Combined evaluation of centromere protein H and Ki-67 as prognostic biomarker for patients with gastric carcinoma.

AIM: Centromere protein H (CENP-H) is one of the essential components of the human active kinetochore which close links with carcinogenesis. Its expression and clinical value of prognostic prediction for gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. METHODS: CENP-H and Ki-67 expressions in specimens from 166 patients with GC were determined by tissue microarrays and immunostaining. Their correlations between patients' clinicopathologic features and prognosis were explored. For mechanisms, quantitative CENP-H examination on gastric cancer tissue and cell lines was performed via real-time quantitative PCR and Western Blot. Its effect on Survivin expression and cell function was evaluated via CENP-H knocking down (SiRNA) or overexpression. RESULTS: Highly expression of CENP-H was found in 85 of 166 GC, showing a significant correlation with tumour size, depth of infiltration, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and UICC staging of gastric carcinoma (P < 0.05), as well as clinical prognosis (coefficient = 0.550, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that combined CENP-H and Ki67 expression was a more valuable independent prognostic predictor for patients' survival (hazard ratio, 2.18; P = 0.0109). Furthermore, total mRNA and protein expression of CENP-H in GC tissue and cell lines were noticeably increased. Survivin expression and cell function including growth, proliferation and clonogenic ability could be inhibited by CENP-H siRNA or enhanced by overexpressing CENP-H. CONCLUSION: High expression of CENP-H in GC indicates poor prognosis and Survivin may mediate its procancer role. Combined evaluation of CENP-H and Ki-67 aids in predicting the clinical prognosis.

The effect of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C and VEGF receptor-3 on the clinical outcome in patients with gastric carcinoma.

AIMS: We aimed to investigate the relationship among VEGF-C/VEGFR-3 expression, lymphatic metastasis and patient prognosis in gastric carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression in gastric carcinoma tissues obtained from 204 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy (105 cases presented with lymph node metastasis and 99 cases without metastasis) was examined immunohistochemically. There was no significant difference in the other clinicopathologic variables except for postoperative pathological tumor stage (pT) and TNM stage between the two groups. The results were statistically processed. RESULTS: The results showed that VEGF-C was located mainly in the cytoplasm of tumor cells and VEGFR-3 was found predominantly in the endothelium of lymphatic vessels. VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression was more frequent in gastric carcinoma tissues than that in normal gastric tissues, 54.90% and 35.29% respectively, which revealed that the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was significantly stronger in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis. Patients who had positive staining for VEGF-C showed significantly less favorable survival rates compared with patients who had negative staining for VEGF-C. The survival rates of patients who had positive staining for VEGFR-3 also were significantly lower compared with patients who had negative staining for VEGFR-3. Patients who had positive staining for both VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 exhibited the most unfavorable prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that the expression of VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 was an independent prognostic determinant. In addition, faint to moderate VEGF-C expression was detected in normal gastric epithelial cells (18/204, 8.9%). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression could serve as a prognostic biomarker in patients with gastric carcinoma.

[The study of dermatoglyphic parameters on 1000 Tibetans].

This paper reports 14 dermatoglyphic parameters of 1000 Tibetans sampled in Tibet. Relatedness between Tibetans and Hans is much closer than that between Tibetans and Minnesotians in the USA. Compared with 12 nationalities. The Tibetan showed smaller difference with the Hani and the Han and greater difference with the Uygur. Comparison among the Tibetans living in different regions suggests that the Tibetans in Tibet have less difference with the Tibetans in Pingwu Region of Sichuan Province and much difference with the Tibetans in Gannan Region of Gansu Province. This report indicates that dermatoglyphic Parameters should not be used indifferently in different ethnic groups or even in different geographic groups of the same nationality.

[Morphology and histology of the placenta from parturients of various nationalities in the Tibet plateau].

The morphology and histology of placentae from Tibet have been studied and reported in this article. The subjects studied were 51 Tibetan women and 19 Han women who were healthy and pregnant 38 to 42 weeks. The Han women had migrated to Tibet plateau from the plains. It showed that Tibetan women had newborns of significantly higher birth weight and lighter placentae and also a higher positive rate than Han woman in syncytial nodes, vascular syncytial membranes, vascular proliferation and cellulose-like necroses. There was a very significant difference between women living at high-altitude and women living at sea-level in most parameters.

Somatostatin in the treatment of acute pancreatitis: a prospective randomised controlled trial.

A prospective study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of somatostatin in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. Seventy one patients were randomised to control (h = 36), or to the somatostatin group (h = 35) who received somatostatin 100 micrograms/h after a 250 microgram bolus for the first two days. The following were compared in the two groups on admission and two days later: laboratory tests of prognostic significance, severity of pancreatitis, and also morbidity and mortality. Of the nine laboratory tests compared, the white blood cell count, lactate dehydrogenase, and urea concentrations were significantly lower in the somatostatin group two days after admission. Severity of pancreatitis after hospitalisation increased in fewer patients given somatostatin (NS). There was a trend toward fewer complications, especially local, in the somatostatin group. Mortality in both groups was low. Somatostatin appeared to reduce the local complications of acute pancreatitis. A larger trial is necessary to show its beneficial effect conclusively.