The clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of villoglandular adenocarcinoma of uterine cervix

Aim: Villoglandular adenocarcinoma (VGA) of the uterine cervix is a variant of endocervical adenocarcinoma. However, the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of VGA are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical features of VGA. Materials and Methods: A total of 20 VGA patients were identified among 852 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer and enrolled in this study. The immunohistochemical levels of Ki-67, P53, P16, progesterone receptor (PR), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), vimentin (Vim), and estrogen receptor (ER) were measured by immunohistochemistry. Results: VGA was prevalent in younger women and presented favorable prognosis. Ki-67, P16, and CEA were highly expressed in VGA tissues, while PR expression was hardly to be detected. The positive rates of Ki-67, CEA, and P16 were 90.0%, 90.0%, and 85.0%, respectively, which were significantly higher compared with PR (5.0%, P < 0.001). In addition, the positive rates of P53, Vim, and ER in VGA tissues were 55.0%, 50.0%, and 40.0%, respectively. However, the expression levels of Ki-67, P53, P16, PR, CEA, Vim, and ER were not significantly associated with clinical features (P > 0.05). Conclusion: These data indicate that VGA is a rare cervical adenocarcinoma, which is prevalent in younger women, and presents favorable prognosis. Detection of Ki-67, P53, P16, PR, CEA, Vim, and ER would be beneficial for the diagnosis of VGA.

The Application Methods of Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signal Pathway Inhibitors SP600125 and SB203580 in Long-term in Vivo Experiments / Métodos de aplicación de los inhibidores SP600125 y SB203580 de la vía de señalización de la proteína quinasa activada por mitógeno en experimentos in vivo a largo plazo

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the application methods of mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathway inhibitors SP600125 and SB203580 in long-term in vivo experiments. Methods: A total of 55 healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into blank control group, model control group, SP low dose group, SP high dose group, SP blank group, SB low dose group, SB high dose group, SB blank group, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) control group, DMSO blank group, and positive control group. Since the first day of the experiment, each group was administered the corresponding treatment for four weeks continuously. Then, the myocardial c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and the total protein of p38, protein phosphorylation and its gene expression levels were detected. Results: After intravenous treatment with adriamycin, the myocardial phosphorylate-JNK (p-JNK) and phosphorylate-p38 (p-p38) levels in all groups were increased to varying degrees, of which the model control group increased the most significantly (p < 0.05). Compared with the model control group, the myocardial p-JNK and p-p38 increased more slowly in the SP low dose group, SP high dose group, SB low dose group, SB high dose group and positive control group (p < 0.05), of which the increase in the SP high dose group and the SB high dose group was the slowest (p < 0.05). After four weeks, the total protein and messenger ribonucleic acid of the myocardial JNK and p38 in all groups had no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The continuous intravenous injection of SP600125 and SB203580 for four weeks significantly reduced the protein phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38, which provides a practical avenue for the long-term study in vivo.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Explorar los métodos de aplicación de los inhibidores SP600125 y SB203580 de la vía de señalización de la proteína quinasa activada por mitógeno en experimentos in vivo a largo plazo. Métodos: Un total de 55 conejos sanos de Nueva Zelandia fueron divididos aleatoriamente en los grupos siguientes: grupo de control en blanco, grupo de control modelo, grupo de dosis baja SP, grupo de dosis alta SP, grupo en blanco SP, grupo de dosis baja SB, grupo de dosis alta SB, grupo en blanco SB, grupo de control dimetilsulfóxido (DMSO), grupo en blanco DMSO, y grupo de control positivo. Desde el primer día del experimento, a cada grupo se le administró el tratamiento correspondiente por cuatro semanas continuas. Entonces, se detectaron la quinasa c-Jun N-terminal (JNK) miocárdica y la proteína p38 total, así como la fosforilación proteica y sus niveles de expresión génica. Resultados: Después del tratamiento intravenoso con adriamicina, los niveles de fosfo-JNK (p-JNK) y fosfo-p38 (p-p38) del miocardio aumentaron en todos los grupos en diversos grados, siendo el aumento del grupo de control modelo el más significativo (p < 0.05). En comparación con el grupo de control modelo, p-JNK y p-p38 miocárdicos aumentaron más lentamente en el grupo de dosis baja SP, el grupo de dosis alta SP, el grupo de dosis baja SB, el grupo de dosis alta SB, y el grupo de control positivo (p < 0.05). De estos, el aumento en el grupo de dosis alta SP y el grupo de dosis alta SB fue el más lento (p < 0.05). Después de cuatro semanas, la proteína total y el ácido ribonucleico mensajero de JNK y p38 miocárdicos en todos los grupos, no tuvieron diferencias significativas (p > 0.05). Conclusión: La inyección intravenosa continua de SP600125 y SB203580 durante cuatro semanas redujo significativamente los niveles de fosforilación proteica de JNK y p38, lo que proporciona una vía práctica para el estudio a largo plazo in vivo.

