Association of Personal Protective Equipment Use with Successful Protection Against COVID-19 Infection Among Health Care Workers

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a major challenge for protecting health care workers (HCWs) against the infection. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health care workplace is recommended as a high priority. In order to investigate the relationship between PPE use and the number of COVID-19 cases among HCWs, we conducted a molecular epidemiological study among 142 HCWs who were dispatched from Hefei to work in Wuhan and 284 HCWs who remained in Hefei, China; both provided care for patients with COVID-19. Nucleic acid testing and SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody (IgM, IgG, IgA) detection were performed to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection among those HCWs. We also extracted publicly released data on daily number of COVID-19 cases among HCWs, daily number of HCWs who were dispatched to Hubei province since January 24, and daily production of PPE in China and daily demand and supply of PPE in Hubei province. Our laboratory testing confirmed that none of the 142 HCWs who were dispatched to work in Wuhan and 284 HCWs who remained in Hefei were infected by SARS-CoV-2. Consistent with these findings, as of April 15, 2020, none of the 42,600 HCWs who were successively dispatched to Hubei province since January 24, 2020 was reported to have COVID-19. These HCWs were provided with adequate supply of PPE as committed by their original institutions or provinces. In contrast, during the early phase of COVID-19 epidemic in Hubei province, a substantial shortage of PPE and an increasing number of COVID-19 infection among HCWs were reported. With the continuing increase in domestic production of PPE in China, the PPE supply started to meet and then exceed the demand. This coincided with a subsequent reduction in the number of reported COVID-19 cases among HCWs. In conclusion, our findings indicate that COVID-19 infection among HCWs could be completely prevented. Appropriate and adequate PPE might play a crucial role in protecting HCWs against COVID-19 infection.

Unusual Isolated Sellar Spindle Cell Carcinoma:Report of One Case / 中国医学科学院学报

Sellar malignant tumors are uncommon and usually reported as metastatic diseases from breast or lung cancers. Spindle cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare malignancy and has been found in breast,oral cavity,lungs,kidneys,and hepatobiliary pancreatic system but not in sellar region. We report here the first case of isolated sellar SCC with aggressive features in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. This patient was referred to our hospital on September 9,2015 and discharged on October 16,2015. We described the clinical manifestations,imaging findings,and pathological features of this rare disease.

Lymphomatoid gastropathy: one case report and literatures review / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To report the first case of lymphomatoid gastropathy in China, and to demonstrate the clinical characteristics, diagnostic approach, treatment and prognosis in this kind of patients. Methods: One patient was diagnosed as lymphomatoid gastropathy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and her clinical characteristics, lab data, treatment and follow-up outcomes were reviewed. Results: A case of a 51-year-old female was presented, who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) due to slight epigastric discomfort. EGD revealed multiple ulcers and erosions. Biopsies showed atypical lymphocytes infiltration with CD3(+), CD56(+), CD20(-), CD8(-), TIA(+), Granzyme B(-) and Ki-67 (75%). Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA in situ hybridization was negative. Four months later, repeated EGD examination showed regression of the lesions without specific treatment. Conclusion: Lymphomatoid gastropathy was a unique disease entity mimicking NK/T-cell lymphomas in pathology, with the quite different profile of treatment and prognosis. It's important to consider this issue during the differential diagnosis to avoid any excessive treatment.

Association between Self-reported Snoring and Prediabetes among Adults Aged 40 Years and Older without Diabetes / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Several previous studies have shown that snoring is associated with glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes, but rare study has shown the association between snoring frequency and prediabetes, particularly in China. We hypothesized that individuals who snore might have a higher risk of prediabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association between self-reported snoring and prediabetes in a Chinese population.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional study was performed in three large communities of Beijing from December 2011 to August 2012 by recruiting individuals aged ≥40 years old. All participants were requested to complete a detailed questionnaire and undergo anthropometric measurements. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed in individuals without diabetes. Blood samples of all participants were collected; blood glucose and blood fat levels were measured. Multivariate logistic regression models were built to assess the association between snoring frequency and prediabetes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 13,592 participants (female: 66.56%; mean age: 56.8 ± 7.9 years; mean body mass index: 25.5 ± 3.4 kg/m2) were included in the final analysis. Of these, 30.9% were diagnosed with prediabetes, while 41.3% and 25.4% had occasional and habitual snoring, respectively. Habitual snoring was associated with an increased risk of prediabetes (odds ratio [OR]: 1.3, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-1.4, P< 0.001), after adjusting for diabetes and sleep-related confounders in the multivariable models. Habitual snoring was also associated with isolated impaired fasting glucose (IFG; OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6; P< 0.001) and isolated impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; OR: 1.3, 95% CI: 1.2-1.5; P< 0.001), but not IFG + IGT (OR: 1.1, 95% CI: 0.9-1.4; P = 0.281). When stratified by total cholesterol (TC) levels, this association between habitual snoring and prediabetes was observed only in individuals with TC <5.6 mmol/L (OR: 1.4, 95% CI: 1.2-1.6; P< 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Habitual snoring is associated with prediabetes, but only in individuals with TC <5.6 mmol/L. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.</p>

