Whole-volume histogram analysis of spectral-computed tomography iodine maps characterizes HER2 expression in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Although surgery remains the primary treatment for gastric cancer(GC),the identification of effective alternative treatments for individuals for whom surgery is unsuitable holds significance.HER2 overexpression occurs in approximately 15%-20%of advanced GC cases,directly affecting treatment-related decisions.Spectral-computed tomography(sCT)enables the quantification of material compositions,and sCT iodine concentration parameters have been demonstrated to be useful for the diagnosis of GC and prediction of its invasion depth,angioge-nesis,and response to systemic chemotherapy.No existing report describes the prediction of GC HER2 status through histogram analysis based on sCT iodine maps(IMs).AIM To investigate whether whole-volume histogram analysis of sCT IMs enables the prediction of the GC HER2 status.METHODS This study was performed with data from 101 patients with pathologically confirmed GC who underwent preoperative sCT examinations.Nineteen parameters were extracted via sCT IM histogram analysis:The minimum,maximum,mean,standard deviation,variance,coefficient of variation,skewness,kurtosis,entropy,percentiles(1st,5th,10th,25th,50th,75th,90th,95th,and 99th),and lesion volume.Spearman correlations of the parameters with the HER2 status and clinicopathological parameters were assessed.Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the parameters’diagnostic performance.RESULTS Values for the histogram parameters of the maximum,mean,standard deviation,variance,entropy,and percentiles were significantly lower in the HER2+group than in the HER2–group(all P<0.05).The GC differentiation and Lauren classification correlated significantly with the HER2 status of tumor tissue(P=0.001 and 0.023,respectively).The 99th percentile had the largest area under the curve for GC HER2 status identification(0.740),with 76.2%,sensitivity,65.0%specificity,and 67.3%accuracy.All sCT IM histogram parameters correlated positively with the GC HER2 status(r=0.237-0.337,P=0.001-0.017).CONCLUSION Whole-lesion histogram parameters derived from sCT IM analysis,and especially the 99th percentile,can serve as imaging biomarkers of HER2 overexpression in GC.

Examined lymph node count for gastric cancer patients after curative surgery

Lymph node(LN)metastasis is the most common form of metastasis in gastric cancer(GC).The status and stage of LN metastasis are important indicators that reflect the progress of GC.The number of LN metastases is still the most effective index to evaluate the prognosis of patients in all stages of LN metastasis.Examined LN(ELN)count refers to the number of LNs harvested from specimens by curative gastrectomy for pathological examination.This review summarizes the factors that influence ELN count,including individual and tumor factors,intraoperative dissection factors,postoperative sorting factors,and pathological examination factors.Different ELN counts will lead to prognosis-related stage migration.Fine LN sorting and regional LN sorting are the two most important LN sorting technologies.The most direct and effective way to harvest a large number of LNs is for surgeons to perform in vitro fine LN sorting.

Pharmaceutical digital transformation in China:digital quality assurance takes the driver’s seat

The development of automation,the Internet of Things(IoT),artificial intelligence(AI),big data,and other digi-tal technologies has made it imperative for pharmaceutical companies to undergo digital transformation to improve their research and development capabilities,increase the quality of their products,lower operating costs,and gain a competitive edge.One of the most crucial steps in the life-cycle riskman-agement chain for drugs is digital quality assurance(DQA).Based on a literature review,questionnaire survey,and expert consensus,a panel of experts was convened in Shanghai to generate a set of conceptual,pharmaceutical manufacturing-specific DQA specifications.The goal of the consensus is to advance common practices that use digital tools to quickly collect,record,evaluate,and review particular forms of data to enhance the automation of quality assurance and make drug quality activities more efficient.

残胃癌患者脉管癌栓与临床病理特征和预后的关系

目的:探讨残胃癌患者脉管癌栓与临床病理特征和预后的关系。方法:回顾性分析1999年3月至2020年3月福建医科大学附属肿瘤医院接受手术治疗(包括根治性和姑息性手术)的208例残胃癌患者的临床病例资料。根据肿瘤是否有脉管癌栓,分为脉管癌栓组(118例)及无脉管癌栓组(90例),比较两组的临床病理学特征、手术及淋巴结清扫情况及生存预后的差异。结果:两组在浸润深度、淋巴结转移、TNM分期、组织分型、神经浸润及Borrmann分型的分布差异均具有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。多因素分析显示:神经浸润、脉管癌栓、肿瘤大小、TNM分期、联合脏器切除是影响残胃癌患者预后的独立危险因素(P<0.05)。两组在手术时间及淋巴结转移数目上差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。全组术后5年生存率为45.6%,其中脉管癌栓组与无脉管癌栓组5年生存率分别为28.8%和66.0%,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。肿瘤大小≥5 cm、TNMⅡ期和TNMⅢ期的脉管癌栓组和无脉管癌栓组残胃癌患者术后5年生存率分别为20.2%vs.59.6%、44.1%vs.82.2%和19.9%vs.42.7%,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:脉管癌栓是判断残胃癌患者预后的重要指标。有脉管癌栓的残胃癌术后患者,尤其是肿瘤大小≥5 cm、TNMⅡ期或TNMⅢ期的更需要积极的辅助治疗。

Incidence and clinical characteristics of hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis:A retrospective single-center study

BACKGROUND The incidence of hypertriglyceridemic acute pancreatitis(HTG-AP)has increased yearly,but updated population-based estimates on the incidence of HTG-AP are lacking.Reducing serum triglyceride(TG)levels quickly is crucial in the early treatment of HTG-AP.Decreased serum TG levels are treated by non-invasive methods,which include anti-lipidemic agents,heparin,low-molecular weight heparin,and insulin,and invasive methods,such as blood purification including hemoperfusion(HP),plasmapheresis,and continuous renal replacement therapy.However,authoritative guidelines have not been established.Early selection of appropriate treatment is important and beneficial in controlling the development of HTG-AP.AIM To evaluate the effect between patients treated with intravenous insulin(INS)and HP to guide clinical treatment.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 371 patients with HTG-AP enrolled in the Department of Fujian Provincial Hospital form April 2012 to March 2021.The inpatient medical and radiologic records were reviewed to determine clinical features,severity,complications,mortality,recurrence rate,and treatment.Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to analyze risk factors for severe HTG-AP.Propensity score matching was used to compare the clinical outcomes of INS and HP.RESULTS A total of 371 patients met the HTG-AP criteria.The incidence of HTG-AP was increased by approximately 2.6 times during the 10 years(8.4%in April 2012-March 2013 and 22.3%in April 2020-March 2021).The highest incidence rate of acute pancreatitis was observed for men in the age group of 30-39 years.The amylase level was elevated in 80.1%of patients but was only three times the normal value in 46.9%of patients.The frequency of severe acute pancreatitis(26.9%),organ failure(31.5%),rate of recurrence(32.9%),and mortality(3.0%)of HTG-AP was high.Improved Marshall score,modified computed tomography severity index score,baseline TG,baseline amylase,C-reactive protein(CRP),albumin,aspartate aminotransferase,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,urea nitrogen,creatinine,calcium,hemoglobin,free triiodothyronine,admission to intensive care unit,and mortality were significantly different between patients with different grades of severity(P<0.050).Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that high CRP[P=0.005,odds ratio(OR)=1.011,95%CI:1.003-1.019],low calcium(P=0.003,OR=0.016,95%CI:0.001-0.239),and low albumin(P=0.023,OR=0.821,95%CI:0.693-0.973)were risk factors of severe HTG-AP.After propensity score matching adjusted by sex,age,severity of HTG-AP,and baseline TG,the serum TG significantly decreased in patients treated with INS(P<0.000)and HP(P<0.000)within 48 h.However,the clearance rate of TG(57.24±33.70%vs 56.38±33.61%,P=0.927)and length of stay(13.04±7.92 d vs 12.35±6.40 d,P=0.730)did not differ between the two groups.CONCLUSION The incidence of HTG-AP exhibited a significant increase,remarkable severity,and recurrent trend.Patients with mild and moderately severe acute pancreatitis can be treated effectively with INS safely and effectively without HP.

Spectroscopic Measurements of Physiological Elements in Microdialysis Samples from Rat Brain,Flowering Plum Fruit and Pea

The basal levels of magnesium and copper in rat brain and flowering plum fruit dialysates, and the background concentration of calcium in pea dialysates have been determined with sensitive spectroscopic techniques including atomic absorption spectrometry and spectrophotometry based on amino G acid chlorophosphonazo. It is found that the magnesium level in flowering plum fruit dialysates is much lower than that in rat brain dialysates, indicating a considerable composition difference present between a plant dialysate and an animal one.

