Differentiated epithelial cells could be transformed into mesenchymal cells through the epithelial-mesenchymal transi-tion (EMT), which is important for tumorigenesis and metastasis. Recent studies suggest that EMT is closely correlated to the resistance to chemotherapy of tumors. This chemoresistance could enhance tumor malignancy, which includes the induction of the EMT pheno-type. The paper reviews the research progress on EMT and its association with drug resistance of tumors.

Objective To observe clinical efficacy of laparoscopy combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a ) in the treatment of endometriosis (EMs).Methods 158 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery and were diagnosed endometriosis in our hospital during Sep.2010 to Dec.2010 were chosen and divided into three groups:control group were treated with pure laparoscopic surgery,group A were treated with laparoscopic surgery and follow-up GnRH-a medication,and group B were treated with laparoscopic surgery,follow-up GnTH-a medication and add-back therapy.The total effective rates,recurrence rates,the changes of hormone levels before and after the treatment and adverse reaction rates after treatment were compared and analyzed to evaluate the efficacy of different treatments.Results The total effective rates of group A and group B (84.6%,86.2%) were significantly higher than that of control group (58.3%),and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.032,P=0.032).The recurrence rates of group A and group B (15.4%,13.8%)were significantly reduced compared with that of control group (41.6%)(P=0.012,P=0.012).The hormone levels decreased dramatically after treatment in three groups.The adverse reaction rate of group B was apparently reduced compared with that of group A,and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001 ).Conclusion Laparoscopy combined with GnRH-a medication was a safe and effective treatment for endometriosis.The application of GnRH-a after laparoscopy can significantly increase the total effective rate of the operation and reduce the postoperative recurrence rate.For the patients who need to take long-term GnRH-a treatment,add-back therapy need to be given to decrease its adverse reaction and recurrence rate,or to delay its recurrence,thus could improve patients' living qualities significantly.

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is a hereditary cerebral small vessel disease caused by NOTCH3 gene mutations. At present, the pathogenesis and the effective treatments of CADASIL is unclear. This review summarizes the existing pathogenesis of CADASIL, including the dysfunction of cerebral small arteries, the abnormalities of vascular smooth muscle cells, and the possible destruction of blood-brain barrier.

Objective To report the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)features of 5 eases with idiopathic orbital myositis.Methods Four females and one male,aged 27 to 57 years,presented department of neurology in the First Hospital of Peking University in October 2008 to September 2009.The duration of disease Was between 3 months and 4 years.Recurrent course appeared in 3 of them.0rbital MRI Was performed in all of them.After diagnosis they underwent long.term corticosteroid treatment.Results All patients presented ocular pain,asymmetrical and incomplete ophthalmoplegia and mild proptosis.EMG revealed no significant decline in repetitive stimulation.Muscle biopsies of limb muscle were unremarkable.Creatine kinase and thyroid function test were in normal limits.MRI revealed unilateral.focal or difluse enlargement and enhancement of extraocular muscles,involving 1 extraocular muscle in 2 cases,2extraocular muscles in 2 cases,more extraocular muscles in 1 case.No evidence indicated bone destruction or cavernous sinus abnormalities.Five Cases showed improvement and remission after long-term administration of steroids.Conclusion Persistent and asymmetrical ophthalmoplegia is connnon in orbital myositis.Extraocular muscle swelling characterized the MRI changes.

