Plastome structure, phylogeny and evolution of plastid genes in Reevesia (Helicteroideae, Malvaceae).

Reevesia is an eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunction genus in the family Malvaceae s.l. and comprises approximately 25 species. The relationships within the genus are not well understood. Here, 15 plastomes representing 12 Reevesia species were compared, with the aim of better understanding the species circumscription and phylogenetic relationships within the genus and among genera in the family Malvaceae s.l. The 11 newly sequenced plastomes range between 161,532 and 161, 945 bp in length. The genomes contain 114 unique genes, 18 of which are duplicated in the inverted repeats (IRs). Gene content of these plastomes is nearly identical. All the protein-coding genes are under purifying selection in the Reevesia plastomes compared. The top ten hypervariable regions, SSRs, and the long repeats identified are potential molecular markers for future population genetic and phylogenetic studies. Phylogenetic analysis based on the whole plastomes confirmed the monophyly of Reevesia and a close relationship with Durio (traditional Bombacaceae) in subfamily Helicteroideae, but not with the morphologically similar genera Pterospermum and Sterculia (both of traditional Sterculiaceae). Phylogenetic relationships within Reevesia suggested that two species, R. pubescens and R. thyrsoidea, as newly defined, are not monophyletic. Six taxa, R. membranacea, R. xuefengensis, R. botingensis, R. lofouensis, R. longipetiolata and R. pycnantha, are suggested to be recognized.

[Identification and analysis of the NAC transcription factor family in Triticum urartu].

NAC transcription factors are one of plant-specific gene families with diverse functions, and they regulate plant development, organ formation and stress responses. Currently, the researches about NAC transcription factors mainly focus on model plants, Arabidopsis and rice, whereas such studies are hardly reported in wheat and other plants. In this study, the full-length coding sequences (CDS) of NAC transcription factors from Triticum urartu (TuNAC) were identified through bioinformatic analysis. Their biological function, evolutionary relationship, gene duplication and chromosomal locations were further predicted and analyzed. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was used to verify the expression pattern of abiotic-related TuNAC transcription factors. A total of 87 TuNAC transcription factors with full-length CDS were identified, which were divided into seven subgroups through phylogenetic analysis. Thirty-nine TuNAC transcription factors were located on seven chromosomes, and five pairs of TuNAC transcription factors were duplicated. The expression of four TuNAC transcription factors was consistently increased under diverse abiotic stress by qRT-PCR assay. Our study thus provides basis for further functional investigations of TuNAC transcription factors.

Clinicopathological characteristics and treatment outcomes of Chinese patients with genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma is rarely reported in China. This retrospective analysis aimed to characterize the clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes of genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in a sample of Chinese patients. METHODS: Basic demographic and clinical data of 29 patients, who were diagnosed with genitourinary embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma between January 2000 and December 2011, were retrieved and analyzed. RESULTS: In these patients, 25 were males and 4 were females with a median age of 12 years. Paratesticule was the most common lesion site, followed by the prostate, bladder, and vagina. The median tumor size was 5.80 cm. Six patients had clinically positive regional nodes. At the initial diagnosis, patients had a metastatic disease. According to the TNM staging classification for the IRS-IV, phase I lesions were detected in ten cases, phase II lesions in six cases, phase III lesions in four cases, and phase IV lesions in nine cases. The median survival of all patients was 63 (range from 6 to 118) months. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for these patients were 93%, 83%, and 52%, respectively. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that staging and anemia were significant predictors of prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that metastasis predicts a poor prognosis. Chemotherapy played an important role in comprehensive treatment. Palliative and neo-adjuvant chemotherapy could increase median survival time.

Double counting heart rate - Littmann sign in electrocardiogram.

