PTGC-like FTCL is a rare tumor originated from T-follicular helper cells. It could be distinguished from angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma by the formation of follicular structure, and lack of follicular dendritic cell proliferation outside the follicles and the polymorphous inflammatory background. In addition, it should be differentiated from lymphocyte-rich classical Hodgkin's lymphoma and low-grade B cell lymphoma.

[Clinicopathological features of fibrin-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a report of six cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical, pathological and immunophenotypic features, molecular biology and prognosis of fibrin-associated large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL-FA) in various sites. Methods: Six cases of LBCL-FA diagnosed from April 2016 to November 2021 at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China and the First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China were collected. The cases were divided into atrial myxoma and cyst-related groups. Clinical characteristics, pathological morphology, immunophenotype, Epstein Barr virus infection status, B-cell gene rearrangement and fluorescence in situ hybridization of MYC, bcl-2, bcl-6 were summarized. Results: The patients' mean age was 60 years. All of them were male. Three cases occurred in atrial myxoma background, while the others were in cyst-related background, including adrenal gland, abdominal cavity and subdura. All cases showed tumor cells located in pink fibrin clot. However, three cyst-related cases showed the cyst wall with obviously fibrosis and inflammatory cells. All cases tested were non germinal center B cell origin, positive for PD-L1, EBER and EBNA2, and were negative for MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 rearrangements, except one case with MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 amplification. All of the 5 cases showed monoclonal rearrangement of the Ig gene using PCR based analysis. The patients had detailed follow-ups of 9-120 months, were treated surgically without radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and had long-term disease-free survivals. Conclusions: LBCL-FA is a group of rare diseases occurring in various sites, with predilection in the context of atrial myxoma and cyst-related lesions. Cyst-related lesions with obvious chronic inflammatory background show more scarcity of lymphoid cells and obvious degeneration, which are easy to be missed or misdiagnosed. LBCL-FA overall has a good prognosis with the potential for cure by surgery alone and postoperative chemotherapy may not be necessary.

[Clinicopathological features of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma pattern Ⅰ]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma pattern Ⅰ (AITL Pattern Ⅰ). Methods: The clinicopathological data of 11 AITL Pattern Ⅰ cases that were diagnosed at the Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (10 cases) and Beijing Lu Daopei Hospital (1 cases) from January 2019 to October 2021 were retrospectively collected. Immunophenotype, Epstein-Barr virus infection status and T cell receptor (TCR) clonality of the tumor cells were tested, and clinicopathological features of cases were analyzed. Results: Among the 11 AITL Pattern Ⅰ cases, the male to female ratio was 1.2∶1.0. The median age was 59 years (range 47-78 years). Seven cases had B symptoms, while eleven cases presented with systemic lymphadenopathy. According to Ann Arbor system staging, two cases were classified as stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and 9 cases as stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. Hepatosplenomegaly was present in two cases (2/11), three cases (3/11) had skin rash and pruritus, and two cases (2/11) had pleural effusion. Previously, 6 cases (6/11) were diagnosed as reactive hyperplasia, 1 case (1/11) as EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder, and 4 cases (4/11) as hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue, which was unable to exclude lymphoma. Histologically, all the 11 cases showed hyperplastic follicles in the paracortical regions with well-formed germinal centers. The hyperplastic follicles showed ill-defined borders and attenuated mantle zones in 7 cases. Mantle zones completely disappeared in 4 cases. The follicles were surrounded by a thin layer of atypical lymphocytes with bright or faintly stained cytoplasm. In 2 cases, the clear cells were located between the germinal centers and the thin residual mantle cell layers, showing a circular growth pattern. The cells were medium in size, with irregular karyotype, coarse chromatin and indistinct nucleoli. Immunohistochemically, CD21 staining showed that the meshworks of follicular dendritic cells(FDC)were mainly confined to the follicles. There was a subtle expansion of the meshworks of FDC in 4 cases with ill-defined borders. The atypical cells surrounding the follicles expressed CD3 (11/11), CD4 (11/11), PD-1 (11/11), CXCL13 (6/11), ICOS (10/11) and CD10 (7/11). PD-1 staining showed a strong perifollicular pattern, and a small number of positive cells were scattered around the high endothelial veins in the interfollicular region. CXCL13, ICOS and CD10 showed similar distribution patterns. EBV-encoded small RNA probe (EBER) in situ hybridization showed that EBER positive B lymphocytes were scattered in the interfollicular region (5-20/HPF) in all cases. T cell receptor gene rearrangement was monoclonal in all cases. Conclusions: Diagnosing AITL Pattern Ⅰ may be challenging and requires comprehensive analysis of clinical manifestations, histological morphology, immunophenotype and gene rearrangement results.

[Clinicopathological features and prognosis of cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma: analysis of 134 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma (CTL). Methods: The clinicopathological data of 134 CTL patients in Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, the 989 Hospital of PLA Joint Logistics Support force (formerly the 152 Hospital) and the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from 2008 to 2020 were retrospectively collected. Immunophenotype, Epstein-Barr virus infection status and T cell receptor (TCR) clonality of tumor cells were assessed, and clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients were analyzed. Results: Among the 134 CTL patients, the male to female ratio was 1.7∶1.0, the median age was 49.5 years (range 3-83 years), and 100 cases (74.6%) were under 60 years old. Forty-six point nine percent of the patients (53/113) had B symptoms. Most of the patients presented with systemic superficial lymphadenopathy. According to the Ann Arbor staging system, 36.8% (39/106) of the patients were in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and 63.2% (67/106) in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. The rate of extranodal involvement was 51.6% (66/128). Spleen was involved in 24.2% (31/128) of the cases. Morphology showed diffuse growth of abnormal lymphocytes, infiltrating and destroying normal tissue structure. Immunohistochemical staining showed that tumor cells expressed T cell antigens (CD2, CD3, CD5, and CD7), and 72.0% (77/107) of them had decreased or lost expression of one or more antigens. According to the numbers of CD4 and CD8 expression in tumor cells, 70 cases (52.2%) were grouped into CD8⁺>CD4⁺group. The expression rates of TIA-1 and granzyme B were 99.2% (119/120) and 79.8% (95/119), respectively. CD20 abnormal expression rate was 27.6% (37/134) and CD56 was negative in all cases. The median Ki-67 proliferative index was 45.0% (range 5%-80%). In situ hybridization of small RNA encoded by Epstein-Barr virus was negative. Clonal TCR gene rearrangement analysis was performed on 49 cases and was positive in all cases. Ninety-one patients were followed up for a median of 36 months (range, 1 to 240 months), and 40 of the 91 patients (44.0%) died. The twenty-three patients were in complete remission (including 13 cases with localized single extranodal mass). The 3-year and 5-year overall survival rates were 53.5% and 49.4%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that B symptom, spleen involvement, extranodal involvement, clinical stage, CD8⁺>CD4⁺phenotype, abnormal expression of CD20 and Ki-67 proliferation index (>60%) were associated with overall survival (P<0.05). The multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that spleen involvement and CD8⁺>CD4⁺ phenotype were independent prognostic factors for overall survival in CTL patients. Conclusions: CTL are more commonly found in adult males under 60 years old, often accompanied by B symptom, with a high proportion of extranodal involvement and more CD8 positive phenotypes. Spleen involvement and CD8⁺>CD4⁺phenotype are independent predictors of CTL overall survival. Some patients with localized extranodal CTL may have a good prognosis.

