Detection of FLT3 gene mutation in hematologic malignancies and its clinical significance / 中国实验血液学杂志

To study the FLT3 gene expression and its internal tandem duplication in hematologic malignancies and its clinical significance, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to detect the FLT3/ITD mutation in blast cells of bone marrow from 86 patients with hematologic malignancies, including 32 cases of acute myeoloid leukemia (AML), 18 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 2 cases of acute hybrid leukemia (AHL), 12 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 10 cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), 3 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 9 cases of multiple myeloma (MM). The resultes showed that the expression of FLT3/ITD gene could be detected in 5 of 32 (15.6%) AML patients, including 1/7 of M(3), 1/10 of M(4) and 3/10 of M(5). More FLT3 aberrations were found in AML-M(5). No FLT3/ITD was found in 18 cases of ALL, in 2 cases of AHL, in 12 cases of MDS and in 10 cases of CML. No FLT3 was found in 3 cases of NHL and in 9 cases of MM. Sequence analysis in 2 case with abnormal PCR electrophoretic patterns revealed that the ITDs were located within exon 14 from 27 to 63 bp, which was a simple tandem duplication, and did not altered the reading frame. FLT3/ITD was associated with a higher peripheral blood white cell count (p < 0.01), higher percentage of bone marrow blast cells (p < 0.01) and lower complete mission rate. It is concluded that more FLT3/ITD mutation occurs in AML-M(5) patients. Sequence of the mutants is in frame mutation. FLT3/ITD mutation is associated with higher peripheral blood white cell count, higher percentage of bone marrow blast cells and lower complete remission rate, FIT3/IID gene mutation may be used to predict prognosis of patients with AML.

Imaging diagnosis for fatty liver: a systematic review / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To systematically assess imaging diagnostic tests for fatty liver and provide a decision-making basis for clinical diagnosis and screening.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Electronic searches were conducted on the Chinese Biomedical Database, PubMed, and EMBASE, combining with manually searching of Chinese literature. All searches were completed until November 2002. All studies which evaluated imaging diagnostic test of human fatty liver were included. Data of diagnostic accuracy in the included studies were extracted, and methodological quality of the studies was assessed independently by two reviewers according to the established quality standard. Quantitative analysis or qualitative description were performed based on available data.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of 13 studies that met the eligibility criteria, 10 studies evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of B-mode ultrasound, 3 studies evaluated contrast-enhanced (helical) CT. To assess 7 diagnostic test studies for fatty liver that used liver biopsy as reference test: the pooled sensitivity of B-mode ultrasound was 0.89 (95% confidence interval 0.87-0.92), specificity was 0.94 (95% confidence interval 0.92-0.96) and the Q value was 0.90 by adjusted SROC method. To assess 2 diagnostic test studies for fatty liver that used CT as reference test: the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and Q value were 0.92 (95% confidence interval 0.89-0.96), 0.88 (95% confidence interval 0.84-0.92), and 0.90 respectively by adjusted SROC method.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>B-mode ultrasound method can be regarded as an effective method for fatty liver diagnosis and screening. The methodologic quality of diagnostic test needs to be improved.</p>

The application of Weibull parameter model to survival analysis of glioma / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the factors affecting the survival and to predict the survival time of glioma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Graph method was applied to fit the type of probability distribution of patients' postoperative survival time. As one suitable model, Weibull regression model tested by residual analysis was used to identify prognostic factors for postoperative survival and to predict patients' post-operative survival time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In multivariate analysis of Weibull regression model, following characteristics showed significant influence on postoperative survival time including: sex, age, epilepsy, type of glioma, density of glioma, type of surgery, times of surgery and mode of postoperative therapy. According to predictive value, patients were clustered into three groups. The survival probability of one year for the first group was less than 50% and that of five years for the second group about 50%, for the third group around 80%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sex, age, epilepsy, type of glioma, density of glioma, type of surgery, times of surgery and mode of postoperative therapy were important risk factors and Weibull regression model might help to predict patients' postoperative survival time.</p>