Relationship between matrix metalloproteinases and the occurrence and development of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is one of the most malignant genital cancers, with a high mortality rate. Many researchers have suggested that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have remarkably high expression in ovarian cancer tissues. MMPs are considered to be related to the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of ovarian cancer. Moreover, some studies have discovered that the unbalance between MMPs and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are associated with the malignant phenotype of tumors. This review summarizes the latest research progress of MMPs in ovarian cancer. The investigation of MMP mechanism in ovarian cancer will facilitate the development of effective anti-tumor drugs, and thereby improve the survival rate of patients with ovarian cancer.

A new perspective on the IIIC staging in Chinese patients with primary breast cancer: Single‑center experiences.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate whether Stage IIIC (TanyN3M0) breast cancer can be classified further into subgroups with different prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty‑two patients with Stage IIIC breast cancer at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were analyzed. The disease‑free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated by Kaplan–Meier method for lymph node ratio (LNR) and the number of positive lymph node (PLN). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cut‑off value of the LNR and PLN. The univariate and multivariate analysis were applied to identify the prognostic factors. RESULTS: The results showed that the optimal cut‑off value of LNR value was 0.65, and the optimal cut‑off value of PLN was 15. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed the higher value of LNR or PLN was correlated with shortened DFS (P = 0.002, P = 0.008, respectively) and OS (P < 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively). In multivariate survival analysis, the value of LNR and PLN were still remained as independent prognostic factors for DFS (P = 0.014, P = 0.013, respectively) and OS (P = 0.004, P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the value of LNR or PLN could be used as a new significant prognostic biomarker for Stage IIIC breast cancer patients. Stage IIIC breast cancer patients with lower value of LNR or PLN may be down staged.

Endostar combined with chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone in the treatment of nonsmall lung carcinoma: A meta-analysis based on Chinese patients.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‑associated death world‑wide. And the lung cancer is generally divided into small cell lung carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer. For advanced NSCLC, the chemotherapy and target therapy were the important treatment modality. This meta‑analysis was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and toxicity between endostar combined chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone in Chinese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI databases to find the potential relevant articles reporting the endostar combined with chemotherapy regimen in the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer in Chinese patients. The tumor response and toxicity difference between the two groups were demonstrated by odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). All the data was pooled by Stata 11.0 (http://www.stata.com; Stata Corporation, College Station, TX) software. RESULTS: We included 14 studies published in Chinese or English studies. The pooled results showed adding endostar in the chemotherapy regimen can significant increase the objective response rate (OR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.87–3.12, P = 0.00) and disease control rate (OR = 2.22, 95% CI = 1.68–2.94, P = 0.00). For toxicities, the pooled data showed no statistical difference for grade III‑IV granulocytopenia risk (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.74–1.44, P = 0.83). Nausea and vomiting (OR = 0.93 95% CI: 0.51–1.52, P = 0.78) and grade III‑IV alopecia (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.76–1.29, P = 0.95). The funnel plot showed no statistical publications. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment with endostar can improve the response rate for NSCLC patients without increasing the risk of developing severe adverse event.

