Expression of midkine and its clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM： To investigate the expression of midkine in eso- phageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） and analyze its relationship with clinicopathological features. METHODS： RT-PCR and immunocytochemical staining were used to detect the expression of midkine mRNA and protein in EC109 cells, respectively. Then the expression of midkine in 66 cases of ESCC samples were detected by immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against human midkine. RESULTS： Midkine was expressed in EC109 cell by RT- PCR and imrnunocytochemistry. The immunoreactivity was detected in 56.1% （37/66） of the ESCC samples. The expression of midkine was found in cytoplasm of tumor cells. Notably, the intensity of midkine was stronger at the area abundant in vessels and the invading border of the tumors. Midkine was more intensely expressed in well differentiated tumors （76.9 %） than in moderately and poorly differentiated tumors （43.1% and 41.2%, respectively） （P〈0.05）. There was no statistically significant correlation between midkine expression and gender, age, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis or survival in ESCC. CONCLUSION： IVlidkine is overexpressed in ESCC. It may play a role in tumor angiogenesis and invasion. The expression of midkine is correlated with tumor cell differentiation in ESCC. The more poorly tumor cells differentiate, the weaker midkine expresses.

Coexistence of cervical extramedullary plasmacytoma and squamous cell carcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Extramedullary plasmacytoma(EMP),a variant form of myeloma,is a rare solid plasma cell tumor that originates from the bone marrow hematopoietic tissue and accounts for about 3%of all plasma cell tumors.EMP can affect various tissues and organs,about 90%of which is found in the head and neck.However,EMP in the reproductive organs is rare,and is difficult to be distinguished from other primary or metastatic genital tumors according to clinical symptoms and imaging findings.CASE SUMMARY Herein,we report a case with coexistence of EMP and squamous cell carcinoma in the cervix.The first histopathological report of neoplasms on the surface of the cervix and vagina showed an EMP.Both ultrasound and pelvic enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)indicated that there was a tumor in the cervix.Thus,another cervical biopsy and pathological examination were performed,which indicated EMP combined with squamous cell carcinoma.Then,the patient underwent extensive total hysterectomy(type C1)+systemic lymph node dissection and received 25 external pelvic irradiations with a dose of 50 Gy following surgery.During 2-year follow-up,no recurrence was reported.CONCLUSION In conclusion,EMP involving the reproductive system is relatively rare.In this case,MRI,B-ultrasound,and cervical canal scraping were used to further determine the diagnosis of EMP combined with squamous cell carcinoma.The patient had improved prognosis after appropriate treatments.

Protein Microarrays for Quantitative Detection of PAI-1 in Serum

Objective： Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 （PAI-1）, one crucial component of the plasminogen activator system, is a major player in the pathogenesis of many vascular diseases as well as in cancer. High levels of PAI-1 in breast cancer tissue are associated with poor prognosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate rigorously the potential of serum PAI-1 concentration functioning as a general screening test in diagnostic or prognostic assays. Methods： A protein-microarray-based sandwich fluorescence immunoassay （FIA） was developed to detect PAI-1 in serum. Several conditions of this microarray-based FIA were optimized to establish an efficacious method. Serum specimens of 84 healthy women and 285 women with breast cancer were analyzed using the optimized FIA microarray. Results： The median serum PAI-1 level of breast cancer patients was higher than that of healthy women （109.7 ng/ml vs. 63.4 ng/ml）. Analysis of covariance revealed that PAI-1 levels of the two groups were significantly different （P0.001） when controlling for an age effect on PAI-1 levels. However, PAI-1 values in TNM stage I？IV patients respectively were not significantly different from each other. Conclusion： This microarray-based sandwich FIA holds potential for quantitative analysis of tumor markers such as PAI-1.

Sulfonylcalix[4]arene-based metal-organic polyhedra with hierarchical porous structures for efficient Xe/Kr separation

Multiple space from the interior of metal-organic polyhedra(MOPs),the exterior among MOPs,and the inherent nature of big organic molecules makes MOPs as promising platform with hierarchical porous structures,especially when well-elucidated reticular chemistry principles were used.Herein we describe the preparation of a series of isoreticular octahedral MOPs featuring Zn4-p-tert-butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene clusters by the metal-directed assembly of three rigid organic ligands with different lengths.Intercage hydrogen-bonds and hydrophobic interactions between sulfonylcalix[4]arene groups direct the stacking of discrete MOPs into a novel permanent hierarchical porous material.More importantly,the optimal MOP 1-Zn exhibits high adsorption capacity of Xe and excellent Xe/Kr(20/80,v/v)separation performance,as demonstrated by adsorption isotherms,breakthrough experiments,and density functional theory calculations.Additionally,grand canonical Monte Carlo(GCMC)and dispersion-corrected density functional theory(DFT-D)theoretical calculations provide molecular-level insight over the adsorption/separation mechanism.

Effects of iron compounds on pyrolysis behavior of coals and metallurgical properties of resultant cokes

The utilization of highly reactive and high-strength coke can enhance the efficiency of blast furnace by promoting indirect reduction of iron oxides.Iron compounds,as the main constituent in iron-bearing minerals,have aroused wide interest in preparation of highly reactive iron coke.However,the effects of iron compounds on pyrolysis behavior of coal and metallurgical properties of resultant cokes are still unclear.Thus,three iron compounds,i.e.,Fe;O;,Fe;O;and FeC;O;·2H;O,were adopted to investigate their effects on coal pyrolysis behavior and metallurgical properties of the resultant cokes.The results show that iron compounds have slight effects on the thermal behavior of coal blend originated from thermogravimetric and differential thermogravimetric curves.The apparent activation energy varies with different iron compounds ranging from 94.85 to 110.11 kJ/mol in the primary pyrolysis process,while lower apparent activation energy is required for the secondary pyrolysis process.Iron compounds have an adverse influence on the mechanical properties and carbon structure of cokes.Strong correlations exist among coke reactivity,coke strength after reaction,and the content of metallic iron in cokes or the values of crystallite stacking height,which reflect the dependency of thermal property on metallic iron content and carbon structure of cokes.