CDX2 expression is progressively decreased in human gastric intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and cancer.

Intestinal metaplasia is a key event in multistep gastric carcinogenesis. CDX2, a master regulator of intestinal phenotype, was shown to play a tumor-suppressive role in colon cancer. However, it was reported to be expressed in nearly all gastric intestinal metaplasia and many gastric cancers. As CDX2 is differentially expressed in normal stomach and intestine, we sought to relate the CDX2 expression to gastrointestinal differentiation along gastric carcinogenesis. The expression of CDX2 protein in gastric intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and cancer was examined and related to their gastrointestinal differentiation. CDX2 expression was significantly decreased in incomplete intestinal metaplasia, which expresses both gastric mucins (MUC5AC and MUC6) and intestinal mucin (MUC2), compared with complete intestinal metaplasia, which expresses intestinal mucin (MUC2) only. Although incomplete intestinal metaplasia morphologically resembles colon, its CDX2 expression was apparently lower than that in the normal colon. Moreover, CDX2 expression was progressively reduced in gastric dysplasia and cancer. The CDX2 expression in gastric cancer was also inversely correlated with the expression of gastric mucins. As incomplete intestinal metaplasia is associated with higher risk of gastric cancer, its lower CDX2 expression compared with that in complete intestinal metaplasia and normal colon epithelium resolved the current contradiction between the tumor-suppressive role of CDX2 in the colon and the high prevalence of CDX2 in intestinal metaplasia. Further decrease of CDX2 expression in gastric dysplasia and cancer suggests that CDX2 plays a similar anticarcinogenic role in intestinal metaplasia as it does in colon. Intestinal metaplasia or dysplasia with low expression of CDX2 may serve as predictive markers for gastric cancer.     

Arthrobacter scleromae sp. nov. isolated from human clinical specimens

A gram-positive, coryneform bacterium was isolated from swollen scleromata of a dermatosis patient. An analysis of its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genotypic characteristics showed that this bacterium is closely associated with Arthrobacter oxydans and Arthrobacter polychromogenes but that it belongs to a distinct species, for which the name Arthrobacter scleromae sp. nov. is proposed.     

Correlation of AIB1 overexpression with advanced clinical stage of human colorectal carcinoma

AIB1, a member of the steroid receptor coactivator 1 family, has been cloned on 20q12 and is a candidate oncogene in human breast cancer. It is commonly amplified and overexpressed in several types of human cancers. In this study, we examined the expression of AIB1, as related to clinicopathologic features, in 85 human colorectal cancers (CRCs). The status of the number of AIB1 copies, p53 expression, and DNA ploidy was also analyzed. The overexpression of AIB1 was detected in 35% of CRCs. Amplification of AIB1 was observed in 10% of CRCs. In addition, the overexpression of AIB1 was observed more frequently in CRCs in later clinical stages (T3 N1 M0/T3 N0 2M1), compared with that in T3 N0 M0 stage (P < .05). These results suggest that overexpression of AIB1 might provide a selective advantage for the developmental growth and/or progression of subsets of CRCs. In addition, a significant correlation (P < .05) of overexpression of AIB1 with p53 overexpression as well as with aneuploid DNA content was observed in these CRCs. The overexpression of p53 was also correlated significantly with CRC DNA ploidy (P < .05). Furthermore, there was a substantial population of CRCs showing overexpression of both AIB1 and p53 protein and all had aneuploid DNA content; most of these were in the later clinical stage. These findings suggest a possible convergence of AIB1 with a pathway involving p53, which might induce chromosomal instability and affect the clinical phenotype of a subset of CRCs.     