Effects of miR-125a-5p on Cell Proliferation,Apoptosis and Cell Cycle of Pancreatic Cancer Cells / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the effects of miR-125a-5p on cell proliferation,apoptosis and cell cycle of pancreatic cancer cells.Methods The expression level of miR-125a-5p in pancreatic cancer was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis in 4 pairs of pancreatic cancer tissues and matched adjacent normal tissues samples. The expression of miR-125a-5p was downregulated in pancreatic cancer cell lines by transfection with miR-125a-5p inhibitor. Cell counting kit-8 assays was conducted to detect the growth ability of pancreatic cancer cell lines. Flow cytometry was applied to detect the cell cycle and apopotosis. Soft agar colony formation test was employed to assess the role of miR-125a-5p in process of malignant transformation.Results MiR-125a-5p was significantly highly expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues than adjacent normal tissues(P<0.05). After the expression level of miR-125a-5p in Panc-1 and MIA PaCa-2 was downregulated,the growth ability was suppressed(P<0.05),early apopotosis rate was promoted by 13.6% and 11.0% respectively(P<0.05),the amount of colony formation was reduced by 27.3% and 27.8%,respectively(P<0.05),and the percentage of S stage of Panc-1 was reduced by 11.8% (P<0.05).Conclusions The expression of miR-125a-5p is high in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissues. After the expression level of miR-125a-5p is downregulated,the growth ability,colony formation,and cell cycle of Panc-1 and MIA PaCa-2 are suppressed,and the early apopotosis rate will be promoted. Therefore,miR-125a-5p may play an oncogenic role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Target prediction and verification of miR-27a in pancreatic cancer / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To predict and verify the target gene of miR-27a in pancreatic cancer by combining the result of comparative proteome analysis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The bioinformatics softwares of TargetScan,PicTar and miRanda were used to predict the possible target genes of miR-27a. Based on the results of comparative proteomics analysis, possible candidates of the target genes were selected. Expression vector of target gene 3'UTR was constructed, and then target gene was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay system. The PANC-1 and BxPC-3 pancreatic cancer cells were treated with miR-27a mimics or negative control for 48 h. Western blot analysis was used to verify alterations of protein expression of the genes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PSMA1 was selected as the candidate target gene of miR-27a by bioinformatics prediction and comparative proteome analysis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-27a decreased luciferase activity in cells co-transfected with pmirGLO-PSMA1-WT, compared to the negative control, although significant difference of luciferase activity was not observed in cells co-transfected with pmirGLO-PSMA1-MUT between the two groups. The protein level of PSMA1 was down-regulated in pancreatic cancer cells transfected with miR-27a mimics in comparison with pancreatic cancer cells transfected with negative control.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>PSMA1 is the direct target gene of miR-27a in pancreatic cancer.</p>

Intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas: a clinicopathologic study of 6 cases / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the pathologic features, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and molecular characteristics of intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm of the pancreas (ITPN).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinical findings, morphologic features, immunophenotype (by EnVision method) and KRAS gene alterations (by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction) of 6 cases of ITPN encountered during the period from January, 2001 to June, 2010 were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were altogether 2 males and 4 females. The mean age of the patients was 64 years. Gross examination showed that the tumors were located in large pancreatic ducts and appeared as polypoid nodules with ductal obstruction. Solid tumor nodules associated with adjoining dilated ducts were identified in one case. Histologically, the tumors were characterized by tubulopapillary growth pattern without luminal mucin. The tumor cells showed high-grade nuclear atypia with scanty intracytoplasmic mucin. Intraductal necrotic foci were frequently observed. Immunohistochemical study showed that the tumor cells expressed CK7 and CK19. Focal positivity for MUC5AC was demonstrated. Two cases expressed MUC1. The staining for MUC2 was negative. KRAS gene mutations were identified in 2 cases, with a single-amino-acid substitution in codon 12 (35G > A and 35G > T/34G > A).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ITPN is a newly described pancreatic intraductal neoplasm and different from intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. ITPN is characterized by intraductal tubulopapillary growth pattern, severe cytologic atypia and scanty mucin secretion.</p>

