Primary application of a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for the detection of human breast cancer related novel gene-Metadherin expression

Objective:The aim of this study was to detect the expression level of Metadherin (MTDH) in peripheral blood of the breast cancer patients by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR),and to explore the relationship between expression of Metadherin gene in the patients peripheral blood and the clinic-pathological features in breast cancer. Methods:Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to determine the expression level of Metadherin gene in 80 peripheral blood samples of breast cancer patients and healthy donors. Results:The expression of Metadherin gene in breast cancer patients peripheral blood were positive,in which 34 breast cancer patients were highly expressed,accounting for 55.7%,while the expression of Metadherin gene in normal females peripheral blood were negative,there was statistical significance (Ratio = 2.02±0.81,P < 0.05); Ratio of the Metadherin expression in breast cancer patients peripheral blood and the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase expression was 1.15 ± 0.36. REST software analysis showed that the expression of Metadherin gene was significantly up-regulated in breast cancer. Conclusion:The SYBR Green I quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method can successfully detect the expression level of Metadherin gene. Expression level of Metadherin gene in breast cancer patients peripheral blood is closely related to survival,and it maybe involved in the development of breast cancer and used as an indicator of prognosis.

Comparison of Abbott and Da-an real-time PCR for quantitating serum HBV DNA

AIM: To compare the performance of the Da-an real-time hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA assay and Abbott RealTime HBV assay.

Micro-droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction and Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction Technologies Provide Highly Sensitive and Accurate Detection of Zika Virus

The establishment of highly sensitive diagnostic methods is critical in the early diagnosis and control of Zika virus(ZIKV)and in preventing serious neurological complications of ZIKV infection. In this study, we established micro-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(ddPCR) and real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) protocols for the detection of ZIKV based on the amplification of the NS5 gene. For the ZIKV standard plasmid, the RT-qPCR results showed that the cycle threshold(Ct) value was linear from 10~1 to 10~8 copy/l L, with a standard curve R^2 of 0.999 and amplification efficiency of 92.203%;however, a concentration as low as 1 copy/l L could not be detected. In comparison with RT-qPCR, the dd PCR method resulted in a linear range of 10~1–10~4 copy/l L and was able to detect concentrations as low as 1 copy/l L. Thus, for detecting ZIKV from clinical samples, RT-qPCR is a better choice for high-concentration samples(above 10~1 copy/l L),while ddPCR has excellent accuracy and sensitivity for low-concentration samples. These results indicate that the ddPCR method should be of considerable use in the early diagnosis, laboratory study, and monitoring of ZIKV.

Establishment of a new quantitative detection approach to adefovir-resistant HBV and its clinical application

AIM:To establish the more feasible and sensitive assessment approach to the detection of adefovir (ADV) resistance-associated hepatitis B virus (HBV) quasispecies.METHODS: Based on the characteristics of rtA181V/T and rtN236T mutations, a new approach based on real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was established for the detection of ADV-resistant HBV quasispecies, total HBV DNA, rtA181 and rtN236 mutations in blood samples from 32 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with unsatisfactory curative effect on ADV and compared with routine HBV DNA sequencing.RESULTS: Both the sensitivity and specificity of this new detection approach to ADV-resistant HBV quasispecies were 100%, which were much higher than those of direct HBV DNA sequencing. The approach was able to detect 0.1% of mutated strains in a total plasmid population. Among the 32 clinical patients, single rtA181 and rtN236T mutation and double rtA181T and rtN236T mutations were detected in 20 and 8, respectively, while ADV-resistant mutations in 6 (including, rtA181V/T mutation alone in 5 patients) and no associated mutations in 26.CONCLUSION: This new approach is more feasible and efficient to detect ADV-resistant mutants of HBV and ADV-resistant mutations before and during ADV treatment with a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 100%.