抑郁障碍患者与家属家庭亲密度适应性和情绪状况的研究

目的探讨抑郁障碍患者与家属的家庭亲密度适应性和情绪状况,为抑郁障碍患者的健康教育及家庭干预提供科学有效的理论依据。方法选择2006年6～9月在北京大学第六医院就诊的抑郁障碍患者95例及共同陪伴的直系家属95例为调查对象。采用家庭亲密度和适应性量表中文版(FACES-CV)、Zung氏焦虑自评量表和Zung氏抑郁自评量表。结果1患者的家庭亲密度得分与国内常模一致(P>0.05),但适应性得分低于国内常模(P<0.01);焦虑、抑郁得分高于国内常模(P<0.01)。家属的家庭亲密度得分高于国内常模(P<0.01),适应性得分低于国内常模(P<0.01)。家属的焦虑得分与国内常模一致(P>0.05),但抑郁得分高于国内常模(P<0.05)。2家庭模式分型构成比:中间型47.9%,平衡性26.3%,极端型25.8%。患者的家庭"拱极模式"以"僵硬—松散型"居多,家属则以"自由—缠结型"居多。3家庭亲密度与患者的家属的文程化度有关,相关系数范围(r=0.21～0.26,P<0.05)、与家庭人数呈负相关(r=-0.21,P<0.01);与患者及家属的焦虑、抑郁情绪呈显著负相关,相关系数范围(r=-0.30～0.37,P<0.01);家庭适应性与患者的年龄(r=0.28,P<0.01)、文化程度(r=0.34,P<0.01)有关。与家属的年龄(r=0.26,P<0.05)文化程度(r=0.22,P<0.05)有关。与患者和家属的焦虑、抑郁情绪呈显著负相关,相关系数范围(r=-0.30～-0.42,P<0.01)。结论家庭亲密度适应性与患者和家属的文化程度、焦虑、抑郁情绪有关,家庭亲密度与患者的家庭人数有关,家庭适应性与患者和家属的年龄有关。     

Recurrent genetic alterations in 26 colorectal carcinomas and 21 adenomas from Chinese patients

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The incidence of CRC in the Chinese population has increased dramatically during the last two decades; however, nonrandom chromosomal alterations in Chinese patients have not been described. In the present study, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was applied to detect recurrent chromosome alterations in 26 primary colorectal carcinomas and 21 colorectal adenomas from Chinese patients. In CRC, several recurrent chromosomal changes were found, including gains of 8q (14/26 cases, 54%), 20q (54%), 3q (50%), 13q (50%), 5p (46%), 7p (42%), 7q (42%), and 12p (38%) and losses of 18q (65%) and 17p (42%). From comparison with previous CGH studies, the frequent gains of 3q and 12p might be distinctive occurrences in Chinese patients. The distribution of frequently found chromosomal alterations in different locations was studied. The gain of 20q was more frequently found in colon cancer (P<0.01) and the gain of 12p was more frequently found in rectal cancer. Chromosomal alterations were found in 19/21 of adenomas; the most frequent chromosomal alteration was the loss of 18q (9/21 cases, 43%). These recurrent alterations provide several starting points for the isolation of candidate oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes.     

Cryopreservation of all prezygotes in patients at risk of severe hyperstimulation does not eliminate the syndrome, but the chances of pregnancy are excellent with subsequent frozen-thaw transfers

In-vitro fertilization patients (n = 15) at risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) (oestradiol > or =4500 pg/ml on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin administration and 25 or more follicles of intermediate or large size) underwent aspiration of all follicles and cryopreservation of all fertilized oocytes at the pronuclear stage. Patients were monitored for up to 2 weeks post- retrieval. Subsequent transfer of cryopreserved-thawed embryos was performed in programmed cycles using exogenous oestrogen and progesterone for endometrial preparation. Two patients (13%) developed OHSS necessitating hospitalization and vaginal aspiration of ascitic fluid. Two other patients (13%) developed moderate OHSS requiring ascitic fluid vaginal aspiration in the office setting, with dramatic improvement of the condition. Subsequent transfer of cryopreserved- thawed embryos yielded a clinical pregnancy rate of 58% per transfer and ongoing or delivery rates of 42 and 67% per transfer and per patient respectively. By eliminating pregnancy potential with cryopreservation of all prezygotes and examining the pregnancy potential with subsequent cryopreserved-thawed transfers, it is concluded that OHSS is reduced, but not eliminated for patients at risk. Subsequent transfer of cryopreserved-thawed prezygotes in a programmed cycle with exogenous steroids yields an excellent pregnancy rate.