[Clinical features and treatment of hepatic tumor-like lesions].

Background & Objective: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT), adenomatous nodular hyperplasia (ANH), and focal fatty change (FFC) are common hepatic tumor-like lesions, a group of benign liver diseases, which remains difficult to be distinguished from primary liver cancer (PLC). This study was to investigate the clinical features and treatment of these 4 kinds of hepatic tumor-like lesions.

Methods: Clinical data of 70 patients with pathologically conformed hepatic tumor-like lesions, treated in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from 1992 to 2004, were studied retrospectively.

Sequestering ErbB2 in endoplasmic reticulum by its autoinhibitor from translocation to cell surface: an autoinhibition mechanism of ErbB2 expression.

ErbB2 is differentially overexpressed in tumor versus host tissues, suggesting that an autoregulation mechanism may modulate the expression of ErbB2 and control cell growth. A truncated ErbB2 extracellular domain, herstatin has been shown to bind to ErbB2 and inhibit the growth of tumor cells expressing ErbB2. In the present study, the interaction of herstatin and ErbB2 in vivo was observed by confocal microscopy.

A stereological study of the renal glomerular vasculature in the db/db mouse model of diabetic nephropathy.

In diabetic nephropathy, glomerular hypertrophy is evident early in response to hyperglycaemia. Alterations of capillary length and vascular remodelling that may contribute to glomerular hypertrophy and the subsequent development of glomerulosclerosis remain unclear. The present study used the db/db mouse model of Type 2 diabetes to examine the glomerular microvascular changes apparent with long-term diabetic complications.

Controlled growth of Chinese hamster ovary cells and high expression of antibody-IL-2 fusion proteins by temperature manipulation.

Growth and the expression of the anti-ErbB2 scFv-Fc-IL2 fusion protein in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were in association at 37 degrees C. The expression of the fusion protein was no more than 25 microg/ml. At 30 degrees C the cell growth was arrested but the cells continued to produce the fusion protein up to 60-80 microg/ml.

[Prophylaxis and clinical treatment for surgical margin recurrence of small primary hepatocellular carcinoma].

Background & Objective: Along with the advance of medical technology and instruments, many patients with small primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had been found, who are mainly treated with surgical resection with high postoperative recurrence rate of over 60%. This study was to explore prophylaxis and clinical treatment for these patients to reduce postoperative recurrence rate.

Methods: Clinicopathologic data of 283 patients with small HCC, treated in Central Hospital of Kaiping and Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from 1991 through May 2003, were analyzed.

[Evaluation of new TNM staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatectomy].

Background & Objective: The TNM staging system for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was revised by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) from the 5th edition (TNM5) to the 6th edition (TNM6) in 2002. This study was to evaluate the prognostic value of TNM6 staging in a large cohort study of HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy, and investigate its feasibility and applicability in China.

Methods: Clinical and follow-up data of 478 HCC patients, who underwent hepatectomy in our center from Jan.

Longitudinal alteration of circulating dendritic cell subsets and its correlation with steroid treatment in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome.

In this study, we found that 74 patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) exhibited a rapid, dramatic decrease in numbers of circulating myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells (mDCs and pDCs) during the first 2 weeks of illness (5.3- and 28.4-fold reductions for mDCs and pDCs compared with 25 healthy individuals, respectively), with slow return to normal cell numbers during convalescence (weeks 5-7 of illness on average).

[Phenotype and function of myeloid dendritic cells pulsed with hepatitis B virus antigens in patients with HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of phenotype and function of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) pulsed with HBV antigens derived from HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected, using blood cell separator, from 21 primary HCC patients and 4 healthy donors. mDCs were propagated in serum-free AIM-V medium in the presence of cytokine cocktail, and pulsed with HBcAg or HBsAg.

[Effects of heating on the epithelia of benign prostate hyperplasia in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the biological changes of the epithelia of benign prostate hyperplasia under heating at different temperatures and at different points of time after heating.

