Targeting Gli transcription activation by small molecule suppresses tumor growth.

Targeted inhibition of Hedgehog signaling at the cell membrane has been associated with anticancer activity in preclinical and early clinical studies. Hedgehog signaling involves activation of Gli transcription factors that can also be induced by alternative pathways. In this study, we identified an interaction between Gli proteins and a transcription coactivator TBP-associated factor 9 (TAF9), and validated its functional relevance in regulating Gli transactivation. We also describe a novel, synthetic small molecule, FN1-8, that efficiently interferes with Gli/TAF9 interaction and downregulate Gli/TAF9-dependent transcriptional activity. More importantly, FN1-8 suppresses cancer cell proliferation in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in vivo. Our results suggest that blocking Gli transactivation, an important control point of multiple oncogenic pathways, may be an effective anticancer strategy.

Presacral teratocarcinoma presenting as anal fistula and rectal adenocarcinoma: a unique case presentation and literature review.

Somatic malignancy arising from presacral or retroperitoneal primary teratoma is extremely rare. We report the case of a 37-year-old male patient with adenocarcinoma of respiratory type arising from primary presacral teratoma, but which first presented as anal fistula and rectal adenocarcinoma. The two tumors show the same morphology and immunophenotype (CK7-CK20+CDx2+). Malignant adenocarcinoma transformations from the normal respiratory epithelium are also found. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second case of respiratory type adenocarcinoma arising from primary presacral mature cystic teratoma.

First Report of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus Infecting Cucurbits in Taiwan.

In April 2009, chlorosis, yellows, and bleaching accompanied with green veins and brittleness on the lower leaves of cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) were observed in Lunbei Township, Yunlin County, Taiwan. The same symptoms were also found on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai), bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standl.), and oriental pickling melon planted in other areas of Yunlin and Changhua counties in central Taiwan. Large populations of whiteflies were observed in association with the diseased cucurbit crops, and they were further identified as silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring) by PCR with specific primers BaBF (5'-CCACTATAATTATTGCTGTTCCCACA-3') and l2-N-3014R (5'-TCCAATGCACTAATCTGCCATATTA-3') (3). In June 2009, samples from symptomatic cantaloupe were collected for virus diagnosis. Flexuous filamentous virions of 700 to 900 nm were observed in crude sap of the symptomatic cantaloupe tissues with transmission electron microscopy. On the basis of the suspected insect vector, symptomology, and virus morphology, a Crinivirus species was suspected as the causal agent. A nested reverse transcription (RT)-PCR assay with degenerate deoxyinosine-containing primers developed for detection of Closterovirus and Crinivirus (1) was conducted. Total RNAs extracted from 16 symptomatic cantaloupe samples with a Plant Total RNA Miniprep Purification Kit (Hopegen, Taichung, Taiwan) were analyzed, and a 0.5-kb DNA fragment was amplified from eight of them. The PCR products were sequenced and the sequences were identical among samples. A comparison of the submitted sequence (Accession No. HM120250) with those in GenBank showed that the sequence was identical to the Hsp70h sequences of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) isolates from Japan (Accession No. AB523789) (4) and China (Accession Nos. GU721105, GU721108, and GU721110). To identify CCYV infection in the field, the specific primers, Crini-hsp70-f (5'-GCCATAACCATTACGGGAGA-3') and Crini-hsp70-r (5'-CGCAGTGAAAAACCCAAACT-3'), that amplify a 389-bp DNA fragment corresponding to the nucleotide 1,324 to 1,712 of RNA2 of the original CCYV Japan isolate (Accession No. AB523789) were designed for detection of CCYV. In RT-PCR analyses, CCYV was identified in cantaloupe (305 of 599 samples), watermelon (27 of 93 samples), cucumber (all 15 samples), melon (82 of 92 samples), pumpkin (8 of 10 samples), and bottle gourd (10 of 17 samples) showing chlorosis and yellowing. The 389-bp DNA fragment was also amplified by RT-PCR with the primer pair Crini-hsp70-f/Crini-hsp70-r from total RNA extracts of 29 of 116 silverleaf whitefly individuals collected from the diseased cantaloupe fields in Lunbei Township from August to October, 2009. CCYV is a newly characterized Crinivirus species, first discovered in Japan in 2004 (2) and also found in China in 2009. To our knowledge, this is the first report that CCYV is emerging as a threat to cucurbit productions in Taiwan. References: (1) C. I. Dovas and N. I. Katis. J. Virol. Methods 109:217, 2003. (2) Y. Gyoutoku et al. Jpn. J. Phytopathol. 75:109, 2009. (3) C. C. Ko et al. J. Appl. Entomol. 131:542, 2007. (4) M. Okuda et al. Phytopathology 100:560, 2010.

