Combination of Tumor Volume and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Improved Prognostic Stratification of Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Era: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

Qiu-Yan Chen,Shao-Yan Guo,Lin-Quan Tang,Tong-Yu Lu,Bo-Lin Chen,Qi-Yu Zhong,Meng-Sha Zou,Qing-Nan Tang,Wen-Hui Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Li-Ting Liu,Yang Li,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Rui Sun,Dong-Hua Luo,Chong Zha 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. Materials and Methods By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. Results Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. Conclusion Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.

Realistic FDTD Simulations of Plasmonic Properties on Ag Columnar Thin Films as SERS Biosensor

Yan-Juan Liao,Jing-Nan Huang,Jia-Yang Guo,Shao-Ji Jiang 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2016 NANO Vol.11 No.10

Noble metal sculptured thin films are of great interest during last decade as excellent surfaceenhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates due to remarkable plasmonic properties in the visible and near-infrared range. In this work, Ag columnar thin films (Ag-CTFs) have been prepared by the glancing angle deposition technique. Finite-difference time-domain simulations has been utilized to study plasmonic properties of Ag-CTFs with a more accurate model based on binary scanning electron microscope (SEM) images by taking account of the shape irregularities, size distributions and random arrangement. The calculated absorption spectra based on the model of binarized SEM images show the best agreement with the measured spectra compared with models of periodic array with a regular shape. The near-field plasmonic properties are simulated based on the verified model. The distributions of electric field enhancement and hot spots are confirmed to be spectral and polarization dependent. There are multiple resonance peaks from visible to near-infrared and multiple eigenmodes coexist at the same wavelength and electric field enhancement are mainly excited by the polarized light vertical to the gap orientation. The electric field enhancement is found to distribute unevenly in the films with surface-localized feature. The equations to calculate the simulation SERS enhancement factor (EF) and total number of hot spots (tHN) are modified according to the above discussions. The experimental SERS EFs are on the order of 107 – 108 , which indicates the high sensitivity of the films and the simulation SERS EFs and tHNs show good agreement with the experimental EFs. It is found that the SERS performance of Ag-CTFs is decided by both the cross-section structural characteristics and film thickness, which affect the electric filed enhancement and number of adsorbed molecules, respectively. Our work could be helpful in understanding the SERS mechanism and useful to the optimization of metal sculptured thin films for designing SERS biosensor.

Downregulated MicroRNA-133a in Gastric Juice as a Clinicopathological Biomarker for Gastric Cancer Screening

Shao, Juan,Fang, Peng-Hua,He, Biao,Guo, Li-Li,Shi, Ming-Yi,Zhu, Yan,Bo, Ping,Zhang, Zhen-Wen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.5

Circulatory miR-133a is a marker shared by several types of cancer. In this study we evaluated the feasibility of using miR-133a levels in gastric juice to screen for gastric cancer. A total of 204 samples of gastric juice and mucosa from gastric cancer, atrophic gastritis, gastric ulcer, superficial gastritis and healthy cases were collected by gastroscopy. The results showed that miR-133a levels in gastric juice and carcinoma tissues of patients with gastric cancer were significantly downregulated and positively correlated. Moreover, miR-133a in gastric juice has high operability, high reliability, high sensitivity, high specificity and relative stability, fit for clinical diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Free Communications : P2 ; The Mutual Impact of Damaged Skin Barrier and Colonization of Staphylococcus Aureus

( Yan Wu ),( Jian Mei Guo ),( Nan Sun ),( Shao Min Zhong ),( Rong Tao ) 한국피부장벽학회 2013 한국피부장벽학회지 Vol.15 No.2

