Changes in rodent abundance and weather conditions potentially drive hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome outbreaks in Xi'an, China, 2005-2012.

Background: Increased risks for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) caused by Hantaan virus have been observed since 2005, in Xi'an, China. Despite increased vigilance and preparedness, HFRS outbreaks in 2010, 2011, and 2012 were larger than ever, with a total of 3,938 confirmed HFRS cases and 88 deaths in 2010 and 2011.

Methods And Findings: Data on HFRS cases and weather were collected monthly from 2005 to 2012, along with active rodent monitoring.

Hepatic angiomyolipoma mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma: magnetic resonance imaging and clinical pathological characteristics in 9 cases.

Hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML) is a rare mesenchymal tumor of the liver with marked histological diversity. The present study was to review the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical pathological features of HAML resembling hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nine patients who underwent surgical resection and had pathological diagnosis of HAML were retrospectively analyzed.

Hypomethylation of long interspersed nuclear element-1 promoter is associated with poor outcomes for curative resected hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Epigenetic alterations are well documented in hepatocarcinogenesis. However, hypomethylation of long interspersed nuclear element 1(LINE-1) promoter and its relationship with clinicopathological features in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) remain unknown.

Methods: The bisulfite-specific PCR and DNA sequencing analysis was performed to assess the methylation status of LINE-1 promoter in a pilot cohort of 71 patients with HCC.

Long interspersed nuclear element ORF-1 protein promotes proliferation and resistance to chemotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To clarify the specific roles and mechanisms of long interspersed nuclear element-1 ORF-1 protein [human long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1), ORF-1p] in chemotherapeutic drug resistance and cell proliferation regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells.

Methods: MTT assays were performed to identify the effect of the chemotherapeutic drug toxicity on HepG2 cells. Cell proliferation inhibition and the IC50 were calculated by the Origin 8.

High intratumoral metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 expression predicts poor outcomes of cryoablation therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Cryoablation is one of the local therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its safety and effect has not been studied in patients with Child class A or B and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C HCC. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) overexpression has been associated with poor prognosis of HCC, but its predictive value to post-cryoablation outcomes remains unknown in patients with BCLC stage C HCC.

Methods: This study assessed the safety and outcomes of cryoablation measured by time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS), and predictive value of MACC1 mRNA and protein overexpression in tumorous tissue to post-cryoablation outcomes in 120 advanced HCC patients with child-pugh class A or B by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical staining.

[Expression and clinical significance of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To clarify the expression and clinical significance of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The expression and distribution of MACC1 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) in a cohort of hepatitis B virus-related HCC, including 138 in early (A), 96 in intermediate (B) and 120 in advanced stages (C). The association of MACC1 mRNA with disease progression and outcomes was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox analysis.

Tumour seeding after percutaneous cryoablation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To assess the rate and risk factors for tumour seeding in a large cohort of patients.

Methods: Over an 8-year period, 1436 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with 2423 tumour nodules underwent 3015 image-guided percutaneous cryoablation sessions [1215 guided by ultrasonography and 221 by spiral computed tomography (CT)]. Follow-up CT or magnetic resonance imaging was performed every 3 mo.

Overexpression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 predicts a poor outcome of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the intratumoral expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) and c-Met and determine their clinical values associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: A retrospective study admitted three hundred fifty-four patients with HBV-related HCC. The expression and distribution of MACC1 and c-Met were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry staining.

[Long term epidemiological effects of vaccination on hemorrhagical fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in Shaanxi provincial HFRS epidemic areas].

Objective: To evaluate the protective rate and the variation of HFRS-IgG on hemorrhagical fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) vaccine.

Methods: Cluster, random sampling and cross-sectional study were used to assess the protective rate of HFRS vaccination. Level of HFRS-IgG was detected with ELISA in epidemic and non-epidemic areas of HFRS.

Feasibility study of secure closure of gastric fundus perforation using over-the-scope clips in a dog model.

Background And Aim: Gastric fundus perforation is a serious complication of endoscopic mucosal resection and endoscopic submucosal dissection performed for the removal of early gastric cancers or subepithelial tumors. The novel over-the-scope clip (OTSC) has recently been found to be effective for closing gastrointestinal-tract perforations and accesses for natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery. However, feasibility studies of OTSCs in gastric fundus perforation are still lacking.

Decrease in size of non-treated lesions after cryoablation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

We present the case of one 58-year-old man with advancd hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatitis-B virus-related liver cirrhosis who received hepatic cryoablation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple liver tumors and the diameter of the largest tumor was more than 10cm. The patient received 2 percutaneous cryoablations in December 2009 and January 2010.

Upregulation of circulating PD-L1/PD-1 is associated with poor post-cryoablation prognosis in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The programmed cell death-1 receptor/programmed cell death-1 ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) pathway plays a crucial role in tumor evasion from host immunity. This study was designed to evaluate the association between circulating PD-L1/PD-1 and prognosis after cryoablation in patients with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methodology/principal Findings: In the present study, 141 HBV-related HCC patients were enrolled and of those 109 patients received cryoablation.

