To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and TACE alone for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Datebases were searched for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective cohort studies from the establishment of the databases to January 2014. The bibliographies of the included studies were searched, too. After study selection, assessment, data collection and analysis were undertaken, we performed this meta-analysis by using the RevMan5.2 software. Seventeen studies involving 1116 patients met the inclusion criteria with 530 treated with RFA-plus-TACE and 586 with TACE alone. The results of meta-analysis showed that the combination of TACE and RFA was obviously associated with higher 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates (OR1-year=3.98, 95% CI 2.87-5.51, P<0.00001; OR2-year=3.03, 95% CI 2.10-4.38, P<0.00001; OR3-year=7.02, 95% CI 4.14-11.92, P<0.00001) than TACE alone. The tumor complete necrosis rate in patients treated with TACE and RFA was higher than that of TACE alone (OR=13.86, 95% CI 8.04-23.89, P<0.00001). And there was a significant difference in local recurrence rate between two different kinds of treatment (OR=0.24, 95%CI 0.14-0.44, P<0.00001). Additionally, combination of TACE and RFA was associated with higher complete tumor necrosis rates than TACE mono-therapy in the treatment of HCC. However, RFA plus TACE was found to be associated with a lower local recurrence rate than TACE monotherapy. TACE-plus-RFA treatment was associated with a higher response rate (RR) than the TACE-alone treatment (OR=3.90, 95% CI=2.37-6.42, P<0.00001). TACE-plus-RFA treatment did not differ from the TACE-alone treatment in terms of stable disease (SD) rate (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.11-1.26, P=0.11). Meta-analyses showed that the combination of RFA and TACE was associated with a significantly lower progressive disease (PD) rate (OR=0.15, 95% CI=0.05-0.43, P=0.0005). The rate of AFP reducing or returning to normal in serum in RFA plus TACE group was obviously lower than TACE alone group (OR=4.62, 95% CI 2.56-8.34, P<0.00001). The effect of TACE plus RFA for HCC is better than TACE mono-therapy. The combined therapy can elevate the patients' overall survival rate, tumor necrosis rate and the rate of AFP reducing or returning to normal in serum and decrease local recurrence rate, PD rate compared with TACE alone.

OBJECTIVETo explore the repair of Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction (XSLJZD) on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and gap junction (GJ) in the gastric muscular layer of rats of Pi-qi deficiency syn- drome (PQDS).

METHODSPQDS was established using purgative method with bitter and cold drugs in 30 healthy Wistar rats. After successful modeling they were randomly divided into the treatment group and the model group, 15 in each group. Another 15 healthy Wistar rats were recruited as the healthy control group. Rats in the treatment group were gastric administered with XSLJZD at 2 mL/100 g body weight, once daily for 14 successive days. Equal volume of normal saline was gastrically administered to those in the healthy control group and the model group. The gastric muscle tissues were taken out before modeling, before intervention, and after intervention, respectively. Ultrastructural changes of ICC and GJ were observed using transmission electron microscope (TEM). The number and distribution of Connexin43 (Cx43) were detected using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSResults of TEM indicated that compared with the healthy control group, both ICC and GJ in the model group showed obvious injury. ICC and GJ were apparently repaired after intervention in the treatment group. Compared with the same group before modeling, the integrated optical density (IOD) of the Cx43 expression significantly decreased in the model group before and after intervention (P <0.05). Compared with before intervention, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly increased in the treatment group (P <0.05). Compared with the healthy control group, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly decreased in the model group before and after intervention (P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the IOD of the Cx43 expression significantly increased in the treatment group (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSUltrastructures of ICC and GJ in the gastric muscular layer of rats of PQDS were obviously damaged. XSLJZD could repair the structural damage of ICC and GJ in the gastric muscle tissues of rats of PQDS.

Animals ; Connexin 43 ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; Interstitial Cells of Cajal ; drug effects ; Leydig Cells ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth ; Qi ; Rats, Wistar ; Syndrome

Objective To observe and evaluate acute toxicities in a series of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive cancer patients receiving radiation therapy.Methods The study retrospectively reviewed the acute radiation reaction of radiation therapy of 14 HIV seropositive patients diagnosed with carcinoma between Feb 2008 and Dec 2013 at the Yunnan Tumor Hospital during the radiotherapy period and 1 month following treatment.Acute adverse effects were classified according to the site of radiation therapy and analyzed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 3.0.Results Seven patients experienced interruptions or delays in treatment,and 2 stopped treatment entirely.The most common acute adverse effects were skin reactions and mucous membrane reactions,including dermatitis,stomatitis or diarrhea.Eight patients had grade 3 acute adverse effects,including 6 patients with grade 3 skin reactions and 2 patients with grade 3 mucosa reactions.Conclusions Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for HIV positive patients with tumors,however it frequently induced severe acute radiation responses.

