Dietary isoleucine supplementation enhances growth performance, modulates the expression of genes related to amino acid transporters and protein metabolism, and gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens.

This study investigated the effects of dietary isoleucine (Ile) on growth performance, intestinal expression of amino acid transporters, protein metabolism-related genes and intestinal microbiota in starter phase Chinese yellow-feathered chickens. Female Xinguang yellow-feathered chickens (n = 1,080, aged 1 d) were randomly distributed to 6 treatments, each with 6 replicates of 30 birds. Chickens were fed diets with 6 levels of total Ile (6.8, 7.6, 8.4, 9.2, 10.0, and 10.8 g/kg) for 30 d. The average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were improved with dietary Ile levels (P < 0.05). Plasma uric acid content and glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase activity were linearly and quadratically decreased with increasing dietary Ile inclusion (P < 0.05). Dietary Ile level had a linear (P < 0.05) or quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the jejunal expression of ribosomal protein S6 kinase B1 and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1. The relative expression of jejunal 20S proteasome subunit C2 and ileal muscle ring finger-containing protein 1 decreased linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary Ile levels. Dietary Ile level had a linear (P = 0.069) or quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the gene expression of solute carrier family 15 member 1 in jejunum and solute carrier family 7 member 1 in ileum. In addition, bacterial 16S rDNA full-length sequencing showed that dietary Ile increased the cecal abundances of the Firmicutes phylum, and Blautia, Lactobacillus, and unclassified_Lachnospiraceae genera, while decreased that of Proteobacteria, Alistipes, and Shigella. Dietary Ile levels affected growth performance and modulated gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens. The appropriate level of dietary Ile can upregulate the expression of intestinal protein synthesis-related protein kinase genes and concomitantly inhibit the expression of proteolysis-related cathepsin genes.

Dietary L-arginine supplementation enhances growth performance, intestinal antioxidative capacity, immunity and modulates gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens.

This study investigated the effects of dietary Arginine (Arg) on performance, intestinal antioxidative capacity, immunity, and gut microbiota in Chinese yellow-feathered chickens. One thousand two hundred 1-day-old female Qingyuan partridge chickens were randomly assigned to 5 groups with 6 replicates of 40 birds each. Chickens were fed diets with 5 levels of total Arg (8.5, 9.7, 10.9, 12.1, and 13.3 g/kg) without antibiotics for 30 d. The ADFI, ADG, and feed conversion ratio were improved with dietary Arg levels (P < 0.05). The proportions of CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ lymphocytes responded in a linear (P < 0.05) manner and those of CD4+ in a linear or quadratic (P < 0.05) manner as dietary Arg levels increased. Dietary Arg level had a linear (P < 0.05) or quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the gene expression of glutathione peroxidase 1, heme oxygenase 1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidative capacity in the jejunum and ileum. The relative expression of IL-1ß, myeloid differentiation primary response 88, and Toll-like receptor 4 decreased linearly (P < 0.05) in the ileum with increasing dietary Arg levels; secretory IgA contents were increased. In addition, sequencing data of 16S rRNA indicated that dietary Arg increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phylum, Romboutsia and Candidatus Arthromitus genera, while decreased that of Clostridium sensu stricto 1. A diet containing 12.1 g Arg/kg promoted growth performance, intestinal antioxidation, and innate immunity and modulated gut microbiota in yellow-feathered chickens.

[Expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2B in mantle cell lymphoma and its clinical significance].

