Overexpression of CDC25B and LAMC2 mRNA and protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and premalignant lesions in subjects from a high-risk population in China.

Molecular events associated with the initiation and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain poorly understood but likely hold the key to effective early detection approaches for this almost invariably fatal cancer. CDC25B and LAMC2 are two promising early detection candidates emerging from new molecular studies of ESCC. To further elucidate the role of these two genes in esophageal carcinogenesis, we did a series of studies to (a) confirm RNA overexpression, (b) establish the prevalence of protein overexpression, (c) relate protein overexpression to survival, and (d) explore their potential as early detection biomarkers. Results of these studies indicated that CDC25B mRNA was overexpressed (>/=2-fold overexpression in tumor compared with normal) in 64% of the 73 ESCC cases evaluated, whereas LAMC2 mRNA was overexpressed in 89% of cases. CDC25B protein expression was categorized as positive in 59% (144 of 243) of ESCC cases on a tumor tissue microarray, and nonnegative LAMC2 patterns of protein expression were observed in 82% (225 of 275) of cases. Multivariate-adjusted proportional hazard regression models showed no association between CDC25B protein expression score and risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) for each unit increase in expression score, 1.00; P = 0.90]; however, several of the LAMC2 protein expression patterns strongly predicted survival. Using the cytoplasmic pattern as the reference (the pattern with the lowest mortality), cases with a diffuse pattern had a 254% increased risk of death (HR, 3.52; P = 0.007), cases with no LAMC2 expression had a 169% increased risk of death (HR, 2.69; P = 0.009), and cases with a peripheral pattern had a 130% greater risk of death (HR, 2.30; P = 0.02). CDC25B protein expression scores in subjects with esophageal biopsies diagnosed as normal (n = 35), dysplastic (n = 23), or ESCC (n = 32) increased significantly with morphologic progression. For LAMC2, all normal and dysplastic patients had a continuous pattern of protein expression, whereas all ESCCs showed alternative, noncontinuous patterns. This series of studies showed that both CDC25B and LAMC2 overexpress RNA and protein in a significant majority of ESCC cases. The strong relation of LAMC2 pattern of protein expression to survival suggests a role in prognosis, whereas the association of CDC25B with morphologic progression indicates a potential role as an early detection marker.     

Cytologic evaluation of lymphadenopathy associated with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome

BACKGROUND.

The most common presenting site of extracutaneous disease in mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome is the peripheral lymph node. Although fine‐needle aspiration biopsy has been shown to be a valuable diagnostic technique in evaluating lymphadenopathy, its utility in patients with cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma has not been extensively studied. With fine‐needle aspiration biopsy, material can be collected for ancillary diagnostic studies and for morphologic evaluation.

METHODS.

The authors report a series of 11 fine‐needle aspiration biopsy specimens from 10 mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome patients. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping and T‐cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction were performed on fine‐needle aspiration biopsy material and correlated with cytologic findings.

RESULTS.

Seven of 10 patients had lymph node involvement by cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma, with 3 cases exhibiting large‐cell transformation and 4 cases exhibiting a small‐cell pattern. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping identified an abnormal T‐cell population in 6 cases. A clonal T‐cell rearrangement by T‐cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction (TCR‐γ PCR) was identified in 1case in which insufficient events were present for evaluation by flow cytometry and in 1 case in which flow cytometry was not diagnostic of T‐cell lymphoma. Two cases showed involvement by classic Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosed by immunohistochemistry on cell block material.

CONCLUSIONS.

Fine‐needle aspiration biopsy in conjunction with immunophenotyping and T‐cell receptor gamma chain polymerase chain reaction is significantly useful in evaluation of lymphadenopathy in patients with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome, especially for triaging lymph nodes that would otherwise not be sampled or for evaluating multiple lymph nodes. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.     

Evaluation of high-risk Human papillomaviruses type distribution in cervical cancer in Sichuan province of China

Background  

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus is an important factor associated with cervical cancer, and the distribution of HPV types varies greatly worldwide. Determination of type-specific HPV prevalence constitutes an important step towards the development of vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancer.     

发扬中医中药的必要性

从科学的角度，从文化进步的角度，从维护生物多样性的角度，从人道的角度，用充分的理论与事例证明发扬中医中药的必要性。     

Intracranial administrations of single or multiple source allogeneic cytotoxic T lymphocytes: chronic therapy for primary brain tumors

Summary Previous investigations by our group demonstrated the efficacy of single source allogeneic cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) given multiple times in reducing or curing tumor burden in the rat 9L gliosarcoma model. In this study, the lack of toxicity to normal brain when single source allogeneic CTLs were intracranially administered multiple times is documented. Additionally, the efficacy and lack of toxicity of allogeneic CTLs from multiple sources, each given once is documented. CTLs sensitized to Fischer antigen were prepared from major histocompatibility complex incompatible DA, PVG, Sprague-Dawley and Wistar-Furth rat lymphocytes. CTLs from multiple donors were administered one time each to Fischer rats bearing established 9L tumor at staggered intervals over a two week period and survival was monitored in relation to a sham treated group. Additional groups of nontumor-bearing rats received either multiple source allogeneic CTLs or single source DA anti Fischer CTLs in the same treatment regimen. Histological evaluation of the nontumor-bearing brains receiving either single or multiple source allogeneic CTL infusions showed minimal localized brain damage confined to the cannulation tract. No neuronal loss or inflammatory reaction was seen either adjacent to or remote from the administration site. Brains from the long-term survivors of the tumor-bearing animals showed no residual neoplasm; the instillation site had focal sterile abscesses; gliosis and neuronal loss did not extend into adjacent brain. The safety and potential of chronic, local allogeneic CTL administration, derived from multiple donors, as adjuvant local therapy for brain tumors was demonstrated.     