This report highlights necessity of correctly and quickly identifying Littmann sign. Littmann sign is not common in clinical practice, which is easily overlooked by most physicians, leading to delays in the treatment of hyperkalemia. A 68 year old patient with hyperkalemia was found to have inconsistent heart rate displayed on electrocardiogram monitoring with cardiac auscultation and synchronous electrocardiogram in the early stages of onset. Hyperkalemia was highly suspected by the Littmann sign. After completing arterial blood gas analysis, hyperkalemia was identified and active potassium lowering treatment was immediately initiated. The Littmann syndrome disappeared, and the patient eventually recovered.

Cloning and characterization of a FLO/LFY ortholog in Gossypium hirsutum L.

KEY MESSAGE: GhLFY was cloned from G. hirsutum L. Its expression, subcellular localization, and function were analyzed, as well as the in vivo regulation of GhLFY by the MADS-box protein SOC1 (GhSOC1). ABSTRACT: Flowering is a very important phase during which plants produce the organs for sexual reproduction. The FLORICAULA/LEAFY (FLO/LFY) homologs play a major role in the initiation of flowering. To understand the mechanism of the transition from the vegetative to reproductive phases in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), we isolated a candidate LFY gene from G. hirsutum L. (GhLFY) that showed a high degree of similarity to other plant homologs of FLO/LFY. qPCR analysis showed that GhLFY was highly expressed in the shoot apex, with substantial upregulation at the third true leaf expansion stage during floral bud differentiation. Subcellular localization studies revealed GhLFY localization in the nucleus. Ectopic expression of the GhLFY coding region in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering. The expression of the GhLFY coding region under the control of the 35S promoter complemented the lfy-5 mutation in transgenic Arabidopsis lfy-5 mutant plants. Furthermore, a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that GhLFY may function downstream of GhSOC1 during the initiation of flowering in G. hirsutum L. GhLFY was likely to be regulated by GhSOC1, which binds to the LFY promoter in Arabidopsis. These results suggest that GhLFY is a FLO/LFY ortholog that may be involved in controlling flowering time and floral development.

[Value of CK20 immunocytochemistry as an adjuvant to urine liquid-based cytology in detection of urothelial carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of cytokeratin 20 (CK20) immunocytochemical (ICC) detection in the urine liquid-based cytological specimens in diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma (UC). METHODS: The study consisted of prospective and retrospective groups. In the prospective group, voided urine samples were collected from patients with a variety of urological conditions and healthy individuals. Urine cytological diagnosis and CK20 ICC were performed on the collected specimens. In the retrospective group, archived urine slides with cytological diagnoses of atypical urothelial cells (AUC), suspicious carcinoma (SuCA) and carcinoma (CA) were selected. Then they were re-stained immunocytochemically with monoclonal antibody against CK20 after decolorization. Histological diagnosis and clinical follow-up result were used as the gold standard for analysis. RESULTS: There were 136 cases in the prospective group, including 89 cases of UC, 19 cases of other urogenital malignancies, 12 cases of benign lesions and 16 cases of normal control. The sensitivity of CK20 ICC in detection of UC was 75.3%, significantly higher than that of LBC (48.3%, P < 0.001). The positive rate of CK20 was 64.7% (22/34) in G1 UC, 73.3% (22/30) in G2 UC, and 91.3% (21/23) in G3 UC (P < 0.001). The specificity of CK20 ICC was 91.5%, the same as that of LBC. There were 163 cases in retrospective group, including 119 cases of UC, 17 cases of other urogenital malignancies and 27 cases of benign lesions. The cytological diagnoses of them were 68 cases of CA, 47 cases of SuCA and 48 cases of AUC. The positive rates of CK20 ICC in UC and non-UC (other urogenital malignancies and benign lesions) cases were 90.8% and 15.9%, respectively, with a statistically very significant difference (P < 0.001). The LBC of all the 119 cases of UC included 62 (52.1%) cases of CA, 35 (29.4%) cases of SuCA and 22 (18.5%) cases of AUC. The positive rates of CK20 in the LBC-diagnosed CA, SuCA and AUC were 96.8%, 97.1% and 63.6%, respectively. The LBC of all the 44 non-UC cases included 6 (13.6%) cases of CA, 12 (27.3%) cases of SuCA and 26 (59.1%) cases of AUC, and the positive rates of CK20 in the LBC-diagnosed CA, SuCA and AUC were 33.3%, 33.3% and 3.8%, respectively. The differences of UC and non-UC cases between the corresponding categories of LBC were significant (P < 0.0001, respectively). CONCLUSION: CK20 immunocytochemistry as an auxiliary method to urine liquid-based cytology can increase the sensitivity in detection of urothelial carcinomas.