OBJECTIVETo establish a reliable model for drug screening and therapy by culturing rat femoral head and inducing cartilage degeneration quickly in vitro.

METHODSThe femoral heads from the same SD rats of two-month old were divided into control group and experimental group respectively. They were cultured with DMEM medium plus 10% fetal bovine serum or DMEM medium plus 10% fetal bovine serum plus 50 ng/ml IL-1β for three days. Femoral heads were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, decalcified, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin and cut into slices. Specimens were stained with Toluidine blue and Safranine O-Fast Green FCF. The protein expression levels of type II collagen, MMP13, Sox9 and ADAMTS5 were analyzed by immunofluorescence.

RESULTSBoth the Toluidine blue and Safranine O staining were pale in the margin of femoral heads which were stimulated with IL-1β for three days compared to that in control group. The Fast Green FCF staining was positive at the edge of the femoral head in experimental group, which indicated that cartilage became degenerated. The expression levels of both type H collagen and Sox9 were decreased significantly while the expression levels of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 were increased in experimental group.

CONCLUSIONThe model of cartilage degeneration is established by culturing and inducing the degeneration of the femoral heads quickly in vitro.

Animals ; Cartilage Diseases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Collagen Type II ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Femur Head ; metabolism ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Interleukin-1beta ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; genetics ; metabolism

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and TACE alone for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Datebases were searched for the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective cohort studies from the establishment of the databases to January 2014. The bibliographies of the included studies were searched, too. After study selection, assessment, data collection and analysis were undertaken, we performed this meta-analysis by using the RevMan5.2 software. Seventeen studies involving 1116 patients met the inclusion criteria with 530 treated with RFA-plus-TACE and 586 with TACE alone. The results of meta-analysis showed that the combination of TACE and RFA was obviously associated with higher 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates (OR1-year=3.98, 95% CI 2.87-5.51, P<0.00001; OR2-year=3.03, 95% CI 2.10-4.38, P<0.00001; OR3-year=7.02, 95% CI 4.14-11.92, P<0.00001) than TACE alone. The tumor complete necrosis rate in patients treated with TACE and RFA was higher than that of TACE alone (OR=13.86, 95% CI 8.04-23.89, P<0.00001). And there was a significant difference in local recurrence rate between two different kinds of treatment (OR=0.24, 95%CI 0.14-0.44, P<0.00001). Additionally, combination of TACE and RFA was associated with higher complete tumor necrosis rates than TACE mono-therapy in the treatment of HCC. However, RFA plus TACE was found to be associated with a lower local recurrence rate than TACE monotherapy. TACE-plus-RFA treatment was associated with a higher response rate (RR) than the TACE-alone treatment (OR=3.90, 95% CI=2.37-6.42, P<0.00001). TACE-plus-RFA treatment did not differ from the TACE-alone treatment in terms of stable disease (SD) rate (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.11-1.26, P=0.11). Meta-analyses showed that the combination of RFA and TACE was associated with a significantly lower progressive disease (PD) rate (OR=0.15, 95% CI=0.05-0.43, P=0.0005). The rate of AFP reducing or returning to normal in serum in RFA plus TACE group was obviously lower than TACE alone group (OR=4.62, 95% CI 2.56-8.34, P<0.00001). The effect of TACE plus RFA for HCC is better than TACE mono-therapy. The combined therapy can elevate the patients' overall survival rate, tumor necrosis rate and the rate of AFP reducing or returning to normal in serum and decrease local recurrence rate, PD rate compared with TACE alone.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; mortality ; therapy ; Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; mortality ; therapy ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Survival Analysis ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

