Ocean currents show global intensification of weak tropical cyclones.

Theory1 and numerical modelling2 suggest that tropical cyclones (TCs) will strengthen with rising ocean temperatures. Even though models have reached broad agreement on projected TC intensification3-5, observed trends in TC intensity remain inconclusive and under active debate6-10 in all ocean basins except the North Atlantic, where aircraft reconnaissance data greatly reduce uncertainties11. The conventional satellite-based estimates are not accurate enough to ascertain the trend in TC intensity6,11, suffering from contamination by heavy rain, clouds, breaking waves and spray12. Here we show that weak TCs (that is, tropical storms to category-1 TCs based on the Saffir-Simpson scale) have intensified in all ocean basins during the period 1991-2020, based on huge amounts of highly accurate ocean current data derived from surface drifters. These drifters have submerged 'holy sock' drogues at 15 m depth to reduce biases induced by processes at the air-sea interface and thereby accurately measure near-surface currents, even under the most destructive TCs. The ocean current speeds show a robust upward trend of ~4.0 cm s-1 per decade globally, corresponding to a positive trend of 1.8 m s-1 per decade in the TC intensity. Our analysis further indicates that globally TCs have strengthened across the entirety of the intensity distribution. These results serve as a historical baseline that is crucial for assessing model physics, simulations and projections given the failure of state-of-the-art climate models in fully replicating these trends13.

Contribution of anthropogenic aerosols to persistent La Niña-like conditions in the early 21st century.

The discrepancy between the observed lack of surface warming in the eastern equatorial Pacific and climate model projections of an El Niño-like warming pattern confronts the climate research community. While anthropogenic aerosols have been suggested as a cause, the prolonged cooling trend over the equatorial Pacific appears in conflict with Northern Hemisphere aerosol emission reduction since the 1980s. Here, using CESM, we show that the superposition of fast and slow responses to aerosol emission change-an increase followed by a decrease-can sustain the La Niña-like condition for a longer time than expected. The rapid adjustment of Hadley Cell to aerosol reduction triggers joint feedback between low clouds, wind, evaporation, and sea surface temperature in the Southeast Pacific, leading to a wedge-shaped cooling that extends to the central equatorial Pacific. Meanwhile, the northern subtropical cell gradually intensifies, resulting in equatorial subsurface cooling that lasts for decades.

Atmosphere teleconnections from abatement of China aerosol emissions exacerbate Northeast Pacific warm blob events.

During 2010 to 2020, Northeast Pacific (NEP) sea surface temperature (SST) experienced the warmest decade ever recorded, manifested in several extreme marine heatwaves, referred to as "warm blob" events, which severely affect marine ecosystems and extreme weather along the west coast of North America. While year-to-year internal climate variability has been suggested as a cause of individual events, the causes of the continuous dramatic NEP SST warming remain elusive. Here, we show that other than the greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing, rapid aerosol abatement in China over the period likely plays an important role. Anomalous tropospheric warming induced by declining aerosols in China generated atmospheric teleconnections from East Asia to the NEP, featuring an intensified and southward-shifted Aleutian Low. The associated atmospheric circulation anomaly weakens the climatological westerlies in the NEP and warms the SST there by suppressing the evaporative cooling. The aerosol-induced mean warming of the NEP SST, along with internal climate variability and the GHG-induced warming, made the warm blob events more frequent and intense during 2010 to 2020. As anthropogenic aerosol emissions continue to decrease, there is likely to be an increase in NEP warm blob events, disproportionately large beyond the direct radiative effects.

N6-Methyladenine DNA Modification in the Human Genome.