Quantitative Analysis of ATP Sulfurylase and Selenocysteine Methyltransferase Gene Expression in Different Organs of Tea Plant (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)

Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) has unique biological features for the study of cellular and molecular mechanisms, an evergreen broad-leaved woody plant which can accumulate selenium in soil abundant of Selenium. Expression of the genes related to Selenium (Se) metabolism is an adaptation to the soil environment for a long period. The purpose of the present study was to explore if there exist differences of expression about these genes in tea plant between growing in Selenium-abundant and normal soil. A quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR) assay was done for quantification of ATP sulfurylase (APS) and selenocysteine methyltransferase (SMT) mRNA normalized to Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene in tea plant. Young leaves, mature leaves and tender roots from tea plants growing in soil abundant of Selenium were respectively obtained from Shitai County, Anhui Province, and also the relevant materials of the selenium un-enriched tea plant planted at agricultural garden of Ahui Agriculture University were taken as control for real-time PCR analysis. The results showed that APS1, APS2 and SMT expression levels for either young or mature leaves in selenium-enriched tea plant were lower than that in ordinary (selenium un-enriched) tea plant. In contrast, the APS1, APS2 and SMT expression level of roots in selenium-enriched tea plant were all higher than that in ordinary tea plant. APS1 gene expression level of roots in selenium-enriched tea plant was about 1.6 times higher than that in the ordinary tea plant, APS2 gene expression level was about 4.8-fold higher than that in the ordinary tea plant, SMT gene expression level was about 3.3 times higher than that in the ordinary tea plant. Among various tissues of selenium-enriched tea plant, APS1 gene relative expression level of young leaves was similar to or slightly higher than mature leaves, and the one of roots was the lowest among them;APS2 gene relative expression level of young leaves was similar to or slightly higher than the roots, and the one of mature leaves was the lowest among them;SMT gene relative expression level of young leaves was similar to or slightly higher than mature leaves, and the one of roots was the highest among them. Our results suggest that there existed correlation between selenium and expression levels of these genes.

Quantitative analysis of a panel of gene expression in prostate cancer——with emphasis on NPY expression analysis

Objective： To investigate molecular alterations associating with prostate carcinoma progression and potentially provide information toward more accurate prognosis/diagnosis. Methods： A set of laser captured microdissected （LCM） specimens from 300 prostate cancer （PCa） patients undergoing radical prostatectomy （RP） were defined. Ten patients representing ＂aggressive＂ PCa, and 10 representing ＂non-aggressive＂ PCa were selected based on prostate-specific antigen （PSA） recurrence, Gleason score, pathological stage and tumor cell differentiation, with matched patient age and race between the two groups. Normal and neoplastic prostate epithelial cells were collected with LCM from frozen tissue slides obtained from the RP specimens. The expressions of a panel of genes, including NPY, PTEN, AR, AMACR, DD3, and GSTP1, were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR （TaqMan）, and correlation was analyzed with clinicopathological features. Results： The expressions of AMACR and DD3 were consistently up-regulated in cancer cells compared to benign prostate epithelial cells in all PCa patients, whereas GSTP1 expression was down regulated in each patient. NPY, PTEN and AR exhibited a striking difference in their expression patterns between aggressive and non-aggressive PCas （P=0.0203, 0.0284, and 0.0378, respectively, Wilcoxon rank sum test）. The lower expression of NPY showed association with ＂aggressive＂ PCas based on a larger PCa patient cohort analysis （P=0.0037, univariate generalized linear model （GLM） analysis）. Conclusion： Despite widely noted heterogeneous nature of PCa, gene expression alterations ofAM,4CR, DD3, and GSTP1 in LCM-derived PCa epithelial cells suggest for common underlying mechanisms in the initiation of PCa. Lower NPY expression level is significantly associated with more aggressive clinical behavior of PCa; PTEN and AR may have potential in defining PCa with aggressive clinical behavior. Studies along these lines have potential to define PCa-associated gene expression alterations and likely co-regulation of genes/pathways critical in the biology of PCa onset/progression.

Reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR data in gastric tissues and cell lines

