Expression of Androgen Receptor and Cancer Stem Cell Markers (CD44+/CD24− and ALDH1+): Prognostic Implications in Invasive Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Androgen receptor (AR) has emerged as a significant prognostic marker in early breast cancer (BCa). Association of AR with cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in BCa is unknown. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of AR, CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 in a cohort of Pakistani patients diagnosed with invasive BCa and to correlate the expression with 5- year disease free survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated immunohistochemical expression AR, CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 in formalin fixed paraffin embedded archival blocks of 166 cases of primary invasive BCa (stage I-III) and correlated the expression with clinicopathological variables and outcome using univariable and multivariable analysis. Survival data was computed by Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: Expression of AR was observed in 62.7% tumors whereas CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 were expressed in 61.4%, 44% and 30.1% tumors, respectively. AR expression was significantly associated with T1-T2 tumors, lower grade, estrogen and progesterone receptor expression (P < .05) and remained an independent prognostic indicator in multivariable analysis (adjusted HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.13–0.81; P = .016). Significant association was observed between concordant expression of AR and CD24 (P = .001) with a favorable impact on survival (P = .007) whereas expression of CSC phenotypes (CD44⁺, CD44⁺/CD24^? and ALDH1⁺) did not correlate with adverse outcome (P > .05). However, AR expression retained the association with better prognosis even in patients whose tumors exhibited a CSC phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of AR and CD24 in stage I-III invasive BCa correlates with favorable clinicopathological features and delineates a subgroup of patients with better disease-free survival.     

Nucleotide polymorphism in colicin E2 gene clusters: evidence for nonneutral evolution

To explore the molecular mechanisms behind the diversification of colicin gene clusters, we examined DNA sequence polymorphism for the colicin gene clusters of 14 colicin E2 (ColE2) plasmids obtained from natural isolates of Escherichia coli. Two types of ColE2 plasmids are revealed, with type II gene clusters generated by recombination between type I ColE2 and ColE7 gene clusters. The levels and patterns of DNA polymorphism are different between the two types. Type I polymorphism is distributed evenly along the gene cluster, while type II accumulates polymorphism at an elevated rate in the 5' end of the colicin gene. These differences may be explained by recombinational origins of type II gene clusters. The pattern of divergence between the ColE2 gene cluster and its close relative ColE9 is not correlated with the pattern of polymorphism within ColE2, suggesting that this gene cluster is not evolving in a neutral fashion. A statistical test confirms significant departures from the predictions of neutrality. These data lend further support to the hypothesis that colicin gene clusters may evolve under the influence of nonneutral forces.      

浙江潜水蜂属一新种（膜翅目：姬蜂总科：潜水蜂科）

本文报道采用浙江庆元百山祖自然保护区的潜水蜂属Ａｇｒｉｏｔｙｐｕｓ Ｃｕｒｔｉｓ１新种;浙江潜水蜂Ａ;ｚｈｅｊｉａｎｇｅｎｓｉｓ Ｈｅ ｅｔ Ｃｈｅｎ,ｓｐ;．ｎｏｖ。模式标本存浙江农业大学。     

细小病毒H-1对人肝癌移植瘤的抑制及其组织学与组织化学的研究

本文用人肝癌裸小鼠QGY-9204移植模型为材料,进行了细小病毒H-1抑瘤的组织学、组织化学及分子生物学研究。以两种不同剂量(5×10~7PFU和5×10~8PFU)的H-1进行瘤内注射,发现注入H-1后的肿瘤生长速率明显缓于对照组,且5×10~7PFU的H-1注入即可产生这一效应。以1×10~8PFU H-1注入瘤内,不同时间进行组织切片观察,发现从感染后第3天起瘤内开始出现坏死,且随感染时间的延长坏死范围也逐渐扩大,而对照组在该期间均未见此变化。电镜结果也表明,在受损的肿瘤细胞内有H-1病毒颗粒存在。PCR反应和ABC免疫染色显示在感染后的肿瘤组织内也有H-1 DNA扩增和NS-1蛋白表达,并且两者显示的时间与组织内坏死的过程相一致。这些结果提示,细小病毒H-1通过它的DNA复制和NS-1蛋白的表达以促进肿瘤的坏死,从而达到肿瘤抑制和裂解。     

