Combination of small interfering RNAs mediates greater suppression on hepatitis B virus cccDNA in HepG2.2.15 cells

AIM： To observe the inhibition of hepatitis B virus （HBV） replication and expression in HepG2.2.15 cells by combination of small interfering RNAs （siRNAs）. METHODS： Recombinant plasmid psiI-HBV was constructed and transfected into HepG2.2.15 cells. At 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after transfection, culture media were collected and cells were harvested for HBV replication assay. HBsAg and HBeAg in the cell culture medium were detected by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay （ELISA）. Intracellular viral DNA and covalently closed circular DNA （cccDNA） were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR）. HBV viral mRNA was reverse transcribed and quantified by reverse-transcript PCR （RT-PCR）. RESULTS： siRNAs showed marked anti-HBV effects. siRNAs could specifically inhibit the expression of HBsAg and the replication of HBV DNA in a dosedependent manner. Furthermore, combination of siRNAs, compared with individual use of each siRNA, exerted a stronger inhibition on antigen expression and viral replication. More importantlycombination of siRNAs significantly suppressed HBV cccDNA amplification. CONCLUSION： Combination of siRNAs mediates a stronger inhibition on viral replication and antigenexpression in HepG2.2.15 cells, especially on cccDNA amplification.

Further understanding of an uncommon disease of combined small cell lung cancer： clinical features and prognostic factors of 114 cases

Objective： Combined small cell lung cancer （C-SCLC） is an uncommon subgroup of small cell lung cancer （SCLC） and few clinical data can be referred. Our study is to investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of C-SCLC, as well as the role of multimodality treatment.Methods： Between January 2004 and December 2012, patients with histologically diagnosed C-SCLC were retrospectively analyzed. The survivals were evaluated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate potential prognostic factors.Results： One hundred and fourteen patients were enrolled, with a median age of 59 （range： 20-79） years old. The most common combined component was squamous cell carcinoma （52.6%）. Among these patients, the disease was stage I, II, III and IV in 9.6%, 19.3%, 46.5% and 24.6% of the patients, respectively. Eighty patients （70.2%） received at least two of the three modalities containing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. The median follow-up was 32.5 months. The median time of overall survival （OS） was 26.2 months. On univariate analysis, smoking （P=0.029）, Karnofsky performance score （KPS） 〈80 （P=0.000）, advanced TNM stage （P=0.000）, no surgery （P=0.010）, positive resection margin （P=0.000）, positive lymph nodes ≥4 （P=0.000）, positive lymph node ratio 〉10% （P=0.000） and non-multimodality treatment （P=0.004） were associated with poor OS. Multivariate analysis confirmed that smoking, advanced TNM stage, positive resection margin and positive lymph nodes ratio 〉 10% were poor prognostic features. Conclusions： C-SCLC has a relatively early stage and good prognosis, which may due to the underestimated diagnosis in non-surgical patients. Multimodality therapy is recommended, especially for limited disease. Smoking, advanced TNM stage, positive resection margin and positive lymph nodes ratio 〉10% are poor prognostic factors.

Envafolimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of combined small cell lung cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Combined small cell lung cancer(C-SCLC) is a special subtype of small cell lung cancer that is relatively rare, aggressive, and prone to early metastasis and has a poor prognosis. Currently, there are limited studies on C-SCLC, and there is no uniform standard treatment, especially for extensive C-SCLC, which still faces great challenges. In recent years, the development and progress of immunotherapy have provided more possibilities for the treatment of C-SCLC. We used immunotherapy combined with first-line chemotherapy to treat extensive-stage C-SCLC to explore its antitumor activity and safety.CASE SUMMARY We report a case of C-SCLC that presented early with adrenal, rib, and mediastinal lymph node metastases. The patient received carboplatin and etoposide with concurrent initiation of envafolimab. After 6 cycles of chemotherapy, the lung lesion was significantly reduced, and the comprehensive efficacy evaluation showed a partial response. No serious drug-related adverse events occurred during the treatment, and the drug regimen was well tolerated.CONCLUSION Envafolimab combined with carboplatin and etoposide in the treatment of extensive-stage C-SCLC has preliminary antitumor activity and good safety and tolerability.

Enzymes activity of intestinal grafts after liver small bowel transplantation in rats

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the activity alterations of enzymes in intestine grafts after liver/small bowel transplantation in rats and the relations of these changes to immune rejection of grafts. METHODS: A model of liver/small bowel transplantation (LSBT) was established in closed colony SD and Wistar rats. The activity of enzymes including triphosphatase (ATPase), alkalinophosphatase (AKP), acytelcholinesterase (AchE), oxidesynthase (NOS) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) in bowel grafts was studied histochemically at regular postoperative intervals. RESULTS: The activity of enzymes in the wall of the grafts disappeared eventually in isolated small bowel transplantation (SBT) rats. In contrast, the activity in LSBT rats remained and recovered postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The rejection in grafted intestine could be prevented or delayed in LSBT rats. The changes in the activity of enzymes and neurons might be used to detect the rejection and function of the graft.

ADVANCE NON SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER ACCEPTING CHEMOTHERAPY COMBINED WITH SHENMAI INJECTION

The aim of the study was to observe the changes of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and the efficacy of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC)after the treatment of chemotherapy with Shenmai Injection.This study is a randomized controlled,prospective,single blind trial.63 eligible patients with NSCLC were