This study investigated the effect of cold plasma seed treatment on tomato bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum (R. solanacearum), and the regulation of resistance mechanisms. The effect of cold plasma of 80W on seed germination, plant growth, nutrient uptake, disease severity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and activities of peroxidase (POD; EC 1.11.1.7), polyphenol oxidase (PPO; EC 1.10.3.2) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL; EC 4.3.1.5) were examined in tomato plants. Plasma treatment increased tomato resistance to R. solanacearum with an efficacy of 25.0%. Plasma treatment significantly increased both germination and plant growth in comparison with the control treatment, and plasma-treated plants absorbed more calcium and boron than the controls. In addition, H2O2 levels in treated plants rose faster and reached a higher peak, at 2.579 µM gFW−1, 140% greater than that of the control. Activities of POD (421.3 U gFW−1), PPO (508.8 U gFW−1) and PAL (707.3 U gFW−1) were also greater in the treated plants than in the controls (103.0 U gFW−1, 166.0 U gFW−1 and 309.4 U gFW−1, respectively). These results suggest that plasma treatment affects the regulation of plant growth, H2O2 concentration, and POD, PPO and PAL activity in tomato, resulting in an improved resistance to R. solanacearum. Consequently, cold plasma seed treatment has the potential to control tomato bacterial wilt caused by R. solanacearum.

Abstract. Glioma is known to induce local and systemic immunosuppression, which inhibits antitumor T cell responses. The galectin-9-Tim-3-pathway negatively regulates T cell pathways in the tumor immunosuppressive environment. The present study assessed the expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 in glioma patients, and evaluated the association between the expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 with clinical characteristics. The present study identified that Tim-3 expression was significantly increased in peripheral blood T cells of glioma patients compared with those of healthy controls, and was additionally increased on tumor-infiltrating T cells. The expression of Tim-3 on tumor-infiltrating T cells was associated with the World Health Organization (WHO) grade of glioma, but negatively correlated with the Karnofsky Performance Status score of the glioma patients. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the expression of galectin-9 in tumor tissues was associated with Tim-3 expression on tumor-infiltrating T cells and the WHO grade of glioma. These findings suggest that the galectin-9-Tim-3 pathway may be critical in the immunoevasion of glioma and may be a potent target for immunotherapy in glioma patients.

BackgroundPulmonary sclerosing hemangioma (SH) is an uncommon tumor. The aim of this study was to identify the origin of pulmonary SH and summarize its clinicopathologic features.MethodsData of 26 cases of pulmonary SH were collected and reviewed, including their clinical symptoms, chest radiological examinations, treatments, and pathological findings.ResultsFemale patients of pulmonary SH were markedly frequent (n=23, 88.46%). Solitary mass or nodule in the lung fields was the most common manifestation (n=24, 92.31%), especially in the right middle lobe (n=9, 34.62%). There were two kinds of tumor cells: lining cells and round cells. All tumors contained a mixture of papillary, solid, sclerotic, and hemorrhagic patterns. Immunohistochemistry with a variable number of antibodies was performed for some cases. All of the detected specimens revealed strong reaction of lining cells with epithelial markers, such as thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), cytokeratin (CK), pancytokeratin (PCK), and cytokeratin 7 (CK-7), while round cells were positive with TTF-1 and EMA. Until the end of last contact, none of the patients died or suffered from the recurrence of the disease after surgical treatment.ConclusionsPulmonary SH is a unique neoplasm of the lung with a characteristic solitary mass or nodule. Pulmonary epithelium might be the primary origin of the tumor cells.

