Genome-wide association study of 7661 Chinese Han individuals and fine-mapping major histocompatibility complex identifies HLA-DRB1 as associated with IgA vasculitis.

BACKGROUND: Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV) is an immune-related systemic vasculitis with an unclear etiology. Genetic predisposition is now considered to be closely associated with the development of the disease, and it is essential to reveal the relationship between them. To explore the role of heredity in the disease, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 496 IgAV cases and 7165 controls using an Illumina Infinium Global Screening Array chip. METHODS: In the first stage of analysis, a significant correlation between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and IgAV was observed. Subsequently, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) analysis was conducted using a new large-scale Han-MHC reference panel. Fine mapping of IgAV risk in the MHC region indicated that two amino acid positions, 120 and 11, of HLA-DRB1 and three potential HLA alleles (HLA-DRB1∗04, HLA-DRB1∗16, and HLA-DRB1∗16:02) were significantly associated. RESULTS: Further stepwise conditional analysis demonstrated that 3 amino acid positions (120, 26, 96) of HLA-DRB1 and 6 HLA-DRB1 alleles (HLA-DRB1*04, HLA-DRB1*16, HLA-DRB1*01, HLA-DRB1*12:02, HLA-DRB1*10, and HLA-DRB1*15:02) were independent signals. Among them, the most significant signal was HLA-DRB1 amino acid Ser120 (OR = 1.59, p = 3.19 × 10-8 ); no independent signal in the MHC region except for HLA-DRB1 was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that the pathogenesis of IgAV has a genetic component and that HLA-DRB1 is strongly associated with susceptibility to IgAV.

Red blood cell distribution width and platelet counts are independent prognostic factors and improve the predictive ability of IPI score in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Elevated red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and decreased platelet count (PLT) can be clinically relevant to the prognosis in cancer patients. However, their prognostic values in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) need to be further explored. METHODS: Healthy donors (n = 130) and patients with DLBCL (n = 349) were included and evaluated retrospectively in this study. The prognostic influence of clinical and pathological factors including RDW and PLT on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were studied by Kaplan-Meier curves. To evaluate the independent prognostic relevance of RDW and PLT, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied. The adjusted IPI model was established based on the results of multivariate analysis, and verified by Harrell's C statistical analysis. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier curves indicated that an elevated RDW value and thrombocytopenia are poor factors for OS (P < 0.001, P = 0.006) and PFS (P = 0.003, P < 0.001) in DLBCL patients. Multivariate analysis confirmed that elevated RDW value (HR = 2.026, 95%CI = 1.263-3.250, P = 0.003) and decreased PLT count (HR =1.749, 95%CI = 1.010-3.028, P = 0.046) were both independent prognostic factors. The c-index of IPI and NCCN-IPI were increased when RDW level and PLT were supplemented in our cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that elevated RDW level and decreased PLT are independent poor prognostic factors in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients. Adding RDW and PLT to the IPI score may improve its predictive ability, and the adjusted IPI may be more powerful in predicting the survival of DLBCL patients in the rituximab era.

Circular RNA circ-CBFB promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in chronic lymphocytic leukemia through regulating miR-607/FZD3/Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Circular RNA (circRNA) belongs to the non-coding RNA family and is involved in various human cancers, such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer. Nevertheless, whether circRNA expression is related to chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) progression remains largely unclear. In our study, we investigated the role of circ-CBFB in CLL. We found that circ-CBFB was markedly overexpressed in CLL cells compared to normal controls. Furthermore, we found that circ-CBFB could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CLL patients. We also explored the physiological function of circ-CBFB. We found that circ-CBFB knockdown significantly suppressed CLL cell proliferation, arrested cell cycle progression, and induced cellular apoptosis. In terms of its mechanism, we identified circ-CBFB as a sponge of miR-607, which targeted FZD3. By inhibiting miR-607 availability, circ-CBFB promoted FZD3 expression, leading to the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and consequent CLL progression. Taken together, our findings revealed that the circ-CBFB/miR-607/FZD3/Wnt/ß-catenin regulatory signaling cascade contributes to CLL progression.

GLUT3 transcriptional activation by ZEB1 fuels the Warburg effect and promotes ovarian cancer progression.

