Purpose:To investigate the telomerase activity in human digestive tract cancer and its significance and evaluate usefulness of the TRAP ELISA method .Methods:Telomerase activity was examined in 112 tumor specimens, including the following cancers: esophageal(12), gastric(36), hepatic(15), pancreatic (11), colorectal(38) and paracancerous tissues(94) by TRAP ELISA method.Results:The telomerase activity in tumor tissues was significantly higher than in paracancerous and normal tissues ( P

Objective To compare the Barcelona clinic liver cancer staging classification (BCLC), the Japan integrated staging score (JIS), the cancer of the liver Italian program score (CLIP) and Chinese staging system in terms of their ability to predict outcomes and to guide option of therapy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in China.Methods Clinical data of 861 HCC patients from Zhongshan Hospital between 2001 and 2002 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were classified acccording to different staging systems. Survival for patients in different stages and the effects of therapeutic methods on survival time were compared. Results BCLC, JIS and Chinese staging system showed the ability in predicting survival for patients in different staging. CLIP failed to show significant difference in survival rates for each subgroup. There was no significant difference in survival rate between surgery and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE)/transarterial embolization (TAE) for patients classified as BCLC stage C, CLIP scores more than 3 or Chinese stage Ⅲ a.The survival rate, however, was higher in patients received operation than those received TACE/TAE if they were classified as earlier stages. Conclusions The BCLC, JIS and Chinese staging systems show prospective ability for Chinese HCC patients in prediction outcomes, whereas the BCLC and the Chinese staging systems are better at both predicting outcomes and guiding the option of treatment.

OBJECTIVETo study the anti-tumor effects of combined IL-12 and granalocyte-macrophage-colong scimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene therapy on murine hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODSTwenty-four mice received subcutaneous inoculation of 1 x 10(6) BNL hepatoma cells were randomly divided into the following four groups with different cytokine encoding plasmids (6 mice for each group): (1)pXX-GM-CSF 12.5 microg and pXX-IL-12 12.5 microg; (2)pXX-IL-12 25 microg; (3)pXX-GM-CSF 25 microg; (4)pXX-Neo 25 microg. The plasmids were given through tail vein using a versatile hydrodynamics-based DNA delivery method on day 3 and day 6 after tumor challenge. The growth of tumor and cellular immune response were observed intensively. The changes in serum concentration of IL-12, GM-CSF, and IFN-gamma after plasmids injection were also observed.

RESULTSCo-delivery of IL-12 and GM-CSF could mount stronger anti-tumor effects, longer term enhanced IL-12 expression and lower level of IFN-gamma than did IL-12 alone.

CONCLUSIONSCombined IL-12 and GM-CSF can render a strong anti-tumor effect as well as a potential to lower the side effects.

Animals ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; cytology ; Cell Division ; genetics ; physiology ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; blood ; genetics ; physiology ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Interleukin-2 ; blood ; genetics ; physiology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; genetics ; therapy ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Plasmids ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; Time Factors ; Tumor Cells, Cultured