Objective To detect and explore the expression and clinical significance of dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase1b (Dyrk1b) in the specimens and cells of cervical lesions. Methods (1)All the data were collected from 75 patients with cervical cancer and 52 cases with squamous intraepithelial lesion(SIL)admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical College during Jan. 2011 to Dec. 2013 and confirmed by pathological examination, included 60 cases of stageⅠand 15 cases of stageⅡ, 12 cases with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(LSIL)and 40 cases with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion(HSIL). While, 28 cases with chronic cervicitis were chosen as the control group. The protein expression of Dyrk1b was detected by immunohistochemistry among the four groups.(2)The expression of Dyrk1b in HeLa and SiHa cells were detected by western blot method and the expression of Dyrk1b protein were also detected after treatment of AZ191 (5, 10 μmol/L) for 48 hours in HeLa and SiHa cells.(3)The cellular survival and proliferation of HeLa and SiHa cells treated by different concentrations of AZ191(2.5, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 μmol/L)for 48 hours were detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay.(4)The rate of apoptosis of HeLa and SiHa cells was detected by flowcytometry after treatment of AZ191 (5, 10μmol/L) for 48 hours. Results (1)The positive rates of Dyrk1b protein in chronic cervicitis, LSIL, HSIL and cervical squamous cancer by immunohistochemistry were 11%(3/28), 1/12, 42%(17/40)and 71%(53/75), respectively. The expression of Dyrk1b in cervical squamous cancer and HISL were higher than those in LSIL and chronic cervicitis (P<0.01), there were significant difference between cervical squamous cancer and HSIL, or between HSIL and LSIL(all P<0.05), while there were not significant difference between LSIL and chronic cervicitis(P>0.05). Expression of Dyrk1b was correlated with stromal invasion depth of cervical cancer (P<0.05), but not with age, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and serum squamous cell carcinom antigen(SCC-Ag)levels (all P>0.05). (2) Dyrk1b protein was expressed in different levels in HeLa and SiHa cells, and the expression of Dyrk1b was decreased gradually as the increased of the concentration of AZ191 in both HeLa and SiHa cells by treatment of AZ191 for 48 hours. (3) Different concentration of AZ191 treated on cervical cancer cells could inhibit the cellular proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.01), concomitant to the decreased cell survival rate. The apoptosis rate of HeLa and SiHa were increased significantly after 10μmol/L AZ191-treatment for 48 hours, but no any difference induced by 5 μmol/L AZ191-treatment compared to control group. Also,there was no any difference between Hela and SiHa cells in either inhibitory effect or apoptosis rate induced by AZ191. Conclusions Dyrk1b is over-expressed in either specimens or cells of cervical cancer. The expression of Dyrk1b protein in cervical lesions is increased as the progression of disease. Dyrk1b inhibitor AZ191 could inhibit cellular proliferation and induce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner in cervical cancer cells.

Objective: To investigate the difference between routine hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry in diagnosing metastatic melanoma in sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastases, and to evaluate the association of SLN tumor burden with the status of non-sentinel lymph nodes (NSLN). Methods: 126 melanoma patients were treated with SLN biopsy and further examined with immunohistochemistry at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between 2010 and 2016, and the status of SLN was respectively estimated by HE stain and immunohistochemistry (S-100 protein, HMB45, Melan A and SOX10). In 39 patients who were treated with complete lymph node dissection, characteristics of SLN tumor burden (maximum diameter of the tumor deposit, tumor penetrative depth and the microanatomic location of the metastasis) and the associations of SLN tumor burden with the involvement of NSLN were all evaluated. Results: Of the total 126 cases, 33 (26.2%) were positive by HE staining and 49 (38.3%) were positive by immunohistochemistry. S-100 protein was positive in 48 out of 49 cases (98.0%). HMB45 was positive in 46 out of 49 cases (93.9%). Melan A was positive in 47 out of 49 cases (96.0%). SOX10 was positive in 8 out of 8 cases. The outcome indicated that the application of immunohistochemistry identified positive SLN missed by HE stain in about 12.1% of cases. Of the 39 patients who were treated with complete lymph node dissection, six showed metastases in NSLN. The frequency of metastases in NSLN was 15.4% (6/39) when SLN was positive. Additionally, the frequency of metastases in NSLN in cases with SLN metastatic deposits ≤2 mm was significantly lower than that in cases with SLN metastatic deposits >2 mm; eight cases with SLN metastatic deposits <0.2 mm had no additional positive NSLN. Conclusions The findings suggest that immunohistochemistry could effectively improve the detection of positive SLN in melanoma. Cases with SLN metastatic deposits ≤2 mm are less likely to have further metastases in NSLN. There is a need for prospective large-population based studies to identify a subgroup of SLN positive patients who can safely be spared complete lymph node dissection.

Objective To investigate the impact flat deformity of the cerebral cortex induced by congenital hydrocephalus on motor functioning and cognition.Methods Tomography was used to confirm the presence of flat cortex deformity in three congenital hydrocephalus patients ranging in age from 20 to 33.Their motor control,balance,cognition and ability in the activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),the Berg balance scale (BBS),the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Speech dysfunction was judged on the basis of clinical communication.The patients were scanned using a 64-slice spiral CT and size-of-ventricle indices were calculated.Results All 3 patients underwent ventrideperitoneal shunt.Their FMA scores were 75.5,83 and 100,with BBS scores of 4,24 and 56,MMSE scores of 14,23 and 26,and the MBIs of 40,90 and 100.CT images showed obvious ventricle enlargement and a thinner cortex layer in all three,with the thinnest part 0.18 cm,0.22 cm and 0.57 cm.Their ventricle indexes were 303％,288％ and 192％,respectively.Conclusion Although there is no systematic rehabilitation therapy for such patients,their motor,cognition and speech functioning were good,indicating the great potential for plasticity of the human brain.

Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and clinical value of anti-BRAF V600E antibody (clone VE1) in detection of the BRAF V600E mutant in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) melanoma specimens by immunohistochemical (IHC) methods. Methods: A total of 50 melanoma samples collected between 2008 and 2016 from 40 patients were analyzed for BRAF mutation (exon 15) by DNA sequencing using FFPE. These tissues were immunostained with VE1 antibody, and the results were analyzed and compared with those by DNA sequencing. Results: By DNA sequencing, 36 cases showed BRAF mutation while others were BRAF wild type. Among the 36 cases with BRAF mutation, 32 harbored BRAF V600E, two harbored BRAF V600K, one had BRAF K601E and one had BRAF D594N, respectively. IHC staining showed 30 specimens were VE1 positive, while 19 were negative. The determination of IHC result for one case was obscured by heavy pigments. Of the BRAF-mutated specimens, four specimens with BRAF mutation other than V600E were all negative for VE1. The sensitivity and specificity of the VE1 immunostaining was 96.8% and 100.0% respectively.Concordance of BRAF V600E detection between immunostaining and DNA sequencing was 98.0%(48/49). Conclusions High sensitivity and specificity for VE1 immunostaining in detecting BRAF V600E in melanomas are demonstrated. It is a rapid and cost-effective method for detecting BRAF V600E mutations in melanoma patients. Hence, VE1 immunostaining can be used as an important screening method for BRAF mutation in laboratories.