OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship of Ki-67 level with clinical features, immunophenotype, gene mutation, curative efficacy and prognosis in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL).

METHODSFlow cytometry gated at CD45/SSC was used to detect the expression of Ki-67, and the correlation of Ki-67 expression with clinical manifestation, laboratorial indexes, curative efficacy and prognosis was analysed.

RESULTSKi-67 expression level increased in ALL patients, the median expression rate was 29.22%, there was significant difference as compared with the healthy control (P<0.01). In adult ALL, the median expression rate of Ki-67 in the high-risk group was 31.49%, and the difference was statistically significant as compared with the low-risk group (P<0.05). In children ALL, the median expression rate of Ki-67 in high-risk group was 42.28%, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The results of unvariate analysis showed that the age, WBC count at newly diagnosed and extramedullary invasion were adverse factors affecting OS and DFS; the results of multivariate analysis showed that age and extramedullary invasion were independent risk factors for OS and DFS in patients.

CONCLUSIONAge≥14 years old, intramedullary invasion are the poor factors for prognosis; the Ki-67 level is not an independent factor for the prognosis of patients.

OBJECTIVETo establish a domestic database of Enterobacteria cloacae (E. cloacae), and improve the identification efficiency using peptide mass fingerprinting.

METHODSPeptide mass fingerprinting was used for the identification and subtyping of E. cloacae. Eighty-seven strains, identified based on hsp60 genotyping, were used to construct and evaluate a new reference database.

RESULTSCompared with the original reference database, the identification efficiency and accuracy of the new reference database was greatly improved at the species level. The first super reference database for E. cloacae identification was also constructed and evaluated. Based on the super reference database and the main spectra projection dendrogram, E. cloacae strains were divided into two clades.

CONCLUSIONPeptide mass fingerprinting is a powerful method to identify and subtype E. cloacae, and the use of this method will allow us to obtain more information to understand the heterogeneous organism E. cloacae.

PURPOSE: To develop a simple and reliable rat model of in situ reversible obstructive jaundice with low morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS: Rats were divided into 4 groups with 8 rats each: the sham-operated (SH) group only underwent laparotomy, the control internal drainage (ID-C) group underwent choledochoduodenostomy, the new internal drainage (ID-N) group and the long-term internal drainage (ID-L) group underwent choledochocholedochostomy. Common bile duct ligation was performed in all the drainage groups 7 days before reversal procedures. All rats were sacrificed for samples 7 days after the last operation except rats of the ID-L group that survived 28 days before sacrifice. Body weight, liver function, histopathological changes, morbidity and mortality were assessed. RESULTS: One rat died and 2 rats had complications with tube blockage in the ID-C group. No death or complications occurred in the ID-N and ID-L groups. The drainage tube remained patent in the long-term observation ID-L group. Body weight showed no significant difference between the ID-C and ID-N groups after 7 days drainage. Liver function was not fully recovered in the ID-C and ID-N groups after 7 days drainage, but statistical differences were only observed in the ID-C group compared with the SH and ID-L groups. Periportal inflammation and bile duct proliferation showed severer in the ID-C group than in the ID-N group. CONCLUSION: The present study provided an efficient, simple, and reliable rat model that is especially suitable for long-term or consecutive studies of reversible obstructive jaundice.
Animals ; Bile Ducts ; Body Weight ; Choledochostomy ; Common Bile Duct ; Drainage ; Inflammation ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Laparotomy ; Ligation ; Liver ; Models, Animal* ; Mortality ; Rats*

PURPOSE: To develop a simple and reliable rat model of in situ reversible obstructive jaundice with low morbidity and mortality rates. METHODS: Rats were divided into 4 groups with 8 rats each: the sham-operated (SH) group only underwent laparotomy, the control internal drainage (ID-C) group underwent choledochoduodenostomy, the new internal drainage (ID-N) group and the long-term internal drainage (ID-L) group underwent choledochocholedochostomy. Common bile duct ligation was performed in all the drainage groups 7 days before reversal procedures. All rats were sacrificed for samples 7 days after the last operation except rats of the ID-L group that survived 28 days before sacrifice. Body weight, liver function, histopathological changes, morbidity and mortality were assessed. RESULTS: One rat died and 2 rats had complications with tube blockage in the ID-C group. No death or complications occurred in the ID-N and ID-L groups. The drainage tube remained patent in the long-term observation ID-L group. Body weight showed no significant difference between the ID-C and ID-N groups after 7 days drainage. Liver function was not fully recovered in the ID-C and ID-N groups after 7 days drainage, but statistical differences were only observed in the ID-C group compared with the SH and ID-L groups. Periportal inflammation and bile duct proliferation showed severer in the ID-C group than in the ID-N group. CONCLUSION: The present study provided an efficient, simple, and reliable rat model that is especially suitable for long-term or consecutive studies of reversible obstructive jaundice.
Animals ; Bile Ducts ; Body Weight ; Choledochostomy ; Common Bile Duct ; Drainage ; Inflammation ; Jaundice, Obstructive* ; Laparotomy ; Ligation ; Liver ; Models, Animal* ; Mortality ; Rats*

Plate assay and spore germination method were used to study the chemotaxis response of Alternaria panax to arginine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and threonine. The result showed that the optimum temperature of A. panax chemotaxis response to four amino acids were all 25 ℃. And chemotaxis responses of A. panax were different under conditions of different concentration and pH value. The chemotaxin reached to the highest under the condition of 2 mg•L⁻¹ and pH value was 7 for arginine, glutamic acid and threonine while 20 mg•L⁻¹ and pH value was 6 for aspartic acid . The data of chemotactic migration index (CMI) were 1.24, 1.38, 1.27, 1.31 and chemotactic growth rates(CGR) were 0.451 0, 0.353 0, 0.381 3, 0.228 8 and spores germination rates(SGR) were 57.33%，63%，56.67%，58% and the dry weight of mycelial (DWM) were 372.9, 348.5, 314.4, 390.2 mg•L⁻¹ respectively. It indicated that the low and middle concentration of amino acid had significant promoting effect on chemotaxis response of A. panax. As important substances generated in ginseng root, amino acids exhibited an efficient chemotactic effect on A. panax, and some even show inhibition effect under high concentration.

