Frequent Use of Fresh Frozen Plasma Is a Risk Factor for Venous Thrombosis in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants: A Matched Case-control Study

Percutaneously inserted central catheters (PICCs) are often used in neonatal medicine. Venous thrombosis (VT) is one of the complications associated with PICC use. According to some reports, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) may be a risk factor for VT. The purpose of this study was to determine whether FFP use is associated with VT in extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWIs). We performed a matched case-control study on risk factors for VT in ELBWIs born over a period of 5 years in the neonatal intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital. Controls were infants from the unit matched for gestational age and birth weight. We performed univariate analyses and created receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the cut-off values of continuous parameters such as FFP. We also conducted multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis and calculated adjusted odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals. Thirteen VT cases and 34 matched controls were examined. Using an ROC curve, FFP by day 5＞50mL/kg was selected as the cut-off value. In multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis, FFP by day 5＞50mL/kg exhibited an adjusted odds ratio of 5.88 (95% confidence interval:1.12-41.81, p＝0.036). FFP by day 5＞50mL/kg may be a risk factor for VT in ELBWIs

On Some p-Substituted Benzoic Anhydrides

Some p-substituted benzoic anhydrides were prepared from corresponding p-substituted benzoic acid and acetic anhydride by the ordinary method. p-Chlorobenzoic anhydride (mp 190 -2°C)was obtained in almost quantitative yield and p-nitrobenzoic anhydride (mp 191 -2°C)， in 71% yield. p-Acetoxybenzoic anhydride (mp 78 -80°C) which has not been reported in the literature，was also synthesized as the above，by the reaction of p-acetoxybenzoic acid or p-oxybenzoic acid with acetic anhydride，but recrystalisation of the product was difficult. In order to confirm the formation of p-acetoxybenzoic anhydride accordingly， it was converted into p-oxybenzamide by warming with 28% aqueous ammonia or into p-acetoxybenzoic acid methyl ester by heating with methanol

Synthesis of Some o-Substituted Benzoic Anhydrides

Some o-substituted benzoic anhydrides were synthesized from corresponding o-substituted benzoic acid and acetic anhydride by the ordinary method.o-Chlorobenzoic anhydrids (mp 79~80℃)(Ⅰ) was obtained in yield of 91.4% by the reaction of o-Chlorobenzoic acid and acetic anhydride. Similarly， o-Nitrobenzoic anhydride (mp 133~50℃) (Ⅱ) was obtained in yield of 42% and o-acetoxybenzoic anhydride (acetylsalicy1ica anhydride，mp 83~40℃) (Ⅲ)，in yield of 55.2%. In order to confirm the formation ofⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ, accordingly,they were converted into corresponding acidamides, o-Chlorobenzamide (mp 139~140℃，yield 95%)， o-nitrobenzamide (mp 173~50℃，yield 95.2%) and salicylamide (mp 138~138.5℃，yield 75%) were obtained respectively from Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ by warming with 28% aqueous ammonia

Aur-A Stabilization in Cancer

Background. The serine/threonine kinase Aurora-A (Aur-A) is a proto-oncoprotein overexpressed in a wide range of human cancers. Overexpression of Aur-A is thought to be caused by gene amplification or mRNA overexpression. However, recent evidence revealed that the discrepancies between amplification of Aur-A and overexpression rates of Aur-A mRNA were observed in breast cancer, gastric cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. We found that aggressive head and neck cancers exhibited overexpression and stabilization of Aur-A protein without gene amplification or mRNA overexpression. Here we tested the hypothesis that aberration of the protein destruction system induces accumulation and consequently overexpression of Aur-A in cancer. Principal Findings. Aur-A protein was ubiquitinylated by APCCdh1 and consequently degraded when cells exited mitosis, and phosphorylation of Aur-A on Ser51 was observed during mitosis. Phosphorylation of Aur-A on Ser51 inhibited its APCCdh1-mediated ubiquitylation and consequent degradation. Interestingly, constitutive phosphorylation on Ser51 was observed in head and neck cancer cells with protein overexpression and stabilization. Indeed, phosphorylation on Ser51 was observed in head and neck cancer tissues with Aur-A protein overexpression. Moreover, an Aur-A Ser51 phospho-mimetic mutant displayed stabilization of protein during cell cycle progression and enhanced ability to cell transformation. Conclusions/Significance. Broadly, this study identifies a new mode of Aur-A overexpression in cancer through phosphorylation-dependent inhibition of its proteolysis in addition to gene amplification and mRNA overexpression. We suggest that the inhibition of Aur-A phosphorylation can represent a novel way to decrease Aur-A levels in cancer therapy

