Long-Lived Phosphorescent Carbon Dots as Photosensitizers for Total Antioxidant Capacity Assay.

Free radicals and their induced oxidative damage in living organisms are related to many diseases. Natural substances with antioxidant capacity are effective in scavenging free radicals, which could slow down aging and prevent diseases. However, the existing methods for the evaluation of antioxidant activity mostly required the use of complex instruments and operations. In this work, we proposed a unique method to determine the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in real samples through a photosensitization-mediated oxidation system. N- and P-doped long-lived phosphorescent carbon dots (NPCDs) were developed, which exhibited the effective intersystem crossing from the singlet to the triplet state under UV light irradiation. Mechanism study confirmed that the energy of excited triplet state in NPCDs generated superoxide radicals and singlet oxygen through type I and type II photoreactions, respectively. On this basis, the quantitative determination of TAC in fresh fruits was achieved using 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a chromogenic bridge in the photosensitization-mediated oxidation system. This demonstration will not only provide a facile way to analyze antioxidant capacity in practical samples but also broaden the applications of phosphorescent carbon dots.

Chemical Profile and Phytotoxic Action of Hibiscus trionum Essential Oil.

The chemical profile and phytotoxic action of Hibiscus trionum essential oil (EO) was studied. In total 17 compounds were identified via GC/MS, representing 94.18 % of the entire oil, with phytol (40.37 %) being the dominant constituent. Bioassay revealed that the EO inhibited root elongation of Medicago sativa and Amaranthus retroflexus by 32.66 % and 61.86 % at 5 mg/mL, respectively; meanwhile, the major component phytol also exhibited significant phytotoxic activity, suppressing radical elongation of Pennisetum alopecuroides, M. sativa and A. retroflexus by 26.08 %, 27.55 % and 43.96 % at 1 mg/mL, respectively. The fact that the EO showed weaker activity than phytol implied that some constituents might trigger antagonistic action to decrease the oil's activity. Our study is the first on the chemical profile and phytotoxic effect of H. trionum EO.

Chemical Composition and Allelopathic, Phytotoxic and Pesticidal Activities of Atriplex cana Ledeb. (Amaranthaceae) Essential Oil.

The chemical composition and allelopathic, phytotoxic and pesticidal activities of Atriplex cana Ledeb. (Amaranthaceae) essential oil were investigated. Nineteen compounds were identified via GC/MS, representing 82.3 % of the total oil, and the most abundant constituents were dibutyl phthalate (21.79 %), eucalyptol (20.14 %) and myrtenyl acetate (15.56 %). The results showed that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by A. cana significantly inhibited seedling growth of Amaranthus retroflexus L. and Poa annua L., and 80 g of fresh stems and leaves of A. cana in a 1.5 L airtight container almost completely suppressed the seed germination of both plants. Meanwhile, 5 µg/mL essential oil completely inhibited the seed germination of A. retroflexus, Medicago sativa L., P. annua and Echinochloa crusgalli L. Pesticidal testing revealed that the essential oil had strong behavioral avoidance and lethal effects on Aphis pomi DeGeer. Five microliters of essential oil/Petri dish treatment resulted in an 84.5 % mortality rate after 12 h, and the mortality rate reached nearly 100 % after 48 h. This report is the first one on the chemical composition as well as the biological activity of the essential oil of A. cana, and our results indicate that the oil is valuable in terms of being further exploited as a bioherbicide/insecticide.

Chemical Composition and Phytotoxic Activity of Seriphidium terrae-albae (Krasch.) Poljakov (Compositae) Essential Oil.

