[Dynamic investigation of nutritional risk in patients with malignant tumor during hospitalization].

Objective: To prospectively investigate the changes in nutritional status of patients with malignant tumors during hospitalization by using nutritional risk screening (NRS2002), and to analyze the correlation between the nutritional status and clinical outcomes . Methods: This was a prospective and parallel research done by multi-center collaboration from 34 hospitals in China from June to September 2014.Hospitalized patients with malignant tumors inthese departments (Department of Gastroenterology, respiratory medicine, oncology, general surgery, thoracic surgery and geriatrics)were investigated. Only the patients with age≥ 18 years and hospitalization time between 7-30 days were included. During hospitalization, the physical indexes of human bodywere measured, and the NRS 2002 scores, and monitored the nutritional support at the time points of admission and 24 hours before discharge were recorded.And whether there was a nutritional risk in hospitalized patients and its association with clinical outcomes were investigated. Results: A total of 2 402 patients with malignancies were enrolled in this study. Seventy fourpatients who did not complete NRS2002 were eliminated, and 2 328 patients were included. The number of the main diseases was the top five, including 587 cases of colorectal cancer, 567 cases of lung cancer, 564 cases of gastric cancer, 146 cases of esophageal cancer, and 119 cases of liver tumor. At the time of discharge, compared with admission, the BMI, body weight, grip and calf circumferences of patients with malignant tumor were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The total protein, albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin were significantly lower than those at admission (P<0.05). In 2 328 patients who were completed nutritional risk screening, the rate of malnutrition at admission was 11.1% (BMI =18.5, 258/2 328) and the rate of malnutrition at discharge was 10.9% (BMI =18.5, 254/2 328), there were no significant differences (χ(2)=0.019 7, P=0.888). There were 1 204 patients with nutritional risk at admission (51.7%, NRS2002 score≥3)and 1 352 patients with nutritional risk at discharge (58.1%, NRS2002 score≥3), with significant differences (χ(2)=49.9, P<0.001). The incidence of nutritional risk in patients with colorectal, stomach, and lung tumors at discharge was significantly higher than that at admission (P<0.05). The infective complications and other complications of patients with nutritional risk were significantly greater than those without nutritional risk at admission and at discharge.ICU hospitalization stay of patients with nutritional risk was increased significantly than those without nutritional risk at admission(P=0.042). Hospitalization expenses of patients with nutritional risk was increased significantly than those of patients without nutritional risk at discharge(P<0.01). Conclusion: The patients with malignant tumor have a higher incidence rate of malnutrition at both admission and discharge and malnutritionhas correlation with adverse clinical outcomes.The aboveindicators did not improve significantly at discharge.Doctors should pay more attention to the nutritional status (screening and evaluation)of patients before discharge and use appropriate and adequate nutrition support in order to prevent the weight loss and improve the life quality of patients.

[Prokaryotic expression and purification of antimicrobial peptide LL-37 and the inhibiting effect against Candida albicans].

OBJECTIVE: To study the inhibitory effect of antimicrobial peptide LL-37 on Candida albicans through its ability to promote the secretion of immune factors by vaginal epithelial cells. METHODS: (1) LL-37 prokaryotic expression vector pET-Duet/LL-37 was constructed and its expression was induced in Escherichia coli M15. The expressed LL-37 fusion protein was purified and identified by western blot. Antifungal activity of the purified protein was initially identified by Kirby-Bauer (K-B) method. (2) Purified LL-37 protein was added to human vaginal epithelial cells co-cultured with Candida, and inhibitory effect on Candida growth was determined by the glucose consumption method. Interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin 10 (IL-10) concentration and IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio were measured by ELISA at different time points. RESULTS: (1) LL-37 fusion protein was purified to 96% purity at a concentration of 433.92 µg/ml, and was shown to possess anti-fungal activity confirmed by the K-B method. (2) A Candida-vaginal epithelial cells co-culture system was successfully constructed. LL-37 recombinant protein inhibited the growth of Candida with absorbance values significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control group at all measured time points (12-hour: 3.008±0.003 versus 2.967±0.003, 24-hour: 2.941±0.003 versus 2.601±0.003, 48-hour: 2.893 ± 0.004 versus 2.409 ± 0.003; all P<0.01). Furthermore, the rate of decrease was also much slower compared to the control group. In both control and experimental groups, IFN-γ and IL-10 secretion levels were observed to rise at first peaking at 24 hours and subsequently decrease. For each time period, IFN-γ concentration in the experimental group was significantly higher at 24 hours compared to the control group [(104.00 ± 1.07) versus (85.17 ± 0.28) pg/ml,P<0.01]. In contrast, IL-10 concentrations were significantly lower than the control group at all time points (P<0.01). IFN-γ/IL-10 ratio was also observed to be significantly higher than the control group at all measured time points (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: (1) Recombinant protein LL-37 could significantly inhibit the growth of Candida. (2) By influencing the secretion of immune factors such as IFN-γ, IL-10, etc, recombinant protein LL-37 is able to adjust vaginal epithelial cells local immunity, and enhance resistance to Candida infection.

