Objective To analyse the prognosis of 117 newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients underwent intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods From Jan to Nov 2005, 117 NPC patients who were treated by IMRT were enrolled. There were 81 males and 36 females with a median age of 42 years (range 18-76 years). According to Chinese Fuzhou Staging system(1992), 11 cases were Stage I , 15 Stage Ⅱ, 54 Stage Ⅲ and 37 Stage ⅣA. IMRT was carried out with Peacock plan. The prescription dose to the gross target volume(GTVnx) of nasopharyngeal tumor was 68 Gy, that of positive neck lymph nodes (GTVnd) was 60-66 Gy, clinical target volume 1 (CTV1) was 60 Gy, and CTV2 was 54 Gy. Results After a median follow-up time of 48 months (range 10.5-59.5 months), the 3-and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 95.7 % and 89.7 %, the disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 91.5 % and 87.2%, and the local-regional control rates were 94.0 % and 91.5 %. Univariate analysis showed the KPS, stage, Fuzhou clinical stage, status of blood platelet before treatment and uric acid after treatment were correlated with OS rate. T stage was the only independent factor of prognosis in the COX stepwise regression model. Conclusion Radical IMRT significantly prolongs the survival of NPC patients. T stage is the only independent prognostic factor for NPC patients.

Objective To study the changes of plasma normetanephrine(NMN) and metanephrine(MN) during the resection of adrenal pheochromocytoma. Methods Fourteen patients with adrenal pheocromocytoma and 9 patients with adrenal cortex tumor were recruited in our study. Blood samples were obtained at these time points: after anesthesia induction,the beginning of incision of skin, when exploring the tumor,resection of the tumor, and the end of anesthesia. The NMN and MN were determined by high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC). Results NMN were obviously different among 5 time points in the patients with adrenal pheocromocytoma (P0.05). No significant difference was found between NMN and MN in the patients with adrenal cortex tumor. Conclusion NMN has markedly changed during the resection of adrenal pheochromocytoma, while MN has been relatively stable. The anesthesia induction and exploring of the tumor are the key of a successful operation. MN is the stable index in the diagnosis of adrenal pheochromocytoma.

OBJECTIVETo explore the outcome of remission induction chemotherapy (IC) and prognostic in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODSThe clinical data of 156 AML patients older than 60 years in the Institute of Hematology, Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University from January 2003 to July 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. 104 patients received cytarabine-based regimens, including protocol DA,IA or CAG,while 52 patients received palliative treatment. The median survival time was compared between patients with and without IC. The prognostic factors were evaluated by using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS145 (93%) cases were followed-up. The median survival time was 316 days in 96 IC patients, compared with 37 days in 49 PT patients (P < 0.01). Not receiving induction chemotherapy,high-risk karyotype,hyperleukocytosis (> or = 100 x 10(9)/L), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) > or = 2 were adverse prognostic factors of the survival time with univariate analysis, and all were independent poor factors affecting the survival time with multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONSIC can improve outcomes in elderly AML patients. The patients with hyperleukocytosis (> or = 100 x 10(9)/L) , high-risk karyotype, CCI > or = 2 and without receiving IC have poorer prognosis.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies

Postoperative radiotherapy (PRT) is widely advocated for patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck that are considered to be at high risk of recurrence after surgical resection. The aims of this study were to evaluate the treatment outcomes of PRT for patients with laryngeal carcinoma and to identify the value of several prognostic factors. We reviewed the records of 256 patients treated for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma between January 1993 and December 2005. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Log-rank test was employed to identify significant prognostic factors for DFS and OS. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to identify covariates significantly associated with the aforementioned endpoints. Our results showed the 3-, 5-, and 10-year DFS for all patients were 69.9%, 59.5%, and 34.9%, respectively. The 3-, 5-, and 10-year OS rates were 80.8%, 68.6%, and 38.8%, respectively. Significant prognostic factors for both DFS and OS on univariate analysis were grade, primary site, T stage, N stage, overall stage, lymph node metastasis, overall treatment times of radiation, the interval between surgery and radiotherapy, and radiotherapy equipment. Favorable prognostic factors for both DFS and OS on multivariate analysis were lower overall stage, no cervical lymph node metastasis, and using 60Co as radiotherapy equipment. In conclusion, our data suggest that lower overall stage, no cervical lymph node metastasis, and using 60Co as radiotherapy equipment are favorable prognostic factors for DFS and OS and that reducing the overall treatment times of radiation to 6 weeks or less and the interval between surgery and radiotherapy to less than 3 weeks are simple measures to remarkably improve treatment outcome.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Cobalt Radioisotopes ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; surgery ; Laryngectomy ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Staging ; Postoperative Period ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Radioisotope Teletherapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Young Adult