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is characterized by early metastasis and high mortality rates, underscoring the need for deeper understanding of these aspects. This study explores the role of glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) driven by zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) in OvCa progression and metastasis. Specifically, this study explored whether ZEB1 promotes glycolysis and assessed the potential involvement of GLUT3 in this process in OvCa cells. Our findings revealed that ZEB1 and GLUT3 were excessively expressed and closely correlated in OvCa. Mechanistically, ZEB1 activates the transcription of GLUT3 by binding to its promoter region. Increased expression of GLUT3 driven by ZEB1 dramatically enhances glycolysis, and thus fuels Warburg Effect to promote OvCa progression and metastasis. Consistently, elevated ZEB1 and GLUT3 expression in clinical OvCa is correlated with poor prognosis, reinforcing the profound contribution of ZEB1-GLUT3 axis to OvCa. These results suggest that activation of GLUT3 expression by ZEB1 is crucial for the proliferation and metastasis of OvCa via fueling glycolysis, shedding new light on OvCa treatment.

Economic evaluation of stent retrievers in basilar artery occlusion: An analysis from Chinese healthcare system perspective.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the cost-effectiveness of stent retriever (SR) versus best medical management (BMM) in patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) in China. METHODS: We used a two-step approach to compare the cost-effectiveness of SR plus BMM with that of BMM alone over 20 years. A decision tree was initially constructed for the first 3 months, followed by a Markov model for the subsequent period. Collected data on clinical aspects were extracted from the BAOCHE investigation, while costs-related information was sourced from previously published research. The key metric for evaluating the primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), achieved $/QALY. The threshold for identifying SR as highly cost-effective was set at an ICER below $12,551/QALY, SR was deemed cost-effective if the ICER ranged from $12,551 to $37,654 per QALY. Uncertainty was addressed using scenario, one-way sensitivity, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA). FINDINGS: For Chinese patients with BAO, the 20-year cost per patient was $8678 with BMM alone and $21,988 for SR plus BMM. Effectiveness was 1.45 QALY for BMM alone, and 2.77 QALY for SR plus BMM. The ICER of SR + BMM versus BMM alone was $10,050 per QALY. The scenario and one-way sensitivity analyses revealed that in certain situations the ICER could exceed $12,551 per QALY, but remain below $37,654 per QALY. Results from the PSA suggested that SR was likely to be cost-effective for Chinese patients with BAO, with a probability exceeding 98% when considering a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $12,551 per QALY. IMPLICATIONS: Our study indicates that SR is an intervention option that is highly likely to be cost-effective for Chinese patients with BAO, with a probability of over 98% under the current WTP threshold of $12,551 per QALY.

ZEB1 Transcriptionally Activates PHGDH to Facilitate Carcinogenesis and Progression of HCC.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH), the rate-limiting enzyme of the de novo serine synthesis pathway (SSP), has been implicated in the carcinogenesis and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because of its excessive expression and promotion of SSP. In previous experiments we found that SSP flux was diminished by knockdown of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a stimulator of HCC metastasis, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, we aimed to determine how SSP flux is regulated by ZEB1 and the contribution of such regulation to carcinogenesis and progression of HCC. METHODS: We used genetic mice with Zeb1 knockout in liver specifically to determine whether Zeb1 deficiency impacts HCC induced by the carcinogen diethylnitrosamine plus CCl4. We explored the regulatory mechanism of ZEB1 in SSP flux using uniformly-labeled [13C]-glucose tracing analyses, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, luciferase report assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. We determined the contribution of the ZEB1-PHGDH regulatory axis to carcinogenesis and metastasis of HCC by cell counting assay, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, scratch wound assay, Transwell assay, and soft agar assay in vitro, orthotopic xenograft, bioluminescence, and H&E assays in vivo. We investigated the clinical relevance of ZEB1 and PHGDH by analyzing publicly available data sets and 48 pairs of HCC clinical specimens. RESULTS: We identified that ZEB1 activates PHGDH transcription by binding to a nonclassic binding site within its promoter region. Up-regulated PHGDH augments SSP flux to enable HCC cells to be more invasive, proliferative, and resistant to reactive oxygen species and sorafenib. Orthotopic xenograft and bioluminescence assays have shown that ZEB1 deficiency significantly impairs the tumorigenesis and metastasis of HCC, and such impairments can be rescued to a large extent by exogenous expression of PHGDH. These results were confirmed by the observation that conditional knockout of ZEB1 in mouse liver dramatically impedes carcinogenesis and progression of HCC induced by diethylnitrosamine/CCl4, as well as PHGDH expression. In addition, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database and clinical HCC samples showed that the ZEB1-PHGDH regulatory axis predicts poor prognosis of HCC. CONCLUSIONS: ZEB1 plays a crucial role in stimulating carcinogenesis and progression of HCC by activating PHGDH transcription and subsequent SSP flux, deepening our knowledge of ZEB1 as a transcriptional factor in fostering the development of HCC via reprogramming the metabolic pathway.

New dicarboxylic acid bipyridine ligand for ruthenium polypyridyl sensitization of TiO2.

An ambidentate dicarboxylic acid bipyridine ligand, (4,5-diazafluoren-9-ylidene) malonic acid (dfm), was synthesized for coordination to Ru(II) and mesoporous nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO(2) thin films. The dfm ligand provides a conjugated pathway from the pyridyl rings to the carbonyl carbons of the carboxylic acid groups. X-ray crystal structures of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dfm)]Cl(2) and the corresponding diethyl ester compound, [Ru(bpy)(2)(defm)](PF(6))(2), were obtained. The compounds displayed intense metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorption bands in the visible region (ε > 11,000 M(-1) cm(-1) for [Ru(bpy)(2)(dfm)](PF(6))(2) in acetonitrile). Significant room temperature photoluminescence, PL, was absent in CH(3)CN but was observed at 77 K in a 4:1 EtOH:MeOH (v:v) glass. Cyclic voltammetry measurements revealed quasi-reversible Ru(III/II) electrochemistry. Ligand reductions were quasi-reversible for the diethyl ester compound [Ru(bpy)(2)(defm)](2+), but were irreversible for [Ru(bpy)(2)(dfm)](2+). Both compounds were anchored to TiO(2) thin films by overnight reactions in CH(3)CN to yield saturation surface coverages of 3 × 10(-8) mol/cm(2). Attenuated total reflection infrared measurements revealed that the [Ru(bpy)(2)(dfm)](2+) compound was present in the deprotonated carboxylate form when anchored to the TiO(2) surface. The MLCT excited states of both compounds injected electrons into TiO(2) with quantum yields of 0.70 in 0.1 M LiClO(4) CH(3)CN. Micro- to milli-second charge recombination yielded ground state products. In regenerative solar cells with 0.5 M LiI/0.05 M I(2) in CH(3)CN, the Ru(bpy)(2)(dfm)/TiO(2) displayed incident photon-to-current efficiencies of 0.7 at the absorption maximum. Under the same conditions, the diethylester compound was found to rapidly desorb from the TiO(2) surface.

5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine increases the sensitivity of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to chemotherapeutic agents by demethylation of p73.

Many reports have demonstrated that human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) are resistant to several chemotherapeutic agents or ionic radiation when compared with sensitive tumor cell lines; however, the underlying molecular mechanism is rarely known. In our previous studies, we found that p53 family member p73 was not expressed in BMMSCs with or without the treatment of chemotherapeutic drugs, and the exogenous induction of p73 protein could reduce the resistance of BMMSCs to the drugs. In order to elucidate which factor leads to the inhibition of p73 expression, we used a methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction to investigate the epigenetic methylation status of the p73 gene promoter CpG region. Our data showed that the p73 gene promoter was hypermethylated in BMMSCs but not in tumor cell lines, which were sensitive toward chemotherapeutic agents. Using the demethylation agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine significantly reactivated p73 expression both at the transcriptional and at the protein level. In addition, the treatment of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine rendered BMMSCs more sensitive to chemotherapeutic agents through the process of enhanced apoptosis cell death. Taken together, our results suggest that the silencing of the p73 gene mediated by promoter hypermethylation may play a crucial role in leading to the high resistance of BMMSCs to chemotherapeutic drugs and thus we conclude that the p73 gene may be an important element regulating human BMMSCs in response to DNA damage.

Single-Cell Transcriptome Profiling Signatures and Alterations of Microglia Associated With Glioblastoma Associate Microglia Contribution to Tumor Formation.

Glioblastoma (GBM), which occasionally occurs in pediatric patients, is the most common tumor of the central nervous system in adults. Clinically, GBM is classified as low-grade to high-grade (from 1 to 4) and is characterized by late discovery, limited effective treatment methods, and poor efficacy. With the development of immunotherapy technology, effective GBM treatment strategies are of great significance. The main immune cells found in the GBM tumor microenvironment are macrophages and microglia (MG). Both these monocytes play important roles in the occurrence and development of GBM. Macrophages are recruited during tumorigenesis, whereas MG is present in the brain during embryonic development. Interestingly, the accumulation of these monocytes is inversely proportional to the survival of adult GBM patients but not the pediatric GBM patients. This study used single-cell RNA-seq data to reveal the heterogeneity of MG in tumor lesions and to explore the role of different MG subtypes in the occurrence and development of GBM. The results may help find new targets for immunotherapy of GBM.

[The Relationship between the Expressions of CD33 and CD13 and the Prognosis of Patients with Multiple Myeloma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of CD33 and CD13 in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients and its relationship with prognosis. METHODS: It was retrospectively observed that the expression of CD33 and CD13 in 121 MM patients who were newly diagnosed from January 2014 to January 2020, and the relationship between the expressions of CD33 and CD13 and patients prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 121 newly diagnosed MM patients, there were 30 patients (24.8%) in the CD33+ group and 12 patients (9.9%) in the CD13+ group. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that, compared with the CD33- group, the progression-free survival (PFS) time and overall survival (OS) time were significantly shortened in MM patients in CD33+ group (PFS 17.5 vs 23 months, P=0.000; OS 18.5 vs 25 months, P=0.000); and the PFS time and OS time of MM patients in the CD13+ group were also significantly shortened than those in CD13- group (PFS 21 vs 22 months, P=0.012; OS 25 vs 26 months, P=0.006). Cox regression analysis showed that CD33 and CD13 were independent adverse prognostic factors in MM patients (CD33: P=0.000;CD13: P=0.003). CONCLUSION: CD33 and CD13 are prognostic risk factors in patients with MM.

[Mechanism of apoptosis in human leukemia NB4 cells induced by total astragalosides].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of total astragalosides (TA) on proliferation and apoptosis in human leukemia NB4 cells in vitro. METHODS: The NB4 cells were treated with TA at different concentrations for 48 h in culture. Growth inhibition rates were measured by CCK-8 method. Flow cytometry was used to explore the cell apoptosis and the activity of NF-κB and Akt during apoptosis. RESULTS: TA at different concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800 mg/L) inhibited proliferation of NB4 cells in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05), and the inhibitory rates of TA on NB4 cells were (14.54 ± 3.20)%, (24.79 ± 3.98)%, (57.28 ± 4.71)% and (88.28 ± 4.65)%, respectively. In terms of the induction of apoptosis, there was a significant difference between the TA group and blank control [(1.80 ± 1.24)%, P < 0.05]. At TA doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/L, the apoptotic rates of NB4 cells were (10.03 ± 3.31)%, (14.87 ± 3.65)%, (23.45 ± 1.90)%, respectively. Besides, TA induced apoptosis of NB4 cells in a dose-dependent manner in the groups of 200 mg/L, 400 mg/L, 600 mg/L (P < 0.05). But there was no significant difference in apoptotic rates between the groups of 800 mg/L and 600 mg/L [(23.45 ± 1.90)%, P > 0.05]. In the group of 800 mg/L, the necrotic cells increased highly and the necrotic rate reached (45.65 ± 3.16)%. After TA treatment of NB4 cells at different concentrations (200, 400, 600 mg/L), the expression of NF-κB protein was significantly decreased compared with that of the blank control (9.79 ± 0.95, P < 0.05), while Akt protein was not significantly decreased (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TA can inhibit the growth of NB4 cells and induce apoptosis in NB4 cells through an Akt-independent NF-κB signaling pathway.

Successful Outcome of Programmed Death 1 Blockade Plus GemOx for Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Primary Nodal T/NK Cell Lymphoma: A Case Report.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated lymph nodal T/NK cell lymphoma (nodal TNKL) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis. Although treatments of extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma are frequently reported, the characteristics and pathogenesis of EBV-associated nodal TNKL are different. However, there is no known effective therapy regimen at present. Here, we reported the clinical efficacy and feasibility of the programmed death 1 (PD-1) blockade therapy regimen in an elderly female patient with EBV-associated nodal TNKL. The patient failed to respond to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vindesine, and prednisone regimen but achieved complete response after three cycles of anti-PD-1 antibody (tislelizumab) combined with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GemOx) regimen. The finding indicated that tislelizumab combined with the GemOx regimen may be a potent salvage regimen for EBV-associated nodal TNKL.

