ABSTRACT
Medical laboratories in China have gained advances to some extent in recent years, and played an important role in prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic. This paper analyzed their opportunities and challenges in the new era by means of SWOT analysis. Recommendations made by the authors are that medical laboratories should integrate into the national prevention and control system against major infectious diseases, to safeguard biosecurity and public health safety. Meanwhile, medical laboratories should enhance their high-end testing ability, seize the opportunity of DRG payment reform, and carry out various forms of cooperation with public hospitals of all levels, and play a more important role in county-wide medical system development.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>It has been known that the expressions of β-catenin and T cell factor 4 (TCF-4) were associated with clinicopathological parameters in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between expressions of β-catenin and TCF-4 in NSCLC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of β-catenin was detected with immunohistochemistry in 100 lung cancer samples; the relationship between abnormal located and preserved β-catenin with TCF-4 was investigated by immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation and hybridization in situ.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The levels of protein and mRNA were both significantly higher in NSCLC than in corresponding normal lung tissues. Aberrant cytoplasmic and/or nuclear expression of β-catenin were 78.74% (100/127) while aberrant nuclear expression was 37.01% (47/127). Aberrant nuclear β-catenin was significantly associated with differentiation (P=0.0008) and lymphatic metastasis (P=0.017). Positive TCF-4 expression (86.67%, 52/60) was normally seen in nucleus and cytoplasm of cancer cells. The intensity of TCF-4 expression was significantly higher in moderately and poorly differentiated lung cancers than that in well differentiated ones. In total 17 cases of β-catenin (+) and TCF-4 (+) patients, 13 cases were detected with the β-catenin/TCF-4 complex, 61.54% in nucleus and 38.46% in cytoplasm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The abnormal mRNA and protein expressions of β-catenin are associated with malignant phenotype in NSCLC. TCF-4 expression is associated with poor differentiation in lung cancers. The β-catenin/TCF-4 complex exists widely in NSCLC.</p>
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<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The gene expressions of the two primary cell types with different morphological phenotypes,namely,cuboidal cells and polygonal cells in so-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma(PSH) were still unclear now.Disclosing the different gene expression of the two cell types will provide the basis for the study of histogenesis of PSH tissue and be helpful for differential diagnosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Polygonal and cuboidal cells were obtained from PSH tissue using a laser capture microdissection(LCM) technique.Total RNA was extracted and mRNA levels of cytokeratin(CK),epithelial membrane antigen(EMA),vimentin(VT),surfactant protein B(SP-B),thyroid transcription factor-1(TTF-1),synaptophysin(Syn),and chromogranin A(Ch-A) were analyzed by RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The CK,EMA and SP-B genes were clearly expressed in cuboidal cells,while the VT and Syn genes were clearly expressed and the EMA gene was weakly expressed in polygonal cells.TTF-1 was expressed in both cell types,while neither cell type expressed ChA.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The differences in morphological phenotype might result from differences in the state of differentiation,cuboidal cells may differentiate into type II pneumocytes,while polygonal cells in stroma possess the multipotency differentiation.</p>
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<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Serine threonine kinase 15 (STK15) is a kind of mitotic kinase. The overexpression of STK15 is significantly associated with carcinogenesis in many tumors, however, its expression and significance in human lung cancer are still unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of STK15 in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the lung and to analyze the correlation between STK15 expression and clinicopathological factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The pattern of STK15 protein expression was detected in 44 squamous cell carcinomas, 36 adenocarcinomas and 20 paracancerous lung tissue samples by immunohistochemistry method using anti-STK15 antibody. The relative quantity of STK15 protein expression was detected by Western blot, and STK15 mRNA expression was detected by RT-PCR in 40 fresh lung cancer samples and corresponding paracancerous lung tissues.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Positive expression rate of STK15 protein was 68.75% (55/80) in lung cancer tissues and 0% in paracancerous controls (P < 0.001). STK15 expression was significantly related to differentiation grade of lung cancer (P=0.011), but not to histological classification, TNM stages or lymphatic metastasis (P > 0.05). The relative expression levels of STK15 protein (P < 0.001 ) and STK15 mRNA (P < 0.001) in lung cancer tissues were both significantly higher than those of corresponding paracancerous lung tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of STK15 protein and STK15 mRNA is significantly higher in lung cancer tissues than that in paracancerous lung tissues. The expression of STK15 correlates with differentiation of lung cancer.</p>
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>So-called pulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (PSH) is a rare kind of pulmonary tumor. Its histological origin and nature, which have become research hot spots for many years, are still uncertain. The aim of this study is to investigate the immunophenotype of cuboidal cells and polygonal cells through observing the expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin and p120ctn in cuboidal cells and polygonal cells of PSH.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin and p120 ctn was detected in 25 cases of PSH samples and 8 cases of pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor samples by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Immunohistochemistry results showed that the surface cuboidal cells of PSH were strongly positive on membrane for E-cadherin, β-catenin and p120 ctn , with cytoplasmic positive expression of β-catenin. However,the polygonal cells were negative for E-cadherin, cytoplasmic positive for β-catenin and predominantly cytoplasmic positive and weakly membranous positive for p120ctn . In polygonal cells, all the three adhesion molecules showed heterogenicity staining. The cytoplasm and membrane of inner covering cells in the hemorrhagic pattern were positively stained for E-cadherin, β-catenin and p120ctn . The expression of the three adhesion molecules in hyperplastic type II alveolar cells of pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumor was similar to cuboidal cells of PSH.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is concluded that cuboidal cells of PSH may be the hyperplastic type II alveolar cells, whereas polygonal cells are true tumor cells lacking the E-cadherin/catenin complex which is expressed in well differentiated epithelial cells. The inner covering cells in the hemorrhagic pattern of PSH are perhaps epithelial cells as cuboidal cells rather than vascular endothelial cells.</p>