OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of CO2 laser combined with 32P-patch contact brachyradiotherapy for the treatment of keloids.

METHODSFrom 2001 to 2006, 121 cases with 151 keloids, which reoccurred after treatment with more than 2 methods, underwent continuous CO2 laser treatment to remove the hypertrophic scar tissue, following by ultra-pulse CO2 laser to treat the fresh granulation tissue. After wound healing, 32P-patch contact brachyradiotherapy was used for the lesion, 0.5-1 MBQ/cm2 for 72-96 hours, every 1-2 months. 2-3 treatment were applied.

RESULTSAmong the 151 keloids, good result was achieved in 111 keloids, and effective result in 40 keloids. Adverse effect included hyperpigmentation in 21 lesions and hypopigmentation in 32 lesions. The patients were followed up for 2-6 years without relapse.

CONCLUSIONCO2 laser combined with 32P-patch contact brachyradiotherapy is an effective and safe method for the treatment of recalcitrant keloids.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Keloid ; therapy ; Lasers, Gas ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phosphates ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Phosphorus Radioisotopes ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Transdermal Patch ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

This article reviews Leptotrombidium deliense, including its discovery and nomenclature, morphological features and identification, life cycle, ecology, relationship with diseases, chromosomes and artificial cultivation. The first record of L. deliense was early in 1922 by Walch. Under the genus Leptotrombidium, there are many sibling species similar to L. deliense, which makes it difficult to differentiate L. deliense from another sibling chigger mites, for example, L. rubellum. The life cycle of the mite (L. deliense) includes 7 stages: egg, deutovum (or prelarva), larva, nymphochrysalis, nymph, imagochrysalis and adult. The mite has a wide geographical distribution with low host specificity, and it often appears in different regions and habitats and on many species of hosts. As a vector species of chigger mite, L. deliense is of great importance in transmitting scrub typhus (tsutsugamushi disease) in many parts of the world, especially in tropical regions of Southeast Asia. The seasonal fluctuation of the mite population varies in different geographical regions. The mite has been successfully cultured in the laboratory, facilitating research on its chromosomes, biochemistry and molecular biology.
Adult ; Asia, Southeastern ; Biochemistry ; Ecology ; Ecosystem ; Host Specificity ; Humans ; Larva ; Life Cycle Stages ; Mites ; Molecular Biology ; Nymph ; Ovum ; Scrub Typhus ; Seasons ; Siblings ; Trombiculidae

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (MiRNA) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of gene expression post-transcriptionally by cleavage or translational repression of their specific target miRNAs. Numerous studies have demonstrated that circulating miRNAs are stable and abundant in blood and aberrantly expressed under pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. The implications of circulating miRNAs in acute myocardial infarction have recently been recognized. This review will highlight the potential role of miRNA as a novel class of biomarkers in acute myocardial infarction. METHODS: This systemic review is based on our own work and other related reports. RESULTS: During diseases circulating miRNAs are derived from not only circulating blood cells but also other tissues affected by ongoing diseases. These disease-related miRNAs in the blood can serve as potential biomarkers. CONCLUSION: The circulating miRNAs can be used as novel biomarkers potentially offering more sensitive and specific tests than those currently available for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and to sum up the experience of breast intraductal neoplasm resection under breast fiberoptic ductoscopy (FDS). METHODS: FDS was performed on 548 patients with nipple discharge from Sep.2004 to Nov.2006. The clinical data of breast intraductal neoplasm found by FDS in patients who underwent tumor resection were analyzed, and the breast intraductal neoplasm image characteristics, diagnosis, operative type and postoperative pathological results were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the 548 patients with nipple discharge, intraductal neoplasm was found in 187 cases (34.1%), intraductal papilloma in 159 cases (29.0%), intraductal papillomatosis in 12 cases (2.2%), and breast carcinoma in 16 cases (2.9%). One hundred thirty-five patients were operated on in our hospital, of whom 91 were performed tumor resection or segmentectomy under the localization by FDS, and the other 44 were performed segmentectomy after breast duct infusion of methylene blue. The diagnostic rate under FDS in the FDS group (97.8%) was higher than that in the breast duct infusion methylene group (86.4%) (chi2=6.96, P=0.008). CONCLUSION FDS is not only an accurate diagnosis for breast intraductal lesion, but also an assistance to localize the breast intraductal neoplasm and to remove them in the operation.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Endoscopy ; methods ; Female ; Fiber Optic Technology ; methods ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Papilloma, Intraductal ; diagnosis ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the unusual bcr/abl fusion gene structures of two Ph chromosome positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients in chronic phase (CP).

METHODSBy using general M- and micro -bcr/abl specific primers respectively, bcr/abl fusion transcripts were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The RT-PCR products sequencing was performed, the DNA sequences were analyzed in Genebank and the bcr and abl sequences at the fusion site were identified. DNA was amplified by PCR using a set of primers designed according to the sequencing result of RT-PCR products.

RESULTSTwo patients showed typical manifestations of CML-CP. Their RT-PCR products were different from usual M- or micro -type; one was longer than M-bcr/abl but shorter than micro -bcr/abl, the other one was shorter than M-bcr/abl. The RT-PCR products sequencing showed that both products contained bcr and abl gene sequences. The first patient's bcr gene was broken within exon 18, and fused to abl gene exon 2(a2), and a 40 bp of partial abl intron 1b fragment was inserted between them, resulting in a novel in-frame bcr/abl fusion transcript-e18-int-a2 which has not been reported in the literature so far. In the second patient, deletion of abl exon2(a2) led to exon 13(b2) of bcr gene fusing with abl exon 3(a3).

CONCLUSIONUncommon bcr/abl fusion gene may occur in typical Ph(+) CML patient.

Adult ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; genetics ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Philadelphia Chromosome ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

In order to explore the application of real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) for detecting PML/RARalpha gene transcripts in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), the bone marrow samples from 46 newly diagnosed APL patients were collected for analysis. Three plasmids containing cDNA fragments of the bcr1-, bcr3-form PML/RARalpha and ABL control gene were constructed respectively. The ABI Prism 7500 Sequence Detection System using Taqman fluorogenic probes was used to quantify target gene. PML/RARalpha mRNA was detected by Q-PCR in 46 APL patients and 40 non-APL patients. The normalized quotient (NQ) of PML/RARalpha mRNA was calculated as followings: NQ = PML/RARalpha mRNA copy numbers/ABL mRNA copy numbers. Immunophenotype of acute promyelocytic leukemia was determined by four-color flow cytometry. The results showed that the coefficients of variation (CV) of inter-day assay and intra-day assay by using Q-PCR were 1.58% and 0.88% respectively. Q-PCR could detect reproducibly 5 copies of target gene per 100 ng RNA and no pseudopositive results were found. The median NQ of PML/RARalpha mRNA was 0.450 (0.084 - 1.082) in 46 APL patients. There was no indication of any correlation of PML/RARalpha mRNA type with age, sex, hemoglobin, platelet count, percentage of promyelocytes in bone marrow detected by morphology or flow cytometry, PML/RARalpha NQ, or signs of clinically diagnosed coagulation/bleeding disorders. Compared with bcr1-form cases, bcr3-form cases had more M(3v) phenotype (42.9% vs 9.4%, P = 0.015) and higher WBC count (9.35 x 10(9)/L vs 2.15 x 10(9)/L, P = 0.038). APL cells could be classified into large side scatter population (L-SSC) and non-large side scatter population (NL-SSC) in CD45/SSC histogram of flow cytometry. 87.50% patients with bcr1-form showed L-SSC phenotype and 64.29% patients with bcr3-form showed NL-SSC phenotype. It is concluded that a sensitive Q-PCR method is established. The median NQ of PML/RARalpha mRNA was 0.450 in newly diagnosed APL patients. There was no significant difference about PML/RARalpha mRNA expression of both bcr3-form and bcr1-form APL patients. Type of PML/RARalpha transcripts is related with the morphology and immunophenotype.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Female ; Genes, abl ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; analysis ; genetics ; Phenotype ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; genetics ; Receptors, Retinoic Acid ; analysis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods

OBJECTIVETo explore the specificity of anti-phosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody PY20 in bcr-abl+ cells and its possible clinical applications.

METHODSBcr-abl cell lines( K562, MEG-01) and bcr-abl- cells lines( Jurkat, MCF-7 )were stained with PY20. Phosphotyrosine protein of K562 and MEG-01 cells was detected by flow cytometry before and after treatment with imatinib. Phosphotyrosine protein in bone marrow cells from 49 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia(Ph(+) -ALL), Ph- ALL, acute myeloid leukemia (AML-M1, M2, M3, M5, FAB classification), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CML) and 3 normal donor. Positive cells over 5% of total cells was considered positive cases for phosphotyrosine protein. The level of tyrosine phosphorylation was determined by median fluorescence intensity (MFI).