DNA N6-methyladenine (6mA) modification is the most prevalent DNA modification in prokaryotes, but whether it exists in human cells and whether it plays a role in human diseases remain enigmatic. Here, we showed that 6mA is extensively present in the human genome, and we cataloged 881,240 6mA sites accounting for ∼0.051% of the total adenines. [G/C]AGG[C/T] was the most significantly associated motif with 6mA modification. 6mA sites were enriched in the coding regions and mark actively transcribed genes in human cells. DNA 6mA and N6-demethyladenine modification in the human genome were mediated by methyltransferase N6AMT1 and demethylase ALKBH1, respectively. The abundance of 6mA was significantly lower in cancers, accompanied by decreased N6AMT1 and increased ALKBH1 levels, and downregulation of 6mA modification levels promoted tumorigenesis. Collectively, our results demonstrate that DNA 6mA modification is extensively present in human cells and the decrease of genomic DNA 6mA promotes human tumorigenesis.

Prolonged thermocline warming by near-inertial internal waves in the wakes of tropical cyclones.

Turbulence-enhanced mixing of upper ocean heat allows interaction between the tropical atmosphere and cold water masses that impact climate at higher latitudes thereby regulating air-sea coupling and poleward heat transport. Tropical cyclones (TCs) can drastically enhance upper ocean mixing and generate powerful near-inertial internal waves (NIWs) that propagate down into the deep ocean. Globally, downward mixing of heat during TC passage causes warming in the seasonal thermocline and pumps 0.15 to 0.6 PW of heat into the unventilated ocean. The final distribution of excess heat contributed by TCs is needed to understand subsequent consequences for climate; however, it is not well constrained by current observations. Notably, whether or not excess heat supplied by TCs penetrates deep enough to be kept in the ocean beyond the winter season is a matter of debate. Here, we show that NIWs generated by TCs drive thermocline mixing weeks after TC passage and thus greatly deepen the extent of downward heat transfer induced by TCs. Microstructure measurements of the turbulent diffusivity ([Formula: see text]) and turbulent heat flux (J[Formula: see text]) in the Western Pacific before and after the passage of three TCs indicate that mean thermocline values of [Formula: see text] and J[Formula: see text] increased by factors of 2 to 7 and 2 to 4 (95% confidence level), respectively, after TC passage. Excess mixing is shown to be associated with the vertical shear of NIWs, demonstrating that studies of TC-climate interactions ought to represent NIWs and their mixing to accurately capture TC effects on background ocean stratification and climate.

Subtropical clouds key to Southern Ocean teleconnections to the tropical Pacific.

Excessive precipitation over the southeastern tropical Pacific is a major common bias that persists through generations of global climate models. While recent studies suggest an overly warm Southern Ocean as the cause, models disagree on the quantitative importance of this remote mechanism in light of ocean circulation feedback. Here, using a multimodel experiment in which the Southern Ocean is radiatively cooled, we show a teleconnection from the Southern Ocean to the tropical Pacific that is mediated by a shortwave subtropical cloud feedback. Cooling the Southern Ocean preferentially cools the southeastern tropical Pacific, thereby shifting the eastern tropical Pacific rainbelt northward with the reduced precipitation bias. Regional cloud locking experiments confirm that the teleconnection efficiency depends on subtropical stratocumulus cloud feedback. This subtropical cloud feedback is too weak in most climate models, suggesting that teleconnections from the Southern Ocean to the tropical Pacific are stronger than widely thought.

Construction of oral squamous cell carcinoma organoids in vitro 3D-culture for drug screening.

OBJECTIVE: Patient-derived organoids are potent pre-chemotherapy models. Due to limited research on diverse types of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and construction efficiency, our goal was to optimize OSCC organoid models from various sites and assess drug responsiveness. METHODS: We screened and optimized culture media, employing three-dimensional techniques to construct human-derived oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) organoid models in vitro. Morphological validation, immunofluorescence analysis, tissue origin verification, and Short Tandem Repeat (STR) sequencing confirmed the consistency between organoids and source tissues. These organoid models were then subjected to varying concentrations of anticancer drugs, with subsequent assessment of cell viability to calculate IC50 values. RESULTS: Twenty-nine surgical specimens yielded an 86.2% success rate in culturing 25 organoids in vitro. Morphological consistency confirmed nuclear atypia and positive expression of K5, P40, and E-cadherin, indicating squamous epithelial origin. Cultured complex organoids included α-SMA+ tumour-associated fibroblasts and tumour stem cells expressing CD44 and Ki67. STR sequencing affirmed genomic homogeneity between cultured organoids and source tissues. Drug sensitivity testing revealed diverse responses among organoids, highlighting their value for assessing drug sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: An efficient OSCC organoid culture system for personalized in vitro drug sensitivity screening was established, laying the foundation for precise treatment development.

