Rapid Detection and Monitoring Therapeutic Efficacy of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Using a Novel Real-Time Assay

( Jiang Li Juan ),( Wen Juan Wu ),( Hai Wu ),( Son Sik Ryang ),( Jian Zhou ),( Wei Wu ),( Tao Li ),( Jian Guo ),( Hong Hai Wang ),( Shui Hua Lu ),( Yao Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2012 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.22 No.9

We combined real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR (R/P) assays using a hydrolysis probe to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC)-specific 16S rRNA and its rRNA gene (rDNA). The assay was applied to 28 nonrespiratory and 207 respiratory specimens from 218 patients. Total nucleic acids (including RNA and DNA) were extracted from samples, and results were considered positive if the repeat RT-PCR threshold cycle was ≤35 and the ratio of real-time RT-PCR and real-time PCR load was ≥1.51. The results were compared with those from existing methods, including smear, culture, and real-time PCR. Following resolution of the discrepant results between R/P assay and culture, the overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV) of all samples (including nonrespiratory and respiratory specimens) were 98.2%, 97.2%, 91.7%, and 99.4%, respectively, for R/P assay, and 83.9%, 89.9%, 72.3%, and 94.7%, respectively, for real-time PCR. Furthermore, the R/P assay of four patient samples showed a higher ratio before treatment than after several days of treatment. We conclude that the R/P assay is a rapid and accurate method for direct detection of MTBC, which can distinguish viable and nonviable MTBC, and thus may guide patient therapy and public health decisions.

Analysis on the Characteristics and Prognosis of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors

Wu, Bai-Shou,Hu, Yi,Sun, Jing,Wang, Jin-Liang,Wang, Peng,Dong, Wei-Wei,Tao, Hai-Tao,Gao, Wen-Juan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

Objective: To retrospectively review the clinical characteristics and analyze the prognostic factors of Chinese patients with pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors. Materials and Methods: The clinical data of 176 patients with pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors in Chinese PLA General Hospital from Mar., 2000 to Oct., 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. The parameters were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis, including the gender, age, smoking history, family history, TNM staging, localization (central or peripheral), tumor size, nodal status, histological subtype and treatment (operation or non-operation). Results: There were 23 patients with typical carcinoids (TC) (13.1%), 41 with atypical carcinoids (AC) (23.3%), 10 with large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) (5.7%) and 102 with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (57.9%). The median follow-up time was 64.5 months for AC, 38 months for LCNEC and 27 months for SCLC. The typical carcinoid censored data was 18 (more than 50% of the patients), so the median follow-up time was not obtained, and actuarial 5-year survivals for TC, AC, LCNEC and SCLC were 75.1%, 51.7%, 26.7% and 38.8%, respectively. COX univariate analysis revealed that the age (P=0.001), histological subtype (P=0.005), nodal status (P=0.000), treatment (P=0.000) and TNM staging (P=0.000) were the prognostic factors of the patients with pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors, whereas its multivariate analysis showed that only the age(P=0.001), TNM staging (P=0.002) and treatment (P=0.000) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Radical surgery remains the treatment of choice, and is the only curative option. The age, TNM staging and treatment are confirmed to be the independent prognostic factors in multivariable models for pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors.

Stress intensity factors for double-edged cracked steel beams strengthened with CFRP plates

Hai-Tao Wang,Gang Wu,Yu-Yang Pang,Habeeb M. Zakari 국제구조공학회 2019 Steel and Composite Structures, An International J Vol.33 No.5

This paper presents a theoretical and finite element (FE) study on the stress intensity factors of double-edged cracked steel beams strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates. By simplifying the tension flange of the steel beam using a steel plate in tension, the solutions obtained for the stress intensity factors of the double-edged cracked steel plate strengthened with CFRP plates were used to evaluate those of the steel beam specimens. The correction factor <i>α</i>₁ was modified based on the transformed section method, and an additional correction factor <i>φ</i> was introduced into the expressions. Threedimensional FE modeling was conducted to calculate the stress intensity factors. Numerous combinations of the specimen geometry, crack length, CFRP thickness and Young's modulus, adhesive thickness and shear modulus were analyzed. The numerical results were used to investigate the variations in the stress intensity factor and the additional correction factor <i>φ</i>. The proposed expressions are a function of applied stress, crack length, the ratio between the crack length and half the width of the tension flange, the stiffness ratio between the CFRP plate and tension flange, adhesive shear modulus and thickness. Finally, the proposed expressions were verified by comparing the theoretical and numerical results.