Osteomalacia caused by tumors in facies cranii mimicking rheumatoid arthritis.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is an extremely rare metabolic bone disease and the occult offending tumor arising in facies cranii is even more uncommon. In this report, we described 2 middle-aged females with TIO caused by the tumor in facies cranii, which had ever been misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. Case 1 was present with diffuse bone pain and muscle weakness for 4 years, as well as esotropia in the right eye for 1 month. Case 2 was present with progressive bone pain in low back and hip for 2 years. Biochemical studies both showed persistent hypophosphatemia and urinary over wasting phosphate. Radiological examinations revealed the infiltrative mass in right apex partis petrosae ossis temporalis in case 1, and the soft mass in left nasal cavity and ethmoid sinuses in case 2, respectively. The offending tumors were resected completely in case 2, however, incompletely in case 1. Pathology examination revealed mixed connective tissue variant phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors. In conclusion, TIO should be presumed in patients presenting with unexplained persistent hypophosphatemia osteomalacia, also a thorough detection for tumor in facies cranii should be performed.

Construction of a miR-23a-27a cluster expression plasmid: a preliminary study of its function / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct a miR-23a-27a cluster expression plasmid and to explore the target genes and function of the cluster.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The pre-miR-23a-27a-pcDNA3.1, pre-miR-23a and pre-miR-27a plasmids were cloned by molecular biology method, and their expression efficiency was tested by dual luciferase reporter gene assay and real-time PCR. Several possible target genes of miR-23a and miR-27a were chosen using softwares and further tested by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Finally, the function of miR-27a was analyzed in MCF-7 cell by Western blot and real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>miR-23a and miR-27a were transcribed from pre-miR-23a-27a-pcDNA3.1, pre-miR-23a and pre-miR-27a plasmids in HEK293T cells, and both influenced the MRE of Sprouty2 gene in pRL-TK vector, and only miR-27a influenced the 3'-untranslated regions (UTR) full length of Sprouty2 gene while miR-27a did not influence the 3'-UTR of Sprouty2 gene with the sited-mutation in the MRE. The protein expression level of Sprouty2 gene was altered after transfection of pre-miR-27a-pcDNA3.1 plasmid while the RNA level remained unchanged.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Sprouty2 may be the functional target gene of miR-27a, and the construction of plasmids in the study may provide a fundamental basis for the further functional investigation of miR-23a and miR-27a.</p>

Incubation and application of transgenic green fluorescent nude mice in visualization studies on glioma tissue remodeling / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The primary reasons for local recurrence and therapeutic failure in the treatment of malignant gliomas are the invasion and interactions of tumor cells with surrounding normal brain cells. However, these tumor cells are hard to be visualized directly in histopathological preparations, or in experimental glioma models. Therefore, we developed an experimental human dual-color in vivo glioma model, which made tracking solitary invasive glioma cells possible, for the purpose of visualizing the interactions between red fluorescence labeled human glioma cells and host brain cells. This may offer references for further studying the roles of tumor microenvironment during glioma tissue remodeling.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transgenic female C57BL/6 mice expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were crossed with male Balb/c nude mice. Then sib mating was allowed to occur continuously in order to establish an inbred nude mice strain with 50% of their offspring that are EGFP positive. Human glioma cell lines U87-MG and SU3 were transfected with red fluorescent protein (RFP) gene, and a rat C6 glioma cell line was stained directly with CM-DiI, to establish three glioma cell lines emitting red fluorescence (SU3-RFP, U87-RFP, and C6-CM-DiI). Red fluorescence tumor cells were inoculated via intra-cerebral injection into caudate nucleus of the EGFP nude mice. Tumor-bearing mice were sacrificed when their clinical symptoms appeared, and the whole brain was harvested and snap frozen for further analysis. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was performed to monitor the mutual interactions between tumor cells and host brain cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Almost all the essential tissues of the established EGFP athymic Balb/c nude mice, except hair and erythrocytes, fluoresced green under excitation using a blue light-emitting flashlight with a central peak of 470 nm, approximately 50% of the offsprings were nu/nu EGFP+. SU3-RFP, U87-RFP, and C6-CM-DiI almost 100% expressed red fluorescence under the fluorescence microscope. Under fluorescence microscopic view, RFP+ cells were observed growing wherever they arrived at, locating in the brain parenchyma, ventricles, and para-vascular region. The interactions between the transplanted tumor cells and host adjacent cells could be classified into three types: (1) interweaving; (2) mergence; and (3) fusion. Interweaving was observed in the early stage of tumor remodeling, in which both transplantable tumor cells and host cells were observed scattered in the tumor invading and spreading area without organic connections. Mergence was defined as mutual interactions between tumor cells and host stroma during tumorigenesis. Direct cell fusion between transplantable tumor cells and host cells could be observed occasionally.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>This study showed that self-established EGFP athymic nude mice offered the possibility of visualizing tumorigenesis of human xenograft tumor, and the dual-color xenograft glioma model was of considerable utility in studying the process of tumor remodeling. Based on this platform, mutual interactions between glioma cells and host tissues could be observed directly to further elucidate the development of tumor microenvironment.</p>

