MRI in differentiating ovarian borderline from benign mucinous cystadenoma: pathological correlation.

PURPOSE: To investigate MRI in differentiating borderline mucinous cystadenoma (MC) from benign MC of the ovary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied MR images of 26 benign MCs and 24 borderline MCs of the ovary. The following MRI features of tumors were evaluated and compared between two groups: laterality, shape, size, loculation, signal intensity of the fluid, thickness of the septation and the wall, and vegetations. The results of the MRI were then compared with the pathological findings. RESULTS: Honeycomb loculi, high signal intensity on T1WI, and low signal intensity on T2WI of the intracystic content, thickened septation or wall (≥5 mm), and vegetations (≥5 mm) were significantly more common in borderline MC than in benign MC with the sensitivity and specificity of identifying borderline MC of 50.0% and 80.8%, 41.7% and 96.2%, 45.8% and 96.2%, and 62.5% and 96.2%, respectively. The presence of any one of the following features-honeycomb loculi with a low signal intensity on T2WI, thickened septation or wall (≥5 mm), and vegetations (≥5 mm)-yielded the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of identifying borderline MC of 91.7%, 92.3%, and 92.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MRI has the ability to accurately demonstrate the morphological characteristics of ovarian MC and reliably differentiate borderline MC from benign MC.

Lenalidomide attenuates IMQ-induced inflammation in a mouse model of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a type of chronic autoimmune-mediated inflammatory skin condition in which clinical manifestations are characterized by erythema and scaly changes, with complex pathogenesis and ease of relapse, and it is difficult to cure. Lenalidomide (Len) is a structural analog of thalidomide, which belongs to the second generation of immunomodulators and has the functions of tumor killing, immune regulation, anti-angiogenesis and regulation of the myeloma microenvironment. In the current experiment, we investigated the therapeutic effect of transdermal application of Len on the pathological changes of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced skin irritations and inflammation in psoriatic-like mice. The in vivo results revealed that Len nanoemulsion-based gels markedly reduced the IMQ-induced Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score, spleen-to-body weight index and CD4 protein expression in the derma of mice and improved IMQ-induced skin inflammatory cell infiltration. Transcriptome sequencing was intended to obtain the differentially expressed genes among the skin of Con mice and the skin of IMQ mice, and then, the GO enrichment classification and KEGG pathway analysis of the significant genes was executed to obtain major signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of the psoriasis mouse model. It was found that the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was a major pathway in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in a mouse model induced by IMQ. The immunohistochemical results confirmed that Len could modulate the protein expression of AKT and NF-κB in skin. In conclusion, the protective effect of transdermal administration of Len may be related to the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its downstream NF-κB pathway against IMQ-induced psoriasis in mice.

Regulatory Effect of HBV Integrated Fragment on PCNA Promoter.

H7C is a HBV integrated fragment isolated from a human hepatocellular carcinoma, containing the promoter of preS2 and the C-terminal truncated preS/S open reading frame. We have studied the effect of the 3'-truncated preS/S on human proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) promoter by co-transfection of the expression plasmids. Result showed that the product, pKSH7C-Hpa I, which contained the intact H7C and the flanking cellular sequences, stimulated the expression from PCNA promoter dose-dependently, and its effect was 1-2 folds higher than that on SV40 promoter. However, two subclones, pKSH7C-XHX and pKSH7C-XbH, which would not express preS/S, showed no stimulatory effect. Furthermore, when if the -45 bp ATF-like site was mutated, the activation effect became diminished. This showed that the ATF-like site might be important in mediating the transactivating process. This is the first report of the effect of a HBV integrated fragment on the promoter of a replicating protein factor.