AIM:To evaluate the suitability of reference genes in gastric tissue samples and cell lines.METHODS:The suitability of genes ACTB,B2M,GAPDH,RPL29,and 18S rRNA was assessed in21 matched pairs of neoplastic and adjacent nonneoplastic gastric tissues from patients with gastric adenocarcinoma,27 normal gastric tissues from patients without cancer,and 4 cell lines using reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR).The ranking of the best single and combination of reference genes was determined by NormFinder,geNorm,BestKeeper,and DataAssist.In addition,GenEx software was used to determine the optimal number of reference genes.To validate the results,the mRNA expression of a target gene,DNMT1,was quantified using the different reference gene combinations suggested by the various software packages for normalization.RESULTS:ACTB was the best reference gene for all gastric tissues,cell lines and all gastric tissues plus cell lines.GAPDH+B2M or ACTB+B2M was the best combination of reference genes for all the gastric tissues.On the other hand,ACTB+B2M was the best combination for all the cell lines tested and was also the best combination for analyses involving all the gastric tissues plus cell lines.According to the GenEx software,2 or 3 genes were the optimal number of references genes for all the gastric tissues.The relative quantification of DNMT1 showed similar patterns when normalized by each combination of reference genes.The level of expression of DNMT1 in neoplastic,adjacent non-neoplastic and normal gastric tissues did not differ when these samples were normalized using GAPDH+B2M(P=0.32),ACTB+B2M(P=0.61),or GAPDH+B2M+ACTB(P=0.44).CONCLUSION:GAPDH+B2M or ACTB+B2M is the best combination of reference gene for all the gastric tissues,and ACTB+B2M is the best combination for the cell lines tested.

Design and use of group-specific primers and probes for real-time quantitative PCR

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)has gained popularity as a technique to detect and quantify a specific group of target microorganisms from various environmental samples including soil,water,sediments,and sludge.Although qPCR is a very useful technique for nucleic acid quantification,accurately quantifying the target microbial group strongly depends on the quality of the primer and probe used.Many aspects of conducting qPCR assays have become increasingly routine and automated;however,one of the most important aspects,designing and selecting primer and probe sets,is often a somewhat arcane process.In many cases,failed or non-specific amplification can be attributed to improperly designed primer-probe sets.This paper is intended to provide guidelines and general principles for designing group-specific primers and probes for qPCR assays.We demonstrate the effectiveness of these guidelines by reviewing the use of qPCR to study anaerobic processes and biologic nutrient removal processes.qPCR assays using group-specific primers and probes designed with this method,have been used to successfully quantify 16S ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid(16S rRNA)gene copy numbers from target methanogenic and ammoniaoxidizing bacteria in various laboratory-and full-scale biologic processes.Researchers with a good command of primer and probe design can use qPCR as a valuable tool to study biodiversity and to develop more efficient control strategies for biologic processes.

Comparison of bacterial quantities in left and right colon biopsies and faeces

AIM:To compare quantities of predominant and pathogenic bacteria in mucosal and faecal samples.METHODS:Twenty patients undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy with endoscopically and histologically normal mucosa were recruited to the study,14 subjects of which also supplied faecal(F) samples between 15 d to 105 d post colonoscopy.Mucosal biopsies were taken from each subject from the midportion of the ascending colon(right side samples,RM) and the sigmoid(left side samples,LM).Predominant intestinal and mucosal bacteria including clostridial 16S rRNA gene clusters Ⅳ and ⅩⅣab,Bacteroidetes,Enterobacteriaceae,Bifidobacterium spp.,Akkermansia muciniphila(A.muciniphila),Veillonella spp.,Collinsella spp.,Faecalibacterium prausnitzii(F.prausnitzii) and putative pathogens such asEscherichia coli(E.coli),Clostridium difficile(C.difficile),Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) and Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) were analysed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR).Host DNA was quantified from the mucosal samples with human glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene targeting qPCR.Paired t tests and the Pearson correlation were applied for statistical analysis.RESULTS:The most prominent bacterial groups were clostridial groups Ⅳ and ⅩⅣa+b andBacteroidetes and bacterial species F.prausnitzii in both sample types.H.pylori and S.aureus were not detected and C.difficile was detected in only one mucosal sample and three faecal samples.E.coli was detected in less than half of the mucosal samples at both sites,but was present in all faecal samples.All detected bacteria,except Enterobacteriaceae,were present at higher levels in the faeces than in the mucosa,but the different locations in the colon presented comparable quantities(RM,LM and F followed byP 1 for RMvs F,P 2 for LMvs F andP 3 for RM vs LM:4.17 ± 0.60 log 10 /g,4.16 ± 0.56 log 10 /g,5.88 ± 1.92 log 10 /g,P 1 = 0.011,P 2 = 0.0069,P 3 = 0.9778 forA.muciniphila;6.25 ± 1.3 log 10 /g,6.09 ± 0.81 log 10 /g,8.84 ± 1.38 log 10 /g,P 1 < 0.0001,P 2 = 0.0002,P 3 = 0.6893 forBacteroidetes;5.27 ± 1.68 log 10 /g,5.38 ± 2.06 log 10 /g,8.20 ± 1.14 log 10 /g,P 1 < 0.0001,P 2 ≤ 0.0001,P 3 = 0.7535 forBifidobacterium spp.;6.44 ± 1.15 log 10 /g,6.07 ±1.45 log 10 /g,9.74 ±1.13 log 10 /g,P 1 < 0.0001,P 2 ≤ 0.0001,P 3 = 0.637 forClostridium cluster Ⅳ;6.65 ± 1.23 log 10 /g,6.57 ± 1.52 log 10 /g,9.13 ± 0.96 log 10 /g,P 1 < 0.0001,P 2 ≤ 0.0001,P 3 = 0.9317 forClostridium cluster ⅩⅣa;4.57 ± 1.44 log10/g,4.63 ± 1.34 log10/g,7.05 ± 2.48 log 10 /g,P 1 = 0.012,P 2 = 0.0357,P 3 = 0.7973 for Collinsella spp.;7.66 ± 1.50 log 10 /g,7.60 ± 1.05 log 10 /g,10.02 ± 2.02 log 10 /g,P 1 ≤ 0.0001,P 2 = 0.0013,P 3 = 0.9919 forF.prausnitzsii;6.17 ± 1.3 log 10 /g,5.85 ± 0.93 log 10 /g,7.25 ± 1.01 log 10 /g,P 1 = 0.0243,P 2 = 0.0319,P 3 = 0.6982 for Veillonella spp.;4.68 ± 1.21 log 10 /g,4.71 ± 0.83 log 10 /g,5.70 ± 2.00 log 10 /g,P 1 = 0.1927,P 2 = 0.0605,P 3 = 0.6476 forEnterobacteriaceae).TheBifidobacterium spp.counts correlated significantly between mucosal sites and mucosal and faecal samples(Pearson correlation coefficients 0.62,P = 0.040 and 0.81,P = 0.005 between the right mucosal sample and faeces and the left mucosal sample and faeces,respectively).CONCLUSION:Non-invasive faecal samples do not reflect bacterial counts on the mucosa at the individual level,except for bifidobacteria often analysed in probiotic intervention studies.