Cranial Fossa, Posterior ; Cranial Nerve Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Ganglioneuroma ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skull Base Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Trigeminal Ganglion

CALLG2008 Protocol is sequential chemotherapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) established by Collaborative Group of adults acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is emphasized that comprehensive treatment of adult ALL according to risk stratification is rather important. This study was purposed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of CALLG2008 for adult ALL. The clinical data of adult ALL patients of ≥ 14 years old diagnosed and treated by CALLG2008 Protocol were collected from May 1, 2009 to December 31, 2011 in Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, and the efficacy was analyzed. The results showed that 31 out of 33 cases of ALL achieved CR, the CR rate was up to 93.9%, the PR rate was 3.1%, and the total response rate was 97%. There were no uncontrolled severe toxicities, and no early deaths were observed. The overall survival (OS) at 1 year was only 66.7%,the relapse rate was 43.8% and the 1-year mortality was 33.3 %. This may be related with no-enough compliance, no-enough economical support and short follow-up time of the patients. The risk factor analysis showed that WBC level in newly diagnosed patients may influence the OS and relapse-free survival (RFS) of ALL. It is concluded that CALLG2008 protocol applied to adult ALL has a high remission quality and low mortality rate during the induction. The disease free survival (DFS) needs to be observed longer. It is essential to carry out MRD monitoring to determine the early recurrence and improving the long-term efficacy.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Genome sequencing projects revealed massive cryptic gene clusters encoding the undiscovered secondary metabolites in Streptomyces. To investigate the metabolic products of silent gene clusters in Streptomyces chattanoogensis L10 (CGMCC 2644), we used site-directed mutagenesis to generate ten mutants with point mutations in the highly conserved region of rpsL (encoding the ribosomal protein S12) or rpoB (encoding the RNA polymerase β-subunit). Among them, L10/RpoB (H437Y) accumulated a dark pigment on a yeast extract-malt extract-glucose (YMG) plate. This was absent in the wild type. After further investigation, a novel angucycline antibiotic named anthrachamycin was isolated and determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the activation effect on the anthrachamycin biosynthetic gene cluster. This work indicated that the rpoB-specific missense H437Y mutation had activated anthrachamycin biosynthesis in S. chattanoogensis L10. This may be helpful in the investigation of the pleiotropic regulation system in Streptomyces.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Bacterial Proteins/genetics* ; Multigene Family ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Streptomyces/metabolism*

Objective: To investigate the clinical features and long-term prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) in patients with past hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Methods: 353 cases with PBC who visited the Liver Disease Center of Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University between January 2000 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed and were divided into the past HBV infection group (156 cases) and the no HBV infection group (197 cases). The two groups' baseline clinical features were compared. Ursodeoxycholic acid response rate after one year, GLOBE score, UK-PBC score, and long-term liver transplantation-free survival rate were compared through outpatient and telephone follow-up. Results: PBC with past HBV infection had a significantly reduced female proportion compared to the no HBV infection group (91.9% vs. 79.5%, P = 0.001). However, there were no statistically significant differences in age, biochemical indices, immunological indicators, platelet count, cirrhosis proportion, and others. Ursodeoxycholic acid biochemical response rate was reduced in patients with past HBV infection at the end of one year of treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant (65.8% vs. 78.2%, P = 0.068). In addition, there were no statistically significant differences between the GLOBE score (0.57 vs. 0.59, P = 0.26) and UK-PBC 5-year (2.87% vs. 2.87%, P = 0.38), 10-year (9.29% vs. 8.2%, P = 0.39) and 15-year liver transplantation rates (16.6% vs. 14.73%, P = 0.39). Lastly, the overall 5-year liver transplantation-free survival rate had no statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients (86.4% vs. 87.5%, P = 0.796). Conclusion: Primary biliary cholangitis had no discernible effect in terms of age at onset, biochemical indices, immunological indicators, cirrhosis proportion, ursodeoxycholic acid response rate after one year, GLOBE score, UK-PBC score, or overall liver transplantation-free survival rate in patients with past hepatitis B virus infections.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of CD45CD117 phenotype-abnormal cells (hereinafter referred to as "abnormal cells") for relapse and prognosis in adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) within 2 weeks after the first complete remission (CR1). METHODS: The clinical data of patients with newly diagnosed AML (non-acute promyelocytic leukemia) admitted in our department from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2017 were analyzed retrospectively, and the relationship between clinical features at the initial diagnosis and the abnormal phenotype cells of CD45CD117 within 2 weeks after CR1 with the prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 91 patients with CD45CD117 abnormal cells were detected. The median age was 51 years old, the median WBC count was 11.60×109/L, and the median ratio of bone marrow blast cells was 0.35 at initial diagnosis. According to the FAB classification, 1 (1.1%), 7 (7.7%), 38 (41.7%), 20 (22.0%), 21 (23.1%) and 4 (4.4%) patients were classifice as M0, M1, M2, M4, M5, and M6, respectively. According to the NCCN risk stratification, 30 (33.0%), 51 (56.0%), and 10 (11.0%) patients were determined as good, moderate, and poor prognosis, respectively. The median ratio of abnormal cells within 2 weeks after CR1 was 1.8500 (0.0236-8.0000)%. The median time from initiation of induction therapy to the acquisition of CR was 46 days, median recurrence-free survival time was 319 days, and median overall survival time was 352 days. A total of 45 patients relapsed, of which 14 died; 46 patients did not relapse, of which 3 died. The cutoff of abnormal cells by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was 2.055% (Se=0.733，Sp=0.761). The abnormal cell ratio was＞2.055% in 44 patients, the median ratio of abnormal cells was 3.075%, among which 33 patients relapsed and 12 patients died; the abnormal cell ratio was ＜2.055% in 47 patients, the median ratio of abnormal cells was 1.150%, 12 patients relapsed and 5 patients died. Regression analysis showed that WBC count＞50×10/L and abnormal cell ratio＞2.055% were independent risk factors for recurrence. The abnormal cell ratio＞2.055% group had a 2-year RFS rate of 54.3% and a 2-year OS rate of 52.8%. The abnormal cell ratio＜2.055% group had a 2-year RFS rate of 86.6% (P=0.018), and a 2-year OS rate of 85.3% (P＜0.05). CONCLUSION For adult AML patients, CD45CD117 phenotypical abnormal cells ratio＞2.055% within 2 weeks after CR1 is an independent risk factor for recurrence, which also is an dverse factor for RFS and OS.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Leukocyte Common Antigens ; Leukocyte Count ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; Remission Induction ; Retrospective Studies

Paeonia veitchii and P. lactiflora are both original plants of the famous Chinese medicinal drug Paeoniae Radix Rubra in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. They have important medicinal value and great potential in the flower market. The selection of stable and reliable reference genes is a necessary prerequisite for molecular research on P. veitchii. In this study, two reference genes, Actin and GAPDH, were selected as candidate genes from the transcriptome data of P. veitchii. The expression levels of the two candidate genes in different tissues(phloem, xylem, stem, leaf, petiole, and ovary) and different growth stages(bud stage, flowering stage, and dormant stage) of P. veitchii were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative technology(qRT-PCR). Then, the stability of the expression of the two reference genes was comprehensively analyzed using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, ΔCT, and RefFinder. The results showed that the expression patterns of Actin and GAPDH were stable in different tissues and growth stages of P. veitchii. Furthermore, the expression levels of eight genes(Pv-TPS01, Pv-TPS02, Pv-CYP01, Pv-CYP02, Pv-CYP03, Pv-BAHD01, Pv-UGT01, and Pv-UGT02) in different tissues were further detected based on the transcriptome data of P. veitchii. The results showed that when Actin and GAPDH were used as reference genes, the expression trends of the eight genes in different tissues of P. veitchii were consistent, validating the reliability of Actin and GAPDH as reference genes for P. veitchii. In conclusion, this study finds that Actin and GAPDH can be used as reference genes for studying gene expression levels in different tissues and growth stages of P. veitchii.
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Paeonia/genetics* ; Actins/genetics* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Transcriptome ; Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenases/genetics* ; Reference Standards ; Gene Expression Profiling/methods*