Based on a review of currently published 40 papers ( 20 published in recent 5 years, 20 published in recent 10 years) on gold nanoparticles for cancer radiotherapy, the general characteristics, theoretical studies, in vitro experiment, in vivo experiment,and the clinical prospects of targeted radiotherapy with gold nanoparticles were reviewed. Three key aspects guarantee further investigation for the full understanding of the radiosensitization effect of gold nanoparticles:the cellular localization and tissue distribution of nanoparticles and influential factors;the micro dose enhancement effect of gold nanoparticles, and the molecular biological mechanism. More cross disciplinary collaboration, research, development and translation are needed before gold nanoparticles are put into clinical trials.

Objective To test the accuracy and reliability of Axesse accelerator for volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT).Methods The accuracy and reliability of Axesse accelerator for VMAT were tested in a stepwise manner, from the simple to the complex and from the part to the whole.For the parts of the system, the stability of dosimetric output and the position accuracy of multi-leaf collimator (MLC) were tested.For the process of the system, the variable VMAT dose rates and gantry speed modulation, the MLC speed and dose rate modulation, and dosimetric verification in patients were tested.Results Compared with fixed gantry irradiation, the variation in dosimetric output was below 1.0% for rotary irradiation including the slide rotary irradiation of the dynamic MLC.The MLC position error of 0.5 mm was visible using the electronic portal imaging system of Axesse, iViewGT 3.40.The MLC position accuracy was within 1 mm for fixed gantry irradiation and rotary irradiation.In the range of the dose rate applied in clinical practice, the testing results of variable VMAT dose rates and gantry speeds as well as variable dose rates and MLC speeds showed that the variation between different strip-field beam intensities was below 2.0%.Using a gamma criterion of 3 mm/3%, the pass rates in dosimetric verification of patients with cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer were 96.52%, 95.72%, and 98.83%, respectively.Conclusions The Axesse system can precisely control MLC motion, variable dose rates, and gantry speeds in VMAT.The Axesse system is accurate and reliable for VMAT.

Objective To investigate the molecular size distribution and the structure of group B me-ningococcal capsular polysaccharides for the development of vaccines .Methods The molecular size distribution of group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides was analyzed by chromatography on a Sepharose CL -4B col-umn.The molecular weight of repeat units were measured by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).The structural characteristics of group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance ( NMR) based on the chemical shift of all charac-teristic protons by using group C meningococcal capsular polysaccharides and sialic acid as the controls .Results The KD value of group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides extracted from 15 strains were ranged from 0.60 to 0.76.The molecular weight of repeat units was 284, which was identical to the theoretical value .The group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides were 2→8 linked homopolymers of sialic acid lacking O-acetyl groups.Conclusion The group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides had lower molecular weights , which might result in their poor immunogenicity .The structure of group B meningococcal capsular polysaccharides could be quickly and accurately analyzed by NMR technology .

