Clinicopathological features of patients with RET fusion-positive non-small cell lung cancer / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of patients with RET fusion positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 1 089 NSCLCs were retrieved at Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University from August 2018 to April 2020. In all cases, multiple gene fusion detection kits (fluorescent PCR method) were used to detect the gene status of RET, EGFR, ALK, ROS1, KRAS, BRAF and HER2; and immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of PD-L1 and mismatch repair related proteins. The correlation between RET-fusion and patients' age, gender, smoking history, tumor stage, grade, pathologic type, and PD-L1, mismatch repair related protein expression was analyzed. Results: There were 22 cases (2.02%) detected with RET fusion-positive in 1 089 NSCLC patients, in which 11 males and 11 females; and the median age was 63.5 years. There were 20 adenocarcinomas, including 11 acinar predominant adenocarcinoma (APA), five solid predominant adenocarcinoma (SPA) and four lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma (LPA); There were one case each of squamous cell carcinoma (non-keratinizing type) and sarcomatoid carcinoma (pleomorphic carcinoma). There were 6 and 16 patients with RET fusion-positive who were in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ respectively, and 16 cases with lymph node metastasis, 11 cases with distant metastasis. Among RET fusion-positive cases, one was detected with HER2 co-mutation. The tumor proportion score of PD-L1≥1% in patients with RET fusion positive lung cancer was 54.5% (12/22). Defects in mismatch repair protein expression were not found in patients with RET fusion positive NSCLC. Four patients with RET fusions positive (two cases of APA and two cases of SPA) received pratinib-targeted therapy, and two showed benefits from this targeted therapy. Conclusions: The histological subtypes of RET fusions positive NSCLC are more likely to be APA or SPA. RET fusion-positive NSCLC patients are associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastases, and they may benefit from targeted therapy with RET-specific inhibitors.

Identification of M(r)22 000 protein in rat epididymal luminal fluid / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the specific protein in the epididymal luminal fluid that may play a role in sperm epididymal maturation or modification on the surface of spermatozoa.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We compared the differential protein components in the lumen fluids from the caput and cauda segments of the epididymis of normal rats as well as from the cauda segment of experimental left varicocele (ELV) rats by SDS-PAGE or 2D-electrophoresis. The protein spots of interest were selected for MS identification, and the target proteins further characterized by immuno-blot assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MS analysis showed that one of the most prominent proteins, M(r) 22 000, was identical to the phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein (PBP), and it was further identified as PBP by immuno-blot assay.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PBPs were present in a variety of molecular forms in the epididymal luminal fluid, including the glycosylated form, and ELV markedly elevated the PBP level in the cauda luminal fluid of the rats. Thus, the association of this molecule with sperm surface modification remains an interest for future investigation.</p>