Epidemiological Investigation of Asymptomatic Dogs with Leishmania Infection in Southwestern China Where Visceral Leishmaniasis is Intractable.

Heishui county, located in northwest Sichuan province, southwestern China, is an endemic area of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (VL) and is the most intractable area. VL is never destroyed in it. Asymptomatic dogs (Leishmania parasites have been diagnosed but clinically healthy) are considered to be a potential reservoir host in zoonotic VL area, and most can lead to infection of individuals, that is a new challenge for controlling VL in humans. The present study aimed to assess the Leishmania infection rate of asymptomatic dogs in Heishui county. Total 105 asymptomatic domestic dogs were gathered from 4 districts in Heishui county to investigate the infection rate with serological and molecular methods based on ELISA and kinetoplast minicircle DNA(kDNA) PCR, respectively. Out of 105 dogs, 44 (41.9%) were positive by more than 1 method; 21 (20.0%) were positive by ELISA, and 30 (28.6%) were positive by kDNA-PCR. Our study showed that Leishmania infection of domestic dogs which is clinically healthy is prevalent in the studied district, and the asymptomatic dogs infected by Leishmania may be the primary reason for the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in the area.

[Development and application of rapid molecular method for detection of asymptomatic infection of Leishmania].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a rapid molecular biological method for detection of the asymptomatic infection of Leishmania. METHODS: Two pairs of primers named RV1-RV2 and K13A-K13B were selected to be the fast diagnosis primers since they were designed according to the conserved region of Leishmania kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) minicircles. The PCR amplification products of Leishmania donovani promastigote from Shandong Province were sequenced to compare their conservatism. The method was applied to detect 105 venous blood samples from healthy home canine and 7 venous blood samples from home canine suffered from Kala-azar in Heishui County of Sichuan Province, and 75 venous blood samples from susceptible population (no leishmaniasis symptoms) and 7 venous blood samples from patients in Xinjiang Kashi area in order to verify the feasibility and accuracy of the method. RESULTS: The size of PCR products was consistent with the expected fragments with high conservative among Leishmania species. The positive rates of 105 home canine samples and 75 susceptible population samples were 37.14% (39/105) and 82.67% (62/75) rspectively, and the positive rates of home canine suffered from Kala-azar and patients were all 100%(7/7). CONCLUSION: This rapid diagnosis method is suitable for detection of asymptomatic infection of Leishmania in Kalaazar endemic areas of China with high sensitive and specific, thus it has bright perspective to be used.

[Construction and identification of pcDNA3-HBsAg-p30-ROP2 expression vector].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a multi-gene recombinant pcDNA3-HBsAg-p30-ROP2 expression vector and identify it preliminarily. METHODS: According to recombinant pcDNA3-p30-ROP2 restriction sites, HBV HBsAg gene sequences of primers were designed and synthesized to amplify target fragment, and then cloned into pcDNA3-HbsAg-p30-ROP2 expression vector. After sequencing, it was identified finally by restriction enzyme digestion and other molecular biology techniques. RESULTS: HBV HBsAg gene segment was amplified by PCR and the multi-gene recombinant pcDNA3-HBsAg-p30-ROP2 expression vector was constructed and identified to be correct as theoretical values. The PCR and restriction enzyme digestion results showed that HBsAg and p30-ROP2 gene in recombinant plasmid were confirmed by DNA sequencing. CONCLUSION: The multi-gene recombinant pcD-NA3-HBsAg-p30-ROP2 expression vector is successfully constructed.