Objective: To investigate the expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2B (MEF2B) in mantle cell lymphomas (MCL), and to analyze the correlation between the expression of MEF2B and pathological subtypes, structural subtypes, SOX11 expression and its clinical significance. Methods: Paraffin-embedded tissues were stained with HE, immunohistochemistry (EnVision method) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) , in addition, the clinical and pathological data of 60 cases of MCL were collected at Sun Yat-sen University Foshan Hospital and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from January,2002 to May, 2019 for analysis. Results: Of the 60 MCLs, males is predominant (M∶F=3∶1). Histologically, the typical MCL is the majority (classical MCL: variant type MCL=48 cases:12 cases) . Fifty cases were classified into non-complete FDC meshwork type MCL, and the remaining 10 cases were classified into the complete-FDC meshwork type MCL group. Patients with classical MCL were more than 60 years old. The coexistent lesion sites both node and extranode in pathological subtype or structural subtype was the most common lesion sites. SOX11(+) MCL was common in classical MCL (P=0.040) and tended to be complete-FDC meshwork type MCL (P=0.086). The expression rate of MEF2B in MCL was 60.0%(36/60). This rate of MEF2B in classical type, complete-FDC meshwork type and SOX11(+) MCL was significantly higher than that variant type, no complete-FDC meshwork type, SOX11(-)MCL (P<0.05), respectively. There was no difference in clinical characteristics of MCL between MEF2B positive and negative groups. Compared with SOX11(-)MCL, the percentage of MEF2B expressed in tumor cells of SOX11(+)MCL was significantly higher (P=0.027). The expression of MEF2B was not related to the proliferation of tumor cells (P=0.341). There was no significant difference in the survival rate between different expression groups of MEF2B and SOX11 (P=0.304 and P=0.819, respectively). Only the mortality of variant type (blastoid/pleomorphic) MCL within 2 years was significantly higher than that of classical type MCL (P<0.05). Conclusions: The expression of MEF2B in MCL is related to the pathological subtypes, structural subtypes and the expression of SOX11, but not to the proliferation and prognosis. The high mortality rate within 2 years is only found in variant MCL. However, the role of MEF2B in MCL needs to be further studied.

Research Status of New Designer Drug Methcathinone in Forensic Toxicology.

Methcathinone, a new cathinone designer drug, which is structurally similar to amphetamine analogs, is a central nervous stimulant. Recently, there has been a worldwide rise in its popularity and abuse, and a growing number of cases with disability or even death is reported in several countries, resulting in public concern. The typical symptoms include accelerated heartbeat, high temperature, anxiety, depression, etc. Forensic studies on its toxicity mechanism are rare. This article reviews its toxicological effects, poisoning symptoms, poisoning and addiction mechanisms, and detection methods, to provide theoretical reference for future studies and guidance for related forensic identification.

Influence of dairy by-product waste milk on the microbiomes of different gastrointestinal tract components in pre-weaned dairy calves.

The community structure of colonised bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts (GITs) of pre-weaned calves is affected by extrinsic factors, such as the genetics and diet of the calves; however, the dietary impact is not fully understood and warrants further research. Our study revealed that a total of 6, 5, 2 and 10 bacterial genera showed biologically significant differences in the GITs of pre-weaned calves fed four waste-milk diets: acidified waste milk, pasteurised waste milk, untreated bulk milk, and untreated waste milk, respectively. Specifically, generic biomarkers were observed in the rumen (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Parabacteroides, Fibrobacter, Clostridium, etc.), caecum (e.g., Faecalibacterium, Oxalobacter, Odoribacter, etc.) and colon (e.g., Megamonas, Comamonas, Stenotrophomonas, etc.) but not in the faeces. In addition, the predicted metabolic pathways showed that the expression of genes related to metabolic diseases was increased in the calves fed untreated waste milk, which indicated that untreated waste milk is not a suitable liquid diet for pre-weaned calves. This is the first study to demonstrate how different types of waste milk fed to pre-weaned calves affect the community structure of colonised bacteria, and the results may provide insights for the intentional adjustment of diets and gastrointestinal bacterial communities.

Expression and identification of recombinant chicken vascular endothelial growth factor in Pichia pastoris and its role in the pathogenesis of tibial dyschondroplasia.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an essential mediator of angiogenesis and endochondral ossification. To explore the role of VEGF in avian diseases such as tibial dyschondroplasia (TD), a typical disorder of endochondral ossification, we expressed and identified recombinant chicken VEGF (chVEGF) protein in Pichia pastoris and evaluated its effects on thiram-induced TD in broiler chickens. The SDS-PAGE showed that 2 recombinant proteins, with molecular weights of ~46 and ~70 kDa, were obtained. Western blot analysis indicated that the 2 proteins were recognized by rabbit anti-chicken and goat anti-human VEGF polyclonal antibodies. Moreover, the mixture of the proteins significantly stimulated angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane. In 21-d-old broilers that had been fed a thiram-enriched diet (100 mg/kg of thiram for 2 d at 8 d old) to induce TD, intramuscular injection of the chVEGF proteins (at a dosage of 10 or 30 µg/kg) significantly reduced the severity of TD but had no effect on TD incidence or BW; decreased serum Ca and P concentrations and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity and elevated serum alkaline phosphatase activity; enhanced the total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the liver and kidney; upregulated the expression of type X collagen, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, and Runx2; and downregulated the Bcl-2 expression in the growth plates. In thiram-treated broilers at 15 d old, the chVEGF proteins upregulated the expression of MMP-13 and Runx2, and had different effects on type X collagen and Bcl-2 expression at different dosages. Our results indicate that exogenous chVEGF proteins promoted the recovery of TD-affected growth plates by improving the antioxidant capacity in the liver and kidney and by regulating differential expression of genes relating to endochondral ossification at different stages of TD development; VEGF deficiency in the growth plates was involved in the pathogenesis of TD.

