脊髓小脑共济失调2型家系ATXN2基因中间重复病例表型与分子遗传学特征

目的探讨脊髓小脑共济失调2型(SCA2)致病基因ATXN2异常等位基因中间重复个体的表型和分子遗传学特点。方法针对2005—2018年中日友好医院神经科运动障碍与神经遗传病研究中心收集的1383个常染色体显性遗传共济失调家系的先证者和部分家系成员,采用荧光标记毛细管电泳片段分析方法进行动态突变检测,对携带ATXN2基因中间重复的个体进行临床表型和遗传特征分析。结果共检出163个家系(包含先证者和家系成员共203人)携带异常扩展的ATXN2基因CAG重复序列,其中93个家系中有107例的异常扩展等位基因重复次数在29~34次之间。在其中的20个亲子对中,父系遗传16个,异常等位基因的代间扩展增加0~28次,母系遗传4个,异常等位基因的代间扩展增加0~4次。结论对于临床拟诊SCA2家系患者,需对其亲代或成年子代个体进行ATXN2基因检测,以免漏诊。动态突变基因检测有助于识别中间重复的个体,对明确家系致病基因和遗传咨询至关重要。     

Brachytherapy: An emblematic example of extreme hypofractionated regimen

In order to provide more convenient irradiation regimens for patient comfort, radiation facility organization and health expenses, new hypofractionated protocols have been evaluated. Moderately (dose/fraction: 2.3 to 3 Gy), then ultra (dose/fraction: 5.2 to 6.1 Gy) hypofractionated irradiations were first validated. The current question is: is it possible to go forward using extreme hypofractionated regimens (EHR) based on 1 to 3 fractions. Different irradiation techniques are under investigation. However, brachytherapy remains the smartest way to deliver a high dose in a small volume. We report prospective and retrospective study results which evaluated EHR for breast and prostate brachytherapy. While oncological outcome and toxicity profile appear extremely encouraging for low-risk breast cancer after a 1 to 4 fractions (6.25 to 20 Gy/fraction), the use of a single fraction of 19 to 23 Gy appears debatable for prostate cancer. Brachytherapy represents an emblematic example of EHR but longer follow-up and more mature results are awaited in order to specify the right indications and refine the EQD2 calculation method including new biological and technical factors.     

PSMA-CAR-CIK转基因细胞体外杀伤三种前列腺癌细胞株效率的研究北大核心

目的:本研究通过检测前列腺特异性膜抗原(prostate specific membrane antigen,PSMA)-肿瘤特异性嵌合抗原受体(chimeric antigen receptor,CAR)-细胞因子诱导的杀伤细胞(cytokine induced killer cell,CIK)转基因细胞杀伤三种前列腺癌细胞株的效率,鉴定其用于后期治疗前列腺癌的可行性。方法:通过已经构建的二代PSMA-CAR慢病毒表达载体转染CIK细胞,构建PSMA-CAR-CIK转基因细胞;通过CCK8法检测CIK细胞及PSMA-CAR-CIK转基因细胞杀伤三种前列腺癌细胞株PC3、LNCaP、DU145的效率及效靶比。结果:转基因PSMA-CAR-CIK细胞构建成功;3 h~3.5 h为检测效应细胞对靶细胞细胞毒活性时与CCK8试剂孵育的最佳时间;两种效应细胞均在效靶比为10∶1、15∶1、20∶1时,杀伤率逐步增高,无统计学意义(P>0.05),但与其它组相比差异显著(P<0.05)。结论:两种效应细胞对于前列腺癌细胞的杀伤,只要效靶比达到10∶1的比例,就能起到一个较好的杀瘤效果,并且随着效应细胞的增加,其抗肿瘤能力逐步加强;转基因PSMA-CAR-CIK细胞的构建为CAR技术治疗前列腺癌的临床应用奠定了基础。     

Cancer Stem Cells and Circulatory Tumor Cells Promote Breast Cancer Metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly metastatic, pathological cancer that significantly affects women worldwide. The mortality rate of BC is related to its heterogeneity, aggressive phenotype, and metastasis. Recent studies have highlighted that the tumor microenvironment (TME) is critical for the interplay between metastasis mediators in BC. BC stem cells, tumor-derived exosomes, circulatory tumor cells (CTCs), and signaling pathways dynamically remodel the TME and promote metastasis. This review examines the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) that facilitate metastasis. This review also discusses the role of cancer stem cells (CSCs), tumor-derived exosomes, and CTs in promoting BC metastasis. Furthermore, the review emphasizes major signaling pathways that mediate metastasis in BC. Finally, the interplay among CSCs, exosomes, and CTCs in mediating metastasis have been highlighted. Therefore, understanding the molecular cues that mediate the association of CSCs, exosomes, and CTCs in TME helps to optimize systemic therapy to target metastatic BC.     

