Establishing a Nomogram for Stage IA-IIB Cervical Cancer Patients after Complete Resection.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to establish a nomogram by combining clinicopathologic factors with overall survival of stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients after complete resection with pelvic lymphadenectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This nomogram was based on a retrospective study on 1,563 stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients who underwent complete resection and lymphadenectomy from 2002 to 2008. The nomogram was constructed based on multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazard regression. The accuracy and discriminative ability of the nomogram were measured by concordance index (C-index) and calibration curve. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis identified lymph node metastasis (LNM), lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI), stromal invasion, parametrial invasion, tumor diameter and histology as independent prognostic factors associated with cervical cancer survival. These factors were selected for construction of the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.71 (95% CI, 0.65 to 0.77), and calibration of the nomogram showed good agreement between the 5-year predicted survival and the actual observation. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a nomogram predicting 5-year overall survival of surgically treated stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients. More comprehensive information that is provided by this nomogram could provide further insight into personalized therapy selection.

[Expression of osteopontin and survivin in prostate cancer and the clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the expression of osteopontin (OPN) and survivin in prostate cancer tissue, and study their correlation and roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. METHODS: The expressions of OPN and survivin in prostate cancer tissue, prostate hyperplasia tissue and normal prostate tissue were determined by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The positive expression rates of OPN mRNA and protein in prostate cancer tissue [76.1% (35/46) and 69.6% (32/46)] were significantly correlated to survivin expression [67.4% (31/46) and 67.4% (31/46)] (P<0.05). The expressions of OPN and survivin were related to the tumor grade and clinical stages (P<0.05). OPN and survivin were not found in prostate hyperplasia and normal prostate tissues. CONCLUSION: OPN and survivin may play important roles in the progression of prostate cancer and can be potential markers for invasion and metastasis of prostate cancer. OPN and survivin might play synergetic roles in prostate carcinogenesis.

[Inhibitory effects of tetraethylammonium on proliferation and voltage-gated potassium channels in human cervical carcinoma cell line SiHa].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Various potassium channels are known to be involved in proliferation of many malignant cell lines. This study was to explore the role of voltage-gated potassium channels in proliferation of human cervical carcinoma cells through observing the effects of tetraethylammonium (TEA) on proliferation and outward potassium currents in human cervical carcinoma cell line SiHa. METHODS: SiHa cells were treated with TEA. The effect of TEA on proliferation of SiHa cells was assessed by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle were detected by flow cytometry with Hoechst 33258 staining. The outward potassium currents were recorded by patch clamp technique. RESULTS: TEA inhibited the proliferation of SiHa cells in dose-and time-dependent manners, and induced cell apoptosis. The cell cycle was arrested at G0/G1 phase after treatment with TEA. Exposure of SiHa cells to 10 mmol/L TEA reduced the peak outward potassium currents significantly from (260+/-12) pA to (58+/-6) pA (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Voltage-gated potassium channels play an important role in regulating proliferation of cervical carcinoma SiHa cells. Blocking voltage-gated potassium channels could inhibit proliferation of SiHa cells.

[Clinical significance of detecting neonatal peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected by HBV].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the HBV infection rate of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from fetuses of HBsAg positive mothers, associated risk factors and to explore the clinical significance of detecting HBV infected PBMCs. METHODS: Sixty eight pregnant women who were delivered at the First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China from August 1995 to February 1997, and their newborns were studied. They were divided into two groups according to their status of HBV serological markers. The study group included 50 cases who were serum HBsAg positive and 18 cases without any HBV serum markers served as control group. All these cases had no symptoms of hepatitis, high risk premature labor, premature delivery and hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Age and gestational age were matched in two groups. Blood samples (5 mL) were taken from the peripheral vein of pregnant women before delivery and from newborns within 24 h after birth, before inoculation of HBV vaccine (HBVac) and injection of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG). PBMCs were isolated. The sera and PBMCs were stored at -80 degrees C. HBV-DNA in serum and PBMCs were detected with nested polymerase chain reaction (n-PCR). Two pairs of oligonucleotide primers, the outer primer pair for first PCR and inner primer pair for second PCR, designed according to region S of HBV genome were synthesized by Shanghai Cell Biology Institute of Chinese Academy of Science. RESULTS: The detection rate of HBV-DNA in serum and PBMCs from HBsAg positive pregnant women was 60.0% (30/50) and 40.0% (20/50), respectively. The detection rate of HBV-DNA in serum and PBMCs from newborns of HBsAg positive pregnant women was 46.0% (23/50) and 30.0% (15/50), respectively. Ten newborns were HBV-DNA positive in serum only, 2 were positive in PBMCs only and 13 were positive in both serum and PBMCs. In the control group, HBV-DNA was not detected in PBMC nor in serum. The positive rate of HBV-DNA in PBMCs of newborns was significantly higher in the group of mothers who were HBV-DNA or HBeAg positive in serum (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the positive rate was significantly higher in the group of mothers who were HBV-DNA positive in both serum and PBMC than that in the group of mothers who were serum HBV-DNA positive only (P < 0.01); and it was markedly higher in the group of mothers who were PBMC HBV-DNA positive than that in group of mothers who were HBV-DNA negative in PBMCs (P < 0.01). The positive rate of HBV-DNA in PBMCs of newborns was significantly higher in the group of newborns who were HBV-DNA positive in serum than that in the group of newborns who were HBV-DNA negative in serum (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The positive rate of HBV-DNA in PBMCs from newborns of HBsAg positive pregnant women was 30.0% (15/30). It was related to HBV viremia level and HBV-DNA status in PBMCs of mothers and newborns. Detection of HBV-DNA in PBMCs may be an important supplementary method to determine intrauterine HBV infection, and can predict the response to HBV vaccine.

Relationship between HBV viremia level of pregnant women and intrauterine infection:neated PCR for detection of HBV DNA.

AIM:To determine the incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in trauterine infection and to explore the relationship between HBV viremia level of pregnant women and HBV intrauterine infection.METHODS: Sixty-nine pregnant women were divided into three groups. Group A, 41 HBsAg positive patients, 14 of them were HBeAg positive (group A1), and 27 HBeAg negative (group A2); Group B, 12 HBsAg negative patients, but positive for anti-HBs and/or anti-HBe and/or anti-HBc; and Group C, 16 patients negative for all HBV markers. Blood samples of mothers were taken at delivery, samples of their infants were collected within 24 hours after birth (before injection of HBIG and HBV vaccine). All the serum samples were stored at -20°. HBV serum markers were tested by radioimmunoassay and HBV NDA were detected by nested polymerase chain reaction.RESULTS: In group C, all of 16 newborns were negative for HBsAg and HBV DNA. In group A, 7 infants were HBsAg positive (17.1%), and 17 (41.5%) were HBV DNA positive (P < 0.05). The incidence of intrauterine HBV infection was much higher in group A1 than that in group A2 (HBsAg 42.9% vs 3.7%, HBV DNA 92.9% vs 14.8%, P < 0.05). The incidence of HBV intrauterine infection was significantly different between high and low HBV viremia of mothers (93.3% vs 42.9%,P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The incidence of HBV intrauterine infection is high when HBV DNA in newborns detected with nested PCR is used as a marker of HBV infection. It is related to HBV viremia level of mothers.