Expression of TRPV6 and CaBP-D28k in the egg shell gland (uterus) during the oviposition cycle of the laying hen.

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the localisation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid channel type 6 (TRPV6) in egg shell gland (ESG) and examine the dynamic expression of TRPV6 and Calbindin-d28k (CaBP-D28k), as well as the changes in concentration of total calcium (Ca), total inorganic phosphorus (P), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin (CT) in plasma during the oviposition cycle. 2. The plasma ALP activity was notably increased at 8 h. In addition, plasma CT was highest at 0 h and significantly lower at 8 h. The change of plasma PTH concentration increased slightly post-oviposition and reached a maximum at 16 h. 3. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that TRPV6 was strongly localised to the apical luminal epithelium of the mucosa. The mRNA levels of TRPV6 and CaBP-D28k in the ESG remained very low from 0 to 4.5 h, but were significantly increased at 16 h. Furthermore, Western blotting analysis showed that the expression of TRPV6 and CaBP-D28k also reached a maximum at 16 h and was different from the concentration of CaBP-D28k. 4. In conclusion, the epithelial Ca(2+) channel TRPV6 is strongly expressed in the epithelial cells of the eggshell gland, and the increase of TRPV6 and CaBP-D28k mRNA and protein expression during eggshell formation suggests that active Ca(2+) transcellular transport exerts significant effects in delivering active calcium in the ESG.

Potential implication of activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor and HLA in onset of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) and human leucocyte antigen (HLA) play crucial role in maintaining immune homoeostasis and controlling immune responses. To investigate the influence of KIR and HLA-C ligands on the risk of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), we studied 200 patients who were confirmed to have PTB and 200 healthy controls on the different frequencies of KIR and HLA-C ligands. Genotyping of these genes was conducted by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) method. Gene frequencies were compared between PTB group and the control group by χ(2) test, and P < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. As a result, the frequency of KIR genotype A/B was increased in PTB than controls but A/A was decreased. Moreover, striking differences were observed in the frequencies of HLA-Cw*08 between the two groups. Besides, the frequencies of '2DL2/3 with C1' in PTB were increased compared with control group. In addition, individuals with no KIR2DS3 and no Cw*08 were higher in controls than in PTB. KIR2DS1 was increased in PTB when HLA-C group 2 alleles were missing. In conclusion, KIR and HLA-C gene polymorphisms were related to susceptibility to PTB.

Association of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors with pulmonary tuberculosis in Chinese Han.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases. However, whether KIR polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis was unknown. We examined a possible association of KIR polymorphism with susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in Chinese Han. We analyzed 15 KIR genes in 109 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 110 healthy controls using sequence-specific primer PCR analysis of genomic DNA. We found that the frequencies of KIR2DS1, 2DS3 and 3DS1 were significantly higher in patients than in the control group. In addition, the number of subjects carrying more than two activating KIR genes in the patient group was significantly higher than in the control group. The gene cluster containing KIR3DS1-2DL5-2DS1-2DS5 was also significantly more frequent in the patient group. In conclusion, KIR genes 2DS1, 2DS3 and 3DS1 appear to be associated with resistance to pulmonary tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population. KIR genes apparently have a role in resistance to pulmonary tuberculosis.

Inhibitory activities of baicalin against renin and angiotensin-converting enzyme.

CONTEXT: Baicalin has been characterized as the active compound and quality control marker in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, traditionally used as a hypotensive herb. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the inhibitory activities of baicalin against renin and angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) and their molecule mechanism of interactions. METHODS: The fluorescence method using renin substrate 1(R-2932) and the spectroscopy method by Cushman were used to determine renin and ACE activities, respectively. The fluorescence quench techniques were used to characterize their interactions. RESULTS: The results showed that baicalin inhibited renin activity with an IC(50) value of 120.36 µM and inhibited ACE activity with an IC(50) value of 2.24 mM in vitro. The fluorescence emission of both renin and ACE were efficiently quenched by baicalin and a complete quenching was achieved at a high concentration of baicalin. Furthermore, baicalin was more effective in quenching the fluorescence of renin (K(SV) = 60 × 10(3) M(-1)) than ACE (K(SV) = 17.1 × 10(3) M(-1)). The quenching of fluorescence of renin and ACE involved static interactions, which was characterized by the formation of quencher-enzyme complex. The baicalin-renin complex formed through three-sites binding including the active site with a binding constant of 796.15 × 10(13) M(-1), but there was only one binding site for the baicalin-ACE complex with a much smaller binding constant of 6.8 × 10(5) M(-1). CONCLUSION: The inhibition activity of baicalin against renin was a result of the formation of stable complex through multisites binding including the active site, which could explain the higher inhibitory efficiency.

