Molecular targeted therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Systemic anticancer therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by intrinsic drug resistance and accompanying liver dysfunction. However, recent advances in molecular targeted therapy (MTT) have shed light on the treatment of advanced HCC. A recent randomized, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that sorafenib, a multi-target tyrosine kinase inhibitor, prolonged overall survival and time-to-progression in patients with advanced HCC. This breakthrough highlights the potential of MTT targeting hepatocarcinogenic pathways, such as the Raf/MAPK/ERK pathway, angiogenic pathways and the EGFR signaling pathway. This review discusses the current status and the potential of developing novel MTTs for advanced HCC.     

A Chinese adolescent girl with Fechtner-like syndrome

We describe a 15-y-old girl with Fechtner-like syndrome, who is the first Chinese reported to have this rare syndrome. She presented with left homonymous hemianopia and neuroimaging revealed haemorrhage in both parietal and occipital lobes. Peripheral blood smear showed macrothrombocytopenia and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies inside leucocytes. Thrombocytopenia and proteinuria responded to intravenous immunoglobulin and pulsed methylprednisolone. This case illustrates that life-threatening haemorrhage can occur in patients with Fechtner syndrome. Although there was no effective treatment reported in the literature, high dose steroid and immunoglobulin seemed to be useful in our patient. Our patient also had nephritic-nephrotic syndrome with renal insufficiency, which is unusual in adolescent female patients.     

半乳糖-半乳糖胺检测法在大肠癌筛选中的应用

应用半乳糖-半乳糖胺检测法对118份直肠粘液标本作了检查。在30例大肠癌病人中其阳性率达90％,在65例肠粘膜正常人中,其阴性率达92.3％;另外20例大肠息肉病人中,其阳性率为15％,3例溃疡性结肠炎病人中阳性率为66.7％。结果表明:该法有较高的敏感性(90％)和特异性(92.3％),方法简便,结果易重复,在大肠癌普查中具有较大的应用潜力;在大肠息肉和溃疡结肠性炎中也有一定的阳性率,提示该法可用于某些大肠癌癌前状态恶变的监测。     

丙泊酚对脓毒症大鼠肝损伤的保护作用

目的研究丙泊酚对脓毒症大鼠细胞因子的影响和细胞因子对肝线粒体呼吸功能的影响及其机制。方法采用盲肠结扎穿孔(CLP)制作脓毒症模型,将大鼠随机分为假手术组(C组)、盐水组(NS组)和丙泊酚组(P组),模型制作12h后NS组和P组分别给予生理盐水丙泊酚。在给药前和给药4 h后分别取静脉血,并在给药4h后取肝制备肝线粒体和组织匀浆,分别采用Clark氧电极技术测定线粒体呼吸功能,ELISA法检测IL-1β和IL-6,分光光度法测定NO水平。结果NS组的RCR和ADP/O明显低于C组,丙泊酚能改善其呼吸功能;NS组给药前后IL-1β和IL-6水平明显高于C组,而P组给药4 h后的IL-1β和IL-6水平较NS组明显降低,且NS组NO较C组和P组显著升高。结论丙泊酚能通过降低IL-1β和IL-6水平,减少肝组织NO的产生,从而保护线粒体呼吸功能,改善细胞能量代谢。     

Serum pregnancy-specific beta1-glycoprotein before embryo transfer is related to endometrial thickness and to outcome prognosis in women undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment

We have previously observed the repeated presence of low but detectable amounts of the trophoblast marker pregnancy-specific beta1-glycoprotein (SP1) in the serum of some women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment around the time of oocyte retrieval. The occurrence of these signals seemed to be restricted to a defined group of patients which also showed a lower pregnancy success rate in a preliminary study. To test our hypothesis we have analysed 173 consecutive cycles leading to an embryo transfer. Fifty-four cycles (31%) had a serum SP1 level of at least 0.1 ng/ml between days embryo transfer -5 and embryo transfer (group A). Five pregnancies were obtained in this group (pregnancy rate = 9.3%), while in group B, defined by the absence of detectable SP1 before embryo transfer (119 cycles), 36 ongoing pregnancies were achieved (30.3%). Ten of the 41 pregnancies were achieved in 33 first-time non-pregnant patients undergoing further attempts during the study period. Again the pregnancy rate was higher in the first-time group B women (9/23 versus 1/10 for group A). Patients tended to remain in their groups A or B, the latter being associated with a better immediate as well as subsequent chance for pregnancy. Group A cycles had a significantly lower endometrial thickness two days before oocyte retrieval than group B (P = 0.0011). We postulate that the presence of an unknown, maternal and progesterone- or follicle stimulating hormone-independent factor in some patients could stimulate tonic ectopic SP1 synthesis and at the same time negatively influence endometrial development.