[Effects of tillage and fertility on soil nitrogen balance and greenhouse gas emissions of wheat-maize rotation system in Central Henan Province, China.] / 耕作和培肥对豫中区小麦-玉米轮作系统土壤氮平衡和温室气体排放的影响.

Energy saving, emission reduction, and efficiency improvement are important directions for agricultural development in Central Henan Province, the main grain production area in the Huang-huai-hai Plain. Based on the tillage and fertilization positioning experiment in 2010, we investigated the effects of three tillage methods (deep tillage, shallow tillage, and no-tillage) and two fertilization methods (nitrogen fertilizer and nitrogen fertilizer+organic fertilizer) on soil nitrogen balance and greenhouse gas emissions from 2018 to 2019. The results showed that soil nitrogen accumulation increased with organic fertilizer addition. During wheat and maize maturation, soil total nitrogen accumulation in the 0-60 cm layer was the highest under the treatment of shallow tillage+organic fertilizer, being 8058.53 and 8299 kg N·hm-2, respectively, being 3.2%-27.4% and 4.3%-7.2% higher than other treatments. The treatment with organic fertilizer addition resulted in nitrogen surplus. The shallow tillage+organic fertilizer treatment led to the highest nitrogen surplus (13.57 kg N·hm-2), which was 9.52 and 0.18 kg N·hm-2 higher than deep tillage+organic fertilizer and no tillage+organic fertilizer treatments. Nitrate leaching was the main way of nitrogen losses, accounting for 73.4%-76.9% of the total losses. The amount of nitrate leaching was the highest in deep tillage+organic fertilizer treatment (48.37 kg N·hm-2), being 18.9%-35.1% higher than other treatments. Results of greenhouse gases emission during 2018-2019 showed that global warming potential was the highest under the treatment of deep tillage+organic fertilizer, which was 33070 kg N·hm-2, being 6.6%-26.8% higher than other treatments. The treatment of organic fertilizer addition increased the emission of N2O and CO2 and reduced the absorption of CH4. The annual grain yield was highest under the treatment of deep tillage+organic fertilizer, which was 5.0%-17.1% higher than other treatments. The crop harvest index was the highest under the treatment of shallow tillage+organic fertilizer. The recommended cropping mode in Central Henan Pro-vince is shallow tillage+organic fertilizer, which could ensure crop yields, maintain soil nitrogen balance, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

miR-105 Promotes the Progression and Predicts the Prognosis for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC).

BACKGROUND: miRNA-105 has been reported in a vast number of malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal, esophageal, breast and non-small lung cancers. Still, the biological role of miR-105 remains mostly uncovered in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). METHODS: miR-105 expression in OSCC tissues and cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, while the prognostic significance of miR-105 was evaluated by Cox regression analysis with a cohort of 90 OSCC patients. The effects of miR-105 on the proliferation of tumor cells were analyzed by CCK-8 assay and crystal violet staining, while cell invasion was assessed by transwell assays. RESULTS: Our current work indicates that miR-105 was upregulated in human OSCC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, miR-105 expression was closely associated with tumor size as well as clinical and differentiation stages. Notably, an elevated expression of miR-105 may predict some poor clinical prognosis in OSCC patients. Furthermore, miR-105 overexpression can significantly promote the proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells, whereas downregulation of miR-105 inhibits these cellular events. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that miR-105 can promote the proliferation and invasion of OSCC cells. High expression of miR-105 predicts poor prognosis for OSCC and, therefore, it may represent a prognostic biomarker and putative therapeutic target for patients affected by OSCC.

