The changing incidence of human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer using multiple imputation from 2000 to 2010 at a Comprehensive Cancer Centre

Introduction Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk and prognostic factor for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Determining whether the incidence of HPV-associated OPC is rising informs health policy. Methods HPV status was ascribed using p16 immunohistochemistry in 683/1474 OPC patients identified from the Princess Margaret Hospital's Cancer Registry (from 2000 to 2010). Missing p16 data was estimated using multiple (n = 100) imputation (MI) and validated using an independent OPC cohort (n = 214). Non-OPC head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (n = 3262) were also used for time-trend comparison. Regression was used to compare HNSCC subsets and time-trends. The c-index was used to measure the predictive ability of MI. Results The incidence of OPC rose from 23.3% of all HNSCC in 2000 to 31.2% in 2010 (p = 0.002). In the subset of OPC tested for p16, there was no change in p16 positivity over time (p = 0.9). However, p16 testing became more frequent over time (p < 0.0001), but was nonetheless biased, favouring never-smokers [OR 1.87 (95% CI 1.29–2.70)] and tumors of the tonsil [OR 2.30 (1.52–3.47)] or base-of-tongue [OR 1.72 (1.10–2.70)]. These same factors were also associated with p16-positivity [ORs 3.22 (1.27–8.16), 7.26 (3.50–15.1), 5.83 (2.70–12.7), respectively]. Following MI and normalization, the proportion of OPC that was p16-associated rose from 39.8% in 2000 to 65.0% in 2010, p = 0.002, fully explaining the rise in OPC in our patient population. Conclusion The rise in HNSCC referrals seen from 2000 to 2010 at our institution was driven primarily by p16-associated OPC. MI was necessary to derive reliable conclusions when cases with missing data are considerable.     

Saprolegnia strains isolated from river insects and amphipods are broad spectrum pathogens

Saprolegnia species are destructive pathogens to many aquatic organisms and are found in most parts of the world. Reports based on phylogenetic analysis suggest that Saprolegnia strains isolated from aquatic animals such as crustaceans and frogs are close to Saprolegnia strains isolated from infected fish or fish eggs and vice versa. However, it has often been assumed that host specificity occurs for each individual isolate or strain. Here we demonstrate that Saprolegnia spp. can have multiple hosts and are thus capable of infecting different aquatic organisms. Saprolegnia delica, Saprolegnia hypogyna, and 2 strains of Saprolegnia diclina were isolated from aquatic insects and amphipods while S. delica, Saprolegnia ferax, Pythium pachycaule, and a Pythium sp. were isolated from the water of a medium to fast flowing river. The ITS region of the rRNA gene was sequenced for all isolates. In challenge experiments, all four isolates from insects were found to be highly pathogenic to eggs of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and embryos of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). We found that Saprolegnia spp. isolated from salmon eggs were also able to successfully establish infection in nymphs of stonefly (Perla bipunctata) and embryos of X. laevis). These results suggest that Saprolegnia spp. are capable of infecting multiple hosts, which may give them an advantage during seasonal variation in their natural environments.     

Validity of ultrasound muscle thickness measurements for predicting leg skeletal muscle mass in healthy Japanese middle-aged and older individuals

Background

The skeletal muscle mass of the lower limb plays a role in its mobility during daily life. From the perspective of physical resources, leg muscle mass dominantly decreases after the end of the fifth decade. Therefore, an accurate estimate of the muscle mass is important for the middle-aged and older population. The present study aimed to clarify the validity of ultrasound muscle thickness (MT) measurements for predicting leg skeletal muscle mass (SM) in the healthy Japanese middle-aged and older population.

Findings

MTs at four sites of the lower limb and the bone-free lean tissue mass (LTM) of the right leg were determined using brightness-mode ultrasonography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), respectively, in 44 women and 33 men, 52- to 78-years old. LTM was used as a representative variable of leg skeletal muscle mass. In the model-development group (30 women and 22 men), regression analysis produced an equation with R² and standard error of the estimate (SEE) of 0.958 and 0.3 kg, respectively: LTM (kg) = 0.01464 × (MT_SUM×L) (cm²) - 2.767, where MT_SUM is the sum of the product of MTs at four sites, and L is length of segment where MT is determined. The estimated LTM (7.0 ± 1.7 kg) did not significantly differ from the measured LTM (7.0 ± 1.7 kg), without a significant systematic error on a Bland-Altman plot. The application of this equation for the cross-validation group (14 women and 11 men) did not yield a significant difference between the measured (7.2 ± 1.6 kg) or estimated (7.2 ± 1.6 kg) LTM and systematic error.

Conclusion

The developed prediction equation may be useful for estimating the lean tissue mass of the lower extremity for the healthy Japanese middle-aged and older population.     

