Clinical Analysis of 41 Patients with Burkitt's lymphoma / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the clinical characteristics of Burkitt's lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 41 Burkitt's lymphoma patients, treated from Jannuary 2009 to June 2014 in Chinese PLA General Hospital, were analyzed retrospectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Out of the 41 patients, 33 were males and 8 were females, with a median age of 13 (range, 1-67), 18 cases (43.9%) were in Ann Arbor stage I/II, and 23 cases (56.1%) were in stage III/IV. The commonest pathologicalal sites were head and neck (23 cases, 56.1%), and then the abdominal (41.5%), bone marrow (22.0%) and central nervous system (22.0%) could also be involved, while 7 cases (17.1%) were patients transformed into acute lymphocytic leukemia-type L3, 18% cases (3/16) were infected by EBV and 29.9% cases (6/38) were infected by HBV, 29 cases were treated with chemotherapy, their overal remission rate was 93.1(27/29 cases), 2-year overall survival rate(OS) was 83.3%(10/12 cases); 13 cases were treated with rituximab, their remission rate was 92.3%(12/13 cases), and 2-year OS was 66.7%(4/6 cases).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The 41 cases are more similar to the sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma, but the median age of its occurence is more younger, while the most common pathological sites are head and neck, and the short-term and high intensive chemotherapy with rituximab can obviously elevate remission rate for adult patients and prolong their survival time.</p>

Demethylating agent decitabine induces autologous cancer testis antigen specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes in vivo / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Cancer testis antigens (CTAs) are a novel group of tumor associated antigens. Demethylating agent decitabine was reported to be able to up-regulate CTAs through its hypomethylation mechanism, thus enhance the immunogenicity of leukemia cells. However, few researches have ever focused on the questions that whether this immunostimulatory effect of decitabine could induce autologous CTA specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in vivo, and if so, whether this effect contributes to disease control. In this study, we aimed to show that decitabine could induce specific autologous CTLs against some mouse CTAs in leukemia cells in vitro and in vivo.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Several mouse CTAs were screened by RT-PCR. CTL specific to one of the CTAs named P1A was detected and sorted by P1A specific dimer by flow cytometry. The activity of specific CTLs was measured by real time RT-PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>We firstly screened expression of some CTAs in mouse leukemia cells before and after decitabine treatment and found that decitabine treatment did up-regulate expression of many CTAs. Then we measured the CTLs' activity specific to a mouse CTA P1A in vivo and showed that this activity increased after decitabine treatment. Finally, we sorted these in vivo induced P1A specific CTLs by flow cytometry and demonstrated their cytotoxicity against decitabine treated leukemia cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our study showed the autologous immune response induced by decitabine in vivo. And more importantly, we firstly proved that this response may contribute to disease control. We believe that this immunostimulatory effect is another anti-cancer mechanism of decitabine, and this special effect would inspire new applications of decitabine in the field of leukemia treatment in the future.</p>

Detection of intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in patients with Hirschsprung's disease associated enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of Hirschsprung's disease associated enterocolitis (HAEC) is unknown. Previous investigations have suggested that several factors such as dilation of proximal bowel, changes in colonic mucosal defence, and overgrowth of toxigenic bacteria may be related with it. This study was to quantify bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the feces of Hirschsprung's disease (HD) patients with or without enterocolitis and those of normal children. METHODS: Fresh stool specimens were collected at the first three days of the admission from 30 HD patients (aged 2 weeks to 2 years) and 15 healthy age-matched non-HD patients in the morning once a day for at least three days. All of them have not been given probiotics or antibiotics at least 7 days before stool collection. Hematoxylin-eosin and acetylcholinesterase histochemical staining on rectal biopsies of patients with HD confirmed the diagnosis of HD in all 30 patients. The 30 HD patients were divided into two groups based on the clinical history of enterocolitis: the HAEC group (n=10) and HD group (n=20). Fecal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were consecutively quantified by SYBR Green I-based real-time PCR assay. Data were analyzed using SAS v. 12.6 for Windows. All tests were two-tailed, and P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean levels of bifidobacteria were 7.35+/-0.59, 8.16+/-1.17, and 8.35+/-0.74 in the HAEC, HD and control groups, respectively. The bifidobacteria colonization levels were lower in the HAEC group than in the HD and control groups (P<0.05, P<0.001 respectively). The mean level of lactobacilli in the HAEC (5.51+/-0.65) and HD groups (5.87+/-0.78) was significantly lower than that in the control group (6.39+/-0.56) (P<0.05). But there was no difference in log numbers of lactobacilli between HAEC and HD groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The scarcity of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in HAEC patients may result in a decrease in epithelial barrier function and be a predisposing factor in the development of HAEC. This decline suggests that treatment with probiotics or prebiotics may be beneficial in these individuals. Further research will focus on whether probiotics can decrease the incidence of HAEC.

The use of a retrievable self-expanding stent in treating childhood benign esophageal strictures.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Esophageal stenting is a popular form of treatment of esophageal strictures in adults but is not widely used in children. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether esophageal stents could be used safely and effectively in the treatment of esophageal stenosis in children. METHODS: Covered retrievable expandable nitinol stents were placed in 8 children with corrosive esophageal stenosis. The stents were removed 1 to 4 weeks after insertion. RESULTS: The stents were placed in all patients without complications and were later removed successfully. After stent placement, all patients could take solid food without dysphagia. Stent migration occurred in one patient and so the insertion procedure was repeated to reposition the stent. During the 3-month follow-up period after stent removal, all children could eat satisfactorily. After 6 months, 2 children required balloon dilation (3 times in one and 5 times in the other). The dysphagia score improved in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the covered retrievable expandable stent is an effective and safe method in treating childhood corrosive esophageal stenosis.