Combination of Tumor Volume and Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Improved Prognostic Stratification of Stage II Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in the Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy Era: A Large-Scale Cohort Study

Qiu-Yan Chen,Shao-Yan Guo,Lin-Quan Tang,Tong-Yu Lu,Bo-Lin Chen,Qi-Yu Zhong,Meng-Sha Zou,Qing-Nan Tang,Wen-Hui Chen,Shan-Shan Guo,Li-Ting Liu,Yang Li,Ling Guo,Hao-Yuan Mo,Rui Sun,Dong-Hua Luo,Chong Zha 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.3

Purpose Little is known about combination of the circulating Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) DNA and tumor volume in prognosis of stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in the intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) era. We conducted this cohort study to evaluate the prognostic values of combining these two factors. Materials and Methods By Kaplan-Meier, we compare the differences of survival curves between 385 patients with different EBV DNA or tumor volume levels, or with the combination of two biomarkers mentioned above. Results Gross tumor volume of cervical lymph nodes (GTVnd, p < 0.001) and total tumor volume (GTVtotal, p < 0.001) were both closely related to pretreatment EBV DNA, while gross tumor volume of nasopharynx (GTVnx, p=0.047) was weakly related to EBV DNA. EBV DNA was significantly correlated with progress-free survival (PFS, p=0.005), locoregional-free survival (LRFS, p=0.039), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, p=0.017), while GTVtotal, regardless of GTVnx and GTVnd, had a significant correlation with PFS and LRFS. The p-values of GTVtotal for PFS and LRFS were 0.008 and 0.001, respectively. According to GTVtotal and pretreatment EBV DNA level, patients were divided into a low-risk group (EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3; EBV DNA 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3; or EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal < 30 cm3) and a high-risk group (EBV DNA > 0 copy/mL, GTVtotal  30 cm3). When patients in the low-risk group were compared with those in the high-risk group, 3-year PFS (p=0.003), LRFS (p=0.010), and DMFS (p=0.031) rates were statistically significant. Conclusion Pretreatment plasma EBV DNA and tumor volume were both closely correlated with prognosis of stage II NPC patients in the IMRT era. Combination of EBV DNA and tumor volume can refine prognosis and indicate for clinical therapy.

Responses of Buried Pipelines to Tunnelling Underneath Considering Effect of Gap Formation: an Analytical Approach

Bing-qiang Zhang,Qi-wen Chen,Feng-wen Lai,Fu-Quan Chen,Bin-bin Qi 대한토목학회 2024 KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering Vol.28 No.1

A gap formation underneath pipelines could be observed during tunneling beneath existing buried pipelines, thus altering the pipeline-soil interaction behavior. However, the most existing analytical approaches typically do a full contact assumption for brevity. For such purpose, we aim to present an analytical approach coupling the effect of gap formation underneath pipelines by considering the buried pipeline as an Euler-Bernoulli beam on tensionless foundation. The pipeline can be divided into three segments according to pipeline-soil interaction behavior, and then the bending behaviors of each segment are formulated. The deflection and bending moment of the pipeline caused by tunnelling underneath from the proposed approach are compared and validated with centrifuge testing data and existing analytical solutions. The effects of pipeline-soil stiffness ratio, pipeline buried depth, tunnel buried depth, tunneling induced volume loss, and tunnel-pipeline intersection angle on the pipeline responses are further discussed. The results indicate that gap formation underneath pipeline can be observed indeed for shallowly buried pipeline and/or larger pipeline-soil stiffness ratio. The proposed analytical approach provides a theoretical guideline to predict the responses of existing pipelines to tunnelling underneath.