Effect of mortality from COVID-19 on inpatient outcomes

When hospitals first encountered coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there was a dearth of therapeutic options and nearly 1 in 3 patients died from the disease. By the summer of 2020, as deaths from the disease declined nationally, multiple single-center studies began to report declining mortality of patients with COVID-19. To evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on hospital-based mortality, we searched the Vizient Clinical Data Base for outcomes data from approximately 600 participating hospitals, including 130 academic medical centers, from January 2017 through December 2020. More than 32 million hospital admissions were included in the analysis. After an initial spike, mortality from COVID-19 declined in all regions of the country to under 10% by June 2020 and remained constant for the remainder of the year. Despite this, inpatient, all-cause mortality has increased since the beginning of the pandemic, even those without respiratory failure. Inpatient mortality has particularly increased in elderly patients and in those requiring intubation for respiratory failure. Since June 2020, COVID-19 kills one in every 10 patients admitted to the hospital with this diagnosis. The addition of this new disease has raised overall hospital mortality especially those who require intubation for respiratory failure.     

Adherence to a Mediterranean Lifestyle and Changes in Frequency,Severity, and Localization of Pain in Older Adults

ObjectiveTo assess the association between adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle and changes in pain, and its characteristics over time in older adults.Patients and MethodsWe analyzed data from 864 and 862 community-dwelling individuals aged 65+ years from the Study on Cardiovascular Health, Nutrition and Frailty in Older Adults in Spain (Seniors-ENRICA) Seniors-ENRICA-1 (2008–2010 to 2012) and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (2015–2017 to 2019) cohorts, with a median follow-up of 2.8 and 2.4 years, respectively. Adherence to a Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed at baseline with the 27-item Mediterranean lifestyle (MEDLIFE) index. Pain changes over time were calculated with a pain scale that assessed the frequency, severity, and the number of pain locations both at baseline and follow-up. Multivariable-adjusted relative risk ratios (RRRs) were obtained using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsIn the pooled cohorts, after a median follow-up of 2.6 years, pain worsened for 697 participants, improved for 734, and did not change for 295. Compared with the lowest category of MEDLIFE adherence, those in the highest category showed an RRR of improvement vs worsening of overall pain of 1.85 (95% CI, 1.28 to 2.67; P-trend<.001). MEDLIFE adherence was also linked to improvement in pain frequency (RRR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.31 to 3.01; P-trend=.001), pain severity (RRR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.33 to 3.00; P-trend=.001), and a reduction in the number of pain locations (RRR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.50; P-trend=.004). Limitations of this study are the use of self-reported lifestyle data.ConclusionA Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with improvement of pain characteristics in older adults. Experimental studies should assess the efficacy of an integral lifestyle approach for the management of pain in older adults.     

1 192例乳腺癌患者癌因性疲乏的调查及影响因素分析

目的了解乳腺癌患者癌因性疲乏（cancer-related fatigue， CRF）现状，并分析其影响因素。方法采用横断面调查方法，向乳腺癌患者发放调查问卷，按照IDC-10诊断标准判断是否存在CRF，根据Piper疲乏量表中文修订版（Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, RPFS）得分评价疲乏程度，调查乳腺癌患者CRF的发生情况，并分析其影响因素。结果1 192例患者完成了全部调查问卷，乳腺癌患者发生CRF为668例（占56.04%）；以轻、中度疲乏为主，分别占23.95%、55.24%，其中感觉维度得分最高。单因素分析结果显示，文化程度、乳腺癌病程、肿瘤分期、化疗周期、疼痛、上肢水肿、白细胞减少、恶心呕吐、贫血、潮热盗汗、失眠与乳腺癌患者CRF的发生有关（P＜0.05）；多因素Logistic回归分析显示，乳腺癌肿瘤分期、疼痛、白细胞减少、恶心呕吐、潮热盗汗、失眠是CRF发生的危险因素（P＜0.05），病程是其保护因素（P＜0.05）。CRF认知调查显示，乳腺癌患者对CRF认知度低，医护人员对其宣教度低。结论乳腺癌患者发生CRF较为普遍，以轻、中度疲乏为主；乳腺癌肿瘤分期、疼痛、白细胞减少、恶心呕吐、潮热盗汗、失眠是影响患者CRF的危险因素；乳腺癌患者对CRF认知度低。