Methods: Cell morphology, MTT, flow cytometer, and the immunocytochemical method for detecting heat shock protein 70 and prostate specific antigen were used to observe the effect of heating on the primarily cultured epithelia of benign prostate hyperplasia at 45 degrees C and 60 degrees C and at 1 hour and 12 hours after heating.

Results: Heating at 45 degrees C for 15 min resulted in apoptosis, and at 60 degrees C, necrosis in most of the cells.

[Detection of HBcAg-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes and their association with clinical status in patients with hepatitis B].

Objective: To investigate the difference of host immune response specific to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections between acute self-limited and chronic persistent hepatitis by quantitative analysis of HLA-A * 2402-restricted HBcAg-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells (CTL) cells.

Methods: The frequency of HBV-specific CTL cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 20 patients infected with HBV were quantified by ELISPOT assays and flow cytometry using one HLA-A * 2402-HBV, 7 with acute HB and 13 with chronic HB, peptide tetrameric complex.

Results: High frequencies of circulating HBcAg-specific CTL cells were detected in most individuals with acute HBV infection while the number of these cells was significantly reduced at the convalescent stage.

Highly efficient selection of the stable clones expressing antibody-IL-2 fusion protein by a dicistronic expression vector containing a mutant neo gene.

To increase the selection efficiency and productivity of stable clones expressing recombinant antibody-IL-2 fusion protein, a dicistronic expression vector containing the anti-erbB2 scFv-Fc-IL-2 fusion gene followed by a weakened neo gene, was constructed to allow for the concurrent translation of the recombinant protein and mutated neomycin phosphotransferase from a single mRNA. The presence of the mutant enzyme in the transfectomas resulted in a decreased resistance of cells in the presence of an elevated level of G418 and retarded cell growth. The transfectomas containing the mutant enzyme expressed considerably higher levels of the fusion protein than those containing the normal enzyme.

[Growth inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma xenograft in nude mice by combined treatment with human cytokine-induced killer cells and chemotherapy].

Objective: To compare the inhibitory effects of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells alone, chemotherapeutic drug alone, and CIK cells combined with chemotherapeutic drug on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells transplanted in nude mice.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) collected from five healthy donors by blood cell separator were incubated in vitro to induce CIK cells in the presence of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), IL-2 and anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb). The phenotype of CIK cells was characterized by flow cytometric analysis.

Retardation of atherosclerosis by overexpression of catalase or both Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase and catalase in mice lacking apolipoprotein E.

Oxidative stress has been suggested to potentiate atherogenesis. However, studies that have investigated the effect of antioxidants on atherosclerosis showed inconsistent results, ie, atherosclerosis was either retarded or not changed by dietary antioxidants. This report directly examined the effect of overexpressing Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) and/or catalase on atherosclerosis and lipid peroxidation in mice lacking apolipoprotein E (ApoE-/-).

[Study on the inducible expression of toll-like receptors in human bladder cell line].

Objective: To investigate and compare the expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in human bladder cells under the stimulus of Escherichia coli (E. coli) versus that under the stimulus of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).

Methods: Human bladder cancer cell line T24 was cultured for 1 hour under the stimuli of various doses (bacillus-cell ratio) of E.

[Identification of HCV antigen epitopes from a random 15-peptide library by anti-HCV polycloral antibody].

Aim: To analyze epitope recognized by anti-HCV antibodies; patients suffered from hepatitis C.

Methods: Anti-HCV Abs were purified from the patients serum through an affinity chromatography column which was prepared with sepharose 4B coupled with protein A. These Abs were used for biopanning of a phage-displayed random 15-peptide library.

[Angiotensin II-induced podocyte apoptosis: role of the MAPK subtypes].

Objective: To evaluate the role of the MAPK subtypes (p38MAPK, ERK and JNK) in ANG II-induced apoptosis of cultured human podocytes.