Bletilla striata has been used as traditional Chinese medicine for several centuries. In recent years, the quality and quantity of wild B. striata plants have declined sharply due to habitat deterioration and human over-exploitation. Therefore, it is of great urgency to evaluate and protect B. striata wild plant resource. In this study, sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers were applied to assess the level and pattern of genetic diversity in twelve populations of B. striata. The results showed a high level of genetic diversity (PPB = 90.48%, H = 0.349 4, I = 0.509 6) and moderate genetic differentiation among populations (G(st) = 0.260 9). Based on the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic average (UPGMA), twelve populations gathered in three clusters. The cluster 1 included four populations. There are Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Xuancheng and Hangzhou. The seven populations which come from Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Jiangxi Province and Guizhou Province belonged to the cluster 2. The cluster 3 only contained Wenshan population. Moreover, Mantel test revealed significant positive correlation between genetic distances and geographic distances (r = 0.632 9; P < 0.000 1). According to the results, we proposed a series of conservation consideration for B. striata.
China ; Genetic Markers ; Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Orchidaceae ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation of the expressions of metastatic tumor antigen 1 (MTA1) and hypoxia-inducible-factor l alpha (HIF-1alpha) to the clinical features of lung cancer.

METHODSThe expressions of MTA1 and HIF-1alpha proteins in 59 lung cancer patients were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSPositive staining of MTA1 and HIF-1alpha was found in 54.24% and 50.85% of the patients, respectively. MTA1 expression was not found to correlated to any of the clinical parameters. HIF-1alpha expression was significantly lower in poorly differentiated than in moderately and well differentiated lung cancer (P<0.05), and a positive association between the expressions of MTA1 and HIF-17alpha were noted (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMTA1 and HIF-1alpha overexpression occurs in lung cancer possibly as an important factor of lung carcinogenesis. MTA1 may promote lung carcinogenesis by enhancing HIF-1alpha protein activity.

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Histone Deacetylases ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Repressor Proteins ; metabolism

Gamboge, the resin of Garcinia hanburyi has had a long history of use as the traditional dye as well as a complementary and alternative medicine. The antitumor activities of gamboge have been well demonstrated by inhibiting the growth and progression of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. In order to further clarify the mode of action of gamboge, there are three key questions needed to be answered, including what's in gamboge? How do the chemical components from gamboge work on cancer cells? How do biological systems work on the chemical components from gamboge after administration? In this review, we summarize the explorations of the answers toward these questions according to the recent progress in both of chemistry and biology research of gamboge. In addition, the implication in the future research and discovery of the caged G. xanthones as anticancer agents is also discussed.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Garcinia ; chemistry ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Resins, Plant ; chemistry ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo compare two different procedures of colostomy in the laparoscopic- assisted abdominoperineal resection(LAPR), and to reduce the related complications of colostomy.

METHODSSixty- three cases with anorectal cancer undergone LAPR from June 2001 to December 2005 were registered and followed up. Circular stapler anastomosis with sigmoid colon and abdominal skin were applied on 61 cases of the colostomy, and 2 cases were hand sutured. All patients were assigned to group A and B. Thirty- seven cases received the procedure of colostomy through the rectus abdominis peritoneally in group A,other 26 cases through extraperitoneal tunnel and the rectus abdominis in group B.

RESULTSDescending colon, sigmoid colon and rectum were dissected using laparoscopic instruments in 63 cases. No conversion to open procedure and no operative death occurred in two groups of patients. There was no significant difference between two groups in mean operation time, but significant differences were found in the time of return of bowl function[A group (2.4 +/- 1.1)d vs B group (1.9 +/- 0.8)d,P < 0.05], duration of postoperative hospital stay [A group (19.9 +/- 7.8)d vs B group (14.5 +/- 3.9)d,P < 0.01] and stoma related complications(A group 29.4% vs B group 4.0%,P < 0.05). Postoperative hospital stay were shorter, and less colostomy related complications were found in group B.

CONCLUSIONColostomy through extraperitoneal tunnel and the rectus abdominis is a better procedure in LAPR, which can reduce the related complications of colostomy and shorten postoperative hospital stay.

Abdominal Cavity ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anal Canal ; surgery ; Colostomy ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Peritoneum ; surgery ; Rectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between the structure and functional activity of hTNF alpha.

METHODSFour hTNF alpha mutants were constructed, different binding structures and gene responses related with these mutants were studied by the methods of immunoprecipitation and mRNA differential display.

RESULTSThe specific activities and LD50 of the different hTNF alpha mutants indicated their different bioactivities. It was shown that the hTNF alpha mutants had the relative binding affinities to the wild types. The mRNA differential display assay proved that the hTNF alpha mutants stimulated different gene responses.

CONCLUSIONThese results suggest that the specific anti-tumor activities of hTNF alpha mutants are accomplished by inducing different or same gene response at different quantities after its binding to specific receptor.

Amino Acid Motifs ; Apoptosis ; Binding Sites ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Mutation ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics ; physiology