Verticillium Wilt of Okra Caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb. in China

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) has gained more popularity as an economically significant plant for its nutritional and medicinal value, especially in China. During 2014–2016, the root disease of okra was discovered in four okra commercial fields surveyed in China. A fungul was isolated from the infected tissues, and was identified by Verticillium dahliae based on morphological characteristics. Pathogenicity test demonstrated that the fungus was pathogenic on okra, and fulfilled Koch’s postulates. The analysis of three sequences revealed 99–100% identity with the reported V. dahliae strain in GenBank. Neighbor-joining analysis of the gene sequences revealed that the representative isolates were clustered with V. dahliae. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Verticillium wilt of okra in China.

First Report of Root Rot Caused by Plectosphaerella cucumerina on Cabbage in China

Severe root rot was observed in fields of cabbages (Brassica oleracea L.) in 2015 in China. Cardinal symptoms of this disease included root rot and wilting leaves. A fungus was isolated from diseased tissues consistently. Based on the morphological features and molecular analysis of the ITS-5.8S rDNA and D1/D2 domain of the 28S rRNA gene, it was identified as Plectosphaerella cucumerina. This is the first report of P. cucumerina causing cabbage root rot in China and the world.

Three dimensional organoids-based evaluation for hepatotoxicity of the susceptible compound in Polygonum multiflorum Thunb / 药学学报

In this study, the three dimensional(3D)organoid culture system was established by liquid overlay method, and applied as an effective model to evaluate the hepatic injury of susceptible compounds in Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Compared with the ordinary two dimensional(2D)culture of liver cells, the albumin expression of L02 cells and HepG2 cells were increased by 2.5 and 6.7 times in the 3D organoid culture system, respectively. After the cultivation of 21 days, urea generation levels of 3D culture were increased by 8.3 and 15.5 times. More importantly, HepG2 cells were more suitable to development of organoids than L02 cells. The gene expressions of phase I and II drug metabolism enzymes of HepG2 cells cultured as 3D organoids were significantly increased than that in 2D culture, such as the fold changes of CYP2C9 was up to 381.9, CYP3A4 to 87.0, CYP2D6 to 312.6. In addition, drug transporter relative genes were also up-regulated. The results demonstrated that the liver synthesis and metabolic function of the 3D model were better than that of the 2D cultured hepatocytes. The results of hepatotoxicity evaluation showed this developed model can be used to assess the hepatotoxicity of acetaminophen and other positive control drugs, which were considered with defined hepatotoxicity. On the 3D culture model, the IC50 value of repeated drug dose administration was significantly lower than that of single dose administration. However, the IC50 of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-cis-stilbene-2-O-β-glucoside(cis-SG), which is the susceptible compound in Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., could not be detected in 2D cultured model. With the treatment of a single dose administration in organ 3D culture model, the IC50 of cis-SG was 1.9 times than that of cyclosporine A, and the IC50 of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxy-trans-stilbene-2-O-β-glucoside(trans-SG)was 4.1 times than cis-SG. The hepatotoxicity results of cis-SG and trans-SG on the 3D cultures were similar to in vivo toxicity results obtained in previous work. On organ 3D culture model, the IC50 of cis-SG with repeat of administration decreased compared with that with single dose administration, suggesting that long-term medication may increase the risk of liver injury. In summary, the 3D organoid culture system can be used for a long period to preserve the capacity of liver synthesis and metabolism. The organoids were a model suitable for evaluation of mechanism of the drugs with low toxicity.

The prognostic value of Tiam1 protein expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study / 癌症

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer worldwide and has a poor prognosis. A biomarker predicting the clinical outcome of HNSCC patients could be useful in guiding treatment planning. Overexpression of the T lymphoma invasion and metastasis 1 (Tiam1) protein has been implicated in the migration and invasion of neoplasms. However, its role in HNSCC progression needs to be further validated. We detected the expression of Tiam1 in normal and tumor tissues and determined its association with clinical outcomes in patients with HNSCC.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We measured the expression of Tiam1 in normal and cancerous tissue samples from the patients with HNSCC treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between 2001 and 2008. The Tiam1 expression was scored from 0 to 12 based on the percentage of positively stained cells and the staining intensity. We then determined the diagnostic performance of this score in predicting overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 194 evaluable patients, those with advanced disease, lymph node metastasis at diagnosis, and recurrence or metastasis during follow-up had a higher tendency of having high Tiam1 expression as compared with their counterparts (P < 0.05). The proportion of samples with high Tiam1 expression was also higher in cancerous tissues than in non-cancerous tissues (57.7% vs. 13.9%, P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that Tiam1 expression scores of 5 and greater independently predicted short OS and DFS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The Tiam1 expression is shown as a promising biomarker of clinical outcomes in patients with HNSCC and should be evaluated in prospective trials.</p>

