The number distribution for involved lymph nodes in cancer

The number of involved lymph nodes exhibits considerable heterogeneity within populations. Here, the implications of population heterogeneity are explored with respect to the kinematics of nodal metastases. Data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program for 224656 breast, 12404 gastric, 18015 rectal, 4117 cervical and 2443 laryngeal cancers as well as 9118 melanomas were used to construct frequency distributions for the number of involved nodes which were then fitted to the negative binomial distribution. The negative binomial distribution described the heterogeneity in nodal involvement well. The patterns of nodal involvement can be explained by either of two models: one where involved nodes could seed further nodal metastases, the other where the number of nodal metastases in any individual was randomly distributed, with the deviations between patients accounted for by population heterogeneity. Since the number of sampled nodes similarly approximated a negative binomial distribution, random involvement with superimposed population heterogeneity would more credibly explain both sets of observations.     

Metric and morphological study of the upper cervical spine from the Sima de los Huesos site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain)

In this article, the upper cervical spine remains recovered from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) middle Pleistocene site in the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain) are described and analyzed. To date, this site has yielded more than 5000 human fossils belonging to a minimum of 28 individuals of the species Homo heidelbergensis. At least eleven individuals are represented by the upper cervical (C1 and C2) specimens: six adults and five subadults, one of which could represent an adolescent individual. The most complete adult vertebrae (three atlases and three axes) are described, measured, and compared with other fossil hominins and modern humans. These six specimens are associated with one another and represent three individuals. In addition, one of these sets of cervical vertebrae is associated with Cranium 5 (Individual XXI) from the site. The metric analysis demonstrates that the Sima de los Huesos atlases and axes are metrically more similar to Neandertals than to our modern human comparative sample. The SH atlases share with Neandertals a sagittally elongated canal. The most remarkable feature of the SH (and Neandertal) axes is that they are craniocaudally low and mediolaterally wide compared to our modern male sample. Morphologically, the SH sample shares with Neandertals a higher frequency of caudally projected anterior atlas arch, which could reflect greater development of the longus colli muscle. In other features, such as the frequency of weakly developed tubercles for the attachment of the transverse ligament of the atlas, the Sima de los Huesos fossils show intermediate frequencies between our modern comparative samples and the Neandertals, which could represent the primitive condition. Our results are consistent with the previous phylogenetic interpretation of H. heidelbergensis as an exclusively European species, ancestral only to H. neanderthalensis.     

在子宫颈上皮内瘤变和鳞癌组织中CyclinE、Rb基因表达的研究

目的 探讨细胞周期素E（CyclinE）、视网膜母细胞瘤（Rb）基因与上皮内瘤变（CIN）和宫颈鳞癌的关系,及其在癌变过程中的意义。方法 应用免疫组化技术（S-P法）,检测CyclinE和Rb基因产物在各级别CIN77例和宫颈鳞癌40例中的表达状况,并以正常子宫颈鳞状上皮20例做对照。结果 在正常宫颈鳞状上皮、CINⅠ、CINⅡ、CINⅢ及宫颈鳞癌中,CyclinE的阳性表达率呈逐渐增强趋势,分别为：0．0％、30．0％、75．0％、65．0％、60．0％。正常宫颈鳞状上皮与各级别CIN和宫颈鳞癌之间差异均有显著性（P〈0．01或〈0．005）,CINⅠ与CINⅡ、CINⅢ、宫颈鳞癌组间差异均有显著性（P〈0．005或〈0．01）;Rb基因蛋白的表达率逐渐下调,分别为：100．0％、55．0％、20．0%、24．3%、23．5％,在正常宫颈鳞状上皮与各级别CIN和宫颈鳞癌组间差异均有显著性（P〈0．005）;CINI与CINHI、宫颈鳞癌组间差异有显著性（P〈O．005）。结论CyclinE在正常子宫颈鳞状上皮表达阴性,随着发生CIN从轻到重至宫颈鳞癌,表达呈逐渐增强趋势;表明CyclinE在子宫颈癌变过程中起到重要作用,CyclinE参与CIN的进展及子宫颈癌癌变机制。Rb基因蛋白在正常子宫颈鳞状上皮100％阳性,随着发生CIN从轻到重至宫颈鳞癌,表达呈逐渐下调趋势,甚至消失;表明Rb基因可能主要通过功能性失活参与宫颈鳞癌的发生,并且其在癌变过程中起重要作用。发现CyclinE表达增强和RB基因表达下调或消失,有助于宫颈鳞癌发生的判断及CIN程度和级别的确定。     

The apoptotic effect of intercalating agents on HPV-negative cervical cancer C-33A cells

Summary. Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of female cancer death worldwide with about 500,000 deaths per year. Both mitomycin C and cisplatin are alkylating agents, which bind and intercalate DNA, and thus used as anti-cancer drugs. In these studies, we focused on investigating the apoptotic effects of intercalating agents on HPV-negative cervical cancer C-33A cells. Accordingly, C-33A cells were treated with carboplatin, mitomycin C or cisplatin. Cell cycle analysis revealed that treatment with mitomycin C and cisplatin but not with carboplatin resulted in apoptosis. Both mitomycin C and cisplatin induced apoptosis in C-33A cells via caspase-8 and -3 processing in a Fas/FasL-dependent manner and also suppressed IL-18 expression, while they down-regulated IκB expression and up-regulated p65 expression. These results suggest that both mitomycin C and cisplatin induce apoptosis, not only via the caspase-8 and -3 dependent Fas/FasL pathway, but also via the regulation of NF-κB activity and IL-18 expression in HPV-negative cervical cancer C-33A cells.     

