Characterization of Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus Prevalence in Humans and Poultry in Huai'an, China: Molecular Epidemiology, Phylogenetic, and Dynamics Analyses / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To trace the source of human H7N9 cases in Huai'an and elucidate the genetic characterization of Huai'an strains associated with both humans and birds in live poultry market.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>An enhanced surveillance was implemented when the first human H7N9 case was confirmed in Huai'an. Clinical specimens, cloacal swabs, and fecal samples were collected and screened by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for H7N9 virus. The positive samples were subjected to further RT-PCR and genome sequencing. The phylodynamic patterns of H7N9 virus within and separated from Huai'an and evolutionary dynamics of the virus were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six patients with H7N9 infection were previously exposed to live poultry market and presented symptoms such as fever (>38.0 °C) and headaches. Results of this study support the hypothesis that live poultry markets were the source of human H7N9 exposure. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all novel H7N9 viruses, including Huai'an strains, could be classified into two distinct clades, A and B. Additionally, the diversified H7N9 virus circulated in live poultry markets in Huai'an. Interestingly, the common ancestors of the Huai'an H7N9 virus existed in January 2012. The mean nucleotide substitution rates for each gene segment of the H7N9 virus were (3.09-7.26)×10-3 substitutions/site per year (95% HPD: 1.72×10-3 to 1.16×10-2).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Overall, the source of exposure of human H7N9 cases in Huai'an was live poultry market, and our study highlights the presence of divergent genetic lineage of H7N9 virus in both humans and poultry specimens in Huai'an.</p>

Expression of aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10 in gastric cancer tissues and its clinical significance / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of AKR1B10 expression in gastric cancer tissues with clinicopathologic features and prognosis of gastric cancer patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted to detect AKR1B10 mRNA expression in gastric cancer and adjacent gastric mucosa tissues (n=36). AKR1B10 protein expression was measured by immunohistochemistry in primary gastric cancer tissues (n=100) and non-tumorous gastric mucosa tissues (n=70).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>RT-PCR results confirmed that AKR1B10 was significantly down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues compared with that in paired adjacent mucosa [8.3% (3/36) vs. 91.7% (33/36), P=0.000]. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the percentage of AKR1B10 positive specimens in gastric carcinoma was lower than that in normal specimens [33.0% (33/100) vs. 92.9% (65/70), P=0.000]. The frequencies of positive AKR1B10 in patients was significantly correlated with tumor size (P=0.000), invasive depth (P=0.004), lymph node metastasis (P=0.028), distant metastasis (P=0.031) and TNM stages (P=0.000). The 5-year survival rate of positive AKR1B10 group was significantly higher as compared to negative group (60.6% vs. 32.8%, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The down-regulation of AKR1B10 expression in gastric cancer may be associated with the progress of gastric cancer is suggestive of poor prognosis.</p>

Association of SOX9 expression and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer / 中华胃肠外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association of SOX9 expression and clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of gastric cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective cohort study including 112 gastric cancer patients admitted to the Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from 2004 to 2006 was performed. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to evaluate the expression of SOX9 in the 112 specimens of gastric cancer tissues and 70 non-cancerous tissues adjacent to the tumor.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Low expression of SOX9 was seen in 5(7.1%) tissues out of 70 non-cancerous tissues adjacent to the tumor. A total of 94(83.9%) patients had varying expression of SOX9, of whom 51(45.4%) had overexpression. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the expression of SOX9 was significantly associated with Lauren classification (P<0.05), tumor invasion(P<0.01), lymph node metastasis(P<0.05), distant metastasis(P<0.05) and tumor stage(P<0.05), however there was no significant association between SOX9 expression and sex, age, histological type, histology differentiation or tumor size. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of patients with SOX9 over-expression was significantly lower than that of patients with low expression(29.4% vs. 49.2%, P=0.031). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that histology differentiation(P=0.046), tumor invasion(P=0.001), and distant metastasis(P<0.01) were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer, however the over-expression of SOX9 was not significant(P=0.948).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression SOX9 is associated with the growth, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer, as well as the prognosis. However, SOX9 expression is not an independent factor for the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.</p>