OBJECTIVE: To detect the serum levels of soluble endothelial glycoprotein endoglin (s-Eng) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and to evaluate the correlation between s-Eng levels and clinical features and laboratory parameters. METHODS: The levels of serum s-Eng were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 139 patients with APS, 44 patients with SLE but no APS, 37 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 23 patients with Bechet's disease (BD), 22 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and 22 persistent anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) positive individuals without SLE or APS (simply aCL positive group) and 87 health controls (HC) without any auto-immune diseases. These APS patients included 64 primary APS patients and 75 APS patients secondary to SLE.The correlation between the clinical data, laboratory parameters, and serum s-Eng levels were analyzed.Independent samples t test, paired t test, Chi-square Test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's χ² test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: (1) The serum levels of s-Eng were significantly higher in the patients with APS whether primary or secondary to SLE than in the health controls and simply aCL positive group and the patients with other autoimmune diseases, including SLE, pSS, BD and SSc (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the serum s-Eng levels between simply aCL positive group and health controls [(5.17±2.00) mg/L vs. (5.04±1.11) mg/L, P>0.05]. (2) The best cut-off value for the diagnosis of APS was no less than 8.37 mg/L as mean ± 3SD value, with the sensitivity at 0.772 and the specificity at 0.928. The Youden index was 0.700. These results indicated good validity of s-Eng as a diagnostic marker for APS. (3) The proportions of artery thrombosis and pathological pregnancy were higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than that in s-Eng-negative group (46/81 vs. 19/58, 29/65 vs. 10/44, respectively, all P<0.05). The levels of PLT were lower in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients (72.00×10⁹/L vs. 119.00×10⁹/L, P<0.001). (4) The proportions of the presence (93.83% vs. 37.93%, P<0.001) and titer (61.70 U/mL vs. 15.45 U/mL, P<0.001) of aCL were both higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than in s-Eng-negative group. The proportions of the presence (61.73% vs. 43.10%, P<0.05) and titer (33.48 U/mL vs.17.40 U/mL, P<0.05) of anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibody were both higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than in s-Eng-negative group too. CONCLUSION s-Eng serum levels were significantly increased in the patients with APS, and it may play a role as acomplementary serological marker for the diagnosis and risk prediction of APS.
Antibodies, Anticardiolipin ; Antiphospholipid Syndrome/diagnosis* ; Autoantibodies ; Endoglin/blood* ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy

Adult ; Aged ; Angina, Unstable ; blood ; diagnostic imaging ; Antigens, CD ; blood ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Endoglin ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; blood ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

BACKGROUNDRupture of unstable plaque with subsequent thrombus formation is the common pathophysiological substrate of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). It is of potential significance to explore the blood indexes predicting plaque characteristics. We investigated the relationship among soluble CD105, hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and coronary plaque morphology.

METHODSA clinical study from April 2004 to December 2006 was conducted in 130 patients who were divided into 3 groups: 56 patients (43.1%) in stable angina (SA) group, 52 patients (40.0%) in unstable angina (UA) group and 22 patients (16.9%) in acute myocardial infarction group. The concentrations of soluble CD105 and hs-CRP were measured in all of the patients by cardioangiography (CAG). Plasma samples of arterial blood were collected prior to the procedure. The levels of soluble CD105 and hs-CRP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTSUnstable and ruptured plaque was found more frequently in patients with acute myocardial infarction and UA. External elastic membrane cross-sectional area (EEM CSA), plaque area, lipid pool area and plaque burden were significantly larger in the ruptured and unstable plaque group. Positive remodeling, thinner fabric-cap, smaller minimal lumen cross-sectional area (MLA), dissection and thrombus were significantly more frequent in the ruptured and unstable plaque group. Remodeling index (RI) was positively correlated with the levels of soluble CD105 in the UA group (r = 0.628, P < 0.01) and the acute myocardial infarction group (r = 0.639, P < 0.01). The levels of soluble CD105 and hs-CRP were higher in the ruptured plaque group. Soluble CD105 > 4.3 ng/ml was used to predict ruptured plaque with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI), 66.8% - 87.2%), a sensitivity of 72.8%, a specificity of 78.0% and an accuracy of 70.2% (P < 0.01), similarly for hs-CRP > 5.0 mg/ml with a ROC curve area of 0.70 (95% CI, 59.2% - 80.2%), a sensitivity of 70.2%, a specificity of 76.2% and an accuracy of 67.2% (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe plaque characteristics correlate with the clinical presentation. The elevation of soluble CD105 and hs-CRP is related to the plaque instability and rupture.

Aged ; Angina Pectoris ; blood ; pathology ; Antigens, CD ; blood ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Coronary Vessels ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Endoglin ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Infarction ; blood ; pathology ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; blood ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possibility of microvessel density (MVD) and blood vessel invade (BVI) as the indexes in predicting prognosis of rectal carcinoma at stages I to II.

METHODSTumor tissues from 380 patients who underwent resection of stage I or II rectal cancer were analyzed for MVD and BVI by immunohistochemical S-P method with anti-CD105 and anti-CD 34 antibody. Binary and multivariable Cox regression was applied to indicate independent factors associated with overall survival.

RESULTSCD105 was present in the neovascularity of the cancer tissue but not in the normal tissue, while CD34 was present in the tumor tissue and the normal tissue. BVI on CD34 staining was significantly higher than that on HE staining. Multivariable analysis revealed that TNM stage, CD34-BVI, histologic type, and CD105-MDV were independent risk factors to predict the possibility of poor prognosis of stage I or II rectal cancer. CD34-BVI or CD105-MVD positivity had a hazard ratio of 4.483 (95% confidence interval 2.861-7.026) for mortality.

