The impact of fear of cancer recurrence on the quality of life of breast cancer patients: A longitudinal study of the mediation effect of cortisol and hope.

OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study sought to explore the impact of cortisol and hope levels on Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR) and Quality of Life (QOL) in a cohort of 552 breast cancer patients from three centers in Wuhan City. METHOD: A longitudinal study involving 552 breast cancer patients from three centers in Wuhan City utilized Chinese versions of the Fear of Progression Questionnaire-Short Form (FoP-Q-SF), the Herth Hope Index (HHI), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B) scale. Cortisol levels were measured thrice daily, and data was collected longitudinally three times. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.3, employing a longitudinal path model constructed via the cross-lagged method. RESULTS: The results showed there were significant correlations between FCR, cortisol levels, and QOL at different time points. A significant mediating model was found with outcomes related to hope levels. Specifically, FCR predicted a decrease in hope levels (ß = -0.163, p < 0.001), which in turn led to a decrease in overall QOL (ß = -0.078, p < 0.001), with a mediation effect accounting for 10.34%. Although there were correlations between FCR, cortisol levels, and QOL at different time points, further analysis revealed that cortisol levels did not exhibit a mediating effect between the two (95% confidence interval: -0.002 to 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated there were significant correlations among FCR, QOL, and hope levels. Considering hope as a crucial mediator between FCR and QOL, potential intervention strategies for optimizing the QOL of breast cancer patients are proposed.

Couples' skills training intervention in young breast cancer patients with fear of cancer recurrence: A randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: This study adapted the Chinese version of the Couple Skills Training intervention program to couples of young breast cancer patients in China and investigated its effects on fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), cancer-related communication, and level of hope among the couples. METHODS: Ninety young breast cancer patients and their spouses were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group (45 couples) and the control group (45 couples). Couples in the intervention group received skills training and were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and 3 months post-intervention to measure outcomes. Differences in scores between the two groups were analyzed using two-sample t-tests and generalized estimating equations (GEE) controlling for demographic and health-related variables. RESULTS: Couples' skills training intervention effectively reduced FCR and improved cancer-related communication in young breast cancer patients compared to the control group (both p < 0.001). Spouses' expectations significantly increased (p < 0.001). At 3 months post-intervention, couples in the intervention group showed significant improvements in FCR, cancer-related communication, and hope (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Couples' skills training interventions are beneficial for helping young breast cancer patients cope with FCR. Couples-based interventions play a crucial role in addressing FCR in these patients and their spouses. Future research should consider larger samples and longer follow-up periods to enhance intervention effectiveness. CLINICAL TRIAL CENTER REGISTRATION NUMBER: This study has also been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No: ChiCTR2200063327).

The interaction of hsa_circ_0002594 and eIF4A3 promotes T-helper 2 cell differentiation by the regulation of PTEN.

T helper (Th) 2 cell-medicated immune response participates in various immune diseases, especially in asthma. Circ_0002594 has been reported to be up-regulated in asthmatic patients, and was higher in Th2-high subgroups, but the specific mechanisms by which circ_0002594 regulating Th2 cells were still unclear. Here, we found that circ_0002594 was significantly up-regulated in CD4+ T cells of asthmatic patients. Circ_0002594 overexpression elevated Th2-related cytokine IL-4 production and reduced Th1-related cytokine INF-γ production, promoting Th2 cell differentiation, while circ_0002594 loss resulted in the opposite results. Additionally, eIF4A3 overexpression reversed the effects of circ_0002594 on the production of INF-γ, IL-4 and Th1/Th2 ratio by interacting with circ_0002594. Moreover, circ_0002594 interacted with eIF4A3 to reduce PTEN mRNA stability, thus down-regulating PTEN mRNA expression. Furthermore, eIF4A3 overexpression markedly reversed the significant down-regulation of PTEN protein level and the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in CD4+ T cells transfected with Lv-circ_0002594, suggesting the involvement of circ_0002594/eIF4A3/PTEN axis in the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Also, rapamycin (the mTOR inhibitor) dramatically reversed the promotion effects of circ_0002594 overexpression on Th2 cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that circ_0002594 interacted with eIF4A3 to reduce PTEN mRNA stability, down-regulating PTEN expression, thereby activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to promote Th2 cell differentiation. Our work may highlight novel insights into the molecular mechanism of circ_0002594 in regulating Th2 cell differentiation in asthma.