160 例多发性骨髓瘤患者免疫表型特征及其临床意义

目的:研究多发性骨髓瘤(MM)细胞免疫表型特征及其临床意义。方法:应用直接免疫荧光抗体染色方法,采用四色流式细胞仪分析160例多发性骨髓瘤患者瘤细胞免疫表型特征。结果:160例MM患者中CD38、CD138均为阳性,CD7、CD34、CD3、CD10均为阴性,其他抗体阳性率分别为CD56(61.5%)、CD117(18.8%)、CD19(6.5%)、CD20(12.5%)、c Kappa(71.0%)、c Lambda(76.3%)、CD81(58.1%)、CD45(46.9%)、CD27(14.3%)、CD28(17.4%)、CD33(21.4%)。CD20在小于60岁患者中的表达明显高于60岁以上患者[(78.91±16.84)%vs(38.31±11.29)%(P0.05),CD28在大于60岁患者中的表达明显高于小于60岁的患者[(70.81±19.44)%vs(43.97±11.25)%](P0.05)。CD28、CD45在女性患者中的表达明显高于男性患者[(71.75±25.20)%vs(47.25±12.04)%](P0.05)、[(74.04±19.07)%vs(48.42±25.10)%](P0.05)。CD20的表达在Ⅲ期患者明显高于Ⅰ期和Ⅱ期患者[(84.82±11.25)%vs(42.01±7.15)%](P0.05),而CD117的表达与此相反[(49.13±14.06)%vs(77.07±25.92)%](P0.05)。在女性患者中,CD81的表达在60岁以上的患者中明显升高[(43.87±24.43)%vs(74.59±22.94)%](P0.05)。在小于50岁的患者中,女性CD117的阳性率明显高于男性[(83.4±0.42)%vs(45.75±2.19)%](P0.05),而CD81的表达与此相反[(39.20±24.14)%vs(81.52±22.05)%](P0.05);在51~60岁的患者中,男性患者CD33的表达明显高于女性[(94.53±3.06)%vs(45.37±15.28)%](P0.05);在60~70岁的患者中,各分子的表达在男女之间无显著统计学差异。在大于70岁的患者中,男性CD117的表达明显高于女性[(70.40±31.40)%vs(53.50±29.98)%](P0.05),而c Kappa的表达与此相反[(32.58±13.90)%vs(76.98±22.42)%](P0.05)。结论:骨髓瘤细胞表达以CD38、CD138抗原为主,仅部分患者可伴有抗原CD56、CD117、CD19、CD20、cKappa、cLambda、CD81、CD45、CD27、CD28、CD33的表达。     

锁定加压钢板和动力加压钢板治疗肱骨中下段骨折的临床比较研究

目的:对比锁定加压钢板与动力加压钢板治疗肱骨中下段骨折患者的临床疗效。方法:抽取我院2010年8月~2013年12月收治的肱骨中下段骨折患者76例,按照随机数字表法分为锁定组(锁定加压钢板治疗)与动力组(动力加压钢板治疗),每组38例,随访1年。对比两组患者临床指标,治疗效果及并发症发生率。结果:锁定组患者手术时间、骨折愈合时间及住院时间均小于动力组,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05);锁定组患者优良率为89.47%,显著高于动力组的71.05%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);锁定组的并发症发生率为10.53%,显著低于动力组的31.58%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:锁定加压钢板应用于治疗肱骨中下段骨折患者疗效优于动力加压钢板治疗,它具有创伤小、恢复快的优点,且并发症发生率较低,值得推广。     

微创经皮钢板联合锁定加压钢板固定术治疗胫骨干骺端骨折的临床疗效

目的:探讨微创经皮钢板固定技术(MIPPO)与锁定加压钢板(LCP)治疗胫骨干骺端骨折的临床疗效。方法:选择2013年6月-2015年6月在我院接受手术治疗的胫骨干骺端骨折患者103例作为研究对象,根据手术方法不同将所选患者分为三组。其中,联合手术组(35例)患者采用MIPPO联合LCP内固定术治疗,外固定组(33例)患者采用超关节外固定支架术治疗,内固定术组(35例)患者采用切开复位钢板内固定术治疗。观察并比较三种手术方法的临床效果及对患者骨关节功能的影响。结果:与外固定术组及内固定术组比较,联合手术组患者的手术时间短,术中出血量少,骨折愈合时间早,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);联合手术组患者的手术优良率高于外固定组和内固定组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);内固定组手术优良率高于外固定组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);联合手术组患者术后并发症的发生率低于外固定组及内固定组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);外固定组与内固定组术后并发症的发生率比较,差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:MIPPO联合LCP内固定治疗胫骨干骺端骨折具有手术切口小、术中出血量少、术后并发症发生率低、骨折愈合快、关节功能恢复较好等优点,是治疗胫骨干骺端骨折的理想方法,值得临床推广应用。     