Historic Yangtze flooding of 2020 tied to extreme Indian Ocean conditions.

Heavy monsoon rainfall ravaged a large swath of East Asia in summer 2020. Severe flooding of the Yangtze River displaced millions of residents in the midst of a historic public health crisis. This extreme rainy season was not anticipated from El Niño conditions. Using observations and model experiments, we show that the record strong Indian Ocean Dipole event in 2019 is an important contributor to the extreme Yangtze flooding of 2020. This Indian Ocean mode and a weak El Niño in the Pacific excite downwelling oceanic Rossby waves that propagate slowly westward south of the equator. At a mooring in the Southwest Indian Ocean, the thermocline deepens by a record 70 m in late 2019. The deepened thermocline helps sustain the Indian Ocean warming through the 2020 summer. The Indian Ocean warming forces an anomalous anticyclone in the lower troposphere over the Indo-Northwest Pacific region and intensifies the upper-level westerly jet over East Asia, leading to heavy summer rainfall in the Yangtze Basin. These coupled ocean-atmosphere processes beyond the equatorial Pacific provide predictability. Indeed, dynamic models initialized with observed ocean state predicted the heavy summer rainfall in the Yangtze Basin as early as April 2020.

Exploring transcriptional switches from pairwise, temporal and population RNA-Seq data using deepTS.

Transcriptional switch (TS) is a widely observed phenomenon caused by changes in the relative expression of transcripts from the same gene, in spatial, temporal or other dimensions. TS has been associated with human diseases, plant development and stress responses. Its investigation is often hampered by a lack of suitable tools allowing comprehensive and flexible TS analysis for high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data. Here, we present deepTS, a user-friendly web-based implementation that enables a fully interactive, multifunctional identification, visualization and analysis of TS events for large-scale RNA-Seq datasets from pairwise, temporal and population experiments. deepTS offers rich functionality to streamline RNA-Seq-based TS analysis for both model and non-model organisms and for those with or without reference transcriptome. The presented case studies highlight the capabilities of deepTS and demonstrate its potential for the transcriptome-wide TS analysis of pairwise, temporal and population RNA-Seq data. We believe deepTS will help research groups, regardless of their informatics expertise, perform accessible, reproducible and collaborative TS analyses of large-scale RNA-Seq data.

Alteration of tight junctions during botulinum toxin type A-inhibited salivary secretion.

OBJECTIVES: Tight junctions (TJs) are involved in the regulation of salivary secretion via paracellular pathway. Botulinum toxin type A (BTXA) is widely used for the treatment of hypersecretion diseases such as sialorrhea. This study aimed to investigate the role of TJs in BTXA-inhibited secretion of the submandibular gland (SMG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: BTXA was injected into the SMGs of rats, and the same amount of saline was injected as a control. Western blot, real-time PCR, and immunofluorescence staining were used to detect the expression and distribution of TJ proteins. Paracellular permeability was evaluated using the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) measurements and fluorescent tracer detection in BTXA-stimulated SMG-C6 cells. RESULTS: BTXA injection into the SMGs of rats led to increased expression of claudin (Cldn) -1 and Cldn3. Immunofluorescence staining showed no significant changes in the distribution of TJ proteins. In vitro, BTXA increased the TER values and significantly reduced the permeability of fluorescent tracer, suggesting that BTXA decreased the paracellular permeability. The expression levels of Cldn1, Cldn3, and Cldn4 were upregulated after BTXA treatment. CONCLUSION: The expression of TJ proteins changed in both animal models and SMG-C6 cells after BTXA treatment, which may contribute to the inhibition of salivary secretion.