Localisation and expression of TRPV6 in all intestinal segments and kidney of laying hens.

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the localisation and expression of the epithelial Ca2+ channel TRPV6 (transient receptor potential vanilloid channel type 6) in different intestinal segments and kidney of laying hens during peak lay. 2. Immunohistochemical analysis of the intestine indicated that TRPV6 was localised to the brush-border membranes of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, and rectum. Expression was weaker in the rectum, and little or no expression was found in crypt and goblet cells. In addition, TRPV6 mRNA was quantified amongst different intestinal segments, and expression was highest in the duodenum and jejunum. Furthermore, Western blotting indicated that the duodenum expressed the greatest amount of TRPV6 and the rectum the least with the other segments expressing intermediate levels. 3. In the kidney, distinct immunopositive staining for TRPV6 was detected at the apical domain of the distal convoluted tubules (DCT) and medullary connecting tubules (CNT). Interestingly, distribution of TRPV6 extended to the proximal convoluted tubules (PCT). Furthermore, the kidney expressed lower TRPV6 mRNA and protein levels compared with that in the duodenum. 4. In conclusion, the epithelial Ca2+ channel TRPV6 is strongly expressed in the apical cells of the entire intestine and the renal tubules, suggesting that active Ca2+ transcellular transport plays a crucial role in dietary calcium (re)absorption in laying hens.

Letrozole inhibits the osteogenesis of medullary bone in prelay pullets.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, on osteogenesis of medullary bone in prelay pullets. Three hundred fifteen 95-d-old ISA prelay pullets were used. After 10 d of adaptation in the cages, 15 pullets were selected randomly to collect the serum and bone samples and the rest were randomly assigned to 2 groups with 3 replicates each. One group was control and the other was letrozole-treated, fed 0.5 mg of letrozole per prelay pullet per day for 18 d. The serum and bone samples from these birds were collected during the experiment. Estradiol and testosterone in serum were assayed using commercial RIA kits. The serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), Ca, and inorganic P were measured by an automatic biochemistry analyzer with commercial kits. The periosteum perimeter, endosteum perimeter, cortical bone index, cortical width, cortical bone area, and cortical area ratios of tibia were measured by transmitted scanner and a computer-assisted image analyzer. Our results showed that relative to the control-fed pullet, letrozole-fed pullets had reduced serum estrogen (57.5%), Ca (33.2%), ALP (33.6%), and TRAP (24.2%) and that values of serum estrogen, Ca, estrogen receptor expression, tibia radiographic density, serum ALP, and TRAP were all reduced (P < 0.05) and the serum P had a degressive trend in letrozole-treated groups. By contrast, the serum androgen and the tibia cortical bone index values were higher in the letrozole-treated group (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the periosteum perimeter, endosteum perimeter, cortical width, and cortical area ratios of tibia between the 2 groups. The results showed that letrozole can inhibit the development of bone and medullary osteogenesis by inhibiting the synthesis of estrogen and its receptor in prelay pullets.

Effects of Gushukang, a Chinese herbal medicine, on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in laying hens.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of the herb medicine formula Gushukang (GSK) on bone characteristics and osteoporosis in end-of-lay hens. One thousand 55-wk-old ISA caged layers were allotted randomly to 2 groups. The control group was given the basal diet, and the GSK group was given the basal diet supplemented with additional GSK (1 g/kg) for 10 wk. Egg production, shell quality, bone radiographic density, and biochemical markers of bone turnover were determined. The results showed that GSK significantly increased the egg laying rate and decreased the percentage of cracked eggs (P < 0.05).The serum calcium, phosphate, and alkaline phosphatase were decreased (P < 0.05) in the GSK-treated group compared with the control group, whereas bone characteristics were significantly improved (P < 0.05). The results suggested that GSK can improve egg production and prevent bone loss by inhibiting bone turnover.

Frequent allelic loss at the FRA3B site in endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma: association with clinical features and Epstein-Barr virus infection.