Lithosepermic Acid Restored the Skin Barrier Functions in the Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-like Animal Model.

(1) Background: Psoriasis is a T helper 1/T helper 17 cells-involved immune-mediated genetic disease. Lithospermic acid, one of the major phenolic acid compounds of Danshen, has antioxidation and anti-inflammation abilities. Due to the inappropriate molecular weight for topical penetration through the stratum corneum, lithospermic acid was loaded into the well-developed microemulsion delivery system for IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis treatment. (2) Methods: BALB/c mice were administered with topical imiquimod to induce psoriasis-like dermatitis. Skin barrier function, disease severity, histology assessment, autophagy-related protein expression, and skin and spleen cytokine expression were evaluated. (3) Results: The morphology, histopathology, and skin barrier function results showed that 0.1% lithospermic acid treatment ameliorated the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis and restored the skin barrier function. The cytokines array results confirmed that 0.1% lithospermic acid treatment inhibited the cutaneous T helper-17/Interleukin-23 axis related cytokines cascades. (4) Conclusions: The results implied that lithospermic acid might represent a possible new therapeutic agent for psoriasis treatment.

Nisaea sediminum sp. nov., a heavy metal resistant bacterium isolated from marine sediment in the East China Sea.

A Gram-negative, rod-shaped, motile and strictly aerobic bacterium, designated NBU1469T, was isolated from marine sediment sampled on Meishan Island located in the East China Sea. Strain NBU1469T grew optimally at temperature of 40 °C, NaCl concentration of 2.0% (w/v) and pH 7.5. Catalase and oxidase activities, H2S production, nitrate reduction and hydrolysis of Tween 20 were positive. Indole, methyl red reaction, urease, hydrolysis of gelatin, starch, casein, Tweens 40, 60 and 80 were negative. The major cellular fatty acids were C16:0, C19:0 cyclo ω8c and summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c). The only respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10 (Q-10). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified amino-phospholipids and two unidentified phospholipids. Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed highest similarities to the species with validated name Nisaea nitritireducens DR41_18T (98.1%) and Nisaea denitrificans DR41_21T (97.6%). Phylogenetic analyses indicated that strain NBU1469T formed a distinct lineage with strains Nisaea nitritireducens DR41_18T and Nisaea denitrificans DR41_21T within the genus Nisaea. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain NBU1469T and related species of genus Nisaea were well below the threshold limit for prokaryotic species delineation. The DNA G + C content was 63.6%. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain NBU1469T is considered to be a representative of a novel species in the genus Nisaea, for which the name Nisaea sediminum sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NBU1469T (=KCTC 82224 T =MCCC 1K04763T).

Arsenic sulfide reverses cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer in vitro and in vivo through targeting PD-L1.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have found that programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) might be involved in chemotherapy resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Arsenic sulfide (As4 S4 ) has been recognized to have antitumor activities and enhance the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapy drugs. In this study, we aimed to verify the relationship between PD-L1 and cisplatin (DDP) resistance and identify whether As4 S4 could reverse DDP resistance through targeting PD-L1 in NSCLC. METHODS: The effect of As4 S4 and DDP on cell proliferation and apoptosis was investigated in NSCLC cell lines. The expression of p53 and PD-L1 proteins was measured by western blotting analysis. The levels of miR-34a-5p, miR-34a-3p and PD-L1 in cells were measured by real-time qPCR analysis. Mouse xenograft models were established by inoculation with A549/DDP (DDP-resistant) cells. RESULTS: Depletion of PD-L1 inhibited DDP resistance in A549/DDP and H1299/DDP cells. As4 S4 was capable of sensitizing A549/DDP cells to DDP by enhancing apoptosis. As4 S4 upregulated p53 expression and downregulated PD-L1 expression in A549/DDP cells. As4 S4 increased miR-34a-5p level in A549/DDP cells. Inhibition of p53 by PFT-α partially restored the levels of PD-L1 and miR-34a-5p. Pretreatment with PFT-α suppressed the apoptosis rate induced by cotreatment of As4 S4 and DDP in A549/DDP cells. Cotreatment of DDP and As4 S4 notably reduced the tumor size when compared with DDP treatment alone in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of PD-L1 was correlated with DDP resistance in NSCLC cells. Mechanistic analyses indicated that As4 S4 might sensitize NSCLC cells to DDP through targeting p53/miR-34a-5p/PD-L1 axis.

Shimia sediminis sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from marine sediment in the East China Sea.