Structure and physicochemical properties of a new variety of purple rice (Oryza sativa L. indica) starch

Xiaoqi Tao,Qiqi Su,Hai Wu,Lei Zhan,Wei Huang,Jingshao Zheng,Qingling Zhong,Pei Chen 한국식품과학회 2023 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.32 No.6

The investigation of the structure and physicochemical properties of starch extracted from a new variety of purple rice was the aim of this study. Starch extracted from a new variety of purple rice named Tianzi No. 1 (PRS) is different in structure and physicochemical properties compared with waxy rice starch (WRS), japonica rice starch (JRS), and indica rice starch (IRS). PRS granules were diversified in shape, and the birefringence of starch particles were clearly observed. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy exhibited the degree of double helix and low short-range order structure of PRS differed from IRS, JRS and WRS. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that PRS presented a typical A-type XRD pattern and possessed lower crystallinity. Based on rheological experiment results, PRS had the highest apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″). According to textural experiments, PRS gels had higher textural paraments before and after retrogradation.

Genetic Diversity of mtDNA D-loop and Maternal Origin of Three Chinese Native Horse Breeds

Zhang, Tao,Lu, Hongzhao,Chen, Chen,Jiang, Hai,Wu, Sanqiao Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2012 Animal Bioscience Vol.25 No.7

In order to protect the genetic resource of native horse breeds, the genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop of three native horse breeds in western China were investigated. Forty-three 600 bp mtDNA D-loop sequences were analyzed by PCR and sequencing techniques, 33 unique haplotypes with 70 polymorphic sites were detected in these horses, which account for 11.67% of 600 bp sequence analyzed, showing the abundant genetic diversity of the three native horse breeds in western China. The Neighbour-Joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree based on 247 bp of 43 D-loop sequences demonstrated the presence of seven major lineages (A to G), indicating that the three native horse breeds in western China originated from multiple maternal origins. Consistent with the front, the NJ phylogenetic tree based on 600 bp of mtDNA D-loop sequences of 43 Chinese western native horses and 81 sequences of six horse breeds from GenBank indicated that the three horse breeds had distributed into the seven major lineages (A to G). The structure of the phylogenic tree is often blurred because the variation in a short segment of the mitochondrial genome is often accompanied by high levels of recurrent mutations. Consequently, longer D-loop sequences are helpful in achieving a higher level of molecular resolution in horses.

IL-12 Regulates B7-H1 Expression in Ovarian Cancer-associated Macrophages by Effects on NF-κB Signalling