CCNB1 promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by mediating DNA replication in the cell cycle

In our studies, cyclin B1 (CCNB1) mRNA and protein were overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues compared with non-HCC tissues. Moreover, CCNB1 was overexpressed in the serum of HCC patients. The expression of CCNB1 was associated with several crucial clinicopathologic characteristics, and the HCC patients with overexpressed CCNB1 had worse overall survival outcomes. In the screening of interactional genes, a total of 266 upregulated co-expression genes, which were positively associated with CCNB1, were selected from the datasets, and 67 downregulated co-expression genes, which were negatively associated with CCNB1, were identified. The key genes might be functionally enriched in DNA replication and the cell cycle pathways. CDC20, CCNA2, PLK1, and FTCD were selected for further research because they were highly connected in the protein-protein interaction networks. Upregulated CDC20, CCNA2, and PLK1 and downregulated FTCD might result in undesirable overall survival outcomes for HCC patients. The univariate Cox analysis results showed that CDC20 and PLK1 might be two independent risk factors, while FTCD might be protective in HCC. Therefore, CCNB1 may participate in the cell cycle of HCC by regulating DNA replication, and CCNB1 may provide a direction for the diagnosis of early-stage HCC and targeted HCC therapy.

Clinical significance and molecular mechanism of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

During the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019, there exist quite a few studies on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and SARS-CoV-2 infection, while little is known about ACE2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The detailed mechanism among ACE2 and HCC still remains unclear, which needs to be further investigated. In the current study with a total of 6,926 samples, ACE2 expression was downregulated in HCC compared with non-HCC samples (standardized mean difference = −0.41). With the area under the curve of summary receiver operating characteristic = 0.82, ACE2 expression showed a better ability to differentiate HCC from non-HCC. The mRNA expression of ACE2 was related to the age, alpha-fetoprotein levels and cirrhosis of HCC patients, and it was identified as a protected factor for HCC patients via Kaplan–Meier survival, Cox regression analyses. The potential molecular mechanism of ACE2 may be relevant to catabolic and cell division. In all, decreasing ACE2 expression can be seen in HCC, and its protective role for HCC patients and underlying mechanisms were explored in the study.

[Translocations of MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 genes and Epstein-Barr virus infection in primary cardiac large B-cell lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the translocations of MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 genes, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status and the clinicopathological features of primary cardiac large B cell lymphoma (LBCL). Methods: Seven cases of primary cardiac LBCL were collected at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, China from February 2013 to May 2019. The clinical feature, pathological morphology and immunophenotype were analyzed. The detections of EBV and gene rearrangements of MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 were conducted. The 2017 WHO classification of tumors of haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues was used to classify the tumors. Results: Four patients with right atrial lesions showed diffuse infiltration of medium size lymphoid cells with small vascular hyperplasia, without evidence of EBV infection. Without detectable gene rearrangements of MYC and bcl-2, 2 of the patients showed bcl-6 gene break-apart. The diagnosis was revised from diffuse LBCL to high-grade B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (HGBL-NOS). There was a case of CD5⁺ diffuse LBCL involving the right atrium and ventricle and 2 cases of fibrin-associated diffuse LBCL located at left atrium without gene rearrangements of MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6. However, EBER and EBNA2 were highly expressed in fibrin-associated diffuse LBCL. The patients were followed up for 10-71 months. Four cases of HGBL-NOS and a case of CD5⁺ diffuse LBCL received R-CHOP with/without autologous stem cell transplantation. All but two patients survived. Two cases of fibrin-associated diffuse LBCL were disease free without adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Conclusions: Primary cardiac LBCL is heterogeneous, including at least HGBL-NOS. Primary cardiac HGBL-NOS most frequently occurs in the right atrium. Tumor cells of primary cardiac LBCL have the morphological characteristics similar to Burkitt lymphoma, lacking MYC and bcl-2 gene rearrangements, but usually show bcl-6 gene disruption. Fibrin-associated diffuse LBCL has a good prognosis and postoperative chemotherapy seems unnecessary.

The clinical significance of interleukin 24 and its potential molecular mechanism in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Interleukin 24 (IL24) has been documented to be highly expressed in several cancers, but its role in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains unclarified. In this study, to reveal the function and its clinical significance of IL24 in LSCC, multiple detecting methods were used comprehensively. IL24 protein expression was remarkably higher in LSCC (n= 49) than non-cancerous laryngeal controls (n= 26) as detected by in-house immunohistochemistry. Meanwhile, the IL24 mRNA expression was also evaluated based on high throughput data from Gene Expression Omnibus, The Cancer Genome Atlas, ArrayExpress and Oncomine databases. Consistently with the protein level, IL24 mRNA expression level was also predominantly upregulated in LSCC (n= 172) compared to non-cancerous laryngeal tissues (n= 81) with the standard mean difference (SMD) being 1.25 and the area under the curve (AUC) of the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) being 0.89 (95% CI = 0.86-0.92). Furthermore, the related genes of IL24 and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of LSCC were intersected and sent for Gene ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses. In the GO annotation, the top terms of biological process (BP), cellular component (CC) and molecular function (MF) were extracellular matrix organization, extracellular matrix, cytokine activity, respectively. The top pathway of KEGG was ECM-receptor interaction. The PPI networks indicated the top hub genes of IL24-related genes in LSCC were SERPINE1, TGFB1, MMP1, MMP3, CSF2, and ITGA5. In conclusion, upregulating expression of IL24 may enhance the occurrence of LSCC, which owns prospect diagnostic ability and therapeutic significance in LSCC.

[Bioinformatics analysis of key genes and prognosis-related genes during the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Objective: To screen and analyze the differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) in primary hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues using bioinformatics methods to explore the molecular mechanism of the occurrence and prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: GSE76427 data set was collected through GEO database, and DEGs were identified using GEO2R online analysis. Go and KEGG databases were used for enrichment and functional annotation of DEGs. Protein interaction network was built based on the STRING database and Cytoscape software to analyze the key genes of hepatocellular carcinoma, and the survival curve of these key genes were analyzed using the GEPIA database. Results: A total of 74 hepatocellular carcinoma DEGs were screened, of which 3 and 71 were up-and-down-regulated genes. The results of GO enrichment analysis showed that the down-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in cell response to cadmium and zinc ions, negative growth regulation, heterologous metabolic processes and hormone-mediated signaling pathways. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis results showed that the down-regulated DEGs pathway were mainly involved in retinol metabolism, chemical carcinogenesis, drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, cytochrome P450 metabolizing xenobiotics, tryptophan metabolism and caffeine metabolism. Protein interaction network had screened out 10 down-regulated core genes: MT1G, MT1F, MT1X, MT1E, MT1H, insulin-like growth factor 1, FOS, CXCL12, EGR1, and BGN. Among them, the insulin-like growth factor 1 was related to the prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusion: Bioinformatics analysis results of HCC chip data showed that 10 key genes may play a key role in the occurrence and development of HCC and the insulin like growth factor 1 is associated with the prognosis of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

[The surgical treatment of male perineum Paget's disease]

Objective: To evaluatethe clinical efficacy and complications of skin graft and flap plastic technique covered the defect in perineal Paget's disease postoperatively. Methods: The study comprised 6 patients diagnosed with perineal Paget's disease at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from June 2017 to July 2019, with all available clinical data reviewed. The defects after resection of lesions were reconstructed with skin graft, advancement skin flap during the operation, respectively. The operation time, the skin graft or flap survival situation, intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded. Results: Of all 6 patients, Ray stage A1consisted of 1 case, A2 5 cases. The age was (68±9) years, the hospitalization time was (14.8±8.1) days, the BMI was (25.6±3.7) kg/m(2), the operation time was (132.0±80.7) min, and the average blood loss was (18.3±11.7) ml. Five cases was with Paget's disease, and 1 case with skin adenocarcinoma with Paget's disease were diagnosed by pathology. The defects of 4 cases and 2 cases after removal of the tumor were reconstructed with scrotal advancement skin flap and skin graft, respectively. The skin graft and flap survived well during afollow-up of (15.3±8.1) months.There has been no local recurrence. The foreskin edema and wound infection were noted in 4 cases and 1 case, respectively. There was no other related complications. Conclusion: Perineal Paget's disease can be managed by resection and immediate reconstruction with skin graft or flap according to the size and location of the defect, and the clinical efficacy is distinct.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of pediatric-type follicular lymphomas: an analysis of 37 cases]