实时荧光定量PCR定量方法研究进展

实时荧光定量PCR以其特异性强、灵敏度高、重复性好、定量准确、速度快、全封闭反应等优点而成为了分子生物学研究中的重要工具,综述了实时荧光定量PCR技术及其定量方法的研究进展,并展望了其应用前景。

伽马刀放疗腹膜后淋巴结转移癌对肠道菌群的影响

目的:观察腹膜后淋巴结转移癌γ刀放疗后肠道菌群的变化。方法:选取经临床表现及影像学、病理学确诊的腹膜后淋巴结转移癌并拟行γ刀放疗患者40例为观察组,健康志愿者20例为正常对照组,采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应(PCR)检测观察组及正常对照组粪便中大肠杆菌、肠球菌属、双歧杆菌属及乳酸杆菌属细菌数量,并对两组结果进行比较分析。结果:与正常对照组比较,观察组患者γ刀放疗前及放疗后1周时粪便中4种目标菌群细菌数量无明显变化(P>0.05);γ刀放疗1个月后,粪便中大肠杆菌及肠球菌属细菌数量仍无显著变化(P>0.05),但双歧杆菌属及乳酸杆菌属细菌数量明显减少(P<0.05)。结论:使用γ刀放疗腹膜后淋巴结转移癌1个月不会引起大肠杆菌及肠球菌属细菌数量的改变,但可导致双歧杆菌属及乳酸杆菌属细菌数量明显下降。

受体酪氨酸激酶EphA1 mRNA在膀胱癌中的表达及临床意义

背景与目的:EphA1基因是受体酪氨酸激酶家族的成员之一,其过表达可能在恶性肿瘤的发生、发展中起重要的作用。本研究旨在探讨受体酪氨酸激酶EphA1 mRNA在膀胱癌中的表达及其临床意义。方法:采用实时荧光定量PCR法检测50例膀胱癌组织和15例相应癌旁组织中EphA1 mRNA的表达,分析基因表达的差异与临床病理特征间的关系。结果:EphA1 mRNA在膀胱癌中的表达量为106.86±30.40,高于癌旁组织的表达量10.37±2.69,差异有显著性统计学意义(P<0.001);EphA1 mRNA在高级别膀胱癌中的表达量为210.94±50.51,高于低级别膀胱癌组的52.64±16.01(P<0.001),肌层浸润性膀胱癌EphA1 mRNA的表达量为174.69±43.57,显著高于非肌层浸润性膀胱癌的63.14±17.60(P=0.001)。EphA1 mRNA的表达与性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、数目无显著相关性(P>0.05)。结论:EphA1 mRNA的表达在肿瘤组织中明显高于正常组织,且与病理分级、临床分期呈正相关,因此EphA1基因的过表达可能促进膀胱癌的进展。

