[Analysis on tissue-related biomarkers in patients with acute aortic dissection].

Objective: To explore the clinical implication of tissue-related biomarkers in patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. Ten Stanford Type A AAD patients, who were diagnosed and surgically treated in the Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, from December 2018 to August 2019, were selected as the case group. Meanwhile, 10 patients with atherosclerotic heart disease, who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), were selected as control group. The ascending aorta tissue specimens from patients of the two groups were collected during the operation. Four-dimensional non-standard quantitative proteomics technology (4D-LFQ) was used to detect the protein profile of ascending aorta tissue specimens of the two groups and to screen out differentially expressed proteins and analyze their biological functions. Precise quantification of the selected target proteins was achieved by parallel response monitoring (PRM). Results: A total of 3 985 proteins were identified by 4D-LFQ technology, among which 3 350 proteins could be quantified. There were 39 proteins were significantly upregulated and 47 proteins were significantly downregulated in AAD group. The results of biological function analysis showed that most of the differentially expressed proteins were located in the extracellular, and their functions were mainly involved in cell migration and proliferation, inflammatory cell activation, cell contraction, and muscle organ development. The 15 selected proteins underwent precise quantification by PRM, and the results showed that integrin α-Ⅱb (ITGA2B), integrin α-M (ITGAM), integrin ß-2 (ITGB2), integrin ß-3 (ITGB3) were significantly upregulated in the ascending aorta tissue of AAD patients. Conclusion: ITGA2B, ITGAM, ITGB2, and ITGB3 are highly expressed in aortic tissues of patients with AAD, which may be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of AAD patients.

[Value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted MR imaging in predicting microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma and the prognostic significance].

Objective: To investigate the combined value of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting pathological microvascular invasion (pMVI) preoperatively, and to determine the relationship between prediction results and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Methods: A total of 181 newly diagnosed HCC patients were enrolled in this study. Imaging characteristics and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of DWI were analyzed. The differences of imaging characteristics and ADC values between different pMVI groups were analyzed.Multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the value for pMVI prediction by using significant parameters. The patients were grouped based on MRI predicted MVI (mrMVI), and the relationship between mrMVI and recurrence free survival time (RFS) was analyzed. Results: Fifty-one patients were pMVI positive and 130 patients were pMVI negative. The ADC value in pMVI positive group were (1.10±0.17)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, significantly lower than (1.27±0.22)×10(-3) mm(2)/s of pEMVI negative group (P<0.001). The incidence rates of incomplete enhancing "capsule" , non-smooth tumor margin, arterial peritumoral enhancement, mosaic architecture and peritumoral hypointensity on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) in pMVI positive group were significantly higher than those of negative group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tumor margin, arterial peritumoral enhancement, peritumoral hypointensity on HBP and ADC value were independently associated with pMVI. ROC analysis showed that the area under curve, sensitivity and specificity of pMVI predicted by combined parameters were 0.830, 76.5% and 81.5%, respectively. The median RFS of mrMVI positive group was 23.6 months, significantly lower than 38.2 months of mrEMVI negative group (P=0.004). Conclusion: Tumor margin, arterial peritumoral enhancement, peritumoral hypointensity on HBP and ADC value are independent predictors of pMVI in HCC, and mrMVI is related with RFS.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase confers transgenic tobacco with elevated tolerance to salt stress.

Polyamines play an important role in stress response. In the pathway of polyamines synthesis, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (SAMDC) is one of the key enzymes. In this study, a full length cDNA of SAMDC (AhSAMDC) was isolated from peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Phylogenetic analysis revealed high sequence similarity between AhSAMDC and SAMDC from other plants. In peanut seedlings exposed to sodium chloride (NaCl), the transcript level of AhSAMDC in roots was the highest at 24 h that decreased sharply at 72 and 96 h after 150 mM NaCl treatment. However, the expression of AhSAMDC in peanut leaves was significantly inhibited, and the transcript levels in leaves were not different compared with control These results implied the tissue-specific and time-specific expression of AhSAMDC. The physiological effects and functional mechanism of AhSAMDC were further evaluated by overexpressing AhSAMDC in tobaccos. The transgenic tobacco lines exhibited higher germination rate and longer root length under salt stress. Reduced membrane damage, higher antioxidant enzyme activity, and higher proline content were also observed in the transgenic tobacco seedlings. What's more, AhSAMDC also led to higher contents of spermidine and spermine, which can help to scavenge reactive oxygen species. Together, this study suggests that AhSAMDC enhances plant resistance to salt stress by improving polyamine content and alleviating membrane damage.