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features, immunophenotype and prognosis of pediatric-type follicular lymphoma (PTFL). Methods: Thirty-seven cases of PTFL at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2012 to March 2018 were analyzed using light microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and 13 cases were also examined using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Results: The male to female ratio was 35∶2. The median age was 16 years. Thirty-one patients were clinical stage Ⅰ and 6 were stage Ⅱ, displaying enlargement of lymph node in the head and neck regions. Follow-up information was available in 32 patients. Only two patients received low-dose chemotherapy, and none of these patients had relapse or disease progression at the latest follow-up (ranging from 16 to 79 months; median, 37 months). Morphologically, the lymph node architecture was partially or totally effaced by expansile follicles lacking polarization, with a prominent "starry sky" appearance. The cytologic composition was dominated by monotonous medium to large-sized blastoid cells with round to oval nuclei, finely clumped chromatin, small nucleoli, and scant cytoplasm. Immunophenotypically, all cases were positive for CD20, CD10, and bcl-6, but negative for bcl-2, MUM1 and C-MYC. Tumor cells were restricted to the follicles. The Ki-67 immunohistochemistry demonstrated a high proliferation (50% to 90%). Moreover, the tumor cells in the examined 28 cases were negative for CD43, CD5 and CD23. PCR analysis revealed monoclonal Ig gene rearrangements in all specimens. Thirteen cases being subjected to the FISH testing lacked bcl-2 and bcl-6 translocations. Conclusion: PTFL is different from conventional follicular lymphoma in their distinct morphology, immunophenotypic and molecular features, and behaves like an highly indolent or benign tumor.

[Integrated analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma to construct miR-1180-3p relevant ceRNA regulatory network]

Objective: This study analyzes the expression level of miR-1180-3p and constructs the regulatory network of relevant ceRNA by integrating the DNA methylation and gene expression profile of hepatocellular carcinoma from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Methods: Firstly, the expression level of miR-1180-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma and adjacent tissues was analyzed by TCGA database, and the differential expression of lncrna and mRNA was screened. Secondly, the LncBase database and the TargetScan database were used to predict the relationship between miR-1180-3p and lncRNA and mRNA, and the DNA methylation-mediated lncRNA was screened by the DNA methylation profile of lncRNA. Finally, Cytoscape software was used to construct miR-1180-3p relevant ceRNA network, and WebGestalt website was used to perform GO and KEGG analysis of related mRNA in ceRNA. Results: Compared with patients with low expression of miR-1180-3p (mean overall survival duration, 5.69 ± 0.35 years), patients with high expression of miR-1180-3p had shorter overall survival time (mean overall survival duration, 3.99 ± 0.47 years), indicating that the high expression of miR-1180-3p was hepatocellular carcinoma risk factor affecting the prognosis (HR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.1 ~ 1.5, P < 0.01). A miR-1180-3p related ceRNA regulatory network was constructed in this study, which contained 2 lncRNAs (F11-AS1 and LINC01511) and 37 mRNAs. Conclusion: This study has successfully constructed miR-1180-3p relevant ceRNA regulatory network, and DNA methylation-mediated F11-AS1 and F11-AS1/miR-1180-3p/C11of54 ceRNA regulatory axis has played an important role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Identification of an Immune Score-Based Gene Panel with Prognostic Power for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide, with low 5-year survival rate. To identify novel prognostic markers for OSCC and determine the immune and stromal landscape of OSCC, a risk signature for OSCC patients was constructed in this study.

Material/Methods

Immune and stromal scores for OSCC samples from the Genomic Data Commons Data Portal were computed to delineate the tumor microenvironment landscape of oral cancer based on the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumours using Expression data algorithm. An immune score-based risk signature was constructed by combining random forest and support vector machine methods. Correlation analysis of risk signature gene expression and immune cell infiltration was conducted, and the distinguishing power of individual signature genes was evaluated by analyzing receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Differentially enriched pathways between high and low risk groups were investigated via gene set variation analysis. ROC curves were plotted for signature genes to examine their ability to distinguish the recurrence and survival status of OSCC patients from GSE84846.

Results

An immune score-related risk signature composed of ARMH1, F2RL2, AC004687.1, COL6A5, AC008750.1, RAB19, CRLF2, GRIP2, and FAM162B performed well in the prognostic stratification of OSCC patients and could effectively distinguish their survival status. Lists of pathways, including cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and cell adhesion molecules displayed remarkable differential enrichment between high and low risk OSCC patients.

Conclusions

An immune score-based risk signature constructed presently may be useful to decide appropriate treatment options for individual OSCC patients.

[Clinicopathological features of T-lymphoblastic lymphoma with Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the same lymph node]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes, genetics and prognosis of T-lymphocyte lymphoma/myeloid sarcoma combined with Langerhans cell histiocytyosis (coexistence of T-LBL/MS and LCH). Methods: Clinical and pathological data of the 6 patients with coexistence of T-LBL/MS and LCH were analyzed, who were diagnosed at the Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and the Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University, from December 2013 to April 2019. The hematoxylin and eosin stain, immunohitochemistry (EnVision) and in situ hybridization were used. Related literatures were reviewed. Results: Four patients were T-LBL combined with LCH, 1 was T-LBL/MS combined with LCH, and 1 was MS combined with LCH. There were 2 male and 4 female patients, with age ranged from 5 to 77 years old (median, 59 years old). Three patients represented with only multiple lymph node swelling. The other 3 displayed both multiple lymph node swelling, and skin/liver or spleen lesions. Lymph node structure was destroyed in 5 cases, while 3 cases had several residual atrophic follicles. Histologically, there were two types of tumor cells: one type of the abnormal lymphoid-cells exhibited small to medium-sized blast cells, typically showing a nested distribution, and these cells were mainly identified in residual follicles and paracortical areas; the other type of histiocytoid cells had a large cell size and abundant pale or dichromatic cytoplasm. Their nuclei were irregularly shaped, showing folded appearance and nuclear grooves. These cells were mainly present in marginal sinus, medullary sinus and interstitial area between follicles. Eosinophil infiltration in the background was not evident in any of the cases. The lymphoid-cells of medium size showed TdT+/CD99+/CD7+, with variable expression of CD34/MPO/CD2/CD3. Ki-67 index was mostly 30%-50%. However, the histiocytoid cells showed phenotype of CD1a+/S-100+/Langerin+/-, while CD163/CD68 were positive in some degree. These cells did not express any T or B cell markers. The Ki-67 index mostly ranged between 10%-20%. None of the cases had Epstin-Barr viral infection. Among the 6 patients, 4 patients were followed up (6-63 months, median time, 18.5 months), of whom 1 patient died of the disease and 3 patients were alive at the end of follow-up. Conclusions: T-LBL/MS combined with LCH is a rare mixed type of immature hematopoietic disease, and mainly occurs in lymph node and skin. The clinical course is overall aggressive. Therefore, it is helpful to recognize and identify the two pathologic components in the same tissue for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.

