Association of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 with radiotherapy response and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) is suggested to predict the radiosensitivity and/or prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The present study was designed to investigate the clinical and prognostic effects of IGFBP-3 on ESCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>IGFBP-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissues from 70 ESCC patients treated with radiotherapy alone and further examined by western blotting analysis in 10 pairs of fresh ESCC tissues and adjacent non-malignant esophageal specimens. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine cut-off scores for tumor positivity and to evaluate patient survival status. The χ(2) test was performed to analyze the association of IGFBP-3 expression with clinical characteristics and radiotherapy response. Associations between prognostic outcomes and IGFBP-3 expression were investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The threshold for IGFBP-3 positivity was set to greater than 65% [area under the ROC curve (AUC)=0.690, P<0.019]. Of the 70 ESCC patient tissues tested, 32 (45.7%) were defined as having high IGFBP-3 expression. The levels of IGFBP-3 protein expression were decreased in 70.0% (7 of 10) of ESCC tissues compared with adjacent non-malignant esophageal tissue. In addition, IGFBP-3 expression was associated with pathologic classification (P<0.05 for T, N, and M categories and clinical stage). Patients with elevated protein level of IGFBP-3 in the tumor had an improved radiotherapy response and prolonged overall survival (P<0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>High level of IGFBP-3 expression in ESCC associates with early clinical stages and are predictive for favorable survival of the patients treated with radiotherapy.</p>

Diagnosis and Treatment of Pituitary Carcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

The early diagnosis and treatment of pituitary carcinoma is difficult. The diagnosis is often delayed, and the confirmation of a diagnosis requires the presence of distant subarachnoid,brain or systemic metastasis from the primary pituitary tumor in the sella and also needs the evidences of pathology and imaging of the primary pituitary carcinoma and metastases. Treatment of pituitary carcinoma includes surgery, radiation therapy ,hormone therapy, chemotherapy, and molecularly targeted therapy; however, these methods are mainly palliative and can not prolong the survival. The prognosis remains poor. Efforts should be made to develop more effective diagnosis and treatment options.

Effect of laminarin polysaccharide on activity of matrix metalloproteinase in photoaging skin / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of laminarin polysaccharide (LP) on the activity of matrix metalloproteinase of photoaging skins.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Kunming SPF mice were prepared with back hair shaved, and randomly divided into the control group, the model group, the LP low does group (LP-L, 1 mg x kg(-1)), the LP high dose group (LP-H, 5 mg x kg(-1)) and the Vit E (100 mg x kg(-1)) group. They were abdominally injected with drugs twice on a daily basis. Except for the control group, all groups were exposed to ultraviolet rays for 1 hour every day, five times on a weekly basis, with accumulated exposure dose of UVB being 21.60 J x cm(-2) and accumulated exposure dose of UVA being 84.02 J x cm(-2). Eight weeks later, exposed back skins were collected to detect thickness of dermis by HE stain, content of hydroxyproline (Hyp) by chemical colorimetry, and serum MMP-1 and TIMP-1 content by ELISA. In addition, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) mRNA and relative content of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1) mRNA was analyzed with Real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the model group, the LP-H group could significantly increase the thickness of dermis, skin Hyp content and serum TIMP-1 level, and decrease relative content of MMP-1 mRNA in skin and MMP-1 content in serum.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>LP can regulate the metabolism of collagen photoaging skins by adjusting the activity of matrix metalloproteinase.</p>

Effect of surgical treatment for thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis by anterior radical debridement with bone graft fusion and posterior pedicle screw-rods system fixation / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical effects of one stage surgical treatment of thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis by anterior radical debridement with bone graft fusion and posterior pedicle screw-rods system fixation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From February 2002 to March 2007, 21 patients who were 45.3 years old on average with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis, including 13 males and 8 females were underwent surgical treatment of posterior pedicle screw-rods system fixation, correction of deformities, anterior radical debridement, bone graft fusion. Among them, 3 patients had 2 involved vertebras, 17 patients had 3 involved vertebras, and 1 patient had 4 involved vertebras. The patients were all complicated with kyphosis deformity with an average Cobb angle of (28.0+/-9.7) degrees. According to the Frankel neurological function grade system, 3 cases in grade B, 5 in grade C, 1 in grade D, 12 in grade E. All the patients received antiphthisic treatment with isonicotinylhydrazide (INH), rifampicin (RFP), Ethambutol (EMB), pyrazinamide (PZA), and support therapy in preoperation. The chemotherapy was continued 9 to 12 months after operation. Neurological functions of all cases were investigated, and radiography was analyzed pre-operation and post-operation to determine the state of bony fusion and the correction of spinal kyphosis. Statistical analysis was made according to the preoperative and post-operative Cobb angle.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 6 years with 2.5 years on average. All the patients had primary healing of the incisions. The Cobb angle was (9.8+/3.3) degrees in post-operation. The kyphosis deformity was corrected 17.2 degrees in thoracolumbar on average (t=-13.48, P<0.01). According to the Frankel neurological functional grade system, 1 case was in grade C, 3 in grade D, and 17 in grade E.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is effective for patients with thoracolumbar spinal tuberculosis in correction of spinal kyphosis, reconstruction of the spinal stability and bony fusion by anterior radical debridement with bone graft fusion and posterior pedicle screw-rods system fixation.</p>