Operable Breast Cancer of the Inner Hemisphere Is Associated with Poor Survival / 한국유방암학회지

PURPOSE: This study investigated the clinicopathological features of operable breast cancer lesions located in different hemispheres of the breast and determined related survival outcomes. METHODS: Data from 5,330 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed based on tumor location. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 68 months (range, 18-176 months). Patients with breast cancer located in the outer hemisphere of the breast had lesions with more advanced nodal stages and more frequently received adjuvant chemotherapy than patients with breast cancer in the inner hemisphere. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates of patients with tumors located in outer versus inner hemispheres were 81.5% and 77.0%, respectively (p=0.004); the overall survival (OS) rates were 90.7% and 88.8%, respectively (p<0.001). The association between tumor location and the 5-year DFS rate was most apparent in node-positive patients (73.1% vs. 65.8% for outer vs. inner hemisphere lesions, p<0.001) and in patients with primary tumors greater than 2 cm in diameter (78.2% vs. 72.3%, p=0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor location was an independent predictor of DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.23; p=0.002) and OS (HR, 1.28; p=0.006). There were no significant differences in 5-year DFS or OS rates between patients with outer versus inner hemisphere tumors when internal mammary node irradiation was performed. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that tumor location was an independent prognostic factor for operable breast cancer. Internal mammary node irradiation is recommended for patients with breast cancer of the inner hemisphere and positive axillary lymph nodes or large primary tumors.

Predictive factors for the local recurrence and distant metastasis of phyllodes tumors of the breast: a retrospective analysis of 192 cases at a single center / 癌症

The local recurrence rate of phyllodes tumors of the breast varies widely among different subtypes, and distant metastasis is associated with poor survival. This study aimed to identify factors that are predictive of local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients with phyllodes tumors of the breast. Clinical data of all patients with a phyllodes tumor of the breast (n = 192) treated at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center between March 1997 and December 2012 were reviewed. The Pearson Χ² test was used to investigate the relationship between clinical features of patients and histotypes of tumors. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify factors that are predictive of LRFS, DMFS, and OS. In total, 31 (16.1%) patients developed local recurrence, and 12 (6.3%) developed distant metastasis. For the patients who developed local recurrence, the median age at the diagnosis of primary tumor was 33 years (range, 17-56 years), and the median size of primary tumor was 6.0 cm (range, 0.8-18 cm). For patients who developed distant metastasis, the median age at the diagnosis of primary tumor was 46 years (range, 24-68 years), and the median size of primary tumor was 5.0 cm (range, 0.8-18 cm). In univariate analysis, age, size, hemorrhage, and margin status were found to be predictive factors for LRFS (P = 0.009, 0.024, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively), whereas histotype, epithelial hyperplasia, margin status, and local recurrence were predictors of DMFS (P = 0.001, 0.007, 0.007, and < 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, independent prognostic factors for LRFS included age [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.045, P = 0.005], tumor size (HR = 2.668, P = 0.013), histotype (HR = 1.715, P = 0.017), and margin status (HR = 4.530, P< 0.001). Histotype (DMFS: HR = 4.409, P = 0.002; OS: HR = 4.194, P = 0.003) and margin status (DMFS: HR = 2.581, P = 0.013; OS: HR = 2.507, P = 0.020) were independent predictors of both DMFS and OS. In this cohort, younger age, a larger tumor size, a higher tumor grade, and positive margins were associated with lower rates of LRFS. Histotype and margin status were found to be independent predictors of DMFS and OS.