Quox-1基因同源序列在人胚早期发育中的表达

以Quox-1基因的特异性片段b_2为探针,与人基因组DNA作Southern杂交,结果显示,人基因组中存在Quox-1基因的同源序列。以抗Quox-1蛋白的抗体与早期人胚胎组织的切片作免疫组化反应研究了Quox-1基因同源序列在人胚早期发育过程中的表达,结果表明其表达有明显的时间和空间特异性。胚龄30天以前,Quox-1基因的同源序列在人胚包括神经管等许多部位表达,30天以后表达部位局限于脊索、心肌细胞、生肌节、消化道上皮及周皮等处。文中讨论了Quox-1基因同源顺序对人类胚胎早期发育过程可能的调控作用。     

活性氧参与一氧化氮诱导的神经细胞凋亡

采用激光共聚焦成像技术，用氧化还原敏感的特异性荧光探针(DCFH-DA和DHR123)直接研究了一氧化氮供体S-亚硝基-N-乙酰基青霉胺(SNAP)诱导未成熟大鼠小脑颗粒神经元凋亡过程中的细胞胞浆、线粒体中活性氧水平的变化，发现神经细胞经0.5 mmol/L SNAP处理1 h后，细胞胞浆及线粒体中活性氧水平大大增加.一氧化氮清除剂血红蛋白能够有效抑制细胞胞浆、线粒体中活性氧的产生，防止细胞凋亡.外源性谷胱甘肽对细胞也具有良好的保护作用，而当细胞中谷胱甘肽的合成被抑制后，一氧化氮的神经毒性大大增强.实验结果表明一氧化氮通过促进神经细胞产生内源性活性氧而启动细胞凋亡程序，而谷胱甘肽可能是重要的防止一氧化氮引发神经损伤的内源性抗氧化剂.     

新疆维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌组织中乳头瘤病毒16型E6基因的克隆和序列分析

为了分析新疆南部地区维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌组织中HPV16型E6基因结构特点，从中国新疆南部地区维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌活检组织标本中提取DNA，以宫颈癌活检组织标本DNA为模板进行PCR扩增，获得HPV16 E6基因，将其克隆到pUCm-T载体上，并对其进行基因全序列分析.PCR检测结果显示宫颈癌组织中HPV16 E6阳性率为82.35%（14/17）；测序结果显示，新疆株HPV16 E6基因全长456 bp，大小与德国标准株一致.E6基因的第247位碱基发生T→G突变，并由此引起所编码的氨基酸亦发生改变.上述结果表明，中国新疆南部地区维吾尔族妇女宫颈癌患者组织中HPV16 E6的基因结构与德国标准株HPV16 E6基因之间存在差异.     

Epidermal structures and stomatal parameters of Chinese endemic Glyptostrobus pensilis (Taxodiaceae)

Glyptostrobus pensilis K. Koch, the only living species, is endemic to southern China. Epidermal structures of G .  pensilis have been studied on leaves collected from Guangzhou, southern China, the native locality of the species, and from Hangzhou, eastern China, the cultivated locality. Leaves are linear, linear-subulate and scale-like. Epidermal cells are rectangular and elongate parallel to the mid-vein on areas lacking stomata, and short, with rounded corners, on intrastomatal areas. Stomatal bands lie parallel to the mid-vein on both surfaces of leaves. Commonly the stomata have five or six subsidiary cells. Stomatal parameters (density and index) of the same surfaces of linear leaves from Guangzhou and Hangzhou show no statistically significant differences ( P  > 0.05). Considering the stomatal parameters of the same surfaces of linear-subulate leaves between the two localities, the stomatal index of the abaxial surfaces reveals no significant differences ( P  > 0.05), while the stomatal index of the adaxial surfaces and the stomatal density of both surfaces exhibit significant differences ( P  < 0.05). Intra-individual variation in stomatal index is smaller than that in stomatal density based on the coefficient of variability of stomatal parameters of the same areas of leaves. When studying the correlation between stomatal parameters of G. pensilis and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, the stomatal parameters of linear leaves are mostly significant, and stomatal index is more useful than stomatal density.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 146 , 153–162.