[Effects of organic fertilizer application on accumulation and distribution of assimilates in winter wheat]. / å¢žæ–½æœ‰æœºè‚¥å¯¹å†¬å°éº¦åŒåŒ–ç‰©ç§¯ç´¯ä¸Žåˆ†é çš„å½±å“.

To understand the effects of organic fertilizer addition on accumulation and distribution of winter wheat assimilates, we compared organic carbon content in soil and wheat plants, photosynthetic characteristics and assimilation transformation under two different fertilizer treatments, CF (chemical fertilizer only) and OF (organic fertilizer with chemical fertilizer), using 13CO2 pulse labeling method. The results showed that OF increased soil organic carbon content and wheat photosynthetic parameters, resulting in higher organic carbon content and total dry biomass accumulation in wheat plants compared with CF treatment. Compared marking to maturity with that on the 7th day after the same marking, the content and distribution rate of 13C in leaves and stems of two treatments decreased; the 13C content in spikes increased at jointing stage and filling stage, decreased at anthesis stage, and the 13C distribution rate increased at all stages. OF treatment was more beneficial for the transportation of photosynthetic product from leaves to spikes at filling stage, with higher 13C distribution rate in spikes compared with CF treatment. The results of correlation analysis showed that dry matter accumulation was significantly positively correlated with the net input of 13C content and its distribution rate, but negatively correlated with organic carbon content in plants. The net input of 13C content was significantly positively correlated with its distribution rate, and negatively correlated with Fv/Fm and Pn. In conclusion, organic fertilizer application could increase the content of organic carbon in soil, improve wheat plants photosynthetic capacity and transportation of photosynthetic product to spikes, and ultimately increase dry matter accumulation in wheat spikes.

[Long-term outcome of testicular seminoma in 294 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation of long-term survival with the treatment strategies in patients with testicular seminoma. METHODS: Clinical data of 294 patients with testicular seminoma treated in our hospital between 1959 and 2004 were collected and analyzed. The median age of the patients was 37 years (range 13 - 70 years). Among them, 260 were in stage I disease, 16 in stage II, and 18 in stage III. The patients were treated by surgical resection plus chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The survival rate was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test using SPSS 13.0 software. RESULTS: The overall 5-, 10-, 20- and 30-year survival rates in this series were 92.1%, 91.8%, 85.5% and 71.4%, respectively. The major prognostic factor was found to be clinical stage. The patients with adjuvant chemotherapy after orchiectomy had better 10-year survival than the patients without (97.5% vs. 79.2%, P = 0.001). For stage II/III patients, the patients with chemotherapy and the patients with chemotherapy plus radiotherapy had a similar progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Testicular seminoma is sensitive to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and a good cure rate can still be achieved in the relapsed patients with a salvage treatment. Therefore, wide excision and long-term chemotherapy should be avoided in order to maintain the quality of life in those patients.

