Objective To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of radical three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DRT) alone or combined with chemotherapy in elderly patients (≥70 years) with esophageal cancer.Methods The clinical data of 116 esophageal cancer patients who were aged 70 years or older and received radical 3DRT ± chemotherapy from 2008 to 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.Of the 116 patients,32 received concurrent chemoradiotherapy,24 received sequential chemoradiotherapy,and 60 received radiotherapy alone.Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates were determined using the Kaplan-Meier method,and survival difference analysis and univariate prognostic analysis was performed using the log-rank test.Multivariate prognostic analyses were performed using the Cox proportional hazard model.Results The follow-up rate was 100％.The 2-and 3-year sample sizes were 102 and 77,respectively.The 1-,2-,and 3-year OS rates were 59.1％,38.4％,and 23.2％,respectively,and the PFS rates were 61.9％,37.9％,and 0％,respectively.The median OS for the patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy,sequential chemoradiotherapy,and radiotherapy alone were 22.3,18.0,and 12.4 months,respectively (P =0.044).The median OS was significantly different between patients treated with 60 Gy and ＜60 Gy in radiotherapy (24.7 vs.10.9 months,P =0.036),but not significantly different between those treated with 60 Gy and ＞ 60 Gy (24.7 vs.18.7 months,P =0.938).Multivariate analysis indicated that sex,presence or absence of combined chemotherapy,and radiotherapy dose were independent influencing factors for OS (P=0.003,0.042,and 0.037,respectively).Conclusions Radical 3DRT ± chemotherapy are well tolerated in elderly patients with esophageal cancer and equally effective as in those younger than 70 years.Patients treated with radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy have a better prognosis than those treated with sequential chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone.Radiotherapy with a dose of 60 Gy effectively improves the survival compared with doses less than 60 Gy,which suggests that 60 Gy is the optimal dose in radiotherapy.

AIM:To study the cisplatin-sensitization effect and mechanism of tripterygium glycosides on cisplatin-resistant human epithelial ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3/DDP).METHODS:The SKOV3/DDP cells in exponential phase of growth were randomly divided into eight groups:blank control group,10 μg/mL DDP group,50 μg/mL GTW group,800 μg/mL GTW group,3 200 μg/mL GTW group,10 μg/mL DDP + 50 μg/mL GTW group,10 μg/mL DDP + 800 μg/mL GTW group and 10 μg/mL DDP + 3 200 μg/mL GTW group.Cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometry and western blot were used to detect the growth inhibiting rate and apoptosis rate and relative expression of GST-π,MDR1,STAT3,p-STAT3 of SKOV3/DDP cells of every group.RESULTS:DDP and GTW produce an additive effect when used concurrently in inhibiting growth of SKOV3/DDP cells.800 μg/mL GTW or 3 200 μg/mL GTW combined with 10 μg/mL DDP can significantly induce apoptosis of SKOV3/DDP cells and downregulate the expression of p-STAT3 (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:GTW can significantly enhance sensitivity of SKOV3/DDP cells to DDP.The underlying mechanism may be related with down-regulating the expression of p-STAT3 in STAT3 pathway.

Concentrations of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) and non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs) in 26 serum samples of the residents from Hubei Province were analyzed via high-resolution gas chromatograph tandem high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRGC-HRMS) method. Total concentrations of twelve dl-PCBs (Σdl-PCBs) were in range of 366.30-4 945.77 pg/g fat, with the mean value (2 093.76 pg/g fat), and PCB 118 was the predominant congener. For six ndl-PCBs, total concentrations (Σndl-PCBs) were in range of 2 671.32-20 626.26 pg/g fat (mean 12 505.45 pg/g fat), and PCB 153 was the predominant congener. Mean concentration of Σdl-PCBs were significantly and positively associated with age ( r s=0.574, P=0.002). The mean World Health Organization toxicity equivalent (WHO-TEQ) of dl-PCBs (ΣTEQ dl-PCBs) were range from 0.07 to 8.69 pg/g fat.