GeneSearch™ BLN Assay could replace frozen section and touch imprint cytology for intra-operative assessment of breast sentinel lymph nodes.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has become a common procedure. The GeneSearch™ Breast Lymph Node Assay is a real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting nodal metastases larger than 0.2 mm. The trial is a prospective multi-center clinical trial conducted to validate the assay in China. METHODS: Four hundred and seventy-nine consecutive prospective patients were enrolled from six centers. SLNs were sectioned along the short axis into multiple blocks. Odd blocks were tested by the assay intra-operatively, and even blocks were assessed by post-operative histology. Six 4- to 6-µm-thick sections were taken every 150 µm per block. In addition, intra-operative histological assessments were performed on the even blocks of 214 patients by frozen section (FS) and all blocks of 156 patients by touch imprint cytology (TIC). RESULTS: A total of 1046 SLNs were excised. Overall performance of the assay compared to post-operative histology was accuracy of 91.4 %, sensitivity of 87.5 %, and specificity of 92.9 %. There were no significant differences in assay performance of each center. After a learning curve of about 10 cases, the assay could be performed in a median time of about 35 min. The sensitivity of the assay was similar to the FS (84.9 %, P = 0.885) and was significantly higher than the TIC (70.0 %, P = 0.007) while the specificity of all were comparable. CONCLUSION: The GeneSearch™ Breast Lymph Node Assay is an accurate and rapid intra-operative assay for breast SLNs and it can replace FS and TIC for application.

[Prospective multi-center study of one-step nucleic acid amplification assay for the detection of sentinel lymph nodes metastases in breast cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the roles of Sysmex RD100i one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay in the intraoperative assessments of breast cancer sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). METHODS: A total of 552 consecutive prospective patients were enrolled from five centers nationwide from February to December 2010. And SLNs were sliced into alternating 2 mm blocks. The odd blocks were tested by the OSNA assay intraoperatively and the even ones assessed by postoperative histology. In addition, intraoperative histological assessments were performed on the even blocks of 211 patients by frozen section and all blocks by touch imprint cytology. RESULTS: A total of 1188 SLNs were removed. The mean turnaround time of the assay was 37.3 min. There was no significant difference of turnaround time at each center (P = 0.074). As compared to postoperative histology, the overall performance of the assay had an accuracy of 91.4% (1086/1188), a sensitivity of 83.7% (159/190) and a specificity of 92.9% (927/998). The sensitivity of the assay was higher than frozen section (77.6% (59/76) vs 69.7% (53/76), P = 0.286) and was significantly higher than touch imprint cytology (83.6% (158/189) vs 76.2% (144/189), P = 0.044). For nodes with micro-metastases, the sensitivity of the assay was higher than frozen section (8/17 vs 4/17, P = 0.289) and was significantly higher than touch imprint cytology (62.5% (30/48) vs 35.4% (17/48), P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: As an accurate and rapid intraoperative assay for assessing breast SLNs, the OSNA assay may replace frozen section and touch imprint cytology for clinical applications.

Comparative study of one-step nucleic acid amplification assay, frozen section, and touch imprint cytology for intraoperative assessment of breast sentinel lymph node in Chinese patients.

UNLABELLED: Conventional procedures for the intraoperative assessment of breast cancer sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are frozen section (FS) and touch imprint cytology (TIC). The one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) assay is a novel molecular technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal approach by comparing OSNA assay, FS, and TIC. Five hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients were enroled from five study centers in China. The SLNs were cut into alternating 2 mm blocks. The odd blocks were tested by the OSNA assay intraoperatively, and the even ones were assessed by postoperative histology (four 4- to 6-µm-thick sections were taken every 200 µm per block). In addition, intraoperative histological assessments were carried out on the even blocks of 211 patients by FS and all blocks of 552 patients by TIC. Overall performance of the assay compared to postoperative histology was: accuracy 91.4%; sensitivity 83.7%; and specificity 92.9%. The sensitivity of the assay was higher than FS (211 patients, 77.6% vs 69.7%; not significant, P = 0.286) and was significantly higher than TIC (552 patients, 83.6% vs 76.2%; P = 0.044). When assessing nodes with micrometastases, the sensitivity of the assay was higher than FS (17 nodes, 47.1% vs 23.5%; not significant, P = 0.289) and was significantly higher than TIC (48 nodes, 62.5% vs 35.4%; P = 0.007). The study indicated that the OSNA assay is an accurate and rapid intraoperative assay for assessing breast SLNs and it can replace FS and TIC for application in general medical practice. The trial was registered as: OSNA assay China Registration Study. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: China Breast Cancer Clinical Study Group 001c.

Lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 1 interacts with and inhibits cystathionine ß-synthase: a target for neuronal antioxidant defense.

The finding that eukaryotic lanthionine synthetase C-like protein 1 (LanCL1) is a glutathione-binding protein prompted us to investigate the potential relationship between LanCL1 and cystathionine ß-synthase (CBS). CBS is a trans-sulfuration enzyme critical for the reduced glutathione (GSH) synthesis and GSH-dependent defense against oxidative stress. In this study we found that LanCL1 bound to CBS in mouse cortex and HEK293 cells. Mapping studies revealed that the binding region in LanCL1 spans amino acids 158-169, and that in CBS contains N-terminal and C-terminal regulatory domains. Recombinant His-LanCL1 directly bound endogenous CBS from mouse cortical lysates and inhibited its activity. Overexpression of LanCL1 inhibited CBS activity in HEK293 cells. CBS activity is reported to be regulated by oxidative stress. Here we found that oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2) or glutamate lowered the GSH/GSSG ratio, dissociated LanCL1 from CBS, and elevated CBS activity in primary rat cortical neurons. Decreasing the GSH/GSSG ratio by adding GSSG to cellular extracts also dissociated LanCL1 from CBS. Either lentiviral knockdown of LanCL1 or specific disruption of the LanCL1-CBS interaction using the peptide Tat-LanCL1(153-173) released CBS activity in neurons but occluded CBS activation in response to oxidative stress, indicating the major contribution of the LanCL1-CBS interaction to the regulation of CBS activity. Furthermore, LanCL1 knockdown or Tat-LanCL1(153-173) treatment reduced H(2)O(2) or glutamate-induced neuronal damage. This study implies potential therapeutic value in targeting the LanCL1-CBS interaction for neuronal oxidative stress-related diseases.

Littoral cell angioma of the spleen: report of three cases and a review of the literature.

Littoral cell angioma is a recently described rare vascular tumor of the spleen. The clinical course of this benign tumor is asymptomatic in most patients. Herein, we described three patients with littoral cell angioma detected during physical examination. A brief discussion and review of a handful of cases of splenic littoral cell angioma, which have been previously reported in the English language literature, are performed in this paper.

Using intra-operative GeneSearchTM Breast Lymph Node Assay to detect breast cancer metastases in sentinel lymph nodes: results from a single institute in China.

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy has become a common procedure for early breast cancer patients. The GeneSearch(TM) Breast Lymph Node (BLN) Assay is a real-time RT-PCR assay for the detecting nodal metastases larger than 0.2 mm. China Breast Cancer Clinical Study Group (CBCSG)-001a is a prospective multi-center clinical trial that was conducted to validate the GeneSearch(TM) BLN Assay in China. METHODS: The SLNs from 90 consecutive patients were identified and dissected, and then sectioned along the short axis into multiple blocks. Intra-operatively, the odd blocks were tested by BLN assay and the even ones were used for frozen section, while all the blocks were evaluated by touch imprint cytology. Post-operatively, the remaining tissues were assessed by histological evaluation. RESULTS: A total of 189 SLNs was tested by BLN assay. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 88.9%, 97.4%, 88.9% and 97.4%, respectively, for BLN assay, 75.0%, 100%, 100% and 94.4%, respectively, for frozen section, and 63.9%, 100%, 100% and 92.2%, respectively, for touch imprint cytology. The sensitivity of BLN assay was higher than that of touch imprint cytology (P = 0.01) and frozen section (P = 0.13). When assessing the nodes with micro-metastases, BLN assay had a significant higher sensitivity than frozen section (P = 0.023) and touch imprint cytology (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: The GeneSearch(TM) BLN Assay is an accurate and rapid intra-operative assay for breast SLNs and it is suitable for application in general medical practice.