[Urachal mass in adults: clinical analysis of 33 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the experience in diagnosis and treatment of urachal mass in adults. METHODS: The clinical data of 33 patients with urachal mass, 21 male and 12 females, aged 49 (30-75), were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The urachal masses of 11 patients (33%, 11/33) were benign, including 5 cases of abscess, 3 of cyst, 2 of malacoplakia, and 1 of xanthogranuloma. The most common symptom of the benign urachal mass was abdominal mass (36%). Seven patients underwent computed tomography (CT) and no calcification was found. All 11 patients were treated successfully by mass excision. Twenty-two cases (67%) had urachal carcinomas, including 17 cases of adenocarcinoma, 4 of squamous carcinoma, and 1 of transitional cell carcinoma. The most common symptom was gross hematuria (68%) in the malignant urachal mass patients and CT showed calcification in 38% of them (5/13). The overall 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 45.2%. Nine patients with localized cancer underwent extended partial cystectomy with a 5-year cancer-specific survival rate of 78.3%. The patients with metastatic urachal cancer underwent multimodal treatment with an objective response rate of 50% for chemotherapy and 25% for radiation therapy. The median survival time after metastasis of the 8 cases given multimodal treatment was 14.0 months, 7.5 months longer than that of the 4 cases untreated (6.5 months, P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: The majority of urachal mass in adults is malignant. CT helps in distinguishing the benignancy from malignancy of urachal mass. Surgical excision affords good course for benign urachal mass. Extended partial cystectomy provides a curative surgical treatment for localized urachal cancer. The prognosis of metastatic urachal cancer is poor. Active multimodal treatment may improve the survival of patients with metastatic disease.

[Autophagy in fibrotic and postoperative remnant liver in rat].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the characteristics of autophagy in fibrotic and postoperative remnant liver. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group; fibrosis group, which received the solution of CCl4 in oil twice a week for 5 weeks; and hepatectomy group, which underwent 70% hepatectomy. Liver tissues and plasma were harvested 18 hours after the surgery. The rats' general conditions and plasma liver function were observed. Histopathological characteristics and regeneration were observed with microscope and transmission electron microscope. Qualitative analysis of autophagosome was made base on the data from transmission electron microscope. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, plasma total protein and albumin level significantly decreased in the fibrosis group (P < 0.01). Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) index was 85%-95% in the fibrosis group. Plasma alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels significantly increased in the hepatectomy group compared with the control group (P < 0.01), while the autophagical index significantly decreased in both the fibrosis group and hepatectomy group compared with the control group (-95%, P < 0.01; -19%, P < 0.05, respectively). PCNA index was 20%-30% in the hepatectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Autophagy is weakened after fibrosis and hepatectomy, although it differs between these two processes. Proper regulation of autophagy may help facilitate the recovery of the residual liver function after hepatectomy.

[Effects of different low limits of irrigation on nutrients, enzyme activity and glomalin-rela-ted soil protein in soil aggregates of drip irrigation under plastic film.] / è†œä¸‹æ»´çŒä¸åŒçŒæ°´æŽ§åˆ¶ä¸‹é™å¯¹è®¾æ–½åœŸå£¤å›¢èšä½“å »åˆ†ã€é ¶æ´»æ€§å’Œçƒå›Šéœ‰ç´ å«é‡çš„å½±å“.

Irrigation is the main source of soil water in greenhouse. There is a lack of understanding on the effects of drip irrigation under the plastic film on the distribution characteristics of soil nutrients, enzyme activity and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in soil aggregates. The effects of different irrigation low limits (20 kPa, D20; 30 kPa, D30; 40 kPa, D40) on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), urease activity, invertase activity and GRSP in soil aggregates were investigated under the greenhouse with the continuously six years' irrigation. The results showed that compared with D20 and D40 treatments, D30 treatment significantly decreased the proportion of micro-aggregate (<0.25 mm), increased the proportion of macro-aggregate (>0.25 mm), and improved the mean mass diameter (MWD) by 26.4% and 13.4%, respectively. The concentrations of SOC, TN, TP and GRSP were relatively higher in 2-1 mm, 1-0.25 mm, and <0.053 mm aggregates. About 46.5% of SOC, 53.3% of TN and 37.7% of TP were distributed in the 1-0.25 mm aggregates. The urease and invertase activities were increased with the decreases in the size of aggregates, which were significantly increased in D30 and D40 treatments. The 1-0.25 mm aggregates had highest contributions to enzyme activities, with 38.7% of urease and 41.2% of invertase in bulk soil. Results from the correlation analysis showed that MWD was highly positively correlated with GRSP, SOC and urease activity, and the concentration of GRSP was highly positively correlated with SOC and urease activity. Therefore, the irrigation low limits of 30 kPa promoted soil aggregate stability and protection of soil aggregates to nutrients, enzyme activities and GRSP in greenhouse.

