1.Expression of CD133 and CD44 proteins in gastric stromal tumors and their clinical significances
Gen HU ; Wei LI ; Xian ZHANG ; Yuejun SUN ; Jianzhong QIAN ; Xin SHI
Cancer Research and Clinic 2017;29(8):515-519
Objective To investigate the expression of CD133 and CD44 proteins in gastric stromal tumors (GST) and their clinical significances. Methods The expression of CD44 and CD133 proteins in the GST tissues of 112 patients was detected by immunohistochemical staining. The relation between the expression of CD44 and CD133 proteins and the clinicopathological characters was analyzed. The survival and prognosis of GST were also analyzed. Results Both CD44 and CD133 were expressed on the cell membranes. The expression rates of CD44 and CD133 were 58.04 % (65/112) and 42.86 % (48/112) separately; the co-expression rate of CD44 and CD133 was 27.68 % (31/112). CD44 and CD133 were negative in normal peritumoral tissues. No correlation was found between CD44 and CD133 and the clinicopathological parameters including gender, age and lymphatic vessel invasion (all P>0.05), but the expression levels of CD44 and CD133 in patients with the mitotic count ≥ 5/50 high-power field, large diameter and vascular invasion were significantly higher (all P<0.05). No correlation was found between co-expression of CD44 and CD133 and the clinical clinicopathological parameters including gender, age, the mitotic count ≥ 5/50 high-power field and vascular invasion (all P>0.05), but the co-expression level of CD44 and CD133 in patients with tumor diameter ≥5 cm was significantly higher than that in patients with tumor diameter < 5 cm (χ2=5.040, P=0.025). The overall survival rate of the patients with co-expression of CD44 and CD133 was shorter than that in other groups (χ2 = 8.758, P= 0.001). No correlation was found between CD44 and CD133 expression (r=0.126, P=0.210). Multivariate analysis with the Cox regression models showed that the tumor diameter ≥5 cm (P=0.042) and co-expression of CD44 and CD133 (P=0.003) were significantly associated with poor prognosis. Conclusion CD44 and CD133 as robust cancer stem cell markers in GST might be the prognostic factors.
2.The clinical value of ultrasound in the assessment of the severity of COVID-19
Jianzhong XIAN ; Wuzhu LU ; Ruizhuo LI ; Shushan ZHANG ; Mingxing HUANG ; Zhongzhen SU
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2020;29(7):559-563
Objective:To summarize the ultrasound manifestations of lung lesions in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and explore the clinical value of ultrasonography in assessing the severity of the disease.Methods:Thirty-one patients with COVID-19 admitted to the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 18 to February 5, 2020, were selected as the research subjects. All of them underwent dynamic lung ultrasound. Their lung lesions were observed, and the lung ultrasound score (LUS) was performed, respectively. The correlations between the LUS and the disease classification, the LUS and the blood oxygenation index (PaO 2/FiO 2) were analyzed, respectively. The relationship between the corresponding change of clinical classification and the LUS score when it progressed to moderate/severe was analyzed as well. Results:Among the 31 patients with COVID-19, two (6.5%) had no apparent lesions at the ultrasound, with the LUS score of 0. Twenty-nine (93.5%) showed abnormities at the ultrasound, with the LUS score from 1-26, and the main manifestations were B-line signs. Among them 6 (19.4%) had the "white lung signs" , and 13 (41.9%) had pulmonary consolidations. The LUS score was positively correlated with the clinical classification ( r s=0.683 2, P<0.001) and negatively correlated with PaO 2/FiO 2 ( r=-0.864 3, P<0.001). In the initial and dynamic ultrasonography, 13 patients were graded as moderate/severe according to their LUS scores, and the accuracy of the LUS in assessing severe/critical patients was 81.3% (13/16). It was 1-3 days earlier for the LUS progressing to moderate/severe than clinical classification. Conclusions:Pulmonary ultrasound manifestations of patients with COVID-19 have specific characteristics mainly showing as lung interstitial lesions, which can be combined with pulmonary consolidation. Ultrasound can be used in the assessment of the severity of COVID-19 noninvasively and guide clinical treatment.
3.The epidemiological investigation of alcohol dependence in Pumi people of Ninglang area
Xian-Wei ZENG ; Qiang WANG ; Jinmei YANG ; Hua ZHONG ; Yuanyuan LIN ; Haiyin ZHANG ; Li XU ; Guohua FENG ; Fang CHEN ; Jianzhong YANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2018;27(2):174-177
Objective To investigate the prevalence and related characteristics of alcohol dependence in the Pumi people of Ninglang area in Yunnan Province.Methods By stratified multistage cluster randomization,542 residents were interviewed by psychiatrists using the structural questionnaire MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview.Results The prevalence of drinking in the study were 37.3%,13.6% and 22.5% for the male,female and the total sample.There were significant differences of alcohol dependence between males and females (x2 =304.310,P<0.01) in which males were significantly higher than those in females.The current prevalence of alcohol dependence in Pumi people was 4.8%(95%CI=3.0%-6.6%),and standardized current prevalence was 3.3%.The current prevalence of alcohol dependence in males was 9.3%,which was significantly higher than that (2.1%) in females (x2 =14.613,P<0.01).The prevalence of alcohol dependence in the Pumi people was 6.1% in the 21-30 years old,and 8.6% in the 51-60 years old.There were one case of major depression,one case of panic disorder,and five cases of insomnia.Conclusion The prevalence of alcohol dependence in Pumi people of Ninglang areas is high.Alcohol dependence has become one of the most common mental disorders and the public health problem.It is necessary to carry out prevention research in the future.
4.Reactivation of PPARα alleviates myocardial lipid accumulation and cardiac dysfunction by improving fatty acid β-oxidation in Dsg2-deficient arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
Yubi LIN ; Ruonan LIU ; Yanling HUANG ; Zhe YANG ; Jianzhong XIAN ; Jingmin HUANG ; Zirui QIU ; Xiufang LIN ; Mengzhen ZHANG ; Hui CHEN ; Huadong WANG ; Jiana HUANG ; Geyang XU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2023;13(1):192-203
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), a fatal heart disease characterized by fibroadipocytic replacement of cardiac myocytes, accounts for 20% of sudden cardiac death and lacks effective treatment. It is often caused by mutations in desmosome proteins, with Desmoglein-2 (DSG2) mutations as a common etiology. However, the mechanism underlying the accumulation of fibrofatty in ACM remains unknown, which impedes the development of curative treatment. Here we investigated the fat accumulation and the underlying mechanism in a mouse model of ACM induced by cardiac-specific knockout of Dsg2 (CS-Dsg2 -/-). Heart failure and cardiac lipid accumulation were observed in CS-Dsg2 -/- mice. We demonstrated that these phenotypes were caused by decline of fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation resulted from impaired mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Rapamycin worsened while overexpression of mTOR and 4EBP1 rescued the FA β-oxidation pathway in CS-Dsg2 -/- mice. Reactivation of PPARα by fenofibrate or AAV9-Pparα significantly alleviated the lipid accumulation and restored cardiac function. Our results suggest that impaired mTOR-4EBP1-PPARα-dependent FA β-oxidation contributes to myocardial lipid accumulation in ACM and PPARα may be a potential target for curative treatment of ACM.