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BackgroundPrimary pleuropulmonary and mediastinal synovial sarcomas (PPMSSs) are extremely rare. The authors present the largest series in an Asian population.MethodsBetween 2000 and 2015, 26 genetically confirmed PPMSSs were included. The clinicopathologic features of all of the cases were reviewed. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out using the following antibodies: TLE1, cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), EMA, CD99, Bcl-2, CK7, CD34, S-100 protein, and Ki-67. The chromosomal translocation t(X;18)(p11.2;q11.2) was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We compared the clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular features of this series with that of the previous series and soft tissue synovial sarcomas.ResultsThis series included 17 males and nine females. The median age was 36.5 years (range, 16–72 years). The tumors involved the lung (76.9 %), pleura (15.4 %), and mediastinum (7.7 %). The median tumor size was 6 cm (range 2.3 ~ 24 cm). The majority of the tumors were well-circumscribed. The tumors were classified as monophasic (84.6 %), biphasic (3.8 %), and poorly differentiated (11.5 %) types. The tumors were graded as French Federation of Cancer Centers (FNCLCC) grade 2 (62.5 %) and FNCLCC 3 (37.5 %). Diffuse immunostaining for TLE1, BCL-2, and CD99 was identified in 91.7, 95.7, and 56.0 % of the tumors, respectively. Focal positivity was seen with EMA (84.6 %), CK7 (55.6 %), cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) (68.0 %), CD34 (5.0 %), and S-100 protein (21.7 %). A high Ki-67 index (≥10 %) was observed in 91.3 % of the tumors. The fusion transcripts included SS18-SSX1 (15/22, 68.2 %), SS18-SSX2 including variants (6/22, 27.3 %), and SS18-SSX4 (1/22, 4.5 %) fusions. The remaining four cases showed positivity for SS18 rearrangement by FISH. Surgical excision of tumors or lobectomy were performed in 20 patients, and seven of the patients underwent adjuvant therapy. Clinical follow-up was available in 73.1 % cases, with a median follow-up of 12.0 months. The median survival time was 14.5 months. Tumor resection (p = 0.024) and no residual tumor (p = 0.004) were associated with an improved overall survival time.ConclusionsPPMSS is a highly aggressive neoplasm. Extensive surgical resection of the tumor and more effective adjuvant therapy should be advocated. PPMSS must be differentiated from similar diseases.

BackgroundA higher slow vital capacity (VC) compared with forced vital capacity (FVC) indicates small airway collapse and air trapping. We hypothesized that a larger difference between VC and FVC (VC-FVC) would predict impaired exercise capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).MethodsPulmonary function and incremental cardiopulmonary exercise responses were assessed in 97 COPD patients. Patients were then divided into two groups: one in which VC > FVC (n = 77) and the other in which VC ≤ FVC (n = 20).ResultsPatients with VC > FVC had lower FEV1 and peak oxygen uptake (VO2/kg) compared with patients with VC ≤ FVC. There was a significant inverse correlation for the entire group between VC-FVC and peak VO2/kg (r = -0.404; p < 0.001). There was also a direct correlation between FEV1% pred and peak VO2/kg (r = 0.418; p < 0.001). The results of the multivariate regression analysis with peak VO2/kg as the dependent variable showed that VC-FVC, FEV1(% pred) and age were all significant independent predictors of peak VO2/kg. The model explained 35.9% of the peak VO2/kg variance.ConclusionsThe difference between VC and FVC, easily measured by spirometry, can be used not only as an index of severity of airflow limitation, but also to predict exercise performance in COPD patients.

Several uncommon variants of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and the limitations of small biopsies render pathological diagnosis difficult. The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in the detection of the collagen type I-α1/platelet derived growth factor-β (COL1A1-PDGFB) fusion gene in biopsies of DFSP. Twenty-three consecutive biopsy specimens of DFSP were reviewed for clinicopathological features and examined with the COL1A1-PDGFB fusion probe and PDGFB break-apart probe using FISH analysis. The 23 tumor samples consisted of 11 males and 12 females (mean age at diagnosis, 37 years; range, 14-75 years). Eighteen conventional DFSP, one Bednar tumor, two myxoid DFSP and two fibrosarcomatous DFSP samples were included in the group. Strong and extensive CD34 expression was observed in 19 of 23 cases (83%). Twenty-one cases (91%) were positive for both the COL1A1-PDGFB fusion signal and the PDGFB break-apart signal. This is one of the few studies to demonstrate the value of FISH analysis of the COL1A1-PDGFB gene, which could validate complicated and suspected diagnoses in the routine biopsy of DFSP.