To evaluate the potential value of Seriphidium terrae-albae (Krasch.) Poljakov essential oil as bioherbicide, its chemical composition as well as phytotoxic activity was investigated. Seventeen compounds were identified via GC/MS, representing 98.1 % of the total oil, and the most abundant constituents were α-thujone (43.18 %), ß-thujone (16.92 %), eucalyptol (17.55 %), and camphor (13.88 %). Phytotoxic assay revealed that the essential oil as well as its major constituents exhibited inhibitory activity on root and shoot growth of receiver plants in a dose-dependent manner. When the concentration reached 20 µg/mL, root length of Amaranthus retroflexus was reduced to 31.3 %, 70.6 %, 36.9 %, and 66.6 % of the control, respectively, when treated with α-thujone, eucalyptol, camphor, and the mixture of these compounds; meanwhile, root length of Poa annua was 3.0 %, 24.2 %, 0 %, and 4.4 % of the control when the same chemicals were applied. On the other hand, the essential oil showed a much stronger activity. At 1.5 µL/mL, root and shoot length of A. retroflexus and P. annua were reduced to 0.65 %, 0.5 %, and 1.53 %, 1.51 % of the control, respectively, and seed germination of A. retroflexus and P. annua was completely inhibited when the oil concentration reached 3 µg/mL and 5 µg/mL, respectively. This is the first report on the chemical composition of the essential oil of S. terrae-albae, and our results indicated that it has the potential to be further exploited as a bioherbicide.

Phytotoxic Compounds Isolated from Leaves of the Invasive Weed Xanthium spinosum.

The aim of this study was to identify bioactive compounds from leaves of the invasive plant Xanthium spinosum and assess their phytotoxic activity. Activity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of 6 bioactive compounds: xanthatin (1), 1α,5α-epoxyxanthatin (2), 4-epiisoxanthanol (3), 4-epixanthanol (4), loliolide (5) and dehydrovomifoliol (6). Of them, compounds 2⁻6 were isolated from the X. spinosum for the first time. The structures of 1⁻6 were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR studies and ESI-MS measurements as well as comparison with literature data. All of compounds were evaluated for their phytotoxic activity. Among them, compounds 1⁻4 exhibited stronger activity on 2 receiver plants compared with the other 2 compounds, with xanthatin (1) being the most potent compound, which suppressed root growth of the dicot plant Amaranthus retroflexus by 32.5%, 39.4%, 84.7% when treated xanthatin (1) at 5, 20, and 100 µg/mL, while for the monocot plant, root growth was inhibited by 14.7%, 28.0%, and 40.0%, respectively. Seedling growth was nearly completely inhibited when the concentration of xanthanolides increased to 500 µg/mL, whereas there was still some seedling growth when loliolide (5) and dehydrovomifoliol (6) were applied at the same concentration. Dehydrovomifoliol (6) did not negatively affect seedling growth of P. annua at all tested concentrations, and root length was still 42.0% of the control when the highest concentration 500 µg/mL was used. This is the first report of the phytotoxicity of 1α,5α-epoxyxanthatin (2), 4-epiisxanthanol (3) and 4-epixanthanol (4). These compounds have the potential to be utilized as natural herbicides, especially 4-epiisoxanthanol (3), which exhibited significant selective activity between the dicot and monocot plants. On the other hand, whether these bioactive substances serve as allelochemicals to facilitate the invasion success of X. spinosum needs to be further studied.

Bent spine syndrome as an initial manifestation of late-onset multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Late-onset multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease of metabolic dysfunction clinically characterized by fluctuating proximal muscle weakness, excise intolerance, and dramatic riboflavin responsiveness. Dropped head syndrome can occasionally be observed in some severe patients with late-onset MADD; however, bent spine syndrome as an initial symptom had not been reported in patients with late-onset MADD. CASE PRESENTATION: A 46-year-old man lost the ability to hold his trunk upright, and had difficulty in raising his head, but he had no obvious symptoms of limb weakness. Meanwhile, he developed persistent numbness of limbs and lips around. Myopathological features and combined elevation of multiple acylcarnitines indicated that the axial myopathy might be caused by lipid storage myopathy. Cervical and lumbosacral MRI revealed a lot of abnormal signals diffusing along paravertebral muscles, while the abnormal signals almost disappeared after riboflavin treatment. Nerve conduction study indicated the patient suffering from predominantly sensory neuropathy and mildly motor neuropathy. Muscle pathology also demonstrated no typical neurogenic change, which was consistent with the electrophysiological findings. Causative mutations were found in the ETFDH gene. CONCLUSION: We report the first case of late-onset MADD with sensory neuropathy initially manifesting as bent spine syndrome and dropped head syndrome.

Potential of utilizing pathogen-derived mycotoxins as alternatives to synthetic herbicides in controlling the noxious invasive plant Xanthium italicum.

