Objective To evaluate the expression level of cathepsin D protein in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to determine its relationship with clinic pathological characters. Method Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of cathepsin D in 72 cases of primary NPC and 28 cases of normal nasopharyngal epithelial tissue ( NNET), and the correlation of its expression level with clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes was evaluated. Results Significant down-regulation of cathepsin D was observed in NPC versus NNET(x2 = 13. 55, P ＜0. 01 ). In addition, cathepsin D down-regulation was significantly correlated with poor histological differentiation ( x2 =41.47, P ＜0. 01 ). Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ (well-moderately differentiated) NPC showed more intense immunoreactivity of cathepsin D compared with type Ⅲ (poorly differentiated) NPC. Cathepsin D up-regulation was significantly correlated with clinical stage, recurrence, and lymph node and distant metastasis (x2 = 13.43,22. 86,21.61,14. 32, P ＜0. 01 ).Tumors with cathepsin D up-regulation tended to have advanced clinical stage, frequent recurrences, and metastasis to lymph node and distant organ. Conclusion The expression of cathepsin D was closely related with the differentiation, clinical stage and pathological grade of NPC. Cathepsin D could be served as an effective differentiation marker for the histopathological grading of NPC and a possible therapy target.

Objective To investigate the influences of mutant p53 protein expression on the resistance of breast cancer cells to adriamycin and efficiency of adriamycin chemotherapy of the pre-operative patients with breast carcinoma.Methods Mutant p53 protein expression in 9 cases of breast cancer was examined by using inmunohistochemical method and image semiquantified analysis.The response of human breast cancer cells to adriamycin was tested with MTT assay in order to judge the effects of mutant p53 protein expression on the pre-operative pateints with breast carcinoma treated with adriamycin chemotherapy.Results ⑴Mutant p53 protein expression in 7 cases of the human breast cancer samples were positive,the positive rate was 77%(7/9).⑵There was positive relationship between expression degree of mutant p53 protein(positive relative area) and resistance index(IC50:1/10 peak concentration) of human breast cancer cells to adriamycin(r=0 7956,P

Objective To investigate the brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and clinical manifesta-tions of the patients with citrullinemia, and to promote awareness of, early diagnosis of and better treatment for the disease.Methods One case with citrullinemia was reported, and other eight cases reported in the literature in nearly 14 years were reviewed.Results The case was a 15-month-old girl with type I citrullinemia diagnosed by the mutation analysis of the ASS1 gene performed in local hospital after birth. The patient was admitted to our hospital for recurrent lethargy for a year and the high level of blood ammonia (311 μmol/L, normal range 9-33 μmol/L). The blood ammonia reduced to normal on the 11th day after arginine treatment. On MRI scans, the diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) showed diffuse hyperintensity on bilateral frontal, parietal and temporal cortex, which indicated restricted diffusion due to cytotoxic edema. On the follow-up MRI after 10 day's treatment, the affected regions was similar but the intensity decreased compared to the previous scan,which accompanied by cere-bral atrophy. Eight cases in the literature were reviewed, and the clinical manifestations in these patients were lack of speciifcity, the most common features included feeding dififculties, lethargy, and vomiting. Brain MRI was performed on 7 cases, computed tomography (CT) was performed on 1 case, with the result of cytotoxic edema in 3 cases and atrophy in 2 cases.Conclusions Citrullinemia often lacks of speciifc symptoms in the early phase. Brain MRI could provide the clinician a valuable help for early diagnosis and treatment of this disease.

AIM To investigate the proliferation inhibition and inducing differentiation effect of diallyl disulfide (DADS) on human acute myeloid cell line HL 60. METHODS Inhibition of HL 60 cell proliferation was shown by MTT assay; cell differentiation was determined by morphologic observation,the ability of NBT reduction activity and flow cytometric detection. RESULTS DADS has significant anti proliferative effect on HL 60 cells in a concentration dependent manner. The reduction ability of NBT and cell surface differentiation antigens CD11b had significantly increased( P

The aging process of human colonic epithelium involves a slow decline in physiological vigor and an increasing susceptibility to age-related diseases, especially, colon cancer, but the molecular mechanisms of the aging and susceptibility of aged colonic epithelium to carcinogenesis is still unclear. Identification of aging related proteins in colonic epithelium will help to reveal the molecular mechanisms of colonic epithelial aging and age-related colonic diseases. Therefore, the total proteins of human normal colonic epithelial tissues from 10 young and 10 old men were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2-DE), respectively. PDQuest software was applied to analyze 2-DE images, the differentially expressed protein spots of colonic epithelium between young and old groups were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF-MS), and the expression levels of partial identified proteins were determined by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. Well-resolved, reproducible 2-DE maps of human colonic epithelial tissues from young and old men were established, 17 aging related proteins were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS, and the differential expression levels of partial identified proteins were confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. The results indicate that injury of mitochondrial function and decline of antioxidant capability are important reasons for the aging of human colonic epithelium, and four differential proteins (guanine nucleotide-binding protein beta subunit-like protein, stress-70 protein, 40 S ribosomal protein SA and chloride intracellular channel protein1) may be involved in susceptibility of aged colonic epithelium to carcinogenesis.

