[Influence of rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene on the effect of a childhood obesity intervention: A prospective, parallel-group controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between rs2587552 polymorphism (has a strong lin-kage disequilibrium with rs1800497 which had been found in many studies to be related to obesity, r2=0.85) of DRD2 gene and the effect of a childhood obesity intervention in Chinese population, and provide a scientific basis for future personalized childhood obesity intervention based on genetic background. METHODS: From a multi-center cluster randomized controlled trial studying the effect of a childhood obesity intervention, we enrolled 382 children from 8 primary schools (192 and 190 children from intervention and control groups, respectively) in Beijing as study subjects. Saliva was collected and DNA was extracted to detect the rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene, and the interactions between the gene and study arms on childhood obesity indicators [including body weight, body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-score, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, waist-to-height ratio, and body fat percentage] were analyzed. RESULTS: No association was found between rs2587552 polymorphism and the changes in hip circumference or body fat percentage in the intervention group (P>0.05). However, in the control group, children carrying the A allele at DRD2 rs2587552 locus showed a greater increase in hip circumference and body fat percentage compared with those not carrying A allele (P < 0.001). There were interactions between rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene and study arms on the changes in hip circumference and body fat percentage (P=0.007 and 0.015, respectively). Compared with the control group, children in the intervention group carrying the A allele at DRD2 rs2587552 locus showed decrease in hip circumference by (-1.30 cm, 95%CI: -2.25 to -0.35, P=0.007) and decrease in body fat percentage by (-1.34%, 95%CI: -2.42 to -0.27, P=0.015) compared with those not carrying A allele. The results were consistent between the dominant model and the additive model (hip circumfe-rence: -0.66 cm, 95%CI: -1.28 to -0.03, P=0.041; body fat percentage: -0.69%, 95%CI: -1.40 to 0.02, P=0.056). No interaction was found between rs2587552 polymorphism and study arms on the changes in other childhood obesity-related indicators (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Children carrying the A allele at rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene are more sensitive to intervention and showed more improvement in hip circumference and body fat percentage after the intervention, suggesting that future personalized childhood obesity lifestyle intervention can be carried out based on the rs2587552 polymorphism of DRD2 gene.

[Combined effect of PNPLA3 rs738409 and UGT1A1 rs10929303 gene polymorphisms on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children].

Objective: To investigate the combined effects of patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 3 (PNPLA3) rs738409 (C > G) and uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) rs10929303 (C > T) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children and adolescents so as to provide scientific evidence for NAFLD genetic research. Methods: 1 027 children and adolescents aged 7-18 were selected as the research subjects. The general situation, past medical history, height and body weight measurements, and B- mode ultrasound test of the liver were investigated by dedicated full-time personnel. In addition, the morning fasting venous blood was collected to measure the blood biochemical indicators. DNA was extracted and genotyped for PNPLA3 rs738409 and UGT1A1 rs10929303. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association and combined effect of the two gene polymorphisms and NAFLD. Statistical analysis was performed by t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, or c2 test according to different data. Results: The GG genotype of PNPLA3 rs738409 and the CC genotype of UGT1A1 rs10929303 were associated with an increased risk of developing NAFLD in children by 89% (OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.11-3.23, P = 0.019) and 96% (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.21-3.17, P = 0.006), respectively, while the concurrent risk of NAFLD in those who carried the above two genotypes increased by 306% compared with those who did not carry both genotypes (OR = 4.06, 95% CI: 1.90 ~ 8.66, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The combined effect of PNPLA3 and UGT1A1 gene polymorphisms can significantly increase the risk of NAFLD in children, providing new evidence for elucidating the genetic susceptibility to NAFLD.

[A comparative study of transperitoneal transmesenteric approach versus paracolic sulci approach laparoscopic adrenal tumorectomy for treatment of primary hyperaldosteronism on left side].

Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect of transperitoneal transmesenteric approach versus paracolic sulci approach laparoscopic adrenal tumorectomy for treatment of left-sided primary hyperaldosteronism. Methods: From January 2017 to July 2019, the clinical data of 70 patients with left-sided primary hyperaldosteronism (PHA) who underwent surgery in the First Hospital of Lanzhou University and five other hospitals in Gansu Province were retrospectively analyzed. There are 43 male and 27 female patients. Among them,28 patients were performed transperitoneal transmesenteric approach laparoscopic adrenal tumorectomy and 42 patients were performed transperitoneal paracolic sulci approach laparoscopic adrenal tumorectomy. The general information and perioperative data of the two groups were compared. Results: All 70 cases of surgery were successfully completed. As compared with the paracolic sulci approach group, the operation time was significantly shorter in the transmesenteric approach group[(26.7±8.8)vs (38.9±7.1)min,P<0.001)], and the estimated blood loss was less in the transmesenteric approach group[45(30,50) vs 50(40,60)ml,P=0.042]. There was no statistically significant difference in the postoperative hospitalization days between the two groups[(4.4±1.0)vs(4.5±1.0)d, P=0.669)]. The electrolytes and aldosterone to renin ratio returned to a healthy level in the postoperative one month, and the blood pressure also returned to a healthy level in 53 (75.7%) patients. Conclusion: Transperitoneal transmesenteric approach laparoscopic adrenal tumorectomy is safe and feasible, with a short operation time and relatively less estimated blood loss.

[Progress of risk factors for thyroid tumors].

In recent years, both benign and malignant thyroid tumors have grown rapidly in the world, and have become one of the most common tumors in the endocrine system. At present, the pathogenesis of thyroid tumor is still unclear, but more and more studies have found that certain factors are related to the occurrence and development of thyroid tumors. It is of great significance to summarize and analyze these risk factors. This article reviews the research progress of its risk factors reported in recent years, so as to provide a basis for the accuracy and scientific prevention and control of thyroid tumors.

ABC transporters Mdr1a/1b, Bcrp1, Mrp2 and Mrp3 determine the sensitivity to PhIP/DSS-induced colon carcinogenesis and inflammation.

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) is an abundant dietary carcinogen, formed during high-temperature cooking of meat. In this study, we investigated whether clinically relevant ATP-binding cassette (ABC) efflux transporters can modulate PhIP-induced colorectal carcinogenesis in vivo using wild-type (WT), Bcrp1-/-; Mrp2-/-; Mrp3-/- and Bcrp1-/-; Mdr1a/b-/-; Mrp2-/- mice. We used a physiological mouse model of colorectal cancer; a combination of a single high-dose oral PhIP administration (200 mg/kg), followed by administering a colonic inflammatory agent, dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), in drinking water for 7 days. Pilot experiments showed that both knockout strains were more sensitive to DSS-induced colitis compared to WT mice. Lack of these transporters in mice also led to clearly altered disposition of activated PhIP metabolites after a high-dose oral PhIP administration. The results suggest that Mdr1a/1b, Bcrp1 and Mrp2 contributed to biliary excretion and Mrp3 to sinusoidal secretion of the pre-carcinogenic metabolite N2-OH-PhIP. The levels of a genotoxicity marker, PhIP-5-sulphate, were at least 4- and 17-fold reduced in the intestinal tissue and intestinal content of both knockout strains compared to WT mice. In line with these findings, the level of colon carcinogenesis was reduced by two- to four-fold in both knockout strains compared to WT mice when PhIP and DSS treatments were combined. Thus, perhaps counterintuitively, reduced activity of these ABC transporters may in part protect from PhIP-induced colon carcinogenesis. Collectively, these data suggest that ABC transporters are important in protecting the body from inflammatory agents such as DSS, in the disposition of carcinogenic metabolites, and in determining the sensitivity to dietary PhIP-induced carcinogenesis.

[The basic characteristics and medical status of pneumoconiosis patients under different investigation methods].

