Developing and evaluating a predictive model for neonatal hyperbilirubinemia based on UGT1A1 gene polymorphism and clinical risk factors.

Background: Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (NHB) is one of the most common diseases in the neonatal period. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, it can lead to long-term complications. In severe cases, it may even result in fatality. The UGT1A1 gene and clinical risk factors play important roles in the development and progression of NHB. Methods: In this study, we conducted a cohort study and analyzed 3258 newborns from the Jilin Women And Children Health Hospital in northern China, including 372 children with hyperbilirubinemia. We established a predictive model using a logistic regression model based on clinical risk factors and the polymorphism of the G211A locus in the UGT1A1 gene of newborns. Furthermore, the performance of the prediction model was evaluated using the ROC curve. Results: The logistic regression model indicates that the following factors are associated with an increased risk of NHB: the time when stool turns yellow [P ≤ 0.001, OR 1.266 (95% CI: 1.125-1.425)]; neonatal cephalohematoma [P ≤ 0.001, OR 33.642 (95% CI: 21.823-51.861)]; hemolytic disease of newborn [P ≤ 0.001, OR 33.849 (95% CI: 18.589-61.636)]; neonatal weight loss [P ≤ 0.001, OR 11.275 (95% CI: 7.842-16.209)]; neonatal premature rupture of membranes (PROM) history [P = 0.021, OR 1.422 (95% CI: 1.056-1.917)]; genetic polymorphism at the UGT1A1 gene G211A locus. Gestational age is a protective factor [P ≤ 0.001, OR 0.766 (95% CI: 0.686-0.855)]. Compared to natural labor, cesarean section is a protective factor [P = 0.011, OR 0.711 (95% CI: 0.546-0.926)], while assisted delivery is a risk factor [P = 0.022, OR 2.207 (95% CI: 1.121-4.346)]. The area under the curve (AUC) of this prediction model is 0.804 (95% CI: 0.777-0.831), indicating good discrimination ability and value for predicting the risk of NHB after birth. Conclusion: We have developed and evaluated a predictive model that combines UGT1A1 gene polymorphism and clinical risk factors for the first time. By using this nomogram and taking into account the results of serum total bilirubin measurement or transcutaneous bilirubin measurement, early prediction of the risk of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia can be achieved.

Wheat silage partially replacing oaten hay exhibited greater feed efficiency and fibre digestion despite low feed intake by feedlot lambs.

This study aimed to investigate the feeding effect of wheat silage on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and microbiota composition in feedlot lambs. Sixty-four male crossbred Chinese Han lambs (BW = 27.8 ± 0.67 kg, 3 months of age) were randomly assigned to four ration groups with wheat silage replacing 0% (WS0), 36% (WS36), 64% (WS64), and 100% (WS100) of oaten hay on forage dry matter basis. The concentrate-to-forage ratio was 80:20 and the feeding trial lasted 52 d. Increasing wheat silage inclusion linearly decreased dry matter intake by 4% to 27% (P < 0.01). However, increasing the wheat silage replacement of oaten hay by no more than 64% improved the feed efficiency by 14% as noted by the feed-to-gain ratio (P = 0.04). Apparent digestibility of organic matter (P < 0.01), neutral detergent fibre (P = 0.04) and acid detergent fibre (P < 0.01) quadratically increased. Ammonia nitrogen (P = 0.01) decreased while microbial protein production (P < 0.01) increased with the increase of wheat silage inclusion. Total volatile fatty acids concentration increased quadratically with the increase of wheat silage inclusion (P < 0.01), and the highest occurred in WS64. The molar proportion of acetate (P < 0.01) and acetate-to-propionate ratio (P = 0.04) decreased while butyrate (P < 0.01) and isovalerate (P = 0.04) increased. Increasing wheat silage inclusion increased the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio by 226% to 357%, resulting in Firmicutes instead of Bacteroidota being the most abundant phylum. The relative abundance of cellulolytic Ruminococcus numerically increased but that of amylolytic Prevotella (P < 0.01) decreased as increasing wheat silage inclusion. Taken together, increasing wheat silage replacement of oaten hay by no more than 64% exhibited greater feed efficiency and fibre digestion despite low feed intake by feedlot lambs due to the change of Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidota ratio in the rumen.

