Objective To observe the effect of high-dose leucovorin(LV)plus 5-fluorouracil(5-Fu)for 48hours infusion in combination with cisplatin(DDP)in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer.Methods Pathological diagnosis of esophageal cancer 60 cases were randomly divided into treatment group of 30 patients,using DDP 25mg/m2 intravenous infusion 30 minutes,d1～3,LV 200mg/m2 intravenous infusion 2 hours,5-Fu 0.5 intravenous injection 10 minutes,and 5-Fu 2.5/m2,continuous infusion with the infusion pump for 48 hours every 21 days,2 cycles of assessment of efficacy.Control group of 30 patients,using DDP 25mg/m2 intravenous infusion 30 minutes,d1～3,LV 60mg/m2 intravenously two hours,d1～5,5-Fu 500mg/m2 intravenously 8 hours every 21 days,2 cycles of assessment of efficacy.Results Short-term effect,treatment group,complete remission(CR)1 patient and partial remission(PR)15 cases,stable(SD)9 cases,progress(PD)5 cases,the total effective rate of CR + PR53.3％(16/30).Control group,PR 11 patients,SD 11 cases,PD 8 cases,no cases of PR,the total effective rate 36.7 ％(11/30).Nausea,vomiting,oral mucositis,bone marrow suppression,diarrhea and hair loss were the main adverse reactions.Two groups are able to withstand,without any Ⅳ toxicities,myelosuppression was significant in control group than the treatment group.Conclusion High-dose LV + 5-Fu 48 hours infusion combined platinum-term efficacy in treatment of advanced esophageal cancer compared with conventional DF program is good,less adverse reactions,should further expand the study.

Objective To characterize the properties of human immunodeficiency virus-1-(HIV-1)specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL)responses,and to analyze the factors which may affect CTL responses before and after treatment with highly active antiretroviral therapy(HAART)in children with chronic HIV-1 infection.Methods A total of 24 HIV-1-infected children were studied.Circulating CD4 T cell counts and HIV-1 RNA levels were routinely measured.Peripheral HIV-1-specific CTL frequency and the specific interferon-?-producing lymphocytes were determined by tetramer staining and enzyme-linked immunospot(ELISPOT)assay,respectively.Results It was found that HIV-1-specific CTL responses could be detected in vitro in more than 80% of Chinese children with HIV-1 infection.Circulating CTL frequency and IFN-?-producing lymphocyte counts were significantly reduced in HAART suppressed HIV-1 infected children in comparison with HAART failure children and HAART na?ve children.The duration of virus suppression after HAART was found to be inversely correlated with CTL frequency.Conclusion HIV-1-specific CTL response to virus was warranted by antigenic stimulation.The present work may elucidate the immune mechanisms influencing the outcome of HIV-1 carriers with treatment of HAART.

Objective To compare the proportion of CD3~+T cell and CD4~+CD25~(high) regulatory T cell (Treg cell) and the production of inferon γ ( IFN-γ) and interleukin-12 (IL-12) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) between patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and healthy people, and to analyze the changes of CD3~+T cell, CD4~+CD25~(high)Treg cell, IFN-γ and IL-12 of NSCLC patients before and after chemotherapy, so as to determine immune function changes of NSCLC patients caused by chemotherapy. Methods Twenty NSCLC patients and 20 healthy volunteers according to the including criteria were selected. Three mL of blood was drawn from NSCLC patients before chemotherapy (0 d), on the 3~(rd) day (3 d) and 7~(th) day (7 d) after chemotherapy. PBMC cells were separated from the blood samples. The proportions of CD4~+CD25~(high)Treg cell and CD3~+T cell (%) in PBMC were tested by FACS, and the IFN-γ and IL-12 (pg/mL) in the supernatants were also detected. Results The proportions of CD3~+T cell in NSCLC patients on 0, 3 and 7 d were (55.15±20.11)%,(57.73±14.08)% and (62.79±7.80)%,respectively, and there was no statistical difference between any two of these results. The proportion of CD4~+CD25~(high)Treg cell in healthy volunteers was (2.14±0.85)%, while that of NSCLC patients was (2.76±0.53)% on 0 d with statistical difference compared to the healthy volunteers (P<0.05). The CD4~+CD25~(high)Treg cell proportion (%) of NSCLC patients on 3 d and 7 d were (2.54±0.57)% and (2.72±0.29)%, respectively, which were both significantly lower than that of 0 d. On 3 d it was even much lower than that on 7 d (P<0.05). IFN-γ and IL-12 of NSCLC patients on 0 d were (34.36±4.38) pg/mL and (33.24±4.36) pg/mL, and no statistical difference was observed when compared with (34.36±4.38) pg/mL and (33.24±4.36) pg/mL in the healthy volunteers. On 3 d and 7 d, IFN-γ of NSCLC patients were (40.42±5.66) pg/mL and (39.27±6.07) pg/mL, respectively, and both were higher than that on 0 d (P<0.05); IL-12 of NSCLC patients were (35.51±5.03) pg/mL and (38.62±6.44) pg/mL, also both were higher than that on 0 d (P<0.05). Conclusions This study suggests that chemotherapy can improve immune functions of NSCLC patients, and may reinforce the anti-tumor immune response.