[Paediatric nodal marginal zone lymphoma: a clinicopathological study of seven cases]

Objective: To investigate the pathological features and clinical manifestation of pediatric nodal marginal zone lymphoma(NMZL). Methods: Histological morphology and immunophenotype of 7 cases of pediatric NMZL were retrospectively reviewed at Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Medical University between January 2008 to October 2018. Clonal rearrangement analysis was performed. Clinical information including patient follow-up data were analyzed. Results: All 7 patients were male with a median age of 15 years aged from 10 to 26 years. All patients presented with only lymph node enlargement without B symptoms, including cervical lymph node (5 cases), preauricular lymph node (1 case) and retroauricular lymph node (1 case). Histologically, all cases showed irregular large follicles on the edges with widened marginal areas and intervesicular areas, and lesional cells were uniform with progressive transformation of germinal center centers along with a small amount of intrinsic lymphoid tissue. All 7 cases showed diffuse CD20 positivity both follicle and interfollicular region along with 30%-40% positivity in the interfollicular region (pathological region). Markers of other B-cell lymphomas werenot expressed. All 7 cases were positive for immunoglobulin(Ig) gene rearrangement. None of the patients showed no recurrence up on after follow-up for an average of 13 months. Conclusions: Pediatric NMZL is a rare type of lymphoma that has a unique morphology and occurs almost exclusively in male children and young adults and often in head and neck lymph nodes. It has an excellent prognosis. Therefore, awareness of the disease with accurate diagnosis is important.

Association between polymorphisms in MicroRNA target sites of RAD51D genes and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma

RAD51D (RAD51L3) is a member of the RAD51 gene family which plays important roles in maintaining genomic stability and preventing DNA damage. This study is aimed to investigate the associations between RAD51D polymorphisms and the hereditary susceptibility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study we conducted a hospital–based case‐control study including 805 cases (HCC patients) and 846 controls (nontumor patients) in Guangxi, China. A total of two Single–nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs12947947 and rs28363292 of RAD51D were selected and genotyped. Although we did not find two SNPs individually that had any significant main effect on risk of HCC, We found that the combined genotypes with 1‐2 risk genotypes were associated with significantly increased overall risk of HCC (OR = 1.462, 95% CI = 1.050‐2.036). According to the results of further stratification analysis, GT/GG genotype of rs28363292 increased HCC risk in zhuang people (OR = 3.913, 95% CI = 1.873‐8.175) and nonhepatitis B virus (HBV) infection population (OR = 1.774, 95% CI = 1.060‐2.969), the combined 1‐2 risk genotypes increased the risk of HCC in zhuang people (OR = 2.817, 95% CI = 1.532‐5.182) and non‐HBV infected population (OR = 1.567, 95% CI = 1.042‐2.358). Our results suggest that rs12947947 and rs28363292 polymorphisms may jointly contribute to the risk of HCC. Further large studies and functional studies are required to validate our findings.

[The application of multivane technique at 3.0 T MRI in female pelvis examination in improving image quality compared with TSE and single-shot TSE]

Objective: To evaluate the application of multivane technique at 3.0 T MRI in female pelvis examination in reducing artifacts and improving image quality. Methods: A total of 49 female patients were collected between December 2016 and April 2018 from Zhongda Hospital Affiliated to Southeast University, which were examined with sagittal T(2)-weighted TSE, T(2) weighted -MV and T(2) weighted-SShTSE with fat suppression on a 3.0 T scanner.Three radiologists assessed the images for the presence of artifacts and overall image quality using a five-point scale after Cronbach's Alpha repeatability measurement of the three doctors. Results: The Cronbach's Alpha of the three doctors was 0.950, 0.973, 0.985, respectively.Both MV and SShTSE groups got higher points than TSE group.In the level of anatomic detail, the differences was statistically significant(all P<0.05). Although there was no significant difference between MV and SShTSE group in the score of doctor 1 (P=0.126), but had significant differences in the score of doctor 2 (P=0.022)and doctor 3(P=0.005). In assessing the images for the presence of artifacts, both MV and SShTSE groups got higher points than TSE group, while SShTSE group got higher points than MV group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). In assessing the overall image quality, both MV and SShTSE groups got higher points than TSE group, while MV group got higher points than SShTSE group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Imagings of the anatomic detail are improved and the artifacts associated with bowel or respiratory motion are reduced with the MV technique.MV technique is important in providing an accurate diagnosis compared with TSE and SShTSE.

[Clinicopathologic features and prognosis of gastrointestinal mantle cell lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic features and prognosis of gastrointestinal mantle cell lymphoma (GI-MCL). Methods: Clinical data of 38 GI-MCL patients diagnosed at Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2002 to January 2016 were retrospectively reviewed morphologically and immunophenotypically. IgH/CCND1 gene fusion was assessed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). For comparison, 60 cases of non-GI-MCL were randomly selected to extract the differences inclinicopathological features and patient survival between the two groups. Results: Of 38 patients with GI-MCL, the median age was 62 years (range: 35-78 years, 23 males and 15 females), of which patients of 60 years of age or older accounted for 55.3%. Patients with clinical course of less than 6 months accounted for 81.1%(30/37). The main symptoms included abdominal pain, diarrhea, anorexia and hematochezia. Those with B symptoms accounted for 32.4%(12/37). The tumor most often involved lleocecal region (57.9%, 22/38), followed by rectum (36.8%, 14/38) and sigmoid colon (28.9%, 11/37), and the stomach accounted for 18.4%(14/38). Endoscopic polypoid lesions were found in 33 cases (86.8%, 33/38), of which 22 cases (66.7%, 22/33) were multiple. Five cases (13.2%, 5/38) presented with local protuberant neoplasm. According to Ann Arbor staging, 3 cases (7.9%, 3/38) were at stage Ⅰ, 4 cases (10.5%, 4/38) were at stage Ⅱ, and 31 cases (81.6%, 31/38) were at stage Ⅳ. The number of patients with tumor involvement of abdominal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes accounted for 45.7%(16/35), including 41.7%(15/36) involving the superficial lymph node, 17.1%(6/35) involving extranodal sites, and 23.5%(8/34) having splenomegaly. All of the 38 cases were classic MCL, and the tumor was composed of uniform lymphoid cells and effacing normal mucosal structure. All tumors were positive for CD20 and CD5. 97.4% (37/38) tumors were positive for cyclin D1, and 92.0% (23/25) tumors were positive for SOX11. FISH test was positive in 1 case of cyclin D1 negative tumor. Twenty-eight patients (73.7%) had a median follow-up of 25.0 months (range: 3-79 months). The 3-year survival rate for stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ of patients were 80.0% and 69.1%, respectively (P> 0.05). The 3-year survival rate for GI-MCL and non-GI-MCL patients were 71.7% and 72.5%, respectively (P>0.05). Single factor analysis showed that age of >60 years and splenomegaly were correlated with a worse overall survival rate (P<0.05). Conclusions: Gastrointestinal malaise is the most common presenting symptom in GI-MCL patients. GI-MCL more commonly involves colorectum with more frequent multiple polypoid lesions. Patients of age >60 years and with splenomegaly have poor prognosis. There is no difference in the prognosis between GI-MCL and non-GI-MCL patients.

Prognostic Signature of Alternative Splicing Events in Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma Based on Spliceseq Data from 317 Cases

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Increasing evidences indicated the important roles of alternative splicing in the progression and prognosis of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). However, most previous research has focused on one or several alternative splicing events, without a comprehensive evaluation of the prognostic value of splicing events in BLCA. In this study, we aimed to determine risk scores for predicting prognosis of BLCA patients based on splicing events.

METHODS

RNA-sequencing data and clinical information of BLCA patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas, and data of splicing events were obtained from the SpliceSeq database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were employed to identify survival-associated alternative spicing events (SASEs) and to calculate risk scores. Protein-protein interaction analysis of genes of the SASEs was performed using STRING, a database of known and predicted protein-protein interactions, and pathway enrichment analysis of the genes was implemented using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (version 6.8). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used to evaluate the clinical significance of genes from the SASEs for building a risk score in BLCA. Correlation between splicing events of splicing factors and non-splicing factors were analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient. A potential regulatory network was then built using Cytoscape 3.5.

RESULTS

In total, 39,508 alternative splicing events in 317 patients with BLCA were analyzed, including 4,632 SASEs. The area under the curve of the ROC of risk score (all) was 0.748 for predicting survival status of BLCA patients. Low- and high-risk score groups classified using the median "risk score (all)" value displayed remarkably different survival time (Low vs. High = 3304.841±239.758 vs 1198.614±152.460 days). The potential regulatory network with SASEs of splicing factors and other genes was constructed, which might be part of the biological mechanisms associated with prognosis of BLCA patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, prognostic signatures constructed using splicing events could be used for predicting the prognosis of BLCA patients.