The atopic dermatitis is characterized by disruption of skin barrier and colonization of S.aureus. However, the mutual impact of damaged skin barrier and increased S.aureus has not been fully elucidated. Here we used the SKH-1 hairless mice to establish acute barrier dysfunction model and evaluated the mutual impact of damaged skin barrier function and colonization of S.aureus. Skin barrier was destroyed by repeat tape-stripping. Then 36 SKH-1 mice were divided into 6 groups, namely the control group, barrier impaired group, S. aureus inoculated group, barrier impaired +S. aureus inoculated group, “wrapping group” (referred to barrier impaired +wrapping+S. aureus inoculation) and “moisturizing group” (referred to barrier impaired + moisturizer + S. aureus). S. aureus on the skin were collected after 24 hours for verification and quantify. The physiological parameters related to skin barrier were detected before and immediately after impairing of barrier function, after wrapping/moisturizing, 4 hours and 24 hours after inoculation of S. aureus. In this study, we found that There was a little S. aureus grown on intact skin in only inoculation group, while the number of S. aureus in impaired barrier group increased dramatically (P<0.05); the colonization of S. aureus in both wrapping and moisturizing group decreased obviously compared with the barrier impaired group (P <0.05), Fig1, which mean that restoring the barrier function could greatly reduced the colonization of S. aureus. On the other hand the colonization of S. aureus on impaired barrier could inhibit the recovery of skin barrier function, with higher pH and TEWL compared with other groups in similar time points(P<0.05). The wrapping and moisturizing may eliminate the suppression of barrier function recovery caused by inoculation of S. aureus, Fig 2.

Preparation, self-assembly and performance modulation of gold nanoparticles decorated ferrocene-containing hybrid block copolymer multifunctional materials

Jian-Guo Zhang,Xue-Yin Zhang,Hua Yu,Yan-Ling Luo,Feng Xu,Ya-Shao Chen 한국공업화학회 2018 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.65 No.-

Gold nanoparticles decorated stimuli-responsive copolymer hybrids, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl ferrocenecarboxylate)-block-poly(N-isopropylacryamide) decorated with gold nanoparticles, were synthesized through two-step successive RAFT and ensuing in-situ reduction. The hybrids could self-assemble into interesting micelle structures from globular, wormlike to rodlike shapes by altering the quality and compositions of solvents and ionic strength, and exhibited multifunctionality including quasi-reversible electrochemical behavior, redox-stress responsiveness and temperature sensitivity. The physicochemical and electrochemical properties were modulated by tailor-making the system compositions and redox reaction. The copolymer hybrids were expected to broaden their applications in nanobiomedicine including targeted drug carriers and magnetic resonance imaging, optical, electrochemical catalyst, optoelectronics and sensors etc.

Neuregulin-1 promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation of genetically engineered embryonic stem cell clones

( Zhi Wang ),( Guo Tong Xu ),( Ya Lan Wu ),( Shao Wen Liu ),( Bao Gui Sun ),( Qiu Yan Dai ) 생화학분자생물학회 2008 BMB Reports Vol.41 No.10

Isoprenaline Induces Periostin Expression in Gastric Cancer

Lin Chen,Guo-Xiao Liu,Hong-Qing Xi,Xiao-Yan Sun,Zhi-Jun Geng,Shao-Wei Yang,Yan-Jie Lu,Bo Wei 연세대학교의과대학 2016 Yonsei medical journal Vol.57 No.3

Purpose: Periostin mediates critical steps in gastric cancer and is involved in various signaling pathways. However, the roles of periostin in promoting gastric cancer metastasis are not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance between periostinexpression and gastric cancer progression and the role of stress-related hormones in the regulation of cancer development and progression. Materials and Methods: Normal, cancerous and metastatic gastric tissues were collected from patients diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer. The in vivo expression of periostin was evaluated by in situ hybridization and immunofluorescent staining. Meanwhile,human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines MKN-45 and BGC-803 were used to detect the in vitro expression of periostin by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Results: Periostin is expressed in the stroma of the primary gastric tumors and metastases, but not in normal gastric tissue. In addition,we observed that periostin is located mainly in pericryptal fibroblasts, but not in the tumor cells, and strongly correlated to the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA). Furthermore, the distribution patterns of periostin were broader as the clinical staging of tumors progressed. We also identified a role of stress-related signaling in promoting cancer development and progression,and found that isoprenaline upregulated expression levels of periostin in gastric cancer cells. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the distribution pattern of periostin was broader as the clinical staging of the tumor progressedand found that isoprenaline upregulated expression levels of periostin in gastric cancer cells.