Objective To construct the targeting vector for conditional gene knockout of sex hormone?binding globulin(Shbg)in mice. Methods Based on Red/ET,two LoxP were inserted into both sides of extron 4 and extron 7 for conditional gene knockout of murine Shbg. Firstly,the Shbg gene and its upstream,downstream genes obtained from BAC DNA by PCR were cloned into plasmid pBR322?MK,which was named pBR322?MK?AB. The retrieve plasmid(pBR322?Shbg?Re)was obtained by homologous recombination between the plasmid and BAC.Then a great quantity of Neo fragments obtained from PL452 and PL451 were inserted into the targeting vector after another round of Red/ET and then the final targeting vec?tor(pBR322?MK?SHBG?cko)was achieved. Results The correct structures of the targeting vectors such as pBR322?MK?AB,pBR322?Shbg?Re, SHBG?Ln and pBR322?MK?Shbg?cko were confirmed by restriction enzyme digestion and sequencing analysis. Conclusion The targeting vector for conditional knockout of murine SHBG was successfully constructed. The construction of targeting vector paved the way for conditional knockout mouse strain generated by targeted mutation of Shbg.

Objective To study the expression of sex hormone-binding globulin(SHBG),insulin signaling pathway and glucose transporter in placenta of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM),and to explore its role in the pathogenesis of GDM. Methods A total of 10 full-term and non-obese(BMI<25 kg/m2)pregnancy women diagnosed with GDM and 10 normal pregnant cases were recruited for the study. Placental tissues were collected respectively. The expression of protein and mRNA of SHBG and insulin signal transduction(IRS-1,ISR-2,PI3K p85α)and glucose transporter proteins(GLUT-1,GLUT-3,GLUT-4)in placental tissue were detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Pearson and linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the correlation among the related indicators. Results In the placental tissue of non-obese women,there existed a decrease(P<0.05)in the expression of protein and mRNA of SHBG with a concurrent a decrease(P<0.05)in the expression of protein and mRNA of GLUT-4 in GDM women compared with normal controls. Furthermore ,a decrease(P<0.05)of GLUT-3 and IRS-1 protein expression with lower(P<0.05)IRS-2 mRNA expression was also observed in placental tissue from GDM patients. No changes were found in PI3K p85α and GLUT-1 at both protein and mRNA levels(P>0.05). Results of linear correlation analysis showed that there were positive correlations between SHBG mRNA and IRS-2 mRNA(P<0.05),SHBG mRNA and PI3K p85α mRNA(P<0.05),and SHBG mRNA and GLUT-4 mRNA(P<0.05). There was also a remarkable positive correlation between IRS-2 mRNA and GLUT-4 mRNA(P<0.01). There existed negative correlations between IRS-1 mRNA and PI3K p85α mRNA(P<0.05),and IRS-1 mRNA and GLUT-3 mRNA(P<0.05). There existed a remarkable positive correlation between IRS-2 mRNA and GLUT-1 mRNA(P<0.01). Conclusion The defective receptors of insulin signaling pathway are present in GDM placental tissue. Decreased expression of SHBG may be involved in the regulation insulin signaling ,leading to a concomitant decrease expression of relevant insulin signaling components in placental tissue ,implying insulin resistance and developing GDM finally.

Animals ; Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Congresses as Topic ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; immunology ; therapy ; Humans ; Immune Tolerance ; Immunotherapy ; Killer Cells, Natural ; immunology ; Liver ; immunology ; Lymphocytes ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo develop a new technique for assessing the risk of birth defects, which are a major cause of infant mortality and disability in many parts of the world.

METHODSThe region of interest in this study was Heshun County, the county in China with the highest rate of neural tube defects (NTDs). A hybrid particle swarm optimization/ant colony optimization (PSO/ACO) algorithm was used to quantify the probability of NTDs occurring at villages with no births. The hybrid PSO/ACO algorithm is a form of artificial intelligence adapted for hierarchical classification. It is a powerful technique for modeling complex problems involving impacts of causes.

RESULTSThe algorithm was easy to apply, with the accuracy of the results being 69.5%±7.02% at the 95% confidence level.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method is simple to apply, has acceptable fault tolerance, and greatly enhances the accuracy of calculations.

Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; China ; epidemiology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Models, Biological ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors

Objective To study the efficacy and safety of tacalcitol combined with monochromatic excimer light (MEL) 308 nm vs MEL 308 nm monotherapy in treating vitiligo.Methods Thirty-eight pa- tients with vitiligo were enrolled in the single-blind clinical trial,using plabebo-treated lesions in the same patient as controls.Contralateral or nearby lesions were randomly selected to be treated by either tacalcitol or placebo.All lesions were treated weekly with MEL 308 nm,for a total of 12 sessions.Patients were ex- amined at monthly intervals.The mean number of sessions and the cumulative dosage for initial and excel- lent repigrnentation were calculated.Results Thirty-five patients were evaluated.The mean?SEM cumu- lative dose and number of MEL exposures for initial repigmentation,respectively,were 4.27?3.59 J/cm~2 and 4.89?3.16 on tacalcitol-treated site,5.36?4.12 J/cm~2 and 5.69?3.29 on placebo-treated site,re- spectively (both P＜0.05).For excellent repigrnentation,the cumulative dose and number of exposures were 7.72?5.64 J/cm~2 and 7.79?4.70 respectively on tacalcitol-treated site,and 8.18?4.87 J/cm~2 and 8.4?3.92 respectively on placebo-treated site (both P＞0.05).Treatment with tacalcitol resulted in a sig- nificantly higher percentage (71.4% vs 54.3%) of repigmentation than that with placebo.Conclusions Our results show that MEL 308 nm is safe and effective for the treatment of vitiligo.Additionally,concur- rent topical tacalcitol potentiates the efficacy of MEL 308 nm in the treatment of vitiligo;this combination achieves more rapid pigmentation with a lower total MEL dosage.

Objective To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics,diagnosis and differential diagnosis,and the neoplastic nature of renal angiomyolipoma(RAML).Methods A retrospective study was done by reviewing the clinical information of 62 cases(20 men and 42 women;age range,24-73 years; mean age,46 years)of RAML.HE and immunohistochemical staining were performed on paraffin-embedded tissues with a panel of antibodies including HMB45,Melan-A/MART-1,smooth muscle actin(SMA),Ki-67 and P53.Results Of the 62 cases,42 presented with clinical symptoms,and 6 had concomitantly tuber- ous sclerosis.Most of the tumors were sharply demarcated from the surrounding kidney parenchyma.Histolog- ically,the tumors were composed of 3 components in different proportions:abnormal blood vessels,variously differentiated smooth muscle cells and adipose tissues.No vascular infiltration was observed.In these cases, mixed type was in 38 cases(61.3%) ,myomatous type in 14(22.6%),lipomatous type in 10(16.1%) according to classification criteria.Immunohistochemically,the tumor cells were positive for HMB45,Melan- A/MART-1 and SMA.The expression of Ki-67 protein was negative in most eases,and that of P53 was nega- tive in all.Follow-up lasted 1-7 years,and all the cases were alive with no evidence of recurrence and me- tastasis.Conclusions RAML is mostly of mixed type.No vascular infiltration is one of its histologic fea- tures,Immunohistochemically,RAML is characterized by positive expression of HMB45,Melan-A/MART-1 and SMA.The low or negative expression of Ki-67 and P53 protein indirectly support that RAML is a benign tumor.

Objective To study the clinicopathoiogic features of four cases of extranodal follicular dendritic cell sarcoma(FDCS). Methods Four cases of FDCS were examined by histological and immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded RNA, and the related literatures were reviewed. Results Microscopically, the neoplastic cells were spindle-shaped or ovoid with pale-stained cytoplasm, indistinct cell borders, granular chromatin, distinct small nucleoli. There were varied growth patterns in the tumour, such as fascicular, circular whorls and storiform, and abundant with intermixed small lymphocytes. There scattered multinucleated giant cells and perivascular cuffing phenomenon. There were rare mitoses. The neoplastic cells were positive for one or more of the follicular dendritic markers such as CD21, CD23 and CD35. It was variably positive for CD68, Vimentin, LCA and S-100. Staining for CD20, CD3 and CD1α were negative. Ki-67 labeling ranged from 10 %-20 %. The neoplastic cells were negative for Epstein-Barrvirus (EBV)-encoded RNA. Conclusion FDCS is a rare low-grade malignant tumor with varied growth pattern. The diagnosis should be confirmed by immunohistochemical staining. It is important to recognize its morphological characteristics to avoid confusion with other similar lesions, such as gastrointestinal stromal tumour, inflammatory pseudotumor, interdigitaing dendtritic cell sarcoma, malignant histiocytoma, lymphoepithelial carcinoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and malignant melanoma.