RESULTSBcr-abl cell lines and marrow cells from 10 CML patients and 8 ALL patients were all PY20-positive, while bcr-abl- cell lines and marrow cells from 18 leukemia patients and 3 normal donor were all PY20-negative. MFI decreased remarkably after blocked by imatinib in K562 cells and MEG-01 cells. The positive cell percent of marrow cells from 10 newly diagnosed CML patients and 9 imatinib-sensitive CML patients was (54.20 +/- 19.82)% and (14.84 +/- 6.17)% (P < 0.05), while that of 2 cases of imatinib-resistant was 64.3% and 57.2%. There was significant difference of MFI between imatinib-resistant patients and imatinib-sensitive patients (99.42 +/- 4.87 vs 46.41 +/- 4.67, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONPY20 monoclonal antibody is highly specific for bcr-abl+ cells. It might be useful in rapid detection of bcr-abl+ cells and sensitivity to imatinib of CML patients.

Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Flow Cytometry ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; analysis ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; metabolism ; Phosphotyrosine ; analysis ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between three types of bcr/abl fusion transcripts and clinical manifestation in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

METHODM-, m- and micro -bcr/abl fusion transcripts were detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique in 537 fresh bone marrow samples of patients suspected CML clinically.

RESULTSOf 573 patients, 479 expressed M-bcr/abl transcripts, among whom 370 were in chronic phase (CP), and 109 in accelerated (AP)/blastic phase (BP). The percentages of patients with b2a2 transcripts in CP and AP/BP were 32.4% (120/370) and 36.7% (40/109) (P > 0.05). The b2a2 transcript patients in blastic crisis were 52.6% (10/19) for lymphoblastic and 33.3% (30/90) for myeloblastic (P > 0.05). The platelet count of untreated patients with b3a2 isoform [(485.9 +/- 333.8) x 10(9)/L, n = 125] was distinctly higher than those with b2a2 isoform [(380.5 +/- 321.9) x 10(9)/L, n = 62] (P < 0.05). 66.0% (31/47) and 64.4% (29/45) of the patients in CP and AP/BP respectively co-expressed M- and m-bcr/abl transcripts (P > 0.05). One patient expressed only m-bcr/abl transcript was of typical acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). Both two micro -bcr/abl(+) patients were of typical CML.

CONCLUSIONSAlmost all typical CML patients express M-bcr/abl transcripts, most of them coexpress M-bcr/abl and m-bcr/abl transcripts, a few possesses only micro -bcr/abl fusion gene. m-bcr/abl(+) are usually associated with AML or CML in myeloblastic crisis besides acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Patients with b3a2 isoform are prone to higher platelet count before treatment.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

Expression of AML1/ETO mRNA was observed in bone marrow cells from 49 untreated leukemic patients, and continuously detected during different periods after chemotherapy (12 cases) or bone marrow transplantation (8 cases). The results showed that AML1/ETO mRNA could be expressed in cells from AML-M(2), AML-M(4) and MDS-RAEB-T patients. The positive expression changed into negative at different duration in patients who achieved complete remission either by chemotherapy (9 cases), allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (5 cases) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (1 case), and they were sustained in complete remission status. In chemotherapeutic group, patients whose AML1/ETO expression turning from negative (2 cases) or faint positive (1 case) to positive relapsed later. Two patients treated with Allo-BMT showed continuously positive results and died of GVHD and relapse, respectively. These observations suggest that AML1/ETO chimeric mRNA could disappeared after chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. The patients have a great probability to relapse if the results of RT-PCR are continuously positive or change from negative to positive. Regular detection is necessary for leukemic patients.

In order to investigate the features of M-bcr/abl and m-bcr/abl fusion transcripts in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT), M-bcr/abl and m-bcr/abl fusion transcripts were sequentially detected by RT-PCR technique in 72 CML patients after SCT. The results showed that M-bcr/abl positive rate (79.2%, 42/53) within 6 months after SCT was remarkably higher than that in 6-12 months group (34.3%, 11/32) and >or= 12 months group (35.1%, 13/37) (P < 0.001), and the clinical relapse rates in corresponding periods were 1.9% (1/53), 0% (0/32) and 16.2% (6/37) respectively. M-bcr/abl and m-bcr/abl fusion transcripts occurred in 5 of 6 clinically relapsed patients. In period of more than 6 months after transplantation, none of 17 M-bcr/abl(+) samples from 14 patients in cytogenetic remission appeared positive reaction of m-bcr/abl. It is concluded that M-bcr/abl(+) fusion transcript still existed in most patients after SCT, and usually disappeared within 6 months. Existence of M-bcr/abl is not a clinical relapse marker in CML patients. Simultaneous detection of M-bcr/abl and m-bcr/abl fusion transcripts can be helpful for monitoring residual disease.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; metabolism ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Recurrence ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transplantation, Homologous