[Clinical Significance of Interleukin-2 Receptor, Interleukin-8 Expression Levels in the Diagnosis of Infection in Patients with Hematological Malignancies].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical value of expression level of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the fever patients with hematological malignancies. METHODS: A total of 121 inpatients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from April 2018 to October 2019 were enrolled in this study. The patients were separated into infection group (61 cases) and non-infection group (60 cases). In the meantime, 40 healthy people without fever or infection in the hospital for physical examination were set as matched group. C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and cytokines were detected in all the patients with fever after admission and infection control. While, blood samples were taken from healthy people during physical examination. RESULTS: The expression levels of IL-2R in infection group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.001), and the level of serum IL-2R in infection group was also higher than that in the non-infection group (P<0.05). Based on Spearman analysis, in patients with malignant hematologic disease, serum IL-2R level was positively correlated with CRP (r=0.557, P<0.001) and IL-8 (r=0.479, P<0.001), and IL-8 level was positively correlated with CRP (r=0.318, P<0.001). Compared with the non-infection group, the area under the curve (AUC) for the level of CRP, PCT, and IL-2R of the infection group was 0.714 (95%CI: 0.623-0.806), 0.765 (95%CI: 0.680-0.851), and 0.761 (95%CI: 0.686-0.836), the sensitivity was 0.705, 0.852, and 0.705, and the specificity was 0.717, 0.70, and 0.60, respectively. While, AUC of CRP+PCT, CRP+IL-2R, PCT+IL-2R, and CRP+PCT+IL-2R was 0.789 (95%CI: 0.712-0.866), 0.702 (95%CI: 0.623-0.782), 0.757 (95%CI: 0.677-0.838), and 0.789 (95%CI: 0.712-0.866), the sensitivity was 0.738, 0.934, 0.705, and 0.738, and the specificity was 0.840, 0.470, 0.810, and 0.840, respectively. CONCLUSION: CRP, PCT, IL-2R, and IL-8 are useful parameters for diagnosis of the infectious fever in patients with hematological malignancies, which provides the basis of initial diagnosis and rational use of antibioties for clinician.

Reaction of Ru(II) diazafluorenone compound with nanocrystalline TiO2 thin film.

The Ru(II) compounds [Ru(bpy)(2)(mcbH)](2+) and [Ru(bpy)(2)(dafo)](2+), bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine where mcbH is 3-(CO(2)H)-2,2'-bipyridine and dafo is 4,5-diazafluoren-9-one, were synthesized, characterized, and anchored to nanocrystalline mesoporous TiO(2) thin films for excited state and interfacial electron transfer studies. X-ray crystallographic studies of [Ru(bpy)(2)(mcbH)](PF(6))(Cl) revealed a long Ru-N distance to the unsubstituted pyridine ligand of mcbH. Reaction of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dafo)](2+) with TiO(2) thin films resulted in interfacial chemistry. The IR, (1)H NMR, UV-vis, and photoluminescence spectral data indicated a room-temperature ring-opening reaction of the dafo ligand of [Ru(bpy)(2)(dafo)](2+) that ultimately yielded a carboxylate group in the 3-position of bipyridine anchored to TiO(2). Comparative reactions of [Ru(bpy)(2)(mcbH)](2+) with TiO(2) were performed and support this conclusion. In regenerative photoelectrochemical solar cells with 0.5 M LiI/0.05 M I(2) in acetonitrile, photocurrent action spectra were observed for both sensitized materials. The incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) was significantly lower for Ru(bpy)(2)(dafo)/TiO(2), behavior attributed to a lower excited-state injection yield.

[Effects of IL-27 on Th17 Cells in Patients with Henoch-Schönlein Purpura].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of IL-27 on Th17 cells in patients with henoch-schönlein purpura（HSP） in order to further elucidate the pathogenesis. METHODS: Fifty patients with HSP treated in our hospital from April 2019 to July 2019 were selected as HSP group, and 30 volunteers underwent physical examination at the same time were selected as control group. The proportion of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of HSP group and healthy control group was determined by flow cytometry (FCM). A total of 27 HSP patients were selected, and candidate peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes (PBMC) were co-cultured with exogenous rhIL-27, and the ratio of Th17 cells was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The proportion of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood of HSP patients with acute phase was (1.57±0.54)%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (0.86±0.40)% (t=-6.298, P<0.001), and the proportion of Th17 cells was decreased significantly after rhIL-27 co-culture (1.39%±0.52% vs 0.98%±0.44%)(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: IL-27 can reduce the level of Th17 cells in patients with HSP, which may be involved in the pathogenic process of HSP and play a protective role in the development of the disease.

