High ERCC1 expression predicts cisplatin-based chemotherapy resistance and poor outcome in unresectable squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck in a betel-chewing area

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study was to evaluate the effect of excision repair cross-complementation group 1(ERCC1) expression on response to cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy (IC) followed by concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) in locally advanced unresectable head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-seven patients with locally advanced unresectable HNSCC who received cisplatin-based IC followed by CCRT from January 1, 2006 through January 1, 2008. Eligibility criteria included presence of biopsy-proven HNSCC without a prior history of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess ERCC1 expression in pretreatment biopsy specimens from paraffin blocks. Clinical parameters, including smoking, alcohol consumption and betel nuts chewing, were obtained from the medical records.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 12-month progression-free survival (PFS) and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates of fifty-seven patients were 61.1% and 61.0%, respectively. Among these patients, thirty-one patients had low ERCC1 expression and forty-one patients responded to IC followed by CCRT. Univariate analyses showed that patients with low expression of ERCC1 had a significantly higher 12-month PFS rates (73.3% vs. 42.3%, p < 0.001) and 2-year OS (74.2 vs. 44.4%, p = 0.023) rates. Multivariate analysis showed that for patients who did not chew betel nuts and had low expression of ERCC1 were independent predictors for prolonged survival.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study suggest that a high expression of ERCC1 predict a poor response and survival to cisplatin-based IC followed by CCRT in patients with locally advanced unresectable HNSCC in betel nut chewing area.</p

Production of Active Nonglycosylated Recombinant B-Chain of Type-2 Ribosome-Inactivating Protein from Viscum articulatum and Its Biological Effects on Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Type-2 ribosome-inactivating proteins, composed of a toxic A-chain and lectin-like B-chain, display various biological functions, including cytotoxicity and immunomodulation. We here cloned the lectin-like B-chain encoding fragment of a newly identified type-2 RIP gene, articulatin gene, from Viscum articulatum, into a bacterial expression vector to obtain nonglycosylated recombinant protein expressed in inclusion bodies. After purification and protein refolding, soluble refolded recombinant articulatin B-chain (rATB) showed lectin activity specific toward galactoside moiety and was stably maintained while stored in low ionic strength solution. Despite lacking glycosylation, rATB actively bound leukocytes with preferential binding to monocytes and in vitro stimulated PBMCs to release cytokines without obvious cytotoxicity. These results implicated such a B-chain fragment as a potential immunomodulator

Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy with Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Is Effective for Advanced Hepatocellular Cell Carcinoma

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a fatal disease even in the era of targeted therapies. Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IACT) can provide therapeutic benefits for patients with locally advanced HCC who are not eligible for local therapies or are refractory to targeted therapies. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the effect of IACT with cisplatin and doxorubicin on advanced HCC. Methods. Patients with advanced HCC who were not eligible for local therapies or were refractory to sorafenib received doxorubicin (50 mg/m2) and cisplatin (50 mg/m2) infusions into the liver via the transhepatic artery. Between January 2005 and December 2011, a total of 50 patients with advanced HCC received this treatment regimen. The overall response rate (ORR) was 22% in all treated patients. In patients who received at least 2 cycles of IACT, the ORR was 36.7%, and the disease control rate was 70%. Survival rate differed significantly between patients who received only one cycle of IACT (group I) and those who received several cycles (group II). The median progression-free survival was 1.3 months and 5.8 months in groups I and II, respectively (P<0.0001). The median overall survival was 8.3 months for all patients and was 3.1 months and 12.0 months in groups I and II, respectively (P<0.0001). The most common toxicity was alopecia. Four patients developed grade 3 or 4 leukopenia. Worsening of liver function, nausea, and vomiting were uncommon side effects. This study demonstrated clinical efficacy and tolerable side effects of repeated IACT with doxorubicin and cisplatin in advanced HCC. Our regimen can be an alternative choice for patients with adequate liver function who do not want to receive continuous infusion of IACT

Water Transport in the Liana Bauhinia fassoglensis (Fabaceae)

