This study provides strong support for the hypothesis that Hodgkin's disease is an AIDS-associated condition. There was an increased incidence of several other forms of cancer, some of which are known to occur at increased rates in transplant recipients who have received immunosuppressive therapy. Improved survival in people with HIV infection may lead to increases in the number that develop these forms of cancer.

Markers of long-standing immune deficiency and B-cell stimulation were associated with an increased risk of developing NHL. Unless the strongest risk factor for NHL, immune deficiency, can be reversed, NHL is likely to become proportionately more important as a cause of morbidity and mortality in people with HIV infection.

The incidence of esophageal cancer (EC), especially adenocarcinoma, has increased tremendously in Western countries and the prognosis of EC remains poor. Paeonol (Pae), a phenolic component from the root bark of Paeonia moutan, possesses antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo. The present study showed that Pae had an antiproliferative effect on the two human EC cell lines (SEG-1 and Eca-109), with different sensitivities to Pae. Acridine orange staining and flow cytometry assays showed that Pae induced apoptosis on the two cell lines. Further analyses indicated that Pae resulted in a cell cycle arrest at S-phase. Immunohistochemical staining showed the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased and that of Bax was increased in treatment groups, with the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax decreased correspondingly. The results show that Pae shows growth inhibitory and apoptosis induction property and may be a promising agent for the EC treatment.

Aims: To investigate the oncogenic effects of SLC1A5 on gastric cancer development in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The expression level of SLC1A5 was detected in 70 gastric cancer paraffin-embedded tissues by immunohistochemistry and also was detected in gastric cancer cell lines by qRT-PCR and western blotting analysis. The effects of knockdown SLC1A5 were analyzed on cell proliferation, cell cycle, the ability of cell migration and invasion and growth signaling pathway in vitro. By using subcutaneous xenograft mouse, the importance of SLC1A5 expression was assessed for both successful engraftment and growth of gastric cancer cells in vivo. Results: SLC1A5 was up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues and was correlated with malignant features such as deeper local invasion, higher lymph node metastasis, advanced TNM stages and higher Ki-67 expression. Knockdown SLC1A5 in gastric cancer cells suppressed cell proliferation, caused G0/G1 arrest and inhibited cell invasion as well as migration partly by inactivated mTOR/p-70S6K1 signaling pathway in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experiments indicated that suppression of SLC1A5 could inhibit relative volume of xenografted tumor. Conclusions: Our results suggested that SLC1A5 might be considered as a new biomarker and also as a potential therapeutic target in gastric cancer.

Objective To measure the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in children and staff at Northern Territory schools. Design Children in Years 5–7 in 24 selected primary schools were invited, with parental consent, to provide demographic and ethnic details, and a capillary blood sample for tests for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs). School staff participated on a similar basis. Participants 1104 children, comprising 556 from ethnic groups (originating from the United Kingdom, Ireland and northern Europe) previously reported as “low HBV prevalence”, 439 Aboriginal Australians, and 109 from “other” ethnic groups (originating from Asia, the Pacific, the Middle East and southern Europe); and 209 school staff, comprising 180 from “low HBV prevalence” ethnic groups, and 29 from Aboriginal and other ethnic groups. Results Prior HBV infection (i.e. serum positive for HBsAg or anti‐HBs) was detected in 28.7% of children (46.9% of 439 Aborigines; 13.7% of the 556 children from the “low prevalence” groups and 32.1% of the 109 from the “other” groups). HBsAg was detected in 8.2% of Aboriginal children, in 0.36% of those from “low prevalence” groups, and in 1.8% of those from the “other” groups. Aboriginal children in rural schools had the highest prevalence of HBV: 5.4% were positive for both HBsAg and anti‐HBs, and an additional 9.8% were positive for HBsAg alone. In urban schools, the prevalence was highest in the “other” ethnic groups. For school staff, the prevalence of HBV infection was 12.8% for those from “low prevalence” ethnic groups, and 37.9% for those from all remaining groups (including Aborigines). Conclusion In the Northern Territory the prevalence of past HBV infection is high in children and school staff from ethnic groups previously known to be at higher risk of HBV infection. For students and staff from ethnic backgrounds expected to be at low risk, HBV prevalence is greater than in individuals from similar backgrounds in other parts of Australia. HBV vaccination is now offered to all infants in the Northern Territory. These results also provide a rationale for the more widespread use of HBV vaccine in other situations where significant HBV transmission might occur.