Prognostic significance of epidermal growth factor-like domain 7 in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND： Recent studies have shown the clinical significance of epidermal growth factor-like domain 7（EGFL7）in a variety of cancers. However, the relationship between EGFL7 and the prognosis of pancreatic cancer（PC） remains unclear. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of EGFL7 in the prognosis of PC.METHODS： The expression of EGFL7 in nine PC cell lines was first determined by Western blotting analysis. Tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical staining was performed in paired formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor and non-tumor samples from 83 patients with PC. Finally,correlations between EGFL7 expression and clinicopathological variables as well as overall survival were evaluated.RESULTS： EGFL7 was widely expressed in all PC cell lines tested.EGFL7 expression in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in non-tumor tissues（P0.040）. In addition, univariate analysis revealed that high EGFL7 expression in tumor tissues was significantly associated with poor overall survival,accompanied by several conventional clinicopathological variables, such as gender, histological grade and lymph node metastasis. In a multivariate Cox regression test, EGFL7 expression was identified as an independent marker for longterm outcome of PC.CONCLUSION： Our data showed that EGFL7 is extensively expressed in PC and that EGFL7 is associated with poor prognosis.

DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ISOLATED PANCREATIC TUBERCULOSIS: EXPERIENCE OF 13 CASES

Objective To analyze the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic tuberculosis. Methods Retrospectively reviewed and summarized 13 pancreatic tuberculosis patients' clinical information, presentation, diagnostic methods, therapeutic approaches, and prognosis from 1958 to 2004 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Results All cases presented a wide series of symptoms, including fever in 6 cases, upper abdominal tenderness in 13, epigastric mass in 4, obstructive jaundice in 3, night sweat in 4, weight loss in 7, hypersplenotrophy and hypersplenism in 1, and being complicated with tuberculosis of other organs in 3. One case was diagnosed by clinical symptoms and biopsy of lymph node, and only received anti-tubercular treatment. Others were diagnosed by intra-operative biopsy and anti-tubercular treatment, and got well without recurrent tuberculosis in pancreas and other organs during 6 months to 2 years of follow-up. The non-operative case presented extrahepatic portal hypertension. Conclusions Pancreatic tuberculosis may be considered in the patients with fever, abdominal tenderness, weight loss, and imaging evidence of regional pancreatic lesion. Efficacy of anti-tubercular agents and laparotomy for pancreatic tuberculosis is evident.

Pathology Verified Concomitant Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in the Sonographically Suspected Thyroid Lymphoma:A Case Report

<正>PAPILLARY thyroid carcinoma(PTC)is the most common thyroid cancer and consists of nearly80%of all cases of thyroid cancer.~1 It is associated with the lowest level of malignancy and an excellent prognosis.Primary thyroid lymphoma(PTL)is a lymphomatous process which develops in the

Expression,clinicopathologic,and prognostic significance of MMP15 in operable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Objective:Matrix metalloproteinase 15(MMP15)has been previously reported to be involved in many cancers.However,its expression pattern in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)remains contradictory.In addition,its clinicopathologic and prog-nostic significance in this malignancy has not been elucidated.Methods:Expression of MMP15 was immunohistochemically detected in a tissue microarray of formalin-fixed paraffin-em-bedded samples from 95 patients of PDAC after surgery.Its expression pattern and relations with clinicopathologic factors and disease-specific survival(DSS)were then evaluated.Finally,its expression and prognostic value were measured in the on-line publically available database,GEPIA,using TCGA data.Results:In comparison of all samples and 75 paired ones,MMP15 expression in tumor tissues was all significantly higher than that in para-tumor ones(P=.037 and.016).Furthermore,tumoral MMP15 expression was associated with peri-neural invasion.Survival anal-ysis showed that patients with high tumoral MMP15 expression had significantly poorer DSS than those with low MMP15 expression(P=.0059).In univariate and multivariate Cox regression tests,tumoral MMP15 expression was all significantly predictive for DSS.In the on-line publically available GEPIA database,MMP15 was also overexpressed in PDAC,but was not found to be prognostic.Conclusion:Our results indicated that MMP15 expression was elevated in operable PDAC and might have a prognostic impact.

荣誉与挑战:论屠呦呦获得诺贝尔生理学或医学奖对中国的影响（英文）

中国首位诺贝尔生理学或医学奖获得者屠呦呦与青蒿素的事迹引发对中医药的思考。在鼓励使用中医药的同时,呼吁理性思考其不良反应,并对相关临床问题进行阐述。对屠呦呦事迹的过度反应,也许会误导国人对中医药产生"包治百病而无任何副作用"的印象。为避免这种情况的出现,本文客观地阐述其优缺点,希望能够帮助国民理性看待中医药。