To determine the efficiency of xylem conductance in the liana (woody vine) Bauhinia fassoglensis Kotschy ex Schweinf., we measured hydraulic conductance per unit stem length (measured K(h)), leaf-specific conductivity (LSC = K(h)/distal leaf area), transpiration rate (E), xylem water potential (ε), vessel number, and vessel diameter. The measured K(h) was 49% (se = 7%) of the predicted K(h) from Poiseuille's law. The mean LSC for unbranched stem segments was 1.10 × 10(−8) square meters per megapascal per second (se = 0.07). LSCs were much lower (about 0.2) at branch junctions. At midday, with E at 7 × 10(−8) meters per second, the measured drop in ε was about 0.08 megapascal per meter along the stems and branches and about 0.27 megapascal in going from stem to leaf. In addition, there was a drop of about 0.20 megapascal at branch junctions as predicted by E/LSC. In diurnal measurements leaf ε never dropped below about −1.2 megapascal. For long (e.g. 16 meters) stems, the predicted mid-day drop in ε through the xylem transport system might be great enough to have substantial physiological impact

Fruit, seeds, and seedlings of <i>T. hemprichii</i>.

<p>A fruit attached to the base of a shoot (A). A typical seed with seed coat resembling a bell in shape (B). Seed germination at early stage (C). A longitudinal section of a seed illustrating texture difference between the apex and the base; ES, embryonic shoots (D). Uneven distribution of starch granules, stained by iodine in a longitudinal section, between the apex and the base (E). Magnification of the stained starch granules (F). A germinating seed with root hair-like filamentous cells emerging from all over the basal surface before emergence of primary root. Note that the sediment is composed of coral and silicate sands (G). A seedling floating in seawater when its vegetative tissue is dominant (H). A seedling right after germination shown in (G) with root hair-like filamentous cells grasping of small coral sands but not silicate sand at the seed base (I). A basal surface view of a typical seed with a tip of the primary root, indicated by the black arrow, at the base center before germination (J). A primary root emerged beneath the shoots (K). A primary root emerged from the center of seed base (L). A young plant floating in seawater (M). Scale bar in F: 100 µm; in others: 0.5 cm.</p

White and blue light enhances germination of <i>Thalassia hemprichii</i> seeds.

<p>Seeds were immersed in the reconstituted seawater and illuminated under different light treatments. The light intensities were set at 50 µmol/m²s. “n” indicates combined number of seeds in duplicated tests. The experiments were terminated when the germination rate of at least one group exceeded 50%. Error bars indicate 95% C.I.</p

Changes of Plant Communities Classification and Species Composition along the Micro-topography at the Lienhuachih Forest Dynamics Plot in the Central Taiwan

How micro-topography affecting plant communities classification and species composition at one stand-level was investigated through the plant communities and species composition varied across fine-scale environmental heterogeneity at the 25-ha Lienhuachih broad-leaved forest dynamics plot (FDP). All free-standing woody plants with diameter at breast height ≧1 cm were identified, measured, tagged and mapped. Four plant communities were identified and represented with dominant and indicating species based on two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). Type I, Pasania nantoensis - Randia cochinchinensis, locating on the ridge and the highest elevation was with the highest stem density; Type II, Mallotus paniculatus - Engelhardtia roxburghiana, locating on the upper slope was an ecotone between type I and type III, with the middle stem density and basal area among four plant community types; Type III, Diospyros morrisiana - Cryptocarya chinensis, locating on the lower slope and stream side was with lower stem density but the highest species heterogeneity; and Type IV, Machilus japonica var. kusanoi - Helicia formosana locating on west stream side was with the lowest stem density and basal area. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) results showed nearly 27.11% of the plant species composition was attributable to micro-topographic variables. Ridge distance, stream distance and convexity were the most important factors effected the changes of plant community and species composition. Classification and regression tree (CART) method was also used to examine the relationship between each single specie and micro-topographic variables. Over 70% species had more than 27.11 % variations which explained by DCA results. To conclude, our results support the existence of habitat association and niche divergence related to micro-topography in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

Appendix B. Details of soil sample analyses.

Details of soil sample analyses