A Gram-stain-negative, ovoid-shaped, motile and strictly aerobic bacterium, designated ZQ172T, was isolated from marine sediment sampled on Zhoushan Island located in the East China Sea. Strain ZQ172T grew optimally at temperatures of 25-30 °C, at NaCl concentration of 2.0 % (w/v) and at pH 7.0-8.5. Catalase and oxidase activities, urease, and nitrate reduction were positive. Indole production, methyl red reaction, H2S production and hydrolysis of gelatin, starch, casein and Tweens 20, 40, 60 and 80 were negative. The major cellular fatty acid was summed feature 8 (C18 : 1 ω7c and/or C18 : 1 ω6c). The only respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-10. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. Comparative analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed highest similarities to Shimia aestuarii JC2049T (97.5 %), Shimia abyssi JAMH 043T (97.5 %) and Shimia thalassica CECT 7735T (97.3 %). Phylogenetic analyses indicated that strain ZQ172T clustered with the genus Shimia and was closely related to Shimia thalassica CECT 7735T. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain ZQ172T and related species of the genus Shimia were well below the threshold limit for prokaryotic species delineation. The DNA G+C content was 59.6 mol%. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain ZQ172T is considered to be a representative of a novel species in the genus Shimia, for which the name Shimia sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is ZQ172T (=KCTC 62578T=MCCC 1K03531T).

Microbulbifer hainanensis sp. nov., a moderately halopilic bacterium isolated from mangrove sediment.

A new bacterium was successfully isolated from a mangrove sediment sample in Haikou City, Hainan Province, China. The organism is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped, non-motile and strictly aerobic bacterium, named NBU-8HK146T. Strain NBU-8HK146T was able to grow at temperatures of 10-40 °C, at salinities of 0-11% (w/v) and at pH 5.5-9.5. Veoges-Proskauer, methyl red reaction and hydrolysis of Tween 20 were negative. Catalase and oxidase activities, H2S production, hydrolysis of starch, casein, Tweens 40, 60 and 80 were positive. The major cellular fatty acids were C16:0, iso-C15:0 and summed feature 9. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and two unidentified glycolipids. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities, strain NBU-8HK146T shared 98.0%, 97.9%, 97.7%, 97.6% and 97.3% similarities to the species with validated name Microbulbifer taiwanensis CC-LN1-12T, Microbulbifer rhizosphaerae Cs16bT, Microbulbifer marinus Y215T, Microbulbifer donghaiensis CN85T and Microbulbifer aggregans CCB-MM1T, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that strain NBU-8HK146T formed a distinct lineage with strains Microbulbifer taiwanensis CC-LN1-12T and Microbulbifer marinus Y215T. Both digital DNA-DNA hybridization values (19.5-22.7%) and average nucleotide identity values (73.2-78.9%) between strain NBU-8HK146T and related species of genus Microbulbifer were below the species delineation cutoffs. The DNA G+C content was 58.9 mol%. Many proteins involving in the adaption of osmotic stress in the salt environment of mangrove were predicted in genome of strain NBU-8HK146T. From phenotypic, genotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain NBU-8HK146T can be regarded as a new Microbulbifer species for which the name Microbulbifer hainanensis. The type strain is NBU-8HK146T (= KCTC 82226T = MCCC 1K04737T).

Rheinheimera mangrovi sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from mangrove sediment.

A Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped, motile and strictly aerobic bacterium, designated LHK132T, was isolated from a mangrove sediment sample collected in Haikou, Hainan Province, PR China. Strain LHK132T was able to grow at temperatures of 10-45 °C, at salinities of 0-7.0 % (w/v) and at pH 6.0-9.0. Catalase and oxidase activities, H2S production, urease and methyl red reaction were positive. Indole, nitrate reduction, hydrolysis of gelatin, starch, casein and Tweens 20, 40, 60 and 80 were negative. The major cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1 ω7c and/or C16 : 1 ω6c). The only respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol. According to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain LHK132T had 98.3, 97.5, 97.4, 97.2 and 97.1% similarities to Rheinheimera soli BD-d46T, Rheinheimera sediminis YQF-1T, Rheinheimera tangshanensis JA3-B52T, Rheinheimera mesophila IITR-13T and Rheinheimera arenilitoris J-MS1T, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that strain LHK132T formed a distinct lineage with R. soli BD-d46T within the genus Rheinheimera. The average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain LHK132T and related species of the genus Rheinheimera were well below the thresholds for species delineation. The DNA G+C content was 46.7 mol%. On the basis of its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain LHK132T is considered a representative of a novel species in the genus Rheinheimera, for which the name Rheinheimera mangrovi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is LHK132T (=KCTC 62580T=MCCC 1K03529T).