Xiong, Hai-Yu,Ma, Ting-Ting,Wu, Bi-Tao,Lin, Yan,Tu, Zhi-Guang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Background and Aim: B7-H1, a co-inhibitory molecule of the B7 family, is found aberrantly expressed in ovarian cancer cells and infiltrating macrophage/dendritic-like cells, and plays a critical role in immune evasion by ovarian cancer. IL-12, an inducer of Th1 cell development, exerts immunomodulatory effects on ovarian cancer. However, whether IL-12 regulates B7-H1 expression in human ovarian cancer associated-macrophages has not been clarified. Therefore, we investigated the effects of IL-12 on the expression of B7-H1 in ovarian cancer-associated macrophages and possible mechanisms. Methods: PMA induced THP-1-derived macrophages or human monocyte-derived macrophages were treated with recombinant IL-12 (rIL-12) or infected with adenovirus carrying human IL-12 gene (Ad-IL-12-GFP) for 24 h, then cocultured with the SKOV3 ovarian cancer cell line for another 24 h. Macrophages were collected for real-time PCR and Western blot to detect the expression of B7-H1, and activation of the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway. Moreover, supernatants were collected to assay for IL-12, IFN-${\gamma}$ and IL-10 by ELISA. In addition, monocyte-derived macrophages treated with IFN-${\gamma}$ were cocultured with SKOV3 and determined for the expression of B7-H1. Furthermore, the expression of B7-H1 in monocyte-derived macrophages was also evaluated after blocking NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling. Results: The expression of B7-H1 was significantly upregulated in monocyte-derived macrophages treated with rIL-12 or Ad-IL-12-GFP compared with the control groups (p<0.05), accompanied by a remarkable upregulation of IFN-${\gamma}$ (p<0.05), a marked downregulation of IL-10 (p<0.05) and activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling. However, the upregulation of B7-H1 was inhibited by blocking the NF-${\kappa}B$ signaling pathway (p<0.05). Expression of B7-H1 was also increased (p<0.05) in monocyte-derived macrophages treated with IFN-${\gamma}$ and cocultured with SKOV3. By contrast, the expression of B7-H1 in THP-1-derived macrophages was significantly decreased when treated in the same way as monocyte-derived macrophages (p<0.05), and IL-10 was also significantly decreased but IFN-${\gamma}$ was almost absent. Conclusions: IL-12 upregulates the expression of B7-H1 in monocyte-derived macrophages, which is possible though inducing the secretion of IFN-${\gamma}$ and further activating the NF-${\kappa}B$ signal pathway. However, IL-12 downregulates the expression of B7-H1 in THP-1-derived macrophages, associated with a lack of IFN-${\gamma}$ and inhibition of expression of IL-10.

Diagnostic Performance of 68Gallium Labelled Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Staging the Prostate Cancer with Intermediate or High Risk Prior to Radical Prostatectomy:

Hui Wu,Ting Xu,Xiao Wang,Yong-Bo Yu,Zhong-Yuan Fan,Dan-Xia Li,Lei Luo,Xue-Cheng Yang,Wei Jiao,Hai-Tao Niu 대한남성과학회 2020 The World Journal of Men's Health Vol.38 No.2

Purpose: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of 68Gallium labelled prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (68Ga-PSMA PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for staging the lymph node metastases (LNMs) in the prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A broad search of scientific databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Database, and Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database (updated prior to November 1st, 2018) was conducted systematically by two reviewers. In this paper, we evaluated the methodological quality of each included article independently and performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to reveal the summary of the diagnostic performance of 68Ga-PSMA PET and MRI in properly identifying LNMs of intermediate- and/or high-risk prostate cancer.Results: Thirteen eligible articles comprising 1,597 patients were included. For LNMs detection, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of 68Ga-PSMA PET were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49–0.79) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88–0.97), respectively, while the corresponding values of MRI were 0.41 (95% CI: 0.26–0.57) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86–0.95). The area under the symmetric receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve for 68Ga-PSMA PET and MRI were 0.92 and 0.83, respectively. Conclusions: In intermediate- or high-risk pre-treatment prostate cancer, 68Ga-PSMA PET had a higher sensitivity and a slightly different specificity in probing the LNMs when comparing with MRI. Moreover, the area under the SROC curve indicated that 68Ga-PSMA PET was a more effective weapon for predicting the LNMs prior to radical surgery.