[Identification of Volatile Organic Compounds Used to Diagnose and Evaluate Acute Promyelocyte Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in expiratory air components of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), and assess the feasibility of VOCs for the diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of APL. METHODS: The VOCs exhaled from the patients with APL and healthy volunteers should be analyzed with SPME-GC/MS, and compared between newly-diagnosed group, relapse group, remission group, and healthy group with Wilcoxon/Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and Dunn-Bonferroni test. RESULTS: Dimethyl sulfide, toluene, and dodecane obtained of newly-diagnosed APL patients were significantly higher, while ethanol, n-hexanal, and benzaldehyde were significantly lower than those of healthy people (P<0.05). Compared with the newly-diagnosed group, dimethylsulfide, toluene, and dodecane of the remission group significantly decreased, while ethanol, n-hexanal, and benzaldehyde significantly increased (P<0.05), which was just opposite from the relapse group. CONCLUSION: Dimethyl sulfide, toluene, dodecane, ethanol, n-hexanal, and benzaldehyde can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis assessment of APL patients.

Photodriven spin change of Fe(II) benzimidazole compounds anchored to nanocrystalline TiO(2) thin films.

Ferrous tris-chelate compounds based on 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzimidazole (pybzim) have been prepared and characterized for studies of spin equilibria in fluid solution and when anchored to the surface of mesoporous nanocrystalline (anatase) TiO(2) and colloidal ZrO(2) thin films. The solid state structure of Fe(pybzim)(3)(ClO(4))(2).CH(3)CN.H(2)O was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction at 110 K to be triclinic, P-1, a = 11.6873(18), b = 12.2318(12), c = 14.723(4) A, alpha = 89.864(13) degrees , beta = 71.430(17) degrees , gamma = 73.788(11) degrees , V = 1907.1(6) A(3), Z = 2, and R = 0.0491. The iron compound has a meridional FeN(6) distorted octahedral geometry with bond lengths expected for a low-spin iron center at 110 K. The visible absorption spectra of Fe(pybzim)(3)(2+) and Fe(pymbA)(3)(2+), where pymbA is 4-(2-pyridin-2-yl-benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-benzoic acid, in methanol solution were dominated by metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) bands. Variable-temperature UV-visible absorption spectroscopy revealed dramatic changes in the extinction coefficient consistent with a high-spin ((1)A) left harpoon over right harpoon low-spin ((5)T) equilibrium. Thermodynamic parameters for the temperature-dependent spin equilibrium of Fe(pymbA)(3)(2+) in methanol were determined to be DeltaH(HL) = 3270 +/- 210 cm(-1) and DeltaS(HL) = 13.3 +/- 0.8 cm(-1) K(-1). The corresponding values for Fe(pybzimEE)(3)(2+), where pybzimEE is (2-pyridin-2-yl-benzimidazol-1-yl)-acetic acid ethyl ester, in acetonitrile solution were determined to be 3072 +/- 34 cm(-1)and 10.5 +/- 0.1 cm(-1) K(-1). The temperature-dependent effective magnetic moments of Fe(pybzimEE)(3)(2+) in acetonitrile solution were also quantified by the Evans method. Pulsed 532 nm light excitation of Fe(pybzim)(3)(2+) or Fe(pymbA)(3)(2+) in solution resulted in an immediate bleach of the MLCT absorption bands. Relaxation back to the equilibrium state followed a first-order reaction mechanism. Arrhenius analysis of the (5)T --> (1)A rate constant yielded an activation energy, E(a), of 1090 +/- 20 cm(-1) and 710 +/- 10 cm(-1) for Fe(pybzim)(3)(2+) and Fe(pymbA)(3)(2+) in methanol, respectively. The compound Fe(pymbA)(3)(2+) was found to bind to colloidal TiO(2) and ZrO(2) thin films. The absorption spectra of the surface-attached compounds were quantified from 295 to 193 K. Pulsed light excitation of Fe(pymbA)(3)/TiO(2) and Fe(pymbA)(3)/ZrO(2) resulted in the immediate bleach of the MLCT absorption bands. Relaxation was nonexponential but was well described by kinetic models based on a Gaussian distribution of activation energies or a Levy distribution of lifetimes. An Arrhenius analysis of the Gaussian data yielded average activation energies of 660 +/- 80 cm(-1) and 730 +/- 40 cm(-1) for Fe(pymbA)(3)(ClO(4))(2) on TiO(2) and ZrO(2) surfaces, respectively. The Levy distribution analysis did not adequately fit the Arrhenius model.

