Molecular rotators anchored on a rod-like anionic coordination polymer adhered by charge-assisted hydrogen bonds.

On the basis of variable-temperature single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature/frequency dielectric analysis, variable-temperature solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulations, here we present a new model of crystalline supramolecular rotor (i-PrNHMe2)[CdBr3], where a conformationally flexible near-spherical (i-PrNHMe2)+ cation functions as a rotator and a rod-like anionic coordination polymer {[CdBr3]-}∞ acts as the stator, and the adhesion of them is realized by charge-assisted hydrogen bonds.

Circulating the HLA-DR+ T Cell Ratio Is a Prognostic Factor for Recurrence of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Curative Surgery.

Background: HLA-DR+ T cell, accounting for 1.2%-5.8% of peripheral lymphocyte, is a type of activated T lymphocyte. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of HLA-DR+ T cell for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after curative surgery. Patients and Methods. Clinicopathological data of 192 patients who underwent curative resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in the affiliated hospital of Qingdao University between January 2013 and December 2021 were collected and analyzed. Statistical tests used in this study were the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. The prognostic value of the HLA-DR+ T cell ratio was analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn by the R programming language. Results: HCC patients were divided into high (≥5.8%) and low (<5.8%) HLADR+ T cell ratio groups. Cox regression analysis indicated that a high HLA-DR+ T cell ratio was positively related to the PFS in HCC patients (P=0.003) and AFP-positive (≥20 ng/ml) HCC patients (P=0.020). HCC patients and AFP-positive HCC patients in the high HLA-DR+ T cell ratio group were prone to have a higher T cell ratio, a higher CD8+T cell ratio, and a lower B cell ratio than the low HLA-DR+ T cell ratio group. However, the HLA-DR+ T cell ratio was not a statistically significant predictor for OS in HCC patients (P=0.57) as well as PFS (P=0.088) and OS (P=0.63) in AFP-negative HCC patients. Conclusions: This study confirmed that the HLA-DR+ T cell ratio was a significant predictor of PFS in HCC patients and AFP-positive HCC patients after curative surgery. This association may have guiding significance for the follow-up work of HCC patients after surgery.

Expression of human leukocyte antigen-G and acute rejection in patients following liver transplantation.

Acute liver rejection is one of the most severe complications that may affect the liver transplantation procedure. Thus, one of the most important focal points in the field of liver transplantation research is to discover a non-invasive or less-invasive method of diagnosing and predicting cases of acute liver rejection. In the present study, 59 tissue samples, including blood and liver tissues, were collected from patients who underwent liver transplantation between March 2005 and November 2009. The patients were divided into acute rejection and no rejection groups, the latter of which was further divided into normal and abnormal liver function groups. The samples were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry methods. The results were analyzed and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. The area under the ROC curve and the sensitivity and specificity of the cut-off point were analyzed statistically. The results indicated that the expression level of human leukocyte antigen-G (HLA-G) in the serum and liver samples in the acute rejection group was markedly lower than that in the no rejection group (P<0.001 and P=0.004, respectively). Furthermore, in the no rejection group, no statistically significant difference was identified in the level of HLA-G between patients with normal or abnormal liver function (P=0.0593). The area under the ROC curve was 0.805. When 2.41 U/ml HLA-G was considered as the cut-off point for the diagnosis of acute liver rejection, the sensitivity and specificity were 72.7 and 83.8%, respectively. In conclusion, in the present study, a high expression of the HLA-G was shown to correlate with a reduced occurrence of acute liver rejection. HLA-G may thus be an effective factor for the diagnosis and prediction of acute liver rejection.

Rapid screening of drug-protein binding using high-performance affinity chromatography with columns containing immobilized human serum albumin.

For drug candidates, a plasma protein binding (PPB) more than 90% is more meaningful and deserves further investigation in development. In the study, a high-performance liquid chromatography method employing column containing immobilized human serum albumin (HSA) to screen in vitro PPB of leading compounds was established and successfully applied to tested compounds. Good correlation (a coefficient correlation of 0.96) was attained between the reciprocal values (X) of experimentally obtained retention time of reference compounds eluted through HSA column and the reported PPB values (Y) with a correlation equation of Y = 92.03 - 97.01X. The method was successfully applied to six test compounds, and the result was confirmed by the conventional ultrafiltration technique, and both yielded equal results. However, due to the particular protein immobilized to column, the method cannot be applied for all compounds and should be exploited judiciously based on the value of the logarithmic measure of the acid dissociation constant (pKa) as per the requirement. If α1-acid glycoprotein and other plasma proteins could be immobilized like HSA with their actual ratio in plasma to column simultaneously, the result attained using immobilized column may be more accurate, and the method could be applied to more compounds without pKa limitation.