Effects of ezrin silencing on pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effects of ezrin silencing on pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 was transfected with ezrin silencing plasmid. The proliferation and the cell cycle status were determined by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Cellular membrane protrusions/microvilli formation were visualized by scanning election microscopy. Colony formation assay was used to determine the cell anchor-independent growth ability in vitro. Trans-filter migration and invasion assays were performed with 8 µm pore inserts in a 24-well BioCoat chamber with/without Matrigel.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ezrin silencing decreased cellular protrusions/microvilli formation, anchorage-independent growth, cell migration and invasion, but had no effects on cell proliferation in vitro and cell cycle, in pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ezrin expression affects the cellular protrusions/microvilli formation, anchorage-independent growth, cell migration and invasion in pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1.</p>

Successful laparoscope resection of ectopic insulinoma in duodenohepatic ligament.

Both ectopic pancreas and insulinoma are rare. A 21-year-old male patient had suffered from hypoglycemia episodes for 3 years and was diagnosed to have insulinoma based on biochemical and endocrinological evaluations. Various localization approaches revealed a distinct tumor outside the pancreas. With intraoperative endoscopy, the tumor in duodenohepatic ligament was identified and successfully resected. Pathologic evaluation revealed an ectopic insulinoma with ectopic pancreas. Therefore, when the biochemically confirmed insulinoma could not be well-definitely localized, the possibility of ectopic insulinoma should be suspected. In addition, radiography examinations and operation exploration should extend to the field where ectopic pancreas usually presents.

Correlation between 1,5-anhydroglucitol and glycemic excursions in type 2 diabetic patients / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The accurate and comprehensive assessment of glycemic control in patients with diabetes is important for optimizing glycemic management and for formulating personalized diabetic treatment schemes. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) and glycemic excursions in type 2 diabetic patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Seventy-one outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were randomly recruited from Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. Using a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS), these patients' blood glucose levels were monitored for three consecutive days to obtain mean blood glucose (MBG) data. Intraday glycemic excursions were evaluated using the mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), the largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE), standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG) and the M-value. Interday glycemic excursion was assessed by absolute mean of daily difference (MODD). Postprandial glycemic fluctuations were evaluated using postprandial glucose excursions (PPGE) and postprandial incremental area under the curve (iAUC). Fasting venous blood samples were collected to measure serum 1,5-AG, whole-blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and serum glycated albumin (GA). Clinical markers of glycemia and parameters of glycemic excursions from CGMS were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate stepwise regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Pearson correlation analysis revealed that 1,5-AG was significantly correlated with MAGE, SDBG, M-value, LAGE, PPGE and iAUC (r values were -0.509, -0.430, -0.530, -0.462, -0.416 and -0.435, respectively, P < 0.01), especially in moderately and well-controlled patients, based on defined HbA1c levels. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis revealed a negative correlation between 1,5-AG and the above parameters, but not HbA1c and GA. Finally, HbA1c and GA were positively correlated with MBG and fasting blood glucose (FBG).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>1,5-AG was much better than HbA1c and GA as a marker of glycemic excursions in type 2 diabetic patients. Based on these results 1,5-AG is the best metric for assessing postprandial glucose levels in moderately and well-controlled patients, while HbA1c and GA were superior to 1,5-AG for monitoring MBG and FBG.</p>

