A review of the risk factors associated with juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis: genetic, immune and clinical aspects.

BACKGROUND: Juvenile-onset recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (JoRRP) is one of the most common benign lesions of hyperplastic respiratory epithelial tissue in children and is predominantly caused by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) 6 and 11. The clinical course of the disease is variable, and some patients even develop a malignancy. The purpose of this review was to summarize the related factors affecting the disease course in patients with JoRRP. DATA SOURCES: We used databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, to search for publications on factors associated with the genetic, immune, and clinical aspects of JoRRP. The most relevant articles to the scope of this review were chosen for analysis. RESULTS: Mother-to-child transmission is the most important mode of disease transmission; other factors, such as immune condition or genetic susceptibility, may be important determinants of JoRRP occurrence. Genetically, the presence of DRB1*0301 and HPV 6/11 E6/E7 is associated with a more severe disease. Immunewise, patients have an enhanced T helper 2-like response. In addition, regulatory T cells are enriched in tumors and may become one of the effective prognostic indicators. For clinical characteristics, patients infected with HPV-11 have more aggressive disease. However, compared with HPV type, age at first onset is a more important factor related to the aggressiveness of JoRRP. Furthermore, socioeconomic status may also affect the course. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic, immune, and some clinical factors have been noted to play an important role in the course of JoRRP. Exploring definite influencing factors will be an important direction of research in the future.

[Effects of precipitation variation on growing seasonal dynamics of soil microbial biomass in broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest].

Broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest is the zonal climax vegetation in Northeast China and it plays a significant role in maintaining the ecological security. Changbai Mountains is a suitable region to study the positive and negative feedback mechanisms of temperate forest for precipitation variation. This study analyzed responses of soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN) to precipitation variation (± 30%) in original broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest of Changbai Mountains. The results showed that, during the growing seasons (from May to September), the averages of SMBC and SMBN were 879.09 and 100.03 mg · kg(-1), respectively. Moreover, both of these two parameters gradually decreased with the soil depth. The contents of SMBC and SMBN all increased with the increasing precipitation, and the changes of SMBC and SMBN in the 0-5 cm soil layer were stronger than in the 5-10 cm soil layer. The value of SMBC/SMBN declined with the increase of precipitation. The precipitation variation significantly influenced the means of SMBC and SMBN. Compared with precipitation reduction, precipitation enhancement affected the indices much significantly. Both SMBC and SMBN showed similar seasonal patterns, which were the lowest in May, and after that, they increased and then decreased and increased again, showing 1-2 peaks in the growing season. However, the value and occurring time of the peaks varied with the precipitation and soil layer, and the seasonal variations of SMBC and SMBN in the 0-5 cm soil layer were higher than in the 5-10 cm soil layer. SMBC and SMBN had significant positive correlation with organic matter and total nitrogen content. The variances of soil physical and chemical properties caused by precipitation variation were closely related with the difference in spatial-temporal patterns of the soil microbial biomass in the forest. In conclusion, the precipitation variations could cause the change of the soil microbial community structure and composition.

[Effects of precipitation variation on the distribution pattern of soil fungal diversity in broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest].

Broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest is a kind of zonal climax vegetation with ecological significance in Northeast China, whereas Changbai Mountain is an ideal area to study the effects of precipitation variation on temperate forest. Taking the virgin broad-leaved Korean pine mixed forest in Changbai Mountain as the object, and based on T-RFLP method, this paper analyzed the spatial heterogeneity of fungal diversity in 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers and in rhizosphere soil at three different precipitation plots (30% increase, 30% decrease, and the control). Both the increase and the decrease of precipitation increased the diversity of soil fungi, but the dominant population changed. In 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm soil layers, the T-RFs over 500 bp increased with precipitation; in rhizosphere soil, the T-RFs responded to precipitation variation were 380 bp, 455 bp, and 487 bp, and the response mode was more complicated than that in surface soil layers. The results of CCA showed that the fungal community composition was significantly affected by soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and organic phosphorus.

[Clinicopathological analysis of 250 patients with early-stage gastric cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors associated with early diagnosis of gastric cancer. METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 250 patients with early-stage gastric cancer (EGC) from 2005 to 2008, during which the concept of intra-epithelial neoplasia (IN) was adopted in our department. RESULTS: On preoperative endoscopic biopsy with pathological exam, there were 15 cases suspicious for cancer, 90 with high-grade IN (HGIN), and 15 gastric cancer. Postoperative pathological exam of the surgical specimen showed infiltrating early-stage cancer in 224 patients, of which 5 (2.2%) were type I (all were Tsm), 190 (84.8%) were type II including Tm in 82 and Tsm in 108 patients, 29 were type III (5 Tm and 24 Tsm). Twenty-six patients had non-infiltrating lesions (Tis). There were 184 (73.6%) well-differentiated tumors, including 26 Tis, 58 Tm, and 100 Tsm. Lymphatic metastasis was identified in 21 patients, of which 2 (2.3%) were Tm (all were poorly-differentiated) and 19 (13.9%) were Tsm. Lymphadenopathy was present in 15 (7.9%) cases in type II, and in 6 (20.7%) in type III. Of the 90 cases with a preoperative diagnosis of HGIN, 24 were found to be Tis, 29 were Tm, and 37 were Tsm on postoperative pathological assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Well-differentiation is the main histological type in EGC. The adoption of the concept of IN is associated with improved detection of EGC, which warrants further investigation.

[Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 3p in breast cancer and precancerous lesion].

OBJECTIVE: To study the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 3p in breast cancers and precancerous lesion. METHODS: LOH at 11 microsatellite loci was detected in 41 cases of breast cancers and 12 cases of precancerous lesion by polymerase chain reaction and silver stain. The expressions of ER, PR, FHIT and hMLH1 were detected in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: LOH on 3p was detected in 97% of breast cancers. D3S1295, D3S1029 and D3S1038 located at 3p14, 3p21-p22 and 3p25 were identified as the loci with most frequent LOH (53.1%, 43.6% and 52.5%). LOH of D3S1038 and expression of hMLH1 protein correlated with several clinicopathological features. LOH of D3S1295 had significant negative correlation with the expression of FHIT. In breast precancerous lesions, LOH on 3p was detected in 41.7% lesions. D3S1295 and D3S1029 were also identified as the most frequent LOH locus (27.3% and 16.7%). The smallest common LOH region seems likely lie between 3p14 and 3p25. CONCLUSIONS: The smallest LOH region indicates the existence of breast tumor related genes and some of them affect gene expression.