Ultrasonographic features of medullary thyroid carcinoma and their diagnostic values / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignant tumour and usually difficult to diagnose with ultrasound. The aim of the study is to summarize the sonographic features of MTC and evaluate their diagnostic values.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We analyzed the sonographic features of 35 MTCs and 50 benign nodules with respect to nodular size, echogenecity, internal content, shape, height/width, border, peripheral halo, calcifications and colour flow pattern. The ratio of long to short axis, echogenecity, internal content and calcifications were also assessed in cervical lymph nodes. The differences in sonographic features between MTCs and benign nodules were analyzed with Chi square test. The diagnostic efficiency of each sonographic feature was determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The main sonographic features of MTC were hypoechogenicity (including marked hypoechogenicity) (n = 34, 97%), internal solid content (n = 29, 83%), taller than wide (n = 34, 97%), well defined border (n = 24, 69%), microcalcifications or macrocalcifications (n = 23, 66%). The echogenicity, internal content, shape, peripheral halo and calcifications were significantly different between these two groups, while the tall/wide, border, and perinodular and intranodular vascularisation were not significantly different. Among all the individual sonographic features, irregular shape had the highest diagnostic efficiency with a sensitivity of 51% and specificity of 92%. The combination of marked hypoechogenicity, microcalcifications, and irregular shape yielded a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 86%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The typical sonographic features of MTC are hypoechogenicity, predominantly solid, irregularly shaped with intranodular micro- or macro-calcifications. The combination of multiple sonographic features is helpful, but not definitive, for the diagnosis of MTC.</p>

The involvement of ERK pathway in the cellular phenotype conversion in human mesenchymal stem cells cocultured with human sweat gland cells / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the cellular phenotype conversion of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) cocultured with human sweat gland cells (SGCs) and the contribution of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway in the process.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>MSC and SGC were isolated, amplified , and identified with two-step immunohistochemistry method. The primary SGCs were heat-shocked at 47 degrees C. Then the supernatants were collected immediately and 24hr later. The 3rd passage of MSCs were divided into control, SGC supernatant (cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing 30% SGC supernatant), SGC supernatant + EGF (cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing 30% SGC supernatant and 50 microg/L EGF), and SGC supernatant + PD98059 (cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing 30% SGC supernatant and 10 micromol/L PD98059) groups. The positive expression of CK7and CEA in MSCs were detected on the 7th post-stimulation day (PSD) by flow cytometry. The expression of ERK and phosphorylated ERK were determined with Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive expression rate of CK7 and CEA was (5.76 +/-0.10)%, (2.01 +/- 0.09)% in SGC supernatant group; (7.31 +/- 0.21)% and (7.27 +/- 0.12)% in SGC supernatant + EGF group; and (1.63 +/- 0.11)%, (1.54 +/- 0.07)% in SGC supernatant + PD98059 group; they were all obviously higher than that in control group (P < 0.01). Moreover, ERK expression was observed in all groups. The expression of pERK in SGC supernatant + EGF group was higher than that in SGC supernatant group, but almost no expression of pERK was found in the SGC supernatant + PD98059 and control groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Indirect coculture of MSCs with SGCs can induce the phenotype conversion of MSCs through ERK pathway.</p>