[Hepatitis B virus X protein inhibits hepatoma cell growth in vitro through p14(ARF)-dependent and p14(ARF)-independent pathways].

Objective: To explore the effects of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) on hepatoma cell growth through p14(ARF)-dependent and p14(ARF)-independent pathways.

Methods: HBx and p14(ARF) were transfected either separately or in combination into HepG2 cells containing wt-p53 but not expressing p14(ARF). The cells were divided into 4 groups, namely pcDNA3 (control), pcDNA3HBx, pcDNA3p14(ARF), and pcDNA3HBx + pcDNA3p14(ARF) groups.

Comparative study on overexpression of HER2/neu and HER3 in gastric cancer.

Background: Owing to the special importance of the HER family in tumorigenesis, the downstream signaling pathways and effectors have become the key molecules in the strategy of carcinoma-targeted therapy. Recent evidence that HER3 is responsible for tumor resistance to therapeutic agents targeting EGFR or HER2/neu, along with the new findings that HER3 is involved in the process of dedifferentiation of gastric cancer (GC) have highlighted the critical role of HER3 in cancer research. HER3 is becoming a new targeted molecule in cancer treatment.

Identification of genes upregulated by recombinant interferon-alpha in HepG2 cells by suppressive subtractive hybridization analysis.

Background: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an important cytokine with multiple functions, but the target genes transactivated by IFN-alpha remain largely unknown. A study of such genes will help to understand the mechanism of function of IFN-alpha. To isolate the gene transcripts specifically upregulated by IFN-alpha in HepG2 cells, we conducted suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) analysis.

[Screening and identification of proteins interacting with HCV NS4A via yeast double hybridization in leukocytes and gene cloning of the interacting protein].

Objective: To screen proteins interacting with HCV NS4A protein in leukocytes by yeast-double hybridization.

Methods: The bait plasmid pGBKT7-NS4A was transformed into yeast AH109 was transformed, and the expressing of the fusion protein was identified by SDS-page. The transformed yeast was mated with yeast Y187 containing leukocytes cDNA library plasmid in 2xYPDA medium.

[Hepatitis B virus and deletion of its COOH-terminal forty amino acids: proliferative impact on hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721].

Objective: To explore the biological impact of 40 amino acid deletion at the C-terminal of hepatitis B virus X on the proliferation of hepatoma cells.

Methods: Cells of SMMC-7721 hepatoma cell line were transfected with HBx and its derivative HBx3'-40, harboring the 40 amino acid deletion at the distal C-terminal region. Cell growth curve, colony formation in soft agar plate and tumorigenesis assay in nude mice were used to observe the alterations induced by the transfection of HBx and HBx3'-40.

Effects of hepatitis B virus on p53 expression in hepatoma cell line SMMU-7721.

Aim: To investigate the contribution of HBV in the development of hepatocarcinoma by examining the effects of HBV on p53 function in SMMU-7721 cell line.

Methods: Plasmid pCMVp53 was transfected or cotransfected with pCMVHBVa (wild-type HBV) or PCMVHBVb (mutation type HBV) into the hepatoma cell line SMMU-7721 by lipofectamine. Apoptosis cells were labeled with annexin V-FITC and confirmed by flow cytometry.

[Study of the down-regulating effect of hepatitis C virus NS5A protein on NACA promoter].

Objective: To investigate the effect of hepatitis C virus (HCV) non-structure protein NS5A on the activity of calcium-regulating protein alpha subunit of nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NACA) promoter.

Methods: HepG2 cell plasmid pCAT3-NACA, containing NACA promoter, was transfected alone or cotransfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-NS5A, and chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) enzyme activity was assayed by enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).

[Screening of binding proteins to interferon-alpha promoter DNA by phage display technique].

Objective: To investigate the interferon alpha regulation mechanisms by screening binding proteins of interferon alpha promoter by phage display.

Methods: PCR product of interferon-alpha promoter was incubated with a phage display cDNA library that expressed a library of human liver proteins on the surface of bacteriophage T7. Unbound phages were washed off and the phages bound to the interferon alpha promoter were amplified.

Inhibitory effect of tumor suppressor p33(ING1b) and its synergy with p53 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the inhibitory effect of tumor suppressor p33(ING1b) and its synergy with p53 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Recombinant sense and antisense p33(ING1b) plasmids were transfected into hepatoma cell line HepG2 with lipofectamine. Apoptosis, G0/G1 arrest, cell growth rate and cloning efficiency in soft agar of HepG2 were analyzed after transfection.

[Interaction effect of p53 with HBV in hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721].

Objectives: To study the interaction of hepatitis virus B (HBV) and tumor suppressor p53.

Methods: Plasmid pCMVp53 was transfected or cotransfected with pCMVHBVa (wild type HBV) or PCMVHBVb (mutant type HBV) into the hepatoma cell line SMMC-7721 by lipofectamine. Apoptosis cells were labeled by annexin V-FITC and confirmed by flow cytometry.