Meta-analysis of Circulating Tumor Cells as a Prognostic Marker in Lung Cancer

Ma, Xue-Lei,Xiao, Zhi-Lan,Liu, Lei,Liu, Xiao-Xiao,Nie, Wen,Li, Ping,Chen, Nian-Yong,Wei, Yu-Quan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.4

Introduction: Recent studies have shown that circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play potential roles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers with various cancer types. The aim of this study was to comprehensively and quantitatively summarize the evidence for the use of CTCs to predict the survival outcome of lung cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Relevant literature was identified using Medline and EMBASE. Patients' clinical characteristics, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) together with CTC positive rates at different time points (before, during and after treatment) were extracted. A meta-analysis was performed to clarify the prognostic role of CTCs and the correlation between the CTC appearance and clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 12 articles containing survival outcomes and clinical characteristics and 15 articles containing only clinical characteristics were included for the global meta-analysis. The hazard ratio (HR) for OS predicted by pro-treatment CTCs was 2.61 [1.82, 3.74], while the HR for PFS was 2.37 [1.41, 3.99]. The HR for OS predicted by post-treatment CTCs was 4.19 [2.92, 6.00], while the HR for PFS was 4.97 [3.05, 8.11]. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to histological classification and detection method. Odds ratio (OR) showed the appearance of pro-treatment CTCs correlated with the lymph node status, distant metastasis, and TNM staging, while post-treatment CTCs correlated with TNM staging only. Conclusion: Detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood indicates a poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer.

Micro Galvanic Cell To Generate PtO and Extend the Triple-Phase Boundary during Self-Assembly of Pt/C and Nafion for Catalyst Layers of PEMFC

Long, Zhi,Gao, Liqin,Li, Yankai,Kang, Baotao,Lee, Jin Yong,Ge, Junjie,Liu, Changpeng,Ma, Shuhua,Jin, Zhao,Ai, Hongqi American Chemical Society 2017 ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES Vol.9 No.44

<P>The self-assembly powder (SAP) with varying Nafion content was synthesized and characterized by XRD, XPS, HRTEM, and mapping. It is observed that the oxygen from oxygen functional groups transfers to the surface of Pt and generate PtO during the process of self-assembly with the mechanism of micro galvanic cell, where Pt, carbon black, and Nafion act as the anode, cathode and electrolyte, respectively. The appearance of PtO on the surface of Pt leads to a turnover of Nafion structure, and therefore more hydrophilic sulfonic groups directly contact with Pt, and thus the triple-phase boundary (TPB) has been expanded.</P>

Effects of Cu²⁺ on alkaline phosphatase from <i>Macrobrachium rosenbergii</i>

Wang, Zhi-Jiang,Ma, Wenming,Yang, Jun-Mo,Kang, Yani,Park, Yong-Doo Elsevier 2018 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES Vol.117 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>To gain insight into the effect of Cu<SUP>2+</SUP> on the activity and structure of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) from <I>Macrobrachium rosenbergii</I>, the enzyme was purified using ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephacryl S-200, and DEAE anion exchange chromatography. We studied Cu<SUP>2+</SUP>-mediated inhibition and aggregation of ALP, and found that Cu<SUP>2+</SUP> significantly inactivated ALP activity with an <I>IC</I> <SUB>50</SUB> of 1.47 ± 0.02 mM. We further revealed that Cu<SUP>2+</SUP> reversibly inhibited ALP in a mixed-type manner with <I>K</I> <SUB>i</SUB> = 0.41 ± 0.02 mM. Time-interval kinetics showed that the inhibition followed first-order reaction kinetics. This process was associated with conformational changes and significant transient free-energy change. Spectrofluorometry results showed that Cu<SUP>2+</SUP> induced ALP tertiary structural changes, including the exposure of hydrophobic surfaces that directly induced ALP aggregation. The results provide new information regarding ALP from <I>M. rosenbergii</I>.</P>

Coenurosis of Yak, Bos grunniens, caused by Taenia multiceps: A Case Report with Molecular Identification in Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area, China

Xue-Yong Zhang,Ying-Na Jian,Hong Duo,Xiu-Ying Shen,Yi-Juan Ma,Yong Fu,Zhi-Hong Guo 대한기생충학ㆍ열대의학회 2019 The Korean Journal of Parasitology Vol.57 No.4

Coenurosis is an important zoonotic helminthic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia multiceps. This parasite typically infects the brain of the intermediate hosts, including sheep, goat, cattle and even hu- mans. We report a case of T. multiceps infection in a yak confirmed by clinical symptoms, morphological characteristics, and molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The coenurus was thin-walled, whitish, and spherical in shape with a diameter of 10 cm. The parasite species was identified as T. multiceps by PCR amplification and sequencing of the 18S rRNA, cox1 and nad1 genes. Three gene sequences all showed high homology (all above 97%) with the reference sequences from different hosts. Moreover, phylogenetic reconstructions with the 3 published Taenia gene sequences confirmed that the Qinghai yak isolate was closely related to T. multiceps. Although there are advanced diagnosis and treatment meth- ods for coenurosis, early infection is difficult to diagnose. Importantly, the findings of yak infection case should not be ig- nored due to its zoonotic potential.