2-Bromopalmitate inhibits malignant behaviors of HPSCC cells by hindering the membrane location of Ras protein.

Palmitoylation, which is mediated by protein acyltransferase (PAT) and performs important biological functions, is the only reversible lipid modification in organism. To study the effect of protein palmitoylation on hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC), the expression levels of 23 PATs in tumor tissues of 8 HPSCC patients were determined, and high mRNA and protein levels of DHHC9 and DHHC15 were found. Subsequently, we investigated the effect of 2-bromopalmitate (2BP), a small-molecular inhibitor of protein palmitoylation, on the behavior of Fadu cells in vitro (50 µM) and in nude mouse xenograft models (50 µmol/kg), and found that 2BP suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration of Fadu cells without increasing cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, the effect of 2BP on the transduction of BMP, Wnt, Shh, and FGF signaling pathways was tested with qRT-PCR, and its drug target was explored with western blotting and acyl-biotinyl exchange assay. Our results showed that 2BP inhibited the transduction of the FGF/ERK signaling pathway. The palmitoylation level of Ras protein decreased after 2BP treatment, and its distribution in the cell membrane structure was reduced significantly. The findings of this work reveal that protein palmitoylation mediated by DHHC9 and DHHC15 may play important roles in the occurrence and development of HPSCC. 2BP is able to inhibit the malignant biological behaviors of HPSCC cells, possibly via hindering the palmitoylation and membrane location of Ras protein, which might, in turn, offer a low-toxicity anti-cancer drug for targeting the treatment of HPSCC.

Misdiagnosed periappendiceal and intestinal tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction and importance: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It mainly involves the respiratory system, causing fever, cough, chest tightness, and other symptoms. However, when combined with other common or rare diseases, such as appendicitis and intestinal tuberculosis (TB), it can cause other systemic lesions, thus making the original disease lose its specific clinical manifestations. This case highlights the importance of early identification and clinical precision medicine diagnosis and treatment. Case presentation: A young woman presented with intermittent pain and discomfort in the right lower quadrant. Ultrasonography suggested appendicitis with a peripheral abscess. The nucleic acid test of COVID-19 was positive, and the chest computed tomography scan showed pulmonary involvement. She was sent for surgery. Postoperative body temperature increased regularly, and the TB T-cell test was positive. Clinical discussion: Multiple infections caused by common bacteria, pandemic virus, and specific mycobacterium TB cause a series of nonspecific clinical manifestations, which brings challenges to clinical diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, when facing a complex infection case, the authors should consider the possibility of multiple infections and give targeted treatment for the pathogens. Conclusions: During the epidemic of COVID-19, the incidence of intestinal TB is relatively low, which is easy to be overlooked and misdiagnosed, especially in the case of appendicitis. Therefore, clinicians must be highly vigilant in the diagnosis process to avoid missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis, so as to provide the best diagnosis and treatment plan.

Dietary Guanidine Acetic Acid Improves Ruminal Antioxidant Capacity and Alters Rumen Fermentation and Microflora in Rapid-Growing Lambs.

Guanidine acetic acid (GAA) has been reported to improve growth performance, nutrient utilization, and meat quality in livestock. This study aimed to investigate whether coated GAA (CGAA) in comparison with uncoated GAA (UGAA) could have different effects on rumen fermentation, antioxidant capacity, and microflora composition in the rumen. Seventy-two lambs were randomly arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial experiment design with two diets of different forage type (OH: oaten hay; OHWS: oaten hay plus wheat silage) and three GAA treatments within each diet (control, diet without GAA addition; UGAA, uncoated GAA; CGAA, coated GAA). The whole feeding trial lasted for 120 days. The lambs in the OH group presented lower total volatile fatty acid (VFA), alpha diversity, Firmicutes, NK4A214_group, and Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group than those on the OHWS diet in the last 60 days of the feeding stage (p < 0.05). Regardless of what GAA form was added, dietary GAA supplementation increased the total VFA, microbial crude protein (MCP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and antioxidant capacity in rumen during lamb feedlotting (p < 0.05). However, molar propionate proportion, acetate:propionate ratio (A:P), and relative Succiniclasticum abundance decreased with GAA addition in the first 60 days of the growing stage, while the molar butyrate proportion and NK4A214_group (p < 0.05) in response to GAA addition increased in the last 60 days of feeding. These findings indicated that dietary GAA enhanced antioxidant capacity and fermentation characteristics in the rumen, but the addition of uncoated GAA in diets might cause some dysbacteriosis of the rumen microbiota.

Dietary Guanidine Acetic Acid Addition Improved Carcass Quality with Less Back-Fat Thickness and Remarkably Increased Meat Protein Deposition in Rapid-Growing Lambs Fed Different Forage Types.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether guanidine acetic acid (GAA) yields a response in rapid-growing lambs depending on forage type. In this study, seventy-two small-tailed Han lambs (initial body weights = 12 ± 1.6 kg) were used in a 120-d feeding experiment after a 7-d adaptation period. A 2 × 3 factorial experimental feeding design was applied to the lambs, which were fed a total mixed ration with two forage types (OH: oaten hay; OHWS: oaten hay plus wheat silage) and three forms of additional GAA (GAA: 0 g/kg; UGAA: Uncoated GAA, 1 g/kg; CGAA: Coated GAA, 1 g/kg). The OH diet had a greater dry matter intake, average daily gain, and hot carcass weight than the OHWS diet. The GAA supplementation increased the final body weight, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, and ribeye area in the longissimus lumborum. Meanwhile, it decreased backfat thickness and serum triglycerides. Dietary GAA decreased the acidity of the meat and elevated the water-holding capacity in mutton. In addition, the crude protein content in mutton increased with GAA addition. Dietary GAA (UGAA or CGAA) might be an effective additive in lamb fed by different forage types, as it has potential to improve growth performance and meat quality.

Guanidine acetic acid exhibited greater growth performance in younger (13-30 kg) than in older (30-50 kg) lambs under high-concentrate feedlotting pattern.

Guanidine acetic acid (GAA) is increasingly considered as a nutritional growth promoter in monogastric animals. Whether or not such response would exist in rapid-growing lambs is unclear yet. The objective of this study was to investigate whether dietary supplementation with uncoated GAA (UGAA) and coated GAA (CGAA) could alter growth performance, nutrient digestion, serum metabolites, and antioxidant capacity in lambs. Seventy-two small-tailed Han lambs initially weighed 12 ± 1.6 kg were randomly allocated into six groups in a 2 × 3 factorial experimental design including two forage-type rations [Oaten hay (OH) vs. its combination with wheat silage (OHWS)] and three GAA treatment per ration: no GAA, 1 g UGAA, and 1 g CGAA per kg dry matter. The whole experiment was completed in two consecutive growing stages (stage 1, 13-30 kg; stage 2, 30-50 kg). Under high-concentrate feeding pattern (Stage 1, 25: 75; Stage 2, 20: 80), UGAA or CGAA supplementation in young lambs presented greater dry matter intake (DMI) in stage 1 and average daily gain (ADG) in the whole experimental period; lambs in OH group had higher ADG and DMI than that in OHWS group in stage 1 and whole experimental period, but this phenomenon was not observed in stage 2. Both UCGA and CGAA addition increased dietary DM, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) digestion in both stages. In blood metabolism, UCGA and CGAA addition resulted in a greater total protein (TP) and insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1) levels, as well as antioxidant capacity; at the same time, UCGA and CGAA addition increased GAA metabolism-creatine kinase and decreased guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase (GAMT) and L-Arginine glycine amidine transferase catalyzes (AGAT) activity. In a brief, the results obtained in the present study suggested that GAA (UGAA and CGAA; 1 g/kg DM) could be applied to improve growth performance in younger (13-30 kg) instead of older (30-50 kg) lambs in high-concentrate feedlotting practice.

Cold plasma effects on the nutrients and microbiological quality of sprouts.

Sprouts have been more and more popular among people all over the world due to their health benefits and good taste. Cold plasma (CP) is a promising and efficient nonthermal technology that has been applied to various aspects, including seed germination, plant growth, the synthesis of secondary metabolites. This review aims to represent the current knowledge status and future insights of CP on germination, nutritional quality and microbial inactivation of sprouts, and influencing mechanism was also discussed. CP under favorable conditions can promote the growth of sprouts, thus increase the yield of sprouts and microgreens. Numerous studies suggest that CP can promote the accumulation of bioactive compounds in sprouts, and subsequently enhance biological activities and so on the antioxidant capacity and antiproliferative effect. CP is an effective method for the inactivation of microorganisms on seeds and sprouts by reactive species. Therefore, CP is a promising technology for the sustainable development of sprouts industry.