Expression of miRNA-140 in Chondrocytes and Synovial Fluid of Knee Joints in Patients with Osteoarthritis

Objective To investigate the expression of miRNA-140 in chondrocytes and synovial fluid of osteoarthritis(OA) patients, and explore the relationship between the miRNA-140 expression and OA severity. Methods This study enrolled 30 OA patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty for chondrocytes sampling and 30 OA patients who underwent intra-articular injection for synovial fluid sampling. All OA patients were grouped into mild [Kellgren and Lawrence(KL) grade 1-2], moderate(KL grade 3) and severe(KL grade 4), with 10 in each subgroups for each sampling purposes. 7 non-OA patients and 10 patients with knee injury were collected for cartilage and synovial fluid sampling respectively as control groups. Chondrocytes were isolated from the cartilage tissue and cultured in vitro. Quantitative real time PCR for miRNA-140 in chondrocytes and synovial fluid were performed, and the U6 sn RNA was used as internal control. The expression difference of miRNA-140 among groups and correlation between the expression and the KL grade of OA were analysed using one-way ANOVA and Spearman test respectively. Results The expression of miRNA-140 in chondrocytes of knees in OA patients was reduced than that in normal knees, and the between-group difference was statistically significant(F=305.464, P<0.001). miRNA-140 could be detected in synovial fluid of both normal knees and OA knees, its relative expression level was reduced in synovial fluid of OA group compared with normal group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant as well(F=314.245, P<0.001). The relative expression level of miRNA-140 in both chondrocytes and synovial fluid were negatively correlated with the KL grade of OA(r=-0.969, P<0.001; r=-0.970, P<0.001). Conclusion miRNA-140 could be detected in chondrocytes and synovial fluid of OA patients, and its expression was negatively correlated with the severity of OA.

Screening of differentially expressed genes related to differentiation and proliferation by gene expression profiling of different grade astrocytoma cell lines

BACKGROUND： The detection of differential gene expression in brain is possible by cDNA microarray technology, and the screening of differentially expressed genes might provide a biological basis for gene-targeted therapy for tumors. OBJECTIVE： To detect the differential expression of genes among astrocytoma SHG-44 （WHO grade Ⅳ）, CHG-5 （WHO grade Ⅱ）, and ATRA-treated SHG-44 cell lines by cDNA microarray. DESIGN： Laboratory experiments in vitro. SETTING： Department of Neurobiology, the Third Military Medical University. MATERIALS： The experiment was performed at the Department of Neurobiology in the Third Military Medical University of the Chinese PLA from January to October 2007. The SHG-44 cell line （WHO grade Ⅳ） was established by Prof. Ziwei Du, and the CHG-5 cell line （WHO grade Ⅱ） was set up by Prof. Xiuwu Bian from the Third Military Medical University of the Chinese PLA. The cDNA microarray containing 9182 known genes was prepared and provided by Dr. Yang Zhong at the City University of Hong Kong. METHODS： To screen differentially expressed genes from the gene expression profiles detected by cDNA microarray comparisons were made between CHG-5 and SHG-44 cells and between SHG-44 cells with or without treatment with 10 μmol/L ATRA. Some differentially expressed genes were selected randomly for Northern Blot analysis to confirm the results of the microarray. The determination criteria for differential gene expression were as follows. ① The ratio of Cy5 signal to Cy3 was greater than 2.0 or less than 0.5. ② The results of the triplicate microarray hybridizations showed the same trend in three experiments. ③ A gene appeared at least two times on the triplicate microarray hybridizations, and the 3^rd value did not show a contradictory trend. A normalized ratio of Cy5 intensity to Cy3 greater than 2.0 or less than 0.5 was considered to represent up-regulated or down-regulated gene expression, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： The identification of genes that were similarly regulated （overlapping） during tumor progression and differentiation, by comparison of gene expression profiles between CHG-5 and SHG-44 cells, and between SHG-44 cells with or without treatment with ATRA. RESULTS： Thirty-one overlapping genes were found to have similar regulatory effects on astrocytomas; among them, twenty genes were up-regulated and eleven were down-regulated in both comparisons between CHG-5 and SHG-44 cells, and between SHG-44 cells with or without treatment with ATRA. The four reported genes, SERPINFI, MAPKI 1, HIFIA and SOD2, were up-regulated in this study. CONCLUSION： The differentially expressed genes in different grade astrocytoma cell lines were revealed primarily by cDNA microarray; among them, five identified overlapping genes, SERPINF1, MAPK11, DCTN2, HIF1 A and SOD2, were related to the malignant progression of astrocytoma cells.

prognostic significance of pretreatment serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels in gastric cancer with pathological lymph node-negative: A large sample singlecenter retrospective study

AIM To assess whether elevated serum carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) is in the inferior prognosis for pathological lymph node-negative(p N_0) gastric cancer(GC) patients who underwent D_2 gastrectomy.METHODS About 469 p N0 GC patients,who received D^2 radical gastrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The X-tile plots cut-off point for CEA were 30.02 ng/m L using minimum P-value from log-rank χ~2 statistics,and p N_0 GC patients were assigned to two groups: those more than 30.02 ng/m L(n = 48;CEA-high group) and those less than 30.02 ng/m L(n = 421;CEA-low group). Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared usingPearson's χ2 or Fisher's exact tests,and survival curves were so manufactured using the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analysis were carried out using the logistic regression method.RESULTS The percentage of vessel carcinoma embolus(31.35% vs 17.1%) and advanced GC(T_(2-4b))(81.25% vs 65.32%) were higher in CEA-high group than CEA-low group. The CEA-positive patients had a significantly poorer prognosis than the CEA-nagetive patients in terms of overall survival(57.74% vs 90.69%,P < 0.05),and no different was found between subgroup of T category,differentiation,nerve invasion,and vessel carcinoma embolus(all P > 0.05). Multivariate survival analysis showed that CEA(OR = 4.924),and T category(OR = 2.214) were significant prognostic factors for stage p N0 GC(all P < 0.05). Besides,only T category(OR = 1.962) was an independent hazard factor in the CEA-high group(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Those pretreatment serum CEA levels over 30.02 ng/m L on behalf of worse characteristics and unfavourable tumor behavior,and a poor prognosis for a nearly doubled risk of mortality in GC patients.

Integration of human papillomavirus 18 DNA in esophageal carcinoma 109 cells

AIM:To detect human papillomavirus(HPV) DNA in esophageal carcinoma(EC) 109 cells and investigate the relationship between HPV and EC.METHODS:Genomic DNA and total RNA from EC109 cells were isolated.HPV DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) with the general primer sets of My09/11 and GP5 +/6 + for the HPV L1 gene and type-specific primer sets for HPV18 E6 and HPV18 E6-E7.Reverse transcription(RT) of mRNA isolated from EC109 cells was performed to produce a cDNA.And then a PCR-based protocol for the amplification of papillomavirus oncogene transcripts was used to analyze HPV18 DNA and integrated transcripts of HPV18 in the chromosomes of EC109 cells.The final nested PCR products were cloned into a pMD-18T vector and sequenced to analyze the chromosomal location of HPV integration.RESULTS:HPV18 DNA was detected in EC109 cells by PCR using the general primer sets of My09/11 and GP5 +/6 + for HPV L1 and the type-specif ic primer sets for HPV18 E6 and E6-E7 to generate products of 450 bp,150 bp,335 bp and 944 bp,respectively.Approximately 600 bp of integrated HPV18-specific transcript was identified.The final nested PCR product of integrated HPV18 DNA was cloned into a pMD-18T vector and sequenced to analyze the chromosomal location of HPV integration.Sequence alignment showed that the HPV18 sequence from EC109 cells was identical to that of the encoded early protein E7-E1 of the standard HPV18 strain X05015,and another partial gene sequence was identical to a partial sequence of human chromosome 8.CONCLUSION:Integration of the HPV genome into the host cell chromosome suggests that persistent HPV infection is vital for malignant cell transformation and carcinogenesis.

Exosomes rewire the cartilage microenvironment in osteoarthritis:from intercellular communication to therapeutic strategies

Osteoarthritis(OA)is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by cartilage loss and accounts for a major source of pain and disability worldwide.However,effective strategies for cartilage repair are lacking,and patients with advanced OA usually need joint replacement.Better comprehending OA pathogenesis may lead to transformative therapeutics.Recently studies have reported that exosomes act as a new means of cell-to-cell communication by delivering multiple bioactive molecules to create a particular microenvironment that tunes cartilage behavior.Specifically,exosome cargos,such as noncoding RNAs(ncRNAs)and proteins,play a crucial role in OA progression by regulating the proliferation,apoptosis,autophagy,and inflammatory response of joint cells,rendering them promising candidates for OA monitoring and treatment.This review systematically summarizes the current insight regarding the biogenesis and function of exosomes and their potential as therapeutic tools targeting cell-to-cell communication in OA,suggesting new realms to improve OA management.

Studies on the Simultaneous Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate and Poly(ethylene terephthalate): I. Catalytic Activity of Metal Acetate in Transesterification of Ethylene Carbonate with Dimethyl Terephthalate

A novel direct method for preparation of dimethyl carbonate and poly（ethylene terephthalate） from ethylene carbonate and dimethyl terephthalate has been demonstrated in the presence of metal acetate catalysts, lithium acetate dihydrate showed highest catalytic activity with 47.9% yield of dimethyl carbonate. This method was a green chemical process.

Chinese NGOs in action against HIV/AIDS

Chinese nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have played a significant role in the battle against AIDS in the People’s Republic of China. This article provides a brief overview of the structure of these organizations, as well as an analysis of their principle accomplishments. Of great significance in this analysis is the fact that Chinese NGOs have effectively dealt with many sensitive health education areas that government authorities have felt reluctant to handle directly. As such, they have provided an indispensable component in the HIV/AIDS prevention and control calculus on the mainland.

Stannous-acetylacetonate:A new catalyst for poly(trimethylene terephthalate) synthesis

Stannous-acetylacetonate was prepared efficiently and characterized by ^1H NMR and FT-IR. Its catalytic activity for poly（trimethylene terephthalate） （PTT） synthesis was investigated. By this catalyst, the degree of esterification of pure terephthalic acid was up to 91.7% after reaction at 260 ℃ for 2 h, while the intrinsic viscosity and content of terminal carboxyl groups of the corresponding PTT polymerized at 260 ℃, 60 Pa for 2 h was 0.8816 dL/g and 17 mol/t,respectively. Stannous-acetylacetonate was more active and promising than tetrabutyl titanate and stannous octoate for PTT synthesis.

Cell cycle-related genes p57kip2, Cdk5 and Spin in the pathogenesis of neural tube defects

In the field of developmental neurobiology, accurate and ordered regulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis are crucial factors contributing to the normal formation of the neural tube. Preliminary studies identified several genes involved in the development of neural tube defects. In this study, we established a model of developmental neural tube defects by administration of retinoic acid to pregnant rats. Gene chip hybridization analysis showed that genes related to the cell cycle and apoptosis, signal transduction, transcription and translation regulation, energy and metabolism, heat shock, and matrix and cytoskeletal proteins were all involved in the formation of developmental neural tube defects. Among these, cell cycle-related genes were predominant. Retinoic acid treat-ment caused differential expression of three cell cycle-related genes p57kip2, Cdk5 and Spin, the expression levels of which were downregulated by retinoic acid and upregulated during normal neural tube formation. The results of this study indicate that cell cycle-related genes play an im-portant role in the formation of neural tube defects. P57kip2, Cdk5 and Spin may be critical genes in the pathogenesis of neural tube defects.

大数据环境下基于Hadoop框架的改进Apriori挖掘算法（英文）

针对Hadoop框架下的用户行为大数据挖掘效率问题,提出了一种改进的关联规则Apriori挖掘算法。该算法首先实现了Hadoop框架下的项集分类建模。然后通过传统关联规则Apriori算法的挖掘步骤分析,对候选项目集的生成方式进行了改进,并结合标志位信息实现无用事务去除,有效压缩了事务和项目的数量,从而缩短了任务处理时间。在具体实现过程中对改进Apriori算法流程进行了Map Reduce处理。仿真实验表明:相比于传统Apriori算法,改进后的Apriori挖掘算法具有更高的执行效率。

Hippocampal and cortical expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein in pentylenetetrazol-induced chronic epileptic rats

BACKGROUND： Gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter plays an important role in gamma-aminobutyric acid metabolism, and is highly associated with epilepsy seizures. Pathologically, astrocytes release active substances that alter neuronal excitability, and it has been demonstrated that astrocytes play a role in epileptic seizures. OBJECTIVE： To observe changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression in the hippocampus and cortex of the temporal lobe in rats with pentylenetetrazol-induced chronic epilepsy. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： Randomized, controlled, animal experiment was performed at the Department of Neurobiology, Third Military University of Chinese PLA between January 2006 and December 2007. MATERIALS： Pentylenetetrazol was purchased from Sigma, USA; rabbit anti-rat gammaaminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were from Chemicon, USA. METHODS： A total of 40 Sprague Dawley rats were divided into model and control groups. Rat models of chronic epilepsy were created by pentylenetetrazol kindling, and were subdivided into 3-, 7-, and 14-day kindling subgroups. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, as well as the number of positive cells in the hippocampus and cortex of temporal lobe of rats, were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. RESULTS： Compared with the control group, the number of gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein -positive cells in the hippocampus and cortex of rats with pentylenetetrazol-induced epilepsy significantly increased, gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression increased after 3 days of kindling, reached a peak on day 7, and remained at elevated levels at day 14 （P〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： Astrocytic activation and gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter 1 overexpression may contribute to pentylenetetrazol-induced epilepsy.

Volatility-volume relationship of Chinese copper and aluminum futures market

Following Bessembinder and Seguins,trading volume is separated into expected and unexpected components.Meanwhile,realized volatility is divided into continuous and discontinuous jump components.We make the empirical research to investigate the relationship between trading volume components and various realized volatility using1min high frequency data of Shanghai copper and aluminum futures.Moreover,the asymmetry of volatility-volume relationship is investigated.The results show that there is strong positive correlation between volatility and trading volume when realized volatility and its continuous component are considered.The relationship between trading volume and discontinuous jump component is ambiguous.The expected and unexpected trading volumes have positive influence on volatility.Furthermore,the unexpected trading volume,which is caused by arrival of new information,has a larger influence on price volatility.The findings also show that an asymmetric volatility-volume relationship indeed exists,which can be interpreted by the fact that trading volume has more explanatory power in positive realized semi-variance than negative realized semi-variance.The influence of positive trading volume shock on volatility is larger than that of negative trading volume shock,which reflects strong arbitrage in Chinese copper and aluminum futures markets.

Immunogenicity of DNA and Recombinant Sendai Virus Vaccines Expressing the HIV-1 gag Gene

Combinations of DNA and recombinant-viral-vector based vaccines are promising AIDS vaccine methods because of their potential for inducing cellular immune responses. It was found that Gag-specific cytotoxic lymphocyte (CTL) responses were associated with lowering viremia in an untreated HIV-1 infected cohort. The main objectives of our studies were the construction of DNA and recombinant Sendai virus vector (rSeV) vaccines containing a gag gene from the prevalent Thailand subtype B strain in China and trying to use these vaccines for therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines. The candidate plasmid DNA vaccine pcDNA3.1(+)-gag and recombinant Sendai virus vaccine (rSeV-gag) were constructed separately. It was verified by Western blotting analysis that both DNA and rSeV-gag vaccines expressed the HIV-1 Gag protein correctly and efficiently. Balb/c mice were immunized with these two vaccines in different administration schemes. HIV-1 Gag-specific CTL responses and antibody levels were detected by intracellular cytokine staining assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) respectively. Combined vaccines in a DNA prime/rSeV-gag boost vaccination regimen induced the strongest and most long-lasting Gag-specific CTL and antibody responses. It maintained relatively high levels even 9 weeks post immunization. This data indicated that the prime-boost regimen with DNA and rSeV-gag vaccines may offer promising HIV vaccine regimens.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus in esophageal carcinoma in Tangshan,China

AIM:to study the prevalence of human papillomavirus(HPV) in esophageal carcinoma in tangshan,China,a high-incidence area.METHODS:Formalin-fixed,paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 198 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma from 2011 to 2013 were obtained from a pathology department in Tangshan.DNA was extracted from all198 specimens to detect HPV by polymerase chain reaction(PCR).β-globin PCR was performed to check the quality of the DNA extraction procedure.PCR was performed to detect a wide range of HPV types,and type-specific PCR was performed to detect HPV types16 and 18.Negative and positive controls were used for HPV 16 and 18 detection.RESULTS:the DNA extraction method in this study appeared to be more effective than other previously reported methods.After DNA extraction,more than98%of the tissue specimens had an acceptable result in the DNA qualification test(β-globin PCR).the overall prevalence of HPV in tumor tissues by GP6+/GP5+PCR was 79.79%,and the prevalence of HPV types16 and 18 was 40.40%and 47.47%,respectively.PCR demonstrated the presence of HPV,and direct sequencing confirmed the HPV genotypes.All HPVpositive PCR products were checked by DNA sequence analysis using DNAman and compared with the known HPV sequences listed in the basic Local Alignment Search tool database to evaluate the HPV types.this analysis confirmed the presence of HPV types 16 and18.CONCLUSION:DNA of high-risk HPV types 16 and 18is present in esophageal tumors,implicating HPV as a possible etiologic factor for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.