Discovery of environmentally friendly agents for controlling alien invasive species (AIS) is challenging and in urgent need as their expansion continues to increase. Xanthium italicum is a notorious invasive weed that has caused serious ecological and economic impacts worldwide. For the purpose of exploring the possibility of utilizing herbicidal mycotoxins to control this species, three compounds, a new compound, curvularioxide (1), a new naturally occurring compound, dehydroradicinin (2), and a known compound, radicinin (3), were isolated via activity-guided fractionation from the secondary metabolites of the pathogenic Curvularia inaequalis, which was found to infect X. italicum in natural habitats. All isolated compounds exhibited potent herbicidal activity on receiver species. It is noteworthy to mention that their effects on X. italicum in our bioassays were equivalent to the commercial herbicide glyphosate. Subsequent morphological analysis revealed that application of radicinin (3) severely hindered X. italicum seedlings' hypocotyl and root development. Malondialdehyde content and the activity of catalase and peroxidase of the seedlings were also significantly different from the control, implying the occurrence of induced oxidative stress. Our results suggest that pathogens infecting invasive plants might be valuable resources for developing safer herbicides for controlling weeds. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Glycated serum protein is independently associated with progressive infarction in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the relationship between glycated serum protein (GSP) and progressive infarction (PI). METHODS: From April 2017 to December 2020, we recruited 477 patients within 48 hours after the onset of acute ischemic stroke into this case-control study. Demographic characteristics, clinical information, and laboratory and neuroimaging data were recorded after admission. RESULTS: PI occurred in 144 (30.8%) patients. Patients with PI had higher initial National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, higher discharge NIHSS scores, higher modified Rankin scale scores at 3 months after onset, higher GSP levels, lower prothrombin times, and lower creatinine levels than patients without PI. The likelihood of PI increased with increases in the GSP quartile. Multiple regression analysis revealed that high GSP levels (>2.14 mmol/L) were independently associated with PI. Subgroup analyses identified high GSP levels as an independent predictor of PI in patients with large artery atherosclerosis (third quartile: odds ratio [OR] = 3.793; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.555-9.250; fourth quartile: OR = 2.675; 95% CI = 1.056-6.776) and anterior circulation small vessel occlusion (fourth quartile: OR = 13.859; 95% CI = 2.024-94.885). CONCLUSIONS: GSP might be an independent predictor for PI in certain patients with acute ischemic stroke.

New insight into blue carbon stocks and natural-human drivers under reclamation history districts for sustainable coastal development: A case study from Liaohe River Delta, China.

Blue carbon is a vital aspect of climate change mitigation, which necessitates the identification of stocks and drivers for implementing mitigation strategies. However, reclamation may be among the most invasive forms, and the question of its influence has not been addressed well in blue carbon research. Therefore, the effects of reclamation on carbon stocks and the interaction of crucial drivers from reclamation time areas (1930s, 1960s, 1990s) were evaluated in the Liaohe River Delta (LRD) and compared with natural reserves (core, buffer, experimental areas). Carbon stocks based on InVEST model were lower than preexisting conditions (1.930 × 106 Mg-1.893 × 106 Mg). One-way Analysis of Variance showed that average carbon stocks accumulated 55 years after reclamation and reached the lowest value (13.19 Mg·ha-1) in 85 years. The interaction analysis of dominant drivers affecting carbon showed the difference between reclaimed areas and reserves regarding potential effect pathways. In the 1930s and 1960s reclamation time areas, crop yield and industrial output determined blue carbon by changing NO3--N and AP. In the 1990s reclamation time area, population density played an important role. In defining the impact of vegetation cover on carbon within the reserves, the distance to the coast and residence were significant factors. This study demonstrated that coastal management practices, such as the size of industry and population control and the balanced fertilization techniques in reclamation areas, maintaining adequate vegetation cover in reserve, played a crucial role in the improvement of blue carbon sinks.

Microbiome analysis reveals the effects of black soldier fly oil on gut microbiota in pigeon.