[Regional distribution and clinicopathological characteristics of Epstein-Barr virus associated gastric cancer].

Objective: To investigate regional distribution and clinicopathological features of Epstein-Barr virus associated gastric cancer (EBVaGC). Methods: Epstein-Barr virus encoded RNA (EBER)was detected in 4 081 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences by using in situ hybridization. EBVaGCs were identified and their proportions in different provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities were compared. The correlation between EBVaGC and clinicopathological features was also analyzed. Results: A total of 3.0% (123/4 081) patients with gastric adenocarcinoma are EBVaGCs. Among the areas with cases more than 90, the highest proportion of EBVaGC was found in Jilin province, accounting for 7.6%, and then followed by 5.4% in Liaoning province, 4.1% in Anhui province, 3.9% in Beijing, 3.7% in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 3.4% in Shanxi province, 3.0% in Heilongjiang province, 2.1% in Shandong province, 1.6% in Hebei province, and no EBVaGC was found in Henan province. EBVaGC proportions are significantly different in these provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis of logistic regression revealed that gender (OR=2.231, 95%CI: 1.290~3.858), WHO classification (OR=2.338, 95%CI: 2.051~2.664) and N stage (OR=0.420, 95%CI: 0.284~0.621) were independent impact factors for EBVaGC. The proportion of EBVaGC was higher in males, gastric carcinomas accompanied with lymphoid stroma and patients without lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: The proportion of EBVaGC in gastric adenocarcinoma displays area distribution disparity in China. The gender, WHO classification and N stage are closely associated with EBVaGC.

[Conservative treatment and surgical treatment of cervical cellulitis combineing mediastinal pleural abscess].

Objective:To explore the diagnosis, treatment and curative effect of cervical cellulitis combineing mediastinal pleural abscess. Method:Clinical data of 37 patients with the cervical cellulitis and mediastinal pleural abscess were analyzed, all patients were confirmed using ultrasond, X-ray, CT, puncture and microbiology examination. The result will analysis the diagnosis, treatment and curative effect through the comparison of conservative treatment and surgical treatment. Result:Twenty-three cases of patients were underwent tracheotomy because of difficulty in breathing and successfully extubated after treatment. Nine cases of patients were given anti-infection treatment and recovered after conservative treatment. Twenty-one cases of neck multiple pus cavity were underwent cavity incision, full removal of necrotic tissue and pipe flushing; 7 cases of patients with neck and mediastinal abscess and within which 2 cases were with toxic shock were underwent adequate drainage of lavage and abscess incision through jugular joint path; the companion of pyothorax in 2 cases were underwent the chest closed drainage. All patients were giving sensitive antibiotic after drug sensitive test, anti-shock treatment and supportive treatment. All the patients were recovered and discharged. The average hospitalization days with conservative treatment of these patients were 15.7 days, and the average hospitalization days with surgical treatment of patients were 25.3 days. Conclusion:The condition of cervical cellulitis is complex, a few case can be cured with conservative treatment. The others progress rapidly when merging mediastinal pleural abscess can cause serious complications, surgical treatment is risky, fully abscess incision, lavage drainage and combine with sensitive antibiotics and supportive treatment are the keys to therapy.

Identifying the superior measure of rapid fibrosis for predicting premature cirrhosis after liver transplantation for hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence post liver transplant is universal, with a subgroup of patients developing rapid hepatic fibrosis. Various clinical definitions of rapid fibrosis (RF) have been used to identify risks for rapid progression, but their comparability and efficacy at predicting adverse outcomes has not been determined. METHODS: Retrospective data analysis was conducted on 100 adult patients with HCV who underwent liver transplantation at a single center. We measured year 1 fibrosis progression (RF defined as METAVIR F score ≥ 1 at 1-year liver biopsy), time to METAVIR F2-stage fibrosis, and fibrosis rate (calculated using liver biopsies graded by METAVIR scoring F0-4; fibrosis rate = fibrosis stage/year post transplant). RF was defined as ≥ 0.5 units/year. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis revealed that donor age and peak HCV viral load were significant risks for RF, when fibrosis rate was used to define RF. Advanced donor age was a risk for rapid progression to F2-stage fibrosis, whereas genotype 2 or 3 HCV infection was protective. Fibrosis rate had the strongest correlation with time to cirrhosis development (P < 0.0001, r = -0.76) and was the most accurate predictor of rapid graft cirrhosis (P < 0.0001, area under the curve 0.979, sensitivity 100%, specificity 94%). CONCLUSION: Different measures of RF progression identify different risks for RF and are not directly comparable. Fibrosis rate was the most accurate predictor of rapid graft cirrhosis.

