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Onychomycosis, a fungal nail infection, is primarily caused by dermatophytes, yeasts, and non-dermatophyte moulds (NDMs). The incidence of this disease and the predominance of specific pathogens vary across different regions and evolve. This study aimed to elucidate the epidemiology of onychomycosis and the pattern of causative pathogens in Beijing, and to ascertain the in vitro antifungal susceptibility profiles of Trichophyton rubrum against itraconazole (ITR), terbinafine (TER), and fluconazole (FLU). Involving 245 patients of onychomycosis with positive fungal culture results, the study implemented internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) on all collected samples. The mean age of the participants was 37.93 ± 13.73 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.53:1. The prevalence of toenail infections was significantly higher than that of fingernails. Distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO) were the most frequent clinical classifications. PCR results indicated that dermatophytes were the most prevalent pathogens, followed by yeasts and NDMs, among which T. rubrum was the most dominant dermatophyte. TER demonstrated high sensitivity to T. rubrum. However, in clinical settings, some patients with onychomycosis exhibit a poor response to TER treatment. The relationship between in vitro antifungal sensitivity and clinical effectiveness is complex, and understanding the link between in vitro MIC values and clinical efficacy requires further investigation.

Purpose of Review: Chronic abdominal wall pain is a poorly recognized cause of chronic abdominal pain, and patients frequently go misdiagnosed despite a battery of medical tests. The Carnett's test is a diagnostic tool used to distinguish between abdominal wall pain and visceral pain. This review synthesizes the current literature on the Carnett's test, merges the viewpoints of diverse writers, and evaluates and reports on the Carnett's test's applicability., Recent Findings: Several clinical investigations have established the usefulness of the Carnett's test in the diagnosis of chronic abdominal wall pain. Furthermore, the Carnett's test is quite useful in determining the depth of the mass and detecting psychogenic abdominal pain. However, its diagnostic use for acute abdominal pain is limited. The Carnett's test is a simple and safe point-of-care diagnostic technique, with several studies supporting its usefulness. Early detection of abdominal wall pain is critical for chronic abdominal wall pain therapy. Carnett's test is very useful in patients with chronic, unexplained local abdominal discomfort who are compliant and do not have a clear rationale for surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Renal fibrosis (RF) is the end stage of several chronic kidney diseases. Its series of changes include excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of renal tubular cells, fibroblast activation, immune cell infiltration, and renal cell apoptosis. RF can eventually lead to renal dysfunction or even renal failure. A large body of evidence suggests that natural products in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have great potential for treating RF. In this article, we first describe the recent advances in RF treatment by several natural products and clarify their mechanisms of action. They can ameliorate the RF disease phenotype, which includes apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and EMT, by affecting relevant signaling pathways and molecular targets, thereby delaying or reversing fibrosis. We also present the roles of nanodrug delivery systems, which have been explored to address the drawback of low oral bioavailability of natural products. This may provide new ideas for using natural products for RF treatment. Finally, we provide new insights into the clinical prospects of herbal natural products., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The author declares no conflict of interest with this work., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

ANP32B, a member of the acidic leucine-rich nuclear phosphoprotein 32 family member B, is aberrantly expressed in various cancers, including colorectal cancer. However, the function and mechanism of action of ANP32B in colorectal cancer remain unclear. The present study therefore analyzed the expression of ANP32B and its activity in colorectal cancer patient samples and colorectal cancer cell lines. ANP32B expression was found to be significantly upregulated in colorectal cancer patient samples and cell lines. Upregulation of ANP32B enhanced colorectal cancer cell proliferation and migration, whereas downregulation of ANP32B suppressed colorectal cancer cell proliferation. RNA sequencing analysis of differentially expressed genes in ANP32B silenced colorectal cancer cells showed that histone PARylation factor 1 (HPF1), which protects against DNA damage by interacting with the anti-tumor target PARP1, was significantly downregulated. Luciferase promoter assays testing the regulatory association between ANP32B and HPF1 showed that ANP32B interacted with the HPF1 promoter. Analysis of colorectal cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas showed that ANP32B and HPF1 expression were positively correlated, and recovery assays showed that ANP32B promoted colorectal cancer progression by up-regulating HPF1. Overexpression of ANP32B also reduced the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to PARP1 inhibitor, consistent with the oncogenic role of ANP32B. ANP32B may alter the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to PARP1 inhibitor via a mechanism associated with the HPF1 gene. In summary, these findings showed that ANP32B acted as a tumor promoter, potentiating both colorectal cancer malignancy and drug resistance. Targeting the ANP32B/HPF1 axis may have benefit for patients with colorectal cancer., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Background: Sex and reproductive status differences exist in both non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and body composition. Our purpose was to investigate the relationship between body composition and the severity of liver steatosis and fibrosis in NAFLD in different sex and reproductive status populations., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 880 patients (355 men, 417 pre-menopausal women, 108 post-menopausal women). Liver steatosis and fibrosis and body composition data were measured using FibroScan and a bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer (BIA), respectively, and the following parameters were obtained: liver stiffness measurement (LSM), controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), visceral fat area (VFA), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), and FFM to FM ratio (FFM/FM). Multiple ordinal logistic regression (MOLR) was used to analyze the independent correlation between body composition indicators and liver steatosis grade and fibrosis stage in different sex and menopausal status populations., Results: Men had higher WC, ASM, ASMI, FFM, and FFM/FM than pre- or post-menopausal women, while pre-menopausal women had higher PBF, VFA, and FM than the other two groups (p < 0.001). Besides, men had greater CAP and LSM values (p < 0.001). For MOLR, after adjusting for confounding factors, WC (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12; P = 0.011) and FFM/FM (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.31-0.89; P = 0.017) in men and visceral obesity (OR, 4.16; 95% CI, 1.09-15.90; P = 0.037) in post-menopausal women were independently associated with liver steatosis grade. WC and visceral obesity were independently associated with liver fibrosis stage in men (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09, P = 0.013; OR, 3.92; 95% CI, 1.97-7.81; P < 0.001, respectively)., Conclusions: Increased WC and low FFM/FM in men and visceral obesity in post-menopausal women were independent correlates of more severe liver steatosis. In addition, increased WC and visceral obesity were independent correlates of worse liver fibrosis in men. These data support the sex- and reproductive status-specific management of NAFLD., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The thoracic wall lesions, particularly chest wall tuberculosis, and chest wall tumors and other pyogenic wall and actinomycetes infections, almost always present as a diagnostic challenge., Aim: To explore the value of ultrasound-guided biopsy combined with the Xpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis /resistance to rifampin (MTB/RIF) assay to diagnose chest wall tuberculosis., Methods: We performed a retrospective study of patients with chest wall lesions from March 2018 to March 2021. All patients received the ultrasound-guided biopsy for pathology examination, acid-fast Bacillus staining, mycobacterial culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for these diagnostic tests, either individually or combined. Rifampicin resistance results were compared between the mycobacterial culture and the Xpert MTB/RIF assay., Results: In 31 patients with the chest wall lesion biopsy, 22 patients were diagnosed with chest wall tuberculosis. Of them, 3, 6, and 21 patients tested positive for mycobacterial culture, acid-fast stain, and Xpert MTB/RIF assay, respectively. The rifampicin resistance results of the 3 culture-positive patients were consistent with their Xpert MTB/RIF assay results. When considering the sensitivity, specificity, and AUC value, the Xpert MTB/RIF assay (95.5%, 88.9%, and 0.92, respectively) was a better choice than the acid-fast Bacillus stain (27.3%, 100.0%, and 0.64, respectively) and mycobacterial culture (13.6%, 100.0%, 0.57, respectively). No complications were reported during the procedure., Conclusion: Ultrasound guided biopsy combined with Xpert MTB/RIF has high value in the diagnosis of chest wall tuberculosis, and can also detect rifampicin resistance., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interest., (©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Simplicillium species are widely distributed with a broad spectrum of hosts and substrates. Generally, these species are entomopathogenic or mycoparasitic. Notably, some isolates of Simplicillium lanosoniveum and Simplicillium obclavatum were obtained from human tissues. In this study, two fungi were isolated from the annular itchy patch of infected skin of a 46-year-old man with diabetes mellitus. Based on a combination of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis, a novel species, Simplicillium sinense , was introduced herein. It morphologically differs from the remaining Simplicillium in the size of phialides and conidia. Additionally, it grows slowly on YPD at 37°C. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing presented that this fungus is resistant to most azole antifungals. Therefore, the diagnosis of tinea faciei was made, and after 2 weeks of being treated with oral terbinafine (250 mg, once a day) and topical terbinafine cream for 1 month, the rash was mainly resolved and no recurrence happened after 6 months of follow-up. Herein, Simplicillium sinense was introduced as a new fungal taxon. Meanwhile, a case of superficial infection caused by S. sinense was reported. So far, it is the third Simplicillium species obtained from human tissue. Meanwhile, terbinafine is recommended as the first-line antifungal treatment against Simplicillium infection., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Yan, Ni, Gu, Liu, Sun and Yuan.)