[EB virus-positive T/NK lymphoproliferative diseases: an analysis of 156 patients]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of EBV-positive T/NK cell lymphoproliferative diseases (EBV(+) T/NK-LPD). Methods: The clinical characteristics of 156 cases of EBV(+) T/NK-LPD were collected from August 2002 to March 2015 at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University. Immunohistochemical staining, EBER in situ hybridization and clonal analysis of TCR gene were performed. All patients were followed up. Results: There were 106 male and 50 female patients; patients' age ranged from 1 to 75 years (median 20 years). The course of the diseases before diagnosis ranged from 2 to 540 months (median 20 months). Fever was noted in 122 patients (78.2%), 108 patients had lymphadenopathy (69.2%), and 75 patients had hepatosplenomegaly (48.1%). Thirty-three cases were grade 1, 68 cases were grade 2, and 55 cases were grade 3. TCR gene arrangement analysis was performed in 45 cases, and 33 cases (73.3%) showed clonal rearrangement. The follow-up period ranged from 1-134 months, and 44 patients (28.2%) died. There was a trend of increased death rate associated with increasing grade (P>0.05). Conclusions: There are many types of EBV(+) T/NK-LPD, and they can be classified as systemic, relatively localized and localized. The prognosis should be based on a comprehensive analysis of pathology and clinical data. There is no significant correlation between morphological grade and mortality. An important goal of therapy is to prevent serious complications.

[Clinicopathologic features and prognosis of mantle cell lymphoma: an analysis of 349 cases]

Objective: To investigate clinicopathologic features and prognostic factors of mantle cell lymphoma(MCL). Methods: The clinical data of 349 MCL patients diagnosed at Beijing Friendship Hospital from January 2004 to January 2016 were retrospectively collected. Corresponding histological sections were reviewed. Additional studies included immunohistochemical staining using the MaxVision two-step method, IgH/CCND1 fusion gene detection by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and correlative statistical analysis. Results: Of 349 patients with MCL, the median patient age was 61 years (range: 25-83 years, M∶F=2.7∶1.0) and the age of 243 patients ranged from 51 to 70 years (69.6%). Those with B symptoms accounted for 22.4% (70/313). Most of the patients presented with superficial lymphadenopathy and the clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ accounted for 76.1% (235/309). Extranodal involvement was seen in 47.9% (148/309), among which the gastrointestinal tract accounted for 31.8% (47/148) and splenic involvement accounted for 15.4% (47/305). Three hundred and nine (88.5%) cases were of classical type and 40 (11.5%) cases were of aggressive variant type, and all were composed of proliferating lymphoid cells. All the tumors were positive for CD20 and cyclin D1, and 98.6% (344/349) tumors were weakly positive or positive for CD5. FISH test was positive in 12 cases that were CD5 negative and with cyclin D1 partial expression.Two hundred and forty-three (69.6%) patients had a median follow-up of 26 months (range: 3-108 months). The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates for patients were 63.0% and 34.8%, respectively. Single factor analysis showed that age of >60 years, splenic involvement, aggressive variant type, incompletely overlapping type [Based on the degree of overlap ≥90% and <90% between the follicular dendritic cell (FDC) meshwork and tumor cells, the tumors were divided into the completely overlapped type and incompletely overlapped type] and Ki-67 index >40% had poor prognosis (P<0.05). Multiple factor Cox proportional risk regression analysis after removing the aggressive variant type showed that age, splenic involvement, the degree of overlap between the FDC meshwork and tumor cells and Ki-67 index were independent prognostic factors for overall survival rate of MCL patients (P<0.05). Conclusions: MCL is more commonly found among middle-aged and elderly men. Patient age, splenic involvement, degree of overlap between FDC meshwork and tumor cells and Ki-67 index are the independent prognostic indicators for MCL.

Identifying miRNA and gene modules of colon cancer associated with pathological stage by weighted gene co-expression network analysis

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. The tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage remains the standard for CRC prognostication. Identification of meaningful microRNA (miRNA) and gene modules or representative biomarkers related to the pathological stage of colon cancer helps to predict prognosis and reveal the mechanisms behind cancer progression.

Materials and methods

We applied a systems biology approach by combining differential expression analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to detect the pathological stage-related miRNA and gene modules and construct a miRNA–gene network. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) colon adenocarcinoma (CAC) RNA-sequencing data and miRNA-sequencing data were subjected to WGCNA analysis, and the GSE29623, GSE35602 and GSE39396 were utilized to validate and characterize the results of WGCNA.

Results

Two gene modules (Gmagenta and Ggreen) and one miRNA module were associated with the pathological stage. Six hub genes (COL1A2, THBS2, BGN, COL1A1, TAGLN and DACT3) were related to prognosis and validated to be associated with the pathological stage. Five hub miRNAs were identified to be related to prognosis (hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-145-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-218-5p and hsa-miR-125b-2-3p). A total of 18 hub genes and seven hub miRNAs were predominantly expressed in tumor stroma. Proteoglycans in cancer, focal adhesion, extracellular matrix (ECM)–receptor interaction and so on were common pathways of the three modules. Hsa-let-7c-5p was located at the core of miRNA–gene network.

Conclusion

These findings help to advance the understanding of tumor stroma in the progression of CAC and provide prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets.

[Clinicopathologic characteristics of Burkitt-like lymphoma with chromosome 11q aberration]

Objective: To analyze clinical, pathological, molecular and genetic characteristics of Burkitt-like lymphoma with chromosome 11q aberration. Methods: A case of Burkitt-like lymphoma with 11q aberration was presented at Beijing Friendship Hospital in November 2016 with detailed clinicopathological features, immunophenotypes, Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) status and molecular genetic characteristics. Results: The patient was a 38-year-old man presenting with the cervical lymphadenopathy. In morphology, the tumor had the similar characteristics of Burkitt lymphoma, including diffuse infiltration of medium to large lymphoid cells, and presence of"starry sky"phenomenon. Immunophenotypically, the tumor cells were positive for CD20, CD10, bcl-6, but negative for bcl-2. MUM-1 showed weak and patchy positivity. Ki-67 index was more than 95%. C-MYC expression was seen in about 50% of tumor cells. EBV in situ hybridization was negative. IgH and IgK genes were clonally rearranged.Fluorescence in situ hybrization detection using MYC break probe was negative but ATM gene amplification on chromosome 11q was detected. The patient did not receive any chemotherapy or radiotherapy and had not recurrence during the 10 months follow-up. Conclusion: Burkitt-like lymphoma with chromosome 11q aberration has similar clinical, morphological and immunological characteristics to classic Burkitt's lymphoma.

[Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognositic indicators of tonsillar mantle cell lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate clinicopathological features and prognosis of tonsillar mantle cell lymphoma(TMCL). Methods: Clinical data of 25 patients with TMCL at Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2002 to 2016 were included. All the cases were reviewed microscopically. Various immunohistochemical stains were performed using the MaxVision two-step method. IgH/CCND1 gene fusion was detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH). Additionally, randomly selected 40 cases of non-tonsil MCL of the same period were compared. Results: Among all mantle cell lymphomas (MCL), TMCL accounted for 5.6%(25/449). The median age of the patients was 60 years(range: 44-82 years) with a M∶F ratio of 5.3 to 1.0. The main symptoms were sore throat and foreign body sensation and patients usually presented with enlargement or mass of tonsil. At the early stage of the disease, 18 cases(72.0%) were clinically misdiagnosed as tonsillitis. Lymph node involvement was present in 76.0%(19/25) of the patients. There were 4 cases(16.0%)with current splenic involvement, 11 cases(44.0%) with pharyngeal focal recidivism, and 3 cases(12.0%) with involvement of other non-lymphoid organs. Morphologically, tonsillar architectures were effaced at various degrees. Eighteen MCL cases showed classical type and 7 cases were blastoid variant. All tumors were positive for CD20 and cyclin D1. 92.0%(23/25) tumors showed weakly positive or positive expression for CD5. FISH test that IgH/CCND1 gene fusion was positive in two CD5 negative classical cases. 18 patients(72.0%) had a median follow-up time of 26 months(range: 6-81 months). The difference of survival rate between stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Compared with NTMCL, TMCL was found to have higher proportion of stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ disease (χ(2)=12.789, P<0.01), lower the proportion of non-lymphatic organ involvement (χ(2)=8.125, P<0.01), and better prognosis (χ(2)=4.351, P=0.037). Conclusion: The incidence of TMCL is low and prone to be misdiagnosed as tonsillitis. Patients with TMCL are more likely at stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ at presentation and the prognosis is better than that of NTMCL.

Traumatic Multiple Fractures Associated with Blunt Diaphragmatic Rupture and Diaphragmatic Hernia: A Case Report

Traumatic multiple fractures are a serious, infrequent and potentially life-threatening medical emergency. In addition, traumatic blunt diaphragmatic rupture and diaphragmatic hernia are rare and potentially life-threatening clinical entities associated with injuries. A case of traumatic multiple fractures associated with blunt diaphragmatic rupture and diaphragmatic hernia is reported. The operative management of this type of injury and clinical experience are discussed. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2011;18:424-427)

[Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of neoplastic cell-rich mixed cellularity classic Hodgkin lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics of neoplastic cell-rich mixed cellularity classical Hodgkin lymphoma(MCCHL-R) and to compare the prognosis with typical mixed cellularity classic Hodgkin lymphoma(MCCHL). Methods: Fifty-four patients with MCCHL-R(the tumor cells >10%) and 65 patients with typical MCCHL identified from 1 721 Hodgkin lymphomas were reviewed to compare the clinicopathological characteristics including morphologic and immunophenotypic features, EBV infection status, clinical therapy and overall survival. Results: The median age of the patients of MCCHL-R was 28.5 years(range: 9-76 years, male∶female=1.6∶1.0). Twenty-seven patients(50.0%) had B symptoms. Most patients had cervical lymph node involvement(81.5%, 44/54). Mediastinum and spleen involvement were seen in 69.2%(36/54) and 24.1%(13/54), respectively. Extranodal non-lymphoid organ involvement was seen in 41.3%(19/46) cases. Morphologically, lymph node architectures were effaced at various degree with large neoplastic cells of variable morphology, including Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg(H/RS) cells and anaplastic large cells. There were abundant background heterogeneous admixtures of non-neoplastic inflammatory and accessory cells that were predominant mature small lymphocytes. All tumors were positive for CD30 and weakly positive for PAX5. Epstein-Barr encoded RNA(EBER)detectable by in situ hybridization was seen in 39.0% cases. Forty-six patients had a median follow-up time of 32.5 months(range: 5-128 months) and the 5-year survival rate for stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ patients were 91.7% and 50.1%, respectively(P<0.05). The 5-year survival rate for MCCHL-R was lower than typical MCCHL patients. Single factor analysis showed that age of >45 years, extranodal involvement and stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ were correlated with poorer 5-year survival rate(P<0.05). Multiple factors Cox proportional hazards regression showed that extranodal involvement was the independent prognostic factor(RR: 4.352, 95%CI: 1.122-16.879, P<0.05). Conclusions: MCCHL-R is more common in young people. The tumor has pathological features of classic Hodgkin lymphoma enriched with the tumor cells(>10%) and similar immunophenotype to classical Hodgkin lymphoma. Compared with typical MCCHL, extranodal disease is an independent prognostic factor of MCCHL-R.

[Pathologic subtyping of primary lymphoma of breast and prognostic analysis]

Objective: To investigate the pathological types and prognostic factors of primary lymphoma of breast (PLB). Methods: The clinical pathological data of 115 cases of PLB during October 2006 to October 2016 were retrospectively analyzed, and the basic clinical and pathological data, pathology types and the immunohistochemical slides by EliVision two-step method for staining were summarized. Results: Almost all the patients were women (113/115), and the median age was 52 years old (range: 27 to 81 years old). The main symptom was painless progressive mass in breast. Ten cases (8.7%) showed B symptoms. The masses were mainly confined to the unilateral breast (80.9%, 93/115), of which 22 cases showed axillary lymph nodes enlargement in the same side. The average diameter of masses was 3.0 cm (range from 0.5 to 9.0 cm). There is no differences between the sides (left or right). Pathologically, 106 cases (92.2%) were mature non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphomas, of which there were mainly diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL, 64.3%) and mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) extranodal marginal lymphoma (17.4%). Five cases (4.4%) were mature T/NK cell lymphomas, including extranodal nasal NK/T cell lymphoma (1.7%), peripheral T-cell lymphoma non-specific type (0.9%), subcutaneous panniculitis-like T cells lymphoma (0.9%) and undivided (0.9%). Four cases were lymphoblastic lymphoma. According to Ann Arbor staging criteria, 93 cases were stage ⅠE (6 cases were stage ⅠEB), 22 cases were stage ⅡE (4 cases were stage ⅡEB). Ninety-two cases were followed 1 to 122 months (median: 36 months). The five-year overall survival rate was 85.3%, and 13 patients dead. B symptom was one of the factors that affect the prognosis (P<0.05), but the pathological type has no relationship with the prognosis (P>0.05). Conclusions: PLB is relatively rare, the main clinical manifestation is painless mass, which is difficult to distinguish with breast carcinoma. The most common type is DLBCL, followed by MALT lymphoma, while T cell lymphoma is rarely seen. PLB is early stage tumor with good prognosis, while patients with B symptom turn out to suffer worse prognosis.

[The understanding of Epstein-Barr virus associated lymphoproliferative disorder]

In recent years, there are increasing articles concerning Epstein-Barr virus associated lymphoproliferative disorder (EBV+ LPD), and the name of EBV+ LPD is used widely. However, the meaning of EBV+ LPD used is not the same, which triggered confusion of the understanding and obstacles of the communication. In order to solve this problem. Literature was reviewed with combination of our cases to clarify the concept of EBV+ LPD and to expound our understanding about it. In general, it is currently accepted that EBV+ LPD refers to a spectrum of lymphoid tissue diseases with EBV infection, including hyperplasia, borderline lesions, and neoplastic diseases. According to this concept, EBV+ LPD should not include infectious mononucleosis (IM) and severe acute EBV infection (EBV+ hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, fatal IM, fulminant IM, fulminant T-cell LPD), and should not include the explicitly named EBV+ lymphomas (such as extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma, aggressive NK cell leukemia, Burkitt lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma, etc.) either. EBV+ LPD should currently include: (1) EBV+ B cell-LPD: lymphomatoid granulomatosis, EBV + immunodeficiency related LPD, chronic active EBV infection-B cell type, senile EBV+ LPD, etc. (2) EBV+ T/NK cell-LPD: CAEBV-T/NK cell type, hydroa vacciniforme, hypersensitivity of mosquito bite, etc. In addition, EBV+ LPD is classified, based on the disease process, pathological and molecular data, as 3 grades: grade1, hyperplasia (polymorphic lesions with polyclonal cells); grade 2, borderline (polymorphic lesions with clonality); grade 3, neoplasm (monomorphic lesions with clonality). There are overlaps between EBV+ LPD and typical hyperplasia, as well as EBV+ LPD and typical lymphomas. However, the most important tasks are clinical vigilance, early identification of potential severe complications, and treating the patients in a timely manner to avoid serious complications, as well as the active treatment to save lives when the complications happened.

