Prognostic significance of DNA flow cytometric analysis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a prevalent malignant tumor among Southern Chinese. Previously, the authors described the prognostic significance of a serum antibody assay to a recombinant Epstein-Barr virus Bam HI-Z replication activator protein (ZEBRA) in NPC patients with long term follow-up. In this study, the authors further reported the use of DNA flow cytometry (DNA-FCM) as an additional technique for determining the prognosis of NPC patients in the same series. METHODS: One hundred and forty-three archival biopsies from 110 NPC patients were deparaffinized and subjected to DNA-FCM analysis. DNA ploidy state and various proliferative indices (PI) of the tumors were correlated with patient survival and frequency of recurrence. RESULTS: Among the biopsies analyzed, 119 were histologically positive NPC and 24 were negative. Fifty-one tumor biopsies that fulfilled the guideline criteria of the DNA Cytometry Consensus Conference were correlated with the clinical manifestations of the patients. Among them, 43 tumors (84%) were DNA diploid and 8 (16%) were aneuploid. Two PI, S-phase fraction (SPF) and proliferation fraction (PF), appear to be potentially useful prognostic indicators. For example, PF in patients who developed locoregional recurrence (15.1%) and distant recurrence (16.4%) after radiation therapy both were significantly higher than PF in patients who were in complete remission (8.2%) (P = 0.0005 and P = 0.004, respectively). Significant differences in SPF between patients with distant recurrence (10.6%) and those in remission (5.7%) also was found (P = 0.005). Using Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with high PF, high SPF, and aneuploid tumors had significantly poorer 12-year survival rates (35%, 26%, and 28%, respectively) than those patients with low PF, low SPF, and diploid tumors (77%, 67%, and 59%, respectively) (P < 0.0009, P < 0.004, and P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Determination of tumor PI and DNA ploidy state by DNA-FCM at diagnosis of NPC can be potentially useful in selecting a poor prognostic subgroup of NPC patients. These parameters may enable oncologists to plan for more stringent treatment strategies such as hyperfractionated and accelerated radiation therapy or concomitant chemoradiotherapy for these patients.     

Somatomedin-C in infantile nutritional assessment with comparison with prealbumin, insulin and growth hormone

Long-term effects of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are not at all satisfactory. Therefore combinations of different substances have long been studied. But no convincing recommendations could be derived from those results. Some combinations seem to be more effective than the single substances, but often have more side-effects. First of all, those types of rheumatoid arthritis must be defined which require an aggressive therapy. These may profit from combinations with sulfasalazine, methotrexate or azathioprine. But such questions may only be answered by long-term studies which can be statistically evaluated.     

屏蔽暂堵技术中暂堵剂粒径的优化选择

保护油层的屏蔽暂堵技术在现场上已广泛应用，但应用过程中由于暂堵剂粒径不合理等因素的影响，经常达不到预期效果。通过大量实验研究，得出了暂堵剂粒径与储层孔隙的最佳匹配原理，这为屏蔽暂堵技术的正确应用提供了科学依据，临南油田的现场实践证明该项实验研究具有较高的应用价值。     

In vitro and in vivo growth inhibition of cancer cells by adamantylmaleimide derivatives

We have previously found that adamantylmaleimide derivatives inhibited the growth of several cancer cell lines in vitro. In this study we examined the effect of adamantylmaleimide derivatives on the in vivo and in vitro growth of human gastric cancer cells. Experimental results showed that N-1-adamantylmaleimide (AMI) and N-1-(3,5-dimethyladamantyl)maleimide (DMAMI) exert modest growth inhibitory activities in vitro against five different cancer cell lines. In contrast, N-1-(3,5-dimethyl-adamantyl)maleamic acid (DMAMA), N-1-adamantylmaleamic acid (AMA) and N-1-adamantylsuccinimide (ASI) were virtually inactive. These results suggest that the double bond of N-substituted maleimide plays a prominent role in their antitumor activities. Further analysis with flow cytometry showed an accumulation of apoptotic SC-M1 cells after treatment with 3-10 microM AMI or 5-20 microM DMAMI for up to 72 h. DNA fragmentation by gel electrophoresis confirmed that AMI- and DMAMI- induced cytotoxicity led to cell apoptosis. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that treating cells with AMI (> or = 10 microM) for 24 h, significantly changed the morphology of SC-M1 cells, i.e. they had an irregular flat shape and the cell membrane was porous. The AMI-induced morphological changes of the cell membrane may lead to apoptosis of SC-M1 cells. AMI-induced growth inhibition was observed in vivo using SCID mice bearing SC-M1 tumors. The AMI-induced growth inhibition of SC-M1 tumor was dose-dependent.     

Structure and function of immunoglobulin domains. V. Binding, University of immunoglobulin G and fragments to placental membrane preparations

Fc receptors have been shown to be present in human placental tissue with properties distinct from those on macrophages and lymphocytes. A single class of receptor was observed with an intrinsic affinity 4X 10(6) M-(1) for human IgG1. The order of affinity for IgG subclasses was IgG1 = IGG1 greater than IgG3 greater than IgG4. IgA and IgM were not bound. Fc from IgG1 bound with the same affinity as the whole molecule and to the same number of receptor sites, 2 X 10 (12)/mg placental protein. IgG1 was no longer boung after mild reduction and alkylation whereas the binding of Fc was unaffected by this treatment. Neithe C3 nor C3, the two domains which comprise the Fc region of IgG1, bound to the placental receptor. This implies that this Fc receptor is unlike those found on most cell surfaces and that plasental binding is an exception to the theory that each domain has evoked to perform independent functions.