COVID-19 is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, the combination of anti-inflammatory and antiviral therapy is predicted to provide clinical benefits. We recently demonstrated that mast cells (MCs) are an essential mediator of SARS-CoV-2-initiated hyperinflammation. We also showed that spike protein-induced MC degranulation initiates alveolar epithelial inflammation for barrier disruption and suggested an off-label use of antihistamines as MC stabilizers to block degranulation and consequently suppress inflammation and prevent lung injury. In this study, we emphasized the essential role of MCs in SARS-CoV-2-induced lung lesions in vivo , and demonstrated the benefits of co-administration of antihistamines and antiviral drug remdesivir in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice. Specifically, SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-induced MC degranulation resulted in alveolar-capillary injury, while pretreatment of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells with antihistamines prevented adhesion junction disruption; predictably, the combination of antiviral drug remdesivir with the antihistamine loratadine, a histamine receptor 1 (HR1) antagonist, dampened viral replication and inflammation, thereby greatly reducing lung injury. Our findings emphasize the crucial role of MCs in SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation and lung injury and provide a feasible combination antiviral and anti-inflammatory therapy for COVID-19 treatment.

Background: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is injury of alveolar epithelial cells and capillary endothelial cells caused by various factors, including endogenous and exogenous lung factors, leading to diffuse pulmonary interstitial and alveolar edema, and acute respiratory failure. ARDS involves alveolar epithelial cells and pulmonary interstitial capillary endothelial cells. Circulating endothelial cells (CECs) are the only marker that directly reflects vascular endothelial injury in vivo. There have been few studies on the correlation between peripheral blood CECs and ARDS at home and abroad. The lungs are the organs with the highest capillary density and the most endothelial cells, thus, it is speculated that when ARDS occurs, CECs are stimulated and damaged, and released into the circulatory system., Aim: To explore the correlation between CEC level and severity of ARDS in patients postoperatively., Methods: Blood samples were collected from all patients on day 2 (d2) and day 5 (d5) after surgery. The control group comprised 32 healthy volunteers. Number of CECs was measured by flow cytometry, and operation time was recorded. Changes in various indexes of patients were monitored, and diagnosis of ARDS was determined based on ARDS Berlin definition. We comprised d2 CECs in different groups, correlation between operation time and d2 CECs, ARDS of different severity by d2 CECs, and predictive value of d2 CECs for ARDS in postoperative patients., Results: The number of d2 CECs in the ARDS group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group ( P < 0.001). The number of d2 CECs in the ARDS group was significantly higher than that in the non-ARDS group ( P < 0.001). The number of d2 CECs in the non-ARDS group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group ( P < 0.001). Operation time was positively correlated with number of CECs on d2 (rs = 0.302, P = 0.001). The number of d2 CECs in the deceased group was significantly higher than that in the improved group ( P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in number of d2 CECs between patients with mild and moderate ARDS. The number of d2 CECs in patients with severe ARDS was significantly higher than that in patients with mild and moderate ARDS ( P = 0.041, P = 0.037). There was no significant difference in number of d5 and d2 CECs in the non-ARDS group after admission to intensive care. The number of d5 CECs was higher than the number of d2 CECs in the ARDS improved group ( P < 0.001). The number of d5 CECs was higher than the number of d2 CECs in the ARDS deceased group ( P = 0.002). If the number of CECs was > 1351/mL, sensitivity and specificity of predicting ARDS were 80.8% and 78.1%, respectively., Conclusion: Changes in number of CECs might predict occurrence and adverse outcome of ARDS after surgery, and higher numbers of CECs indicate worse prognosis of ARDS., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no competing interests., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Schizophrenia is a complex mental illness with genetic heterogeneity, which is often accompanied by alterations in brain structure and function. The neurobiological mechanism of schizophrenia associated with heredity remains unknown. Recently, the development of trans-scale and multi-omics methods that integrate gene and imaging information sheds new light on the nature of schizophrenia. In this article, we summarized the results of brain structural and functional changes related to the specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the past decade, and the SNPs were divided into non-coding regions and coding regions, respectively. It is hoped that the relationship between SNPs and cerebral alterations can be displayed more clearly and intuitively, so as to provide fresh approaches for the discovery of potential biomarkers and the development of clinical accurate individualized treatment decision-making., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhao, Xu, Wang, Yan, Cao, Yan, Chen, Jin, Zhang, Yin and Cui.)