Objective To re-evaluate the immunogenicity of meningococcal serogroups A and C polysaccharide vaccine among a healthy population of age 5 to 59.Methods Pre and post-vaccination ser-um samples were collected from the subjects involved in a randomized , controlled clinical trial conducted in 2005 at Hechi, Guangxi, China.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed for the quan-titative detection of specific anti-capsule IgG antibody against meningococcal serogroups A and C in serum samples.Serum bactericidal assay ( SBA) was used to measure the bactericidal antibody activity against se-rougroups A and C bacterial strains .Results Geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of specific anti-cap-sule IgG antibody were 23.66 μg/ml and 78.83 μg/ml for serogroup A (P<0.05), and 1.23 μg/ml and 51.25 μg/ml for serogroup C (P<0.05) in serum samples of pre and post-vaccination, respectively.Be-fore immunization , 99% of serum samples ( 97/98 ) showed serogroup A-specific IgG concentration ≥2μg/ml, which reached up to 100%(98/98) after vaccination (P>0.05).The percentage of serum sam-ples with serogroup C-specific IgG concentration ≥2 μg/ml rose from 20%to 99% after vaccination ( P<0.05).The ratio of positive serum samples with at least four times of increases in concentration of specific IgG against serogroup A and serogroup C after vaccine immunization were 34% and 100%, respectively . The rSBA geometric mean titers ( GMTs) for serogroups A and C in serum sample of post-vaccination were respectively elevated from 1164 to 5530 (P<0.05), and from 4 to 6225 (P<0.05).The percentage of se-rum samples with rSBA GMTs≥128 increased from 91% to 99% for serogroup A (P>0.05), and from 14%to 96%for serogroup C (P<0.05) after vaccination.The rSBA GMTs with at least four times of in-creases after vaccination were detected respectively in 53% and 100% of serogroups A and C vaccinated subjects.Pearson correlation coefficient between IgG concentration and rSBA GMTs was r=0.15 (pre) and r=0.23 (post) for serogroup A, and r=-0.14 (pre) and r=0.58 (post) for serogroup C (P<0.05). Conclusion This study has demonstrated an efficient and sustained immunogenicity with meningococcal sero -groups A and C polysaccharide vaccine as evidenced by the data from standardized assays of ELISA and SBA .

Objective To dynamically analyze the antibodies with regard to in vitro serum bacteri-cidal activity and the quantity of IgG in healthy adults received one dose of immunization with ACYW 135 me-ningococcal polysaccharide vaccine .To investigate the term of protection with polysaccharide vaccine and the correlation between bactericidal titer and IgG concentration .Methods Twenty healthy adults were given one dose of immunization with quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine .Serum samples were col-lected before and after vaccination at specific time points .Test for serum bactericidal activity ( SBA ) and quantitative ELISA were performed to detect bactericidal titers and IgG concentrations in serum samples .Re-sults Certain levels of antibodies against capsular polysaccharides of serogroup A , C, Y and W135 strains had already existed prior to immunization .Moreover, bactericidal titers against serogroup A , Y and W135 strains except serogroup C strain were relatively high .Specific IgG concentrations and bactericidal titers for all serogroup stains were significantly increased on day 15 after vaccination (P<0.05), and then sustained at a high level during a time period from day 30 to day 160.Both IgG concentrations and bactericidal titers dropped to the levels similar to that before preimmunization in about 3 years.No significant correlation was observed between bactericidal titers and IgG concentrations (r<0.3, P>0.05).However, a close correla-tion was demonstrated between GMTs and GMCs of serum samples (r>0.7, P<0.05).Conclusion The geometric mean titers ( GMTs) and geometric mean concentrations ( GMCs) of serum samples collected be-fore and after vaccination at different time points were reliable and consistent parameters for the evaluation of vaccine .The term of protection of quadivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine was about 3 years upon a single dose of immunization .

Objective To prepare a human meningococcal reference serum and standardize IgG concentrations to capsular polysaccharides and in vitro bactericidal activities of the reference serum against serogroup A, C, Y and W135 strains.Methods Twenty healthy adults were recruited and given one dose of immunization with tetravalent (serogroups A, C, Y and W135) meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine . Plasma samples were collected and gone through a series of process treatments including defibrination , filtra-tion, and lyophilization to prepare the meningococcal reference serum Men 10.The IgG concentrations of Men10 to capsular polysaccharides of serogroups A , C, Y and W135 were calibrated by using an internation-al reference serum CDC1992 as the standard in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Provisional IgG concentrations of Men10 were intensively validated by testing a panel of 12 calibration serum samples from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , USA ( US CDC) and a panel of 56 serum samples immu-nized with A, C, Y and W135 meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine from Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd.(LIBP) with the assays using Men10 and CDC1992 as the standard and/or test sam-ples, respectively.The bactericidal titers against serogroup A , C, Y and W135 strains were measured by se-rum bactericidal assay (SBA).Results Four thousand vials (0.5 ml/vial)of lyophilized human meningo-coccal reference serum Men10 were successfully prepared with 2.5%of residual moisture .Reference serum Men10 was sterile and free from contamination by hepatitis B virus , hepatitis C virus , human immunodefi-ciency virus and syphilis .Provisional IgG concentration of Men 10 to capsular polysaccharide of serogroups A, C, Y and W135 was calibrated by using CDC1992 as the standard.Furthermore, IgG concentrations of both panels of 12 CDC calibration serum samples and 56 LIBP serum samples calibrated by using Men 10 as the standard correlated well with those by using CDC1992 as the standard (r=0.99,P<0.05).The IgG concentrations of CDC1992 as calibrated by using Men10 as the standard showed significant correlation with its previously determined values with variation <10%.SBA titers for serotype A , C, Y and W135 strains were established as well .Conclusion A panel of new human meningococcal reference serum Men 10 with accurately calibrated IgG concentration against capsular polysaccharide of serogroups A , C, Y and W135 as well as SBA titers was successfully established .