原发性胆汁性肝硬化中增殖诱导配体表达增高及其临床意义

目的探讨增殖诱导配体(APRIL)mRNA在原发性胆汁性肝硬化(PBC)患者中的表达及其临床意义。方法采用实时荧光定量PCR(RT-Q-PCR),以18S rRNA为内参,以靶基因与内参基因Ct之差△Ct作为相对定量,来检测42例PBC患者和42例正常体检的外周血单个核细胞(PBMCs)的APRIL mRNA的表达水平,同时检测生化指标ALB,TBIL和免疫指标IgA,IgG,IgM,探讨PBC患者中APRIL基因的表达水平及与上述临床实验室指标的相关性。结果与正常对照组相比,PBC患者PBMCs APRIL mRNA明显升高(P<0.05),且与TBIL与IgM水平呈显著正相关(P<0.05)。结论APRIL mRNA的表达在PBC患者PBMCs显著升高,可作为PBC的辅助诊断和病情监测指标之一。

外参照PCR及其产物酶联杂交定量检测HBV DNA

目的 :建立一种敏感、特异和精确的乙型肝炎病毒 (HBV )基因 PCR及其产物的酶联杂交定量分析技术。方法 :(1)常规 PCR法扩增 HBV DNA质粒和血清 HBV DNA,引物 (SP1 ,SP2 )为一对 HBV DNA S区基因特异引物 ,扩增片段长 319bp,SP2 的 5′端用生物素修饰。扩增条件经过严格优化组合 ,以最大限度减少非特异片段 ,包括引物二聚体的产生。设定 5个不同梯度的 HBV DNA外参照管 ,制作标准曲线。 (2 )酶联杂交分析 :PCR产物经 10 0℃解链并稀释后 ,与捕获探针 (长 2 0 nt,3′端用氨基修饰 ,借氨基与 DNA- BINDTM反应板结合 )杂交 ;用亲和素 -碱性磷酸酶及相应显色系统检测杂交信号。结果 :目的片段含量较低的 PCR产物 ,在琼脂糖凝胶电泳时未见光带 ,但可被后续的酶联杂交检出 ,故灵敏度可超过普通 PCR定性法。 结论 :本定量方法操作相对简单 ,结果数据化 ,不受主观因素干扰 ,灵敏度很高 ,而且省时、省材。

粤北山区域恙虫病自然疫源地的研究

目的了解粤北山区域是否存在恙虫病自然疫源地。方法采用分子生物学诊断技术结合间接免疫荧光方法调查粤北山区发热人群、宿主动物感染状况;采用荧光定量PCR技术对粤北山区域恙虫病病人的标本检测Ot-Sta56kDa基因片段,对阳性标本进行基因分型和序列分析,并与巢式PCR检测结果相比较。结果在660份发热人群血清标本中有224份检测到恙虫病东方体,阳性率为33.94%;在55份鼠类脾脏组织标本中有10份黄毛鼠(R.lossea Swinboe)检测到恙虫病东方体,阳性率为18.18%,有2份褐家鼠(R.norvegicus Berkenhout)检测恙虫病东方体,阳性率为3.64%,各调查点之间无显著性差异(P>0.05)。经荧光定量PCR和巢式PCR鉴定为Gilliam型和Kawasaki型,间接免疫荧光法也诊断为恙虫病东方体Gilliam型。从病人、动物宿主、地里纤恙螨选取4株粤北代表株,其同源性为100%,与Kawasaki型的同源性为96.25%;另有3份阳性黄毛鼠标本的核苷酸序列与TA686型的同源性为78.5%。结论从宿主动物、媒介、分子水平上证实粤北山区域存在恙虫病自然疫源地。

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 in human gastric cancer and superficial gastritis