血清WT1 和MDR1 基因表达与多发性骨髓瘤疾病程度相关性研究

目的:研究血清Wilms瘤基因(WT1)和多药耐药基因1(MDR1)的表达与多发性骨髓瘤疾病程度的相关性。方法:采用实时荧光PCR技术对30例不同期多发性骨髓瘤患者及30例健康者静脉血清进行WT1与MDR1基因表达水平检测,并分析其表达量与多发性骨髓瘤疾病程度的影响。结果:多发性骨髓瘤患者的血清WT1与MDR1基因表达水平均明显高于普通健康者,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);多发性骨髓瘤分期越高,患者血清WT1与MDR1基因的表达水平则越高,Ⅰ期、Ⅱ期与Ⅲ期患者的血清WT1与MDR1基因的表达水平两两组间比较差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05);WT1与MDR1基因表达水平与骨髓瘤分期呈明显的正相关性(r=0.406,r=0.451,P0.05)。结论:血清WT1与MDR1基因表达水平与多发性骨髓瘤疾病程度具有明显的正相关性,可能作为多发性骨髓瘤的临床评估预测指标。     

可吸收螺钉内固定治疗多发性肋骨骨折的临床疗效

目的:分析可吸收螺钉内固定治疗多发性肋骨骨折的临床疗效。方法:选择2013年10月-2015年10月在我院接受治疗的多发性肋骨骨折患者89例作为研究对象,根据内固定材料不同将患者分为研究组和对照组。研究组45例患者采用可吸收肋骨钉内固定治疗,对照组44例患者采用记忆合金接骨板内固定治疗。观察并比较两组患者的临床疗效及术后并发症的发生情况。结果:与对照组比较,研究组患者术中出血量少,术后胸痛缓解时间以及下床活动时间较早,差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05);两组患者的手术时间、术后引流时间、住院时间比较,差异均无统计学意义(P0.05);研究组患者并发症的发生率(6.67%)明显低于对照组(20.45%),差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:可吸收肋骨钉内固定治疗多发性肋骨骨折具有术中出血量少、术后胸痛缓解时间和下床活动时间快的特点,可作为临床治疗首选材料。     

Protein C‐terminal enzymatic labeling identifies novel caspase cleavages during the apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells induced by kinase inhibition

Caspase activation and proteolytic cleavages are the major events in the early stage of apoptosis. Identification of protein substrates cleaved by caspases will reveal the occurrence of the early events in the apoptotic process and may provide potential drug targets for cancer therapy. Although several N‐terminal MS‐based proteomic approaches have been developed to identify proteolytic cleavages, these methods have their inherent drawbacks. Here we apply a previously developed proteomic approach, protein C‐terminal enzymatic labeling (ProC‐TEL), to identify caspase cleavage events occurring in the early stage of the apoptosis of a myeloma cell line induced by kinase inhibition. Both previously identified and novel caspase cleavage sites are detected and the reduction of the expression level of several proteins is confirmed biochemically upon kinase inhibition although the current ProC‐TEL procedure is not fully optimized to provide peptide identifications comparable to N‐terminal labeling approaches. The identified cleaved proteins form a complex interaction network with central hubs determining morphological changes during the apoptosis. Sequence analyses show that some ProC‐TEL identified caspase cleavage events are unidentifiable when traditional N‐terminomic approaches are utilized. This work demonstrates that ProC‐TEL is a complementary approach to the N‐terminomics for the identification of proteolytic cleavage events such as caspase cleavages in signaling pathways.     

Label‐free analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid addressing various normalization strategies and revealing protein groups affected by multiple sclerosis

The aims of the study were to: (i) identify differentially regulated proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and non‐MS controls; (ii) examine the effect of matching the CSF samples on either total protein amount or volume, and compare four protein normalization strategies for CSF protein quantification. CSF from MS patients (n = 37) and controls (n = 64), consisting of other noninflammatory neurological diseases (n = 50) and non neurological spinal anesthetic subjects (n = 14), were analyzed using label‐free proteomics, quantifying almost 800 proteins. In total, 122 proteins were significantly regulated (p < 0.05), where 77 proteins had p‐value <0.01 or AUC value >0.75. Hierarchical clustering indicated that there were two main groups of MS patients, those with increased levels of inflammatory response proteins and decreased levels of proteins involved in neuronal tissue development (n = 30), and those with normal protein levels for both of these protein groups (n = 7). The main subgroup of controls clustering with the MS patients showing increased inflammation and decreased neuronal tissue development were patients suffering from chronic fatigue. Our data indicate that the preferable way to quantify proteins in CSF is to first match the samples on total protein amount and then normalize the data based on the median intensities, preferably from the CNS‐enriched proteins.