Quadruple rescue therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection after two treatment failures.

BACKGROUND: A standard third-line therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection is lacking, and antimicrobial sensitivity data for patients who failed eradication therapy are often unavailable in clinical practice. We therefore designed the prospective study to assess the efficacy of levofloxacin, amoxicillin, bismuth and rabeprazole quadruple therapy as a third-line treatment for H. pylori infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From September 2005 to August 2007, 37 consecutive H. pylori-infected patients who had failed standard first-line and second-line treatments underwent a 10-day quadruple therapy comprising rabeprazole (20 mg b.i.d.), bismuth subcitrate (300 mg q.d.s.), amoxicillin (500 mg q.d.s.) and levofloxacin (500 mg o.d.). Follow-up endoscopy with rapid urease test, histological examination and culture was performed at 6 weeks after the end of treatment to evaluate the response to therapy. RESULTS: Helicobacter pylori was successfully eradicated in 31 out of 37 patients (84% by both intention-to-treat analysis and per-protocol analysis). All patients complied with the eradication therapies, and only seven patients (19%) complained of mild-to-moderate adverse events. Amoxicillin- and levofloxacin-resistant strains were observed in 17% and 22% of the patients, respectively. There were no significant differences between H. pylori eradication rates and antibiotic resistances. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-day levofloxacin- and amoxicillin-based quadruple therapy is well tolerated and achieves a high eradication rate as a third-line empirical treatment for H. pylori infection.

High-dose versus low-dose esomeprazole-based triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: This prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted to compare the efficacies of high-dose and low-dose esomeprazole-based triple therapies for Helicobacter pylori eradication in Taiwan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2004 to June 2006, 240 H. pylori-infected patients were randomly assigned to undergo high-dose (40 mg b.d.) or low-dose (40 mg o.d.) esomeprazole combined with clarithromycin (500 mg b.d.) and amoxicillin (1 g b.d.) for one week. Follow-up endoscopy was performed at eight weeks after the end of treatment to evaluate the response to therapy. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated no differences between eradication rates of high-dose and low-dose groups (92% vs. 90%, respectively, P > 0.05). Per-protocol analysis yielded comparable results (95% vs. 93%). Both groups exhibited similar frequencies of adverse events (13% vs. 11%) and drug compliance (96% vs. 93%). Multivariate analysis indicated that only good compliance (odds ratio: 10.3, 95% CI, 3.0-35.7) was an independent predictor of treatment success. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates that low-dose esomeprazole-based triple therapy yields a similar eradication rate as high-dose esomeprazole-based therapy in Taiwan. Since the cost of the low-dose regime is lower than that of the high-dose regime, low-dose esomeprazole-based triple therapy can reasonably be recommended for the first-line eradication of H. pylori for Taiwanese and probably most Asians.