Chromatin accessibility illuminates single-cell regulatory dynamics of rice root tips.

BACKGROUND: Root development and function have central roles in plant adaptation to the environment. The modification of root traits has additionally been a major driver of crop performance since the green revolution; however, the molecular underpinnings and the regulatory programmes defining root development and response to environmental stress remain largely unknown. Single-cell reconstruction of gene regulatory programmes provides an important tool to understand the cellular phenotypic variation in complex tissues and their response to endogenous and environmental stimuli. While single-cell transcriptomes of several plant organs have been elucidated, the underlying chromatin landscapes associated with cell type-specific gene expression remain largely unexplored. RESULTS: To comprehensively delineate chromatin accessibility during root development of an important crop, we applied single-cell ATAC-seq (scATAC-seq) to 46,758 cells from rice root tips under normal and heat stress conditions. Our data revealed cell type-specific accessibility variance across most of the major cell types and allowed us to identify sets of transcription factors which associate with accessible chromatin regions (ACRs). Using root hair differentiation as a model, we demonstrate that chromatin and gene expression dynamics during cell type differentiation correlate in pseudotime analyses. In addition to developmental trajectories, we describe chromatin responses to heat and identify cell type-specific accessibility changes to this key environmental stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: We report chromatin landscapes during rice root development at single-cell resolution. Our work provides a framework for the integrative analysis of regulatory dynamics in this important crop organ at single-cell resolution.

Clinical Characterization of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumors and Tumor-Like Lesions in Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical characteristics of oral and maxillofacial tumors in children and adolescents. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients who had oral and maxillofacial tumors under the age of 18 years and were treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from January 1990 to July 2021 (31 y). Their general conditions, pathological diagnosis, gender, age, and anatomical location were counted to analyze their morbidity and composition characteristics. RESULTS: This study contained 5405 cases, including 2903 male patients and 2502 female patients, with a median age of 9 years. Peak incidence was observed in the 14 to 18 years age group. The mandible (22.15%), maxilla (11.75%), and tongue (9.25%) were the most common sites of incidence. Malignant and intermediate type tumors accounted for 13.04%, benign tumors and tumor-like lesions for 55.67%, most often occurs in the maxillofacial bone, of which fibro-osseous lesions constitute an important part. Cysts accounted for 31.29%. Among the tumors occurring in the jaws, the most common malignant type was sarcoma, and ameloblastoma was the most common benign tumor. Malignant jaw tumors were mostly treated by resection, 10.64% by fibular flap reconstruction. While benign jaw tumors and tumor-like lesions were mostly treated by resection or curettage. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of anatomical location and pathological types of oral and maxillofacial tumors in children has certain characteristics, so that the selection of their treatment options is different from that of adults due to the consideration of the growth and developmental characteristics of children.

Facial Reanimation After Peripheral Facial Nerve Paralysis: A Single-institution Surgical Experience.

Facial nerve trauma occasionally develops during oral and maxillofacial surgery. This study was aimed at enhancing the available knowledge on facial nerve reanimation correlated to surgery and proposing our surgical algorithm. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of patients who underwent facial reanimation surgery at our hospital. The inclusion criterion was surgery for facial reanimation from January 2004 to June 2021. We included 383 eligible patients who underwent facial reanimation surgery. Trauma or maxillofacial neoplasms were noted in 208 of 383 and 164 of 383 cases, respectively. In 238 of 383 cases, nerve branches were likely more vulnerable. Facial nerve anastomosis was performed in 256 patients. Sixty-eight patients received nerve grafts. In 22 patients, distal facial nerve transfer to the masseteric nerve, sublingual nerve, or contralateral facial nerve was performed. Twenty-five patients received static surgery; in most cases, the temporalis fascia flap (20/25) was used. The nerve function outcomes were HB grade I (n=17), Grade Ⅱ (n=108), Grade Ⅲ (n=118), Grade Ⅳ (n=94), and Grade V (n=46). The mean follow-up time was 4.88 ± 3.93 years. Facial paralysis caused by trauma ( P =0.000), branch injury ( P =0.000), and the primary reconstruction of facial nerve ( P =0.000) were predictive of favorable treatment outcomes. Although facial nerve injury caused by trauma was more likely, cases of interference in facial expression could be limited, and so did the injury to branches. Nerve anastomosis was prioritized if a tension-free suture was possible. Maintaining the integrity of the nerve and shortening the duration of mimetic muscular denervation were crucial.