Service inputs and costs of care related to outcomes among cognitively impaired nursing home residents

BACKGROUND: There are over 17 000 nursing homes in the United States. Within these, special care units (SCUs) provide a separate residential and/or activity locus for residents, and are expected to provide more staff time and more specialized staff assignments. This paper addresses a fundamental issue relating to the nature, quality and quantity of resident care inputs: what impacts of SCUs are associated with added service inputs, and thus with personnel costs, recognizing that personnel account for the majority of costs associated with nursing home care? AIMS OF THE STUDY: The aim of this aspect of the study was to determine the extent to which additions of staff would result in a diminution of deviant behaviors among residents of special care and of traditional care units. METHOD: The data were collected from a random sample of ten downstate nursing homes located in New York State. Using rigorous sampling procedures, random samples of 40 residents were drawn from each of the facilities, equally divided between special care unit and traditional care unit residents. Thus, the sampling design involved two levels of clustering: subjects were clustered within units and units were clustered within facilities. The observational behaviour measure was taken from the INCARE (institutional version of the Comprehensive Assessment and Referral Evaluation). The behavioral observation measure contains 23 items such as "disruptive of others", "picks/pulls clothing", "repetitive movements", "repetitive questioning"and "wandering". Each item is rated as to frequency of occurrence; ratings are collected on three occasions, and averaged. Outcome and covariate data (e.g., behavior and cognition) were collected by trained research staff who visited each site for three to four weeks of intensive data collection, accomplished through direct resident interviews, staff interviews and questionnaires and chart data abstraction. The clinical staff time data were collected using the InfoAide system, whereby each care provider used a portable barcode scanner to record the type of care given, the recipient and the duration of care. A random effects model using the SAS mixed procedure was applied to the data; adhering to this model, some effects were fixed and some random. The random effects were comprised of the subject (intercept or subject starting point at baseline) and the unit; used here was restricted maximum likelihood (REML) with the EM algorithm. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction of behavior disorder associated with more provision of aide time in SCUs as contrasted with non-SCUs. The greater the service provided, the greater the slope, i.e., the greater the reduction. That is, while SCU residents showed improvements in behavior accompanying increases in aide time, no such change was observed among non-SCU residents. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE PROVISION AND USE: The significant effect of SCU + time + aide-minutes indicates that more aide time on SCUs was associated with improvement in behavior. It appears that the important ingredient in relation to the reduction of behavior disorder is not membership in an SCU per se, but the provision of more aide time within SCUs. Those SCUs that provide more aide time have a better behavior outcome. Thus, these findings point to additional paths for exploration, i.e., future research needs to focus on elements of SCUs such as the available amounts of program and staff resources rather than on SCU status alone.     

放置不同材料IUD_s后兔子宫内膜纤溶活性的改变

本文介绍兔一侧子宫内分别放置铜、钢、磁性物质及铜加6-氨基己酸(EACA)制成的宫内节育器(IUD),观察子宫内膜的纤溶变化。发现实验侧纤溶活性均明显高于对照侧,以铜为最明显。比较对照试验,铜IUD侧纤溶活性高于钢及磁(P<0.05),钢与磁之间无差异(P>0.05)。置含EACA铜IUD组分别于置器后7,14,28天后观察纤溶活性。7及14天组实验侧与对照侧纤溶活性无差异。28天后实验侧明显高于对照侧。用含EACA铜与无EACA的铜IUD进行对比,7天组实验侧纤溶活性低于对照侧(0.05相似文献   

不同针刺手法对健康人经穴氧分压的影响

本文采用氧分压（ＰＯ２）传感针，对２０例健康男性的手阳明大肠经上臂穴、曲池穴的ＰＯ２与相应非穴位的ＰＯ２值进行了测定。结果显示针刺合谷穴时，臂与曲池穴ＰＯ２升高，分别与针刺前比较，其１０＇、１５＇、２０＇的ＰＯ２值均有显著性差异（ＰＭ＜Ｏ．０５），而相应非穴位ＰＯ２变化不显著。在应用补法与泻法（提插捻转）运针后发现，施行补法时曲池穴Ｐ０２上升，泻法时ＰＯ２下降。     

Why not choledochal cyst?

With excision as a standard procedure for treating choledochal cyst, early diagnosis becomes a central issue in reducing morbidity and mortality from that disorder. In a retrospective analysis of 35 patients treated over a 10-year period, we found the diagnosis was delayed for an average of 11.9 months from the beginning of presenting symptoms. Three factors were responsible: (1) a random combination of non specific presenting symptoms such as pain and vomiting or jaundice and hepatomegaly frequently led to a diagnosis such as acute pancreatitis or hepatitis, in which conservative treatment was considered most appropriate; (2) the three parameters commonly used to diagnose acute pancreatitis (serum amylase, lipase, and Cam/Ccr) may all be elevated in patients with a choledochal cyst; and (3) a combination of several noninvasive examinations such as radionuclide cholescintigraphy, ultrasonography, and upper gastrointestinal X-rays may fail to diagnose some difficult cases of choledochal cyst. To obviate such problems, we recommend a routine ultrasound examination of biliary tract in children with recurrent or progressive obstructive jaundice or unexplained acute pancreatitis. When these noninvasive examinations fail to solve the problem, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography should be considered. Offprint requests to: J.-H. Chuang