[CK19 can be used to predict the early recurrence and prognosis of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients with low AFP serum concentration after R0 radical hepatectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of CK19 in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues in patients with low serum AFP concentration and the relationship between them and the recurrence and prognosis of HCC after R0 radical hepatectomy. METHODS: The expressions of CK19 and Ki67 in HCC tissues of 235 cases were examined using tissue microarray and two-step methods of PV-6000 immunohistochemistry. The expression of CK19 mRNA in 20 frozen HCC specimens was examined by RT-PCR. The correlation between gene expressions and tumor recurrence and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 235 HBV-related HCC patients after R0 radical hepatectomy, the median disease-free survival (DFS) was 31.2 months in the patients with serum AFP < 400 µg/L and 13.8 months in the patients with serum AFP ≥ 400 µg/L (P = 0.041), the overall survival (OS) was 84.0 and 58.6 months in the two subgroups (P = 0.125), and the tumor recurrence within one year was in 43 cases (27%) and 37 cases (49.3%), respectively, (P = 0.001). The DFS was 11.6 months in the CK19-positive cases and 27.0 months in the CK19-negative cases (P > 0.05). The OS was significantly lower in the CK19-positive cases than that in the CK19-negative cases (P = 0.023). Both DFS and OS in the CK19-positive cases with AFP < 400 µg/L were significantly lower than those in the CK19-negative cases with AFP < 400 µg/L (both P < 0.05). The CK19 expression was significantly correlated with histological differentiation (P = 0.023), number of tumor foci (P = 0.044), vascular tumor embolism (P = 0.005), regional lymph node metastasis (P = 0.023), and 1-year recurrence (P = 0.006). Among the patients with AFP < 400 µg/L, the 1-year recurrence was 53% in the CK19-positive cases and 23% in the CK19-negative cases (P < 0.001), the median DFS was 11.3 months in CK19-positive cases and 34.0 months in CK19-negative cases (P = 0.010), and the median OS was 19.5 months in the CK19-positive cases, significantly lower than 84.0 months in the CK19-negative cases (P = 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that CK19-positive expression was an independent factor affecting early HCC recurrence and prognosis. CONCLUSION: In HBV-related HCC patients after radical hepatectomy with AFP < 400 µg/L, positive expression of CK19 indicates a higher proliferation and invasiveness of HCC, and is an important factor of early recurrence and poor prognosis.

[Evaluation on short term after hepatectomy for the patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the high risk factors for tumor recurrence in short term after hepatectomy for the patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Five hundreds and two patients with primary HCC underwent hepatectomy were included from January 1997 to December 2008. Among these patients, males were 419 cases and females were 83 cases. The age was 14 to 82 years (average age 54 years). The results of evaluation on 2 months after resection and tumor recurrence and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: According to the operative and pathologic findings and the evaluation on 2 months after hepatectomy, the patients with vascular invasion, palliation resection, cutting edge pathologic residual tumor, lymph notes metastasis, serum AFP level continuing higher after resection or(and) positive TACE (tumor dyeing on TACE within 1 month and a deposit of lipiodol on CT scan) were high risk factors (high-risk group, 106 cases, 21.1%), the recurrence-free survival was 22%, 9% and 3% (1, 2 and 5 year) and overall survival was 52%, 25% and 8%. On the non-high risk group patients, the recurrence-free survival was 84%, 67%, 42% and 31% (1, 2, and 5 year) and overall survival was 97%, 85%, 56% and 35%. The bigger tumor, poor differentiation, tumor invading to liver capsule, satellite focus and TNM III-IV stage in high-risk groups were more significantly than that in non-high-risk groups. CONCLUSION: The vascular invasion, palliation resection, cutting edge pathologic residual tumor, lymph notes metastasis, serum AFP level continuing higher or (and) positive TACE within 2 months after resection are high risk factors for HCC patients in short term after hepatectomy, which mean tumor remnant.