Understanding the controls on composition changes and porosity evolution in the critical zone of shale remains a major challenge. The aim of the present study is to develop a model of the changes in mineral compositions, chemical compositions and nanopore formation in shale during the initial weathering stage. To understand these processes, we selected a Silurian shale profile rich in pyrite and organic matter located in South China. Based on X-ray diffraction (XRD) and bulk elemental data, the variations in mineralogical and chemical compositions with depth were studied. To characterize the full pore size spectrum and to gain insight into the nature of secondary pores and their relationship with weathering, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements and petrographic observations were combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. The results show that Al and K are enriched slightly, while Ca and Na are depleted in the upper part of the weathering profile. Si, Mn and Ti are relatively stable from the bottom to the top of the profile. Quartz, feldspar, mica, illite and chlorite are the main minerals in the parent rock, and they are relatively stable along the profile. The rock density gradually decreases from 2.6 g/cm³ to 2.1 g/cm³ from the bottom to the top, and the color of the shales changes from black to grayish yellow, but no secondary minerals are detected. The chemical weathering of black shale is dominated by the oxidation of pyrite and organic matter, giving rise to color variation and nanopore formation. The increase in interparticle pores at the nanometer-micron scale is initiated by the dissolution of easily weathered components such as organic matter and pyrite. The removal of clay minerals and tiny particles by groundwater seepage may be the main cause of porosity enhancement during the initial weathering stage. This study suggests that nanoporosity may play an important role in the process of fluid-rock interaction within black shale during the initial weathering stage.

A novel aromatic compound, grandiuvarone B (5-acetoxy-3-benzoyloxymethyl-5H-oxepin-4-one), along with a known compound grandiuvarone A (5-acetoxy-6-benzoyloxymethyl-5H-oxepin-4-one) were isolated from methanol extracts of Desmos chinensis leaves. Their structures were determined by various spectroscopic techniques including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS) and circular dichroism (CD). Grandiuvarone A and grandiuvarone B are isomers and the S configuration of grandiuvarone B was reported for the first time. We then determined their antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus . Results revealed that grandiuvarone B exhibited better antifungal activity against A. flavus , with MIC values of 0.01 mg/mL compared to grandiuvarone A (MIC values of 0.02 mg/mL). In the presence of each active compound at 160 μg/g of aquafeed, A. flavus growth was completely inhibited. Grandiuvarone B also showed antibacterial activity against the plant pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum .

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of micro ribonucleic acid-411-5P (miR-411-5p) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to explore the effect of miR-411-5p on the biological behavior of NSCLC cells as well as the underlying molecular mechanism., Patients and Methods: Quantitative Real Time- Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of miR-411-5p in NSCLC tissues and cells. MiR-411-5p mimics and relevant controls were transfected into NSCLC cells according to the instructions of Lipidosome 2000. Transfected cells were divided into the experimental group and the control group. The transfection efficiency of each group was detected by qRT-PCR. After miR-411-5p overexpression, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay were used to detect the biological changes of cells in each group. Bioinformatics predicted that pumilio homolog 1 (PUM1) was the target gene of miR-411-5p. Subsequently, the mRNA and protein expression level of PUM1 in each group was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the target regulatory relationship between miR-411-5p and PUM1., Results: The results of qRT-PCR showed that miR-411-5p was relatively lowly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells. After miR-411-5p overexpression, MTT results revealed that the proliferation of NSCLC cells was decreased. Flow cytometry results indicated that the apoptosis rate of NSCLC cells was increased, and cell cycle was arrested in the G0-G1 phase. Meanwhile, the transwell assay demonstrated that the migration and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells were decreased. Bioinformatics predicted that PUM1 was the target gene of miR-411-5p. After miR-411-4p was overexpressed in NSCLC cells, qRT-PCR and Western blotting showed that both the mRNA and protein expression levels of PUM1 were up-regulated. Moreover, dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-411-5p could significantly inhibit the luciferase activity of wild-type PUM1-3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). However, it exhibited no effect on the luciferase activity of cells transfected with mutant plasmids., Conclusions: MiR-411-5p may be involved in regulating the biological function of NSCLC cells via targeting PUM1. In addition, miR-411-5p may serve as a potential target for the molecular therapy of NSCLC.