Involvement of miR-30c in resistance to doxorubicin by regulating YWHAZ in breast cancer cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that modulate gene expression implicated in cancer, which play crucial roles in diverse biological processes, such as development, differentiation, apoptosis, and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether miR-30c mediated the resistance of breast cancer cells to the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin (ADR) by targeting tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein zeta (YWHAZ). miR-30c was downregulated in the doxorubicin-resistant human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7/ADR and MDA-MB-231/ADR compared with their parental MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, respectively. Furthermore, we observed that transfection of an miR-30c mimic significantly suppressed the ability of MCF-7/ADR to resist doxorubicin. Moreover, the anti-apoptotic gene YWHAZ was confirmed as a target of miR-30c by luciferase reporter assay, and further studies indicated that the mechanism for miR-30c on the sensitivity of breast cancer cells involved YWHAZ and its downstream p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) pathway. Together, our findings provided evidence that miR-30c was one of the important miRNAs in doxorubicin resistance by regulating YWHAZ in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7/ADR.

Knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS among female migrant workers in the restaurant industry in Guangzhou, China / Conocimientos, actitudes y comportamientos relacionados con el VIH/SIDA entre las trabajadoras emigrantes en la industria de restaurantes en Guangzhou, China

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to assess knowledge and attitudes related to HIV/AIDS among the migrant female workers in the restaurant industry in Guangzhou City, China. METHODS: We performed a questionnaire survey using a judgmental sampling method in the health examination clinic of Yuexiu District of Guangzhou during March 2011. A total of 428 participants completed and returned the questionnaires and data were analysed by descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA, and Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: Of 428 respondents, the average score of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge was 19.6 (full marks, 26). Knowledge on HIV/AIDS among respondents was classified as poor for 8.2%, fair for 42.5%, and good for 49.3%. The average score of AIDS-related attitudes of respondents was 7.2 (full marks, 10). Most of the respondents (88.8%) had relatively positive attitudes toward AIDS. Unmarried status, ages less than 30 years old and higher levels of education had higher scores of knowledge. Among the respondents who had sex experiences, 57.7% (130/225) reported that they never or only some of the time used condom. The young, unmarried women had significantly higher proportion of condom use than those above 30 years old, and/or married ones. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a half of respondents had only moderate and low levels of awareness about HIV/AIDS knowledge, although most of them had tolerant and positive attitudes toward HIV/AIDS. In addition, a relatively lower rate of condom use was reported. The findings indicate that there exists broad space for improvement of knowledge and behaviours toward HIV/AIDS for migrant women in China.

OBJETIVO: El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar los conocimientos y actitudes relacionadas con el VIH/SIDA entre las trabajadoras emigrantes en la industria de restaurantes en la ciudad de Guangzhou, China. MÉTODOS: Realizamos una encuesta en forma de cuestionario utilizando un método de muestreo a juicio en la clínica de examen de salud del distrito de Yuexiu de Guangzhou en marzo de 2011. Un total de 428 participantes llenaron y entregaron los cuestionarios, y los datos fueron analizados mediante estadísticas descriptivas, prueba t, ANOVA unidireccional, y prueba de Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: De las 428 encuestadas, la puntuación media de los conocimientos relacionados con el VIH/SIDA fue 19.6 (puntuación máxima, 26). El conocimientos sobre el VIH/SIDA entre las encuestadas fue clasificado de pobre por el 8.2 por ciento, aceptable por el 42.5%, y bueno por el 49.3%. La puntuación promedio de las actitudes relacionadas con el SIDA entre las encuestadas fue 7.2 (puntuación máxima, 10). La mayoría de las encuestadas (88.8%) tenían actitudes relativamente positivas hacia el SIDA. El estado civil de soltero, las edades menores de 30 años, y los niveles de educación más altos, estuvieron asociados con puntuaciones más altas de conocimiento. Entre las encuestadas que tenían experiencias sexuales, el 57.7% (130/225) reportó no haber usado condones nunca, o sólo algunas veces. Las mujeres jóvenes solteras hicieron un uso del condón en proporción significativamente mayor que las mujeres mayores de 30 años, y/o las casadas. CONCLUSIONES: En general, la mitad de las encuestadas tenía sólo niveles de conciencia moderados y bajos en cuanto a conocimientos de VIH/SIDA, aunque la mayoría de ellas tenía actitudes tolerantes y positivas hacia el VIH/SIDA. Además, se reportó una tasa relativamente baja de uso del condón. Los hallazgos indican que existe un amplio espacio para mejorar tanto los conocimientos como las conductas hacia el VIH/SIDA para las mujeres emigrantes en China.