AIM:To assess expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2(MMP2)and MMP9 in gastric cancer,superficial gastritis and normal mucosa,and to measure metalloproteinase activity.METHODS:MMP2 and MMP9 mRNA expression was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Normalization was carried out using three different factors.Proteins were analyzed by quantitative gelatin zymography(qGZ).RESULTS:18S ribosomal RNA(18SRNA)was very highly expressed,while hypoxanthine ribosyltransferase-1(HPRT-1)was moderately expressed.MMP2 was highly expressed,while MMP9 was not detected or lowly expressed in normal tissues,moderately or highly expressed in gastritis and highly expressed in cancer.Relative expression of 18SRNA and HPRT-1 showed no significant differences.Significant differences in MMP2 and MMP9 were found between cancer and normal tissue,but not between gastritis and normal tissue.Absolute quantification of MMP9 echoed this pattern,but differential expression of MMP2 proved conflictive.Analysis by qGZ indicated significant differences between cancer and normal tissue in MMP-2,total MMP-9,250 and 110 kDa bands.CONCLUSION:MMP9 expression is enhanced in gastric cancer compared to normal mucosa;interpretation of differential expression of MMP2 is difficult to establish.

Diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome distinguishable by 16S rRNA gene phylotype quantification

AIM:To study whether selected bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)gene phylotypes are capable of disting- uishing irritable bowel syndrome(IBS). METHODS:The faecal microbiota of twenty volunteers with IBS,subdivided into eight diarrhoea-predominant (IBS-D),eight constipation-predominant(IBS-C)and four mixed symptom-subtype(IBS-M)IBS patients,and fifteen control subjects,were analysed at three time-points with a set of fourteen quantitative real-timepolymerase chain reaction assays.All assays targeted 16S rRNA gene phylotypes putatively associated with IBS,based on 16S rRNA gene library sequence analysis. The target phylotypes were affiliated with Actinobac-teria,Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes.Eight of the target phylotypes had less than 95%similarity to cultured bacterial species according to their 16S rRNA gene sequence.The data analyses were made with repeated-measures ANCOVA-type modelling of the data and principle component analysis(PCA)with linear mixed-effects models applied to the principal component scores. RESULTS:Bacterial phylotypes Clostridium cocleatum 88%,Clostridium thermosuccinogenes 85%,Coprobacillus catenaformis 91%,Ruminococcus bromii-like, Ruminococcus torques 91%,and R.torques 93%were detected from all samples analysed.A multivariate analysis of the relative quantities of all 14 bacterial 16S rRNA gene phylotypes suggested that the intestinal microbiota of the IBS-D patients differed from other sample groups.The PCA on the first principal component(PC1),explaining 30.36%of the observed variation in the IBS-D patient group,was significantly altered from all other sample groups(IBS-D vs control, P=0.01;IBS-D vs IBS-M,P=0.00;IBS-D vs IBS-C, P=0.05).Significant differences were also observed in the levels of distinct phylotypes using relative values in proportion to the total amount of bacteria.A phy- lotype with 85%similarity to C.thermosuccinogenes was quantified in significantly different quantities among the IBS-D and control subjects(-4.08±0.90 vs -3.33±1.16,P=0.04)and IBS-D and IBS-M subjects (-4.08±0.90 vs-3.08±1.38,P=0.05).Furthermore,a phylotype with 94%similarity to R.torques was more prevalent in IBS-D patients'intestinal micro- biota than in that of control subjects(-2.43±1.49 vs -4.02±1.63,P=0.01).A phylotype with 93%simi- larity to R.torques was associated with control sam- ples when compared with IBS-M(-2.41±0.53 vs -2.92±0.56,P=0.00).Additionally,a R.bromii-like phylotype was associated with IBS-C patients in com- parison to control subjects(-1.61±1.83 vs-3.69± 2.42,P=0.01).All of the above mentioned phylotype specific alterations were independent of the effect of time. CONCLUSION:Significant phylotype level alterationsin the intestinal microbiotas of IBS patients were observed,further emphasizing the possible contribution of the gastrointestinal microbiota in IBS.