The gut microbiota plays a vital roles in poultry physiology, immunity and metabolism. Black soldier fly oil is known to have a positive effect on the gut microbiota. However, the specific effect of black soldier fly oil on the composition and structure of the gut microbiota of the pigeon is unknown. In this experiment, 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing was performed to study the effect of different doses of black soldier fly oil on the changes of pigeon intestinal microbes. Results indicated that the different doses of black soldier fly oil had no effect on the gut microbial diversity of the pigeon. Although the dominant phyla (Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria) and genus (uncultured_bacterium_f_Lachnospiraceae and Desulfovibrio) in control group and experimental group with different doses were the same, the abundances of some beneficial bacteria (Megasphaera, Intestinimonas, Prevotella_9, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-001, Faecalibacterium, Coprococcus_2, Parabacteroides, Megasphaera, Leuconostoc, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Lactococcus, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, and Coprococcus_2) increased significantly as the concentration of black soldier fly oil increased. Taken together, this study indicated that black soldier fly oil supplementation could improve gut microbial composition and structure by increasing the proportions of beneficial bacteria. Notably, this is the first report on the effects of black soldier fly oil on the gut microbiota of pigeon, which contribute to understanding the positive effects of black soldier fly oil from the gut microbial perspective.

Allelopathic, Phytotoxic, and Insecticidal Effects of Thymus proximus Serg. Essential Oil and Its Major Constituents.

The chemical profile of Thymus proximus essential oil (EO) and its allelopathic, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity was evaluated. Carvacrol, p-cymene, and γ-terpinene were detected as the major components of the EO, representing 85.9% of the total oil. About 50 g fresh plant material of T. proximus in a 1.5-L air tight container completely inhibited the seed germination of Amaranthus retroflexus and Poa anuua. Meanwhile, the EO exhibited potent phytotoxic activity, which resulted in 100% germination failure of both the test species when 2 mg/ml (for A. retroflexus) and 5 mg/ml (for Poa annua) oil was applied. The EO also triggered a significant insecticidal activity on Aphis gossypii with a LC50 value of 6.34 ppm. Carvacrol was identified as the main active compound responsible for both the plant suppressing effect and the insecticidal activity of the EO. Our study is the first on the allelopathic, phytotoxic, and insecticidal activity of T. proximus EO, and the determination of the responsible compound, which indicated their potential of being further explored as environment friendly biopesticides.

Chemical profile and phytotoxic action of Onopordum acanthium essential oil.

The potential of utilizing Onopordum acanthium essential oil and its major constituents as environment friendly herbicides was investigated. In total 29, 25, and 18 compounds were identified from flower, leaf, and stem oils, representing 94.77%, 80.02%, and 90.74% of the total oil, respectively. Flower and stem oils were found to be rich in n-alkanes, which accounted for 57.33% in flower oil, and 82.33% in stem oil. Flower oil exerted potent inhibitory activity on both receiver species, Amaranthus retroflexus and Poa annua, which nearly completely suppressed seed germination at 5 mg/mL, and ß-eudesmol is the most likely responsible compound for its phytotoxicity; in comparison, leaf and stem oils exhibited much weaker inhibitory activity on A. retroflexus, and stimulatory effect on P. annua when tested concentration was below 2.5 mg/mL. Alkanes in the oils were found to exert relatively weak plant growth regulatory activity. This report is the first on the chemical profile and phytotoxic action of O. acanthium oil as well as the phytotoxicity of ß-eudesmol.

Myofiber necroptosis promotes muscle stem cell proliferation via releasing Tenascin-C during regeneration.

Necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, is characterized by the loss of membrane integrity and release of intracellular contents, the execution of which depends on the membrane-disrupting activity of the Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like protein (MLKL) upon its phosphorylation. Here we found myofibers committed MLKL-dependent necroptosis after muscle injury. Either pharmacological inhibition of the necroptosis upstream kinase Receptor Interacting Protein Kinases 1 (RIPK1) or genetic ablation of MLKL expression in myofibers led to significant muscle regeneration defects. By releasing factors into the muscle stem cell (MuSC) microenvironment, necroptotic myofibers facilitated muscle regeneration. Tenascin-C (TNC), released by necroptotic myofibers, was found to be critical for MuSC proliferation. The temporary expression of TNC in myofibers is tightly controlled by necroptosis; the extracellular release of TNC depends on necroptotic membrane rupture. TNC directly activated EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway in MuSCs through its N-terminus assembly domain together with the EGF-like domain. These findings indicate that necroptosis plays a key role in promoting MuSC proliferation to facilitate muscle regeneration.

Chemical Composition, Phytotoxic, Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activity of the Essential Oils of Dracocephalum integrifolium.