CLOCK and BMAL1 stabilize and activate RHOA to promote F-actin formation in cancer cells

Teng-jiao Ma,Zhi-wei Zhang,Yilu Lu,Ying-ying Zhang,Da-chang Tao,Yun-qiang Liu,Yong-xin Ma 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Circadian genes control most of the physiological functions in cancer cells, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The CLOCK and BMAL1 complex plays a central role in circadian rhythms. Previous studies have shown that circadian genes may act as oncogenes or tumor-suppressor genes. In addition, F-actin, regulated by RHOA, has been shown to participate in tumor progression. However, the roles of the CLOCK and BMAL1 genes in the regulation of tumor progression via the RHOA-ROCK-CFL pathway remain largely unclear. Here we first indicate that the rearrangement of F-actin is regulated by CLOCK and BMAL1. We found that CLOCK and BMAL1 can upregulate RHOA expression by inhibiting CUL3-mediated ubiquitination and activate RHOA by reducing the interaction between RHOA and RhoGDI. Consequently, CLOCK and BMAL1 control the expression of the components of the RHOA-ROCK-CFL pathway, which alters the dynamics of F-actin/G-actin turnover and promotes cancer cell proliferation, migration,

Magnetic Resonance Venography Findings of Obstructed Hepatic Veins and the Inferior Vena Cava in Patients with Budd-Chiari Syndrome

Ru-Xin Song,Shi-Feng Cai,Shuang Ma,Zhi-Ling Liu,Yong-Hao Gai,Chun-Qing Zhang,Guang-Chuan Wang 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.3

Objective: This study aimed to illustrate the magnetic resonance venography (MRV) manifestations of obstructed hepatic veins (HVs), the inferior vena cava (IVC), and accessory hepatic veins (AHVs) in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and to evaluate the visualization capacity of MRV in the diagnosis of BCS. Materials and Methods: Fifty-two patients with chronic BCS were included in this study. All patients were examined via MRV performed with a 3T system following injections of gadolinium-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) or Gdethoxibenzyl-DTPA. HV and IVC lesions were classified, and their characteristics were described. HV cord-like occlusions detected via MRV were compared using ultrasonography (US). Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed as a contrast in the MRV detection of IVC lesions. The HVs draining collaterals, mainly AHVs, were carefully observed. HV lesions were classified as segmental stenosis, segmental occlusion, membranous stenosis, membranous occlusion, cord-like occlusion, or non-visualized. Except for patent IVCs, IVC lesions were classified as segmental occlusion, segmental stenosis, membranous occlusion, membranous stenosis, and hepatomegaly-induced stenosis. Results: All patients (52/52, 100%) showed HV lesions of different degrees. MRV was inferior to US in detecting cord-like occlusions (6 vs. 19, χ2 = 11.077, p < 0.001). Dilated AHVs, including 50 (50/52, 96.2%) caudate lobe veins and 37 (37/52, 71.2%) inferior HV and AHV lesions, were well-detected. There were no significant differences in detecting segmental lesions and thrombosis between MRV and DSA (χ2 = 0.000, p1 = 1.000, p2 = 1.000). The capacity of MRV to detect membranous lesions was inferior to that of DSA (7 vs. 15, χ2 = 6.125, p = 0.013). Conclusion: In patients with BCS, MRV can clearly display the lesions in HVs and the IVC, as well as in AHVs, and it has diagnostic and therapeutic value.

DNA methylation comparison between 4-day-old queen and worker larvae of honey bee

Yuanyuan Shi,Hao Liu,Ya Feng Qiu,Zhi Yong Ma,Zhijiang Zeng 한국응용곤충학회 2017 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.20 No.1

The honey bee is a social insect that is famous for queen-worker differentiation. Numerous studies indicate that queen larvae (QL) and worker larvae (WL) have different expressed genes and proteins. DNA methylation has been found to play an important role in regulating gene expression. To further explore the roles of the methylated genes in queen-worker differentiation, we analyzed DNA methylome profiles of 4-day-old QL and WL (Apis mellifera). The results demonstrated that therewere 7.2 gigabases of sequence data fromsix methylated DNA immunoprecipitation libraries, and provided a genome-wide DNA methylation map as well as a gene expression map for 4-day-old QL andWL. The genome coverage of every samplewas 4.79. According to CpG representation, all promoters in the A. mellifera genome were classified into high CpG promoters, intermediate CpG promoters and low CpG promoters. The methylated cytosines of larvae were enriched in introns, followed by coding sequence regions, 2 K downstream of genes, 5′ untranslated regions (UTRs), 2 K upstream of genes, and 3′ UTRs. Compared with 4-day-oldWL, a number of genes in QL were down-methylated that were involved in biological regulation, immune system and metabolic regulation. In addition, these DMGs were involved in many signal pathways of caste differentiation such as Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Notch, Insulin andWnt signaling pathways.