OBJECTIVETo detect the immunoglobulin(Ig) and T cell receptor(TCR) gene rearrangement in bone marrow of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL) patients by using BIOMED-2 standardized system, and to explore the potential clinical significance of Ig/TCR gene rearrangement.

METHODSDNA was extracted in bone marrow and Formalin-fixed and Paraffin-embedded(FFPE) samples of NHL patients, the Ig/TCR gene rearrangements were analyzed by using BIOMED-2 multiple primers system and multiplex PCR assay.

RESULTSAmong 235 T-NHL cases, 71.9% showed TCR gene rearrangement. The positive rate of TCRγ and the TCRβ were 57.9% and 50.2%. Out of 583 B-NHL cases, 81.6% showed Ig gene rearrangement. The positive rate of IgH and the IgK were 70.7% and 69.3%. MCL patients showed 84.8% IgH rearrangement and 75.8% IgK rearrangement, as compared with FL(34.0%, 50.9%) and DLBCL(9.2%, 16.1%) patients, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Out of Ig rearrangement positive B-NHL cases, 65 showed TCR gene rearrangement. None TCR rearrangement positive T-NHL cases showed Ig gene rearrangement, 25 cases(83.3%) showed Ig gene rearrangement in FFPE samples of 30 DLBCL patients, as compared to Ig rearrangement positive rate of bone marrow, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONBIOMED-2 standardized Ig/TCR gene rearrangement system shows assistance for lymphoma diagnosis. The PCR sequencing analysis is much more sensitive and specific and has significance for clinical diagnosis.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect and mechanism of Qingfei Mixture (), a Chinese medicine, in treating mycoplasma pneumonia (MP) in MP patients and rat model METHODS: A total of 46 MP children with phlegm heat obstructing Fei (Lung) syndrome were randomly assigned to two groups by the method of random number table, with 23 children in each group. The control group was treated with intravenous infusion of azithromycin; the treatment group received intravenous infusion of azithromycin and oral administration of Qingfei Mixture. The treatment course was 7 days. Major symptoms and minor symptoms were observed and scored before and after treatments. A rat model of MP was also established. A total of 120 wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a normal group, infection group, Qingfei Mixture treatment group, azithromycin treatment group, and Qingfei Mixture + azithromycin treatment group. Each group contained 24 rats, from which every 6 were euthanatized 1, 3, 7 and 14 days after infection. MP DNA in pulmonary tissue homogenates was detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Pathology was assessed after hematoxylin (HE) staining and lung tissue pathology scores were determined in pulmonary tissue. Transmission electron microscopic detection and electronic image analysis were performed on lung tissue 3 days after infection. Interleukin (IL)-17 was detected in serum using enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) 7 days after infection.

RESULTSIn the clinical study, both control and the treatment group showed improved results on removing symptoms of phlegm heat syndrome compared to the control group (P<0.05). In animal experiments, On the 7th day after MP infection, as detected by electron microscopy, the pulmonary capillary basement membranes of the azithromycin + Qingfei Mixture treatment group were much thinner than those of the azithromycin or Qingfei mixture treatment groups (P<0.05). The level of serum IL-17 in the azithromycin + Qingfei Mixture treatment group was lower than that in the azithromycin or Qingfei Mixture groups (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONBoth Qingfei Mixture and azithromycin have therapeutic effects on mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, but the combination of both agents had the greatest effect.

In the daily life, we perceive the world around us by integrating multiple sensory cues (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive) to create a coherent, reliable representation that allows us to interact meaningfully with the environment. The integration of different sensory information is necessary for our perception, motor transformation, decision making, learning and memory. In the past decades, many interdisciplinary researchers have been attracted to the field of multisensory research, and tremendous advances have been made in this field. We review the researches on multisensory integration during self-motion perception in the past decades from the candidate areas, the integration principles and the neural correlation of the behaviors, with the intention to provide a comprehensive source for those interested in understanding the neural substrates for multisensory integration. Meanwhile, we also provide a prospect for the future research in this field.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular mechanism by which LKB1 regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in Peutz-Jeghers hamartoma and intestinal epithelial cells.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry was used to detect gene expression of LKB1, E-cadherin, and vimentin in 20 hamartoma tissues and 10 normal intestinal tissues, and collagen fiber deposition was analyzed using Masson trichrome staining. Normal intestinal epithelial NCM460 cells were transfected with LKB1 shRNA plasmid or negative control via lentiviral vectors, and the role of LKB1 in cell polarization and migration were determined using CCK8 and Transwell assays. Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and immunofluorescence were used to assess the alterations of EMT markers in the cells with LKB1 knockdown.

RESULTSCompared with normal intestinal tissues, hamartoma polyps showed significantly decreased LKB1 and E-cadherin expressions and increased vimentin expression with increased collagen fiber deposition. The cells with LKB1 knockdown exhibited enhanced cell proliferation and migration activities (P<0.01). Western blot analysis, qPCR and immunofluorescence all detected decreased E-cadherin and increased N-cadherin, vimentin, Snail, and Slug expressions in the cells with LKB1 knockdown.

CONCLUSIONs LKB1 deficiency triggers EMT in intestinal epithelial cells and Peutz-Jeghers hamartoma, suggesting that EMT can serve as the therapeutic target for treatment of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.