Helicobacter pylori infection and expressions of apoptosis-related proteins p53, ASPP2 and iASPP in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions.

AIMS: There has been limited information about the relations between Helicobacter pylori infection and expressions of apoptosis-related proteins p53, ASPP and iASPP in gastric cancer and precancerous lesions. METHODS: H. pylori in gastric mucosa were identified by W-S staining and rapid urease test. Expression of apoptosis-related proteins P53, ASPP2 and iASPP in the gastric tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The concentrations of H. pylori and expressions of p53 and iASPP in gastric carcinoma group and precancerous lesion group were higher than in benign gastric diseases group (P<0.05). The expressions of ASPP2 in gastric carcinoma and precancerous lesion group were lower than in benign gastric diseases group (P<0.05). The expressions of p53 and iASPP in H. pylori positive group were higher than in H. pylori negative group (P<0.05), whereas ASPP2 in H. pylori positive group were lower than in H. pylori negative group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: There was a higher rate H. pylori infection, an increased expression of apoptosis inhibitor iASPP, and decreased expression of apoptosis stimulator ASPP2 in gastric cancer or precancerous tissues. These results suggest that H. pylori may cause gastric cancer by up-regulating iASPP and down-regulating ASPP2.

Structural and functional studies of cinnamomin, a new type II ribosome-inactivating protein isolated from the seeds of the camphor tree.

Cinnamomin is a new type II ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP). Its A-chain exhibits RNA N-glycosidase activity to inactivate the ribosome and thus inhibit protein synthesis, whereas the glycosylated B-chain is a lectin. The primary structure of cinnamomin, which exhibits approximately 55% identity with those of ricin and abrin, was deduced from the nucleotide sequences of cDNAs of cinnamomin A- and B-chains. It is composed of a total of 549 amino-acid residues: 271 residues in the A-chain, a 14-residue linker and 264 residues in the B-chain. To explore its biological function, the cinnamomin A-chain was expressed in Escherichia coli with a yield of 100 mg per L of culture, and purified through two-step column chromatography. After renaturation, the recovery of the enzyme activity of the expressed A-chain was 80% of that of native A-chain. Based on the modeling of the three-dimensional structure of the A-chain, the functional roles of five amino acids and the only cysteine residues were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis or chemical modification. The conserved single mutation of the five amino-acid residues led to 8-50-fold losses of enzymatic activity, suggesting that these residues were crucial for maintaining the RNA N-glycosidase activity of the A-chain. Most interestingly, the strong electric charge introduced at the position of the single cysteine in A-chain seemed to play a role in enzyme/substrate binding.

Biliary complications after liver transplant: the Victorian experience.

BACKGROUND: Biliary complications remain a continuing problem in liver transplantation. The goals of this study were to document the frequency of biliary complications following orthotopic liver transplantation in the Victorian programme, and to examine associations with suspected risk factors with reference to biliary stenosis. METHODS: Data were collected from 129 consecutive transplants in 123 patients (106 adults, 17 children) at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne during the period 1988-94. The 2 year actuarial survival was 88%. Biliary reconstruction was by end-to-end anastomosis in 89 patients and Roux-en-Y in 40. Complications were suspected on clinical, biochemical or microbiological evidence. Biliary stenoses were considered to be radiological evidence of duct narrowing. RESULTS: Biliary complications occurred in 19% and biliary stenosis in 8.5%. Of the stenoses, 1/35 occurred in the first 20 month period, 9/47 in the second and 1/47 in the third. There was a significant difference between the middle period and other periods (P<0.05, Chi-square test). This change may be related to incomplete flushing of bile from the donor liver. Recurrence of the original disease was suspected for one stenosis. The length of the donor bile duct from hilum to anastomosis, cold ischaemia time and total hepatic artery flow at transplant did not relate to stenosis. Cholangitis was not diagnosed in patients without strictures. Strictures were managed by dilatation (5/11) and by operative repair (6). CONCLUSIONS: Stenoses were not related to the length of the donor bile duct, cold ischaemia time or total hepatic artery flow. Meticulous adherence to the protocol for flushing out bile at the donor operation was associated with a significant reduction in frequency of biliary stenoses.