Genetic variations of EBV-LMP1 from nasopharyngeal carcinoma biopsies: potential loss of T cell epitopes

To find Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) strains with genetic variations of EBV latent membrane protein 1 (EBV-LMP1) from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the full-length DNA of LMP1 genes from 21 NPC biopsies obtained in Hunan province in southern China was amplified and sequenced. Our sequences were compared to those previously reported by the Clustal V method. Results showed that all 21 sequences displayed two amino acid changes most frequently in LMP1 of CD4+ T cell epitopes at codons 144 (F arrow right I, 21/21) and 212 (G arrow right S, 19/21) or (G arrow right N, 2/21). We also show that type A EBV strain is prevalent in the cases of NPC from Hunan province with a 30-bp 18/21 deletion, and we highlight that this deletion resulted in loss of one of the CD4+ T cell-restricted epitopes. The other 3 sequences without this deletion all had a change at codon 344 (G arrow right D). Furthermore, in the major epitope sequence of CD8+ T cells restricted by HLA-A2, all 21 sequences showed changes at codons 126 (L arrow right F) and 129 (M arrow right I). Our study discovered that one of the 21 sequence variations harbored a new change at codon 131 (W arrow right C), and 5/21 specimens showed another novel change at codon 115 (G arrow right A) in the major epitope sequence of CD8+ T cells restricted by HLA-A2. Our study suggests that these sequence variations of NPC-derived LMP1 may lead to a potential escape from host cell immune recognition, protecting latent EBV infection and causing an increase in tumorigenicity.

Cloning and analysis of IFRG (interferon responsive gene) in rabbit oocytes and preimplantation embryos

Although there is more evidence that shows that IFNs (interferons) plays a very important role in the early development of the embryo, the mechanism of IFNs is still unclear. Our study showed that IFRG is expressed from oocytes- through to the preimplantation embryo in rabbits. This finding provides some clues for better understanding the role of IFNs in the development of the embryo. The full length of rabbit IFRG cDNA (Accession No. AJ584672), with a 2794bp encoding 131 amino acid sequence, was cloned IFRG expression can be detected in 8 different tissues: ovary, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen, cerebra, and the 18-day whole-body embryo. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that IFRG was highly expressed in the inner-cell mass of rabbit blastula. IFRG may play an important role in embryo development and tissue differentiation.

A survey of epidemiology of Gnathostoma hispidum and experimental studies of its larvae in animals.

The present study is concerned with a survey of the epidemiology and infectivity of Gnathostoma hispidum larvae in animals. A total or 3,478 pigs were examined in Hongze-Lake, Jiangsu; Po-Lake, Anhui; and Jiujiang, in Jiangxi Province. The infection rate of G. hispidum in pigs was 14.9%. The prevalence in pigs in the lake districts (26.4%) was considerably higher than in the mountainous districts (5.1%). The results of field surveys and experimental studies revealed that in China, 38 animal species served as the first and the second intermediate hosts and paratenic hosts of G. hispidum. Among them, 23 species (6 cyclops, 13 fish, 2 frogs and one each of snake and bird) were similar to the hosts of G. spinigerum. Carnivorous fish, frogs and rodents are an important infection source for gnathostomiasis. Experiments demonstrated that Macaca mulatta was successfully infected with the early 3rd-stage larvae from cyclops or the advanced 3rd-stage larvae from fish. The domestic cat and white rat were experimentally infected by skin penetration by advanced 3rd-stage larvae of G. hispidum obtained from fish; the results of the test were all positive. The survey of epidemiology and biology of G. hispidum and G. spinigerum were quite similar, so the authors consider that humans may be infected by G. hispidum.