[Efficacy and Safety of Carfilzomib in the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma：A Systematic Evaluation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of carfilzomib in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). METHODS: Computer was used to search PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane library and MEDLINE databases for carfilzomib treatment of MM. Clinical features and results were extracted and meta-analysis was performed using Stata12.0 software. RESULTS: Twelve eligible Phase I/II, II and III clinical trials of carfilzomib were extracted and 2 487 MM patients involved in evaluable. The summary analysis showed that the rate of complete response (CR) of carfilzomib treatment was 28%, the rate of ≥very good partial response (VGPR) was 73%, and the rate of overall response rate (0RR) was 93%; the 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of MM patients was 93%, the 2-year PFS rate was 85%, and the 3-year PFS rate was 74%. Three randomized controlled trials showed a significant improvement in ORR [OR=1.644, 95% CI=(1.056, 2.560) ] (P＜0.05) and clinical benefit rate (CBR) in MM patients [OR=1.595, 95%) CI=(1.044, 2.435) ] (P＜0.05). Compared with the control group, the OR of cardiotoxicity (P＜0.05) was significantly increased, while that of peripheral neuropathy (P＞0.05) was not significantly changed. CONCLUSION: Compared with traditional treatments, carfilzomib significantly improves survival in the patients with multiple myeloma without increasing the incidence of peripheral neuropathy, but the incidence of cardiotoxicity seems higher.

[Expression of IL-17 in Bone Marrow of Patients with Multiple Myeloma and Its Effect in Pathogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and pathogenesis of IL-17 in bone marrow blood of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. METHODS: Expression levels of IL-6, TNF-α and IL-17 in bone marrow serum of 20 MM patients and 20 control subjects were detected by ELISA, and correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation IL-17 with IL-6 and TNF-α. The effect of IL-17 on the proliferation of MM cells treated with different concentration of IL-17 was detected by cell prollferation and toxicity tesis. The morphological changes of RAW264.7 cells treated with IL-17 were observed by tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. RESULTS: The levels of IL-17, IL-6 and TNF- in the bone marrow of MM patients were all higher than those of the normal control group (P＜0.05). The IL-17 level positively correlated with IL-6 and TNF-α levels (r=0.6045, P＜0.01 and r=0.627, P＜0.01). Cell proliferation and toxicity tests confirmed that IL-17 can promote the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells. TRAP staining revealed that IL-17 could induce differentiate of RAW264.7 cells into multinuclear giant cells. CONCLUSION: IL-17 may be involved in the pathogenesis of MM and promotes the proliferation of tumor cells, and induces the activation of osteoclasts leading to increased bone destruction.

[Significance of Detecting Serum Complement C3 and C4 in Patients with Multiple Myeloma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of detecting serum complement C3 and C4 in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to explore its correlation with myeloma bone disease (MBD). METHODS: The levels of serum complement C3 and C4 in 69 MM patients and 30 healthy people were examined by scatter nephelometry. The bone density of L1-4 vertebral body, bilateral femoral neck and bilateral hip joints were measured by dual energy bone density meter (DXA). RESULTS: The levels of serum complement C3 and C4 in MM patients significantly increased in comparison with that in healthy people (P＜0.01). The patients in advanced clinical stage exhibited a higher levels of C3 and C4 than those in stable stage (P＜0.01). In addition, the patients with grade C of MBD had a higher levels of serum complement C3 and C4 than those in patients with grade A and B of MBD (P＜0.01). The levels of serum complement C3 and C4 in MM patients negatively correlated with bone density in L1-4 vertebral body, bilateral femoral necks and hip joints. The correlation coefficients were r=-0.938, r=-0.659, r=-0.745, r=-0.748, r=-0.596 in complement C3 and r=-0.908, r=-0.623, r=-0.710, r=-0.714, r=-0.595 in complement C4, respectively. CONCLUSION: The levels of complement C3 and C4 positively correlate with the severity of bone disease and bone density in MM patients, which suggests that complement C3 and C4 plays important roles in the development of MBD. The levels of serum C3 and C4 may be the sensitive biomarkers of MBD.