Pretreatment Serum Amyloid A and C-reactive Protein Comparing with Epstein-Barr Virus DNA as Prognostic Indicators in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Prospective Study / Journal of the Korean Cancer Association, 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: The measuring Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is an important predictor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study evaluated the predictive value of pretreatment serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) comparing with EBV DNA in patients with NPC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In an observational study of 419 non-metastatic NPC patients, we prospectively evaluated the prognostic effects of pretreatment SAA, CRP, and EBV DNA on survival. The primary end-point was progress-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: The median level of SAA and CRP was 4.28 mg/L and 1.88 mg/L, respectively. For the high-SAA group (> 4.28 mg/L) versus the low-SAA (≤ 4.28 mg/L) group and the high-CRP group (> 1.88 mg/L) versus the low-CRP (≤ 1.88 mg/L) group, the 5-year PFS was 64.5% versus 73.1% (p=0.013) and 65.2% versus 73.3% (p=0.064), respectively. EBV DNA detection showed a superior predictive result, the 5-year PFS in the EBV DNA ≥ 1,500 copies/mL group was obviously different than the EBV DNA < 1,500 copies/mL group (62.2% versus 77.8%, p < 0.001). Multifactorial Cox regression analysis confirmed that in the PFS, the independent prognostic factors were including EBV DNA (hazard ratio [HR], 1.788; p=0.009), tumour stage (HR, 1.903; p=0.021), and node stage (HR, 1.498; p=0.049), but the SAA and CRP were not included in the independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: The results of SAA and CRP had a certain relationship with the prognosis of NPC, and the prognosis of patients with high level of SAA and CRP were poor. However, the predictive ability of SAA and CRP was lower than that of EBV DNA.

Diagnosis of X-Linked creatine transporter deficiency in a patient from Northeast China

Background: Creatine transporter (CRTR) deficiency is the most common creatine deficiency syndrome, of which the final diagnosis relies on mutation in the X-linked CRTR gene. To date, more than 90 mutations in the SLC6A8 gene have been reported. This paper discusses a novel mutation detected via the thorough sequencing of all the X-chromosome-specific exons investigated in a four and a half year old boy with an intellectual disability, speech and language delay and motor disturbance. Methods: A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were carried out, the creatine and creatinine concentrations in the urine were checked and all exons were sequenced. Results: A detailed clinical investigation revealed a reduction in the cerebral creatine levels in the brain by the MRS, elevated creatine and creatinine concentrations in the urine and signal abnormalities in the left frontal cortex of the brain by the MRI. A novel change was identified in the heterozygosity of the exon 10: c.1395-c.1401 deletion. Conclusion: The use of a combination of powerful new technologies, such as thorough exome-nextgeneration sequencing and a brain MRS, should be considered, in order to determine any neurometabolic diseases, especially when the signal abnormalities in the brain MRI cannot be explained by any other factors. This mutation results most likely in a dysfunction of the creatine transport and synthesis, hence causing central nervous system symptoms.

Expression of endogenous leukemia inhibitory factor in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes of endogenous leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in neonatal rats with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A PVL model of 3-day-old Wistar rats was prepared by left carotid artery ligation followed by 6% oxygen for 4 hours. The rats were sacrificed at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days of hypoxia ischemia (HI), and the brain tissues were sampled. Real-Time PCR and Western blot methods were applied to analyze the expression of LIF mRNA and protein. Double staining immunofluorescence was used to detect the co-expression of LIF and GFAP.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 1, 3 and 7 days of HI, LIF protein level in the PVL group was higher than in the control group (P<0.01). In the PVL group, the LIF protein level on the third day after HI reached a peak and was higher than the other time points (P<0.01). The change of LIF mRNA expression showed the same tendency with LIF protein. The double staining immunofluorescence showed a co-expression of LIF and GFAP.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>LIF mRNA and LIF protein expression in astrocytes show a trend of initial increase followed by steady decline in neonatal rats with PVL, suggesting that endogenous LIF may participate in the repair of PVL.</p>

Expressions of cannabinoid receptor 1 and L1 cell adhesion molecule in brain of rats with intrauterine growth retardation / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To study the mechanism of brain development delay in rats with intrauterine growth retardation(IUGR) through establishing IUGR animal model by low protein diet during pregnancy and examining the expressions of cannabinoid receptorl (CB1) and L1 cell adhesion molecule (NCAM-L1) in IUGR and normal rats.Methods Thirty-two pregnant rats were randomly fed with normal diet or lower protein diet during pregnancy (16 rats in each group).The offspring rats were divided into IUGR group and control group by birth weight,and sacrificed on day 0,7,14,21 after birth,brain weight was recorded.The expressions of CB1 and NCAM-L1 in the brain were examined by immunohistochemistry staining.Image-Pro Plus 5.1 image processing software was used for semi-quantitative analysis.The integrated optical density of the CB1 and NCAM-L1 of the positive cells was calculated.Results The expressions of CB1 and NCAM-L1 in offspring rats brain were basically in the same area,the changes in both was in accord with the brain weight change.The expression of CB1 in the brain of the pup rats in the IUGR group was significantly lower than that in the control group 0,7,14,21 days after birth,by contrast,the expression of NCAM-L1 was significantly higher (all P ＜ 0.05),and the expressions of CB1 and NCAM-L1 were negatively correlated between both groups(P =0.032,0.010).Conclusions CB1 and NCAM-L1 were involved in the process of rat brain development.The effect of CB1 on rat brain development may be achieved by NCAM-L1.