[Structure characteristics of soil and canopy and their relationships in wheat field under different tillage and application of organic fertilizer.] / è€•å±‚è°ƒæŽ§ä¸Žæœ‰æœºè‚¥å¤„ç†ä¸‹éº¦ç”°åœŸå£¤å’Œå°éº¦å† å±‚ç»“æž„ç‰¹æ€§åŠå ¶ç›¸äº’å ³ç³».

With the aim to optimize the structural characteristics of wheat canopy by improving topsoil structure, we examined the effects of three different tillage treatments, deep tillage (DT), shallow tillage (ST), no-tillage (NT) alone, and with application of organic fertilizer, DTF, STF and NTF, on the soil structure and wheat canopy characteristics for five years. Under the same tillage treatment, application of organic fertilizer decreased soil bulk density, the content of soil aggregates with diameter > 5 mm, the mean mass diameter (MWD), and geometric mean diameter (GMD) values of the soil aggregates with diameter >0.25 mm. Soil porosity and the content of soil aggregates with diameters of 2-5 mm and 0.25-2 mm at 20-40 cm soil layer were increased. Compared with other treatments, NTF was better in improving soil bulk density and increased soil porosity at 0-20 cm soil layer. DTF decreased the soil bulk density and the stability of mechanical aggregate with diameter > 0.25 mm at 40-60 cm soil layer, and increased soil permeability. Application of organic fertilizer decreased leaf angle index and increased leaf area index (LAI) and the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of the flag leaf at post-anthesis stage. The lowest angle index and the highest Pn were detected in STF and DTF treatment, respectively. Results from path analysis showed that the direct path coefficients were significant from the independent variables (soil bulk density, soil porosity, R0.25 and MWD) to the dependent variables (angle index, LAI and Pn). At 0-20 cm soil layer, the increased MWD value was beneficial to the improvement of Pn and LAI. At 20-40 cm soil layer, the increased soil bulk density would optimize the leaf angle and further improve canopy light penetration. At 40-60 cm soil layer, high soil bulk density and low porosity negatively affected the value of LAI and Pn. We concluded that deep tillage or shallow tillage with application of organic fertilizer would be beneficial for improving soil structure, increasing soil permeability, optimizing wheat canopy structure, increasing canopy light harvesting rate, leaf area index and photosynthetic rate, with positive consequences on wheat yield.

Distinct subcellular localization of E-cadherin between epithelioid angiomyolipoma and triphasic angiomyolipoma: A preliminary case-control study.

Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a rare variant of angiomyolipoma (AML). Previous studies have demonstrated that epithelial (E-)cadherin is expressed in two subtypes of AML, EAML and triphasic AML; however, the expression pattern of E-cadherin remains unclear. In the present study, a preliminary case-control study was conducted to determine the expression pattern of E-cadherin between EAML and triphasic AML, the control, focusing on the subcellular localization and expression category of E-cadherin. No significant difference was identified in the age, sex, history of tuberous sclerosis, smoking and alcohol consumption between the two groups (P>0.05). In EAML, 9 patients were categorized as exhibiting a low risk of malignant behavior and the other two were categorized as exhibiting an intermediate or high risk of malignant behavior. The proportion of cases expressing E-cadherin, human melanoma black-45 (HMB45), melanoma antigen recognized by T cells 1 (Mart1/Melan A), smooth muscle actin and progesterone receptor were 95.5 (21/22), 95.5 (21/22), 86.4 (19/22), 77.3 (17/22) and 86.4% (19/22), respectively. E-cadherin was identified to be localized, using staining techniques, in the cell membrane and/or cytoplasm. The subcellular localization of E-cadherin was significantly different between EAML and triphasic AML; the majority of EAML cases revealed membranous and cytoplasmic staining, whereas triphasic AML cases demonstrated cytoplasmic staining (P=0.0093). The expression of E-cadherin may be positively associated with HMB45 (P=0.0044) and Mart1/Melan A (P=0.0049). The results of the present study identified that the subcellular localization of E-cadherin may be different between EAML and the control group of triphasic AML. Additionally, E-cadherin and melanocytic markers may be co-expressed in distinct subtypes of AML. A follow-up study with a large sample size to validate the results of the present study, followed by a mechanistic study based on cell lines to determine any significance, are warranted.