Clinicopathological characteristics of male breast cancer: analysis of 25 cases at a single institution / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate general and clinicopathological characteristics of male breast cancer and analyzed the factors affecting the outcomes of the patients based on the data from a single institution.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five male breast cancer patients treated at Sun Yet-sen University Cancer Center between January 1, 2000 and April 30, 2011 were included into the study. The patients were followed up for 1 to 90 months with a median follow-up of 51 months. The general and clinicopathological characteristics including family history, age, smoking, alcohol drinking, site of tumor, location of tumor, histological type, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), Ki-67, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), P53 expression, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant radiotherapy, adjuvant endocrine therapy, tumor size, lymph node status, distant metastasis and TNM stage were investigated by univariate analysis to evaluate the impact of these factors on patient survival.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 5-year survival rate was 66.5% in these patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, tumor size, lymph node status, distant metastasis and TNM stage were significant predictors for the overall survival. Patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy tended to have a better overall survival, though this was not supported statistically (P=0.086). However, patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy had a poorer overall survival than those without it (P=0.000). Patients in stages I and II had better overall survival than those in stages III and IV (P=0.000).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 5-year survival rate was 66.5% in these male breast cancer patients. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, tumor size, lymph node status, distant metastasis and TNM stage are significant predictors of the overall patient survival.</p>

Expression and clinical significance of androgen receptor in triple negative breast cancer / 癌症

<p><b>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE</b>Androgen receptor (AR) is involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, but its role is not clearly defined. This study was to explore the expression of AR and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters in triple negative breast cancer (negative estrogen receptor, negative progesterone receptor, and negative Her-2).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical assays were performed to determine the expression of AR in 137 cases of triple negative breast cancer and 132 cases of non-triple negative breast cancer. The relationships between AR expression and clinicopathologic data and prognosis were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of AR was significantly lower in triple negative breast cancer than in non-triple negative breast (27.7% vs. 83.3%, Chi2=83.963, P<0.001). AR expression was correlated with menorrheal status (Chi2=6.803, P=0.009), tumor grade (Chi2=5.173, P=0.023), node status (Chi2=7.787, P=0.005), 5-year disease-free survival (Chi2=5.012, P=0.025) and 5-year overall survival (Chi2=5.552, P=0.018) in triple negative breast cancer, but was not correlated with clinicopathologic parameters and survival in non-triple negative breast cancer. The 5-year overall survival rate was 78.8% in triple negative breast cancer and 83.3% in non-triple negative breast cancer.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The expression of AR is related to biological behaviors of triple negative breast cancer, and plays a role in endocrinotherapy and prognostic prediction.</p>

Antitumor immune responses induced by idiotype-pulsed dendritic cells with cell-penetrating peptide vaccination in vivo / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To confirm the therapeutic effect of dendritic cell (DC) vaccine on treatment for mice with lymphoma and the protective effect of DC vaccine loaded with different antigens on the tumor-bearing BAL B/c mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Firstly, a mouse tumor model was set up by s. c. inoculation of 1 x 10(6)/mouse A20 tumor cells. Then different DC vaccines were injected, respectively, and the tumor size and survival time were observed. Secondly, the immunized mice with DC vaccines were challenged with A20 tumor cells, and observed whether a new tumor occurred in the mice and the time of survival.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tumor of mice immunized with Id-DC vaccines grew slower than the controls (mean time of survival was 40.4 days vs. 33.4 days), but statistically not significantly different. The tumor of mice injected with CPP-Id-DC vaccines grew slower than that injected with Id-DC vaccines and controls, and one of 5 mice got CR and the tumor in another one mouse became stable. The median survival time was 70.8 days during a 90-days observation period. The difference was significant (P<0.01). The mice injected with Id-DC vaccines were challenged with A20 tumor cells showed new tumor occurred at 7 - 12 days, and 1 of the 5 mice survived for 60 days. The mice injected with CPP-Id-DC vaccines had no tumor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The DC loaded with CPP-Id was better than that loaded with Id alone in treating B cell lymphoma, and It can enhance their antitumor responses and prolong the survival time of the A20 tumor animal models. The vaccine of DC loaded with CPP-Id can protect mice from A20 tumor cell challenge.</p>