Association of genetic variations in miR-146a rs2910164 and miR-149 rs11614913 with the development of classic Kaposi sarcoma.

Classic Kaposi sarcoma is a type of vascular proliferative inflammatory disease. Previous studies have reported significant associations between microRNAs expression and the development of classic Kaposi sarcoma. Here, we conducted a case-control study to investigate the association between miR-146a and miR-149 genetic polymorphisms and risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma in a Chinese population. Both classic Kaposi sarcoma patients and healthy controls were recruited between December 2013 and October 2015. Genotyping of miR-146a and miR-149 was performed by polymerase chain reaction-coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results showed that the GG genotype of miR-146a was associated with increased risk to classic Kaposi sarcoma (OR = 6.00, 95%CI = 1.19-30.12), as compared with the CC genotype. In the recessive model, we found that the GG genotype carried a 4.55-fold increased risk to classic Kaposi sarcoma as compared with the CC + CG genotype (OR = 2.06, 95%CI = 1.04-20.29). In conclusion, our study demonstrated that miR-146a, but not miR-149 polymorphism, is associated with risk to classic Kaposi sarcoma in the Chinese population.

Analysis of KIT mutations and c-KIT expression in Chinese Uyghur and Han patients with melanoma.

BACKGROUND: The KIT gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of malignant melanoma (MM). In recent years, activating mutations in KIT have been recognized as oncogenic. A number of therapies have been established, which provide significant clinical benefits for patients with MM with KIT mutations. Thus, detection of KIT mutations can have profound therapeutic implications. AIM: To investigate KIT gene expression in MMs in Chinese Uyghur and Han patients with mutations in KIT, and to identify the clinical features associated with KIT mutations and c-KIT expression. METHODS: In total, 105 MMs (56 from Uyghur and 49 from Han patients) were selected from patients in the Uyghur Autonomous region. Formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tumour sections were analysed for c-KIT expression using immunohistochemistry. Exons 11 and 13 of KIT were analysed for the presence of mutations using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: Of the 105 MMs, 13 (10 Han and 3 Uyghur) were found to have mutations in KIT. Thus, the frequency of KIT mutations in Han patients was significantly higher than that in Uyghur patients (P = 0.02). We detected c-KIT expression in 71.4% and 42.9% of the tumour tissue samples collected from the Uyghur and Han patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, chronic sun-induced damage MM is the most prevalent MM among Chinese Uyghur patients, whereas acral and mucosal MMs are the most prevalent in Uyghur patients. Mutations in the KIT gene do not correlate with c-KIT expression.

One hundred and five Kaposi sarcoma patients: a clinical study in Xinjiang, Northwest of China.

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an unusual illness that may be associated with human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) infections, and appears mainly in Jews, Italians and Greeks. There is a lack of patient data in Xinjiang regarding the clinical characteristics of KS. OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical characteristics of a series of patients with KS in Xinjiang, Northwest China, over 16-year period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of patients referred to a Xinjiang hospital in Northwest China with classic KS (CKS) and AIDS-associated KS (AIDS-KS) between January 1997 and April 2013 was performed. Reviewed information included demographics, clinical features, histopathological traits, treatment and presence of HHV-8 infection. RESULTS: During the study period, 105 patients with a diagnosis of KS, including 77 CKS and 28 AIDS-KS, were referred to our hospital. Mean age at diagnosis was 55.8 ± 16.8 years (range: 25-85 years). There were 70 (90.9%) males and 7 (9.1%) females (male-to-female ratio: 10 : 1) having CKS and 21 (75.0%) males and 7 (25.0%) females (male-to-female ratio: 3 : 1) with AIDS-KS. Most of the patients were Uyghur, including 67 CKS and 24 AIDS-KS. The rate of multifocal lesions at diagnosis was 98.1% (103/105). The most common area of lesions was between 1% and 5% of CKS and AIDS-KS. The main types of lesions were nodules, patches and plaques. The lower extremity and foot were the most common locations for CKS and AIDS-KS. In addition to skin damage, the penis, mouth, lymph nodes and interstitial lung tissues were involved in some cases. No second primary malignancy was diagnosed. Systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy were effective treatments for CKS. The HHV-8 positivity rate was 98.98% in 98 KS cases. CONCLUSIONS: In Xinjiang, most CKS and AIDS-KS patients were older Uyghur men. AIDS-KS was found predominantly among 30-year-old Uyghur patients, compared with 60 years for those having CKS. The latter exhibited certain characteristics such as disseminated skin disease; in some patients, the condition was accompanied by lymphedema, visceral or lymph node involvement, but no secondary malignancies. In addition, the HHV-8 positivity rate associated with KS was very high.

First Report of Pestalotiopsis microspora Causing Leaf Spot of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) in China.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is a widespread, tropical evergreen species that grows in southern China. In November 2012 and July 2013, a new leaf spot was observed on oil palm in Danzhou, Hainan Province, China. A survey of 200 2-year-old oil palm plants revealed that the disease caused serious damage during the typhoon season of July to October in Hainan Province, with 15 to 20% incidence in plants. The spots were initially brown, small, and oval to irregular. Later, they gradually expanded and finally coalesced to form large gray-brown leaf spots surrounded by a dark brown border. Heavily infected leaves became dry and died. Sometimes black acervuli developed on the leaf lesions. Diseased tissues (2 × 2 mm) from lesion margins were surface-disinfested for 10 min with 0.3% NaClO, plated on potato dextrose agar (PDA), and then incubated at 25°C in the dark. Seven Pestalotiopsis isolates (identified by conidial morphological characteristics) were isolated from leaf lesions. These isolates were subcultured by single spore isolation, and a representative isolate was characterized further. The fungus was incubated on PDA at 25°C. After 5 days, the fungus produced circular white colonies. After 10 days, many black conidiomata formed over the mycelia mats. Conidia were fusiform, five-celled with constrictions at the septa, and measured 18.6 to 24.4 × 5.2 to 7.5 µm. The three median cells were light brown to dark brown, and two end cells were colorless. Apical cells had 2 to 4 appendages ranging from 10.4 to 22.6 µm long. Basal cells had 1 appendage ranging from 2.2 to 4.1 µm long. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal DNA was amplified using primers IST4/ITS5, and the 549-bp product of the ITS (GenBank Accession No. KJ019328) showed 100% sequence identity to Pestalotiopsis microspora isolates XSD-42 (EU273522.1) and CBS364.54 (AF377292.1). The pathogenicity of all isolates was tested by inoculation of detached, healthy leaves according to Keith et al. (2). The middle parts of compound leaves with leaflets were cut from 2-year-old oil palm plant. Leaflets were wounded inoculated or unwounded inoculated with mycelial plugs (4 mm in diameter, 30 leaflets per isolate). PDA plugs without mycelia served as controls. All leaves were placed in a growth chamber at 25°C and 90% relative humidity. After 5 days, brown leaf spots appeared on all wounded leaflets, with symptoms similar to those described above. Control leaves and the inoculated leaflets without wound remained symptom free. P. microspora was re-isolated from the infected leaves and confirmed to be the same as the inoculated pathogen through examination of morphology and by conducting an ITS sequence comparison. P. neglecta and P. palmarum were previously reported as the causal agent of Pestalotiopsis leaf spot on oil palm (1). P. microspora was isolated from oil palm in Indonesia (3). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. microspora on oil palm in China. References: (1) F. O. Aderungboya. Int. J. Pest Manage. 23:305,1977. (2) L. M. Keith et al. Plant Dis. 90:16, 2006. (3) Suwandi et al. Plant Dis. 96:537, 2012.