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of pneumoconiosis patients and the basic status of medical treatment. Methods: Research objects were chosen by stratified sampling method and typical survey method from existing pneumoconiosis patients in China. The survey was carried out from March 2017 to January 2018 in nine provinces including provinces from east, medium and western region in China. Source of pneumoconiosis cases were inpatient cases, outpatient or physical-examined cases and household-investigation cases. The survey mainly included demographic and sociological characteristics, economic status, occupational history and dust exposure history, disease status, work-related injury insurance and social security status and related indicators of pneumoconiosis treatment. Results: Investigated 1037 pneumoconiosis cases which included 186 (19.9%) household-investigation cases, 212 (20.4%) outpatient or physical-examined cases and 639 (61.7%) inpatient cases. Demographic and sociological characteristics, individual monthly income, economic source, occupational history and work-related injury insurance were statistically significant among different source of pneumoconiosis patients (P<0.05) . Among all of the household-investigation cases, there were 74 cases (40.2%) had no income, 117 cases (62.9%) used to work in private enterprises, 36 cases (19.4%) had work-related injuries insurance, 95 cases (51.1%) were at three phase of pneumoconiosis, 108 cases (59.0%) haven't had any drugs for pneumoconiosis. 65 cases (39.4%) haven't went to the clinic, 53 cases (28.5%) hadn't seek medical advice although they needed medical treatment very much. Among all of the outpatient or physical-examined cases, there were 95 cases (46.1%) had no income, 36 cases (17.0%) had work-related injuries Insurance, 139 cases (65.6%) went to the clinic for treatment of pneumoconiosis, 81 cases (38.2%) went to the clinic for more than ten times. Among all the inpatient cases, 310 cases' (49.3%) personal monthly income was above 2000 yuan, 352 cases (55.1%) had work-related injuries Insurance, 588 cases (92.2%) were taking drugs for treatment of pneumoconiosis, 153 canses (24.2%) had hospitalization for than ten times. Conclusion: Household-investigation cases have lower economic conditions, lower rates of Insurance coverage for work-related injuries, severer pneumoconiosis and higher clinical service utilization. Clinical or physical-examined cases have lower economic conditions, lower rates of Insurance coverage for work-related injuries and higher clinical service utilization. Hospitalized cases have better economic conditions, higher rates of insurance coverage for work-related injuries and higher hospitalization service utilization.

[The expression of LINC00052 during glycidyl methacrylate-induced malignant transformation of 16HBE cells].

Objective: To investigate the expression and role of LINC00052 during glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) -induced malignant transformation of 16HBE cells. Methods: Human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells were divided into GMA transformation group and corresponding DMSO control group, and the 10th, 20th and 30th generation cells of each group were collected LncRNA microarrays were used to analysis expression of LINC00052 in different stage of malignant transformation. Bioinformatics analysis was applied and the relative expression of LINC00052 and its potentially target genes was detected by real-time quantification PCR (qPCR) . Results: The results of microarray analysis showed that LINC00052 was up-regulated by 1.32-fold, down-regulated by 1.64-fold and down-regulated by 4.92-fold in the malignant transformation early (P10) , middle term (P20) and late (P30) , respectively, The results of qPCR showed that compared with the DMSO control group, the expression of LINC00052 was up-regulated by 1.55 times, down-regulated by 1.20 times and down-regulated by 2.35 times in P10, P20 and P30, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . There was a statistically significant difference in the relative expression of NTRK3 between the GMA transformation group of P10 and P30 generations with the corresponding DMSO control group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: LINC00052 is highly expressed in early time of GMA-induced malignant transformation of 16HBE, and down-regulated in the middle and last stage of malignant transformation and may play a protective role in GMA-induced malignant transformation of 16HBE by influencing the expression of its target gene NTRK3.