Cisplatin resistance frequently occurs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The underlying mechanism for cisplatin resistance in ESCC remains largely obscure. Here we report that entinostat reversed cisplatin resistance in ESCC both in vitro and in vivo by induction of apoptosis and inhibition of cell proliferation, accompanied by a decrease of multidrug resistance gene 1 (MDR1), P-Src, Mcl-1, Cyclin D1 and an increase of cleaved PARP. MDR1 expression was associated with worsen survival of ESCC patients with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. Dasatinib potentiated entinostat to overcome cisplatin resistance. By inhibiting Src, dasatinib reduced the expression of MDR1 and Mcl-1. Furthermore, Obatoclax, an inhibitor of Mcl-1, obviously decreased the expression of MDR1, suggesting that entinostat might surmount cisplatin resistance in ESCC via a Src-Mcl-1-MDR1 pathway. Interestingly, cisplatin also enhanced the effect of entinostat both in vitro and in vivo. Our data disclose a molecular basis that entinostat reverses cisplatin resistance, and provide a promising strategy with combinatorial drugs to treat cisplatin resistant ESCC patients., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: With the help of new technologies like 64-slice spiral CT, including latest AW4.4, 2D nodule comparing and analyzing technology, MPR and 3D technology, MIP technology and the technology of analyzing pulmonary vascular density by the method of perfusion scanning, we performed characteristic analysis of ground-glass opacities (GGO) for the early diagnosis of lung cancer., Patients and Methods: We selected 62 patients suspected of lung cancer, whose conventional CT showed that they were patients with GGO. With the help of the new technologies of 64-slice spiral CT provided by GE Company, prospective scans were made and 2 to 4 times of review were arranged. After that, the patients were treated with surgery or needle biopsy to get lesion's pathological results. After several scans, the results including lesion's form, density, blood supply, peripheral sign, doubling time and tissue perfusion were drawn to make a comparison. Based on the results, comparative analysis on GGO's characteristics was made from morphological and functional perspectives., Results: 41 patients (66.1%) were pathologically diagnosed with cancer, 10 were diagnosed with inflammation, 7 with fibrosis, and 4 with edema, hemorrhage and other lesions. The comparisons were made between the tumor groups' clinical manifestations (sex, age, symptoms including smoking, coughing, and expectoration), and the difference had no statistical significance (p>0.05). Conventional CT scan showed that the shape of GGO was irregular and it showed spiculated sign and pleural indentation. The proportion of the patients with vessel convergence in the tumor group was significantly higher than that of the non-tumor group (p<0.05). However, the comparisons between lesions' number, location (superior lobe of the right lung), diameter, edge (blur) and lobulation were made to get a difference ratio (p>0.05) which had no statistical significance. Tumor group's doubling time was significantly short, and its perfusion parameters including BF, BV, MTT, and PS were increased significantly (p<0.05)., Conclusions: The new 64-slice CT technology has great value in the diagnosis of the tumorous GGO.

Aim: To observe the effect of targeted therapy with 64-slice spiral computed tomography (CT) combined with cryoablation for liver cancer., Methods: A total of 124 patients (142 tumors) were enrolled into this study. According to the use of dual-slice spiral CT or 64-slice spiral CT as a guide technology, patients were divided into two groups: dual-slice group ( n = 56, 65 tumors) and 64-slice group ( n = 8, 77 tumors). All patients were accepted and received targeted therapy by an argon-helium superconducting surgery system. The guided scan times of the two groups was recorded and compared. In the two groups, the lesion ice coverage in diameter of ≥ 3 cm and < 3 cm were recorded, and freezing effective rate was compared. Hepatic perfusion values [hepatic artery perfusion (HAP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), and the hepatic arterial perfusion index (HAPI)] of tumor tissues, adjacent tissues and normal liver tissues at preoperative and postoperative four weeks in the two groups were compared. Local tumor changes were recorded and efficiency was compared at four weeks post-operation. Adverse events were recorded and compared between the two groups, including fever, pain, frostbite, nausea, vomiting, pleural effusion and abdominal bleeding., Results: Guided scan times in the dual-slice group was longer than that in the 64-slice group ( t = 11.445, P = 0.000). The freezing effective rate for tumors < 3 cm in diameter in the dual-slice group (81.58%) was lower than that in the 64-slice group (92.86%) (χ 2 = 5.707, P = 0.017). The HAP and HAPI of tumor tissues were lower at four weeks post-treatment than at pre-treatment in both groups (all P < 0.05), and those in the 64-slice group were lower than that in the dual-slice group (all P < 0.05). HAP and PVP were lower and HAPI was higher in tumor adjacent tissues at post-treatment than at pre-treatment (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, the treatment effect and therapeutic efficacy in the dual-slice group were lower than the 64-slice group at four weeks post-treatment (all P < 0.05). Moreover, pleural effusion and intraperitoneal hemorrhage occurred in patients in the dual-slice group, while no complications occurred in the 64-slice group (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: 64-slice spiral CT applied with cryoablation in targeted therapy for liver cancer can achieve a safe and effective freezing treatment, so it is worth being used., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflict of interest related to the manuscript.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of diabetes in adults from Shanghai, aged 35 and older, in 2013., Methods: We estimated the diabetes prevalence in a representative sample of 18,736 adults who were selected through a multistage stratified cluster sampling process. A standard questionnaire containing questions about demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors was distributed. After an overnight fast of at least 10 hours, a venous blood sample was collected from each participant. For each patient without a history of diabetes, another blood sample was drawn 120 min after an oral glucose tolerance test to identify undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetic condition., Results: Among Shanghai residents aged 35 and above, the overall weighted prevalence of diabetes was 17.6% [95% confidence interval (CI): 16.4%-18.8%]. The prevalences were 19.3% in men and 15.8% in women as well as 19.1%, 15.4%, and 16.1% in urban, suburban, and rural residents, respectively. In addition, the weighted prevalence of prediabetes was 16.5% (95% CI: 15.3%-17.8%), with the prevalences of 16.5% in men, 16.6% in women, 15.2% in urban residents, 18.0% in suburban residents, and 18.5% in rural residents. Among all patients with diabetes, 68.1% (95% CI: 64.3%-71.6%) were aware of their status, 63.5% (95% CI: 60.0%-66.9%) received diabetes treatment, but only 35.1% (95% CI: 32.4%-37.8%) had adequate glycemic control., Conclusion: In Shanghai, diabetes and prediabetes are highly prevalent. However, 1/3rd of diabetes cases are undiagnosed, and the rate of glycemic control is low., (Copyright © 2016 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