In Vivo Evaluation of Curcumin-loaded Nanoparticles in a A549 Xenograft Mice Model

Yin, Hai-Tao,Zhang, De-Geng,Wu, Xiao-Li,Huang, Xin-En,Chen, Gang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

Curcumin (Cum) has been reported to have potential chemo-preventive and chemotherapeutic activity through influencing various processes, inducing cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in a series of cancers. However, the poor solubility of Cum limits its further applications in the treatment of cancer. We have previously reported Cum-loaded nanoparticles (Cum-NPs) prepared with amphilic methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-polycaprolactone (mPEG-PCL) block copolymers. The current study demonstrated superior antitumor efficacy of Cum-NPs over free Cum in the treatment of lung cancer. In vivo evaluation further demonstrated superior anticancer effects of Cum-NPs by delaying tumor growth compared to free Cum in an established A549 transplanted mice model. Moreover, Cum-NPs showed little toxicity to normal tissues including bone marrow, liver and kidney at a therapeutic dose. These results suggest that Cum-NPs are effective to inhibit the growth of human lung cancer with little toxicity to normal tissues, and could provide a clinically useful therapeutic regimen. They thus merit more research to evaluate the feasibility of clinical application.

Laparoscopic left hepatectomy in swine: a safe and feasible technique

Hua Zhang,Tao Liu,Yue Wang,Hai-feng Liu,Jian-tao Zhang,Yan-shuang Wu,Lei Lei,Hong-bin Wang 대한수의학회 2014 JOURNAL OF VETERINARY SCIENCE Vol.15 No.3

A purely laparoscopic four-port approach was created forleft hepatectomy in pigs. A polyethylene loop was placed onthe left two hepatic lobes for traction and lift. Next,penetrating ligation of the lobes using of a double row of silksutures was performed to control bleeding. A direct hepatictransection was completed using a monopolar hook electrodewithout meticulous dissection of the left hepatic vein. Theraw surface of the liver was coagulated and sealed with fibringlue. Lobes were retrieved through an enlarged portal. Laparoscopic hepatic lobectomy was completed in all pigswithout the use of specialized instruments and with a meanoperative time of 179 ± 9 min. No significant perioperativecomplications were observed. The average weight of eachresected lobe was 180 ± 51 g. Complete blood count as well asserum organics and enzyme levels normalized after about 2weeks. During necropsy, adhesion of the hepatic raw surfaceto the gastric wall and omentum were observed. No otherabnormalities were identified. This minimally invasive lefthepatectomy technique in swine could serve as a usefulmodel for investigating liver diseases and regeneration, andoffer preclinical information to improve hepatobiliary surgical procedures.

Bevacizumab Concomitant with Chemotherapy is Effective in Treating Chinese Patients with Advanced Non-Squamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Sun, Jing,Hu, Yi,Wu, Bai-Shou,Wang, Jin-Liang,Tao, Hai-Tao,Zhang, Su-Jie Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Objectives: To retrospectively review the safety and clinical efficacy of bevacizumab concomitant with chemotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSNSCLC). Methods: Clinical data for 79 patients with NSNSCLC who received bevacizumab concomitant with chemotherapy in Chinese PLA General Hospital from April 28th 2009 to May 5th 2013 were retrospectively reviewed to analyze the clinical efficacy including disease control rate (DCR), overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score and the safety. Results: The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score was 0-2. By the final cutoff date (June 9, 2013), 54 (68.4%) patients had disease progression and 37 (46.8%) died. The ORR was 32.9% and the DCR was 83.5%. The ORR of the first-, second-, and third- or later-line treatments were 51.4%, 25.0% and 12.5%, while the DCR were 94.3%, 80.0% and 70.8%, respectively. The median OS (mOS) and PFS (mPFS) were 13.5 and 5.83 months, respectively. The mOS of patients with the first-, second-, and third- or later- line treatments were 16.2, 10.9 and 8.30 months, while the mPFS were 7.27, 5.90 and 5.17 months, respectively. Chemotherapy-related adverse events included myelosuppression, vomiting, hepatic dysfunction and renal dysfunction, while the common serious bevacizumab-related adverse events were thromboembolic problems, gastrointestinal perforation and reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, which could be well managed. Conclusions: Bevacizumab concomitant with chemotherapy is effective and the related toxicity can be well tolerated in Chinese patients with NSNSCLC.