Recent studies about stem cells show that the formation of portal vein tumor thrombus(PVTT)is closely relative to the metastasis of liver cancer stem cells induced by portal vein microenvironment.Liver cancer stem cells first detach from the primary tumor,extravasate to extracellular matrix,stimulate angiogenesis or intravasate and migrate through the systemic circulation,evade host defense mechanisms,migrate to specific blood vessel sites through chemo-taxis and attach to blood vessel wall,then extravasate through blood vessel and home to specific microenvironment and to form PVTT.

Background and purpose:Currently, subjective questionaire is the most frequently used methods to evaluate swallowing dysfunctions after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, while lacking of effective objective examinations. This study aimed to explore effective methods to evaluate swallowing dysfunctions after radiotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients, and gain knowledge of the incidence and severity of swallowing dysfunctions. Methods: From Oct. 2013 to Dec. 2013, 128 consecutive outpatients with previously treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma received esophageal barium lfuoroscopy examination at there regularly follow-ups to evaluate swallowing function. Among these patients, 89 were primary treated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and 39 with conventional radiotherapy (CRT). In this study, each patient received esophageal barium lfuoroscopy examination for 3 times with thin, thick and pasty barium and were dynamically observed using X-ray fluoroscopy from front and lateral direction. Swallowing dysfunctions were defined as follows:①The bolus could not be swallowed and blocked in the mouth;②The dilute barium diverted to the glottis or trachea;③Residual barium delayed in the pyriform sinus and vallecula;④The movement of the hyoid bone or epiglottis were restricted;⑤Bolus prolong through the pharynx;⑥Barium slowed down when went though the esophageal entrance. Results:Of the 128 patients, incidence of dysphagia was 60.2%for the entire cohort, 52.8%for IMRT group and 76.9%for CRT group. Incidence of dysphagia for IMRT group was signiifcantly lower than CRT group (P=0.018). Dysphagia incidence within 1 year, 1 to 2 years and more than 2 years after RT were 63.1%, 33.3%and 69.0%, respectively (P=0.019). Conclusion:There was a high incidence of swallowing dysfunction for the nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients treated with radiotherapy and dysphagia incidence decreased when treated with IMRT. Esophageal barium lfuoroscopy examination is objective method to evaluate the incidence and severity of the swallowing dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the expression of peroxiredoxin 1 (Prx 1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) and to evaluate the relationship between the expressions of Prx 1 and the postoperative recurrence of this disease. Methods Immunohisto chemistry and Western blotting were performed to examine the expression of Prx 1 protein in 40 patients with HCC with PVTT. Experiments on Sprague Dawley (SD) rat hepatoma model were further carried out to observe the pathological changes of Prx 1 by immunohistochemistry. Clinical outcomes were analyzed to find a correlation between the recurrence and positive rate of Prx 1. Results The expression level of Prx 1 was significantly up-regulated in primary tumor tissues than in tumor thrombosis samples (P＜0.01). Immunohistochemistry results showed that the positive rate of Prx 1 in primary tumor tissues were higher than that in tumor thrombosis. Western blotting confirmed a same trend in the level of Prx 1, the average luminosity of the blots were 1534.2 and 735.6, respectively. There was a significant difference in SD rat hepatoma model, the 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24-week positive rates of Prx 1 in liver tumor tissues were 60%, 80%, 75% ,65%, 40% and 25% respectively. Clinical outcomes showed that the time to first postoperative recurrence of Prx 1 in the primary tumor positive group was significantly higher than that in the negative group (6. 3 vs 3. 7 months, P＜0. 01). Conclusions Prx 1 protein was down-regulated in HCC with PVTT. There was a negative correlation between the expression of Prx 1 and recurrence.