A network pharmacology approach to explore and validate the potential targets of ginsenoside on osteoporosis.

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is determined as a chronic systemic bone disorder to increase the susceptibility to fracture. Ginsenosides have been found the anti-osteoporotic activity of in vivo and in vitro. However, its mechanism remains unknown.Methods: The potential mechanism of ginsenosides in anti-osteoporotic activity was identified by using network phamacology analysis. The active compounds of ginsenosides and their targets associated to OP were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, Drug Bank, Pharmmapper, and Cytoscape. The Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis target genes were performed in String, Phenopedia, DisGeNET database, and Metascape software. The protein to protein interaction were created by String database and Cytoscape software. The molecular docking was used to investigate the interactions between active coumpounds and potential targets by utilizing SwissDock tool, UCSF Chimera, and Pymol software. Results: A total of eight important active ingredients and 17 potential targets related to OP treatment were subjected to analyze. GO analysis showed the anti-osteoporosis targets of ginsenoside mainly play a role in the response to steroid hormone. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that ginsenoside treats OP by osteoblast differentiation signal pathway. Lastly, the molecular docking outcomes indicated that ginsenoside rh2 had a good binding ability with four target proteins IL1B, TNF, IFNG, and NFKBIA. Conclusion: IL1B, TNF, IFNG, and NFKBIA are the most important targets and osteoblast differentiation is the most valuable signaling pathways in ginsenoside for the treatment of OP, which might be beneficial to elucidate the mechanism concerned to the action of ginsenoside and might supply a better understanding of its anti-OP effects.

The nonlinear association between albumin levels and risk of noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis.

PURPOSE: The preoperative diagnosis of noninvasive fungal rhinosinusitis (NIFRS) is inaccurate, and biomarkers to assist the diagnosis are urgently needed. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between albumin levels and NIFRS to assist in early diagnosis. METHODS: Patients with NIFRS and chronic sinusitis were enrolled in this study. Appropriate statistical methods were used to determine whether there was a statistical difference between the groups. Subgroup analysis was performed to investigate the relationship between albumin levels and NIFRS, and a generalised additive model (GAM) was used to perform nonlinear relationships. RESULTS: A total of 620 patients were included, including 240 patients with NIFRS. A close relationship was found between albumin levels and NIFRS (P < 0.0001), and the low albumin group was associated with a higher incidence of NIFRS, which was reduced by 60 and 70% in the middle and high albumin groups, respectively. The subgroup analysis also demonstrated an association between albumin levels and NIFRS, except in patients with an alcohol history (P = 0.0665). Interestingly, a nonlinear relationship is observed according to the adjusted GAM. The inflection point was set at 37.0 g/L. A negative correlation was observed among patients with albumin > 37.0 g/L. When the albumin count was <37.0 g/L, the Y value obviously increased and was saturated at 70%, with no further significant increase. CONCLUSION: Albumin levels were significantly negatively correlated with the incidence of NIFRS, and the incidence increased markedly among patients with albumin < 37.0 g/L.

Corrigendum: Correlation of Bromodomain Protein BRD4 Expression With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Disease Severity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.00413.].

Correlation of Bromodomain Protein BRD4 Expression With Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Disease Severity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationship between bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and disease severity in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). Methods: We performed immunofluorescent (IF) staining to evaluate the expression of BRD4 in the polyp tissues of CRSwNP and inferior turbinate mucosa of healthy controls. The relationship between BRD4 and EMT was evaluated by the BRD inhibitor JQ1 and BRD4 siRNA in primary human nasal polyp-derived epithelial cells. Disease severity was scored by using the Lund-Mackay scores of paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) scans. Results: The expression of BRD4 in patients with CRSwNP was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. The loss of BRD4 function by the BRD inhibitor JQ1 and BRD4 siRNA resulted in the reduction of E-cadherin, increasing vimentin, and Snai1 mRNA expression. Moreover, the expression of BRD4 was related to the total CT scan scores (r = 0.4682, P = 0.0210). Conclusions: BRD4 had higher expression in CRSwNP than in healthy controls and might be associated with EMT in CRSwNP. BRD4 mRNA expression was associated with disease severity in CRSwNP.

Downregulation of miR-204 facilitates the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting CXCR4 through NF-κB signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive and metastatic cancer. The alterations of miRNA deregulation and pathway have been reported to be implicated in NPC progression. Here, we aimed to explore miR-204 role and mechanism in NPC development. METHODS: We examined the expression level of miR-204 in NPC tissues and NPC cells (HONE-1, 6-10B, HNE1) using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. MTT, and transwell assays were used to analyze the effects of miR-204 on the proliferation, invasion and migration of NPC cells. Luciferase reporter gene assays were used to confirm the target gene of miR-204 in NPC cells. RESULTS: The results showed that miR-204 was downregulated, while CXCR4 was upregulated in NPC samples and cells with important functional consequences. Also, miR-204 expression was inversely correlated to CXCR4 expression and it was also associated with the clinicopathologic features. Ectopic expression of miR-204 was significantly suppressed, whereas downregulation of miR-204 facilitated the capacities of NPC cells proliferation, invasion and migration. Besides, it was also found that miR-204 mimic strongly decreased CXCR4 expression and miR-204 inhibitor increased CXCR4 expression. Furthermore, luciferase assay results demonstrated that CXCR4 was the direct target of miR-204. Conversely to miR-204 effect, knockdown of CXCR4 showed an inhibitory effect on NPC cell progression. Mechanistic investigations revealed that miR-204 regulated NF-κB signaling via CXCR4. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings suggested that miR-204 regulated NPC progression by targeting CXCR4 through NF-κB signaling pathway.

Analysis of Genetic Alteration Signatures and Prognostic Values of m6A Regulatory Genes in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Genetic alteration involving N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulatory genes is a frequent characteristic of multiple tumors. Nevertheless, little is known regarding their genetic alteration signatures and prognostic values in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, RNA sequence profiles and copy number variation (CNV) data of 506 HNSCC patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Correlation analysis involving alteration of m6A regulatory genes, clinicopathological characteristics, and patient survival was performed using R language. The results suggest that alteration of m6A regulatory genes was correlated with clinical staging. Patients with high expression of ALKBH5, FTO, METTL14, WTAP, YTHDC1, YTHDF1, and YTHDF2 had poor overall survival (OS) than those with low expression. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that ALKBH5 and YTHDC2 were independent risk factors for OS. However, patients with high YTHDC2 expression had better OS. Moreover, according to machine learning results, YTHDC2 was found to be the most important gene among the 10 m6A regulators. Additionally, high expression of YTHDC2 was correlated with activation of apoptosis and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. Here, we identified alterations to m6A regulatory genes in HNSCC for the first time and found that seven m6A regulators were associated with poor prognosis, especially ALKBH5, whereas YTHDC2 was associated with better prognosis. These m6A-related regulators could act as novel prognostic biomarkers for HNSCC. Our findings provide clues for understanding RNA epigenetic modifications in HNSCC.

Identification of Key Modules, Hub Genes, and Noncoding RNAs in Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a chronic inflammatory disease with relatively easy recurrence. However, the precise molecular mechanisms of this disease are poorly known. Based on gene sequencing data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we constructed coexpression networks by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). The core gene of pathogenesis, CRSwNP, was screened by protein-protein interaction data (PPI) from the HPRD database. Unsupervised clustering was applied to screen hub genes related to the phenotype of CRSwNP. Blue and turquoise modules were found to be most significantly related to the pathogenicity of CRSwNP. Functional enrichment analysis showed that cell proliferation in the blue modules, the apoptotic process in the turquoise module, and the cancer pathway in both modules were mostly significantly correlated with the development of CRSwNP. The noncoding RNAs (long noncoding RNA and microRNA) and the top 10 core genes in each module were found to be associated with the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. A total of nine hub genes were identified to be related to the CRSwNP phenotype. By qRT-PCR analysis, AKT1, CDH1, PIK3R1, CBL, LRP1, MALAT1, and XIST were proven to be associated with the pathogenesis of CRSwNP. AGR2, FAM3D, PIP, DSE, and TMC were identified to be related to the CRSwNP phenotype. Further exploration of these genes will reveal more important information about the mechanisms of CRSwNP.

Physical Properties of Concrete Containing Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.

Concrete made from ordinary Portland cement is one of the most widely used construction materials due to its excellent compressive strength. However, concrete lacks ductility resulting in low tensile strength and flexural strength, and poor resistance to crack formation. Studies have demonstrated that the addition of graphene oxide (GO) nanosheet can effectively enhance the compressive and flexural properties of ordinary Portland cement paste, confirming GO nanosheet as an excellent candidate for using as nano-reinforcement in cement-based composites. To date, the majority of studies have focused on cement pastes and mortars. Only limited investigations into concretes incorporating GO nanosheets have been reported. This paper presents an experimental investigation on the slump and physical properties of concrete reinforced with GO nanosheets at additions from 0.00% to 0.08% by weight of cement and a water-cement ratio of 0.5. The study demonstrates that the addition of GO nanosheets improves the compressive strength, flexural strength, and split tensile strength of concrete, whereas the slump of concrete decreases with increasing GO nanosheet content. The results also demonstrate that 0.03% by weight of cement is the optimum value of GO nanosheet dosage for improving the split tensile strength of concrete.

Topical use of olive oil preparation to prevent radiodermatitis: results of a prospective study in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Radiodermatitis is a common side effect of radiotherapy. However, an effective method for the prevention of radiodermatitis has not yet been identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical olive oil in the prevention of acute radiodermatitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in patients with NPC. The patients were randomized into the intervention (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. Patients in the control group were treated with a general skin care regimen (placebo), whereas patients in the intervention group were treated with olive oil thrice daily for 7 weeks during chemoradiotherapy and for two weeks thereafter. On a weekly basis for a total duration of 9 weeks, a blinded observer assessed the severity of dermatitis, which was graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. RESULTS: Mild reactions due to radiation (grades I and II) occurred in 93.6% of the intervention group and in 72.3% of the control group. Patients in the intervention group encountered significantly less severe dermatitis during chemoradiotherapy compared with patients in the control group (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis revealed that the use of olive oil (P < 0.01) was significantly associated with a decrease in skin injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of olive oil was associated with a significant decrease in the intensity of acute dermatitis in NPC patients. The results of this trial indicate that olive oil holds promise as a safe and effective prophylactic treatment for radiodermatitis.

Application of new packing material in endoscopic nasal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To show the efficacy and comfort of pneumatic bag packing after the endoscopic nasal surgery. Pneumatic bag packing may be recommendable in terms of comfort and efficacy after endoscopic nasal surgery. Significant findings: There were statistical significant differences between the pneumatic bag packing and the expansive sponge packing regarding subjective symptoms and objective findings after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumatic bag packing may be recommendable in terms of comfort and efficacy after endoscopic nasal surgery.

LOH detected by microsatellite markers reveals the clonal origin of recurrent laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The question of whether "recurrent" laryngeal carcinoma is truly a new tumour with a clonal origin that differs from that of the primary tumour has remained unanswered. The objective of this study was to determine whether recurrent tumours have the same genetic basis as primary tumours, as the answer to this question is important for the development of treatment strategies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Matched samples consisting of primary tumour, recurrent tumour and normal tissue were obtained from the same patient. A total of 37 patients with laryngeal cancer were examined for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on the 3p, 5p, 7q, 8p, 9p, 13p, 17p and 18q chromosomal arms using PCR to amplify microsatellite markers. All patients were routinely followed up and 5-year survival rates were calculated using directly calculating method and Kaplan-Meier's method. RESULTS: A total of 28 out of 37 (75.6%) patients showed LOH at a minimum of one locus, and 19 out of 37 (51.3%) patients showed LOH at two loci. Primary and recurrent tumours in each patient showed identical allelic loss patterns and incidence rates. Patients without LOH had a longer average time to recurrence than patients with LOH (P<0.05). Additionally, patients with LOH had a longer average smoking duration prior to surgery than patients without LOH (P<0.05). The 5-year survival rates were 32.14%in patients with LOH versus 44.4% in patients without LOH. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that primary and recurrent tumours have the same clonal origin. This result implies that we failed to radically resect the primary tumours and/or micrometastases in these patients. Consequently, some form of adjunctive therapy may be necessary. Additionally, the data indicate that the recurrence of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma is closely related to chromosomal aberrations (specifically LOH).