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Objective To evaluate and compare the analytical performances and application values of three nucleic acid extraction methods for quantification of plasma Epstein-Barr Virus ( EBV ) DNA. Methods It used silica membrane spin column , boiling and automated magnetic bead method to extract viral nucleic acid in parallel , and combined real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assays for quantitative EBV-DNA quantification.The performances of three methods were determined and compared by using the third-party reference materials , and the clinical values were analyzed by pairing detecting 100 NPC patients and 100 healthy subjects in pair .Results The accuracy and imprecision of three methods were all in line with requirements , and the results of clinical samples were linearly correlated . But actually the reproducibility and intermediate imprecision of the magnetic bead method were smaller and stable than those of the spin column method and the boiling method ( all <3％);the limit of detection for the magnetic bead method was 3.334 ×101 IU/ml, better than that of spin column method (4.159 ×101 IU/ml) and boiling method (8.511 ×101 IU/ml);the linear range of the magnetic bead method was 5.4 ×101 -5.4 ×105 IU/ml, slightly wider than that of the boiling method (5.4 ×102 -5.4 ×105 IU/ml); the ability of anti -Hb interference ability of magnetic bead method is better than that of boiling method ;and the positive rate and the mean viral load of the NPC samples measured with the magnetic bead method were significantly higher (95％, 8.342 ×103 IU/ml) than those measured with the spin column method (84％, 4.707 ×103 IU/ml) and the boiling method (78％, 2.571 ×103 IU/ml) ( P all<0.05).Conclusion The automated magnetic bead nucleic acid extraction method offered better analytical performance and higher clinical value for EBV DNA quantification in plasma .
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PURPOSE: To evaluate the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients who developed bone-only metastasis after primary treatment and the stratification of these patients into different risk groups based on independent prognostic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty NPC patients who developed bone-only metastasis after definitive radiotherapy from October 2005 to December 2010 were enrolled. All these patients received palliative treatment for bone metastasis, including chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Clinical features, treatment modality, and laboratory parameters were examined with univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 15.5 months (range, 2-67 months) for the whole cohort. The median overall metastatic survival (OMS) time and the 2-year estimate OMS rate were 26.5 months and 52%, respectively. Multivariate analysis indicated that patients with short metastases-free interval, multiple bone metastases sites, high serum lactic dehydrogenase levels, and treated with radiotherapy or chemotherapy alone had significantly worse outcomes. Patients were stratified into three different risk groups based on the number of adverse factors present. The OMS curves of the three groups were all significantly different (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Severl prognostic factors were found to be associated with worse outcomes. According to the number of adverse factors present, bone-only metastasis patients can be stratified into three risk groups with significantly different prognoses. Such grouping may help in improving the design of clinical trials and in guiding individualized treatment for NPC patients with bone-only metastasis.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Bone Neoplasms/mortality , Combined Modality Therapy , Multivariate Analysis , Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/mortality , Neoplasm Staging , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Survival RateABSTRACT
Background and purpose:Nasopharyngeal carcinoma usually occurs in people of states of the Southern China. Chemoradiotherapy plays an important role in the therapy of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, chemoradiotherapy causes more toxic side effects than radiation therapy alone, which affects the therapy. Now symptomatic treatment and nutrition supports are common ways in the clinic in order to improve the tolerance of patients for the therapy, but with little effect. To evaluate the clinical significance of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: From Oct. 2010 to Jun. 2012, a total of 71 patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received PEG before chemoradiotherapy were enrolled. During chemoradiotherapy, gastrostomy diet and nursing were supplied, adverse events, tolerance and nutrition indicators including weight and alcohol of human albumin were detected as well. Results:PEG were performed successfully on 68 patients, but failed in the other 3 patients. Of the 68 patients, 4 have not received concurrent chemotherapy because of liver metastases and liver function damage, 51 of the remaining 64 patients could completely ifnished 3 cycles of concurrent chemotherapy, with the completion rate of concurrent chemotherapy at 79.69%. The weight change ranged from-11.86%to 0.83%, with a mean value of-5.32%±2.99%. Paired-sample t test of human albumin before and after the treatment showed no significant difference (P=0.742). Grade Ⅱ radioactive oral cavity mucositis appeared in 60.29%patients (41/68), and 22.06%patients (15/68) suffered gradeⅢradioactive oral cavity mucositis.Conclusion:For patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, preventative PEG improved the tolerance of chemoradiotherapy, reduce the incidence of adverse events. The period of therapy interruption caused by sever adverse event were shortened as well, PEG also increased the completion rate of concurrent chemotherapy. Nutritional status and living quality of patients are improved. In addition, PEG is a safe, economic and simple method.
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Objective To carry out a comparative study between the Chinese 2008 and'92 staging system of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods A total of 777 patients presented with untreated nondisseminated NPC who had received MRI scan of nasopharynx and neck were studied retrospectively. The clinical materials and information of imaging were collected. All patients were restaged according to the Chinese 2008 and 92 staging system of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Distribution of T, N stage, survival and prognostic value were compared. 513 patients of the 777 cases were treated with conventional radiotherapy,264 cases with intensity modulated radiation therapy. Results The 3-year follow-up rate was 97.6%. The consistency of T stages was 95.0%. T, N and clinical stage distributions in two systems were similar ( Kappa = 0. 93, P = 0. 000; Kappa = 0. 58, P = 0. 000; Kappa = 0. 74, P = 0. 000). Local failure-free survival and disease specific survival were also similar. There was no difference of distant metastasis between N0 and N1(x2 = 1.94,P=0. 164), and a marginal difference between N1 and N2(x2 =3.83,P=0.051) in the Chinese'92 staging system. However, although there was also no difference of distant metastasis-free survival between No and N1a(x2 =0. 07,P =0. 797), ) the difference of overall survival among N1b, N2, and N3 were significant ( x2 = 4. 95, P = 0. 026; x2 = 6. 74, P = 0. 009) in the Chinese 2008 staging system. Conventional radiotherapy or intensity modulated radiation therapy was not a prognostic factor for survival ( x2 = 3.60,P =0. 058). It is reasonable for the Chinese 2008 staging system integrated lymph node characteristics such as laterality, level and extranodal neoplastic spread into the N staging criteria ( x2 = 6. 59, P = 0. 010; x2 =4.78,P=0. 029;x2=9.32,P=0. 002). Conclusions For the Chinese 2008 staging system, it was reasonable to simplify the previous T stage. The N stage showed a better predictive role of distant failure.The role of retropharyngeal lymph node in stage system needs further investigation.