Differential protein stability and clinical responses of EML4-ALK fusion variants to various ALK inhibitors in advanced ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibition using crizotinib has become the standard of care in advanced ALK-rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but the treatment outcomes and duration of response vary widely. Echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK is the most common translocation, and the fusion variants show different sensitivity to crizotinib in vitro. However, there are only limited data on the specific EML4-ALK variants and clinical responses of patients to various ALK inhibitors. Patients and methods: By multiplex reverse-transcriptase PCR, which detects 12 variants of known EML4-ALK rearrangements, we retrospectively determined ALK fusion variants in 54 advanced ALK rearrangement-positive NSCLCs. We subdivided the patients into two groups (variants 1/2/others and variants 3a/b) by protein stability and evaluated correlations of the variant status with clinical responses to crizotinib, alectinib, or ceritinib. Moreover, we established the EML4-ALK variant-expressing system and analyzed patterns of sensitivity of the variants to ALK inhibitors. Results: Of the 54 tumors analyzed, EML4-ALK variants 3a/b (44.4%) was the most common type, followed by variants 1 (33.3%) and 2 (11.1%). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 76.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 56.8-100] in group EML4-ALK variants 1/2/others versus 26.4% (95% CI 10.5-66.6) in group variants 3a/b (P = 0.034) among crizotinib-treated patients. Meanwhile, the 2-year PFS rate was 69.0% (95% CI 49.9-95.4) in group variants 1/2/others versus 32.7% (95% CI 15.6-68.4) in group variants 3a/b (P = 0.108) among all crizotinib-, alectinib-, and ceritinib-treated patients. Variant 3a- or 5a-harboring cells were resistant to ALK inhibitors with >10-fold higher half maximal inhibitory concentration in vitro. Conclusion: Our findings show that group EML4-ALK variants 3a/b may be a major source of ALK inhibitor resistance in the clinic. The variant-specific genotype of the EML4-ALK fusion allows for more precise stratification of patients with advanced NSCLC.

[Association between polymorphism of rs10185316 in insulin-induced gene 2 and blood pressure among children and adolescents].

Objective: To examine the association between polymorphism of rs10185316 in insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG2) and blood pressure among children and adolescents. Methods: 9 junior middle schools in Dongcheng District of Beijing and 5 schools (3 primary junior middle schools, 2 primary schools) in Haidian District of Beijing were chosen in 2005 and 2007, respectively. According to the Chinese BMI percentile criteria for screening overweight and obesity in school children, we recruited 1 425 overweight or obese children and 605 normal weight children. A total of 2 018 students with complete data of blood pressure and genotype data were included in this study. According to the blood pressure criterion of children and adolescents, 702 participants were categorized into high blood pressure group and 1 316 into normal blood pressure group. Participants' information of gender, age, height, weight and blood pressure were collected by questionnaire and physical examination. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood sample for genotyping of INSIG2 rs10185316 polymorphism. Multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the associations between rs10185316 polymorphism in INSIG2 and SBP, DBP, mean arterial pressure (MAP) and pulse pressure. Results: The age, BMI, SBP and DBP of the high blood pressure group were separately (14.3±1.4) years old, (27.3±4.2) kg/m(2), (130.5±10.9) and (76.7±13.3) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), all higher than that of the normal blood pressure group, which were (12.2±2.9) years old, (22.0±4.0) kg/m(2), (104.4±10.9) and(54.6±15.2) mmHg, respectively (all P values<0.001). After age, sex, district and BMI adjusted, compared with the participants carrying INSIG2 rs10185316 CC genotype, CG/GG genotype carriers had lower DBP (ß(95%CI):-1.67(-2.84--0.50), P=0.005), higher PP(ß(95%CI): 1.91(0.61-3.20), P=0.004), and lower MAP(ß(95%CI):=-1.03(-2.01--0.05), P=0.039). Conclusion: INSIG2 rs10185316 polymorphism was associated with DBP, PP and MAP among children and adolescents in an independent way from BMI.

[Augmenter of liver regeneration promotes the proliferation of HL-7702 cells in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury via increasing autophagy].