宫颈癌细胞系中HPV病毒感染与P16和E-cadherin表达的相关性分析

目的探讨宫颈癌细胞系中HPV感染状态与P16和E-cadherin表达之间的相关性。方法应用免疫细胞化学染色、免疫荧光、Western-blot以及RT-PCR的方法检测HeLa、SiHa和C33A三个细胞系中P16和E-cadherin的表达情况。结果HPV阳性的两个细胞系HeLa和SiHa中P16的表达呈强阳性而E-cadherin的表达呈弱阳性,HPV阴性的细胞系C33A中P16的表达为弱阳性而E-cadherin呈强阳性表达。结论宫颈癌细胞系中HPV的感染与P16的表达呈正相关而与E-cadherin的表达呈负相关。     

Twist及Akt2在甲状腺乳头状癌中的表达及意义

目的探讨Twist、Akt2在甲状腺乳头状癌中的表达和相互关系。方法应用免疫组化方法,对60例甲状腺乳头状癌、10例结节性甲状腺肿进行Twist、Akt2表达的研究。结果甲状腺乳头状癌Twist及Akt2阳性表达率分别为81.67%(49/60)及60.00%(36/60),结节性甲状腺肿Twist及Akt2阳性表达率分别为0.00%(0/10)及10.00%(1/10),前者与后者相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);Twist及Akt2在甲状腺乳头状癌中的表达水平与病人的年龄及原发肿瘤分期无关,但与有无淋巴结转移相关(P<0.05),且Akt2的表达在T3,4期肿瘤及T1,2期肿瘤相比也具有显著性(P<0.05);Twist及Akt2的表达呈正相关(r=0.492,P=0.000)。结论在大多数甲状腺乳头状癌的上皮细胞中都存在Twist及Akt2的过表达,其淋巴结转移的发生与Twist及Akt2过表达或功能的不正常可能有密切的关系;Twist与Akt2的表达呈正相关。     

FSH通过SATB1调控上皮性卵巢癌ES-2细胞的增殖和侵袭活性

目的：探讨特异AT序列结合蛋白1（special AT-rich sequence-bindingprotein,SATB1）在卵泡刺激素（Follicle stimulating hor-mone,FSH）诱导的上皮性卵巢癌ES-2细胞增殖和侵袭中的作用。方法：以Real-timePCR检测不同浓度FSH（0、10、20、40、80mlU／ml）处理后sATB1基因mRNA表达水平的变化。实验分4组：①siCon组,转染si-阴性对照（si-Negativecontrol）序列的实验组,对SATBl无干扰作用;②siSATB1组：转染特异性干扰下调SATB1的siSATB1序列;（3）FSH＋siCon组：以FSH处理的siCon组;（4）FSH＋siSATBl组：以FSH处理的sisATB1组。MTT法检测4组细胞的增殖情况,Westernblotting技术检测4组细胞细胞周期蛋白（CyclinDl）,基质金属蛋白酶2（MMP．2）的蛋白表达情况,Transwell侵袭实验检测4组细胞侵袭能力的变化。结果：1．FSH＋siCon组的细胞增殖能力明显高于siCon组的细胞增殖能力,FSH＋siCon组的CyclinD1蛋白相对表达量0．90＋0．08明显高于siCon组的0．37＋0．01（P均〈0．01）,提示FSH具有促进ES．2细胞增殖的作用。2．FSH＋siCon组的穿膜细胞数（30212）个明显高于siCon组（13919）个,FSH＋siCon组的MMP．2蛋白相对表达量0．40＋0．01明显高于siCon组的0．28＋0．02,提示FSH具有促进ES．2细胞侵袭能力的作用。3．随着FsH浓度的增高,SATBlmRNA的表达量逐渐增加,分别为1,1．66±0．04,1．79±0．21,2.31±0．03,以FsH浓度为80mlU／m1时最显著（P〈0．05）。4．FSH＋siSATBl组的细胞增殖能力明显低于FSH＋siCon组的细胞增殖能力,FSH＋siSATBl组的CyclinD1蛋白相对表达量0．22±0．02明显低于FSH＋siCon组的0．90±0．08（P均〈0．01）;FSH＋siSATB1组的穿膜细胞数（5216）个低于FSH＋siCon组的（30212）个,FSH＋siSATB1组的MMP-2蛋白相对表达量0．15±0．00明显低于FSH＋siCon组的0．40±0．01（P均〈0．01）,FSH促进ES-2细胞增殖和侵袭的能力由于SATB1基因表达的下降而被阻断。结论：SATBl是FSH作用的重要靶分子,介导FSH对上皮性卵巢癌ES-2细胞系增殖、侵袭活性的调控。     

钙黏附素和β-连接素与宫颈上皮内瘤变进展的关系

目的：观察钙黏附素（E—cadherin）和β-连接素（β-catenin）在不同级别宫颈上皮内瘤变组织中的表达,探讨其与宫颈上皮内瘤变进展的关系。方法：采用免疫组化法检测51例宫颈组织病理存档石蜡包埋组织钙黏附素（E—cadherin）和β-连接素（β-catenin）的表达,阳性信号采用图像分析仪进行定量分析：结果：E—cadherin在柱状上皮移位组及CINT组、C1NII组、CINIⅡ组中的平均光密度值（AOD）分别为：0．0866±0．0392、0．073±0．0122、0．0467±0．0056、0．0396±0．0097;β-catenin在柱状上皮移位组及CIN I组、CIN II组、CIN III组中的平均光密度值（AOD）分别为：0．1101±0．0116、0．1016±0．0108、0．0711±0．0062、0．0515±0．0091。随着CIN病变的升级,钙黏附素和β-连接素的表达均呈下降趋势,二者的平均光密度值（AOD）正相关（r=2．546．P=0．018〈0．05）。结论：钙黏附素、β-连接素与宫颈上皮内瘤变的进展相关,在估计CIN的预后中有一定意义,