[Value of intraoperative GeneSearch(TM) BLN assay to detect breast cancer metastases in sentinel lymph nodes].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of GeneSearch(TM) BLN assay as an intraoperative diagnostic method of sentinel lymph node metastases in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Ninety consecutive patients were involved in this study. SLNs were intraoperatively identified and dissected, and then sectioned vertically to the long axis into multiple blocks. The odd blocks were tested by BLN assay and even ones prepared for frozen sectioning (FS), while all blocks were evaluated by touch imprint cytology (TIC). Post-operatively, residual tissues of the even blocks were assessed by histopathologic examination (4 - 6 µm thick serial sectioning permanent H&E slides were performed every 150 µm and one block made 6 slides). RESULTS: BLN assay could be performed within less than 35 min after learning curve of 10 cases. A correlation was found between cycle time values of mammaglobin or cytokeratin-19 and size of metastases, with Spearman correlation coefficients of 0.67 and 0.71, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predict value (PPV) and negative predict value (NPV) of the assay were 95.6%, 93.3%, 96.7%, 93.3% and 96.7%, While FS had the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV of 76.7%, 100%, 100%, 89.6%, and TIC of 73.3%, 100%, 100%, 88.2%, respectively. The sensitivity of the assay was higher than that of FS (P = 0.07), and was significantly higher than that of FS (P = 0.04). When assessing patients with micro-metastases, the assay had a sensitivity of 85.7%, which was significantly higher than that of FS and TIC (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: GeneSearch(TM) BLN Assay can replace FS and TIC for the intraoperative assessment of SLN.

[The study of the relationship between microlymphatic vessel density and lymph metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma].

Not Abstract.

[Intra-operative GeneSearch(TM) BLN assay for detecting breast cancer metastases in sentinel lymph nodes].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical value of GeneSearch(TM) BLN Assay as an intra-operative diagnostic method of sentinel lymph node (SLN) for breast cancer patients. METHODS: A total of 479 consecutive patients from six centers were involved in this prospective study. The SLNs were identified, dissected and then sectioned along the short axis into multiple blocks. The odd blocks were tested intra-operatively by the above-mentioned assay and the even blocks assessed post-operatively by histopathologic examination. The 4 - 6 µm thick stepwise sectioning permanent HE slides were prepared every 150 µm and one block yielded 6 slides. In addition, the even blocks of 136 patients were prepared for frozen section (FS) and all blocks of 156 patients evaluated intra-operatively by touch imprint cytology (TIC). RESULTS: In the node basis analysis, its accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predict value (PPV) and negative predict value (NPV) were 93.0%, 85.6%, 94.6%, 76.6% and 96.9% respectively. Its sensitivity was similar to that of FS (84.9%, P = 0.885) and significantly higher than that of TIC (70.0%, P = 0.007). When assessing nodes with macro-metastases, its sensitivity was similar to that of FS (93.6% vs 95.6%, P = 0.558) and significantly higher than that of TIC (93.6% vs 80.9%, P = 0.011). When assessing nodes with micro-metastases, it had a higher sensitivity than that of FS (57.5% vs 44.4%, P = 0.356) and TIC (57.5% vs 30.8%, P = 0.094). In the patient basis analysis, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 91.4%, 87.5%, 92.9%, 81.8% and 95.3% respectively. Its sensitivity was similar to that of FS (84.5%, P = 0.576) and significantly higher than that of TIC (75.0%, P = 0.049). After adjustment, it had the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of 91.7%, 83.5%, 95.2%, 88.3% and 93.0% respectively. Its sensitivity was higher than that of FS (72.1%, P = 0.054) and significantly higher than that of TIC (66.7%, P = 0.011). The two had no significant difference in the sensitivity and specificity. After a learning curve of around 10 cases, it could be performed in a median time of around 35 min. The threshold cycle time values of MG and CK-19 were 36 and 31 respectively. The type of metastases could be estimated approximately according to the cycle time values. The cycle time values of MG under 33 indicated SLN macro-metastases and those of 33-36 denoted micro-metastases. The values of CK-19 under 29 indicated SLN macro-metastases and those of 29-31 denoted micro-metastases. CONCLUSION: As an accurate and rapid intra-operative assay for breast sentinel lymph nodes, the GeneSearch(TM) BLN Assay may replace FS and TIC in general medical practice.