Identification and Characterization of an Antifungal Protein, AfAFPR9, Produced by Marine-Derived Aspergillus fumigatus R9

( Qi Rao ),( Wen Bin Guo ),( Xin Hua Chen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.5

A fungal strain, R9, was isolated from the South Atlantic sediment sample and identified as Aspergillus fumigatus. An antifungal protein, AfAFPR9, was purified from the culture supernatant of Aspergillus fumigatus R9. AfAFPR9 was identified to be restrictocin, which is a member of the ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), by MALDI-TOF-TOF-MS. AfAFPR9 displayed antifungal activity against plant pathogenic Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria longipes, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Paecilomyces variotii, and Trichoderma viride at minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.6, 0.6, 1.2, 1.2, and 2.4 μg/disc, respectively. Moreover, AfAFPR9 exhibited a certain extent of thermostability, and metal ion and denaturant tolerance. The iodoacetamide assay showed that the disulfide bridge in AfAFPR9 was indispensable for its antifungal action. The cDNA encoding for AfAFPR9 was cloned from A. fumigatus R9 by RTPCR and heterologously expressed in E. coli. The recombinant AfAFPR9 protein exhibited obvious antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides, T. viride, and A. longipes. These results reveal the antifungal properties of a RIP member (AfAFPR9) from marine-derived Aspergillus fumigatus and indicated its potential application in controlling plant pathogenic fungi.

Involvement of MicroRNA-198 Overexpression in the Poor Prognosis of Esophageal Cancer

Qi, Bo,Yao, Wen-Jian,Zhao, Bao-Sheng,Qin, Xiu-Guang,Wang, Yi,Wang, Wen-Ju,Wang, Tian-Yun,Liu, Shang-Guo,Li, Han-Chen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.9

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether the miR-198 expression level is related to clinicopathological factors and prognosis of esophageal cancer. Methods: MicroRNA was extracted from esophageal cancer patients who underwent surgery for assessment using the Taqman@ MicroRNA assay. The correlation between miR-198 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed, and the significance of miR-198 as a prognostic factor and its relationship with survival was determined. Results: MicroRNA-198 (miR-198) expression was higher in patients with poor prognosis than those with good prognosis (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis results showed that the miR-198 expression level had a significant correlation with survival time (P=0.030) and that patients with a higher expression of miR-198 had a shorter survival time. Cox multi-factor model analysis showed that patient prognosis (P=0.014), tumor length (P=0.040) and expression (P=0.012), and survival time had a significant correlation; the corresponding risks were 7.268, 1.246, and 3.524, respectively. Conclusion: miR-198 overexpression is involved in the poor prognosis of esophageal cancer and can be used as a biomarker for selection of cases requiring especial attention.

Effect of Vanadium on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 2100 MPa Ultra-High Strength High Plasticity Spring Steel Processed by a Novel Online Rapid-Induction Heat Treatment

Qi‑Lei Dai,Kun Li,Kai‑Ren Meng,Zhou Fang,Wen Chen,Tian‑Bao Yang,Chi Feng,Jin‑Ming Wu,R. D. K. Misra 대한금속·재료학회 2023 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.29 No.4

Advanced automotive industries generate large demand for the next generation of high strength and high toughness springsteels. Vanadium-containing 55SiCrV spring steels subjected to rapid-induction heating treatment can fulfil such requirements. However, the effect of vanadium microalloying under online rapid-induction heat treatments is rarely reported. Acomparative study of the microstructure and tensile properties of 55SiCr and 55SiCrV spring steel wires subjected to a novelonline rapid induction heat treatment has been demonstrated herein. It is found that the tensile strength of the 55SiCr springwire decreases with the decrease in the wire speed in online rapid-induction heating, and the plasticity increases. Whereas,the tensile strength of the 55SiCrV steel wire increases with the decrease in the wire speed with the retained high plasticity,which is attributed to the strengthening effect of the dislocations. Through the optimized rapid-induction heating/coolingthermal cycles and intermediate-temperature tempering treatment, the tensile strength of the 55SiCrV steel wire approaches2106 MPa with total elongation of 9.7%. Compared with the 55SiCr spring steel, the addition of V in 55SiCrV spring steelchanges the strengthening and toughening mechanisms via the grain refinement and enhancement in the hardenability andtempering resistance. The finely dispersed V-containing secondary phases are rarely found in the matrix, which indicates thatthe precipitation effect stemming from the addition of V is not the dominant strengthening factor in the online rapid-inductionheat process. The proposed novel online rapid-induction heat treatment provides a promising pathway for the mechanicalproperty improvement of the spring steel.

Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Infection, Cervical Cancer, and HPV Vaccine and its Correlates among Medical Students in Southwest China: a Multi-center Cross-sectional Survey

Wen, Ying,Pan, Xiong-Fei,Zhao, Zhi-Mei,Chen, Feng,Fu, Chun-Jing,Li, Si-Qi,Zhao, Yun,Chang, Hong,Xue, Qing-Ping,Yang, Chun-Xia Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.14

Background: Since cervical cancer can be prevented and controlled through human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, it is important to train health care providers and provide them with appropriate knowledge. This study aimed to understand the level of HPV related knowledge among medical students and correlates in Southwest China in order to address any potential gap in their knowledge base. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among medical students in six selected universities across Southwest China based on a pretested questionnaire regarding HPV infection, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccines. Results: We successfully surveyed 1, 878 medical students, of whom 32.1% were males and 67.9% were females. Their mean age was 20.8 (standard deviation: 1.3) years. 91.8% of them were ethnic Han Chinese, and 43.8% were students in clinical medicine. While 76.5% had heard of HPV only 48.8% knew that the prevention of cervical cancer was possible through HPV vaccination. Only 42.9% of the male and 49.2% of the female students correctly answered over 10 out of 22 questions on HPV related knowledge. Female students appeared to know more about HPV and HPV vaccination (OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.75). In addition, the student knowledge improved with the grade (p<0.001). University courses were the most selected source of knowledge about HPV vaccination (66.4%). 83.6% of males and 91.4% of females were willing to have more HPV related education by experts (p<0.001). Only 10.1% of the students acknowledged that people had asked for their advice regarding HPV vaccination. Conclusions: Our survey indicates that medical students from Southwest China have poor knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccination, but are willing to receive more relevant information. Targeted education should be incorporated into school courses to inform these future health care providers and ensure success of programs for cervical cancer control and prevention.

Overexpression of Semaphorin4D Indicates Poor Prognosis and Prompts Monocyte Differentiation toward M2 Macrophages in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Chen, Ying,Zhang, Lei,Lv, Rui,Zhang, Wen-Qi Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.10

Previously, we demonstrated overexpression of semaphorin4D (SEMA4D, CD100) to be closely related to tumor angiogenesis in epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs). However, the function and expression of SEMA4D in the EOC microenvironment has yet to be clarified in detail. In this study, we confirmed that overexpression of SEMA4D in primary tumors and ascites was related to low differentiation, platinum resistance and a refractory status (P<0.05), while high M2 macrophage count and percentage were evident in EOC patients with advanced FIGO stage and platinum resistance (P<0.05), using immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), respectively. The data showed correlations of SEMA4D expression and M2 macrophage counts in primary tumors and M2 macrophage percentage in ascites (r=0.281 and 0.355, each P<0.05). In the Cox proportional hazard mode, SEMA4D expression was an independent indicator of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for EOC patients. Furthermore, higher expression of SEMA4D in ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, A2780, and SW626) and their supernatants were found than that in a human primary cultured ovarian cell and its supernatant by reversed transcript PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting and ELISA, respectively. Interestingly, peripheral blood monocytes (MOs) tended towards the M2-polarized macrophage phenotype ($CD163^{high}$) in vitro after human recombined soluble SEMA4D protein stimulation. These findings suggest that SEMA4D might possibly serve as a reliable tool for early and accurate prediction of EOC poor prognosis and could playan important role in promoting tumor dissemination and metastasis in the EOC microenvironment. Thus SEMA4D and its role in macrophage polarization in EOC warrants further study.