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) against acute liver injury and related mechanisms. Methods: HL-7702 cells were divided into normal control group, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury group, ALR+CCl4 intervention group, 3-methyladenine (3-MA)+CCl4 intervention group, and ALR+3-MA+CCl4 intervention group. The ALR+CCl4 and ALR+3-MA+CCl4 intervention groups were transfected with ALR plasmids at 8 hours before CCl4 treatment. All groups except the normal control group were treated with CCl4, and 30 minutes later, the 3-MA+CCl4 and ALR+3-MA+CCl4 intervention groups were treated with 3-MA. The cells were collected at 24 hours after CCl4 treatment. The HL-7702 cells and supernatant were collected to measure the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (IU/L). Western blot was used to measure the levels of ALR, cyclin D, cyclin E, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), autophagy-related gene 7 (Atg7), and autophagy genes LC3, p62, and Beclin-1. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of ALR. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of means between any two groups. Results: The ALR+CCl4 intervention group had significant increases in the protein and mRNA expression of ALR compared with the acute liver injury group (both P < 0.05). The CCl4-induced acute liver injury group had significant increases in the protein and mRNA expression of ALR compared with the normal control group (both P < 0.05). Compared with the CCl4-induced acute liver injury group, the ALR+CCl4 intervention group had significant reductions in ALT (0.73±0.17 IU/L vs 1.43±0.38 IU/L, P < 0.05) and AST (19.85±1.83 IU/L vs 56.73±6.25 IU/L, P < 0.05) in supernatant, significantly increased expression of cyclin D, cyclin E, PCNA, LC3, Atg7, and Beclin-1 in hepatocytes, and significantly reduced expression of p62, which suggested that ALR protected the liver against acute liver injury, promoted the regeneration of hepatocytes, and enhanced the autophagy of hepatocytes. The ALR+3-MA+CCl4 intervention group had a significant reduction in the expression of regeneration-associated proteins compared with the ALR+CCl4 intervention group, while there was no significant difference between the ALR+3-MA+CCl4 intervention group and 3-MA+CCl4 intervention group, which suggested that after the inhibition of autophagy, there were significant reductions in the regeneration of hepatocytes and liver regeneration promoted by ALR. Conclusion: ALR can promote the regeneration of hepatocytes in liver parenchyma, which is achieved by the regulation of autophagy.

Inhibition of the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase TTK enhances the efficacy of docetaxel in a triple-negative breast cancer model.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are considered the most aggressive type of breast cancer, for which no targeted therapy exists at the moment. These tumors are characterized by having a high degree of chromosome instability and often overexpress the spindle assembly checkpoint kinase TTK. To explore the potential of TTK inhibition as a targeted therapy in TNBC, we developed a highly potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of TTK, NTRC 0066-0. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The compound is characterized by long residence time on the target and inhibits the proliferation of a wide variety of human cancer cell lines with potency in the same range as marketed cytotoxic agents. In cell lines and in mice, NTRC 0066-0 inhibits the phosphorylation of a TTK substrate and induces chromosome missegregation. NTRC 0066-0 inhibits tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 xenografts as a single agent after oral application. To address the effect of the inhibitor in breast cancer, we used a well-defined mouse model that spontaneously develops breast tumors that share key morphologic and molecular features with human TNBC. Our studies show that combination of NTRC 0066-0 with a therapeutic dose of docetaxel resulted in doubling of mouse survival and extended tumor remission, without toxicity. Furthermore, we observed that treatment efficacy is only achieved upon co-administration of the two compounds, which suggests a synergistic in vivo effect. Therefore, we propose TTK inhibition as a novel therapeutic target for neoadjuvant therapy in TNBC.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder in HIV-infected Koreans: the Korean NeuroAIDS Project.