Objective To investigate the related factors for the survival of the patients with pancreatic cancer.Methods A total of 1 620 patients confirmed as pancreatic cancer admitted in Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital affiliated with Sun Yat-sen University,Tumor prevention and treatment center affiliated with Sun Yat-sen University and People's Hospital of Guangdong Province from 2004 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed,and the effects of TNM staging,surgical treatment,palliative chemotherapy and postoperative assisted chemotherapy on the survival of the patients with pancreatic cancer were examined by life table and Log-rank test.Results The median survival time of all 1 620 cases was 7.15 months.The median survival time of TNM stage Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ was 12.50 months,10.12 months,9.56 months and 5.43 months,and there was statistically significant difference (P =0.001).The median survival time of cases who did not undergo surgery was 6.10 months,which of patients who underwent radical surgery was 13.67 months,and the difference was statistically significant (P =0.001).The median survival time of cases without chemotherapy was 5.55 months,which of patients who underwent palliative chemotherapy was 7.58 months,and the difference was statistically significant (P =0.001).The median survival time of cases with pure radical surgery without chemotherapy was 12.38 months,which of patients who underwent adjuvant chemotherapy was 14.50 months,and the difference was no statistically significant (P =0.561).Conclusions Early diagnosis followed closely by radical surgery is the key to prolong the survival of pancreatic cancer patients.And adjuvant chemotherapy for patients who lose surgery opportunity may improve clinical prognosis to a certain extent.

OBJECTIVETo summarize and analyze the clinical features, diagnosis methods, surgical approaches and treatment outcomes of patients with primary parapharyngeal space tumors.

METHODSA retrospective review of 91 cases with primary parapharyngeal space tumors treated from January 1999 to December 2011 was performed. All patients underwent preoperative enhanced CT scan and postoperative histopathologic examination. Intraoperative frozen section biopsies were performed in 36 of 91 cases. The surgical approaches included trans-cervical approach in 73 cases, trans-parotid approach in 5 cases, trans-oral approach in 5 cases, and mandibulotomy in 8 cases.

RESULTSThe postoperative pathological diagnoses consisted of 29 variants, including 20 for benign tumors and 9 for malignant tumors. Of the 80 cases with benign tumors, 6 cases were lost to follow-up and 74 cases were followed up for 31-84 months with no recurrence. Eleven cases with malignant tumor were followed up for 8-51 months (median 29 months), of them 7 cases died and 1 case was lost to follow-up. The post-operative complications included Horner syndrome in 3 cases, hoarseness in 2 cases, hypoglossal nerve palsy in 1 case, accessory nerve palsy in 1 case, upper airway obstruction in 1 case, and internal carotid artery cavernous sinus fistula in 1 case.

CONCLUSIONSParapharyngeal space tumors are rare, with atypical clinical manifestation, and have pathological types of diversification. CT or MRI is helpful to evaluate the tumor size, location and possible sources, and to make operation scheme. Surgery is the first choice for parapharyngeal space tumors. Trans-cervical approach can be applied to most tumors. Parapharyngeal benign tumors have good prognosis, but malignant tumors have poor prognosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult