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Fon-Jou Hsieh

Publications and source records attributed to Fon-Jou Hsieh.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Microtubular spindle dynamics and chromosome complements from somatic cell nuclei haploidization in mature mouse oocytes and developmental potential of the derived embryos.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate haploidization of somatic cell nuclei in non-enucleated mature oocytes regarding spindle formation, chromosomes and developmental potential. METHODS: Mouse cumulus cells were injected into metaphase II oocytes. Some injected oocytes were examined for morphological changes of chromosomes and the spindle immediately, and at 30 min, 1 h or 2 h after the injections. The remaining oocytes were activated by Sr(2+) after various incubation periods and observed for formation of a second polar body and pseudo-polar body. Cytogenetic analysis was performed for some of the resulting zygotes. The progress to blastocysts in vitro and the possibility of conception in vivo were assessed. RESULTS: Immediately after injection, the cumulus cell nucleus was still in interphase without spindle formation. The occurrence of premature chromosome condensation (PCC) and spindle formation increased as the incubation time increased. The percentages of activated oocytes increased with the incubation time after nuclear transfer, but the difference was not significant between 1 (58%) and 2 h (62%). The incidence of chromosomal aberrations was high for the derived embryos. Development in vitro was poor, and no procreation of pups occurred after transfer of the 324 embryos. CONCLUSIONS: The PCC and spindle formation induced by cumulus cell nuclei in mature oocytes was time dependent, as was the chance for successful activation. The chromosomal abnormalities from segregation errors presented one obvious cause, apart from the potential epigenetic defects, of developmental failure of the semi-cloned embryos.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Technical aspects of the piezo, laser-assisted, and conventional methods for nuclear transfer of mouse oocytes and their efficiency and efficacy: Piezo minimizes damage of the ooplasmic membrane at injection.

Assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the piezo, laser, and conventional methods for nuclear transfer has remained elusive. Furthermore, although the piezo method had been used by some investigators for research of sperm injection and nuclear transfer for several years, many researchers have failed to operate the technique smoothly and achieve reproducible results. The procedures of nuclear transfer using piezo were ascertained and described in detail. Mouse oocytes were enucleated, and injected with cumulus cells using the piezo, laser, or conventional methods. We investigated the time needed and survival of nuclear transfer. Development was compared among the three methods and parthenogenetic control specimens. The average time of nuclear transfer for each oocyte was significantly shorter using the piezo (118 +/- 9 s) and laser methods (120 +/- 11 s) than using the conventional method (170 +/- 11 s). The damage rate was smaller for the piezo group (10%) than the laser (37%) and conventional (40%) groups. The percentages of blastocyst formation (14%, 12%, and 11%) and the number of nuclei of blastocysts (54 +/- 13, 51 +/- 11, and 52 +/- 12) were similar among the piezo, laser, and conventional groups, but significantly lower than for the control group (83%, 105 +/- 14). The piezo technique is more efficient than the conventional method for nuclear transfer. The laser method is easy to operate, but the equipment is expensive. In addition, piezo induced fewer traumas while breaking the membrane than the aspiration techniques used in the laser and conventional methods.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E in gastric adenocarcinoma and its association with clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Overexpression of eIF4E can result in oncogenic transformation and uncontrolled growth of mammalian cells, presumably by facilitating the expression of growth-control gene products, which are normally translationally repressed. Overexpression of eIF4E was present in human breast carcinoma and human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and may be of prognostic value in breast carcinomas. In order to elucidate the clinical significance of eIF4E expression, this study was conducted to quantify expression of eIF4E in human gastric cancer tissue and correlate them with clinicopathological factors and patient survival. METHODS: Specimens from sixty-nine patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were analyzed and eIF4E overexpression was quantified by Western blot analysis. Quantification of eIF4E levels in cancer was expressed relative to controls from non-tumorous mucosa of the same patients. Confirmation of eIF4E overexpression at the cellular level was performed using immunohistochemical staining. The association of clinicopathologic factors and survival with eIF4E expression was analyzed. RESULTS: In non-tumorous parts of specimens, overexpression of eIF4E was always present in gastric glands but not in gastric pits lining mucosa, and it was also expressed in the areas of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia. In the 69 specimens, the mean eIF4E expression was 5.77 +/- 8.55-fold (mean +/- standard deviation), ranged from from 0.1-fold to 38-fold. The degree of eIF4E expression appeared to be independent of invasion depth of tumor, lymph node metastasis, Lauren classification, Borrmann types, and Helicobacter pylori infection. Marked overexpression of eIF4E (more than seven-fold) was correlated with tumor vascular invasion (P = 0.046, Fisher exact-test). The survival rate of the patients with underexpression or mild overexpression of eIF4E (less than sevenfold) was significantly higher than that with marked eIF4E overexpression (more than sevenfold) (P = 0.01734, log rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Marked eIF4E overexpression in gastric cancer was found to be associated with vascular invasion. The prognosis for gastric cancer patients with marked overexpression of eIF4E was worse than those with underexpression. It may serve as an additional prognostic and therapeutic factor in gastric cancer, and deserves further investigation.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Prenatal diagnosis of mos46,X,del(Y)(q11.2)/45,X by cytogenetic and molecular studies with multiplex STR analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To present the prenatal diagnosis of a fetus of mos46,X,del(Y)(q11.2)/45,X by cytogenetic and molecular analysis. CASE AND METHODS: A 35-year-old pregnant woman came to our hospital for amniocentesis, and fetal chromosomal aberrations with mos46,X, + mar/45,X were found. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed the existence of a Y centromere on the marker chromosome. Analysis with six pairs of short tandem repeat markers showed that the genomic DNA extracted from the uncultured amniotic fluid cells contained a deletion of Yq11.1-Yq11.2. Spermatogenesis loci of the Y chromosome were studied using four sets of multiplex PCR. The proximal two markers DYS271 and KALY were present and the other 16 distal markers were deleted. No deletion was noted in the Y chromosome of the father. RESULTS: Cytogenetic and molecular analyses revealed deletions of AZFb, d, and c regions on Yq11.2-Yqter in the fetal Y chromosome. Postmortem examination of the fetus showed a grossly normal male fetus with normal external genitalia and testes. CONCLUSION: The present report demonstrates that molecular analysis using polymorphic microsatellite markers and multiplex PCR is a useful complement to cytogenetic methods for the identification and the characterization of Y-chromosomal deletions.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Postnatal outcome of fetal bradycardia without significant cardiac abnormalities.

BACKGROUND: A heart rate <100 beats/min may be present in 5% of fetuses with arrhythmia. In this study, we sought to define the feasibility of in utero diagnosis of the underlying mechanisms and the postnatal outcome. METHODS: The types of fetal bradycardia were defined by fetal echocardiogram. Fetuses with transient sinus bradycardia were excluded. RESULTS: From 1995-2000, a total of 18 fetuses were found to have bradycardia. Postnatal 12-lead electrocardiograms made at least 3 times during follow-up confirmed the cardiac rhythm in all except those terminated during pregnancy. Sick sinus bradycardia was noted in 4 patients (22 %), of whom 1 had a positive family history and 2 received permanent pacemakers at age 4 and 5 years. Frequent nonconducted atrial premature beats or nonconducted atrial bigeminy or trigeminy were noted in 5 (28%). All of them revealed normal sinus rhythm after birth. Atrioventricular (AV) block was noted in 6 (33%), of whom 3 were terminated due to severe heart failure, and another 2 fetuses received permanent pacemaker implantation soon after birth. Only 1 fetus whose mother showed normal levels of C3 and C4 recovered at late gestation. Most importantly, 3 patients (17%) developed intermittent bradycardia (AV block) and ventricular tachycardia during the fetal stage. They were found to have long QT syndrome. Two of them died during early infancy. One received in utero propranolol and postnatal propranolol and nicorandil with satisfactory control. CONCLUSION: The mechanisms responsible for fetal bradycardia were diverse and could be characterized by fetal echocardiography. The prognosis was poor in those with long QT syndrome manifested as intermittent fetal bradycardia and tachycardia with AV dissociation.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Power Doppler vascularity index for predicting the response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate whether the power Doppler vascularity index (PDVI) can predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in cervical carcinoma. METHODS: Twenty-five women with bulky early stage cervical carcinoma treated by NACT followed by surgery were enrolled. Their response to NACT was evaluated. Clinical characteristics and pathologic data were recorded. Transvaginal power Doppler was performed before, during and after NACT. PDVI was detected using power Doppler and a quantitative image processing system. Factors that can potentially correlate with the response to NACT were analyzed. RESULTS: Twelve (48%) patients showed a response (responders) to NACT and 13 (52%) were unchanged or had progressive disease (nonresponders) after NACT. Higher PDVI values were noted in tumors with lymphovascular emboli and pelvic lymph node metastasis both before and after NACT. The mean values of the PDVI of the nonresponders before (19.27 +/- 6.01 vs. 12.28 +/- 7.06, p = 0.014), during (20.2 +/- 1.5 vs. 12.9 +/- 2.1, p = 0.009) and after NACT (18.1 +/- 6.0 vs. 9.3 +/- 5.4, p = 0.001) were significantly higher than those of the responders. When the cutoff point for predicting nonresponders to NACT was set at a PDVI value of 15%, the sensitivity was 92.3% and the specificity 66.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The power Doppler vascularity index can predict the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer, and might be useful for the evaluation of response to chemotherapy in cancer patients in the future.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed2004

Evaluation of second trimester maternal serum screening for Down's Syndrome using the Spiegelhalter-Knill-Jones (S-KJ) approach.

AIMS: Risk estimation for Down's syndrome in antenatal serum screening with maternal age and multiple serum biomarkers is usually complicated and computationally intensive. We have developed a simple scoring system using the Spiegelhalter-Knill-Jones approach, which was based on Bayesian theorem and the logistic regression model. METHODS: A prospective data set with 3842 singleton pregnancies including 6 affected pregnancies served as "trained data". Maternal age, maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin levels of each pregnant woman were adopted as the predictors to establish the scoring model using the S-KJ approach. Model validation was undertaken using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve with another 3050 singleton pregnancies including 4 affected pregnancies ("validated data"). RESULTS: For the trained data the sensitivity and specificity of the scoring system at cut-off value of 1:250 was 66.7% and 92.6%, respectively. For the validated data the sensitivity and specificity at the same cut-off point was 75% and 92.2%, respectively. The area under the ROC curve of the trained and validated data was 76.96% (95% CI: 51.80-100%), and 94.07% (95% CI: 84.47-100%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The S-KJ scoring system has been demonstrated to be a simple, and efficient method for the risk estimation of Down's syndrome. This system can be applied to other antenatal serum screening systems.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Placenta growth factor elevation in the cord blood of premature neonates predicts poor pulmonary outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an elevated placenta growth factor (PlGF) level in cord blood is associated with increased risk for preterm infants to develop bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). METHODS: Sixty-three preterm infants who were born at 34 weeks' gestation or earlier were enrolled. Two infants who died before 28 days' postnatal age could not be assigned a BPD status and were excluded. PlGF levels in cord blood were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mann-Whitney rank sum test, Spearman correlation coefficients, and multivariable linear or logistic regression analyses were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The BPD group had a higher PlGF level, lower gestational age, lower birth weight (BW), higher incidence of endotracheal tube intubation, and longer duration of intubation. The PlGF levels in cord blood correlated negatively with gestational age and BW. However, multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed that only elevated cord blood PlGF levels and BW were associated with BPD after adjusting for all contributing factors. Furthermore, an increased PlGF level in cord blood was significantly correlated with the clinical severity of BPD, as measured by duration of intubation. At 17 mg/dL, the specificity of cord blood PlGF level in predicting BPD was 95%, the sensitivity was 53%, the positive predictive value was 83%, and the negative predictive value was 82%. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring cord blood PlGF level at birth might be a biological marker for predicting the occurrence of BPD and allowing early therapeutic intervention.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed2004

Expression of angiogenic factors and their receptors in postnatal mouse developing lung.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Several lines of evidence suggest that angiogenesis is necessary for alveolarization and that inhibition of vascular growth during a critical period of early growth may impair alveolarization. However, little is known about the role of angiogenic factors during alveolarization. This study investigated the expression patterns of the Ang-Tie-2 family of endothelium-specific receptor tyrosine kinases and vascular endothelial growth factors and their receptors (VEGF-VEGFR system) during postnatal mouse lung development. METHODS: The lungs from 3 or 4 mice from groups aged 3, 7, 10 and 14 days and adults were removed and dissected from the main bronchi for reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR of mouse lung total RNA was used to measure the expression levels of these angiogenic factors and their receptors. RESULTS: During alveolarization, VEGF/Flk-1, Ang-1, Ang-2, and Tie-2 were up-regulated and PlGF/Flt-1 was kept at a relatively constant level. After alveolarization was completed, PlGF was down-regulated, Flt-1 was up-regulated, and VEGF/Flk-1, Ang-1, Ang-2, and Tie-2 were maintained at relatively high levels. CONCLUSIONS: During alveolarization, in mice, VEGF/Flk-1, Ang-1, Ang-2, and Tie-2 are up-regulated and PlGF/ Flt-1 is kept at relatively constant level to promote pulmonary microvascular development. In the adult mouse lung, when most of the vascular network is complete, PlGF is down-regulated and Flt-1 is up-regulated to stop angiogenesis and VEGF/Flk-1, Ang-1, Ang-2 and Tie-2 are kept at relatively high levels to maintain mature pulmonary microvasculature.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Rapid prenatal diagnosis of X-linked chronic granulomatous disease using a denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) system.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a family on whom it was possible to perform a rapid prenatal diagnosis for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) using a denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) system. METHODS: For a family whose first-born, a boy, suffered from X-linked chronic granulomatous disease, fetal DNA was obtained from an ongoing pregnancy by amniocentesis early in the second trimester. Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and direct sequencing were used to attempt to detect the previously identified X-linked chronic granulomatous disease mutation. RESULTS: Our studies predicted that the fetus in question was not likely to be affected by chronic granulomatous disease, which was demonstrated to be correct at birth. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we introduce a molecular diagnostic tool (DHPLC) for an effective and exact prenatal diagnosis of normality for the second-born child, as determined from amniocentesis during the second trimester.

Amniocentesis↗
PubMed2003

Overexpression of placenta growth factor contributes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema.

To examine the role of placenta growth factor (PlGF) in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema, we generated PlGF-transgenic (TG) mice using a phosphoglycerate kinase promoter. This resulted in constitutive overexpression of PlGF. In these TG mice, pulmonary emphysema, with enlarged air spaces and enhanced pulmonary compliance, first appeared at 6 months of age and became prominent at 12 months. Increased alveolar septal cell apoptosis was noted in their lungs. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis suggests that these apoptotic septal cells are type II pneumocytes. At the same time, the messenger RNA of vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, an endothelial cell marker, were downregulated indicating a reduced number of endothelial cells and its survival factor VEGF. In vitro, exogenous PlGF can inhibit the proliferation and promote the cell death of mouse type II pneumocytes. In normal newborn mice, abundant expression of PlGF messenger RNA was detected in the lungs during saccular division but was rapidly downregulated after alveolarization was complete. Thus, a persistently elevated PlGF was detrimental to the developed lung and causes the emphysematous change seen in our TG mice. Our study suggests that PlGF plays an important role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema via its action on type II pneumocytes.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

c-Myc directly regulates the transcription of the NBS1 gene involved in DNA double-strand break repair.

The c-myc proto-oncogene encodes a ubiquitous transcription factor involved in the control of cell growth and implicated in inducing tumorigenesis. Understanding the function of c-Myc and its role in cancer depends upon the identification of c-Myc target genes. Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a chromosomal-instability syndrome associated with cancer predisposition, radiosensitivity, and chromosomal instability. The NBS gene product, NBS1 (p95 or nibrin), is a part of the hMre11 complex, a central player associated with double-strand break (DSB) repair. NBS1 contains domains characteristic for proteins involved in DNA repair, recombination, and replication. Here we show that c-Myc directly activates NBS1. c-Myc-mediated induction of NBS1 gene transcription occurs in different tissues, is independent of cell proliferation, and is mediated by a c-Myc binding site in the intron 1 region of NBS1 gene. Overexpression of NBS1 in Rat1a cells increased cell proliferation. These results indicate that NBS1 is a direct transcriptional target of c-Myc and links the function of c-Myc to the regulation of DNA DSB repair pathway operating during DNA replication.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed2003

Rapid detection of beta-globin gene (HBB) mutations coupling heteroduplex and primer-extension analysis by DHPLC.

Beta-thalassemia is a common inherited disease, resulting from one or more of a total of more than 200 different mutations in the beta-globin gene (HBB). Efficient and reliable mutation-screening methods are essential in order to establish appropriate prevention programs for at-risk populations based upon a molecular diagnosis. We have developed a rapid and highly-specific mutation screening test for the diagnosis of beta-thalassemia by coupling heteroduplex and primer-extension analysis based on the denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) system. A total of 161 healthy heterozygous Taiwanese carriers featuring 10 different HBB mutations and 30 patients exhibiting 12 different compound heterozygous or homozygous HBB mutations were subjected to DHPLC. The elution profile for the heteroduplex analysis of DHPLC could be successfully used to identify the common disease-causing mutations of HBB. To further confirm the sequence variants, we developed a technique combining multiplex primer-extension analysis coupled with DHPLC for the genotyping of eight common disease-causing mutations in the HBB gene. Overall, by coupling heteroduplex and primer-extension analysis based upon DHPLC, we were able to unambiguously identify the most-common beta-thalassemia mutations corresponding to more than 99% of HBB alleles among the Taiwanese population. In conclusion, compared to classic approaches to mutation screening for this malady, we suggest that DHPLC is an excellent technique to be applied to the genetic screening of prenatal and postnatal individuals as a part of a diagnosis program for beta-thalassemia and provides a more-efficient, economic, and sensitive means to undertake such a screening program.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2002

Prenatal diagnosis and treatment of fetal long QT syndrome: a case report.

We report a case of a fetus presenting with bradycardia, intermittent atrioventricular (AV) block, ventricular tachycardia (VT) and the signs of fetal congestive heart failure (ascites and scrotal hydrocele) during mid-gestation. Prenatal treatment with beta-adrenergic blocker (propranolol) and digitalis glycosides was prescribed because of suspicion of long QT syndrome occurring with fetal congestive heart failure. The male baby was born at 39 weeks of gestation and showed a prolonged QT interval (QTc = 492 ms) and frequent variable AV block or alternating left and right bundle branch block, depending on the atrial rate. Prenatal administration of lidocaine failed to correct the fetal VT. Conversely, propranolol decreased the attack frequency of fetal VT. Postnatal administration of the K(+) channel opener (nicorandil) successfully shortened the QT interval and improved the outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Elasticity of human vocal folds measured in vivo using color Doppler imaging.

Noninvasive measurement of human vocal fold (VF) vibratory length was made during normal phonation to calculate the corresponding elasticity. A fixed-ends rubber string phantom that was driven by a vibrating motor was built to simulate the horizontal VF movement. The vibratory artefact of color Doppler imaging (CDI) was used to characterize and quantify the high-frequency tissue vibration with small amplitude. Because the frequency and the length of vibrating VFs were obtained simultaneously, the stress-strain relation and the Young's moduli of the VFs could be calculated. For the six vocally normal adult volunteers (3 M, 3 F, ages from 19 to 51 years old), the effective vibrating lengths of the vocal fold in low pitch were about 1.4 to 1.6 cm and 1.3 to 1.5 cm for men and women, respectively. The VFs lengths extended to about 1.7 to 1.8 cm in pitch over an octave higher and the stress-strain relation was nonlinear. However, in the range of lower pitch, the VF stress was relatively linear with respect to the strains and the Young's moduli were about 30 to 120 kPa in men and 120 to 300 kPa in women.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Assessment of zebrafish cardiac performance using Doppler echocardiography and power angiography.

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a new animal model for cardiac researches. Although it is equipped with a prototypical vertebrate heart, the zebrafish studies for cardiac mutations and genetic control of development can reveal some hints for solving human problems. Despite the simplicity of the zebrafish heart, the objective parameters of cardiac performance are not easily available, except for the morphological description, due to its small size. Because the four components (sinus venosus, atrium, ventricle and bulbus arteriosus) of the zebrafish heart are connected in series, we studied it by applying ultrasonic imaging methods for the vascular system. A total of 20 fishes that were ages of 3 to 4 months were studied. Their mean body weight and height were 562 +/- 173 mg and 4.6 +/- 0.7 cm, respectively. Power angiography and routine Doppler echocardiography were used to evaluate the cardiac performance of zebrafish at 25 degrees C and 15 degrees C. The zebrafish hearts could be easily identified with color Doppler (8.5 MHz) or power angiography (7 MHz). The ventricular filling flow contained two components (E and A-flow). The E-flow velocities were lower than the A-flow velocities at both 25 and 15 degrees C. The cycle length was prolonged (p < 0.05) and the velocities of ventricular filling and bulbus arteriosus decreased significantly at 15 degrees C (p < 0.05). A significant decrease in early diastolic deceleration slope and significant prolongation in early diastolic and late-diastolic deceleration times were found at a lower temperature (15 degrees C). The acceleration:deceleration ratio for early and late diastole also showed a significant difference at 15 degrees C. In conclusion, the cardiac performance of the zebrafish could be approached using commercially available clinical instruments equipped with Doppler echocardiography and power angiography.

Anesthetics↗
PubMed2002

Association of color Doppler vascularity index and microvessel density with survival in patients with gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical usefulness of microvessel density (MVD) and an in vivo angiogenesis parameter, color Doppler vascularity index (CDVI), in patients with gastric cancer. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Many studies have reported a significant association between the degree of MVD-evaluated angiogenesis with the clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of patients with various solid tumors. All these studies were accomplished on tissue sections retrospectively obtained from surgical specimens. However, an in vivo method to assess tumor angiogenesis for human malignancies is highly desirable for diagnostic purpose, treatment planning, and follow-up. The CDVI is a new ultrasound parameter for evaluating in vivo angiogenesis, has a good correlation with status of lymph node metastasis in cervical carcinoma, and can predict distant metastasis and survival in colon cancer patients. Therefore, the CDVI may also be useful to assess in vivo angiogenesis in human gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 79 patients with gastric cancer were enrolled in this study, and microvessel density was evaluated by using immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens with anti-CD-34 antibody. Tumors were sonographically visible in 31 patients. The CDVI of each tumor was determined using transabdominal color Doppler ultrasound. The CDVI was defined as the ratio of the number of the colored pixels within a tumor section to the number of total pixels in that specific tumor section, and was calculated by using Encomate software (Electronic Business Machine Co. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan). Correlation between MVD, CDVI and clinicopathologic factors and patient survival was studied. RESULTS: The MVD was significantly correlated with vascular invasion by multiple linear regression analysis. Although the survival of patients with high MVD (> 32) was significantly worse than those with low MVD (< 32) by univariate analysis, vascular invasion was an independent prognostic factor by Cox proportional hazard model. There was a linear correlation between CDVI and MVD (r =.495, P =.005). Moreover, in patients with a high CDVI (> 11%), the survival rate was significantly lower than that in those with low CDVI (< or = 11%, P =.005). None of the patients with high CDVI (> 11%) survived 2 years after curative resection. In addition to vascular invasion, the CDVI was another independent prognostic factor in the patients with stage III gastric cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Vascular invasion was an important prognostic indicator in gastric cancer. The high CDVI was a good preoperative indicator of early death in stage III gastric cancer patients. Thus, the CDVI may be helpful in selecting patients with gastric cancer for neoadjuvant chemotherapy and/or anti-angiogenic therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