Concentrations of dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) and non-dioxin-like PCBs (ndl-PCBs) in 26 serum samples of the residents from Hubei Province were analyzed via high-resolution gas chromatograph tandem high-resolution mass spectrometer (HRGC-HRMS) method. Total concentrations of twelve dl-PCBs (Σdl-PCBs) were in range of 366.30-4 945.77 pg/g fat, with the mean value (2 093.76 pg/g fat), and PCB 118 was the predominant congener. For six ndl-PCBs, total concentrations (Σndl-PCBs) were in range of 2 671.32-20 626.26 pg/g fat (mean 12 505.45 pg/g fat), and PCB 153 was the predominant congener. Mean concentration of Σdl-PCBs were significantly and positively associated with age ( r s=0.574, P=0.002). The mean World Health Organization toxicity equivalent (WHO-TEQ) of dl-PCBs (ΣTEQ dl-PCBs) were range from 0.07 to 8.69 pg/g fat.

Background and objective Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) have be-come ifrst-line treatment drugs for lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR gene mutations. Signiifcant interindividual varia-tions in response rate, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) have been observed. hTe expression level of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is related to chemoresistance against platinum drugs. Nrf2 overexpression can inhibit the sensitivity of EGFR-TKIs in cells with EGFR-sensitive mutations. hTe aim of this study is to investigate the protein expression level of Nrf2 in lung adenocarcinoma patients with EGFR gene mutations and to elucidate the correlation between Nrf2 expression and response rate of ifrst-line EGFR-TKIs, as well as PFS and OS. Methods Immunohistochemical analysis of Nrf2 in tumor specimens was performed on 31 patients with stage III or IV adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR gene mutations. Results hTe Nrf2-positive rate was 77.4%, whereas Nrf2 nuclear high-expression rate was 38.7%. hTe nuclear expression level of Nrf2 was signiifcantly correlated with response rate (RR) and PFS of EGFR-TKIs (P<0.05), but not with gender, age, smok-ing, differentiation, and OS (P>0.05). hTe Nrf2-positive level was signiifcantly correlated with PFS and OS of EGFR-TKIs (P<0.05), but not with gender, age, smoking, differentiation, EGFR gene mutation status, and RR (P>0.05). hTe PFS and OS of patients with Nrf2-positive expression were signiifcantly shorter than those in patients with negative expression (P<0.05). Furthermore, the nuclear expression level of Nrf2 was the independent predictive factor for EGFR-TKI-induced PFS, and the Nrf2-positive level was the independent predictive factor for EGFR-TKI-induced OS (P<0.05). Conclusion hTe expression level of Nrf2 is signiifcantly correlated with response rate (RR) of EGFR-TKIs, PFS, and OS. hTerefore, Nrf2 may be a useful biomarker in predicting response of EGFR-TKIs in patients with advanced-stage lung adenocarcinoma harboring EGFR gene mutations.

Objective: To explore the associations between exposure to chlorination disinfection by-products (CDBPs) during gestation and newborns' small for gestational age (SGA). Methods: During April 2010 to July 2012, a total of 3 903 pregnant women who lived in a district with the same water treatment plant in Wuhan, China were recruited to this perspective study. Information about demographic characteristics of pregnant women and their newborns was collected. The tap water samples were monthly collected for 28 months in 3 different sites, with 84 samples, and 4 kinds of trihalomethanes (THMs)(chloroform (TCM), bromodichloromethane (BDCM), dibromochloromethane (DBCM), and bromoform (TBM)) and 2 kinds of chlorohaloacetic acids (HAAs) (trichloroacetic acid (TCAA), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA)) were determined. The pregnant women were divided into 4 groups(Q1 to Q4) by quartile method according to their exposure level of CDBPs. Binary Logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between exposure to CDBPs during gestation and newborns' small for gestational age. Results: The average weight of all the newborns was (3 310.19±389.91) g, of which 169 (4.33%) were SGA. The median concentrations of TCM, BDCM, bromo-THMs, total THMs, TCAA, and DCAA during the whole pregnancy were 18.07, 4.93, 8.51, 26.74, 10.65, and 13.77 μg/L, respectively. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed dose-response relationships between elevated TCM and total THMs during the whole gestation and compared with Q1 group, while there was a increased risk of SGA in Q4 group, and OR(95%CI) was 1.87 (1.01-3.49) , 2.30 (1.22-4.35) , respectively (P for trend equaled to 0.044, 0.015). Compare with Q1 group, there also be positive associations between exposure to TCAA (Q4 group) during first-trimester and the whole gestation and SGA, while OR(95%CI) was 2.16 (1.19-3.91) (P for trend equaled to 0.015). Conclusion Exposure to CDBPs during gestation might increase the risk of newborns' SGA.