Randomized comparison of two rescue therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: Bismuth salts are not available worldwide. It remains unknown whether clarithromycin can replace bismuth salts as an adjuvant agent in the rescue regimens for Helicobacter pylori infection. We therefore designed the prospective study to compare the efficacies of two rescue therapies for H. pylori infection after standard triple therapies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-three patients who failed H. pylori eradication using proton pump inhibitor plus clarithromycin and amoxicillin were randomly assigned to undergo rescue therapy with esomeprazole, clarithromycin, tetracycline and metronidazole (ECTM group, n = 46) or esomeprazole, bismuth subcitrate, tetracycline and metronidazole (EBTM group, n = 47). Follow-up endoscopy was performed at 8 weeks after the end of treatment to assess the treatment response. RESULTS: Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated both groups had similar eradication rates (ECTM 74% vs. EBTM 77%; P = 0.76) and drug compliance (ECTM 94% vs. EBTM 96%; P = 0.68). However, the frequency of adverse events in the ECTM group was higher than that in EBTM group (ECTM 57% vs. EBTM 36%, P = 0.05). In the EBTM group, eradication rate of metronidazole-resistant strains was lower than that of metronidazole-susceptible strains (67%[8/12] vs. 100%[9/9], P = 0.05). However, eradication rates were similar between metronidazole-susceptible and metronidazole-resistant strains in ECTM group (69%[9/13] vs. 70%[7/10], P = 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: The new ECTM second-line therapy can achieve similar eradication rate as standard EBTM therapy. It may be very useful in countries where bismuth salts are not available.

Risks of interleukin-1 genetic polymorphisms and Helicobacter pylori infection in the development of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The host genetic factors that determine the clinical outcomes of Helicobacter pylori-infected individuals remain unclear. AIM: To elucidate the risks of host interleukin-1 (IL-1) genetic polymorphisms and H. pylori infection in the development of gastric cancer. METHODS: In a case-control study of 164 controls and 142 patients with gastric cancer, the IL-1B-511 biallelic polymorphisms and the IL-1RN penta-allelic variable number of tandem repeats were genotyped. RESULTS: The carriage of IL-1RN*2, male gender, old age and H. pylori infection independently increased the risk of gastric cancer, with odds ratios of 3.3 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.4-7.7], 2.1 (95% CI, 1.2-3.8), 5.3 (95% CI, 3.1-9.0) and 2.2 (95% CI, 1.3-3.8), respectively. H. pylori-infected individuals who were carriers of IL-1RN*2 showed increased risks of both intestinal and diffuse types of gastric cancer, with odds ratios of 11.0 and 8.7, respectively. In addition, these individuals also had a higher score of intestinal metaplasia in the corpus than did uninfected non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to verify IL-1RN*2 as an independent factor governing the development of gastric cancer in Asian individuals. A combination of H. pylori testing and host genotyping may target the eradication of H. pylori to high-risk individuals.

Experimental testing of spray dryer for control of incineration emissions.

The research investigated the absorption/adsorption efficiency of sulfur dioxide (SO2), heavy metals, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with different Ca-based sorbents in a spray dryer during incineration process. For further improving the adsorption capacity of Ca-based sorbents, different spraying pressure and additives were carried out in this study. Experimental results showed that CaO could be used as an alternative sorbent in the spray dryer at an optimal initial particle size distribution of spraying droplet. In the spray dryer, Ca-based sorbents provided a lot of sites for heavy metals and PAHs condensing and calcium and alkalinity to react with metals to form merged species. As a result, heavy metals and PAHs could be removed from the flue gas simultaneously by condensation and adsorption. The additions of additives NaHCO3, SiO2, and KMnO4 were also found to be effective in improving the removal efficiency of these air pollutants.

Endoscopic 13C-urea breath test for the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic 13C-urea breath test may avoid contamination of oral urease and rapidly discriminate Helicobacter pylori-positive and Helicobacter pylori-negative patients. AIMS: To compare the accuracy of endoscopic 13C-urea breath test with conventional invasive methods in diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection. PATIENTS: One hundred patients who attended for routine upper gastrointestinal endoscopy were included. METHODS: 13C-urea was applied to the stomach through the working channel of endoscope at the end of endoscopic examination. Breath samples were collected before endoscopy and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 min after consumption of 100 or 50 mg 13C-urea. Helicobacter pylori infection was defined as those with positive culture or positive results of both histology and CLO test. RESULTS: The accuracy of 100 mg endoscopic 13C-urea breath test was significantly higher than that of culture and CLO test (100% vs. 88% and 92%, p = 0.02 and 0.03, respectively). The accuracy of 50 mg endoscopic 13C-urea breath test was higher than that of histology and CLO test (98% vs. 90% and 96%, respectively), although the differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic 13C-urea breath test has a higher accuracy compared with biopsy-based modalities. It may be a good choice to diagnose Helicobacter pylori infection if endoscopy is indicated for a dyspeptic patient.