Atypical cutaneous lesions of Lyme disease.

In 30 patients with Lyme disease, the lesions of erythema chronicum migrans were absent or atypical. Thirty biopsy specimens were obtained from cutaneous lesions of these patients. The predominant histological finding was a superficial dermal and deep perivascular and interstitial infiltrate composed mostly of lymphocytes but containing a few eosinophils and plasma cells. In serial sections with a silver stain, a few Borrelia burgdorferi were found in the biopsy specimens from cutaneous lesions in five patients. Thus, there is evidence that the typical lesions of erythema chronicum migrans of the classical Lyme disease do not develop while Borrelia burgdorferi survive and persist in cutaneous lesions.

O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase and human cancer chemotherapy.

Two kinds of human tumor cell strains having different activity of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (O6-MT) were transplanted into nude mice. Mice were then injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with the bifunctional agent 1-(4-amino-2-methyl-5-pyrimidinyl) methyl-3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosourea hydrochloride(ACNU). The tumors with low O6-MT activity were quickly suppressed or cured. This result suggests that some tumors, if determined to have low O6-MT activity, might be cured if the host is treated with ACNU. This observation may open a new approach to experimental cancer chemotherapy. Treatment with ACNU of experimental animals bearing HeLaMR tumors (which have low O6-MT activity and are Mer-), resulted in the regression of the tumors or their disappearance. In animals bearing HeLaS3 tumors (which have high O6-MT activity and are Mer+) the tumors were hyperplastic.

Renal transplantation between male and female spontaneously hypertensive rats.

The higher blood pressures of male compared with female spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are the result of the inheritance of different sex chromosomes, although the pathophysiology has not been defined clearly. The reported hypertensive effect of kidneys transplanted from male SHR raises the possibility of a sex-specific renal abnormality, but the effects of transplanting female SHR kidneys have not been studied. To test this hypothesis, single kidneys were transplanted from male SHR into female SHR recipients and vice versa, followed by removal of the native kidneys of the recipients. Male and female SHR that had undergone uninephrectomy were used as controls. After surgery at 14 weeks of age, systolic blood pressures were measured each week until 30 weeks of age. The replacement of a SHR female kidney with a SHR male kidney was not associated with any significant rise in blood pressure, and the replacement of a SHR male kidney with a kidney from a female SHR was not associated with any reduction in blood pressure. These results indicate that the sexual dimorphism of SHR blood pressure is not the result of intrinsic renal differences between males and females and that nonrenal factors would be more likely to explain the blood pressure differences between the sexes.

Medicinal protection with Chinese herb-compound against radiation damage.

Experiments were carried out on mice and the subjects irradiated for cancer therapy to evaluate the protective efficacy of a Chinese medicinal herb-compound (CMHC). The lethality and the degree of leucopenia caused by radiation in mice medicated with CMHC were significantly less in comparison with control mice (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). CMHC significantly improved the WBC and the thrombocytes in irradiated workers (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The WBC count of 40 patients under radiotherapy while treated with CMHC recovered from 3450 +/- 77/c.mm to 5425 +/- 264/c.mm (p less than 0.001); whereas, in the control group, without any medication, the WBC count dropped significantly (p less than 0.001). Our results revealed the applicabilities of CMHC in protection against radiation damage in spaceflight and in other fields.

[Microvascular changes in the pyloric ring and duodenal invasion in carcinoma of the gastric antrum].

In this study, vascular perfusion of surgically removed specimen was carried out in 45 middle or late staged gastric antrum carcinomas and 5 gastric ulcers to observe the morphology of the microvasculature at the juncture of the stomach and the duodenum. It was found that: 1) The microvasculature on both side of the pylorus and the duodenum communicated through small arteriole and the morphology of the microvasculature varied with tumor-infiltrated depth. 2) The duodenum was found to be invaded by the tumor in only 2 cases in which the tumor was within 1.5 cm from the pyloric ring. 3) The mechanism by which the tumor invaded the duodenum was most likely resulted from direct extension through the interstitium when the microvasculature, the physiological and anatomical intact of the pyloric ring were destroyed by the tumor. 4) Based on the aforementioned observations, the authors propose that in gastric antrum carcinoma, the safe resection length of the duodenum is less than 3 cm when the tumor is 1.5 cm away from the pyloric ring, otherwise, more than 3 cm of the duodenum should be removed.