Genetic Variants of NBS1 Predict Clinical Outcome of Platinum-based Chemotherapy in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Chinese

Xu, Jia-Li,Hu, Ling-Min,Huang, Ming-De,Zhao, Wan,Yin, Yong-Mei,Hu, Zhi-Bin,Ma, Hong-Xia,Shen, Hong-Bing,Shu, Yong-Qian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Objective: NBS1 plays a key role in the repair of DNA double-strand break (DSB). We conducted this study to investigate the effect of two critical polymorphisms (rs1805794 and rs13312840) in NBS1 on treatment response and prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods: Using TaqMan methods, we genotyped the two polymorphisms in 147 NSCLC patients. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidential intervals (CIs) were calculated as a measure of difference in the response rate of platinum-based chemotherapy using logistic regression analysis. The Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to assess the differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Cox proportional hazards model was applied to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) for PFS and OS. Results: Neither of the two polymorphisms was significantly associated with treatment response of platinum-based chemotherapy. However, patients carrying the rs1805794 CC variant genotype had a significantly improved PFS compared to those with GG genotype (16.0 vs. 8.0 months, P = 0.040). Multivariable cox regression analysis further showed that rs1805974 was a significantly favorable prognostic factor for PFS [CC/CG vs. GG: Adjusted HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.39-0.99; CC vs. CG/GG: Adjusted HR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97). Similarly, rs13312840 with a small sample size also showed a significant association with PFS (CC vs. CT/TT: Adjusted HR = 25.62, 95% CI: 1.53-428.39). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that NBS1 polymorphisms may be genetic biomarkers for NSCLC prognosis especially PFS with platinum-based chemotherapy in the Chinese population.

Clinical Profles and Short-Term Outcomes of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis in Adult Chinese Patients

Hong-Qi Yang,Wen-Cong Zhao,Wei-Min Yang,Yong-Li Li,Zhi-Kun Sun,Shuai Chen,Wei Li,Jian-Jun Ma 대한신경과학회 2016 Journal of Clinical Neurology Vol.12 No.3

Background and PurposezzAcute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an infammatory demyelinating disorder that predominantly afects children. Previous studies have mostly involved children in Western developed countries. MethodszzTis study retrospectively reviewed the clinical profles of ADEM in adult Chinese patients. ResultszzADEM occurred during summer and autumn in about two-thirds of the 42 included patients. Prior infection was found in fve patients and no preimmunization was recorded. Te most frequent clinical presentations were alterations in consciousness (79%) and behavior changes (69%), followed by motor defcits (64%) and fever (50%). About one-quarter (26%) of the patients showed positive results for oligoclonal bands, and about half of them exhibited increases in the IgG index and 24-hour IgG synthesis rate. Magnetic resonance imaging showed white- and gray-matter lesions in 83% and 23% of the patients, respectively. Steroids were the main treatment, and full recovery occurred in 62% of the patients, with residual focal neurological defcits recorded in a few patients. Afer a mean follow-up period of 3.4 years, two patients exhibited recurrence and one patient exhibited a multiphasic course. One patient was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). ConclusionszzWith the exception of the seasonal distribution pattern and prior vaccine rate, the clinical profles of ADEM in adult Chinese patients are similar to those in pediatric populations. No specifc markers are available for distinguishing ADEM from MS at the initial presentation. Careful clinical evaluations, cerebrospinal fuid measurements, and neuroradiological examinations with long-term follow-up will aid the correct diagnosis of ADEM.

Study on molten salt oxidation process of simulated Co doped cation exchange resins

Yun Xue,Yue-Lin Wang,Yu Li,Wen-Da Xu,Fu-Qiu Ma,Yang-Hai Zheng,Qing-Guo Zhang,Zhi Zhang,Mi-lin Zhang,Yong-De Yan 한국공업화학회 2023 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.126 No.-

Cation exchange resins (CERs) are widely applied to purify waste liquids generated during the operationof nuclear reactors. The radioactive nuclides 60Co and 58Co are important corrosion activation products inreactor cooling water. In this study, the simulated Co doped CERs were oxidized with ternary carbonate. According to the thermogravimetric analysis (TG), the decomposition of Co doped CERs includes threeprocesses: 1. Elimination of the osmotic water; 2. Pyrolysis of sulfonic acid group; 3. Destruction of styrene–divinylbenzene copolymer. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns indicate that sulfur mainly exists inthe form of sulfate in waste salt. The Co2+ undergoes the path of CoS2 ? Co3O4 with the increase of temperatureand the transition point is 650 C. Combined with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR)spectra and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, sulfonic acid groups begin to decomposeat 350 C. During the molten salt oxidation process, most of the sulfur in sulfonic acid groups is entrappedby carbonate as the form of sulfate, and a little of which remains as sulfone group, sulfoxide group andsulfur bridge in residue. When the resins are oxidized at 800 C, the retention rate of Co2+ is 97.3%, indicatingthat the molten salt oxidation can effectively remain Co2+ and convert it into a more stablesubstance.