Efficacy of bortezomib, cyclophosphamide, and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed POEMS syndrome patients.

Background: Due to the rarity of polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome, the best first-line treatment has not been established, although there are several options in guidelines. The preferred treatments vary according to the preference of the physician and anecdote.

Objectives: First, to analyze the efficacy of a new treatment mode in POEMS syndrome that uses the four-cycle treatment as the induction regimen, followed by sequential transplantation as the consolidation regimen for transplantation-eligible patients, or received another two-cycle treatment for transplantation-ineligible patients.

A retrospective assessment of real-world experience with venetoclax and azacitidine therapy in elderly acute myeloid leukemia.

This study aimed to examine the effect of venetoclax coupled with azacytidine in treating older adults with relapsed and refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The clinical data of 10 senior patients with AML over 65 years old who were treated with venetoclax and azacytidine, including six patients with R/R AML, were retrospectively evaluated. This study comprised seven males and three females with a median age of 71 years.

The Genomic and Phenotypic Landscape of Ichthyosis: An Analysis of 1000 Kindreds.

Importance: Ichthyoses are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders characterized by scaly skin. Despite decades of investigation identifying pathogenic variants in more than 50 genes, clear genotype-phenotype associations have been difficult to establish.

Objective: To expand the genotypic and phenotypic spectra of ichthyosis and delineate genotype-phenotype associations.

Primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in the midbrain: A case report.

Background: Primary non-dural central nervous system mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a rare indolent B-cell lymphoma, with only a few reported cases worldwide.

Case Summary: A 33-year-old man presented with a 5-mo history of left blepharoptosis and a 4-mo history of right limb numbness and weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a significantly enhanced mass in the left midbrain.

Annexin A1 Mimetic Peptide AC2-26 Inhibits Sepsis-induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis through LXA4/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway.

The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of annexin A1 (ANXA1) mimetic peptide AC2-26 on sepsis-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro and the underlying mechanisms. In the in vivo study, a rat septic model was established by the cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The rats were divided into control group, sepsis group and AC2-26 group.

Association between prenatal care utilization and risk of preterm birth among Chinese women.

It is recognized that prenatal care plays an important role in reducing adverse birth. Chinese pregnant women with medical condition were required to seek additional health care based on the recommended at least 5 times health care visits. This study was to estimate the association between prenatal care utilization (PCU) and preterm birth (PTB), and to investigate if medical conditions during pregnancy modified the association.

Expanding the Genotypic Spectrum of Bathing Suit Ichthyosis.

Importance: Bathing suit ichthyosis (BSI) is a rare congenital disorder of keratinization characterized by restriction of scale to sites of relatively higher temperature such as the trunk, with cooler areas remaining unaffected. Fewer than 40 cases have been reported in the literature. Bathing suit ichthyosis is caused by recessive, temperature-sensitive mutations in the transglutaminase-1 gene (TGM1).

Ichthyosis follicularis with alopecia and photophobia syndrome (IFAP): A Case Report.

IFAP syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive X-linked disease characterized by the triad of alopecia universalis, severe photophobia, and follicular ichthyosis. It is caused by loss of function of the gene MBTPS2. Its severity varies and there are only a few reports in the literature.

[Rituximab combined with EPOCH regimen for treatment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma of the gastrointestinal tract: analysis of 4 cases].

We treated 4 with a diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma involving the gastrointestinal tract with rituximab combined with adjusted dose EPOCH (R-DA-EPOCH) scheme based on a comprehensive analysis of the onset process, clinical and pathological features, and prognosis of the patients, and evaluated their treatment response. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 3 patients after the treatment and 1 patient with diabetes and hypertension died due to severe infection. R-DA-EPOCH regimen as the first-line treatment of gastrointestinal diffuse large B cell lymphoma has a good short-term efficacy, but its long-term efficacy awaits further evaluation in future studies with larger sample sizes.

Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma Superimposed with Chronic Dermatophytosis: A Report of Three Siblings.

Congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma is an autosomal recessive ichthyosis characterized by severe scaling and erythroderma. We report a family of three siblings who were all born with a collodion membrane and presented with diffuse scaling and pruritus. All three children subsequently developed chronic cutaneous dermatophyte infections requiring oral antifungals.

Risk factors for cervical cancer in rural areas of Wuhan China: a matched case-control study.

Cervical cancer is a serious public health problem in developing countries. We investigated possible risk factors for cervical cancer in rural areas of Wuhan China using a matched case-control study with 33 women diagnosed with cervical cancer and 132 healthy women selected from the same area as matched controls. A questionnaire, which included questions about general demography conditions, environmental and genetic factors, the first sexual intercourse, first marriage age, age at first pregnancy, pregnancy first child's age, female personal health history, social psychological factors, dietary habits, smoking and alcohol status and other living habits was presented to all participants.

[Increasing sensitivity of leukemia cells to imatinib by inhibiting NHE1 and p38MAPK signaling pathway].

This study was aimed to investigate whether the inhibition of NHE1 activity and intracellular acidification can reverse resistance of leukemia cells to the imatinib and to explore downstream signal molecule networks of BCR/ABL in the cells of chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) patients. The mRNA and protein expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and the drug accumulation were assayed after acidifying the primary leukemia cells of patients or K562/DOX and K562/G01 cells. The effects of intracellular acidification of primary leukemia cells on the phosphorylation level changes of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK were analyzed by Western blot.