Objective To investigate the expressions of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR),heat shock protein 90A (HSP90A) and cathepsin D in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and their relationship with tumor invasion and metastasis.Methods From January 2014 to December 2015,58 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (group A) in the First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China were selected,and the positive expression rates of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D in biopsy specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were detected by immunohistochemistry method.The positive expression rates of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D in biopsy chronic rhinitis tissues of 30 patients with chronic rhinitis (group B) were also detected.T staging,N staging and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) of patients in group A were analyzed.In group A,the T staging,N staging and LVD of between patients with positive expression of EGFR,HSP90A and eathepsin D and those with negative expression of these indicators were compared,and the correlations of the expression of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D to T staging,N staging and LVD were analyzed.Results The positive expression rates of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D in group A were 86.21％,82.76％ and 87.93％ respectively,which were higher than 30.00％,26.67％ and 33.33％ in group B (P＜0.05).In group A,the percentages of patients on T3-T4 and N2-N3 stages and LVD of patients with positive expression of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D protein respectively were higher than those of patients with negative expression of corresponding protein (P ＜ 0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the positive expression rates of EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D in nasopharyngeal carcinoma were positively correlated with the T staging,N staging and LVD (EGFR:r=0.844,0.795,0.785;HSP90A:r=0.862,0.825,0.822;eathepsin D:r=0.842,0.815,0.863,P＜0.05).Conclusion EGFR,HSP90A and cathepsin D expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma are closely related to invasion and metastasis of tumor,which may be used as reference indexes for the evaluation of tumor invasion and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of chest limit low dose CT in children using Philips iCT scanner as an example.Methods A total of 28 consecutive children aged between 1 month and 7 years(median age 8 months)who were claimed CT exam by clinicians and received limit low dose CT scans were enrolled.The limit low dose CT were undertaken on a 256-slice CT scanner(Brilliance iCT,Philips)with parameters as 80 kV,10 mAs,0.625 mm×128,and pitch＝1.Firstly,lung algorithm group and standard algorithm group 4 mm slice-thickness image series were reconstructed with lung and standard algorithm respectively using iterative reconstruction(IR)algorithm(iDose44).Then a series of 0.67 mm slice-thickness images were reconstructed with IR(iDose44)and smooth A algorithm,and was transformed into transverse 4 mm images(image transformation group)and coronal multiple planar reformatted(MPR)and volume-rendered(VR)images along the central airway.The transverse images in above three groups were displayed in the same lung window for SD measurement and subjective image quality evaluation on a 5-point scale.The dose length product(DLP)was recorded and the effective dose(E)was calculated.Results The SD values of lung algorithm group,standard algorithm group and image transformation group were 26.7 ±7.6,15.1 ±5.5 and 16.7 ±4.9,respectively,which showed statistically significant difference(F＝29.6,P＜0.05).The noise of lung algorithm group was higher than those of standard algorithm group and image transformation group(mean difference values were 11.6 and 9.6,respectively,P＜0.05),but there were no significant difference between standard algorithm group and image transformation group(P ＞0.05).All images had enough diagnostic image quality.The coronal MPR and VR images were helpful for interpretation of axial images.The mean DLP and E were(8.65 ± 2.97)mGy· cm and(0.21 ±0.10)mSv,respectively.The lowest DLP and E were 4.40 mGy· cm and 0.08 mSv,respectively.Conclusions Using Philips iCT scanner as an example,chest limit low dose CT scanning was feasible for children.Combining with IR and image transformation,the image quality was fully guaranteed and 3D images increased diagnostic confidence.

To search for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) biomarkers,laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to purify the target cells from NPC and normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues (NNET). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed to separate the total proteins of microdissected NPC and NNEC,PDQuest software was applied to analyze 2-DE images,and the differential protein spots between the two types of tissues were identified by both MALDI-TOF-MS and ESI-Q-TOF-MS. The expression of cytokeratin 8(CK8),one of the differential proteins,in the microdissected NPC and NNEC as well as 4 NPC cell lines with different differentiated degrees and/or metastatic potentials was detected by Western blot. Immunohistochemistry was also used to detect the expression of CK8 in paraffin-embedded tissues including 63 cases of primary NPC,28 cases of NNET and 20 cases of cervical lymphonode metastasis. In the present study,2-DE patterns of microdissected NPC and NNEC were established,and 29 differential proteins in the above two tissues were identified,of which 15 only expressed or up-regulated in NPC and 14 only expressed or up-regulated in NNET. The expression level of differential protein CK8 between the NPC and NNET was selectively confirmed,and was found to be related to the differentiation and/or metastasis of NPC cell lines. Significant down-regulation of CK8 was observed in NPC compared with NNET,and significant up-regulation of CK8 was also observed in lymphonode metastasis compared with primary NPC. The data suggest that CK8 may be related to the differentiation and lymphonode metastasis of NPC,and may serve as molecular biomarkers for metastasis and differentiation of NPC.