OBJECTIVES: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is an independent predictor of early mortality and is associated with many difficulties in activities of daily living. We sought to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for HAND in HIV-infected Koreans. In addition, we investigated the performance of screening tools and components of neuropsychological (NP) tests for diagnosing HAND. METHODS: HIV-infected patients were enrolled consecutively from two different urban teaching hospitals in Seoul, South Korea between March 2012 and September 2012. Participants completed a detailed NP assessment of six cognitive domains commonly affected by HIV. The Frascati criteria were used for diagnosing HAND. Four key questions, the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)-K were also assessed as potential tools for screening for HAND. RESULTS: Among the 194 participants, the prevalence of HAND was 26.3%. Asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment and minor neurocognitive disorder accounted for 52.9 and 47.1% of the patients with HAND, respectively. In multivariate analysis, haemoglobin (Hb) level ≤ 13 g/dL (P = 0.046) and current use of a protease inhibitor-based regimen (P = 0.031) were independent risk factors for HAND. The sensitivity and specificity of the IHDS were 72.6 and 60.8%, and those of MoCA-K were 52.9 and 73.4%, respectively. The IHDS (P < 0.001) and MoCA-K (P < 0.001) were both useful for screening for HAND. Among NP tests, the sensitivity and specificity of the Grooved Pegboard Test were 90.2 and 72.0%, and those of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were 61.2 and 84.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: HAND is a prevalent comorbidity in HIV-infected Koreans. Active screening and diagnosis with effective tools, such as the IHDS, MoCA-K and Grooved Pegboard Test, could be used to identify this important complication.

Viral load dynamics in adult patients with A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza.

SUMMARY The dynamics of influenza A viral load in respiratory samples collected from adult A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza patients were investigated. Three respiratory specimens were obtained every 2-4 days and clinical findings were recorded at the time each specimen was collected. A total of 105 serial specimens were collected from 35 patients. Viral clearance was more rapid in patients aged 15-29 years than patients aged 30-49 years (P < 0.01) or ≥ 50 years (P < 0.01). Hospitalized patients showed slow viral clearance compared to outpatients (P < 0.01). Resolution of cough and headache was correlated with viral load reduction in respiratory specimens. Viral shedding was found in 17 patients (48.6%) 5 days after symptom onset. Time to hospital visit after symptom onset was significantly correlated with prolonged viral shedding (odds ratio 9.0, 95% confidence interval 1.56-51.87, P = 0.01). These findings will contribute to infection control aspects with respect to managing patients with influenza virus infections.

Homing of chloromethylbenzoyl ammonia-labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in an immune-mediated bone marrow failure mouse model in vivo.

Aplastic anemia is an abnormal immune reaction disease in which T lymphocytes destroy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells because of immune hyperactivity. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have hematopoietic supporting and immune regulation functions. This study investigated BMSCs homing in mice transplantation models after bone marrow failure. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal control, bone marrow failure model, and BMSC transplantation group. Chloromethyl benzamido-labeled BMSCs of BALB/c mice were transplanted through tail vein injection in mouse models with bone marrow failure. Flow cytometry and histological fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the dynamic distribution of labeled cells in different tissues. Average survival time, peripheral blood, and bone marrow morphological features were observed in mice from each group. Twenty-four hours after tail vein infusion of BMSCs, positively labeled cells were observed in the bone marrows of recipient mice, and the number of positive cells increased significantly at 72 h (P < 0.05). In dead or dying mice, white blood cells, hemoglobin, platelets, and bone marrow mononuclear cells were all significantly higher in the BMSC transplantation group than in the BMSCs of the model group (P < 0.01). Mean survival time was significantly shorter in the bone marrow failure model group than in the transplantation group (P < 0.05). These results confirmed that the major of BMSCs injected via tail vein could migrate to injured bone marrow tissues within 24-72 h in a mouse model of bone marrow failure. Furthermore, BMSCs can promote hematopoietic recovery, reduce the degree of bone marrow failure, and significantly prolong survival time.

Paratubal cancer found at the time of laparoscopic surgery for adnexal torsion: a case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Paratubal cysts are common incidental finding, but malignant paratubal cancers have rare occurrence and have not been sufficiently described and discussed in previous studies. CASE REPORT: This report describes a case of a 70-year-old female who underwent emergent laparoscopy for adnexal torsion. A serous cystadenocarcinoma arising in a paratubal cyst and accompanied by tubal torsion was revealed by frozen section and successfully treated with laparoscopic cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: This report is the first case of paratubal cancer with bilateral tubal torsion which was diagnosed and treated with laparoscopic surgery, and the third report describing serous cystadenocarcinoma arising in a paratubal cyst. In the laparoscopic surgery for the paratubal cyst clinically presumed as accompanied with tubal torsion, surgeons should not ignore the possibility of malignancy in spite of the rare incidence of paratubal cancers and the preconception that adnexal malignancies are seldom accompanied by tubal torsion.