[Analysis of clinical characteristics of necrotizing enterocolitis in term infants]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the characteristics and outcomes of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in Chinese term infants population.

METHODS

A national neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis network was established. Neonates as having necrotizing enterocolitis with gestation age ≥37 weeks were identified if they met the accepted diagnostic criterion during the study period from Jan 1(st) 2011 to Dec 31(st) 2011. The data of maternal and neonates' characteristics, the comorbidities, the clinical interventions prior to NEC, the clinical courses and radiology results, the medical and surgical treatment and the outcomes were collected. SPSS 19.0 software was used to do statistic analysis. Logistic-regression models were used to analyze the risk factors for death in infants with NEC, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated.

RESULTS

There were 231 067 newborn infants, 164 307 of them were term infants, admitted to 95 hospitals in main land China. There were 718 term infants were diagnosed as necrotizing enterocolitis with the incidence of 0.44%. There were 294 term infants cases identified as ≥stage 2 necrotizing enterocolitis for the analysis, including 193 cases of stage 2 and 101 cases of stage 3.The mean gestation age was (39.0±1.3) weeks, and the mean birth weight was(3 087.4±548.3)g. The percentage of small for gestation age was 20.4%. The onset age of NEC was 5 (2-11)d. The percentage of cases received breast milk feeding was 23.7%. The most common comorbidities were sepsis (9.5%, 28/294), asphyxia (9.5%, 28/294), pneumonia (7.8%, 23/294) and congenital megacolon (7.5%, 22/294). The bowel perforation rate was 13.9%. The rate of cases who received surgical treatment was 25.2%(76.6% small intestinal necrosis and 65.8% small intestinal perforation). The mortality rate was 28.9%(the mortality rate were 20.7% and 44.6% in stage 2 and stage 3 NEC, respectively). Noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure treatment for NEC (OR=5.278, 95% CI: 2.058-13.533, P<0.01) and NEC staging 3 (OR=3.156, 95% CI: 1.766-5.642, P<0.01) were statistically significantly associated with mortality of NEC.

CONCLUSIONS

The term infants with necrotizing enterocolitis usually have the underlying comorbidities. The breastmilk feeding rate is low. Necrotizing enterocolitis remains high mortality in term neonates in Chinese neonatal units. Noninvasive continuous positive airway pressure treatment for NEC is statistically significantly associated with mortality of NEC.

A meta-analysis of probiotics for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm neonates

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most common acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in preterm infants. Some randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) have indicated that probiotics may potentially lower the incidence of NEC and mortality. However, debate still remains about the safety of probiotics and their influence on normal infant growth. We performed this meta-analysis to assess the safety and benefits of probiotic supplementation in preterm infants. We searched in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for English references, and in Wanfang, VIP, and CNKI databases for Chinese references. Ultimately, 27 RCTs (including 9 Chinese articles) were incorporated into this meta-analysis. Relative risk (RR) and weighted mean difference (WMD) were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model, depending on the data type and heterogeneity. A total of 6655 preterm infants, including the probiotic group (n=3298) and the placebo group (n=3357), were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis. For Bell stage ≥I and gestational age <37 weeks, risk of NEC incidence was significantly lower in the probiotic group [RR=0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.27-0.44, P<0.00001]. For Bell stage ≥II or gestational age <34 weeks, there were likewise significant differences between the probiotic and placebo groups concerning NEC incidence (RR=0.34, 95%CI=0.25-0.48, P<0.00001; and RR=0.39, 95%CI=0.27-0.56, P<0.00001). Risk of death was significantly reduced in the probiotic group (RR=0.58, 95%CI=0.46-0.75, P<0.0001). In contrast, there was no significant difference concerning the risk of sepsis (RR=0.94, 95%CI=0.83-1.06, P=0.31). With respect to weight gain and the age at which infants reached full feeds, no significant differences were found between the probiotic and placebo groups (WMD=1.07, 95%CI=−0.21-2.34, P=0.10; and WMD=−1.66, 95%CI=−3.6-0.27, P=0.09). This meta-analysis has shown that, regardless of gestational age and NEC stage, probiotic supplementation could significantly reduce the risk of NEC in preterm infants. Analysis also indicated that such supplementation did not increase the incidence risk of sepsis or of mortality. Finally, the study showed that probiotic supplementation may have no adverse effect on normal feeding and growth.

First Report of Bacterial Panicle Blight of Rice Caused by Burkholderia glumae in South Africa

In April 2013, upright, straw-colored panicles were observed in rice (Oryza sativa L.) fields with center pivot sprinkler irrigation at Ukulima farm in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Affected panicles contained florets that initially exhibited discoloration ranging from light green to light brown on the basal portion of the glumes and later developed a reddish-brown margin separating this area from the rest of the glume that became straw-colored. The stems of infected florets remained green. Affected grains were partially filled or aborted, causing panicles to remain upright. These symptoms appeared on approximately 25% of the rice plants of the varieties Presidio and WAB56-104. A gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated consistently from symptomatic panicles. These strains produced circular, smooth-margined, convex colonies on King's B medium (KB) with a yellowish-green, diffusible non-fluorescent pigment. Four strains, two from each of the two varieties, were selected for physiological, molecular, and pathogenicity assays. These strains grew on nutrient-broth yeast (NBY) agar at 40°C and in NBY amended with 3% NaCl. They utilized acetate, adonitol, and citrate, and were positive for gelatin hydrolysis, but negative for oxidase and arginine dihydrolase. These morphological and physiological data indicate that the characteristics of these strains were similar to those of Burkholderia glumae. The strains were further verified using B. glumae-specific PCR method (2). In a greenhouse, 12 panicles each of Presidio and WAB56-104 were spray-inoculated at the flowering stage with a bacterial suspension (10⁸ CFU/ml) of each strain generated from cultures grown on KB at 30°C for 24 h. Twelve panicles of each variety treated in the same way with sterile water served as controls. After inoculation, treated panicles were covered with transparent polyethylene bags and maintained in the greenhouse with temperatures ranging from 24 to 35°C. After 2 days, the polyethylene bags were removed. Symptoms similar to those observed in the field developed on all the panicles inoculated with each strain by 10 days of inoculation. No symptoms were observed on the control panicles. Bacteria with the same morphological and cultural characteristics of B. glumae were consistently re-isolated from diseased panicles. All eight randomly selected, re-isolated strains were confirmed to be B. glumae based on the B. glumae-specific PCR and physiological assays described above. This pathogenicity experiment was repeated once with similar results. This is the first report of bacterial panicle blight of rice caused by B. glumae in South Africa. Overhead sprinkler irrigation appeared to promote the development and spread of the disease. Since the bacterium is seedborne (3) and there are no acceptable levels of resistance available in commercial varieties, bacterial panicle blight poses a threat to rice production. This bacterium was first described in Japan as the causing agent of grain rot and seedling rot on rice grown under flood irrigation conditions (1). Bacterial panicle blight caused by B. glumae has since been reported in China, Korea, Latin America, the Philippines, and the United States (2). References: (1) K. Goto and K. Ohata. Ann. Phytopathol. Soc. Jpn. 21:46, 1956. (2) R. Nandakumar et al. Plant Dis. 93:896, 2009. (3) R. J. Sayler et al. Plant Dis. 90:603, 2006.

DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of ovarian cancer patients after radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

Radiotherapy is a common mode of treatment for many types of cancer, particularly cancers that are not detected until late stages, as is common with ovarian cancer. Although radiotherapy is effective in preferentially killing tumor cells, DNA damage induced by ionizing radiation can also have toxic effects on non-tumor cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of toxicity on non-tumor cells following radiotherapy for ovarian cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The authors used the comet assay to assess DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes of 60 ovarian cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Venous blood samples were collected from patients before radiotherapy and after accumulated doses of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 Gy of radiotherapy.

