Objective To evaluate the potential of specific mRNA marker keratin 19(K19) to detect micrometastasis by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) .Methods One hundred and ninty four regional lymph nodes harvested from 6 cases of benign diseases, 4 cases of breast carcinoma, 5 cases of gastric carcinoma and 12 cases of colorectal carcinoma patients were examined by conventional pathology and amplifying tissue specific K19 mRNA by RT-PCR separately, then the two methods were compared with each other. Results None of the 34 lymph nodes which were pathological metastasis-negative from benign diseases expressed K19 mRNA by RT-PCR, all of the 28 regional lymph nodes which were pathological metastasis-positive from malignant cases showed trains of K19 mRNA by RT-PCR. Of the 132 lymph nodes which were pathological metastasis-negative from malignant cases, 11 lymph nodes were detected with micrometastasis by genetic diagnosis.Conclusion Genetic diagnosis of lymph node micrometastasis is more sensitive than conventional pathology and has diagnostic value and merits further study.
【Abstract】 Objective To investigate the expression and significance of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptors in pancreatic cancer. Methods Thirty-two samples of pancreatic cancer tissue were collected from year 2002 to 2004. All of them were verified by histopathology and there were 9 cases of well-differentiated, 12 of moderately differentiated, and 11 of poorly differentiated, in which 12 cases were in the stage of Ⅰor Ⅱand 20 in the stage of Ⅲ or Ⅳ according to the TNM staging method. Eighteen normal pancreatic tissues were used as control group. The expressions of TRAIL receptors (death receptor 4, death receptor 5, decoy receptor 4 and decoy receptor 5) mRNA were assayed by semi-quantitive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the pancreatic cancer tissues and the normal pancreatic tissues. Results The expressions of death receptor 4 (DR4) and death receptor 5 (DR5) were detected in all the pancreatic cancer tissues and the normal pancreatic tissues and the levels of DR4 and DR5 were significantly higher than those of the normal pancreatic tissues (P＜0.01). Decoy receptor 1 (DcR1) and decoy receptor 2 (DcR2) were also expressed in normal pancreatic tissues, whereas DcR1 and DcR2 were only expressed in 18 and 20 pancreatic cancer tissues, respectively. However, there were no significant difference of the expression of DcR1 and DcR2 between the pancreatic cancer tissues and the normal pancreatic tissues （Pgt;0.05）. The expression level of DR5 in pancreatic cancer tissue was correlated with tumor differentiation and clinical stage, and the levels in stage Ⅲ and stage Ⅳwere significantly lower than those of stageⅠand stageⅡ(P＜0.05). The expressions of DR4, DcR1 and DcR2 were not correlated with tumor differentiation and clinical stage (Pgt;0.05). Conclusion ①The expression of TRAIL receptors in pancreatic cancer tissues is prevalent, but the types of receptors expressed in different tissues were also different. High expression of death receptors may play an important role in TRAIL recptors regulated pancreatic cancer apoptosis. ②The expression of DR5 is correlated with the differentiation degree of pancreatic cancer cell and clinical stage of tumor. The expressions of DR4, DcR1 and DcR2 should not be considered as related indexes of differentiation degree or clinical stage of pancreatic cancer.
Objective To investigate the expression of T cell receptor (TCR) Vβ8.3 gene on CD4+ T lymphocytes in the rats with experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU). Methods Eighteen Lewis rats were divided into EAU, complete Freund′s adjuvant, and the control group. Inter photoreceptor retinoid-binding protein (IRBP) R16 peptide was synthesized using Fmoc procedure for induction of EAU. Magnetic absorption cell sorting (MACS) me thod was used to isolate the CD4+T lymphocytes from the spleen of the rats. Flow cytometry was used to monitor the efficiency of isolation. The expression of TCR Vβ8.3 gene segment on CD4+T lymphocytes was determined by fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results EAU was successfully induced in the Lewis rats immunized with IRBP R16 peptide. The proportion of CD4+T lymphocytes isolated by means of MACS was statistically higher than that before isolation (P＜0.001). The expression of TCR Vβ8.3 gene segment on CD4+ T lymphocytes in EAU rats was significantly higher than that in the control (P＜0.05). Conclusions There is a predominant usage of antigen-specific TCR Vβ 8.3 gene in EAU rats induced by IR BP R16 peptide, which may serve as a target for immunotherapy of EAU. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis，2004，20：165-167)
Optic atrophy,hereditary／diagnosis; Polymerase chain reaction; DNA,mitochondrial; Point mutation; Sequence analysis