Spontaneous remission of acromegaly or gigantism due to subclinical apoplexy of pituitary growth hormone adenoma / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Subclinical apoplexy of pituitary functional adenoma can cause spontaneous remission of hormone hypersecretion. The typical presence of pituitary growth hormone (GH) adenoma is gigantism and/or acromegaly. We investigated the clinical characteristics of patients with spontaneous partial remission of acromegaly or gigantism due to subclinical apoplexy of GH adenoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Six patients with spontaneous remission of acromegaly or gigantism were enrolled. The clinical characteristics, endocrinological evaluation and imageological characteristics were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In these cases, the initial clinical presences were diabetes mellitus or hypogonadism. No abrupt headache, vomiting, visual function impairment, or conscious disturbance had ever been complained of. The base levels of GH and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were normal or higher, but nadir GH levels were all still > 1 µg/L in 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Magnetic resonance imaging detected enlarged sella, partial empty sella and compressed pituitary. The transsphenoidal surgery was performed in 2 cases, and the other patients were conservatively managed. All the patients were in clinical remission.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>When the clinical presences, endocrine evaluation, biochemical examination and imageology indicate spontaneous remission of GH hypersecretion in patients with gigantism or acromegaly, the diagnosis of subclinical apoplexy of pituitary GH adenoma should be presumed. To these patients, conservative therapy may be appropriate.</p>

Research advances in microRNA in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

MicroRNA (miRNA), small non-coding RNA consisted of 19-24 nucleotides, are able to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. The aberrant expressions of miRNA have been found in various cancers and contribute to carcinogenesis by promoting the expression of proto-oncogenes or by inhibiting the expression of tumor suppressor genes. miRNA are related closely with the oncogenesis, progression, and prognosis of tumors. The discovery of the aberrant expression of miRNA in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and its target genes are helpful for the understanding of the pathogenesis of PDA and for the early diagnosis and prediction of this disease. In this paper, we summarize the recent research advances in miRNA expression in PDA and its target genes and discuss the potential role of miRNA in the diagnosis, and treatment of PDA.

Significance of chemokine receptor CXCR3 expression in breast cancer / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of CXCR3 and its association with clinicopathologic features in breast carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression level of CXCR3 in 18 samples of breast cancer and corresponding normal tissues was investigated using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR analysis. Immunohistochemistry was carried out to examine the expression of CXCR3 in 80 breast cancers, 20 fibroadenomas and 15 normal breast tissues.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR analysis showed a higher level of CXCR3 in breast cancer tissues than that in the corresponding normal breast tissues (P < 0.05). (2) Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the positive rate of CXCR3 in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in fibroadenomas and the normal breast tissues (P < 0.05). The expression level of CXCR3 in the lymph node-positive group was higher than that in the lymph node-negative group (P < 0.05). The expression of CXCR3 was positively correlated with the number of lymph nodes involved by metastasis, tumor size and pTNM tumor stage (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chemokine receptor CXCR3 was up-regulated in breast cancer, and was associated with the progression of breast cancer. CXCR3 might be a novel molecular marker to predict lymph node metastasis and prognosis of breast cancer.</p>