Methods: The cultured podocytes were incubated in media containing either vehicle, SB202190(5 micromol/L, an inhibitor of p38MAPK), PD98059 (1 micromol/L, an inhibitor of ERK), SP600125 (5 micromol/L, an inhibitor of JNK), ANG II (10(-8)mol/L) with or without SB202190 PD98059 and SP600125 for 18 hours; the cells were assayed for apoptosis by morphologic staining with H-33342 and propidium iodide and DNA fragmentation assays; the cell proteins were probed for phosphorylated MAPKs to determine the activation of specific MAPK subtypes.

Results: ANG II promoted podocyte apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner; ANG II stimulated p38MAPK, but inhibited JNK; SB202190 inhibited both ANG II-induced podocyte apoptosis and p38MAPK phosphorylation; Inhibition of ERK by PD98059 had no effect on ANG II-induced cell apoptosis.

[Effects of finasteride on capillary in the ventral prostate of rat].

Objective: To investigate the effects of finasteride on capillary in the ventral prostate of rat and study the mechanisms therein involved,

Methods: Male SD rats were given via gavage finasteride 40 mg/kg per day for 7 days (group B) and for 14 days (group C). The changes of capillary infused with Chinese ink were observed with the use of HE staining. Immunohistochemical (IHC) SP-method was adopted in measuring the protein expression of VEGF and eNOS in rat prostatic tissue.

Autologous cytokine-induced killer cell therapy in clinical trial phase I is safe in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the influence of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells on the phenotypes of CIK effector cells, peripheral T lymphocyte subsets and dendritic cell subsets in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected by a blood cell separator from 13 patients with HCC, then expanded by priming them with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) followed by monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD3 and interleukin-2 (IL-2) the next day. The phenotypic patterns of CIK cells were characterized by flow cytometry on d 0, 4, 7, 10, 13 and 15 of incubation, respectively.

[Study on Toll-like receptors expression and cytokine production induced by bacillus Calmette-Guerin in human bladder cancer cell].

Objective: To investigate the effect of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) expression and cytokine production in human bladder cancer cell line T24.

Methods: Human transitional carcinoma cell line T24 was cultured in RPMI1640 medium with 10% FBS, BCG was added into the cell culture with various doses in bacteria-cell ratio. After T24 cells were stimulated by BCG for 1 hour, total RNA of cells was extracted.

Micrometastases of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma and appropriate resection margin.

We studied the pattern of intrahepatic micrometastases using large pathologic sections on liver resection specimens with ample resection margins from 113 patients with a solitary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The liver tissues around the HCC were divided into proximal and distal areas according to the direction of the portal vein flow. These areas were further divided into zones based on fixed criteria.

Mutations of acetylcholinesterase which confer insecticide resistance in Drosophila melanogaster populations.

Background: Organophosphate and carbamate insecticides irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase causing death of insects. Resistance-modified acetylcholinesterases(AChEs) have been described in many insect species and sequencing of their genes allowed several point mutations to be described. However, their relative frequency and their cartography had not yet been addressed.

Acetylcholinesterase alterations reveal the fitness cost of mutations conferring insecticide resistance.

Background: Insecticide resistance is now common in insects due to the frequent use of chemicals to control them, which provides a useful tool to study the adaptation of eukaryotic genome to new environments. Although numerous potential mutations may provide high level of resistance, only few alleles are found in insect natural populations. Then, we hypothesized that only alleles linked to the highest fitness in the absence of insecticide are selected.

[Identification of immunological effector cells after autologous cytokine-induced killer cells treatment and its clinical implication in hepatocellular carcinoma patients].

Objective: To investigate the alteration of the cellular profiles of T lymphocyte subsets and dendritic cell subsets in peripheral blood of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after being transfused with autologous cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) in patients, then to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the immune therapeutic strategy.

Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 13 patients with primary were collected using blood cell separator, and expanded in the fresh AIM-V medium in the presence of cytokine cocktail including interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), monoclonal antibody (mAb) against CD3 and interleukin-2 (IL-2). The phenotypic patterns of CIK cells were longitudinally characterized by flow cytometry on day 0, 4, 7, 10,13 and 15 during the incubation period.