Objective To report the spectrum of electron transfer flavoprotein dehydrogenase (ETFDH)gene mutations in 20 Chinese RR-LsM families.Methods Twenty-four RR-LSM patients in the First Hospital of Peking University from January 2003 to May 2010 were collected and the clinical characteristics were analyzed.These patients came from 20 families in North Mainland China.Sixteen families had 1 patient each.and the other 4 families had 2 patients.ETFDH gene analysis was performed in all patients,11 family members and 100 healthy controls.Results The mean onset age was(27.9±9.9)years.The main symptoms were limb weakness(21,87.5%),dysmasesia(15,62.5%),neck weakness (14,58.3%)and myalgia(14,58.3%).Eighteen patients had high level of acyleamitine.Fifteen of 17patients had glutaric aciduria.Seventeen ETFDH mutations,including 13 missense mutations,2 splice mutations,and 2 nonsense mutations,were identified in 19 families:c.998A>G,c.1450T>C,c.1703T>C,c.1717C>T,c.821G>A,c.643G>A,c.251C>T,c.1763A>T,c.IVS7+2T>C and c.IVS6+1G>A were Hovel mutations which were not found in 100 healthy controls.Nine families had the mutation of c.770A>G(P.Y257C)and 5 families had the mutation of c.1227A>C(P.L409F).Conclusions The numerous novel mutations in ETFDH gene indicate that Chinese RR-LSM might have special mutation pattern.c.770A>G(P.Y257C)and c.1227A>C(p.L409F)may be hot spot mutations in North Mainland China.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristic of pathology in Chinese patients with Nonaka myopathy.MethodsThirteen patients (7 males and 6 females) diagnosed with Nonaka myopathy in our laboratory from January 2002 to March 2011 were included in this study.Their mean age was 39.5 years old and the mean duration of illness was 4.15 years.The most common symptoms were weakness of raising feet with sparing of quadriceps femoris muscles in the early stage of disease.One patient presented the initial symptoms of upper limb weakness. Muscles biopsies were obtained from all these 13 patients. Histology study including immunohistochemical (IHC) staining with antibody against amyloid 3,phosphorylated tau protein,ubiquitin,glucose-regulated protein of molecular weight 78 000(GRP78),calnexin,caspase-12and Bax were performed.Skeletal muscle samples from 3 chronic fatigue syndrome patients,2 myofibrillar myopathy patients were used for control in the IHC staining. All coding exons of uridinediphospho-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase gene were directly sequenced in genomic DNA from these patients.Results The main pathological changes of tibialis anterior muscle in 12 cases were muscle dystrophy with rimmed vacuoles.The rimmed vacuoles were positive for anti-β-amyloid,tau protein and ubiquitin in IHC studies.In the atrophy fibers,IHC showed the increased expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress related proteins GRP78 and calnexin,and apoptosis proteins of caspase-12 and Bax.ConclusionsThere is accumulation of abnormal proteins in muscle fibers in Chinese patients with Nonaka myopahty.These proteins may stimulate endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis,which may be a mechanism responsible for muscle damage.

Objective To report the clinical and pathological features of chronic graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis by summarizing the clinical data of the patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis. Methods One patient with chronic graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis was hospitalized in our hospital on December 29,2010.The patient,40 years old,female,underwent allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation because of acute granulocytic-monocytic leukemia.Fourteen months later she manifested as slowly progressive muscle weakness and myalgia in all limbs.Serum creatine kinase level was between 426-1948 U/L. Myositis antibody EJ was strongly positive.Electromyogram showed a neurogenic impairment and slow peripheral nerve conduction speed.Muscle biopsies were carried out in the left biceps brechii.In addition of standard histological and enzyme histochemical staining for the muscle sections,immunohistochemical workup was performed with mouse antiCDs,anti-CD20,anti-CD68 and anti major histocompatibility complex- Ⅰ ( MHC- Ⅰ ) monoclonal antibodies as first antibodies.Results The muscle biopsy showed large variation of fiber size,with muscle fiber necrosis,regeneration.Some angular fibers distributed in small cluster.The inflammatory cells infiltrated around the small vessel or in the endomysium,mainly CD8+ T-lymphocytes and CD6+8 macrophages.The most muscle fibers were MHC-Ⅰ positive. Conclusion The graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis manifests as chronic myositis process with neurogenic lesions.

