A promising predictive biomarker combined EBV NDA with PNI for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in nonendemic area of China.

In endemic areas, EBV DNA is used to guide diagnosis, detect recurrence and distant metastasis of NPC. Until now, the importance of EBV DNA in the prediction of NPC has received little attention in non-endemic regions. To explore the prognostic value of EBV DNA alone or in combination with PNI in NPC patients from a non-endemic area of China. In this retrospective study, 493 NPC patients were enrolled. Clinical pathologic data, pre-treatment plasma EBV DNA, and laboratory tests were all performed. A standard anticancer treatment was prescribed, and follow up data were collected. EBV DNA was found to be positively related to clinical stage (r = 0.357, P < 0.001), T stage (r = 0.193, P < 0.001), N stage (r = 0.281, P < 0.001), and M stage (r = 0.215, P < 0.001). The difference in EBV DNA loads between clinical stage, T, N and M stage was statistically significant (P < 0.001). In this study, the best cutoff value for EBV-DNA to distinguish the prognosis of NPC was 262.7 copies/ml. The 5-year OS of patients in the EBV-DNA ≤ 262.7 copies/ml group and EBV-DNA > 262.7 copies/ml group was 88% and 65.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). EBV-DNA and PNI were found to be independent prognostic factors for OS in multivariate analysis (P < 0.05). EBV-DNA was independent prognostic factors for PFS. In predicting NPC patients OS, the novel combination marker of EBV DNA and PNI outperformed TNM staging (AUC: 0.709 vs. 0.675). In addition, the difference between EBV + PNI and EBV + TNM was not statistically significant for OS or PFS (P > 0.05). This novel combination biomarker was a promising biomarker for predicting NPC survival and may one day guide treatment option.

Influence of Reinforcement Structures and Hybrid Types on Inter-Laminar Shear Performance of Carbon-Glass Hybrid Fibers/Bismaleimide Composites Under Long-Term Thermo-Oxidative Aging.

The effects of reinforcement structures and hybrid types on the inter-laminar shear strength (ILSS) of carbon-glass hybrid fibers/bismaleimide composites under thermo-oxidative aging conditions were investigated. The process resulted in progressive deterioration of the matrix and fiber/matrix interfaces, in the form of chain scissions, weight loss, and fiber/matrix debonding, which significantly led to the decrease of the ILSS of composites. Moreover, the three-dimensional orthogonal woven hybrid composites (3D composites) showed higher ILSS retention rate than those of the laminated orthogonal hybrid composites (laminated composites). No delamination occurred in the aged 3D composites like in the aged laminated composites. This was because the Z-binder yarns in the 3D composites resisted the inter-laminar shear load, although the resin was damaged and the adhesive force between fiber bundles and resin decreased seriously after thermo-oxidative aging. Meanwhile, the ILSS retention rate of the laminated composites with the carbon fiber as intermediate layers was higher than that of the laminated composites with the glass fiber as the intermediate layers. This was because the carbon fiber/bismaleimide interface bonding performance was stronger than that of the glass fiber/bismaleimide at the same thermo-oxidative aging condition.