Local delivery of gene-modifying triplex-forming molecules to the epidermis.

Epidermal keratinocytes are particularly suitable candidates for in situ gene correction. Intraperitoneal administration of a triplex-forming oligonucleotide (TFO) was previously shown to introduce DNA base changes in a reporter gene in skin, without identifying which cells had been targeted. We extend those previous experiments using two triplex-forming molecules, a peptide nucleic acid-antennapedia (PNA-Antp), and a TFO (AG30), as well as two lines of transgenic mice that have the chromosomally integrated λsupFG1 shuttle-reporter transgene.

Impact of epidermal desquamation on tissue stores of iron.

Background: Although several billion corneocytes are shed from human skin daily, metabolic studies from 50 years ago led to the conclusion that corneocyte desquamation had no measurable impact on systemic protein or iron status in humans.

Objective: To measure iron content of internal organs after introducing local genetic changes in epidermis that alter iron metabolism in skin.

Methods: Iron was measured in tissues and blood from groups of animals 7 weeks after weaning in three different mouse models expressing a transgene in epidermis: a hyperproliferation model in which the HPV16 E7 gene causes a 3-fold increase in epidermal turnover; an epidermal iron sink model in which overexpression of the transferrin receptor causes a 3-4 fold increase of iron in epidermis; a systemic hemochromatosis knockout model that has been crossed with the epidermal iron sink model.

Visualization of plasmid delivery to keratinocytes in mouse and human epidermis.

The accessibility of skin makes it an ideal target organ for nucleic acid-based therapeutics; however, effective patient-friendly delivery remains a major obstacle to clinical utility. A variety of limited and inefficient methods of delivering nucleic acids to keratinocytes have been demonstrated; further advances will require well-characterized reagents, rapid noninvasive assays of delivery, and well-developed skin model systems. Using intravital fluorescence and bioluminescence imaging and a standard set of reporter plasmids we demonstrate transfection of cells in mouse and human xenograft skin using intradermal injection and two microneedle array delivery systems.

Nuclear accumulation of calcineurin B homologous protein 2 (CHP2) results in enhanced proliferation of tumor cells.

The interaction between calcineurin B homologous protein 2 (CHP2) and Na(+) /H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE1), two membrane proteins, is essential for protecting cells from serum deprivation-induced death. Although four putative EF-hands in CHP2 had been predicted for years, Ca²(+) -binding activities of these motifs have not been tested yet, their role in this process remain poorly understood. To identify Ca²(+) -binding motifs required for the stable formation of CHP2/NHE1 complexes, we developed a mutagenesis-based assay in PS120 cells.

[Role of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 in apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by etoposide and its mechanism].

This study was aimed to investigate the role of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger 1 (NHE1) in apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by etoposide. Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) and Western blot methods were used to determine the expression of NHE1 in HL-60 cells after the treatment with etoposide. Meanwhile, laser scanning confocal microscopy was used to test the intracellular pH (pHi) of HL-60 cells.

[Relationship between midkine expression and drug efflux in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells].

This study was aimed to investigate the expression of midkine gene in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients (ALL) and to explore the possible effects of midkine gene on the chemotherapeutic drug efflux. Real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) method was used to determine the expression of midkine at mRNA level in 153 ALL patients and 20 normal children. Meanwhile, laser scanning confocal microscope was used to observe the rhodamine 123 efflux from the mononuclear cells in 30 de novo B-ALL patients and 20 healthy individuals (as control).

[Effect of intracellular acidification on drug resistance of leukemia cells with high P-glycoprotein expression].

Objective: To investigate the impact of intracellular acidification (IA) on drug resistance of leukemia cells with high P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression, and to provide a new method for the reversing of multidrug resistance (MDR).

Methods: Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression level of mdr1 gene, and the leukemia cells with high P-gp expression were selected. The specific inhibitor of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 and the "high K+" buffer were used to acidify the cells, and the confocal laser microscopy was used to determine the intracellular pH (pHi) and effect of IA on the accumulation of doxorubicin.

{μ-6,6'-Dimeth-oxy-2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilo-methyl-idyne)]diphenolato}-μ-nitrato-dinitratoeuropium(III)zinc(II).

In the title heteronuclear Zn(II)-Eu(III) complex [systematic name: {6,6'-dimeth-oxy-2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilo-methyl-idyne)]diphenolato-κ(4)O(1),O(1'),O(6),O(6'):2κ(4)O(1),N,N',O(1')}-μ-nitrato-1:2κ(2)O:O'-dini-trato-1κ(4)O,O'-europium(III)zinc(II)], [EuZn(C(18)H(18)N(2)O(4))(NO(3))(3)], with the hexa-dentate Schiff base compartmental ligand N,N'-bis-(3-methoxy-salicyl-idene)ethyl-enediamine (H(2)L), the Eu and Zn atoms are triply bridged by two phenolate O atoms of the Schiff base ligand and one nitrate ion. The five-coordinate Zn atom is in a square-pyramidal geometry with the donor centers of two imine N atoms, two phenolate O atoms and one of the bridging nitrate O atoms. The Eu(III) center has a ninefold coordination environment of O atoms, involving the phenol-ate O atoms, two meth-oxy O atoms, two O atoms from two nitrate ions and one from the bridging nitrate ion.