Risk factors for ulcer development in patients with non-ulcer dyspepsia: a prospective two year follow up study of 209 patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A subset of non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) disorders can evolve into peptic ulcer disease. This prospective study attempted to determine the independent risk factors for ulcer formation in NUD patients, and compared the natural history of Helicobacter pylori positive and negative NUD subjects. METHODS: From May 1997 to April 1999, consecutive NUD patients were enrolled into the study. Endoscopy was performed routinely on enrolment, at the end of the second and 12th months, and whenever there was a dyspepsia attack. Patients were prospectively followed up for two years. RESULTS: Peptic ulcers occurred in 16 of 209 NUD patients during the two year follow up period. Multivariate analysis of 13 host and bacterial factors demonstrated that advanced age (odds ratio 2.90), H pylori infection (odds ratio 3.59), and use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID; odds ratio 4.46) were independently significant in predicting subsequent peptic ulcer development. NUD patients with all three risk factors had a 75% (3/4) risk of developing peptic ulcer but the ulcer incidence in patients without any of the risk parameters was only 1.2% (1/84). The resolution rate of symptoms in the H pylori positive NUD patients was similar to the H pylori negative patients (57.9% v 49.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) -5 to 22). However, rates for subsequent peptic ulcer and erosion development were significantly higher in H pylori positive patients than in H pylori negative patients (ulcer 12.6% v 3.5%, 95% CI 1-16; erosion 23.2% v 12.3%, 95% CI 1-21). CONCLUSION: A small but significant proportion of NUD patients develop peptic ulcer after long term follow up. H pylori infection, NSAID use, and advanced age are independent risk factors for subsequent ulcer formation. Follow up endoscopy is strongly indicated for an NUD patient with multiple risk factors for ulcer formation when symptoms recur.

The study of modified calcium hydroxides with surfactants for acid gas removal during incineration.

The primary objective of the present work is to use additives to extend the sulfation reaction of the calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) used to control SO2 emission from incineration processes. There are two reasons for adding surfactants (surface-active agent): (1) to provide an appropriate dispersion of the Ca(OH)2', thus preventing particle agglomeration due to humidity; (2) to alter the sulfation reaction environment by adsorbing heterogeneous materials on the surface of the Ca(OH)2 to extend the adsorption equilibrium. A dry scrubber integrated with a fabric filter was employed to study the effect of surfactants on the removal efficiency of acid gas in the flue gas with Ca(OH)2 as the sorbent. The operating parameters evaluated include: (1) the different surfactants (calcium lignosulfonate, sodium lignosulfonate, alkyl naphthalene sodium sulfonate and beta-naphthalene sodium sulfonate condensates) and (2) the composition of acid gas (i.e. sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NO) and hydrogen chloride (HCl)). The results show that modified Ca(OH)2 with surfactants could effectively decrease the emission of acid gas during incineration. Different additives had individual absorption efficiencies on different acid gases. On the whole, sodium lignosulfonate and beta-naphthalene sodium sulfonate condensates had better sorption capacity for SO2 and NO, but not for HCl. In addition, when SO2 coexisted with NO and HCl, the concentration of NO and HCl will result in decrease or increase of the removal efficiency of SO2.

Cathepsin E and subtypes of intestinal metaplasia in carcinogenesis of the human stomach.

