Treatment evolution and improved survival in multiple myeloma in Taiwan

Annals of Hematology - The incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) is increasing worldwide, but the rate of increase is greatest in Asia. Few data describe the epidemiology and treatment of MM in Asia....     

长链非编码RNA在结直肠癌中的研究进展

长链非编码RNA（LncRNA）是近十年来肿瘤领域分子机制研究的热点之一，被证实在生物体内对基因的表达具有调控作用，与肿瘤的发生与发展密切相关。结直肠癌是一种严重危害人类健康的恶性肿瘤，研究发现许多LncRNA在结直肠癌中表达失调。异常表达的LncRNA作为关键的调控因子，参与了多种生物学过程，影响肿瘤细胞的增殖和凋亡、侵袭转移及调节肿瘤耐药。研究LncRNA在肠癌中的作用机制可以为结直肠癌临床治疗提供一些新思路。此外，LncRNA还可作为一种潜在的生物标志物用于结直肠癌早期诊断及预后评估。     

“双一流”建设背景下地方高校研究生培养模式探索

一流的研究生教育是“双一流”建设的重要基础。从健全导师责权机制、深化课程体系改革、强化共享平台建设、完善培养质量评价机制等方面，探讨我校在“双一流”建设中研究生教育改革与创新的具体举措，展示了研究生培养模式改革的初步成效，为地方高校推进“双一流”建设提供有益借鉴。     

急性胰腺炎伤寒六经平脉辨证体系探索

急性胰腺炎中医病因病机复杂,临床表现烦冗多变,传统中医辨证分型粗略,尚不能精准指导急性胰腺炎的中医药治疗。本文基于急性胰腺炎"热病观"和相关指南共识,结合八纲辨证和伤寒六经,拟建立急性胰腺炎的六经平脉辨证体系,以期促进急性胰腺炎的中医药治疗。     

SMARCB1(INI1)缺失的鼻腔鼻窦癌六例临床病理学特征

目的探讨SMARCB1(INI1)缺失的鼻腔鼻窦癌临床病理特征及其诊断和鉴别诊断。方法收集2016至2018年复旦大学附属眼耳鼻喉科医院手术切除SMARCB1(INI1)缺失的鼻腔鼻窦癌标本/活检病例6例,观察其临床特点、影像学特征、组织形态、免疫组织化学特征以及预后,并结合文献进行复习。结果5例男性,1例女性;年龄37~75岁(平均约56岁)。1例患者属于T2期,5例患者属于T4期,CT及MRI示鼻腔鼻窦占位伴骨质破坏。镜下观察:肿瘤境界不清,基底样细胞型4例,肿瘤细胞形态较单一,高核质比,细胞质稀少,呈巢状或片状分布于间质中;横纹肌样细胞型2例,肿瘤细胞呈巢状或条索状排列,细胞胞质丰富,嗜酸性,核偏位。免疫组织化学染色示6/6 INI1完全缺失,6/6弥漫强阳性表达广谱细胞角蛋白(CKpan),6/6均不表达S-100蛋白,6/6 EB病毒编码的小RNA(EBER)原位杂交阴性,4/6部分表达p63,1/5部分表达突触素,1/5部分表达p16,Ki-67阳性指数范围30%~70%。5例患者随访1~26个月,其中1例因广泛转移死亡,1例复发,2例淋巴结转移,1例无复发和转移。1例失访。结论SMARCB1(INI1)缺失的鼻腔鼻窦癌恶性程度高,病程进展快,预后差,组织形态主要为基底样细胞型和横纹肌样细胞型,细胞核INI1完全缺失有助于诊断及鉴别诊断。     

Score confidence intervals and sample sizes for stratified comparisons of binomial proportions

In a series of articles, Gart and Nam construct the efficient score tests and confidence intervals with or without skewness correction for stratified comparisons of binomial proportions on the risk difference, relative risk, and odds ratio effect metrics. However, the stratified score methods and their properties are not well understood. We rederive the efficient score tests, which reveals their theoretical relationship with the contrast-based score tests, and provides a basis for adapting the method by using other weighting schemes. The inverse variance weight is optimal for a common treatment effect in large samples. We explore the behavior of the score approach in the presence of extreme outcomes when either no or all subjects in some strata are responders, and provide guidance on the choice of weights in the analysis of rare events. The score method is recommended for studies with a small number of moderate or large sized strata. A general framework is proposed to calculate the asymptotic power and sample size for the score test in superiority, noninferiority and equivalence clinical trials, or case-control studies. We also describe a nearly exact procedure that underestimates the exact power, but the degree of underestimation can be controlled to a negligible level. The proposed methods are illustrated by numerical examples.     

Basic fibroblast growth factor promotes doxorubicin resistance in chondrosarcoma cells by affecting XRCC5 expression

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common form of bone cancer and is characterized by its ability to produce an extracellular matrix of the cartilage. High-grade chondrosarcoma is highly aggressive and can metastasize to other parts of the body. Chondrosarcoma is resistant to both conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy; hence, the current main treatment is still surgical resection. Doxorubicin (Dox) has been shown to significantly improve patient survival compared with untreated chondrosarcoma. However, for patients with metastasis, surgical resection alone can hardly treat them. In addition, drug resistance is one of the leading causes of death in patients with chondrosarcoma. Secreted proteins can mediate cell-cell interactions in the cancer microenvironment, which may be associated with the development of drug resistance. In the present study, chondrosarcoma cells were treated with Dox, the conditioned medium was then collected and changes in secreted proteins were analyzed using the antibody array. Results showed that the Dox-treated group had the highest secretion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), indicating the effect of bFGF on Dox sensitivity in chondrosarcoma. Furthermore, lentiviral-mediated knockdown and treatment of exogenous recombinant protein were employed to further investigate the effect of bFGF on Dox resistance. Results demonstrated that bFGF can promote the expression of X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 5 (XRCC5), leading to Dox resistance. Secreted bFGF is likely to be detected in serum, in addition to being a biomarker for predicting Dox resistance, the combination of Dox and bFGF/XRCC5 blockers may be a new therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of Dox in future.