Clinical significance of stanniocalcin-1 detected in peripheral blood and bone marrow of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND: Stanniocalcin-1 (STC-1) is a potential marker of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). The aim of this study was to examine STC-1 expression in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, and to evaluate its clinical significance. METHODS: A total of 85 ESCC patients treated with radical resection were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect STC-1 protein expression in ESCC tissues. Nested RT-PCR was used to detect STC-1 mRNA expression in PB and BM. RESULTS: There were 71 cases (83.5%) showed a higher level of STC-1 protein expression in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the frequencies of STC-1 mRNA expression detected in PB and BM were 37.6% (32/85) and 21.2% (18/85), respectively, and together increased sensitivity to 48.2% (41/85), which was much higher than that in patients with benign esophageal disease (5.0%, 2/40, P < 0.001). In addition, STC-1 mRNA expression either in PB or BM was correlated with lymph metastasis, advanced stage and adverse 2-year progression free survival (PFS). In a multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model, STC-1 expression in PB and/or BM was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for ESCC, apart from lymph metastasis and clinical stage. CONCLUSIONS: STC-1 mRNA expression is a reliable marker for detection of DTCs in PB and BM of ESCC patients, and STC-1-positive DTCs may be a promising tool for diagnosis and prognosis assessment in ESCC

34. 上肢のentrapment neuropathy手術例について(第520回千葉医学会例会 整形外科例会)

<p>No.8 nozzle assembly; flow rate 15 L/s; ambient pressure 30 MPa; ambient temperature = jet temperature = 373 K. In cross sections, dimensionless radius is the distance from the inner wall to the measure point divided by the total length between inner and outer wall. The tangential velocity has large gradients near both sides of inner and outer walls.</p

Relationship between Soil Chemical and Physical Properties and Vegetation in the Latest Decade of Alpine Grasslands of Southern Qinghai, China

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most important ecosystems in the world (Yang et al. 2009), particularly because of the global importance of its climate (Tian et al. 2008; Wang et al. 2008). Grassland ecosystems on the plateau are sensitive to global change, because the plateau is located in marginal land areas where the growth and distribution of plants depend heavily on local climatic conditions (Zhang et al. 1996). The alpine grassland of Qinghai Province in China has been traditionally used for extensive grazing by sheep and yak (Bos grunniens), but is now degraded from overgrazing. This study investigated the relationship between soil chemical and physical properties and vegetation of alpine grasslands of southern Qinghai, China