BACKGROUND: Cathepsin E is found mainly over the gastric surface and foveolar epithelial cells, and it also is found in the metaplastic pyloric glands and cancer cells. The exact function of cathepsin E in gastric mucosa remains unclear. The colonic type (type III) of intestinal metaplasia (IM) is strongly associated with intestinal-type gastric carcinoma. IM is considered to be a precancerous lesion. The aim of this study was to find out the role of cathepsin E in IM, dysplasia and cancer of stomach. METHODS: Sixty nine biopsy specimens with IM and dysplasia and 33 gastrectomy specimens with gastric carcinoma were fixed, sectioned and stained with PAS-alcian blue stain, high iron-diamine alcian blue stain to classify IM and immunohistochemical stain to localize cathepsin E. Those patients with dysplastic gastric lesions received regular endoscopic follow-up. RESULTS: Fifteen of 69 patients with gastric dysplasia developed cancer in a median 10.5 months follow-up. Severe dysplasia developed carcinoma significantly higher than mild dysplasia (12/20 vs. 1/25, p < 0.001), and type III intestinal metaplasia seemed to have significantly predilection for severe dysplasia and gastric cancer. Cathepsin E was stained in intestinal metaplasia with dysplastic change in 44/69 specimens (63.8%), and carcinoma in 28/48 (58.3%) specimens, there was no significant difference between intestinal type and diffuse type carcinoma in cathepsin E staining. The positive staining for cathepsin E decreased significantly in severe dysplastic gastric mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: Type III IM is commonly associated with severe dysplasia and cancer; it may be a precancerous lesion. The positive staining of cathepsin E decreased with the severity of gastric dysplasia, representing dedifferentiation of the cells.

Follow-up of Helicobacter pylori status by using 13C-urea breath test in nonulcer dyspeptic patients after eradication therapy.

BACKGROUND: The role of eradication therapy is still controversial in H. pylori-related nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD). The aim of this study was to follow up the H. pylori status after eradication therapy in patients with NUD by using l3C-urea breath test (UBT). METHODS: Patients with a clinical and endoscopic diagnosis of NUD were included. H. pylori infection was established by endoscopic biopsies and 13C-UBT. Patients with H. pylori infection then received a quadruple therapy with colloidal bismuth subcitrate, metronidazole, tetracycline and lansoprazole. Two months after completion of therapy, endoscopic biopsies and 13C-UBT were performed again to confirm eradication. A follow-up 13C-UBT was carried out again in one year to detect recurrence of H. pylori infection. RESULTS: Eighty-eight of the 148 patients (59.5%) were found to have H. pylori infection by both endoscopic biopsies and 13C-UBT. Anti-H. pylori therapy was given for 55 patients and proved successful in 33 of them two months after the end of therapy. However, recurrence was found one year later in three of these 33 cases, making a recurrence rate of 9.1% (3/33). Three of the 22 cases with unsuccessful eradication were found to have H. pylori eradication at one year by follow-up 13C-UBT. One of the 33 H. pylori-positive patients without anti-H. pylori therapy, who had negative 13C-UBT in one year follow-up, was found taking a high dose and long period of antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: The recurrence rate of H. pylori infection in our study was higher than that in the Western population. Delayed eradication of H. pylori may occur after anti-H. pylori therapy. Spontaneous eradication is rare in patients not receiving anti-H. pylori eradication.

Clinical significance of oral urease in diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection by [13C]urea breath test.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of oral flora on [13C]urea breath test in detecting H. pylori infection and find an optimal method and timing for sample collection. Forty-five volunteers were included in this study. The [13C]urea breath test was performed using mouthwash, endoscopic administration, and conventional methods. According to the receiver-operating characteristic curves, the earliest optimal time for discriminating H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative patients was at 25 min with the mouthwash method with 78% sensitivity and 82% specificity, at 2 min with the endoscopic administration method with 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity, and at 6 min with the conventional method with 100% sensitivity and 95% specificity. The study shows a significant effect of oral urease on the results of the [13C]urea breath test. The timing of sampling collection can be shortened to 6 min with the conventional method or to 2 min through endoscopic administration.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the liver.