The present investigation studied the chemical composition of the essential oils extracted from Dracocephalum integrifolium Bunge growing in three different localities in northwest China and evaluated the phytotoxic, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities of the essential oils as well as their major constituents, i.e., sabinene and eucalyptol. GC/MS analysis revealed the presence of 21-24 compounds in the essential oils, representing 94.17-97.71% of the entire oils. Monoterpenes were the most abundant substances, accounting for 85.30-93.61% of the oils; among them, sabinene (7.35-14.0%) and eucalyptol (53.56-76.11%) were dominant in all three oils, which occupied 67.56-83.46% of the total oils. In general, phytotoxic bioassays indicated that the IC50 values of the oils and their major constituents were below 2 µL/mL (1.739-1.886 mg/mL) against Amaranthus retroflexus and Poa annua. Disc diffusion method demonstrated that the oils and their major constituents possessed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Candida albicans, with MIC values ranging from 5-40 µL/mL (4.347-37.712 mg/mL). The oils, sabinene and eucalyptol also exhibited significant pesticidal activity, with the mortality rates of Aphis pomi reaching 100% after exposing to 10 µL oil/petri dish (8.694-9.428 mg/petri dish) for 24 h. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the chemical composition, phytotoxic, antimicrobial and insecticidal activity of the essential oils extracted from D. integrifolium; it is noteworthy to mention that this is also the first report on the phytotoxicity of one of the major constituents, sabinene. Our results imply that D. integrifolium oils and sabinene have the potential value of being further exploited as natural pesticides.

Comparison of the Intestinal Microbial Community in Ducks Reared Differently through High-Throughput Sequencing.

Birds are an important source of fecal contamination in environment. Many of diseases are spread through water contamination caused by poultry droppings. A study was conducted to compare the intestinal microbial structure of Shaoxing ducks with and without water. Thirty 1-day-old Shaoxing ducks (Qingke No. 3) were randomly divided into two groups; one group had free access to water (CC), while the other one was restricted from water (CT). After 8 months of breeding, caecal samples of 10 birds from each group were obtained on ice for high-throughput sequencing. A total of 1507978 valid sequences were examined and clustered into 1815 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). At phylum level, Firmicutes (41.37%), Bacteroidetes (33.26%), Proteobacteria (13.67%), and Actinobacteria (8.26%) were found to dominate the microbial community in CC birds, while Firmicutes (53.62%), Bacteroidetes (33.06%), and Actinobacteria (11.13%) were uncovered to be the prime phyla in CT ducks. At genus level, Bacteroides (25.02%), Escherichia-Shigella (11.02%), Peptococcus (7.73%) and Parabacteroides (5.86%) were revealed to be the mainly genera in the CC group ducks, while Bacteroides (18.11%), Erysipelatoclostridium (10.94%), Ruminococcaceae_unclassified (10.43%), Lachnospiraceae_unclassified (5.26%), Coriobacteriales_unclassified (5.89%), and Faecalibacterium (4.2%) were detected to staple the microbial flora in the CT birds. One phylum and 13 genera were found to have the significant difference between the two bird groups (p<0.05). At phylum level, Proteobacteria in CT ducks were found to be obviously lower than ducks in CC birds (p<0.05). At genus level, Escherichia-Shigella (p<0.05) and Peptococcus (p<0.05) were found to be notably lower in CT birds, while Erysipelatoclostridium (p<0.05), Ruminococcaceae_unclassified (p<0.01), Coriobacteriales_unclassified (p<0.05), Faecalibacterium (p<0.01), Atopobiaceae_unclassified (p<0.01), Alistipes (p<0.05), Eggerthellaceae_unclassified (p<0.05), Prevotella_7 (<0.05), Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group (p<0.05), Prevotellaceae_uncultured (p<0.05), and Shuttleworthia (p<0.05) were observed to be prominently higher in CT ducks. In conclusion, the present study revealed the effects of keeping ducks away from swimming with obvious changes in the microbial community. Though higher microbial richness was found in the ducks without swimming, more pathogenic genera including Eggerthella, Erysipelatoclostridium, Alistipes, Prevotella_7, and Shuttleworthia; zoonotic genera including Eggerthella and Shuttleworthia; inflammatory genus Alistipes; anti-inflammatory Faecalibacterium genus; and tumor genus Rikenellaceae were examined in these ducks. The CT ducks also showed significant changes at genera level regarding the metabolism (Peptococcus, Ruminococcaceae, and Coriobacteriales).