The interactions between aflatoxin-producing fungi and bacteria have opened up a new avenue for identifying biological agents suitable for controlling aflatoxin contamination. In this study, we analysed the interactions between A. flavus and the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli M3 that coexist in rice that is naturally contaminated with A. flavus. Our results showed that a cell-free culture filtrate (CCF) and the metabolite bongkrekic acid of the M3 strain potently suppressed the mycelial growth and spore production, and then affected the production of aflatoxin of A. flavus. Bongkrekic acid secreted by the M3 strain exhibited higher antifungal activity than did analogues. The CCF of the M3 strain and its metabolite bongkrekic acid can inhibit the growth of A. flavus, but the metabolites of A. flavus, aflatoxins, exerted no inhibitory effect on the growth of the M3 strain. Furthermore, we determined that the M3 cells could use the dead mycelia of A. flavus as energy sources for reproduction, while A. flavus could not grow in a solution containing dead M3 cells. In summary, these results indicated that B. gladioli has a competitive advantage in survival when it coexists with its fungal partner A. flavus., (Copyright © 2015 The British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The footprint of most prostheses is designed according to Caucasian data. Total disc replacement (TDR) has been performed widely for cervical degenerative diseases in China. It is essential to analyze the match sizes of prostheses footprints and Chinese cervical anatomic dimensions in our study., Methods: The anatomic dimensions of the C4-C7 segments of 138 patients (age range 16-77 years) in a Chinese population were measured by computed tomography scans. We compared the footprints of the most commonly used cervical disc prostheses (Bryan: Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Prestige LP: Medtronic, Fridley, Minnesota, USA; Discover: DePuy, Raynham, MA, USA; Prodisc-C: Synthes, West Chester, PA, USA) in China with Chinese cervical anatomic dimensions and assessed the match of their size., Results: The mismatch of available dimensions of prostheses and anatomic data of cervical endplates ranged from 17.03% (C4/C5, Prestige LP, Prodisc-C) to 57.61% (C6/C7, Discover) in the anterior-posterior (AP) diameter, and 35.51% (C4/C5, Prodisc-C, Prestige LP) to 94.93% (C6/C7, Bryan) in the center mediolateral (CML) diameter. About 21.01% of endplates were larger than the largest prostheses in the AP diameter and 57.25% in the CML diameter. All available footprints of prostheses expect the Bryan with an unfixed height, can accommodate the disc height (DH), however, 36.23% of the middle DH was less than the smallest height of the prostheses. The average disc sagittal angles (DSAs) of C4-C7 junctions were 5.04°, 5.15°, and 4.13° respectively. Only the Discover brand had a built-in 7° lordotic angle, roughly matching with the DSA., Conclusions: There is a large discrepancy between footprints of prostheses and Chinese cervical anatomic data. In recent years, possible complications of TDR related with mismatch sizes are increasing, such as subsidence, displacement, and heterotopic ossification. Manufacturers of prostheses should introduce or produce additional footprints of prostheses for Chinese TDR.

This study aims to explore the effects and advantages of coblation combined with microscopy to treat epiglottis cysts. Ninety patients with epiglottis cysts were randomly assigned to three groups: the first group: marsupialisation + electric coagulation group, n = 30; the second group: marsupialisation + coblation, n = 30; and the third group: marsupialisation + coblation + microsurgery, n = 30. To compare the cure rate, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative pain, operation time and postoperative complications were investigated among these three groups. The comparison among three procedures showed a significant difference for intraoperative bleeding volume, operation time and postoperative pain (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed for cure rate (P > 0.05). These three procedures are effective in treating epiglottis cysts. Microscopic surgery with coblation has the advantages of less bleeding, short procedure duration, less pain and few complications. Thus, microscopic surgery is worthy of clinical application.

MiR172 is an important microRNA that regulates floral development in various plants and downregulates AP2 family members to relieve the stress on floral determinacy, leading to phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth. In this work, PCR with primers designed based on the rice miR172 sequence was used to isolate two miR172-like transcripts from Phalaenopsis hybrida (PhmiR172-1 and PhmiR172-2) that were very similar to Oryza miR172d and Arabidopsis miR172b. RT-PCR indicated that the levels of these two transcripts were negatively correlated with the level of the Phalaenopsis AP2 (PhAP2) gene in stem, root, pedicel and sepal, and that both were co-expressed with PhAP2 in young buds. Overproduction of PhmiR172-2 in Arabidopsis led to early flowering. The homologous cloning method used to isolate the Phalaenopsis miR172-like transcripts can be used to isolate miRNAs from other species. These PhmiR172 transcripts may be used to accelerate the flowering of orchids.