[Influencing Factors of Bethesda â ¢ Results in Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Thyroid Nodules].

Objective To investigate the influencing factors of Bethesda Ⅲ results in fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules.Methods A total of 300 thyroid nodules with cytological diagnosis results were analyzed retrospectively,including 100 Bethesda Ⅲ nodules and 50 nodules of Bethesda Ⅱ,Ⅳ,Ⅴ,and Ⅵ categories,respectively.Univariate analysis and Logistic regression analysis were performed on the clinical data of patients and the ultrasound signs of thyroid nodules to clarify the factors influencing the diagnosis of Bethesda Ⅲ nodules.Results Univariate analysis showed that Bethesda Ⅲ nodules were mostly adjacent to the capsule(P<0.001),with no blood flow in the color Doppler assessment(P=0.011)and lack of blood supply(P=0.033)and maximum diameter ≤0.9 cm(P=0.038)as revealed by the contrast-enhanced ultrasound.Logistic regression showed that the position close to the capsule(OR=5.110,95%CI=2.153-12.130,P<0.001)and color Doppler without blood flow signal(OR=3.015,95%CI=1.094-8.311,P=0.033)were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of Bethesda Ⅲ nodules.Conclusions The puncture difficulty caused by the dangerous position of thyroid nodules close to the capsule and the aspiration difficulty caused by the absence of blood flow signal in color Doppler are the main factors influencing the diagnosis of Bethesda Ⅲ nodules.Therefore,corresponding avoidance measures should be taken during the aspiration process to reduce the diagnosis results of Bethesda Ⅲ nodules.

Utility of Epstein-Barr Virus DNA in Nasopharynx Swabs as a Reflex Test to Triage Seropositive Individuals in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Screening Programs.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA detection in the nasopharynx is considered a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We evaluated its performance as a reflex test to triage EBV seropositives within an NPC screening program in China. METHODS: The study population was embedded within an ongoing NPC screening trial and included 1111 participants who screened positive for anti-EBV VCA (antibodies against EBV capsid antigens)/EBNA1 (EBV nuclear antigen1)-IgA antibodies (of 18 237 screened). Nasopharynx swabs were collected/tested for EBNA1 gene EBV DNA load. We evaluated performance of EBV DNA in the nasopharynx swab as a reflex test to triage EBV serological high-risk (those referred to endoscopy/MRI) and medium-risk (those referred to accelerated screening) individuals. RESULTS: By the end of 2019, we detected 20 NPC cases from 317 serological high-risk individuals and 4 NPC cases from 794 medium-risk individuals. When used to triage serological high-risk individuals, nasopharynx swab EBV DNA was detected in 19/20 cases (positivity rate among cases: 95.0%; 95% CI, 75.1%-99.9%), with a referral rate of 63.4% (201/317, 95% CI, 57.8%-68.7%) and NPC detection rate among positives of 9.5% (19/201, 95% CI, 5.8%-14.4%). The performance of an algorithm that combined serology with triage of serology high-risk individuals using EBV DNA testing yielded a sensitivity of 72.4% (95% CI, 3.0%-81.4%) and specificity of 97.6% (95% CI, 97.2%-97.9%). When used to triage EBV serological medium-risk individuals, the positivity rate among cases was 75.0% (95% CI, 19.4%-99.4%), with a referral rate of 61.8% (95% CI, 58.4%-65.2%) and NPC detection rate among positives of 0.6% (95% CI, 0.1%-1.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Nasopharynx swab EBV DNA showed promise as a reflex test to triage serology high-risk individuals, reducing referral by ca. 40% with little reduction in sensitivity compared to a serology-only screening program.

