AIM:To explore the feasibility and biological characterization of long-term regulated expansion of JAK2 transduced human CD34+ cord blood cells in vitro.METHODS: A retrovirus (RV) vector which contains JAK2 catalytic domain and two binding sites for a chemical inducer, dimerization (AP20187), was cloned (designated MGI-F2JAK2). CD34+cells were enriched from cord blood with a MiniMACS system. The purified CD34+cells were transfected with supernatant from the retrovirus packaging cell line that expressed JAK2. Following transduction, cells were expanded into four groups: AP20187 alone, FL alone, TPO, alone, AP20187+FL+TPO, respectively. The expanded cells were monitored by GFP expression, immunophenotyping, progenitor colony assay, karyotype analysis as well as tumorigenesis in nude mice. RESULTS: The purity of selected CD34+ cells was over 91% and gene transfer rate was 49.32%?6.21%. Only the group of AP20187 +FL+ TPO was obtained a significant sustained outgrowth of the transduced CD34+ cord blood cells. The percentage of GFP+ cells consistently produced a rise to the 90% peak level by the end of 8th week of culture. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the phenotype of the expanded cells was CD33+, CD61+ and Gly-A+ partial positive; CD38+ and HLA-DR+ strong positive, while CD2, CD7 and CD19 were almost negative. Colony assays performed in methycelluos, which can give rise to BFU-E, CFU-GM and CFU-Mix, the CFU-GM was predominantly in all colonies. The tumor was not observed in nude mice and the karyotype analysis was normal from expanded cells.CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that AP20187-mediated activation of JAK2 signaling is capable of stimulating expansion JAK2 transduced CB CD34+ cells in combination with FL and TPO. This system may have applications for studies in signaling transduction, hematopoiesis, and for gene and cell therapy.

Objective To explore the clinical and biological characteristics and treatment effect of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly patients. Methods The clinical data of 62 patients over 60 years old with AML were retrospectively analyzed, and they were compared with those of 60 younger adult patients (18-59 years old) at the same period. Results In elderly patients, the complete remission (CR) rate was 27. 7% and the overall effective rate was 44.7%, which were lower than those of younger adult patients (74.1% and 87.9 %, 1-espectively, P＜0.01). The early death rate was 19.0% and the mortality rate during the first two induction chemotherapy was 29. 3% in the elderly, which were higher than those of younger adult patients (3. 3% and 6.7%, 1-espectively,P＜0.01). The 27.4% of elderly patients were diagnosed as myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)-transformed AML, which were more than that of younger adult patients (10.0%, P＜0.05), and they had lower CR rate than those without MDS (P＜0. 05). The 28.2% of elderly patients had lymphoid antigen positive AML and 71.8% of patients showed CD34+ which were higher than those of younger adult patients (8. 1% and 48.6%, respectively, P＜0. 05), and they had lower CR rate than those of lymphoid antigen negative and those of CD34- AML (P＜0. 05). Elderly patients had less favorable and more unfavorable karyotypes than younger adult patients (45.7 % and 15.4 %, P＜0. 05). Conclusions The elderly patients with AML have more unfavorable prognostic factors than younger adult patients. They have lower CR rate and higher mortality rate. There are many specialties in elderly patients and the treatment strategy should be made more individually.

Objective To analyze the effects of different supplements on anemia related indexes in rural children. Methods A stratified method was adopted, and six villages (towns) in and around Qinghai Province were selected as intervention sits for the present study. A total of 304 children from 2 to 6 years old at each intervention site meeting the inclusion criteria were screened and divided into three groups (A, B, and C), who were intervened for 3 months. Serum vitamin A, vitamin D and hemoglobin levels were measured before and after the intervention. Results The hemoglobin level of 304 children before intervention was (118.65±16.07) g /L, and the prevalence of anemia was 9.54%. The vitamin A value, vitamin D value and hemoglobin value were increased after three months of the intervention. The changes of vitamin A value, vitamin D value and hemoglobin value in rural children in group C were significantly higher than those in groups A and B. The increase in vitamin A value in rural children aged 3 years was significantly higher than that in other age groups, and the increase in hemoglobin in rural children of 1 year old was significantly higher than that in other age groups. The increase in vitamin A value of rural children of other ethnic groups (mainly Tibetans) was significantly higher than that of Han and Hui nationalities, and the increase of hemoglobin value in Hui rural children was significantly higher than that in Han and other ethnic groups. Conclusion Vitamin A combined with iron dextran tablets was effective in preventing anemia in rural children.

Objective To investigate ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis snail populations in hilly regions and marshland and lake regions in Yuanjiang valley, Changde City, Hunan Province, and to unravel its underlying mechanisms. Methods Taoyuan County, Shimen County, Linli County and Lixian County in Changde City were selected as snail sampling sites in hilly regions, and Lixian County, Jinshi City, West Lake Administration District, Hanshou County and Dingcheng District were selected as snail sampling sites in marshland and lake areas. Cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox 1) gene was amplified in snail samples and sequenced. The genetic sequences of O. hupensis snails were aligned using the software MEGA 11, and the haplotypes of O. hupensis snails were determined using the software DNASP 5.10.01. The phylogenetic tree was generated using Bayesian inference with the software MrBayes 3.2, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to analyze the source of genetic divergence and estimate the genetic divergence index (F_ST) among snail populations with the software Arlequin 3.5.2.2. The genetic barrier among 11 O. hupensis snail populations was estimated using the Monmonier algorithm of adegenet toolkit in R package. The settings with “land in winter and water in summer” in the Yuanjian River section were divided into two categories according to the upstream and downstream, and the areas with “land in winter and water in summer” in the upstream and downstream were transformed into raster data, and then loaded into the software Fragstats 4 for analysis of landscape indicators. The trends in changes of digital elevation were extracted from the Yuanjiang River section based on the digital elevation model, and made three-dimensional visualization using the R package. Results The mitochondrial cox 1 gene were amplified in 165 O. hupensis snais from 11 sampling sites and sequenced, and a total of 152 valid gene sequences were obtained, with 46 haplotypes or 9 populations determined. No haplotype was shared in snails between Taoyuan County and Dingcheng District and Hanshou County along the downstream of the Yuanjiang River. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 617.66 hm² in the upsteram of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 473 patches, with each patch measuring 1.31 hm², the largest area index of 0.735 2, the landscape division index of 0.999 9, and the landscape shape index of 45.293 7. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 9 956.92 hm² in the downstream of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 771 patches, with each patch measuring 12.91 hm², the largest area index of 97.839 9, the landscape division index of 0.042 7, and the landscape shape index of 7.249 6. The area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was much larger in the downstream than that in the upstream of the Yuanjiang River, and the stronger landscape connectivity and non-remarkable alteration of riverbed elevation provided suitable habitats for snail breeding. Conclusion The hydrological and environmental characteristics of the upstream of the Yuanjiang River restrain the breeding and spread of O. hupensis, resulting in ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis in Taoyuan County and those in the downstream of Yuanjiang River.