Association between Bmi1 and clinicopathological status of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM： To investigate the clinicopathological roles of Bmil in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC）.METHODS： Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining for Broil were performed in cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous paraffin-embedded esophageal specimens.RESULTS： The Bmil expression level was unaffected by gender and age. The level of Broil mRNA in ESCC was significantly higher than that in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues （2.181 ± 2.158 vs 0.931 ± 0.894, P = 0.0152）, and its over-expression was aggressively associated with lymph node metastasis （3.580 ± 2.487 vs 1.703 ± 0.758, P = 0.0003）, poorer cell differentiation （P = 0.0000） and advanced pathological stage （3.827± 2.673 vs 1.590 ± 0.735, P = 0.0001）. The patients were divided into high-expression and low-expression groups based on the median expression level of Bmi1 mRNA, and a shorter overall survival time in the former group was observed. Immunohistochemistry for Bmi1 oncoprotein showed diffusely positive, focally positive and negative expression in 44, 16 and 10 of 70 ESCC cases, respectively, compared with three, two and five of 10 adjacent non-cancerous cases （P = 0.027）. The positive rate of the oncoprotein in samples of histological grade Ⅲ was higher than that of grade Ⅱ（P = 0.031）, but its expression had no relation to the lymph node metastasis and pathological staging. In 70 ESCC samples, Bmi1 showed high intense expression in the cytoplasm and less or even no expression in the nucleus.CONCLUSION： Bmi1 was over-expressed in ESCC. Increased Bmi1 mRNA expression was significantly associated with ESCC progression, and the oncoprotein was largely distributed in the cytoplasm of tumor cells.

Liquid biopsy for non-invasive assessment of liver injury in hepatitis B patients

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B is a major public health problem in China. Accurate liver injury assessment is essential for clinical evidence-based treatment. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard method to stage liver disease, but it is not widely used in resource-limited settings. Therefore, non-invasive liquid biopsy tests are needed. AIM To assess liver injury in hepatitis B patients using quantified cell free DNA combined with other serum biomarker as a liquid biopsy-based method. METHODS A cohort of 663 subjects including 313 hepatitis B patients and 350 healthy controls were enrolled. Ultrasound-guided liver biopsies followed by histopathological assessments were performed for the 263 chronic hepatitis B patients to determine the degree of liver injury. Cell-free DNA was quantified using a novel duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection had significantly higher plasma DNA, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, and HBV DNA levels (P<0.01). Serum ALT, AST, bilirubin, and plasma DNA levels of patients with markedsevere inflammation were significantly higher than those with mild-moderate inflammation (P<0.01). There was a statistically significant correlation between hepatocyte inflammation severity and serum bilirubin (R^2=0.673, P<0.01) or plasma DNA (R^2=0.597, P<0.01) levels. The areas under the curves of serum ALT, bilirubin, plasma DNA, and their combination to distinguish between patients with mild–moderate and marked-severe inflammation were 0.8059, 0.7910, 0.7921, and 0.9564, respectively. CONCLUSION The combination of plasma DNA, serum ALT, and bilirubin could be a candidate liquid biopsy for non-invasive assessment of liver injury in hepatitis B patients.

Clinical significance of MET gene amplification in metastatic or locally advanced gastric cancer treated with first-line fluoropyrimidine and platinum combination chemotherapy

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of MET gene amplification in patients with gastric cancer in the palliative setting.Methods: MET amplification was assessed using fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) in 50 patients and quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) in 326 patients;259 patients treated with first-line fluoropyrimidine and platinum were included for survival analysis.Results: The results of FISH and qPCR indicated that the c-MET/CEP7 ratio was correlated with gene copy number. The optimal cutoff value for the copy number using qPCR to detect MET gene amplification with FISH was 5(κ=0.778, P<0.001). Twenty-one out of 326 patients(6.4%) were identified as MET amplification with a copy number of >5 detected by qPCR. MET-amplified gastric cancer was associated with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) performance status(PS) score of ≥2(33.3% vs. 10.5% P=0.007), peritoneal metastasis(76.2% vs. 46.2%, P=0.008), and elevated bilirubin levels(28.6% vs. 7.3%, P=0.006). The median overall survival(OS) and progression-free survival(PFS) were 11.9 and 5.6 months, respectively. MET-amplified gastric cancer was not associated with survival outcomes [hazard ratio(HR)=0.68, 95% confidence interval(95% CI): 0.35-1.32,P=0.254 for PFS;HR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.35-1.32, P=0.251 for OS].Conclusions: qPCR can be used to detect MET gene amplification. MET amplification was not a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with metastatic or unresectable gastric cancer.