Effects of surface chemical structure on the mechanical properties of Si(1-x)Ge(x) nanowires.

The Young's modulus and fracture strength of Si(1-x)Ge(x) nanowires (NWs) as a function of Ge concentration were measured from tensile stress measurements. The Young's modulus of the NWs decreased linearly with increasing Ge content. No evidence was found for a linear relationship between the fracture strength of the NWs and Ge content, which is closely related to the quantity of interstitial Ge atoms contained in the wire. However, by removing some of the interstitial Ge atoms through rapid thermal annealing, a linear relationship could be produced. The discrepancy in the reported strength of Si and Ge NWs between calculated and experimented results could be related to SiO(2-x)/Si interfacial defects that are found in Si(1-x)Ge(x) NWs. It was also possible to significantly decrease the number of interfacial defects in the NWs by incorporating a surface passivated Al2O3 layer, which resulted in a substantial increase in fracture strength.

Nestin expression as an indicator of cervical cancer initiation.

Nestin is an intermediate filament protein expressed in proliferating cells during embryonic development of the central nervous system (CNS) and considered to be a neuronal stem cell/progenitor cell marker. This study investigated the difference of nestin expression between pre-cancer (carcinoma in situ - CIS) and cancer of cervix in 129 tissues (49 normal cervix, 41 CIS, and 39 invasive cervical cancer) through the use of a paraffin-embedded tissue array. Immunostaining was evaluated by intensity, proportion of stained cells, and pattern of expression. The expression of nestin was positive in 63.4% (26/41) for CIS and 43.6% (17/39) for invasive cervical cancer, but only 26.5% (13/49) for normal tissues (p = 0.002). Strong positive staining/large proportion staining were 53.7% (22/41) / 36.6% (15/41), 15.4% (6/39) / 61.5% (24/39) in the CIS and invasive cervical cancer tissues, respectively (p = 0.043, p < 0.001). The diffuse stain with basal layer was positive in 90.2% (37/41) for CIS, but only 24.5% (12/49) of the samples were positive in normal tissues (p < 0.001). Based on these results, the authors suggest that nestin expression seems to participate in the step of cancer initiation and could potentially be a useful marker in the early detection of cervical cancer.

Effects of serial passage on the characteristics and chondrogenic differentiation of canine umbilical cord matrix derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are often known to have a therapeutic potential in the cell-mediated repair for fatal or incurable diseases. In this study, canine umbilical cord MSCs (cUC-MSCs) were isolated from umbilical cord matrix (n = 3) and subjected to proliferative culture for 5 consecutive passages. The cells at each passage were characterized for multipotent MSC properties such as proliferation kinetics, expression patterns of MSC surface markers and self-renewal associated markers, and chondrogenic differentiation. In results, the proliferation of the cells as determined by the cumulative population doubling level was observed at its peak on passage 3 and stopped after passage 5, whereas cell doubling time dramatically increased after passage 4. Expression of MSC surface markers (CD44, CD54, CD61, CD80, CD90 and Flk-1), molecule (HMGA2) and pluripotent markers (sox2, nanog) associated with self-renewal was negatively correlated with the number of passages. However, MSC surface marker (CD105) and pluripotent marker (Oct3/4) decreased with increasing the number of subpassage. cUC-MSCs at passage 1 to 5 underwent chondrogenesis under specific culture conditions, but percentage of chondrogenic differentiation decreased with increasing the number of subpassage. Collectively, the present study suggested that sequential subpassage could affect multipotent properties of cUC-MSCs and needs to be addressed before clinical applications.