[Expression and significance of interleukin-23 and its related cytokines in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura].

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and immunologic regulation function of interleukin-23 and its related cytokines in chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients. Levels of cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were detected by reverse-transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction in 30 patients with chronic ITP and 15 healthy volunteers. The quantity of IL-23, IL-12, IL-17 in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that low detectable mRNA levels of IL-23p19, IL-12p35, IL-27 and IL-12p40 were found in all patients and healthy persons. Trace of IL-17 mRNA were expressed in PBMNC of part of patients and normal controls. Levels of IL-12p35, IL-27, IL-17 mRNA between healthy persons and chronic ITP patients were not statistically different. Compared with normal controls, patients showed the lower expression levels of IL-23p19 and IL-12p40 mRNA (p < 0.01). The IL-12 levels of chronic ITP patients were significantly higher than that of normal controls (p < 0.01). The IL-23 and IL-17 levels of chronic ITP patients were same to that of normal controls. It is concluded that the imbalance of T cell subsets in ITP patients mainly associated with IL-12, but not with IL-23 and IL-17.

[Expression of PRAME gene in adult acute leukemia and its significance in prognosis].

The study was aimed to investigate the expression of preferentially expressed antigen of melanoma (PRAME) gene in adult acute leukemia and its clinical significance. The expression of the PRAME gene of bone marrow was measured by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 73 adult newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients, 3 relapsed patients, 7 patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and 8 healthy donors, as well as two AL cell-lines (K562 and U937). The results indicated that PRAME mRNA was expressed in 42.9% AML patients (n=24) and 20% ALL patients (n=4), also in two leukemia cell-lines K562 and U937, but not in eight health donors and seven ITP patients. PRAME expression not correlated to the white blood count, hemoglobin level, platelet count and the percentage of blasts at diagnosis, yet independent of age, sex, and FAB type. PRAME mRNA expression in complete remission group seems much higher than those in partial complete remission group and death group. The increased levels of expression could be found prior to the relapse in one patient being regularly monitored. PRAME gene was overexpressed in adult acute leukemia patients and leukemia cell-lines. It is concluded that the expression of PRAME is an indicator of favorable prognosis and can be a useful tool for monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) in adult acute leukemia. Differential expression between adult acute leukemia patients and healthy volunteers suggests that the immunogenic antigens PRAME are potential candidates for immunotherapy in adult acute leukemia.

[Expression of HoxA10 in acute leukemia and its significance].

To investigate the expression of HoxA(10) mRNA in acute leukemia patients and its significance, HoxA(10) level was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 50 patients with acute leukemias, 7 healthy volunteers and 3 patients with ITP (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura). The regularity of the expression of HoxA(10) gene in acute leukemia and the relationship between HoxA(10) level and the prognosis of leukemia was explored. The results showed that HoxA(10) was expressed in all types of acute myelogenous leukemia; HoxA(10) message was also observed in acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and part of control groups. 3 normal donors were found not to express HoxA(10). The level of HoxA(10) mRNA of acute myelogenous leukemia patients was significantly higher than that of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients and controls (P < 0.01). HoxA(10) gene appeared to be more strongly expressed in AML-M(1) and -M(2) subtypes than in AML-M(4) and -M(5) subtypes, and the gene was notable high expressed in acute promyelocytic leukemia. The number of blast and promyeloid cells in the bone marrow was positive related with the level of HoxA (r = 0.635, P < 0.01). The level of HoxA(10) of 9 non-responsive patients was higher than that of 8 remission patients, but there was no significant difference between them (P = 0.258). HoxA(10) was overexpressed in acute myelogenous leukemia. It is concluded that HoxA(10) is a major transcription factor regulating hematopoiesis and a mark to differentiate lymphoid leukemia and myelogenous leukemia, but not a specific gene of cancer. The level of HoxA(10) is related with load of leukemic cells and curative effect, and can affect occurrence and development of leukemia in combination with many cytokines, HoxA(10) may facilitate the leukemia progression with another cofactors.