The aim of the present study was to explore the differentially expressed genes in the blood vessel endothelial cells (BVECs) between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and reactive lymph node hyperplasia (RLNH), and to perform an initial bioinformatics analysis on a novel gene, C20orf14, which is highly expressed in lymph node of lymphoma. The mRNA of the tissue from the BVECs of DLBCL and RLNH tissues was labeled with biotin respectively and hybridized with expression profile microarray, and the differentially expressed genes were obtained. Initial bioinformatics analysis was performed on a novel gene named C20orf14. Its gene structure, genomic localization, the physical and chemical characteristics of the putative protein, subcellular localization, functional domain etc. were predicted, and the systematic evolution analysis was performed on the similar proteins among several species. By using expression profile microarray, many differentially expressed genes were uncovered. The efficient bioinformatics analysis have fundamentally identified that C20orf14 was a nuclear protein, and may be involved in the post-transcription modification of mRNA. Therefore, microarray is an efficient and high throughout strategy for the detection of differentially expressed genes, and C20orf14 is thought to be a potential target for tumor metastasis researches by bioinformatics analysis.

The activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in endometrial carcinoma cells Ishikawa and HEC-1A was investigated. The expression of mTOR was detected by confocal fluorescence microscopy in Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells. The mRNA levels of PTEN and mTOR, the downstream substrate S6K1 and 4E-BP1 protein were assayed by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. The expression of PTEN in Ishikawa cells was deficient, but intact in HEC-1A cells respectively (P<0.01). There was mTOR expression in both Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells and the phosporylated substrate levels in Ishikawa cells were higher than those in HEC-1A cells (P<0.05). mTOR signaling pathway is activated in two endometrial carcinoma cell strains and the status of activation is related with PTEN expression of the cells. The activation level of mTOR is higher in PTEN-deficient endometrial carcinoma cells than that in PTEN-intact endometrial carcinoma cells.

This study investigated the contents and distribution of collagen V (Col V) in skin lesions of the patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and its roles in the pathogenesis. The contents and distribution for α1 chain of collagen type I, III and V [α1 (I), α1 (III) and α1 (V)] in skin lesions of 36 patients with SSc (9 cases of mild fibrosis, 14 moderate, and 13 severe) were detected by using immunohistochemical SP method. Six cases of normal skin tissues served as controls. The results showed that there was diffuse distribution for three kinds of collagens in dermis. The deep staining α1 (I) and α1 (III) masses or bands were seen in reticular layer, while α1 (V) was distributed more homogeneously. From control to weak, moderate and severe fibrosis stages, α1 (I), α1 (III) and α1 (V) showed a gradually increased trend in skin lesions (P<0.05). α1 (V) was obviously elevated in skin lesions at early stage and persisted in whole fibrotic process and risen in greater contents, while α1 (I) and α1 (III) were to go higher late and were apparently elevated at moderate and late stages. Compared with α1 (I), α1 (V) took leading increase at early stage in skin lesions (P<0.01), and had more elevated contents than α1 (III) at moderate and late stages. The fibrotic changes in dermal reticular layer occurred earlier than those in papillary layer, and the abnormalities of α1 (V)/α1 (I) ratio appeared before α1 (III)/α1 (I) ratio. It was concluded that a lot of α1 (V) began to deposit in greater contents prior to α1 (I) and α1 (III) at early stage in SSc and persisted in whole fibrotic process. The changes of α1 (V) contents in reticular layer occurred earlier than those in papillary layer, and it suggested that the fibrosis in reticular layer appeared earlier.

This study was aimed to evaluate the relationship between carotid atherosclerotic plaque stability and the clinical symptoms in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques by using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Fifty patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaques were enrolled and examined with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. The correlation of contrast agent enhancement of the carotid atherosclerotic plaques and the clinical symptoms was analyzed. The results showed that among the 50 patients, plaques were enhanced in the 23 patients with obvious clinical symptoms. In 27 patients without apparent clinical symptoms, plaques were enhanced sparsely in 15 patients and not enhanced in 12 patients. It was suggested that contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could be used for the examination of the microcirculation in carotid atherosclerotic plaques on real-time basis and serve as a new noninvasive approach for the assessment of stability of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.