[Quantitative analysis and significance of CXCL12 and CXCR4 expression with lymphangiogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of CXCL12, its receptor CXCR4 and its correlations with clinical pathology and lymphangiogenesis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC). METHODS: The tissue samples were obtained from 30 patients with PAC by surgery between January 2005 and December 2007, which including PAC, the cancerous peripheral tissues, the normal pancreatic tissues and peripheral lymph nodes. The patients age ranged from 35 to 78 years old (median 57.2 years old). The expressions of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in these tissues were assayed by immunohistochemical staining, RT-PCR and fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: In the immunohistochemical staining, the CXCL12 protein mainly located in the normal pancreatic cell envelopes and/or cytolymphs. In the immunohistochemical staining, the CXCR4 protein mainly located in the cell envelopes and/or cytolymphs of PAC. The results of RT-PCR and fluorescence quantitative real-time PCR indicated that the expression levels of CXCR4 mRNA in PAC tissues, the cancerous peripheral tissues and peripheral lympho nodes were higher than that in the normal pancreatic tissues (P < 0.01). The MLVD in PAC were detected by morphometric analysis respectively. The level of MLVD in III-IV stages was higher than I-II stages of PAC (P < 0.01), and in these cases which had lymphatic metastasis, the level of MLVD significantly increased (P < 0.01). And there was no correlation between the differentiation and histology types of PAC (P > 0.05). There was 22 samples that the CXCR4 protein was positive, and among these samples the MLVD was higher than that in negative group of CXCR4 protein (P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of CXCR4 was significantly associated with lymphatic metastasis of PAC, and the higher expression of CXCR4 in PAC tissues was significantly associated with lymphangiogenesis of PAC.

Effect of 5-LOX/COX-2 common inhibitor DHDMBF30 on pancreatic cancer cell Capan2.

AIM: To study the effect of 5-lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase-2 (5-LOX/COX-2) dual inhibitor 7-tert-butyl-2, 3-dihydro-3, 3-dimethyl substituted dihydrofuran 30 (DHDMBF30) on proliferation and apoptosis of the pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-2 and the effect of DHDMBF30 on human pancreatic cancer in a nude mouse model. METHODS: Investigate the effect of 5-LOX/COX-2 dual inhibitor DHDMBF30 on proliferation and apoptosis of the pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-2 by RT-PCR, MTT assay, FCM and electron microscope. Cell line Capan-2 was inoculated percutaneously on the outer thigh of 12 nude mice. The VEGF mRNA of transplantation tumor was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: DHDMBF30 inhibits the proliferation of cell line Capan2, reduces the expression of 5-LOX, COX-2 and VEGF. After Capan2 was treated with DHDMBF30, we found that the apoptosis peak of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the contrast group (3.08 +/- 1.89 vs 27.67 +/- 0.52, P < 0.001). The tumor weight of the DHDMBF30 group was significantly lower than PBS control groups (1.35 +/- 0.47 vs 2.92 +/- 0.73, P < 0.01). Expression of VEGF in the DHDMBF30 group was significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: DHDMBF30 inhibits the proliferation of the pancreatic cell line Capan2, and induces apoptosis and inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer in nude mice.