Periostin promotes invasion and anchorage-independent growth in head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common types of human cancer. Typically HNSCC cells show persistent invasion that frequently leads to local recurrence and distant lymphatic metastasis. However, molecular mechanisms associated with invasion and metastasis of HNSCC remain poorly understood. Here we identified Periostin as an invasion promoting factor in HNSCC by comparing the gene expression profiles between parent HNSCC cells and a highly invasive clone. Indeed, Periostin overexpression promoted the invasion and anchorage independent growth both in vitro and in vivo in HNSCC cells. Moreover, Periostin overexpressing cells spontaneously metastasized to cervical lymph nodes and to the lung through their aggressive invasiveness in an orthotopic mouse model of HNSCC. Interestingly, Periostin was highly expressed in HNSCCs in comparison with normal tissues, and the level of Periostin expression was well correlated with the invasiveness of HNSCC cases. In summary, these findings suggest that Periostin plays an important role for invasion and anchorage independent growth in the metastatic process of HNSCC

New Strategy for the Evaluation of the Dissociation Constant (Kd) of the Incｌusion Host-Guest Complex， with Use of Nucｌear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectral Method

Based upon the 1 H NMR spectra， a new calculation strategy of dissociation constant (Kd) and its standard deviation (σKd) is described. We believe that this strategy has a wide adaptability to various experimental conditions and would retrieve us from the traditional but restricted experimental condition， [Guest] = constant. Centering on such prospect， theoretical and applicable aspects of this new strategy are discussed

Studies on Melamine Derivatives(II):Di- and Tri-benzoylmelamine

The purpose of this work was the study of benzoyIation of melamine with benzoic acid anhydride（BA）． A new compound，Dibenzoylmelamine（DBM）mp242－3℃ was obtained in23．7％ yield by refluxing monobenzoylmelamine（MBM）（1．8g）with BA（3．6g）in pyridine （180㏄）for 8hours，together with a small quantity of tribenzoylmelamine（TBM）． Similarly，MBM was prepared by refluxing melamine with BA（Mole ratio，1：2）in pyridine for 3hours，together with a small quantity of DBM．Also，TBM was obtained by treating DBM with BA（Mole ratio，l：2）in pyridine for 20hours，but the yield of TBM was poor. It was best obtained in 81％ yield by fusing melamine with BA（Mole ratio，1l：4．5）． The TBM gave various soIvation products with recrystalising solvent such as alcohol，dioxane，acetone and ethyl acetate．All of these solvation products regenerated TBM（mp 193－4℃）when they were dried at the respective boiling point of xylene or chlorobenzene under reduced pressure of 2mmHg

Studies on Melamine Deribatives (Part III) Acylation of Melamine with Chlorobenzoic Anhydrides.

Chlorobenzoic anhydrides were prepared from corresponding o-,m-,or p-chlorobenzoic acid and acetic anhydride by the ordinary method.o-chlorobenzoic anhydride(mp 79-80℃) was obtained in 91.4 % yield, m-chlorobenzoic anhydride (mp 96.5-7℃),in 92.1 % yield and p-chlorobenzoic anhydride (mp 190-2℃), in almost quantitative yield