Expression analysis and tissue localization of IgZ in the grouper Epinephelus coioides after Vibrio alginolyticus infection and vaccination.

The orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) is an important marine farmed fish in China. It is affected by the bacterial pathogen Vibrio alginolyticus, which causes high mortality and substantial economic losses. We studied the transcriptional changes of the IgZ gene in E. coioides following V. alginolyticus stimulation and investigated the distribution of IgZ in different tissues. The highest expression level of IgZ occurred in the head kidney. When fish were stimulated with live and inactivated V. alginolyticus, the expression levels of IgZ in the head kidney, spleen, intestine, gills and blood cells were significantly upregulated. In an in situ hybridization study, IgZ mRNA-positive cells were detected in the head kidney, spleen and gill, but positive signals were not detected in the liver and intestine. IgZ-labelled cells increased in the head kidney, spleen and gills post-infection with V. alginolyticus for 21 days. The present study provides additional evidence that IgZ is involved in mucosal immune responses and helps explain the role of IgZ in E. coioides defence against V. alginolyticus infection.

Bevacizumab did not reduce the risk of anemia associated with chemotherapy: an up-to-date meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The risk of anemia due to bevacizumab-based chemotherapy has not been well described, and new randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have been reported in recent years. We therefore conducted an up-to-date meta-analysis of RCTs to fully characterize the risk of anemia with bevacizumab. METHODS: We carried out an electronic search of Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to investigate the effects of RCTs on bevacizumab treatment on cancer patients up to October 2014, and random or fixed-effect meta-analytical models were used to assess the risk ratio (RR) of anemia due to the use of bevacizumab according to the heterogeneity of included studies. RESULTS: A total of 13,173 patients were included in this analysis from 18 RCTs. Among those patients receiving bevacizumab and chemotherapy, the incidences of all-grade and high-grade (grade 3 and above) anemia were 24% (95% confidence interval (CI) 13-41%) and 4.0% (95% CI 3.0-6.0%), respectively. Bevacizumab-containing therapy did not significantly decreased the risk of developing all-grade anemia (RR 0.872, 95% CI 0.739-1.029, P = 0.104) and high-grade anemia (RR 0.850, 95% CI 0.720-1.002, P = 0.053), which is not in agreement with previous meta-analysis. On subgroup analysis, we did not find significant risk differences based on bevacizumab dosage, tumor types, and concomitant drugs. When stratified by dose level, a significantly decreased risk of high-grade anemia with bevacizumab was obtained in a lower dose level (2.5 mg/kg/week, RR 0.773, 95% CI 0.611-0.978, P = 0.031) compared to control group. CONCLUSIONS: Bevacizumab did not significantly reduce the risk of anemia with chemotherapy in cancer patients.

[Treatment of cicatricial stricture subsequent to esophageal chemical burns with transverse colon replacing esophagus in children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the validity of transplanting transverse colon to replace esophagus in treating cicatricial stricture resulting from severe esophageal chemical burns in children. METHODS: A retrospective study was carried out on the clinical data of 46 patients with severe chemical esophageal burns who were treated from November 1972 to September 2008. The transverse colon with the ascending branch of the left colic artery was brought through a retrosternal tunnel to replace strictured esophagus. Thirty-two patients underwent colon-esophageal anastomosis and 14 patients underwent colon-pharyngeal anastomosis. RESULTS: All patients survived after surgery, but complications occurred in 7 cases, including leakage of anastomosis in cervical region in 4 cases, stenosis of anastomosis in 2 cases, and dyspnea in 1 case, and they were cured after due treatment. Follow-up study (1 - 26 years) in 39 patients revealed that there was no difference in growth, development and diet between the patients and the normal children of the same age. CONCLUSIONS: Esophageal reconstruction with transverse colon together with the ascending branch of the left colic artery through a retrosternal tunnel is a valuable method for treating cicatricial stricture of the esophagus secondary to severe chemical burns of the esophagus in children.