Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: diagnostic and surgical treatment strategy / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic strategy of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The data of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma patients who underwent surgical operations from January 2002 to January 2012 were retrospectively reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Six cases of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma, identified with pathology were collected, including 3 males and 3 females with the average of 47.8 yeas old. Upper abdominal pain was present in 5 cases, weight loss was present in 4 cases with the average of 12.5 kg. Other symptoms included nausea/vomiting, back pain and obstructive jaundice. The serum CA19-9 and CA24-2 level were significantly elevated in 2 cases. CT scan, MRI and DSA were the main imaging methods to diagnose this disease. However, no case was diagnosed as pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma before operation. All cases were confirmed by the pathological examination. Relatively high rates of surgical resection, long operative time, more blood loss and combined multi-organ resection were the characteristics of this disease's operative surgical procedures. The average period of postoperative follow-up process was 60 months, and the mean survival time was (32 ± 8) months.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The clinical features and biological behavior of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma are different from those of ductal adenocarcinoma, while the relatively specific clinical manifestations and imaging changes will be helpful for qualitative diagnosis before operation. As it has high rate of resection and better prognosis, more radical surgical strategies should be carried out for patients of this disease.</p>

Screening and identification of CD13-binding peptides with phage display peptide library / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To screen and identify the peptides that specifically bind to CD13 on monocytes.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The phages capable of specific binding to CD13 were screened in the phage-displayed 12-peptide library. The affinity of the selected phages with CD13 was verified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sequences of the peptides bound to the phages were deduced according to the phage DNA sequences, and the functional peptides aligned using the BLASTP on the Website NCBI were synthesized. To analyze the biological function of the screened peptides, the location of the peptides bound to THP-1 cells was detected using immunofluorescence assay. The blocking effect of WM15 on the peptide binding to THP-1 cells was assessed by immunofluorescence assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The phages that specifically bound to CD13 were effectively enriched to approach saturation after 4 rounds of panning. The recovery rate in the fourth round was 30 times that in the first round. Twenty selected phages were verified by ELISA, and the signals of 10 phages were higher than the control. The sequences of the peptides P9 and P7 showed 83% and 100% identity with those of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) UL38 and UL105, respectively. The peptides bound to the cell membrane of THP-1 cells as shown by immunofluorescence assay. The binding of the peptides P9 and P7 to THP-1 cells was blocked by CD13-specific monoclonal antibody WM15 at different levels.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Two peptides (P7 and P9) that can specifically bind to CD13 have been screened successfully, and these two peptides show specific binding to CD13 on the membrane of THP-1 cells.</p>