Calmodulin binding to the C-terminus of the small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channel hSK1 is affected by alternative splicing.

We identified three splice variants of hSK1 whose C-terminal structures are determined by the independent deletion of two contiguous nucleotide sequences. The upstream sequence extends 25 bases in length, is initiated by a donor splice site within exon 8, and terminates at the end of the exon. The downstream sequence consists of nine bases that compose exon 9. When the upstream sequence (hSK1(-)(25b)) or both sequences (hSK1(-)(34b)) are deleted, truncated proteins are encoded in which the terminal 118 amino acids are absent. The binding of calmodulin to these variants is diminished, particularly in the absence of Ca2+ ions. The first 20 amino acids of the segment deleted from hSK1(-)(25b) and hSK1(-)(34b) contain a 1-8-14 Ca2+ calmodulin binding motif, and synthetic oligopeptides based on this region bind calmodulin better in the presence than absence of Ca2+ ions. When the downstream sequence (hSK1(-)(9b)) alone is deleted, only the three amino acids A452, Q453, and K454 are removed, and calmodulin binding is not reduced. On the basis of the relative abundance of mRNA encoding each of the four isoforms, the full-length variant appears to account for most hSK1 in the human hippocampus, while hSK1(-)(34b) predominates in reticulocytes, and hSK1(-)(9b) is especially abundant in human erythroleukemia cells in culture. We conclude that the binding of calmodulin by hSK1 can be modulated through alternative splicing.

Intracranial injection of human meningioma cells in athymic mice: an orthotopic model for meningioma growth.

OBJECT: Although human meningioma cells have been heterotopically implanted in nude mice, introducing these cells into intracranial locations seems more likely to reproduce normal patterns of tumor growth. To provide an orthotopic xenograft model of meningioma, the authors implanted a controlled quantity of meningioma cells at subdural and intracerebral sites in athymic mice. METHODS: Malignant (one tumor), atypical (two tumors), or benign (three tumors) meningiomas were placed into primary cell cultures. Cells (10(6)/10 microl) from these cultures and from an immortalized malignant meningioma cell line, IOMM-Lee, were injected with stereotactic guidance into the frontal white matter or subdural space of athymic mice. Survival curves were plotted for mice receiving tumor cells of each histological type and according to injection site. Other mice were killed at intervals and their heads were sectioned whole. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of these sections revealed the extent of tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: The median length of survival for mice with malignant, atypical, or benign tumors was 19, 42, or longer than 84 days, respectively. Atypical and malignant tumors were invasive, but did not metastasize extracranially. Malignant tumors uniformly showed leptomeningeal dissemination and those implanted intracerebrally grew locally and spread noncontiguously to the ventricles, choroid plexus, convexities, and skull base. Tumors formed in only 50% of mice injected with benign meningioma cells, whereas injection of more aggressive cells was uniformly successful at tumor production. The three types of human meningiomas grown intracranially in athymic mice maintained their relative positions in the spectrum of malignancy. However, atypical meningiomas became more aggressive after xenografting and acquired malignant features, implying that there had been immune constraint in the original host. Tumor cells injected into brain parenchyma migrated to more optimal environments and grew best there. This model provides insights into the biology of meningiomas and may be useful for testing new therapies.

[Comparative study of the effect of wei-yan-ning and furazolidone in the treatment of gastritis and gastric ulcer caused by pyloric Campylobacter].

Wei-Yan-Ning and Furazolidone were used separately in the treatment of 62 cases of gastritis and gastric ulcer caused by pyloric campylobacteria. The examinations one month later proved, through the gastrofiberscopy and pathological test as well as the urease test, that, among the 40 cases of Wei-Yan-Ning group, there were 25 cures (62.5%), prominent effect for 9 cases (22.5%), improvement for 3 cases (7.5%). The total effective rate was 92.5%. Among the 22 cases of the Furazolidone group, there were 7 cures (31.8%), prominent effect for 5 cases (22.7%), improvement for 4 cases (18.2%). The total effective rate was 72.7%. As for the improvement of symptom, the average time for the Wei-Yan-Ning group was 12.5 +/- 8.12 days; and the Furazolidone group was 21.63 +/- 7.87 days. Therefore, the effect of Wei-Yan-Ning group was superior to that of the Furazolidone group (P less than 0.05).