Detection of chromosomal alterations in bladder transitional cell carcinomas from Northern China by comparative genomic hybridization.

To identify chromosome alterations in Chinese bladder cancer, forty-six transitional cell carcinomas of the bladder were analyzed by comparative genomic hybridization. Frequent gains of DNA copy number were observed on 1p (13/46), 1q (13/46), 5p (8/46), 6p (9/46), 7p (7/46), 8q (12/46), 11q (8/46), 17q (11/46), 19q (7/46), 20q (8/46) and Yq (8/46), with minimal overlapping regions at 1p32-pter (10/46), 1q21-q24 (12/46), 5p (8/46), 6p22-p23 (7/46), 7p11.2-p14 (7/46), 8q22-q24 (12/46), 11q13-q14 (8/46), 17q22-qter (11/46), 19q11-13.2 (7/46), 20q11-q13.2 (8/46) and Yq11 (8/46). Losses were predominantly found on 2q (16/46), 5q (8/46), 8p (7/46), 9p (8/46), 9q (13/46), 11p (7/46), 13q (7/46), 17p (12/46), 18q (7/46), Xp (18/46) and Xq (19/46), with smallest overlapping regions at 2q32-qter (16/46), 5q12-q31 (8/46), 8p12-pter (7/46), 9p21-pter (10/46), 9q (13/46), 11p (7/46), 13q13-q22 (7/46), 17p (12/46), 18q21-qter (7/46), Xp (18/46) and Xq (19/46). There were significantly higher frequencies of gains of 1q21-q24 and 17q22-qter in moderately differentiated tumors as compared with those in well-differentiated tumors, indicating a possible association of these two abnormalities with the dedifferentiation of tumor cells. Gains of 1p32-pter, 5p, 6p22-p23, 11q13-q14, 17q22-qter and losses of 2q32-qter, 9q, 17p were more frequent in pT1 as compared with those in pTa carcinomas. Gains at 1q21-q24, 7p11.2-p14, 8q22-q24, 19q, 20q11-q13.2 and losses at 5q12-q31, 8p12-pter, 9p21-pter, 11p, 13q13-q22 and 18q21-qter were unique to pT1 and higher stage tumors, suggesting that genes responsible for the invasion and progression of bladder cancer might be located at these chromosomal regions. In multiple tumors from the same patients, consistent alterations such as gains of 8q, 11q13-q14, 12q13-q15, 13q12, 20q and losses of 2q32-qter, 8p, 9, 11p, 11q21-qter, 13q13-qter, X were detected. These abnormalities were possibly earlier events, which might play a critical role during the genesis of the tumors. Further detailed studies to the recurrent aberration regions may lead to the identification of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes involved in the development and progression of Chinese bladder cancer.

Impact of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy on Survival in Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Treated by Targeted Therapy.