RESULTS

Comet frequencies, reflecting the proportion of damaged cells, were significantly higher after radiotherapy than before radiotherapy (f = 69.66, p < 0.05) and demonstrated a linear relationship with accumulated dose (y = 9.87 + 0.2987x, r = 0.9497, p < 0.05). Additionally, the comet tail length, reflecting the relationship between undamaged and damaged DNA, was significantly longer after radiotherapy (f = 175.13, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that radiotherapy induces DNA damage in lymphocytes of ovarian cancer patients and suggest that radiotherapy doses should be limited during clinical treatment to reduce toxic side-effects.

Anthracnose and Gummy Stem Blight Are Reduced on Watermelon Grown on a No-Till Hairy Vetch Cover Crop

Multiple applications of fungicides are used to manage anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare and gummy stem blight caused by Didymella bryoniae, the two most common and destructive diseases on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. To develop a sustainable, nonchemical management option, a split-plot experiment was conducted over 3 years to evaluate the effects of a no-till hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop on disease severity, plant growth, and fruit yield compared with two conventional bedding systems and fungicide application. The main plots were bedding strategies consisting of bare ground, polyethylene covering, or a hairy vetch cover crop that was planted in the fall, killed the following spring, and left on the soil surface as an organic mulch. The subplots were a nonfungicide control or a weekly application of a standard fungicide program. Hairy vetch mulch provided greater than a 65% reduction in the area under the disease progress curves of anthracnose and gummy stem blight and greater than an 88% decrease in diseased fruit compared with bare ground or polyethylene mulch. The reductions were comparable with those achieved by fungicide applications. Watermelon vine lengths in plots with hairy vetch were similar to or greater than those in plots with polyethylene or bare ground that were treated with fungicides. Marketable fruit in plots with hairy vetch was higher compared with bare ground in 2 of 3 years and was similar to that in plots treated with fungicides in all 3 years. Addition of fungicide application to hairy vetch treatment further reduced anthracnose in 1 year and gummy stem blight in 2 years but did not significantly increase fruit yield in all 3 years. This is the first demonstration that a no-till hairy vetch production system can reduce anthracnose and gummy stem blight on watermelon and that the production system has the potential to mitigate damage caused by these diseases.

Adsorption of methyl orange and Cr(VI) on mesoporous TiO2 prepared by hydrothermal method

Mesoporous TiO(2) was synthesized by a hydrothermal method using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a structure-directing agent, and its adsorption abilities for the removal of methyl orange (MO) and Cr(VI) from waste waters were investigated. Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) observations together with nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements show the formation of mesoporous TiO(2) with an average pore size of 5.2 nm and a surface area of 161.2 m(2)/g. The adsorption data for both MO and Cr(VI) fit well with either Langmuir or Freundlich adsorption model. The adsorption for MO is slightly influenced by pH of the solutions, while that for Cr(VI) is strongly dependent on solution pH. By an increase in solution pH from 3 to 12, the adsorbed percentage of MO decreases from ca. 87 to 78%; however, the adsorbed percentage of Cr(VI) decreases from ca. 45 to 0%. The maximum adsorption capacities of the mesoporous TiO(2) for MO and Cr(VI) are determined to be 454.5 and 33.9 mg/g, respectively, which suggests that the mesoporous TiO(2) is an excellent adsorbent for MO and Cr(VI).

First Report of White Leaf Streak of Rice Caused by Mycovellosiella oryzae in Texas

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants in experimental plots in Beaumont, TX developed symptoms on leaf blades similar to white leaf streak caused by Mycovellosiela oryzae (Deighton & Shaw) Deighton (synonym Ramularia oryzae Deighton & Shaw) (1,3,4) during the late summer of 2009. Symptoms were observed on several rice cultivars and breeding lines including Cocodrie, Cypress, and Lemont. Lesions usually appeared on lower leaves and were approximately 2 to 7 mm long and linear with whitish or grayish centers surrounded by a narrow brown-or-dark brown margin. Symptoms were similar to narrow brown leaf spot caused by Cercospora janseana (Racib.) O. Const. (synonym C. oryzae Miyake) (3,4), but the centers of lesions were slightly wider (up to 2 mm). Symptoms were visible on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. Some lesions on heavily infected leaves were long (10 to 15 × 0.5 to 2 mm) whitish streaks parallel to the midrib. Leaves with typical symptoms were collected and incubated in a petri dish lined with moistened filter paper for 3 to 4 days at room temperature under a 12-h fluorescent photoperiod. Conidiophores were produced on external mycelium growing out through stomata on the lesion surface. Conidiophores were hyaline, straight, and 7 to 22 μm long and 2 to 3 μm wide with conidial scars. Conidia were washed from the lesions, diluted in sterilized distilled water, and placed on acidified potato dextrose agar. After 6 to 7 days of incubation at room temperature, slow-growing colonies were transferred onto potato dextrose agar (PDA). Three isolates were obtained from single-spore cultures. The colonies of these isolates grew similarly and very slowly on PDA and their radial growth averaged 0.8 mm/day at room temperature. The colonies were dense, grayish, and did not produce any pigments. Conidia were formed singly or in chains and measured 12 to 30 μm long. They were hyaline, straight, cylindrical, typically with no or one septum, a few with two to three septa, and had a hilum and tapered ends. Pathogenicity of these three isolates was assessed in greenhouse tests by spraying a conidial suspension (10⁵ conidia/ml) onto 12 plants of each of the cvs. Cocodrie, Cypress and Lemont at the late tillering stage. Inoculum was obtained by harvesting conidia from the colonies grown on PDA for 3 weeks at room temperature under a 12-h fluorescent photoperiod. Plants sprayed with sterilized distilled water served as the controls. All plants were maintained in a humid chamber for 2 days and then grown in a greenhouse at 20 to 31°C. After 15 days, early lesions appeared on inoculated leaf blades; after 4 weeks, typical symptoms similar to those observed in the field developed. Control plants did not exhibit any symptoms. M. oryzae was reisolated from symptomatic plants, confirming that the disease was caused by this pathogen. To our knowledge, this is the first report of white leaf streak on rice in Texas and the second report after Louisiana (2). This disease has been reported in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, North Borneo, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria (3,4). References: (1) F. C. Deighton and D. Shaw. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 43:515, 1960. (2) A. K. M. Shahjahan et al. Plant Dis. 82:1282, 1998. (3) B. C. Sutton and A. K. M. Shahjahan. Nova Hedwigia 25:197, 1981. (4) R. K. Webster and P. S. Gunnell. Compendium of Rice Diseases. The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN, 1992.

Race 3, a New and Highly Virulent Race of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum Causing Fusarium Wilt in Watermelon

Three races (0, 1, and 2) of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum have been previously described in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) based on their ability to cause disease on differential watermelon genotypes. Four isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum collected from wilted watermelon plants or infested soil in Maryland, along with reference isolates of races 0, 1, and 2, were compared for virulence, host range, and vegetative compatibility. Race identification was made on the watermelon differentials Sugar Baby, Charleston Gray, Dixielee, Calhoun Gray, and PI-296341-FR using a root-dip, tray-dip, or pipette inoculation method. All four Maryland isolates were highly virulent, causing 78 to 100% wilt on all differentials, one of which was PI-296341-FR, considered highly resistant to race 2. The isolates also produced significantly greater colonization in the lower stems of PI-296341-FR than a standard race 2 reference isolate. In field microplots, two of the isolates caused over 90% wilt on PI-296341-FR, whereas no disease was caused by a race 2 isolate. All four isolates were nonpathogenic on muskmelon, cucumber, pumpkin, and squash, confirming their host specific pathogenicity to watermelon. The Maryland isolates were vegetatively compatible to each other but not compatible with the race 2 isolates evaluated, indicating their genetic difference from race 2. This study proposes that the Maryland isolates belong to a new race, race 3, the most virulent race of F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum described to date.