In this study, we aimed to precisely define the patterns of allelic loss at the FRA3B site in endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to determine whether an association exists between allelic loss, clinicopathological features and Epstein-Barr virus infection. We examined the loss of heterozygosity in 40 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from an endemic area in southern China, using eight high dense, polymorphic, microsatellite markers within or flanking the FRA3B site. Loss of heterozygosity at the FRA3B region was shown in 31 (77.5 per cent) primary tumours. Loss of heterozygosity was found most frequently at the D3S1300 (55.6 per cent) and D3S2757 (50.0 per cent) loci. The common area of deletion was located between the D3S4103 and D3S4260 loci. In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, loss of heterozygosity at the FRA3B/fragile histidine triad locus correlated with the following clinicopathological parameters: tumour T-stage, lymph node status, clinical stage, tumour differentiation and serum antibody titres of immunoglobulin (Ig) A against Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen. Significantly frequent loss of heterozygosity was observed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with tumour stages T3 and T4, lymph node metastasis and advanced tumour-node-metastasis staging (III and IV). Very frequent loss of heterozygosity was also observed to correlate with World Health Organization type III nasopharyngeal carcinoma histopathology. We also found that nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients with high titres of IgA against Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen showed very frequent loss of heterozygosity. Allelic loss at the FRA3B site occurs significantly more commonly in endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. This suggests that the region between D3S4103 and D3S4260 may represent a preferential molecular target in nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis.

Extended vertical lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap for reconstruction of cranio-maxillofacial defects.

This study explored an effective method for repairing cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects following radical craniofacial surgery in four patients with malignant tumours involving the skull base and frontal region. The large cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects were reconstructed using an extended vertical lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap based on the transverse cervical artery. The flap was 8-12 cm long and 5-7 cm wide. No major flap failure occurred, and there was no shoulder dysfunction. The patients were followed for 3-12 months. One patient suffered a local recurrence, and another died of lung metastasis 12 months postoperatively. The extended vertical lower trapezius island myocutaneous flap is a simple, reliable and large flap. It is preferred for reconstructing cranio-maxillofacial soft-tissue defects when a pedicled flap is used following craniofacial surgery for cancer.

Cell death induced by ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells is via a mitochondrial-mediated pathway.

The chemical compound ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F), isolated from the Chinese herbal medicine plant Pteris semipinnata L, has been known to exert antitumor activity. However, the molecular mechanism of the action is not understood. In this study we demonstrated that apoptotic cell death induced by 5F in FRO cells was concentration- and time-dependent. The rapid increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels was involved in the mechanism of cell death. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation and G2 block were related to cell death induced by 5F. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) and p38 were also activated, but as survival signals in response to 5F treatment to counteract the induction of cell death. In the process of the induction of apoptotic cell death, Bax translocated into mitochondria, a reduction in Delta psi(m) was observed and a release of cytochrome c and apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria into the cytosol occurred, indicating that cell death induced by 5F was through a mitochondrial-mediated pathway.

HRTEM analysis of nanocrystallization during uniaxial compression of a bulk metallic glass at room temperature.

Nanocrystallization during deformation of metallic glass at room temperature has significant implications to understand its deformation mechanism. We present here direct high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) observations of nanocrystallization in a Zr(55)AI(10)Ni(5)Cu(30) bulk metallic glass (BMG) fractured by uniaxial compression at room temperature. The formed nanocrystallites are Zr(2)Cu, with the average diameter of less than 10nm, and are distributed within the round-like regions of localized plastic deformation. We also show direct evidence of atomic neighbor distance increases associated with the shrinkage and broadening of diffused ring pattern from local deformed areas, which may enhance atomic mobility so that nanocrystallization occurred. Our results demonstrate that the origin of the room-temperature deformation of BMG can be attributed to the local atomic spacing increases induced by localization of plastic flow under uniaxial compression test.

Mutation and abnormal expression of the fragile histidine triad gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To determine alterations of fragile histidine triad (FHIT) gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the correlation of FHIT gene with nasopharyngeal carcinogenesis. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: A total of 28 nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 16 normal nasopharyngeal epithelium specimens were examined for abnormalities of FHIT gene by nested reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing. RESULTS: The deletion of FHIT gene was not observed in 16 normal nasopharyngeal epithelium specimens. In 28 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues, 12 (42.9%) exhibited FHIT aberrant transcripts. Complementary DNA sequencing revealed exonic deletion, small DNA insertion, synonymous mutation in exon 8, or frameshift mutation in exon 5. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that the FHIT gene may play an important role in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and may be one of the candidate tumor suppressor genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.