Expression of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin in breast carcinoma and their clinical significance / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin in breast carcinoma tissue and to analyse their effects on the breast carcinoma differentiation, size, infiltration and metastasis of the breast carcinoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin in 56 cases of breast invasive ductal carcinoma, 38 cases of invasive lobular carcinoma, 41 cases of carcinoma in situ and 10 cases of normal breast tissue was detected using immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) The expression rate of Twist in three types of breast carcinoma was 46.4% (26/56), 79.0% (30/38) and 26.8% (11/41) respectively, and the expression of Twist in invasive lobular carcinoma was significantly higher than that in invasive ductal carcinoma and carcinoma in situ (P = 0.002, P = 0.000). The expression rate of E-cadherin in three types of breast carcinoma was 78.6% (44/56), 29.0% (11/38) and 80.5% (33/41) respectively, and the expression of E-cadherin in invasive ductal carcinoma and carcinoma in situ was significantly higher than that in invasive lobular carcinoma (P = 0.000, P = 0.000). The expression rate of N-cadherin in three types of breast carcinoma was 53.6% (30/56), 68.4% (26/38) and 31.7% (13/41) respectively, and the expression of N-cadherin in invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma was significantly higher than that in carcinoma in situ (P = 0.033, P = 0.001). (2) In all the 135 cases, the expression of Twist was not correlated with that of E-cadherin (P = 0.005, Spearman correlation coefficient = -0.239), however, there was a positive correlation between the expression of Twist and N-cadherin and statistically significant(P = 0.000, Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.319). (3) In the invasive ductal carcinoma, the expression of N-cadherin in poorly-differentiated carcinoma was significantly higher than that of the moderately-or well-differentiated ones (P = 0.004). (4) In the invasive lobular carcinoma, the expression of Twist in cases with lymph node metastasis was significantly higher than that of cases without metastasis (P = 0.037).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Twist, E-cadherin and N-cadherin have different expression patterns in the three kinds of breast carcinoma. The positive expression of Twist was correlated to lymph node metastasis in invasive lobular carcinoma and the positive expression of N-cadherin was correlated to cell the tissue differentiation in invasive ductal carcinoma. Detection of the expression of these biomarkers may provide a valuable reference for the study of breast carcinoma progression, metastasis and for the judgment of the biological behavior of the carcinoma.</p>

Clinicopathologic study of 7 cases of gastric T-cell lymphoma / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric T-cell lymphoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The clinicopathologic features of 7 cases of gastric T-cell lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed. Immunohistochemical study, T-cell receptor gene rearrangement analysis and evaluation of Epstein Barr virus (EBV) status were also performed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The median age at onset of gastric T-cell lymphoma was 45 years. The male-to-female ratio was 6 to 1. The clinical information was available in 6 cases; and one of them had history of persistent diarrhea and 5 had hypoproteinemia. Histologically, 5 cases consisted of large lymphoma cells and the remaining 2 cases showed mainly medium-sized cells. Intraepithelial lymphoma cell infiltration was found in one case. The lymphoma cells of all cases were negative for CD20 and CD79a. CD3 and TIA-1 expression was noted in 6 of the 7 cases. CD5, βF-1 and CD30 were positive in 4 cases and CD4 was positive in 3 cases. In-situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA was negative. Clonal T-cell receptor gene rearrangement was demonstrated in all cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Gastric T-cell lymphoma is a rare type of malignant lymphoma, with distinctive clinicopathologic characteristics.</p>

The kidney expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the diabetic nephropathy of Kkay mice.

BACKGROUND: Disorder of the extracellular matrix has been suggested to play a role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. The aim of the present study was to examine the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the kidney of Kkay mice, a type 2 diabetic model. METHODS: Eight Kkay control mice (KA) and eight Kkay diabetic mice (KB) were fed with the same diets for 4 months and sacrificed after glucose levels and weight were measured. The renal pathological changes were examined by periodic acid-Schiff and periodic acid-silver methenamine staining, and the glomerulosclerosis indexes (GIs) were calculated. The levels of MMP-9 protein in the kidney tissue were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The gene expression of MMP-9 was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The diabetic group had morphological findings of diabetic nephropathy, and their GI (240.0+/-17.3) was much higher than that of the control group (118.4+/-15.1) (P<.01). The mean positive area of MMP-9 protein in the glomeruli of Kkay mice in the KB group was higher than that in the KA group. The expression of MMP-9 messenger RNA level in the diabetic KB group was up-regulated when compared with the KA group. CONCLUSION: The expression of MMP-9 in the kidney of mice with diabetic nephropathy was enhanced, and MMP-9 might be involved in the development of diabetic nephropathy.

Proteomics study of papillary thyroid carcinoma / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the proteomics of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), and to detect the differential expression of proteins compared to normal thyroid (NT) tissue.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Protein extracts of papillary thyroid carcinoma and normal thyroid tissues from 10 patients were separated by proteomics technique and identified using Image Master software. The selected differential proteins were sent to Proteomics Research Center of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences for mass-spectrometry identification.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The basic 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) images of PTC and NT were obtained, and four potential differential expression spots were selected for mass-spectrometry identification. Among them, annexin I, peroxiredoxin I, mitochondrial aconitase were up-regulated while carbonic anhydrase I was down-regulated.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Proteomics may provide a new direction to study PTC, by identifying some tumor-specific markers, leading to elucidation of the mechanism of tumorigenesis and identification of therapeutic targets.</p>