Solitary fibrous tumor of the liver is a rare neoplasm. So far, 21 cases have been described in the English literature. We reported an additional case. Our patient, a 75-year-old man, suffered from abdominal fullness and body weight loss of 6 kg over 6 months, and chills and fever for 2 months. Hypoglycemia was noted at admission. Both abdominal sonography and CT showed a huge mass occupying the right lobe of liver. Liver biopsy showed fibrous tumor. Right lobectomy was performed and the tumor was resected. Pathological examination showed spindle-shaped and fibroblast-like cells within the collagenous stroma. On immunohistochemical stains, these spindle tumor cells showed CD34 positive reactivity. The post-operative course was uneventful and there was no more hypoglycemia. The patient recovered smoothly, regained his body weight, and was alive without evidence of disease recurrence at the last follow-up visit in November, 2000.

Comparison of clinical, serological and histological findings between non-ulcer dyspepsia patients with and without Helicobacter pylori infection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) remains controversial. This study investigates the clinical, serological and histological differences between patients with H. pylori-positive and -negative NUD. METHODS: One hundred and eighty consecutive patients with NUD were enrolled from January to December 1998. The severity of symptoms was evaluated by the Tucci's scoring system. The histological changes of gastric mucosa were assessed according to the Updated Sydney System, and a fasting blood sample was obtained to test the serum gastrin and pepsinogen I levels. RESULTS: The H. pylori-positive NUD patients were notably older than H. pylori-negative NUD patients (48.2 +/- 15.9 vs 39.8 +/- 15.7 years, P= 0.001). There were no differences in other clinical factors between the two NUD groups. The serum pepsinogen I levels were considerably higher in H. pylori-positive NUD patients than in H. pylori-negative NUD patients (78.9 +/- 42.2 vs 61.5 +/- 43.3 ng/mL, P<0.01). However, no significant differences in serum gastrin levels were discovered between the two groups. The antrum histological scores for chronic inflammation, acute inflammation, gland atrophy and lymphoid follicles were higher in H. pylori-positive NUD patients than in H. pylori-negative NUD patients (2.09 vs 1.01, P<0.001; 1.22 vs 0.36, P<0.001; 0.76 vs 0.36, P<0.01; 0.33 vs 0.13, P<0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The present study discovered marked differences in age, serum pepsinogen I levels, histological grades of acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, gland atrophy and lymphoid tissue formation between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative NUD patients. Further investigation of the clinical prognosis of the two groups of patients is necessary.

Nephrogenic adenoma associated with cytomegalovirus infection of the ureter in a renal transplant patient: presentation as ureteral obstruction.

Nephrogenic adenoma (NA), a rare benign lesion of the urinary tract, is widely accepted to be a metaplastic reaction due to urothelial injury. It mainly occurs in the urinary bladder and rarely in the ureter. Renal transplant recipients are prone to the development of NA. However in those patients, NA was diagnosed exclusively in the bladder. Herein, we present the--to our knowledge--first case of NA involving a transplanted ureter. A 42-year-old female kidney transplant recipient suffered hematuria, oliguria, and acute renal failure and presented with ureteral obstruction and hydronephrosis of the renal transplant. To our surprise, evidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the NA was demonstrated using special immunohistochemical staining. The findings in this case raise the possibility that CMV infection, as an irritant of the ureteral epithelium, may be an etiological factor of NA.

Pollutants in incineration flue gas.

Previous studies have shown that pollutants from incineration include heavy metals, organic compounds, particulate and acid gas. However, most studies on a single pollutant, it is rare for a study to concentrate on all possible pollutants and the relations between these pollutants under various incineration conditions. The objective of this work was to experimentally study the effect of different operating conditions on the pollutants emitted during incineration and the relations between these pollutants. The operating conditions of the experiments included the temperature of the combustion chamber and the species of organics. The findings indicated that the concentration of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the presence of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was higher than that of sodium chloride (NaCl). Regardless of what Cl-containing feedstock was added, the concentration of chromium (Cr) was constant. When organic chloride was added, Cr was the main metallic element which influenced the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). On the other hand, when inorganic chloride (NaCl) was added, lead (Pb) was the major element.