BACKGROUND: The metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients treated with upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy combined with α-interferon yields additional overall survival (OS) benefits. It is unclear whether mRCC patients treated with vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (VEGFR-TKI) will benefit from such cytoreductive nephrectomy either. The aim of the study was to identify variables for selection of patients who would benefit from upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy for mRCC treated with VEGFR-TKI. METHODS: Clinical data on 74 patients enrolled in 5 clinical trials conducted in Cancer Hospital (Institute), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2006 to January 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. The survival analysis was performed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Comparisons between patient groups were performed by Chi-square test. A Cox regression model was adopted for analysis of multiple factors affecting survival, with a significance level of α = 0.05. RESULTS: Fifty-one patients underwent cytoreductive nephrectomy followed by targeted therapy (cytoreductive nephrectomy group) and 23 patients were treated with targeted therapy alone (noncytoreductive nephrectomy group). The median OS was 32.2 months and 23.0 months in cytoreductive nephrectomy and noncytoreductive nephrectomy groups, respectively (P = 0.041). Age ≤45 years (P = 0.002), a low or high body mass index (BMI <19 or >30 kg/m2) (P = 0.008), a serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration >1.5 × upper limit of normal (P = 0.025), a serum calcium concentration >10 mg/ml (P = 0.034), and 3 or more metastatic sites (P = 0.023) were independent preoperative risk factors for survival. The patients only with 0-2 risk factors benefited from upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy in terms of OS when compared with the patients treated with targeted therapy alone (40.0 months vs. 23.2 months, P = 0.042), while those with more than 2 risk factors did not. CONCLUSIONS: Five risk factors (age, BMI, LDH, serum calcium, and number of metastatic sites) seemed to be helpful for selecting patients who would benefit from undergoing upfront cytoreductive nephrectomy.

A suggestion for pathological grossing and reporting based on prognostic indicators of malignancies from a pooled analysis of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma.

PURPOSE: Epithelioid angiomyolipoma (EAML) is a rare entity of the kidney. The guideline for grossing and reporting of renal EAML has not been established for Chinese patients. We planned this study to provide some preliminary indicators for draft guidelines of pathological diagnosis among Chinese people. METHODS: The histopathological characteristics of 11 EAML cases from Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, were reviewed, and a pooled analysis based on our cases and cases from published articles was performed on the histopathological characteristics and prognosis of 56 Chinese patients with EAML. All the cases met the criteria of the 2004 World Health Organization classification of renal tumors. RESULTS: The ratio of female to male was 1.2:1 with the mean age of 43.4 in the 11 cases. All the 11 cases were sampled following the guideline of renal cell carcinoma. The mean tumor size was 6.5 cm. Four (36.4 %) cases showed necrosis. Six (54.5 %) cases showed invasive borders. Only one case showed metastases. In pooled analysis of the total 56 cases with EAML, 10 cases (17.9 %) showed adverse prognosis. Tumor size, necrosis and invasive edge showed significant difference between favorite and adverse prognostic groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The majority of EAML is benign, and true malignant EAML is rare. The sample of EAML should follow the sample guidelines of renal cell carcinoma with some modifications, emphasizing the presence of necrosis and invading edge. The information of tumor size, necrosis and invasive edge should be included in the diagnostic report of each EAML case.

[Effects of silicon on the ultrastructures of wheat radical cells under copper stress].

To explore the alleviation effect of silicon on wheat growth under copper stress, cultivar Aikang 58 was chosen as the experimental material. The growth, root activities and root tip ultrastructures of wheat seedlings, which were cultured in Hoagland nutrient solution with five different treatments (control, 15 mg x L(-1) Cu2+, 30 mg x L(-1) Cu2+, 15 mg x L(-1) Cu2+ and 50 mg x L(-1) silicon, 30 mg x L(-1) Cu2+ and 50 mg x L(-1) silicon), were fully analyzed. The results showed that root length, plant height and root activities of wheat seedlings were significantly restrained under the copper treatments compared with the control (P < 0.01), while these restraining effects were alleviated after adding silicon to copper-stress Hoagland nutrient solution. Under copper stress, the cell wall and cell membrane of wheat seedling root tips suffered to varying degrees of destruction, which caused the increase of intercellular space and the disappearance of some organelles. After adding silicon, the cell structure was maintained intact, although some cells and organelles were still slightly deformed compared with the control. In conclusion, exogenous silicon could alleviate the copper stress damages on wheat seedlings and cellular components to some extent.