Periodontitis in patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to summarize and update the evidence regarding the association between periodontitis and psoriasis. METHODS: The present systematic review was conducted under the guidelines of Transparent Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and was recorded in the PROSPERO database, under registration number CRD42017063799. Three databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library) were searched up to March 2020. Case-control or cohort studies assessing the association between periodontitis and psoriasis were identified. Quantitative synthesis was conducted with meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 13 studies (11 case-control and two cohort studies) assessing the association between periodontitis and psoriasis were included. Of these 13 articles, 9 showed the prevalence of periodontitis or psoriasis. Therefore, meta-analyses were conducted with data retrieved from the nine studies included. Pooled effect estimate for nine studies showed that patients with periodontitis associated with a higher risk of psoriasis with a pooled OR of 2.87 (95% CI, 1.75-4.69). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review demonstrated a positive association between periodontitis and psoriasis; however, a causal relationship cannot be established. Due to the weak evidence, caution should be taken when interpreting the results regarding periodontal parameters. Well-designed prospective studies are necessary to evaluate interactions between both diseases.

Prospective assessment of a nasopharyngeal carcinoma risk score in a population undergoing screening.

Despite evidence suggesting the utility of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) markers to stratify individuals with respect to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk in NPC high-risk regions, no validated NPC risk prediction model exists. We aimed to validate an EBV-based NPC risk score in an endemic population undergoing screening for NPC. This prospective study was embedded within an ongoing NPC screening trial in southern China initiated in 2008, with 51 235 adult participants. We assessed the score's discriminatory ability (area under the receiver-operator-characteristics curve, AUC). A new model incorporating the EBV score, sex and family history was developed using logistic regression and internally validated using cross-validation. AUCs were compared. We also calculated absolute NPC risk combining the risk score with population incidence and competing mortality data. A total of 151 NPC cases were detected in 2008 to 2016. The EBV-based score was highly discriminating, with AUC = 0.95 (95% CI = 0.93-0.97). For 90% specificity, the score had 87.4% sensitivity (95% CI = 81.0-92.3%). As specificity increased from 90% to 99%, the positive predictive value increased from 2.4% (95% CI = 1.9-3.0%) to 12.5% (9.9-15.5%). Correspondingly, the number of positive tests per detected NPC case decreased from 272 (95% CI = 255-290) to 50 (41-59). Combining the score with other risk factors (sex, first-degree family history of NPC) did not improve AUC. Men aged 55 to 59 years with the highest risk profile had the highest 5-year absolute NPC risk of 6.5%. We externally validated the discriminatory accuracy of a previously developed EBV score in a high-risk population. Adding nonviral risk factors did not improve NPC prediction.