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a rare clinical event in lung cancer and the prognosis is very poor. There are limited data on what factors predict peritoneal progression and affect the outcome. The aim of this study is to investigate investigate the factors associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis. METHODS: The patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from the Department of Medical Oncology and Radiation Sickness, Peking University Third Hospital were eligible for retrospective analysis between August 2010 and August 2018. Clinical factors such as age, gender, histology, pleural effusion and gene mutations with epidermal growth factor receptor/anaplastic lymphoma kinase/ROS proto-oncogene 1 receptor tyrosine kinase (EGFR/ALK/ROS1) were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: 1.44% (12/836) patients in this study developed peritoneal carcinomatosis and 12 patients with adenocarcinoma had metachronous NSCLC diagnosis and PC. Malignant pleural effusion rates at baseline and at PC diagnosis were separately 50% (6/12) and 100.0% (12/12). Among the 12 patients, 9 patients harbored EGFR/ALK/ROS1 mutation. The outcome of patients with EGFR/ALK/ROS1 mutation was significantly better than that of patients without EGFR/ALK/ROS1 mutation, the mOS1 and mOS2 were separately 26.0 months and 6.0 months versus 10.0 months and 1.5 months (P<0.05). The mOS2 of patients with aggressive treatment after PC diagnosis was 6.0 months, significantly better than 1.0 month of patients with best supportive care (P<0.05). The mOS2 of the patients with angiogenesis inhibitors based-treatment after PC diagnosis was 8.5 months, significantly longer than that of patients with other treatments (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Adenocarcinoma and malignant pleural effusion are highly associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis in patients with advanced NSCLC. Aggressive treatment for lung cancer with PC is encouraged when possible. More patients with PC may benefit from the treatment strategies with angiogenesis inhibitors. Further prospective trials are urgently needed.
Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Peritoneal Neoplasms ; secondary ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Background Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) exposure may affect male reproductive health. There are regional differences in PFASs exposure levels among men of childbearing age in China, and current research results on associated influencing factors are inconsistent. Objective To investigate the levels of PFASs in serum and their determinants among men of childbearing age. Methods The participants (n=113, 22-45 years old) were from a cross-sectional study of exposure to environmental pollutants and male reproductive health damage in Hubei Province conducted from April to June 2013 at the Reproductive Medicine Center of Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei Province. Eleven kinds of PFASs were measured in serum by isotopic dilution-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The included PFASs were prefluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA), perfluorododecanoic acid (PFDoA), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA), perfluorotetradecanoic acid (PFTeDA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Information about participants' demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and habits was collected by a set of self-designed questionnaires. The associations of demographic characteristics, lifestyle, and habits with exposure to PFASs were analyzed by linear regression. Results The major components of PFASs were PFOS and PFOA, and the concentrations expressed as M (P₂₅, P₇₅) were 8.31 (4.90, 17.79) ng·mL⁻¹ and 2.77 (2.18, 3.46) ng·mL⁻¹, respectively. The positive rates of six PFASs (PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, PFUdA, PFHxS, and PFOS) were 100%, followed by PFDoA and PFTrDA (87.61% and 88.59%, respectively). The linear regression results showed that age was positively associated with the levels of Σ₈PFASs (sum of the concentrations of the eight PFASs with a positive rate greater than 80%) (P < 0.05). The concentration of serum PFOA in men with monthly family income of 2000-4000 yuan was 53.73% (P < 0.01) higher than those in men with monthly family income of <2000 yuan. The serum concentrations of PFNA and PFTrDA were both 32.31% (P < 0.05) higher in men with monthly family income ≥4000 yuan than those in men with monthly family income <2000 yuan. The serum concentration of PFHxS in men who used plastic cups was 33.64% (P < 0.01) higher than that in men who did not report oral contact with plastic products (plastic tableware, plastic cups, and plastic bags for packing food). The serum concentrations of PFHxS, PFOS, and Σ₈PFASs were 33.64% (P < 0.01), 43.33% (P < 0.01), and 36.34% (P < 0.05) higher in men who bathed with laundry soap than those in men who did not use detergents. Men who bathed with toilet soap had a 34.99% (P < 0.05) higher serum concentration of PFHxS than those who bathed without detergents. Conclusion Men of childbearing age are exposed to PFASs extensively. Age, monthly household income, usage of laundry soap or toilet soap in bathing, and usage of plastic cups may influence the level of PFASs in serum. However, further investigation is needed to confirm these results.