Objective To detect the expression of forkhead box P3 （FOXP3 ）gene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC) and provide a new basis for immunotherapy of esophageal cancer. Methods Based on fluorescent TaqMan methodology, a realtime quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detecting the expression of FOXP3 was set up. In this method, a cloning vector pMD 18-T-FOXP3 was constructed as a standard plasmid. The specific expression of FOXP3 in 42 patients with ESCC and 30 healthy controls were measured by using GeneAmp 7500 Sequence Detection Systems. Results FOXP3 mRNA copy number in ESCC was significantly higher than that in healthy control tissue ［(72.20±23.10)×104copy/μg RNA vs.(0.68±0.34)×104 copy/μg RNA；Plt;0.05］. Conclusion A realtime quantitative RT-PCR method for detecting the expression of FOXP3 gene in ESCC has been successfully established. The expression level of FOXP3 is increased in ESCC compare with healthy controls.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical significance of promoter hypermethylation of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) in cholangiocarcinoma. MethodsPromoter methylation status of MGMT gene and expression of MGMT protein were detected in cholangiocarcinoma by methylationspecific PCR and immunohistochemical staining, respectively. ResultsAberrant methylation of MGMT gene was detected in 17 patients (47.2%). Twentyone cases showed negative immunoreactivities. Of 21 patients with negative MGMT expression, 14 patients had aberrant methylation of MGMT gene. In 15 patients with positive MGMT expression, aberrant methylation of MGMT gene was only found in three cases. There was a negative correlation between promoter methylation status of MGMT gene and the expression of MGMT protein (rs=-0.816, Plt;0.05). Promoter methylation status of MGMT gene was related to depth of invasion, degree of differentiation, and TNM stage (Plt;0.05), but not to age of patient, gender, pathological type, and lymph node metastasis (Pgt;0.05). ConclusionsHypermethylation of MGMT promoter is a frequency molecular event in cholangiocarcinoma and may be involved in carcinogenesis. Methylation status of MGMT gene may be used to evaluate malignant degree of cholangiocarcinoma.
Objective To observe the clinical features of acute retinal necrosis syndrome (ARN).Methods The clinical data of 84 patients (98 eyes) with ARN were retrospective analyzed. The patietns had undergone the examinations of best visual acuity, intraocular pressure, Bscanning, slitlamp biomicroscope, preset lens, direct and (or) indirect ophthalmolscope,and trihedral reflector; fundus fluorecein angiography had been performed on the patients with clear refracting media. Some of the patients had undergone polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to dectet the types of the causative virus.Medication,laser photocoagulation,and vitreous surgery had been performed on the patients after the diagnosis was confirmed. The visual acuity and the change of ocular fundus had been followed up; the average followup was 24.1 months. Results The average age of the patients at the onset was 42.8 years with the bilateraleye rate of 16.6% and retinaldetachment rate of 57.1%. There were 53.5% and 35.5% patients had the final visual acuity of gt;0.02 after 6 and 12 months, respectively. Better prognosis was found in patients diagnosed within 2 weeks and second involved eye. Varicella zoster virus DNA was identified in 15 patients and herpes simplex virus 1 was found in 3.Conclusions ARN is an acute disease with high incidence of retinal detachment.Serious retinal vasculopathy always happens at the late stage, and the prognosis is poor. Diagnosis in early stage is important and application of PCR will do contribution to the right diagnosis.
Objective To investigate whether mutations exist in codon 58 and codon 347 of the rhodopsin gene in patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa(ADRP)． Methods Point mutations at codons 58 and 347 were detected by restriction endonuclease digestion of exons 1 and 5 amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)．This method was applied to screen genomic DNAs from 57 patients of 38 families with ADRP and 60 normal controls． Results Four patients from one family of ADRP were confirmed to have a point mutation at the second nucleotide of codon 58,and 6 patients from two families of ADRP were found to have a mutation at codon 347．None of these mutations were found in 60 normal subjects． Conclusion It is suggested that molecular genetic heterogeneity exists within ADRP and some subtypes of ADRP are caused by points mutations of the rhodopsin gene． (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1998,14:108-110)
Objective To investigate the polymorphism of the vitamin D receptor gene (VDR)TaqⅠin relation to diabetic retinopathy. Method Fragment length discrepant allele specific PCR(FLDAS-PCR) were used to determine VDR genetypes in 158 patients with diabetic retinopathy and in 198 normal subjects. Results The frequency distribution of VDR genotypes in diabetic retinopathy patients was 106 (67.1%) in TT, 33(20.9%) in Tt, 19(12.0%) in tt; and in normal persons was 165 (83.3%) in TT, 23(11.6%) in Tt, 10 (5.1%) in tt. There was a significant difference between diabetic retinopathy patients and normal persons in distribution of VDR gene TaqⅠgenotypes(Plt;0.05). Conclusions There is some distribution alterations of VDR gene polymorphism in diabetic retinopathy patients. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis, 2006, 22: 94-96)