Occupational exposures and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a high-risk area: A population-based case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The potential role of occupational exposures in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear, particularly in high-incidence areas. METHODS: The authors conducted a population-based case-control study, consisting of 2514 incident NPC cases and 2586 randomly selected population controls, in southern China from 2010 to 2014. Occupational history and other covariates were self-reported using a questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of NPC associated with occupational exposures. Restricted cubic splines were used to evaluate potentially nonlinear duration-response relations. RESULTS: Individuals who had exposure to occupational dusts (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.26-1.68), chemical vapors (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.17-1.61), exhausts/smokes (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.25-1.60), or acids/alkalis (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.30-1.89) in the workplace had an increased NPC risk compared with those who were unexposed. Risk estimates for all 4 categories of occupational exposures appeared to linearly increase with increasing duration. Within these categories, occupational exposure to 14 subtypes of agents conferred significantly higher risks of NPC, with ORs ranging from 1.30 to 2.29, including dust from metals, textiles, cement, or coal; vapor from formaldehyde, organic solvents, or dyes; exhaust or smoke from diesel, firewood, asphalt/tar, vehicles, or welding; and sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and concentrated alkali/ammonia. CONCLUSIONS: Occupational exposures to dusts, chemical vapors, exhausts/smokes, or acids/alkalis are associated with an excess risk of NPC. If the current results are causal, then the amelioration of workplace conditions might alleviate the burden of NPC in endemic areas. LAY SUMMARY: The role of occupational exposures in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear, particularly in high-incidence areas. The authors conducted a population-based study with 2514 incident NPC cases and 2586 population controls in southern China and observed that occupational exposures were associated with an increased risk of NPC. Duration-response trends were observed with increasing duration of exposure. These findings provide new evidence supporting an etiologic role of occupational exposures for NPC in a high-incidence region.

Comparison of new magnetic resonance imaging grading system with conventional endoscopy for the early detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Although stratifying individuals with respect to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk with Epstein-Barr virus-based markers is possible, the performance of diagnostic methods for detecting lesions among screen-positive individuals is poorly understood. METHODS: The authors prospectively evaluated 882 participants aged 30 to 70 years who were enrolled between October 2014 and November 2018 in an ongoing, population-based NPC screening program and had an elevated NPC risk. Participants were offered endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and lesions were identified either by biopsy at a follow-up endoscopy or further contact and linkage to the local cancer registry through December 31, 2019. The diagnostic performance characteristics of endoscopy and MRI for NPC detection were investigated. RESULTS: Eighteen of 28 identified NPC cases were detected by both methods, 1 was detected by endoscopy alone, and 9 were detected by MRI alone. MRI had significantly higher sensitivity than endoscopy for NPC detection overall (96.4% vs 67.9%; Pdifference = .021) and for early-stage NPC (95.2% vs 57.1%; P = .021). The sensitivity of endoscopy was suggestively lower among participants who had previously been screened in comparison with those undergoing an initial screening (50.0% vs 81.2%; P = .11). The authors observed a higher overall referral rate by MRI versus endoscopy (17.3% vs 9.1%; P < .001). Cases missed by endoscopy had early-stage disease and were more commonly observed for tumors originating from the pharyngeal recess. CONCLUSIONS: MRI was more sensitive than endoscopy for NPC detection in the context of population screening but required the referral of a higher proportion of screen-positive individuals. The sensitivity of endoscopy was particularly low for individuals who had previously been screened.

Plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a prospective seropositive population.

OBJECTIVE: Plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is considered a biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its long-term role in NPC development is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1363 participants seropositive for EBV VCA-IgA and EBNA1-IgA in a community-based NPC screening program in southern China were tested for plasma EBV DNA levels by real-time qPCR between 2008 and 2015. New NPC cases were confirmed by active follow-up approach and linkage to local cancer registry through the end of 2016. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) for NPC risk with plasma EBV DNA. RESULTS: Thirty patients were newly diagnosed during a median 7.5 years follow-up. NPC incidence increased with the plasma EBV DNA load ranging from 281.46 to 10,074.47 per 100,000 person-years in participants with undetectable and ≥ 1000 copies/ml levels; the corresponding cumulative incidence rates were 1.73 and 50%. Furthermore, plasma EBV DNA loads conferred an independent risk for NPC development after adjustment for other risk factors, with HRs of 7.63 for > 3-999 copies/ml and 39.79 for ≥1000 copies/ml. However, the HRs decreased gradually after excluding NPC cases detected in the first 2 to 3 years and became statistically nonsignificant by excluding cases detected during the first 4 years. CONCLUSION: Elevated plasma EBV DNA can predict NPC risk over 3 years. Monitoring plasma EBV DNA can be used as a complementary approach to EBV serological antibody-based screening for NPC.