The Prognostic Value of Treatment-Related Lymphopenia in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients

Li-Ting Liu,Qiu-Yan Chen,Lin-Quan Tang,Shan-Shan Guo,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Ming-Yuan Chen,Chong Zhao,Xiang Guo,Chao-Nan Qian,Mu-Sheng Zeng,Jin-Xin Bei,Jing Tan,Shuai Chen,Ming-Huang Hong,Jian-Yong Shao 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.1

Purpose This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of treatment-related lymphopenia in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Materials and Methods A total of 413 consecutive stage II-IVb NPC patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) were enrolled. The overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences were compared using the log-rank test. Results A minimum (mini)–absolute lymphocyte counts (ALC) of < 390 cells/μL or ALC after 3 months of CCRT (post3m-ALC) < 705 cells/μL was significantly associated with worse outcome than mini-ALC ! 390 cells/μL (OS, p=0.002; PFS, p=0.005; DMFS, p=0.004) or post3m-ALC ! 705 cells/μL (OS, p < 0.001; PFS, p < 0.001; DMFS, p=0.001). Patients with lymphopenia (mini-ALC < 390 cells/μL and post3m-ALC < 705 cells/μL) had a worse prognosis than those without lymphopenia (mini-ALC ! 390 cells/μL and post3m-ALC ! 705 cells/μL) (OS, p < 0.001; PFS, p < 0.001; DMFS, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that post3m-ALC was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12 to 2.78; p=0.015), PFS (HR, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.82; p=0.003), and DMFS (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.13 to 3.08; p=0.014). Multivariate analysis also revealed that patients with lymphopenia had a high risk of death (HR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.75 to 8.19; p=0.001), disease progression (HR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.59 to 5.41; p=0.001), and distant metastasis (HR, 3.89; 95% CI, 1.67 to 9.10; p=0.002). Multivariate analysis performed with time dependent Cox regression demonstrated ALC was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR, 0.995; 95% CI, 0.991 to 0.999; p=0.025) and PFS (HR, 0.993; 95% CI, 0.988 to 0.998; p=0.006). Conclusion Treatment-related lymphopenia was a poor prognostic factor in NPC patients.

Relationship between EGFR Over-expression and Clinicopathologic Characteristics in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus: A Meta-analysis

Wang, Jun,Yu, Jin-Ming,Jing, Shao-Wu,Guo, Yin,Wu, Ya-Jing,Li, Na,Jiao, Wen-Peng,Wang, Li,Zhang, Yan-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Over-expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been identified as a common feature associated with clinical outcome in many types of cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus (SCCO). However, the clinical importance of EGFR over-expression in SCCO remains unsettled as conflicting results exist. Therefore we carried out the present meta-analysis of published studies for clarification. A total of 13 studies including 1, 150 patients were enrolled. EGFR over-expression was positive in 722 of these cases. With EGFR over-expression, patients had higher depth of invasion, vascular invasion, and poor prognosis. However, expression had no relation with degree of differentiation, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage or lymphatic invasion. EGFR over-expression is probably a valuable predictor for the T stage, vascular invasion and OS, and it could be used as a poor prognosis indicator for the esophageal SCC patients. Targeting therapy to EFGR should be considered to the combined treatment in SCCO.

Highly efficient and selective extraction of minor bioactive natural products using pure ionic liquids: Application to prenylated flavonoids in licorice

Shuai Ji,Yujie Wang,Shikai Gao,Xian Shao,Wei Cui,Yan Du,Mengzhe Guo,Daoquan Tang 한국공업화학회 2019 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.80 No.-

Lots of minor constituents in herbal medicines have shown great potential to devolve into leadcompounds, and their extraction is attracting more and more attention in pharmaceutical industry. Thisstudy provided an example that showed efficient and selective extraction of minor bioactive naturalproducts (prenylatedflavonoids with anti-cancer activities) from an herbal medicine (licorice) using pureionic liquids as green solvents. After investigation of a variety of hydrophobic ionic liquids withultrasonic-assisted extraction, we found that [C8MIM]BF4 (1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluor-oborate) was the most effective one for extraction offive representative compounds (isoangustone A,glycycoumarin, licoisoflavanone, licoricidin and glabridin), and solvent to solid ratio, extraction time,extraction temperature and soaking time were then optimized through single-factor experiments andresponse surface methodology. As a result, the established method had significantly higher extractionselectivity than conventional organic solvents, which could be attributed to significant physical change oflicorice microstructures after extraction, as well as strong interactions (especially hydrogen bondinteractions) between [C8MIM]BF4 and prenylatedflavonoids by mechanism study. In addition, 78.92% ofthe extracted prenylatedflavonoids could be readily recovered from [C8MIM]BF4 by using reversed-phasesolid phase extraction, and the recyclability of [C8MIM]BF4 was also confirmed.