Distributions of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in gastrointestinal intramucosal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Although angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in gastrointestinal cancers has been investigated in many studies, their distribution characteristics in gastrointestinal intramucosal tumors have not been well addressed. METHODS: We evaluated the blood microvessel density (BMVD) and lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) by immunostaining with monoclonal antibodies of CD34 and D2-40 in 37 patients with stomach intramucosal carcinoma and 28 patients with colorectal intramucosal neoplasia. Microvessels with endothelial cells labeled by CD34 but not by D2-40 were recognized as blood microvessels; and microvessels with endothelial cells labeled by both CD34 and D2-40 were recognized as lymphatic vessels. Furthermore, the relationships between expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF-C, and BMVD, LMVD were investigated as well. RESULTS: The LMVD was significantly higher in peritumoral tissues than in corresponding normal tissues in gastrointestinal intramucosal tumors (20.87 versus 14.56, P = 0.003). However, there was no significant difference in the BMVD between peritumoral tissues and corresponding normal tissues (P = 0.166). The BMVD in peritumoral tissues was higher in patients with lymph node metastases than in patients without lymph nodes metastases (P = 0.047). Our results did not show significant association between VEGF, VEGF-C and BMVD, LMVD. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that the increase of lymphangiogenesis seems superior to the increase of angiogenesis in gastrointestinal intramucosal tumors.

[Expression and significance of DNA topoisomerase I (topo I) in small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and its significance of DNA topoisomerase I (Topo I) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). METHODS: Topo I expression was detected by immunohistochemical S-P technique on 50 cases of SCLC and 12 cases of normal lung tissues. RESULTS: The total positive rate of Topo I in normal lung tissue was 25.0% (3/12) and 78.0% (39/50) in SCLC. The expression of Topo I does not correlate with age, gender, smoking, tumor size and tumor site (P > 0.05), but significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P <0.05). CONCLUSION: High Topo I expression is a rationale indication of Topo I inhibitor treatment of malignancies. It should be possible to predict anti-tumor drug sensitivity by assessment of Topo I expression and help to improve the therapeutic efficacy for cancer patients.

[Expression and significance of integrin alpha5, beta1 and E-CD in patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the expressions of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD, and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). METHODS: The expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 and E-CD were analyzed in 53 NSCLC and 12 control specimens by immunohistochemical assay. RESULTS: The expression of integrin alpha5 beta1 was significantly higher in NSCLC (58.5%) than that in normal lung tissue (16.7%), and also positively related with pathological characteristics (P = 0.021), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006), and clinical stage (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in NSCLC group was significantly lower than that in control group (22.3% vs 40.6% , P = 0.041). The positive expression of E-CD in NSCLC and control group was 32.1% and 91.7%, respectively, and negatively correlated with pathological characteristics (P = 0.010) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002). The 3-year survival rate in control group was 19.9%, lower than that in NSCLC group (41.2%, P > 0.05), but the difference is not significant. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of integrin alpha5 beta1 may contribute to lymph node metastasis and play an inverse role, while E-CD may be a beneficial prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC.

[A comparative study on radiology and pathology target volume in non-small-cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: Defining the margin of clinical target volume (CTV) is very important for three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). In this study, according to the comparison between gross tumor volume (GTV) silhouetted by radiology and pathology in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we tried to define the correlation of GTV by radiology and pathology, and assess the degree of correlation to local microscopic extension (ME) among different pathologic types of NSCLC, so as to define the margin of CTV precisely. METHODS: From February 2001 to February 2002, forty-three NSCLC patients after surgical resection were studied. All patients had had CT scans of the chest before surgery and routine pathology examination after surgery. The tumor size at X (lateral direction), Y (ventrodorsal direction) and Z (craniocaudal direction) axes were measured on CT. Also by pathology examination, the tumor size at X, Y, Z axes and the degree of ME at X, Y, Z axes were measured, respectively. RESULTS: Without taking into account the value of ME, there was almost total agreement on the GTV by radiology and pathology in three dimensions. The mean value of ME was 2.18 mm for adenocarcinoma (ADC) and 1.33 mm for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (P = 0.001). But, taking into account 95% of the ME, a margin of 7 mm and 5 mm must be allowed for ADC and SCC, respectively. CONCLUSION: There exists a correlation of GTV by radiology and pathology. In the target volume defining for 3DCRT and IMRT, we could use the GTV by radiology instead of the GTV by pathology, with the ME being different for ADC and SCC. To cover 95% of the ME, the margin from GTV to CTV must be extended to 7 mm and 5 mm for ADC and SCC, respectively.