[Nedaplatin or cisplatin combined with 5-fluorouracil for treatment of stage III-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a randomized controlled study].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and side effects of nedaplatin plus 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) and cisplatin plus 5-Fu for treatment of stage III-IVa nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: A total of 100 patients with NPC proved by histopathology were divided into nedaplatin plus 5-Fu group (NF group) and cisplatin plus 5-Fu group (PF group), 50 cases in each group. NF group: nedaplatin 30 mg/m(2), d1-d3, 5-Fu 500 mg/m(2) d1-d5, repeated every 3 weeks for 2 cycles. PF group: cisplatin 30 mg/m(2) d1-d3, 5-Fu 500 mg/m(2) d1-d5, repeated every 3 weeks for 2 cycles. χ(2) test was used to compare the efficacy and side-effects of the two groups. RESULTS: All the 100 cases were evaluable and their clinical data in the two groups were comparable. Six patients with complete response were observed, 3 cases in NF group and 3 in PF group. The overall response rates were 86.0% in NF group and 84.0% in PF group, with no significant difference (χ(2) = 0.078, P = 0.779). The rates of leukocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, impairment of hepatic and renal function were similar whereas more patients in the PF group than in the NF group suffered from nausea and vomiting (88.0% vs. 56.0%, P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Nedaplatin plus 5-Fu is an effective treatment regimen for NPC. When compared with PF regimen, the response rate is similar. However, NF regimen shows a significant superiority in reducing nausea and vomiting.

Differentiation and dating of red ink entries of seals on documents by HPLC and GC/MS.

A novel approach for differentiation and dating of red ink entries of seals on documents was developed based on ion-pairing HPLC (IP-HPLC) and GC/MS. Sixty-nine red ink pastes of seals were collected and the chromatographic conditions for separation of the dye components by IP-HPLC and the volatile additives by GC/MS in the ink entries were optimized. According to the dye components and additives, the ink entries were classified by HPLC with a multi-wavelength UV detector. The volatile components of the inks were identified by GC/MS and the classification of the ink entries was also investigated based on these volatile additives. The results showed that most of the ink entries of the seals can be differentiated by combining HPLC with a multi-wavelength detector and GC/MS methods. The degradation of the standard dye mixtures and the compositional changes of the ink entries of seals were investigated in light or natural aging conditions. The results indicated that the dye components decomposed in light or natural storage conditions, while the rates of the degradation depended on the structures of the dye components, the aging conditions, even the additives of the ink pastes. The results also showed that there existed good relationships between the compositional changes of the ink entries and the aging time, which can provide scientific evidences and valuable clues for dating of the ink entries.

Intestinal injury following liver transplantation was mediated by TLR4/NF-κB activation-induced cell apoptosis.

Intestinal motility and barriers are often impaired due to intestinal congestion during liver transplantation. Intestinal bacteria and enterogenous endotoxins enter into the blood stream or lymphatic system and translocate to other organs, which can result in postoperative multi-organ dysfunction (MODF) and systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome (SIRS) severely affecting patient survival. However, the mechanisms underlying liver transplantation-induced intestinal injury remain unclear and effective therapies are lacking. Thus, the present study investigated whether these effects were associated with endotoxin-mediated apoptosis. Rat autologous orthotopic liver transplantation (AOLT) models were established to observe dynamic intestinal injuries at different time-points following reperfusion. Changes in the levels of endotoxins and the primary receptor, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), as well as its downstream signaling molecule, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were all determined. Finally, immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assays were conducted to detect caspase-3 expression and intestinal cell apoptosis, respectively. AOLT resulted in significant pathological intestinal injury, with the most serious intestine damage apparent four or eight hours following reperfusion. Furthermore, the levels of endotoxins and inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, peaked during this time period and gradually decreased to the normal level. Notably, TLR4 and downstream NF-κB expression, as well as NF-κB-mediated caspase-3 activation and intestinal cell apoptosis coincided with the intestinal pathological damage. Thus, the possible mechanism of post-liver transplantation intestinal injury was demonstrated to be associated with NF-κB activation-induced cell apoptosis.

Nondestructive identification for red ink entries of seals by Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry.

Determination of the red ink entries of seals on documents can provide valuable evidences for solving related crimes, distinguishing the truth of artworks, and so establishment of nondestructive approaches would play a key role in forensic analysis and related aspects. Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy have been applied for analyzing 105 kinds of red ink entries on documents. The dye components of the ink entries were identified by FT-Raman and confocal Raman microspectroscopy, and then the ink entries were classified into four groups based on these dye components. The ink entries were further discriminated by their FT-IR spectra according to adsorption peaks of the main components, the relative intensities of the characteristic bands and the profiles of the spectra. The results showed that 70 ink entries out of 105 have been individually identified and the remaining 35 ink entries can be divided into 13 subclasses. Combination of Raman and FT-IR spectroscopic methods can provide a powerful nondestructive discriminating tool for identification of the red ink entries of seals on papers. These approaches would have potential application in archeology, art and forensic science.

[Clinical analysis of xerostomia in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiation therapy].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: There is few report on the xerostomia of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after conventional radiation therapy. Xerostomia is a serious, permanent, and ubiquitous sequelae in the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after conventional radiation therapy. It has a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. This study was designed to investigate the severity of xerostomia and its impact on the quality of life in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after conventional radiation therapy. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-six patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, treated by conventional radiation therapy in Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, were surveyed by interview at the outpatient. A questionnaire and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used in analysis of xerostomia and xerostomia-related problems. RESULTS: Of 136 patents, 73.5% of the patients experienced a moderate to severe degree of xerostomia. 82.4% of the patients had to sip water to facilitate speech; 92.6% of the patients had to sip water to facilitate chewing and swallowing; 91.2% of the patients changed their feeding pattern (can eat only mashed food); 61.3% of the patients had to wake up to drink water because of dry mouth; 75.0% of the patients had teeth deteriorated. CONCLUSION: 73.5% of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after conventional radiation therapy experienced a moderate to severe degree of xerostomia. Xerostomia has a significant impact on the patient's speech, deglutition, sleep, and increases the morbidity rate of the tooth.

[Significance of cell-free Epstein-Barr virus DNA in monitoring prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: It has been reported that cell-free Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-DNA) in plasma was useful in diagnosing and monitoring nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The current study was designed to evaluate the significance of EBV-DNA in monitoring the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and to compare with VCA/IgA and EA/IgA. METHODS: EBV-DNA, VCA/IgA, and EA/IgA levels in plasma were detected in different NPC patients after radiotherapy, including 30 distant metastasis patients, 22 locoregional recurrence patients, 24 remission individuals who had been followed up more than 2 years after treatment. EBV-DNA was detected using real-time quantitative PCR system;VCA/IgA and EA/IgA were tested using regular immunofluorescence. In cohort study, the indexes were tested in different radiation periods for the 20 new cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. RESULTS: The median plasma EBV-DNA concentration was 135,100 copies/ml (interquartile range: 5,525-1,003,750) in metastasis group, 20,500 copies/ml (interquartile range: 0-58,500) in locoregional recurrence group and 0 copies/ml (interquartile range: 0-0) in continuous remission group (P< 0.05). The levels of VCA/IgA and EA/IgA had no significant difference in different groups. The high level of EBV-DNA concentration in metastasis group was more than that in locoregional recurrence group. At the level of 1,000,000 copies/ml, EBV DNA indicated distant metastasis of NPC with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 27.3%; however, the sensitivity was 0 copies/ml in locoregional recurrence group. For the 20 new patients, EBV DNA concentration gradually decreased in the radiation period, 32,050 copies/ml (interquartile range: 3,880-317,750) before radiation, 0 copies/ml (interquartile range: 0-14,375) when 40 Gy radiation dose and 0 copies/ml (interquartile range: 0-2940) when the radiation finished (P< 0.05). However, the levels of VCA/IgA and EA/IgA had no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The plasma cell-free EBV-DNA is more valuable than VCA/IgA and EA/IgA for monitoring the prognosis of NPC patients.