Analysis of related risk factors of lung metastasis after laparoscopic radical hysterectomy of cervical cancer.

ABSTRACT: To explore the risk factors of lung metastasis in patients after laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) of cervical cancer (CC).The clinical data of CC patients with clinical stage of IA1-IIA2 diagnosed in our hospital from April 2007 to October 2015 were collected. According to the situation of metastasis, the patients were divided into lung metastasis (n = 73) and non-lung metastasis group (n = 2076). The clinical data were compared between 2 groups, and logistic stepwise regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of lung metastasis in patients with CC after LRH.The incidence of lung metastasis after LRH of CC was 3.39%, and 67.13% of patients with lung metastases had no obvious clinical symptoms. 15.06% patients had lung metastasis in the first year, 38.35% in the second year, 43.83% in the third year and later. The postoperative lung metastasis of CC was related to tumor diameter (P < .001), pathological type (P < .001), interstitial invasion depth (P < .001), pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM, P < .001), vascular tumor thrombus (P = .011), tumor uterine invasion (P = .002), and abnormal preoperative tumor markers (P = .015). However, it was not related to age, clinical stage, tumor growth pattern, tumor differentiation, and para-aortic lymph node metastasis (P > .05). Logistic regression analysis revealed non-squamous cell carcinoma (P = .022), tumor diameter ≥4 cm (P = .008), interstitial invasion depth >2/3 (P = .003), PLNM (P = .007), and tumor uterine invasion (P = .037) is an independent risk factor for lung metastasis after LRH of CC.Non-squamous cell carcinoma, tumor diameter ≥4 cm, tumor interstitial invasion depth >2/3, PLNM, and tumor uterine invasion are independent risk factors for lung metastasis after LRH of CC.

Genetic characterization of bovine ephemeral fever virus in southern China, 2013-2017.

Bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV) can cause bovine ephemeral fever and is an economically important arbovirus of cattle. To expand the knowledge of the molecular epidemiology of BEFV in southern China, the complete surface glycoprotein G gene of BEFV was sequenced from samples collected in five restricted outbreaks from 2013 to 2017, namely 2013ZH, 2014HM, 2015GX, 11082-2016, and qy2017. It was noted that both 2014HM and 11082-2016 were detected in cattle regularly vaccinated with inactivated vaccine. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all five strains grouped into cluster I. However, qy2017 was closer to the BEFV strains identified in Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan after 2000, while 2013ZH, 2014HM, 2015GX, and 11082-2016 were closer to the Chinese strains in 2011 and the Turkey strains in 2012. The analysis of antigenic sites indicated that several amino acid changes occurred between the five strains and the vaccine strain. Importantly, one novel amino acid mutation site was observed in the putative N-linked glycosylation sites of 2013ZH, 2014HM, 2015GX, and 11082-2016. Our study indicated novel genetic characteristics of the newly emerging BEFV strains in southern China and the necessity of updating the component of commercially available inactivated BEFV vaccines in China.

Identification, structure and function of a novel tetraspaninhomologue from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei.

OBJECTIVE: To identify a full length c DNA sequence of a novel tetraspanin (TSP) homologue from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and to predict the structure and function of its encoding protein using bioinformatics methods. METHODS: Using the NCBI, EMBI, Expasy and other online sites, the open reading frame (ORF), conserved domain, physical and chemical parameters, signal peptide, transmembrane domain, epitope, topological structures of the protein sequences were predicted. And Vector NTI software was used for multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree construction. RESULTS: The target sequence was 1132 bp length with a 681 bpbiggest ORF encoding 226 amino acids protein with typical TSP conserved domain. It was confirmed as full length c DNA of TSP16 from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei and named as SeTSP16 (GenBank accession number: JF728872). The predicted molecular weight and isoelectric point of the deduced protein were 24 750.5 Da and 7.88 Da, respectively. Compared with TSP16s from Schistosoma japonicum and Schistosoma mansoni, it showed similarity of 59% and 59%, respectively. SeTSP16 contained four transmembrane domains (TM1-4), intracellular N and C-termini, one short small extracellular loop and one large extracellular loop. Four major epitopes that were significant different from the corresponding epitope regions of TSP16 from Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum were predicted. CONCLUSIONS: The full length c DNA sequences of SeTSP16 are identified. It encodes a transmembrane protein which might be an ideal diagnosis antigen and target molecule for antiparasitic drugs.

Programmed neuronal cell death induced by HIV-1 tat and methamphetamine.

Apoptosis and autophagy are the two major types of programmed cell death (PCD) in neurons. Homeostatic autophagy often precedes apoptosis, and when apoptosis is blocked, the failure to keep homeostasis will lead to necrosis instead. It has been reported that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected methamphetamine (Meth) abusers represent greater neuropathological abnormalities than Meth abusers or HIV-positive non-Meth users. Recent publications suggest that Tat and Meth when administered together result in greater neuronal damage than when administered separately. However, the cellular events of the combined Tat-Meth effect have not yet been fully characterized. Therefore, we investigated the effects of Tat and/or Meth on apoptosis and autophagy to elucidate whether PCD was involved in Tat and/or Meth-induced neuronal damage. Annexin-V-FITC/PI staining assay was used to detect cellular apoptosis using a neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. Cellular ultrastructural changes were observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Flow-cytometric data showed apoptosis following Meth treatment, and more extensive apoptosis with Tat + Meth treatment. The most important finding was that the autophagosome and/or multilamellar bodies (MLBs) were most pronounced with Tat + Meth treatment, were less so with Meth treatment, and infrequent with Tat treatment. This suggests the involvement of autophagy and apoptosis in Tat with Meth-elicited cell damage. However, the relation between apoptosis and autophagy remains unknown in this experiment. Further research is needed to analyze the relation among related molecules. A thorough understanding of this multifaceted relationship will be critical for the assessment of therapeutic modalities for patients with HIV with drug abuse.

Effect of fluvastatin on vascular endothelial growth factor in rats with osteoporosis in process of fracture healing.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of fluvastatin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in rats with osteoporosis in the process of fracture healing. METHODS: Fractures at the intermediate piece of the femur were made on 72 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (weighing initially 290-340 g and aged 6 months) with osteoporosis after ovariectomy for three months, then these rats were divided randomly into the medication administration group (the experimental group) and the control group, 36 rats each. In the experimental group, the rats received fluvastatin lavage (10 mg/kg per day) since the next day of operation lasting for 6 weeks, and the rats in the control group received placebo. Then the expression of VEGF and VEGF mRNA in bony callus of the two groups was measured respectively with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization on days of 3rd, 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th, and 42nd, and image analysis was made with real-color image analysis machine. RESULTS: No difference was found in the cellular localization of VEGF and VEGF mRNA gene expression between the experimental group and the control group in process of fracture healing and their expression modes were almost similar. On the 14th day postoperatively, the positive extent of positive cells in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fluvastatin can promote the VEGF level in rats with osteoporosis in process of fracture healing.