ObjectiveTo report clinical, pathological and molecular genetic features in a Chinese family with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 6. MethodsThe index case is a 15 years old boy.He developed progressive distal limb weakness at the age of 5.The disease deteriorated slowly,accompanied with contracture of achilles' tendon. At the age of 11 years old he suffered from decrease of visual acuity. At the age of 12, he found the muscular atrophy of both hands without sensory disturbances.Visual evoked potential revealed prolonged latency of bilateral P100. Ophthalmological examination showed bilateral optic atrophy. His mother had the similar symptoms at the age of 7 and reduced visual acuity at the age of 10. Nerve conduction velocity revealed in both pat1ents no compound motor and sensory nerve action potentials in most nerves or slightly reduced nerve conduction velocities with severely reduced amplitudes of the compound motor and sensory nerve action potentials. Sural nerve biopsy was performed on the proband.The sequence of MFN2 gene was analyzed in DNA from the index, his mother and 100 healthy controls.ResultsSural nerve biopsy revealed severe loss of myelinated fibers with few regenerating clusters.Ultrapathological examination showed a few of atypical bulbs of myelinated fibers, occasionally regenerating clusters, mitochondrial swelling and aggregation in a few of axons. A new mutation of W740R mutation in MFN2 gene has been identified in the index case, her mother, but not in 50 healthy controls. Conclusions A novel MFN2 gene mutation result in hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type 6.Mild visual loss appeares after the lesion of spinal nerves. Demyelination of peripheral nerve appears in the disease.

Objective To evaluate the vestibular function in patients with cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL). Methods Seventeen CADASIL patients were recruited in the present study and 17 healthy volunteers served as control subjects. Electronystagmogram examinations including gaze nystagmus test, spontaneous nystagmus test, saccade test, pursuit test, optokinetic nystagmus test and caloric test were performed in the subjects. Results Neither patients nor controls had gaze nystagmus or spontaneous nystagmus. There was no difference in the latency and velocity of saccade movement between patients and controls. The accuracy of the saccade movement, the accuracy in leftward saccade, was significantly lower in CADASIL group compared with controls. The pursuit movement gains was also significantly lower in CADASIL group than in control group(G_L:0.79±0.08, G_R:0.76±0.12)(t=-3.739、-2.911,P <0.05) compared with controls(G_L:0.87±0.04, G_R:0.86±0.06).The optokinetic nystagmus gains were significantly decreased in CADASIL group(G_L:0.79±0.17,G_R:0.78±0.18)(t=-2.342、-2.335,P<0.05) compared with controls(G_L:0.90±0.08,G_R:0.89±0.09). The caloric test was performed in one CADASIL patient and the result revealed an incomplete fixing inhibition. CADASIL group was further divided into normal subgroup and abnormal subgroup based on the pursuit curve. The comparison between those two subgroups demonstrated a significant correlation between the pursuit movement and the symptoms of vertigo or dizziness(P<0.05). Conclusions The central vestibular function is impaired in CADASIL patients and the abnormal vestibular function is related to the symptom of vertigo or dizziness in CADASIL patients.

Objectives To report the clinical and myopathological features in a case with Danon disease caused by a novel mutation in the lysosome-associated membrane protein-2 ( LAMP2 ) B gene.Methods A 16-year-old boy presenting progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, accompanied with spinal ankylosis was clinically evaluated including electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and electromyogram.Muscle biopsy was carried out in the patient.The histological staining, ultrastructural examination, and immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against dystrophin, merosin and C5b9 were performed in frozen sections.LAMP2B sequence was analyzed in the patient and his parents.Results Electrocardiogram in the patient showed Ⅰ atrioventricular block; echocardiogram revealed focal hypertrophy in mitral valve with mild cardiac diastolic dysfunction; electromyogram indicated myogenic and neurogenic patterns.Muscle pathology study revealed numerous vacuoles located at the fibers.Dystrophin, merosin and C5b9 was immuno-positive around the vacuoles.Electron microscopy revealed vacuoles surrounded by sarcolemma and abnormal lysosome aggregating at the fibers.A novel nonsense mutation ( K402X ) in the LAMP2B gene has been identified in the patient but not in his mother and 50 normal controls.Conclusions Danon disease caused by K402X mutation in C-terminus of LAMP2B presented benign course of the disease characterized by prominent vacuolar skeletal myopathy, mild cardiac abnormalities and peripheral neuropathy.