Effects of protein S-nitrosylation on the glycogen metabolism in postmortem pork.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of protein S-nitrosylation on the glycogen metabolism in postmortem pork. The pork samples were incubated with control (0.9% NaCl), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, or NO donor for 4 and 12 h at 4 °C. Results indicate that NOS inhibitor treatment led to significantly lower level of glycogen and higher lactate content at 24 h compared those of control and NO donor treatments (P < 0.05). The pH of NOS inhibitor treatment was significantly lower than other treatments, which indicates the fast glycolysis during postmortem aging (P < 0.05). In addition, the activities of glycolytic enzymes including GP, GAPDH and PK were significantly different among three treatments (P < 0.05) possibly due to the different modification of protein S-nitrosylation. These results suggest that NO could regulate the glycogen metabolism through modulating the activities of glycolytic enzymes by protein S-nitrosylation.

Large outbreak of herpangina in children caused by enterovirus in summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China.

Herpangina, usually caused by coxsackie virus A, is prevalent in children spreading through the fecal-oral transmission and the respiratory droplets dissemination. Also, it is mostly asymptomatic and self-limiting. In our study, we found that large outbreak of herpangina in children occurred in the summer of 2015 in Hangzhou, China. From May 1th to August 31th, a total of 10 210 children were diagnosed with herpangina in Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. 2 310 throat swabs were collected and tested for enterovirus detection by real-time RT-PCR, while 1 651 cases were positive with the rate of 71.5%. Based on VP1 gene or 5'UTR region sequences, Coxsackievirus A2, A4, A6, A10, B2, B4 and echovirus 30 were detected in these cases. More importantly, Coxsackievirus A2 may be the major subtype of enterovirus resulting in children with herpangina in hangzhou, China.

Effects of power ultrasound on oxidation and structure of beef proteins during curing processing.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of power ultrasound intensity (PUS, 2.39, 6.23, 11.32 and 20.96Wcm(-2)) and treatment time (30, 60, 90 and 120min) on the oxidation and structure of beef proteins during the brining procedure with 6% NaCl concentration. The investigation was conducted with an ultrasonic generator with the frequency of 20kHz and fresh beef at 48h after slaughter. Analysis of TBARS (Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) contents showed that PUS treatment significantly increased the extent of lipid oxidation compared to static brining (P<0.05). As indicators of protein oxidation, the carbonyl contents were significantly affected by PUS (P<0.05). SDS-PAGE analysis showed that PUS treatment increased protein aggregation through disulfide cross-linking, indicated by the decreasing content of total sulfhydryl groups which would contribute to protein oxidation. In addition, changes in protein structure after PUS treatment are suggested by the increases in free sulfhydryl residues and protein surface hydrophobicity. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) provided further information about the changes in protein secondary structures with increases in ß-sheet and decreases in α-helix contents after PUS processing. These results indicate that PUS leads to changes in structures and oxidation of beef proteins caused by mechanical effects of cavitation and the resultant generation of free radicals.

Lymphedema-associated neutrophilic dermatosis: Two cases of localized Sweet syndrome on the lymphedematous lower limbs.

Neutrophilic dermatosis on the site of lymphedema is a rare condition and considered as a localized and less severe variant of Sweet syndrome. Only 13 cases of this variant have been reported after mastectomy for breast cancer in the English-language published work. However, this condition has never been described on the lower limbs or from other causes of lymphedema. Herein, we report two cases of localized Sweet syndrome on the lymphedematous lower limbs: one occurred after radical hysterectomy, bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection and radiotherapy for cervical cancer; the other developed after radiotherapy for malignant melanoma on the right groin. Based on clinical and histological features, we suggest the name "lymphedema-associated neutrophilic dermatosis" for this underrecognized disease entity.

Re-evaluation of various molecular targets located on CD34+CD38-Lin- leukemia stem cells and other cell subsets in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia.

Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are hypothesized to be capable of driving the development of leukemia, and are responsible for disease relapse. Antibody therapy targeting cell surface antigens has significantly improved the treatment outcomes of leukemia. Therefore, it is important to identify cell surface markers that are expressed on LSCs, and that are unexpressed or expressed at reduced levels on normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), in order to establish novel therapeutic targets. In the present study, the immunophenotypic characteristics of cluster of differentiation (CD)34+CD38-lineage (Lin)- stem cells were analyzed, and antigen expression levels were compared with the expression of other cell components, using multicolor flow cytometry, in 54 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 11 control patients with immune thrombocytopenia. The findings indicated that CD133 and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR were expressed on normal HSCs and on AML LSCs, with no significant difference (P>0.05). By contrast, CD33, CD123 and CD44 were highly expressed on AML LSCs, and demonstrated significant differences compared with their expression on normal HSCs (CD33, 81.7 vs. 18.3%; CD123, 75.8 vs. 19.1%; CD44, 97.7 vs. 84.4%). Among the aforementioned antigens, CD33 and CD123 were promising candidates for targeted therapy for the treatment of AML. This was particularly evident for CD123 in immature AML subtype cells, which may require additional investigation within a clinical trial setting. CD44, CD133 and HLA-DR may not be suitable for leukemia targeting due to their broad and high expression levels on normal HSCs and other tissues.

High expression of Midkine (MK) indicates poor prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

OBJECTIVES: Midkine (MK) expression has been reported to be correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with various tumors. However, there are no data available about the prognostic value of MK expression in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: In this study, MK mRNA expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 120 childhood ALL and 30 healthy volunteers. Patients were dichotomized at the median value and divided into two groups: MK(low) group and MK(high) group. RESULTS: MK(high) patients had higher white blood cell counts, higher peripheral blood blasts percentages, and higher minimal residual disease levels than MK(low) patients. Moreover, the MK gene was expressed significantly higher in patients with relapsed ALL than in patients who maintained complete remission or at diagnosis. MK(high) patients harbored inferior relapse-free survival (RFS, P = 0.047) and overall survival (OS, P = 0.022) than MK(low) patients, and high expression of MK was found to be independently predictive of inferior OS (P = 0.032) but not RFS (P = 0.077) in the overall cohort. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: MK high expression is an independent adverse prognostic factor in childhood ALL. Its level may be incorporated into an improved risk classification system for ALL and suggest the need of alternative regimens.

Epidemiology of childhood enterovirus infections in Hangzhou, China.

BACKGROUND: There are over 100 serotypes of enterovirus species A-D, which are the common cause of various symptoms in infants, such as meningitis, encephalitis and hand foot mouth disease (HFMD). This study aims to investigate the epidemiological characteristics of enteroviruses in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, and to provide relevant information to guide public health responses and interventions. METHODS: Systematic surveillance was conducted on enterovirus infections. Samples were collected from children admitted to the inpatient wards and outpatient departments between January 2010 and December 2012 in the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Enteroviruses from all specimens were detected by RT-PCR using a commercialized detection kit. RESULTS: From 13026 samples collected and examined, 2673 (21.21%) were found positive for enteroviruses. The annual enterovirus-positive rate decreased from 32.78% in 2010 to 14.23% in 2012. Positivity rate for enteroviruses was highest among children aged less than 5 years. The monthly positivity rate for enterovirus infection ranged from 2.6% to 34.83%, with a peak in June and July. Serotypes causing severe symptoms such as HFMD including EV71 and CA16 were decreasing, while the proportion of unidentified EV serotypes causing herpangina and viral encephalitis were on the rise. CONCLUSIONS: EV infection is highly prevalent among young children in Hangzhou, as it is in the most other parts of the world. Further surveillance using methods that can subtype all EVs is warranted to better monitor these infections and their etiology.

Prognostic significance of cytokine receptor-like factor 2 alterations in acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cytokine receptor-like factor 2 (CRLF2) has been shown to play a role in the pathogenesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Studies have examined the relationship between CRLF2 alterations such as over-expression or deregulation and clinical outcome in childhood ALL, but the results are conflicting. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between CRLF2 alterations and survival of pediatric patients with ALL. METHODS: Electronic databases updated to March 2014 were searched for relevant studies. A meta-analysis was made of twelve studies including 5945 patients to evaluate the prognostic significance of CRLF2 alterations on survival in childhood ALL. Hazards ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled across the studies using a fixed-effects model. RESULTS: CRLF2 over-expression in childhood ALL was associated with poor prognosis in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS; HR=1.70, 95% CI=1.28-2.24, P=0.000), event-free survival (EFS; HR=1.78, 95% CI=1.05-3.01, P=0.032), and overall survival (OS; HR=2.28, 95% CI=1.42-3.65, P=0.001). The combined data also suggested that CRLF2 deregulation in childhood ALL was correlated with poor EFS (HR=1.95, 95% CI=1.46-2.61, P=0.000), RFS (HR=2.20, 95% CI=1.53-3.18, P=0.000), and OS (HR=1.89, 95% CI=1.24-2.87, P=0.003). Subgroup analysis on multivariate HRs showed that CRLF2 deregulation independently predicted a poor prognosis for childhood ALL. CONCLUSIONS: The present meta-analysis reveals that both CRLF2 over-expression and deregulation are associated with poor prognosis in pediatric patients with ALL.