CONCLUSIONThe expressions of CD34-BVI and CD105-MVD are independent factors to predict the possibility of poor survival of stage I or II rectal carcinoma. Detection of CD105-MVD combined with CD34-BVI may help predict clinical outcome and design further individualized adjuvant treatment.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, CD34 ; metabolism ; Endoglin ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; pathology ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Rectal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnosis ; pathology

To study the biological characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and their supportive capacity for hematopoiesis in vitro, MSCs from bone marrow samples of MDS patients were isolated, cultured and expanded. Morphology, immunophenotype, osteoblasts differentiative and proliferative property of MSC and colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) were measured and analyzed. Mononuclear cells (MNC) of cord blood were plated onto a feeder layer formed by MSC of MDS patient, cells count and CFU-GM production were observed. The results showed that the culture-expanded cells from MDS patients presented a typical fibroblast-like morphology. Cells were positive for SH2 (CD105), SH3 (CD73), Thy-1 (CD90), but negative for CD34 and CD45. After induction, these cells could differentiate into osteoblasts. Their proliferative capacity and CFU-F number were similar to those of MSC from healthy donors. The total cell count and CFU-GM yield in supernatants after culture for 2 weeks were significantly lower than those of control in hematopoiesis supportive experiments in vitro (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the biological characteristics of MSC from bone marrow of MDS patients are not different from those of MSC isolated from bone marrow of normal donors, however, their capacity of hematopoiesis support in vitro are significantly weaker.
5'-Nucleotidase ; analysis ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; analysis ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Cell Differentiation ; Endoglin ; Female ; Hematopoiesis ; Humans ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Middle Aged ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes ; blood ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; analysis

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; biosynthesis ; Brain Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Child ; Endoglin ; Female ; Glioma ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; biosynthesis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; metabolism ; pathology ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; biosynthesis ; Telomerase ; biosynthesis ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expressions of thymidine phosphorylase (TP), midkine (MK) and MVD marked with CD105 antibody in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and their clinical significance. METHOD: The expressions of TP, MK and CD105 in LSCC tissues of 43 cases were studied by immunohistochemical staining. RESULT: The positive expression rates of TP and MK in LSCC were 67.4% and 60.5% respectively, the mean value of MVD was 6.01 +/- 1.78. MVD was significantly higher in tumor tissue with both positive TP and MK than in that with both negative TP and MK (7.07 +/- 3.26 vs. 4.03 +/- 1.90, P < 0.05). The expression of TP, MK and CD105 were all correlated with T-stage and lymph node metastasis. Positive TP, MK expression and high MVD were all associated with a poor survival, and positive expression of both TP and MK in tumors conferred a poorer prognosis than negative expression of those factors in tumors, but only the lymph node metastasis and MVD were independent prognostic factors on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION Both TP and MK are important for angiogenesis in LSCC. TP, MK and angiogenesis are all closely correlated with the progress of LSCC and the lymph node metastasis. The lymph node metastasis and MVD marked with CD105 antibody were independent prognostic factors. TP and MK may affect the progression and prognosis of tumor by promotion of angiogenesis. A combinative detection of TP, MK and CD105 can be as valuable tumor marker and prognostic factor for LSCC.
Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Endoglin ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Midkine ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Nerve Growth Factors ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Thymidine Phosphorylase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of microvessel density (MVD) and investigate the relationship of Endoglin (CD105), VEGF and p53 protein and their significance of clinical pathology. METHOD: Pathologic paraffin-embedded tissues and clinic data of 40 patients with primary squamous cell carcinoma of larynx were studied. Serial sections were respectively stained with Endoglin (CD105), VEGF and p53 by immunohistochemistry and its expressions were investigated. Microvessel density (MVD) highlighted by Endoglin (CD105) were counted according to a standard protocol. RESULT: Endoglin (CD105) expression in tumour tissue was significantly higher than in normal mucosa (P < 0.05). The mean MVD value for Endoglin (CD105) was 14. 90 +/- 7.40. The mean CD105-MVD value of T3 and T4 tumours showed a significantly higher staining than that of T1 and T2 tumours; The mean CD105-MVD value of tumours with metastasis was also higher than that of tumours with no metastasis (P < 0.05); The expression of VEGF was observed in cytoplasm of tumour cell and its positive rate was 77.5% in laryngeal carcinoma, which was significantly correlated with TNM stage and pathological differentiation of laryngeal carcinoma (P < 0.05). The expression of p53 protein was mainly observed in nucleolus of tumour cell and its positive rate was 67.5%, which was significantly correlated with metastasis of lymph node. Positive relevance was found between CD105-MVD and VEGF (r = 0.641, P < 0.01); Positive relevance was also found between CD105-MVD and p53 (r = 0.534, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Endoglin (CD105) is a marker of tumour angiogenesis for its significant associated with active angiogenesis in laryngeal carcinoma. The study shows that CD105-MVD in laryngeal carcinoma is an independent indicator of predicting invasion, metastasis and recurrence, and evaluating prognosis of malignant tumours. CD105-MVD, VEGF and p53 could be important indicators to evaluate invasion, metastasis and recurrence of laryngeal carcinoma.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Endoglin ; Female ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Microvessels ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Receptors, Cell Surface ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism