The intestinal flora in patients with leukemia is significantly different from healthy people. Some studies have found that intestinal flora can participate in leukemia progression by regulating the body's immune system and hematopoietic system and affecting the metabolic function, but the underlying molecular mechanism is not clear. Maintaining the intestinal microecological balance and exploring intestinal microbes that can be used as therapeutic targets have a profound significance for prolonging the survival of leukemia patients.

Objective To investigate the expression level and promoter methylation of SOX17 gene and the clinical correlations in Chinese patients with chronic myeloid leukemia ( CML ) . Methods The levels of SOX17 expression and methylation were detected by RQ-PCR and RQ-MSP. Results SOX17 expression level was significantly lower in CML compared with 30 controls (P=0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was 0.748 to differentiate CML from control (P=0.001). There was a trend of correlation between SOX17 expression and bcr/abl transcript (r = 0.439,P = 0.068) in CML patients. Hypermethylation of SOX17 promoter was detected in 3 (4%) CML patients, however, there was no difference as compared with 32 controls. In our study, SOX17 hypermethylation was not corrected with its expression. Conclusion Decreased SOX17 expression is a common molecular event in CML and may be considered as an available biomarker to diagnose CML. Dysregulated SOX17 is not caused by promoter hypermethylation in CML.

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of albumin/globulin ratio on postoperative survival outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: Data of 630 patients with HCC, who underwent surgical resection from February 2009 to July 2013, were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into low-value group (A/G < 1.5, defined as L group) and high-value group (A/G≥1.5, defined as H group), and their distribution characteristics were observed with the normal A/G threshold value. Independent risk factors’ affecting survival and prognosis was analyzed with univariate and multivariate Cox’s regression model. Survival trend of all patients with low-value and high-value groups in A, B and C of Barcelona stage (BCLC stage) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative A/G ratio (P = 0.007), alpha-fetoprotein (P < 0.001), gamma-glutamyltransferase (P = 0.006), RBC (P = 0.014), international normalized ratio (P = 0.009), preoperative BCLC staging (P < 0.001) and number of tumors (P = 0.003), and intraoperative blood transfusion (P < 0.001) were independent prognostic factors affecting long-term survival in HCC patients. The median overall survival time in-group L was 15 months, significantly lower than that in group H of 42 months (P < 0.001). Stratified analysis showed that the short-term survival advantage of patients with high A / G value was limited to those with Barcelona stage A (P < 0.001), and disappeared in patients with Barcelona stage B and C (P > 0.05). The long-term survival advantage existed in patients with Barcelona stage A (P < 0.001), B (P < 0.05), and disappeared in C (P > 0.05). Conclusion Preoperative albumin/globulin ratio can predict postoperative prognosis and survival, and direct towards the treatment for early stage of HCC and thus representing as an indicator of high clinical value.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the changes in red blood cell count in patients with different liver diseases and the correlation between red blood cell count and degree of liver damage.

METHODSThe clinical data of 1427 patients with primary liver cancer, 172 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 185 patients with hepatitis were collected, and the Child-Pugh class was determined for all patients. The differences in red blood cell count between patients with different liver diseases were retrospectively analyzed, and the correlation between red blood cell count and liver function status was investigated. The Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, rank sum test, Spearman rank sum correlation test, and chi-square test were performed for different types of data.

RESULTSRed blood cell count showed significant differences between patients with chronic hepatitis, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis and was highest in patients with chronic hepatitis and lowest in patients with liver cirrhosis (P < 0.05). In the patients with liver cirrhosis, red blood cell count tended to decrease in patients with a higher Child-Pugh class (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONFor patients with liver cirrhosis, red blood cell count can reflect the degree of liver damage, which may contribute to an improved liver function prediction model for these patients.

Erythrocyte Count ; Hepatitis ; blood ; Humans ; Liver ; physiopathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; blood ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUNDAnticoagulation treatments are an important aspect of hemodialysis; however, few reports have addressed these treatments. This investigation intends to increase the understanding of the current status and improvements of hemodialysis-related anticoagulation treatments in China.

METHODSIn this study, an epidemiological investigation was conducted that examined 842 patients in 2007 and 1 175 patients in 2012 who underwent hemodialysis anticoagulation treatments in seven blood purification centers in northern Chinese cities.

RESULTSHeparin was the most commonly used anticoagulant, although the percentage of use of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) increased from 26.5% in 2007 to 42.1% in 2012. In 2007, there were no significant differences in anticoagulant selection among either patients with various primary diseases or patients with hemorrhage, thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, or a low hemoglobin level. However, compared with patients with other diseases, significantly lower doses of LMWH were administered to patients with hypertension (55.5 U/kg vs. 67.3 U/kg, P < 0.05) or diabetes (58.5 U/kg vs. 67.3 U/kg, P < 0.05), and patients with hemorrhage received lower doses of heparin than the other patients (61.6 U/kg vs. 71.8 U/kg, P < 0.01). In 2012, patients with diabetic nephropathy (51.5% vs. 36.5%, P < 0.01), hemorrhage (43.4% vs. 31.7%, P < 0.01), or a hemoglobin level below 90 g/L (57.2% vs. 37.1%, P < 0.01) experienced significantly higher doses of LMWH administration; patients with hemorrhage received significantly reduced LMWH dosages (50.4 U/kg vs. 57.8 U/kg, P < 0.05), and patients with thrombosis received significantly higher doses of heparin (73.8 U/kg vs. 62.1 U/kg, P < 0.01) or LMWH (57.8 U/kg vs. 52.6 U/kg, P < 0.05). Antiplatelet drugs were administered to 20.4% of the examined patients in 2007 and 20.7% in 2012. In 2012, patients with hypertension (25.9% vs. 18.5%, P < 0.01) and thrombosis (36.6% vs. 16.1%, P < 0.01) had a higher rate of using antiplatelet drugs than patients with other primary diseases and complications. Patients receiving antiplatelet drugs also received higher doses of heparin than patients without using antiplatelet drugs (74.4 U/kg vs. 65.9 U/kg, P < 0.01). However, the use of the drugs was not correlated with thrombocytopenia. The rate at which coagulation indices were determined increased from 45.7% in 2007 to 64% in 2012.

CONCLUSIONThese findings suggested that hemodialysisrelated anticoagulation treatments in China have gradually become more standardized and individualized.

Adult ; Aged ; Anticoagulants ; therapeutic use ; China ; Cities ; Female ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Renal Dialysis ; methods