Expression of IER3 in primary hepatocarcinoma: correlation with clinicopathological parameters.

BACKGROUND: Studies indicate the immediate early response gene 3 (IER3) is involved in many biological processes. Recently, it was discovered that IER3 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Thus it may be a valuable biomarker in tumor. This study was designed to investigate the expression status of IER3 in primary hepatocarcinoma (PHC) and correlation with clinicopathological parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the expression levels of IER3 in 62 pathologically diagnosed human PHC specimens. RESULTS: A statistically significant association was disclosed between the expression of IER3 and P53 mutant protein (short for P53), Ki-67, EGFR and the biggest diameter, differentiation grade of tumor. CONCLUSIONS: This work is the first to shed light on the potential clinical usefulness of IER3, as an efficient tumor biomarker in PHC.

[Investigation on Entamoeba histolytica infection in diarrhea patients from general hospitals in Shanghai City].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the status of Entamoeba histolytica infection in diarrhea patients in general hospitals, so as to provide the evidences for the prevention and control of the disease. METHODS: The diarrhea patients in intestinal disease clinics of 3 general hospitals in Shanghai City were chosen as the investigation objectives, and their fecal and blood samples were collected, and then were detected by the normal saline direct smear method and iodine solution staining, immunochromatographic method and ELISA respectively to understand the infection status of E. histolytica, and the characteristics of the infected persons were analyzed. RESULTS Totally 1 015 fecal samples were detected, and among which 36 positive ones were detected by parasitological examinations, with a general positive rate of 3.55%. There were no statistically significant differences among the positive rates of patients from the three hospitals (P > 0.05), nor between or among those of the patients with different sexes, ages, occupations and education levels (all P > 0.05). The positive rate of E. histolytica in bloody purulent stools was higher than those in loose stools and watery stools (both P < 0.01). The peak period of infection was from July to September. Among the 36 infected people detected by parasitological examination, 88.90% of them complained about abdominal pain, and the red blood cells and leucocyte cells were found in the stool samples of 75.00% and 22.23% of the cases, respectively. The positive rates of E. histolytica were 8.18% (83/1 015) and 7.12% (48/675) respectively when detected by the immunochromatographic method and ELISA. CONCLUSIONS: Summer and autumn are the high risk seasons for E. histolytica infection, and the surveillance should be strengthened in this period. The positive rate of E. histolytica in samples of bloody purulent stools is high, and the combined application of several detection methods can increase the detection rate.

Association between NOD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and Grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease: A meta-analysis.

Objectives The effects of NOD2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on Grade III-IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) risk are somewhat contradictory in different studies. The aim of the meta-analysis was to clarify the effects of NOD2 SNPs on the incidence of Grade III-IV aGVHD. Methods We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of SCIENCE, WanFang and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases to collect eligible publications. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association between NOD2 polymorphisms and Grade III-IV aGVHD risk. Results A total of nine studies from eight publications met the inclusion criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. Patient NOD2 SNPs were not associated with aGVHD risk. A tendency of higher risk to develop Grade III-IV aGVHD was found in patients with pairs NOD2 SNPs. Subgroup analyses showed that pairs NOD2 SNPs were associated with Grade III-IV aGVHD in the Caucasian population and in identical sibling donors (IS), but not in matched unrelated donors (MUD). In patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with T-cell depletion and gut decontamination, there was still an association between pairs NOD2 SNPs and Grade III-IV aGVHD risk. Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggests that pairs NOD2 SNPs, not patient NOD2 SNPs, may be associated with Grade III-IV aGVHD risk, especially in the Caucasian population. It is also indicated that in pairs NOD2 polymorphisms group, patients who receive HSCT from IS may experience higher risk of Grade III-IV aGVHD.