Preparation and Characterization of Anti-GP73 Monoclonal Antibodies and Development of Double-antibody Sandwich ELISA

Li, Qi-Wen,Chen, Hong-Bing,Li, Zhi-Yang,Shen, Peng,Qu, Li-Li,Gong, Lai-Ling,Xu, Hong-Pan,Pang, Lu,Si, Jin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.5

Background: Serum Golgi protein 73 (GP73) as a novel and potential marker for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been found to be elevated in HCC patients and associated with clinical variables representing tumor growth and invasiveness. The aim of this study was to prepare a pair of monoclonal antibodys (mAbs) against GP73 and develop a newly designed double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (s-ELISA), which would be used in the detection of serum GP73 (sGP73) as well as in the diagnosis of HCC. Materials and Methods: Produced by prokaryotic expression, the purified recombinant GP73 (rGP73), produced by prokaryotic expression, was used to immunize the Balb/c mice. Two hybridoma cell lines against GP73 were obtained by fusing mouse Sp2/0 myeloma cells with spleen cells from the immunized mice. The titers of anti-GP73 mAb reached 1:243,000. Western blotting analysis and Immunohistochemistry staining revealed that anti-GP73 mAb could recognize GP73 protein. The double-antibody s-ELISA was successfully established and validated by 119 HCC and 103 normal serum samples. Results: showed that the detection limit of this method could reach 1.56 ng/ml, and sGP73 levels in HCC group (mean=190.6 ng/ml) were much higher than those of in healthy controls (mean=70.92 ng/ml). Conclusions: Results of our study not only showed that sGP73 levels of HCC patients were significantly higher than those of healthy controls, but also indicated that the laboratory homemade anti-GP73 mAbs could be the optimal tool used in evaluating sGP73 levels, which would provide a solid foundation for subsequent clinical applications.

The Pattern of Time to Onset and Resolution of Immune-Related Adverse Events Caused by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of 23 Clinical Trials and 8,436 Patients

Si-Qi Tang,Ling-Long Tang,Yan-Ping Mao,Wen-Fei Li,Lei Chen,Yuan Zhang,Ying Guo,Qing Liu,Ying Sun,Cheng Xu,Jun Ma 대한암학회 2021 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.53 No.2

Purpose The occurrence pattern of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) in cancer treatment remains unclear. Materials and Methods Phase II-III clinical trials that evaluated ICI-based treatments in cancer and were published between January 2007 and December 2019 were retrieved from public electronic databases. The pooled median time to onset (PMT-O), resolution (PMT-R), and immune-modulation resolution (PMT-IMR) of irAEs were generated using the metamedian package of R software.Results Twenty-two eligible studies involving 23 clinical trials and 8,436 patients were included. The PMT-O of all-grade irAEs ranged from 2.2 to 14.8 weeks, with the longest in renal events. The PMT-O of grade ≥ 3 irAEs was significantly longer than that of all-grade irAEs induced by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and its ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors (27.5 weeks vs. 8.4 weeks, p < 0.001) and treatment of nivolumab (NIV) plus ipilimumab (IPI) (7.9 weeks vs. 6.0 weeks, p < 0.001). The PMT-R of all-grade irAEs ranged from 0.1 to 54.3 weeks, with the shortest and longest in hypersensitivity/infusion reaction and endocrine events, respectively. The PMT-IMR of grade ≥ 3 irAEs was significantly shorter than that of all-grade irAEs caused by PD-1/PD-L1 blockade (6.9 weeks vs. 40.6 weeks, p=0.002) and NIV+IPI treatment (3.1 weeks vs. 5.9 weeks, p=0.031).Conclusion This study revealed the general and specific occurrence pattern of ICI-induced irAEs in pan-cancers, which was deemed to aid the comprehensive understanding, timely detection, and effective management of ICI-induced irAEs.

Cloning and Characterization of Squalene Synthase (SQS) Gene from Ganoderma Lucidum

( Ming Wen Zhao ),( Wan Qi Liang ),( Da Bing Zhang ),( Wang Nan ),( Chen Guang Wang ),( Ying Jie Pan ) 한국미생물생명공학회 2007 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.17 No.7