Loss of mitotic checkpoint of cells contributes to chromosomal instability and leads to carcinogenesis. Mitotic arrest deficient 1 (MAD1) is a key component in mitotic checkpoint signalling. In this study, we identified a novel MAD1 interacting partner, proline-rich acidic protein 1 (PRAP1), using yeast-two hybrid screening, and investigated its role in mitotic checkpoint signalling in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We demonstrated the physical interaction of PRAP1 with MAD1 and of PRAP1 with MAD1 isoform MAD1β, using a co-immunoprecipitation assay. Moreover, stable expression of PRAP1 in mitotic checkpoint-competent HCC cells, BEL-7402 and SMMC-7721, induced impairment of the mitotic checkpoint (p < 0.01), formation of chromosome bridges (p < 0.01) and aberrant chromosome numbers (p < 0.001). Interestingly, ectopic expression PRAP1 in HCC cells led to significant under-expression of MAD1. In human HCC tumours, 40.4% (23/57) of HCCs showed under-expression of PRAP1 protein as compared with their corresponding non-tumorous livers; up-regulation of MAD1 protein was significantly associated with down-regulation of PRAP1 (p = 0.030). Our data revealed that PRAP1 is a protein interacting partner of MAD1 and that PRAP1 is able to down-regulate MAD1 and suppress mitotic checkpoint signalling in HCC., (Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Background: In many parts of the world, including in China, extreme heat events or heat waves are likely to increase in intensity, frequency, and duration in light of climate change in the next decades. Risk perception and adaptation behaviors are two important components in reducing the health impacts of heat waves, but little is known about their relationships in China. This study aimed to examine the associations between risk perception to heat waves, adaptation behaviors, and heatstroke among the public in Guangdong province, China., Methods: A total of 2,183 adult participants were selected using a four-stage sampling method in Guangdong province. From September to November of 2010 each subject was interviewed at home by a well-trained investigator using a structured questionnaire. The information collected included socio-demographic characteristics, risk perception and spontaneous adaptation behaviors during heat wave periods, and heatstroke experience in the last year. Chi-square tests and unconditional logistic regression models were employed to analyze the data., Results: This study found that 14.8%, 65.3% and 19.9% of participants perceived heat waves as a low, moderate or high health risk, respectively. About 99.1% participants employed at least one spontaneous adaptation behavior, and 26.2%, 51.2% and 22.6% respondents employed <4, 4-7, and >7 adaptation behaviors during heat waves, respectively. Individuals with moderate (OR=2.93, 95% CI: 1.38-6.22) or high (OR=10.58, 95% CI: 4.74-23.63) risk perception experienced more heatstroke in the past year than others. Drinking more water and wearing light clothes in urban areas, while decreasing activity as well as wearing light clothes in rural areas were negatively associated with heatstroke. Individuals with high risk perception and employing <4 adaptation behaviors during heat waves had the highest risks of heatstroke (OR=47.46, 95% CI: 12.82-175.73)., Conclusions: There is a large room for improving health risk perception and adaptation capacity to heat waves among the public of Guangdong province. People with higher risk perception and fewer adaptation behaviors during heat waves may be more vulnerable to heat waves.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and influential factors of maxillary rehabilitation with zygomatic implant and prosthesis after tumor resection., Methods: Thirty-six patients with maxillary defects were collected prospectively in this study and received zygomatic implant and prosthesis for maxillary rehabilitation in the Department of Stomatology of the Municipal Hospital, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China from March 2007 to May 2010. The speech intelligibility (SI) and masticatory efficiency of pre-rehabilitation and post-rehabilitation at one, 6, 12, and 24 months were measured. The relationships between the following factors (oro-nasal communication, hard-palate resection, soft-palate resection, retention teeth) and SI value were analyzed. The relationships between the following factors (oro-nasal communication, retention teeth, the extent of maxillary defect, tumor recurrence) and absorbance value were analyzed., Results: The SI values and absorbance values of post-rehabilitation at one, 6, 12, and 24 months were higher than that of pre-rehabilitation values (p<0.05). Linear regression analysis revealed that oro-nasal communication had a highly significant influence on the SI value of pre-rehabilitation (p<0.05), while soft-palate resection had a highly significant influence on that of post-rehabilitation (p<0.05). Oro-nasal communication had a highly significant influence on the absorbance value of pre-rehabilitation (p<0.05), while maxillary defect had a highly significant influence on that of post-rehabilitation (p<0.05)., Conclusion: Zygomatic implant and prosthesis improved the near and long-term effectiveness of phonetic and masticatory function, and elevated life quality of patients with maxillary tumor resection. Zygomatic implant and prosthesis are an effective rehabilitation remedy for maxillary defects resulting from tumor resection.

A novel antifreeze protein AFP72 cDNA (GenBbank accession No. AY929389) was obtained by RT-PCR from Tenebrio molitor. The 216 bp fragment encodes a protein of 72 amino acid residues. Sequence analysis revealed that the cDNA displays a high degree of homology with T. molitor antifreeze proteins, ranging up to 90.78%. Recombinant plasmids pMAL-p2X-afp72 and pMAL-c2X-afp72 were transferred into E. coil TBI to induce a MBP fusion protein by IPTG. The target fusion protein was released from the periplasm and cytoplasm by the cold osmotic shock procedure and sonication respectively. The content of the fusion protein came up to 38.9 and 41.5% of the total dissolved protein, respectively. The fusion protein was purified through an amylose affinity column, and incised by factor Xa. Molecular sieve chromatography was used to achieve a high state of purity of the target protein. The purified target protein displayed a single band in SDS-PAGE. The fusion protein was shown to increase resistance to low temperatures in bacteria. This finding could help in further investigations of the properties and function of antifreeze proteins.

Background: Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is usually constitutively activated in a variety of malignancies. It directly contributes to tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis. The surgical treatment of breast cancer has made no breakthroughs in terms of treatment effect, in spite of its long history. Current biotherapies bring a note of optimism to breast cancer treatment. To explore the possibility of a siRNA targeted STAT3 blocking treatment for over-activated tumor cells, we evaluated the efficacy of a STAT3 siRNA on human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo., Methods: Three MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines were tested: control MCF-7 cells, non-specific siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells and STAT3 siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells. Expression of STAT3 in MCF-7 cells was inhibited by RNA interference (RNAi). The STAT3 mRNA and protein levels were detected by semi-quantity RT-PCR and Western blotting. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined by MTT method and flow cytometry. The three groups of MCF-7 cells mentioned above were transplanted subcutanuously into nude mice and their tumorgenic ability observed. The STAT3 mRNA and protein levels of the samples from tumors in different groups were determined by semi-quantity RT-PCR and Western blotting and compared., Results: In STAT3 siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells, the expressions (STAT3/β-actin) of STAT3 mRNA (0.327 ± 0.020) and protein (0.153 ± 0.006) were significantly lower than that in control MCF-7 cells (mRNA 1.093 ± 0.018, protein 1.374 ± 0.022) and non-specific siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells (mRNA 1.035 ± 0.050, protein 1.320 ± 0.033) (P < 0.05). MTT showed that cell proliferation was significantly reduced and the cell growth inhibition ratio in the STAT3-siRNA group was (44.00 ± 5.10)%, significantly higher than that in non-specific siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells ((16.10 ± 1.05)%, P < 0.05). Flow cytometry results showed that more apoptosis was observed in the STAT3-siRNA group. The rate of apoptosis was (14.79 ± 0.22)%, much higher than in control MCF-7 cells (7.06 ± 0.71) and non-specific siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells (8.45 ± 0.43) (P < 0.05). The tumor growth in the STAT3 siRNA transfected MCF-7 cells was significantly slower than in the two control groups. On the 22th day after transplantation the tumor weight ((21.40 ± 10.57) mg) and volume ((41.15 ± 12.17) mm(3)) in the STAT3 siRNA transfected group were significantly lower than in control group (weight (88.60 ± 12.16) mg, volume (118.45 ± 24.68) mm(3)) and non-specific siRNA transfected group (weight (57.20 ± 21.86) mg, volume (101.36 ± 21.90) mm(3)) (P < 0.05). Both the STAT3 mRNA and protein levels in the tumors from the STAT3 siRNA transfected group were significantly lower than in the tumors from the two control groups., Conclusions: STAT3 siRNA can effectively silence the STAT3 gene in vitro and in vivo, increase cell apoptosis rate and significantly decrease cell proliferation, which inhibits the growth of breast cancer cell in vitro. Tumor growth of xenograft mice is significantly inhibited. The results obtained in vivo are in consistency with those in vitro. STAT3 may be a novel therapeutic target for breast cancer and RNA interference has potential clinical application.

