Cancer Biomark.：吴一龙教授发现GLI3TR表达情况与NSCLC患者预后有关

在2013年1月1日出版的《 Cancer Biomark》杂志上，发表了我国广东省人民医院吴一龙教授等人的一项研究结果，该研究对非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)患者的GLI3表达情况进行了评价。研究人员同时对GLI3在肺部癌变中的作用及其与NSCLC患者临床病理因素和总生存率(OS)间的关系进行了考察。Hedgehog信号通路(Hh)参与胚胎发育及器官形成过程。GLI3则是Hh信号通路中的一种锌指转录因子，其存在形式有全长型(GLI3FL)及截短型(GLI3TR)两类。

研究人员通过免疫组化法，分别对330份及352份NSCLC可评价组织样本的GLI3FL和GLI3TR表达情况进行了分析。并利用统计学方法，对GLI3FL与GLI3TR表达情况与临床病理参数和OS间的关系进行了分析。

研究结果表明，通过免疫组化染色，可观察到恶性上皮细胞细胞质内的GLI3FL，在核区则可观察到GLI3TR。GLI3FL及GLI3TR的表达水平较高，分别为52.7%及45.2%。GLI3FL与临床病理参数及患者生存间并无显著关联。然而GLI3TR高表达与淋巴结转移(P=0.013)及较差OS(28.4 vs. 40.8个月, P=0.010)间存在显著关联。对于GLI3TR表达水平较高及较低的腺癌患者，其中位OS分别为25.7个月及50.6个月(P=0.004)。而多变量分析表明，GLI3TR表达水平(P=0.036)、肿瘤分化情况(P< 0.001)、病情分期(P < 0.001)为NSCLC患者预后的独立预测因素。

吴教授等人最终认为，NSCLC患者，尤其是腺癌患者的GLI3TR过量表达与较差预后有关。GLI3TR表达情况为OS相关的独立预后因素。同时，GLI3TR可能在NSCLC癌变过程中发挥重要作用。

Identification of asbestos fibers within single cells.
Abstract
Identification of asbestos fibers and other mineral particles in tissues is important for the diagnosis of interstitial lung disease. Conventional procedures to identify mineral particles are applicable to tissue digests, homogenates, or thin sections prepared for transmission electron microscopy. Positive identification of mineral particles in these samples is achieved by energy dispersive x-ray analysis or crystalline diffraction patterns. These analytical techniques are difficult to use for identification of long, thin asbestos fibers within cells collected from effusions or by saline lavage. A new preparative procedure is presented which allows intracellular visualization of fibers in these samples. Mice were injected intraperitoneally with 100 micrograms of crocidolite asbestos. After 1 to 30 days, the free peritoneal cell population was collected by saline lavage and allowed to attach to Formvar/carbon coated grids in vitro. Cell spreading was induced by exposure to phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate for an additional 4 hours. The flattened cells were fixed, dehydrated and air-dried before examination by transmission electron microscopy. This procedure allows direct visualization of intracellular fibers. The characteristic Fe and Si peaks of crocidolite asbestos were confirmed by energy dispersive x-ray analysis. This technique was used to study the kinetics of clearance of asbestos fibers from the free peritoneal macrophage population of mice.