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), indexes of systemic inflammation, have been associated with worse survival for many types of cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of NLR and PLR on overall survival (OS) and to explore the value of changes in the NLR and PLR with treatment as a response indicator in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total of 68 NSCLC patients in Peking University Third Hospital were eligible for retrospective analysis between April 2008 and April 2015. The pretreatment and posttreatment NLR and PLR in all patients were calculated based on complete blood counts. Potential prognostic factors such as age, gender, performance status, histology, stage, response to chemotherapy, NLR and PLR were analyzed. NLR and PLR were assessed at baseline and during chemotherapy treatment. OS was calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the associations of the PLR, NLR and clinical features with OS. RESULTS: Among the 68 cases, the values of the posttreatment NLR after two cycles of chemotherapy (NLR2) and the pretreatment NLR (NLR0) were (2.69±2.06) and (3.94±2.12), respectively. NLR2 was significantly lower than NLR0 (P=0.000). There was no difference between the pretreatment PLR (PLR0) and the posttreatment PLR after two cycles of chemotherapy (PLR2) (P<0.05). NLR2 significantly correlated with the response of first line treatment with two or four cycles of chemotherapy. The proportion of high NLR2 in the patients with progression disease was 100.0%, significantly higher than the proportion of high NLR2 in the patients with partial response or stable disease. NLR0, PLR0 and NLR2 were significantly correlated with the OS (P<0.05), but not with age, performance status, histology, stage, status and regimens of treatment (P>0.05). According to univariate analysis, the OS was significantly associated with NLR0, PLR0, NLR2, the response of 2 and 4 cycles of first line chemotherapy, status and regimens of second line treatment (P<0.05), but not with stage, status of third line or beyond treatment and radiotherapy (P>0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that NLR0 (P=0.004), the response with 4 cycles of first line chemotherapy (P=0.022) and status of second line treatment (P=0.007) were independent prognostic indicators in the 68 patients. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that NLR0 was well connected with outcomes and NLR2 was well connected with the response to first line chemotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Therefore, NLR may be a biomarker for predicting the outcomes and response of first line chemotherapy and a potential target for management of non-small cell lung cancer.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocyte Count ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neutrophils ; cytology ; drug effects ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Objective:To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical bacteria isolated from blood culture in China.Methods:The clinical bacterial strains isolated from blood culture from member hospitals of Blood Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System (BRICS) were collected during January 2016 to December 2017. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by US Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2019. WHONET 5.6 was used to analyze data.Results:During the study period, 8 154 bacterial strains were collected from 33 hospitals, of which 2 325 (28.5%) were Gram-positive bacteria and 5 829 (71.5%) were Gram-negative bacteria. The top 10 bacterial species were Escherichia coli (34.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (15.8%), Staphylococcus aureus (11.3%), coagulase-negative Staphylococci (7.4%), Acinetobacter baumannii (4.6%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3.9%), Enterococcus faecium (3.8%), Streptococci (2.9%), Enterobacter cloacae (2.7%) and Enterococcus faecalis (2.5%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (MRCNS) accounted for 34.2%(315/922) and 77.7%(470/605), respectively. No vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus was detected. The resistance rate of Enterococcus faecium to vancomycin was 0.6%(2/312), and no vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium was detected. The ESBLs-producing rates in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus were 55.7%(1 576/2 831), 29.9%(386/1 289) and 38.5%(15/39), respectively. The incidences of carbapenem-resistance in Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae were 1.2%(33/2 831), 17.5%(226/1 289), respectively. The resistance rates of Acinetobacter baumannii to polymyxin and tigecycline were 14.8%(55/372) and 5.9%(22/372) respectively, and those of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to polymyxin and carbapenem were 1.3%(4/315) and 18.7%(59/315), respectively. Conclusion:The surveillance results from 2016 to 2017 showed that the main pathogens of blood stream infection in China were gram-negative bacteria, while Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen; the MRSA incidence was lower than other surveillance data in the same period in China; carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli was at a low level during this surveillance, while carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is on the rise.