GH18 chitinase is a multi-gene family. The family plays important physiological roles in Crustacea, e.g. ecdysis and defense against pathogen. However, data about GH18 family are rather limited in Crustacea. In the study, different cloning strategies were adopted to clone chitinase genes of Litopenaeus vannamei, which is the most widely cultured shrimp. Seven chitinase family members were identified. Analysis of domain architectures showed the repeated CBM18 modules and catalytic domain of enzymatically inactive chitolectin in Crustacea for the first time. Comparing to the three known groups of crustacean chitinase, four of the seven members are located on new evolutionary clades thus enriched the chitinase family of Crustacea. Tissue expression profiles were investigated in eight tissues. Expression of CHT5 and CHID1 were both detected in the hemocyte by which the innate immunity activity was carried out. The domain architectures, evolutionary relationships and tissue expression patterns all provide reasonable explanation for the existence of multiple genes in crustacean chitinase family., (2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Although antiproliferative drugs have been used to prevent scarring after filtration surgery in patients with glaucoma, there are complications associated with their use. In the present study, the authors investigated whether small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing of Skp2 can be used to increase p27(kip1) level and inhibit cell proliferation in rabbit Tenon's capsule fibroblast (rTF)., Methods: A plasmid containing Skp2 siRNA was used to decrease the high constitutive level of Skp2 protein in rTF, which can lead to consequent degradation of p27(kip1). Cell proliferation was assayed by immunocytochemistry using antibodies against 59-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Skp2 siRNA was delivered to a trabeculectomy animal model to study the effect on rTF proliferation in vivo., Results: Immunocytochemistry and Western blot analysis showed a decreased level of Skp2 and an increased level of p27(kip1) in cells transfected with pSkp2 siRNA but not in vehicle transfection and uninfected cells in vitro and in vivo. MTT assay showed that cell viability significantly declined in rTF transfected with Skp2 siRNA. Skp2 siRNA-transfected cells showed significantly less BrdU- and PCNA-positive staining than control cells in vitro and in vivo. Infiltration bleb was detected in the Skp2 siRNA group 14 days after trabeculectomy., Conclusions: Skp2 siRNA inhibited cell proliferation and decreased cell viability of rTF in vivo and in vitro. These findings suggest that siRNA-mediated gene silencing of Skp2 can be a novel gene therapy to treat scarring after glaucoma surgery by the suppression of p27(kip1) downregulation.

Aim: To investigate the feasibility and safety of monopolar electrocautery shovel (ES) in laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) with anal sphincter preservation for rectal cancer in order to reduce the cost of the laparoscopic operation, and to compare ES with the ultrasonically activated scalpel (US)., Methods: Forty patients with rectal cancer, who underwent laparoscopic TME with anal sphincter preservation from June 2005 to June 2007, were randomly divided into ultrasonic scalpel group and monopolar ES group, prospectively. White blood cells (WBC) were measured before and after operation, operative time, blood loss, pelvic volume of drainage, time of anal exhaust, visual analogue scales (VAS) and surgery-related complications were recorded., Results: All the operations were successful; no one was converted to open procedure. No significant differences were observed in terms of preoperative and postoperative d 1 and d 3 WBC counts (P=0.493, P=0.375, P=0.559), operation time (P=0.235), blood loss (P=0.296), anal exhaust time (P=0.431), pelvic drainage volume and VAS in postoperative d 1 (P=0.431, P=0.426) and d 3 (P=0.844, P=0.617) between ES group and US group. The occurrence of surgery-related complications such as anastomotic leakage and wound infection was the same in the two groups., Conclusion: ES is a safe and feasible tool as same as US used in laparoscopic TME with anal sphincter preservation for rectal cancer on the basis of the skillful laparoscopic technique and the complete understanding of laparoscopic pelvic anatomy. Application of ES can not only reduce the operation costs but also benefit the popularization of laparoscopic operation for rectal cancer patients.

Background: The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of some Hodgkin disease (HD) cases. EBV may be associated particularly with childhood HD, a disease rare in the West compared with developing countries. In this study, a large series of Chinese pediatric HD cases has been examined to determine the age-specific prevalence of EBV., Methods: Paraffin sections from 104 pediatric and 52 adult Chinese HD cases were examined for EBV-RNA (EBERs) and EBV latent membrane protein-1., Results: Most pediatric cases arose in boys and showed an histology of mixed cellularity. Prominent interfollicular involvement was seen frequently in the childhood cases. EBV was identified in tumor cells in 113 of 156 (72%) HD cases but was more frequent in pediatric cases (93 of 104; 89%) compared with adult cases (20 of 52; 38%) (P < 0.01; chi-square test). EBV was found in 86 out of 91 (95%) cases in children aged 3-10 years and in 7 out of 13 (54%) cases in children aged 11-14 years (P < 0.01; chi-square test). The virus was less frequent in cases in young adults than in old adults, although this trend was not significant (P > 0.05; chi-square test). Pediatric HD was associated with EBV irrespective of histologic subtype. In adults, EBV was associated more frequently with mixed cellularity than with other subtypes., Conclusion: To the authors' knowledge, this is to date the largest series of pediatric HD cases studied for EBV. Study findings provided further evidence that HD is etiologically heterogeneous. The authors believe that pediatric HD now should be regarded as a distinctive EBV-related lymphoma., (Copyright 2001 American Cancer Society.)

