[Clinical effects of surgical treatment of high myopic strabismus fixus by modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession].

Objective: To analyze clinical effects of modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession for treatment of high myopic strabismus fixus. Methods: Retrospective analysis of records of 9 patients (14 eyes) with high myopic strabismus fixus treated from February 2013 to December 2016 in the Department of Ophthalmology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. All patients underwent modified Yokoyama's surgery. The temporal 1/2 of the superior rectus (SR) and the superior 1/2 of the lateral rectus (LR) were united 12 to 14 mm, combined with medial rectus muscle recession. The angle of deviation of primary position, the mobility of the affected eye, and the change of CT imaging were observed and analyzed before and 6 months after surgery. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The patients were 5 females and 4 males with an average age of (60±10) years. The duration of high myopia was (33.33±6.61) years. The refractive power was (-23.32±5.95) D, and the axial length was (33.04±2.63) mm. The recession mount of medial rectus was (7.2±2.1) mm (4.0-10.0 mm) intraoperatively. At 6 months, the median esotropia improved from 130 (80-140) prism diopter (PD) to 0 (0-10) PD, and the hypotropia from 20 (15-25) PD to 0 (0-5) PD. The median abduction limitation decreased from -3 (-4--1) to -1 (-2-0), and the median limitation of elevation decreased from -2 (-4--1) to 0 (-1-0). The angle of esotropia and hypotropia significantly improved (Z=-2.67, -2.70; P=0.008, 0.007), and the restriction of abduction and elevation decreased (Z=-3.35, -3.24; both P=0.001). Only 3 patients' CT images were enrolled in a comparative study. Preoperative orbital CT scans showed inferior LR displacement and medial SR displacement with the posterior portion of the eyeball to the superotemporal quadrant of the orbit. After surgery, the mean reduction ratio of dislocation degree of the 3 patients was 28.97%, the dislocation of LR and SR was reduced, and the posterior global part was correctly positioned within the orbit. Conclusions: The modified Yokoyama's surgery combined with medial rectus muscle recession can effectively correct high myopic strabismus fixus, recover the eyeball anatomical position, and evidently improve eye mobility. The clinical effects are satisfactory. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2019, 55: 670-676).

Long noncoding RNA PCAT6 regulates cell growth and metastasis via Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and is a prognosis marker in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Previously, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to have critical regulatory roles in the progression of human cancers. LncRNA prostate cancer-associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) has been reported to act as an oncogene in several tumors. However, its expression and function in cervical cancer (CC) have not been investigated. In this study, we aim to reveal the functions of PCAT6 and the underlying mechanisms in CC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the expression levels of PCAT6 in CC tissues and cell lines using real-time PCR. The clinical data were interpreted by chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, univariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. The effect of PCAT6 on CC proliferation and metastasis was investigated by CCK-8 assay, EdU incorporation assay and transwell assay. The cell apoptosis was detected by apoptosis flow detection. RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of ß-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc. RESULTS: We found that PCAT6 expression was significantly up-regulated in human CC tissues and cell lines compared with their normal counterparts, and its high levels were associated with advanced FIGO stage, depth of cervical invasion and positively lymph node metastasis. Survival assays indicated that high PCAT6 expression had a negative influence on overall survival and disease-free survival. Moreover, multivariate analysis identified high PCAT6 expression as an unfavorable prognostic biomarker for CC patients. Functionally, knockdown of PCAT6 significantly suppressed CC cells proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted apoptosis. Mechanistic investigation showed PCAT6 activates Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in CC cell lines by promoting the expression of ß-catenin, cyclin D1 and c-myc. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that PCAT6 played oncogenic roles and can be used as a therapeutic target for treating human CC.

[Curative effect analysis of postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy on early-stage cervical cancer patients with intermediate-risk factors].

Objective: To compare the curative effect of postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) and radiation therapy (RT) alone on early-stage cervical cancer patients with intermediate-risk factors. Methods: Clinical data of patients with early stage (ⅠB-ⅡA) cervical cancer who underwent radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between January 2008 and December 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients with more than two intermediate-risk factors, including lymphatic vascular infiltration, depth of cervical stromal infiltration >1/2 cm or tumor size >4 cm, were screened. Among them, 80 patients were divided into the RT group, 137 patients were divided into the CCRT group. The survivals of these patients were analyzed. Results: At the end of the follow-up period, a total of 22 patients were dead, one patient was alive with neoplasm. There were 23 patients who occurred recurrence/ metastasis, 14 of them were in the RT group and 9 were in the CCRT group. The 5-year progression free survival (PFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of the entire cohort were 89.9% and 89.8%, respectively. The 5-year PFS rate of RT group was 82.4%, the 5-year PFS rate of CCRT group was 94.1%, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.013). The 5-year OS rate of RT group was 85.1%, the 5-year OS rate of CCRT group was 92.7%, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P=0.049). Univariate analysis showed that therapeutic modality was associated with the 5-year DFS and OS of early-stage cervical cancer patients with intermediate-risk factors (P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that therapeutic modality was an independent prognostic factor of favorable PFS (RR=3.741, 95% CI: 1.506-9.289, P=0.004) and OS (RR=2.754, 95%CI=1.143-6.637, P=0.024). Neither of the two groups occurred severe anemia. However, the incidence of mild and moderate anemia in the CCRT group was higher than that of RT group (P<0.001). The incidence of leukocytopenia severer than grade Ⅲ in the CCRT group was significantly higher than that of RT group (P<0.001). However, the patients could recover quickly with the treatment of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Conclusion: Postoperative CCRT improves the survival of early stage cervical cancer patients with two or more intermediate-risk factors.

Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum infections in goats in Hubei province, China.

Scarce information is available about the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and Neospora caninum (N. caninum) infections in goats in Hubei province, China. In the present study, the prevalence of T. gondii and N. caninum infections in goats were investigated in Hubei province, China between 2014 and 2015. A total 2007 serum samples were collected from 6 counties of Hubei province, China and were tested for antibodies to N. caninum and T. gondii by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an indirect agglutination test (IAT), respectively. Antibodies against T. gondii and N. caninum were detected in 13.4% and 3.9%, respectively in goats. 2% (41) serum samples were positive to both parasites. There was no apparent association of T. gondii and N. caninum infection with gender of the animals. There were significant differences of T. gondii (p < 0.01), N. caninum (p < 0.05) and both parasites (p < 0.01) infection with season. This is the first time that antibodies to T. gondii and N. caninum have been detected in goats in Hubei province, China.

Production and genetic analysis of partial hybrids from intertribal sexual crosses between Brassica napus and Isatis indigotica and progenies.

With the dye and medicinal plant Isatis indigotica (2n = 14) as pollen parent, intertribal sexual hybrids with Brassica napus (2n = 38, AACC) were obtained and characterized. Among a lot of F1 plants produced, only five hybrids (H1-H5) were distinguished morphologically from female B. napus parents by showing low fertility and some characters of I. indigotica, and also by having different chromosome numbers. H1-H4 had similar but variable chromosome numbers in their somatic and meiotic cells (2n = 25-30), and H5 had 2n = 19, the same number as the haploid of B. napus. GISH analysis of the cells from H1 and H5 detected one I. indigotica chromosome and one or two chromosome terminal fragments. New B. napus types with phenotypic and genomic alterations were produced by H1 after pollination by B. napus and selfing for several generations, and by H5 after selfing. A progeny plant (2n = 20) was derived from H1 after pollination by I. indigotica twice and had a phenotype similar to a certain type of B. rapa, showing that hybrid H1 likely retained all chromosomes of the A genome and lost some of the C genome in parental B. napus. The reasons for the formation of the partial hybrids with unexpected chromosomal complements and for the chromosome elimination are discussed.

Synthetic studies of the HIV-1 protease inhibitive didemnaketals: stereocontrolled synthetic approach to the key mother spiroketals.

The stereocontrolled synthesis of (2S,4R,6R,8S,10S,1'R,1' 'R)-2(acetylhydroxymethyl)-4,10-dimethyl-8(isopropenylhydroxymethyl)-1,7-dioxaspiro[5,5]undecane (4a) and its C1' '-epimer (4b), the key mother spiroketals of the HIV-1 protease inhibitive didemnaketals from the ascidian Didemnum sp., has been carried out through multisteps from the natural (R)-(+)-pulegone, which involved the diastereoselective construction of four chiral carbon centers(C-2, C-6, C-8, and C-1') by intramolecular chiral induce.