Epstein--Barr virus (EBV) is associated with several malignancies. Specific EBV gene variants, e.g. the BamHI f configuration, a C-terminal region 30 bp deletion in the latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) gene (del-LMP) and the loss of an XhoI site in LMP1 (XhoI-loss), are found in Chinese cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), suggesting that EBV sequence variation may be involved in oncogenesis. In order to understand better the epidemiology of these EBV variants, they were studied in virus isolates from EBV-positive Chinese cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD; n=71) and donor throat washings from healthy CHINESE: Sequencing was performed of 15 representative EBV isolates, including the first analysis of the LMP1 promoter in Asian wild-type EBV isolates. The following observations were made. (i) Three EBV LMP1 variants were identified, designated Chinese groups (CG) 1--3. In both EBV-associated HD and in healthy Chinese, CG1-like viruses showing del-LMP1 and XhoI-loss were predominant. (ii) CG1viruses were distinct from European and African variants, suggesting that this profile is useful for epidemiological studies. (iii) Specific patterns of mutations were present in the LMP1 promoter in both CG1 and CG2. (iv) The BamHI f variant was not found in Chinese HD, in contrast to Chinese NPC and European HD. This study confirms that EBV isolates in Chinese HD and other tumours differ from those reported in Western cases. However, this reflects the predominant virus strain present in the healthy Chinese population, suggesting that these are geographically restricted polymorphisms rather than tumour-specific strains.

To investigate the relationship between IUD-induced menorrhagia and spiral arteriolar function, we examined the endometrium under light and electron microscope on samples obtained within 24 hours after the onset of premenstrual spotting. These samples included an IUD bleeding group (20 cases), an IUD non-bleeding group (20 cases) and an IUD non-user group (10 cases) as controls. Compared with the IUD non-user group the degenerative changes of spiral arteriolar wall were more severe and dilation of the spiral arteriolar lumen was more obvious, especially in the spongeous layer. In the IUD non-user group these changes were mild, suggesting that IUD-induced menorrhagia might be correlated with poor contractility of spiral arterioles in the spongeous layer.

Forty-two cases of Chinese T-cell lymphoma were studied for expression of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded RNA (EBER-1) and EBV latent membrane protein-1 (LMP-1) using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. EBV was detected in tumour cells in 24/39 peripheral T-cell lymphomas (62%), comprising 18/27 pleomorphic, medium and large cell lymphomas (67%), 4/6 angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy-like lymphomas (67%), 2/2 Lennert's lymphomas, 0/2 anaplastic large cell lymphomas, and 0/2 T-zone lymphomas. EBV was not found in three T-lymphoblastic lymphomas. EBV was associated with 12/24 nodal (50%) compared with 12/15 extranodal (80%) peripheral T-cell lymphomas. In EBV positive nodal lymphomas, 9/12 cases (75%) contained less than 10% EBER positive tumour cells. In EBV positive extranodal lymphomas, 9/11 cases (82%) showed EBV gene expression in more than 50% of the tumour cells, and in five of these almost all tumour cells were positive. Lymphomas of the nasopharynx (mainly midline granuloma-type) showed EBER-1 expression in nearly all tumour cells. LMP-1 was detected in 19/23 EBER positive peripheral T-cell lymphomas (83%). Our results show that EBV is strongly associated with peripheral T-cell lymphomas in Chinese. An important role for the virus is suggested in lymphomas of the nasopharynx. The significance of EBV in T-cell lymphomas that contain only a minor population of virally infected tumour cells is currently unclear.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can be detected in Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells in about one-half of cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in Western countries. To determine whether EBV is also associated with HD in a developing country such as China, we studied paraffin sections from 28 Chinese cases of HD for expression of latent membrane protein-I (LMP-I) and EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER-I), using immuno-histology and RNA/RNA in situ hybridization respectively. The cases were selected from a large series of Chinese lymphomas following histological and immunophenotypical revision. EBV gene expression was found in HRS cells in 17/28 cases, and was related to histological sub-type, being present in 10/11 of mixed cellularity, 6/14 nodular sclerosis, 0/1 lymphocytic predominance, 0/1 lymphocytic depletion, and 1/1 unclassified HD. The 2 methods for detecting EBV gene expression gave similar results, except in one case of nodular sclerosis, in which HRS cells were negative for EBER-I, but weakly positive for LMP-I. In 5/12 cases with EBER-negative HRS cells, rare small or medium-sized lymphocytes expressed EBER-I but not LMP-I. These results suggest that (i) Chinese HD is frequently associated with EBV; (ii) the proportional frequency and sub-type distribution of EBV-positive HD are similar in China and in the West; (iii) both LMP-I immunohistology and EBER in situ hybridization reliably detect EBV in HRS cells in routine biopsies, but the former is simpler and less resource-consuming to perform.

Hematopathologists sometimes rely upon the "monoclonality" of immunoglobulin light chains of B-cells as an indicator of malignancy in lymph node biopsies. The validity of using the ratio of kappa to lambda light chains for defining monoclonality has not been statistically established, however. We examined with flow cytometry 57 unequivocal B-cell lymphomas and 49 benign lymphoid hyperplasias. Our purpose was to define and study the optimal numerical criteria for discriminating between B-cell lymphomas and benign hyperplasia on the basis of the kappa:lambda ratio. The data indicate that ratios less than .7 or greater than 5.5 are the optimum for discriminating between lymphoma and benign hyperplasia, but they have a false negative rate of approximately 27% and a 6% false positive rate. The reasons for the relatively low sensitivity are discussed. We conclude that kappa:lambda ratios are a fairly specific but insensitive parameter for distinguishing between B-cell lymphoma and benign lymphoid hyperplasia.