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Background: Isolated traumatic supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection is a rare complication of blunt craniomaxillofacial trauma, and differentiation from atherosclerosis is the key factor for confirming the diagnosis. Case description: A 53-year-old man was admitted because of blunt trauma to his head and face. His primary manifestations were disability of abduction of the left eye on day 2, recurrent epistaxis and a blowing murmur in the left ear on day 4. Neurological physical examination showed bilateral normal pupil diameter, a corrected visual acuity of 0.6 in the right eye and 0.3 in the left eye, and loss of abduction of the left eye. Craniofacial computed tomography scans revealed multiple craniomaxillofacial fractures mainly including a LeFort III injury of the left maxilla, fractures of the left ramus of the mandible, fractures of the left orbital apex, fractures of the sellar turcica, etc. Brain magnetic resonance (MR) findings showed multifocal lacunar infarcts in the left hemisphere. Cerebral angiography demonstrated severe intraluminal stenosis of the left supraclinoid ICA, which was highly suspicious of arterial dissection. A high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging performed on day 7 showed proximal intramural subacute haemorrhage and two distal intimal flaps at the injured region, both of which facilitated the exclusion of atherosclerosis and thus, confirmation of isolated arterial dissection. The patient underwent treatment with endovascular stent placement and antiplatelet agents two weeks later and had no ictus of symptomatic stroke during the next half-year duration. Conclusions: HR vw-MRI is able to assist in the diagnosis of isolated traumatic supraclinoid dissection complicated with underlying atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous studies have shown autophagy affects cellular immune responses. This study aims to explore prognosis and immunotherapeutic biomarkers related to autophagy in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods: Based on R software, we performed the ssGSEA, differential expression analysis, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, correlation analysis, and enrichment analysis. For wet experiment, we did qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and CCK8 experiments. Results: Using autophagy-related genes (ARGs) and the ssGSEA, COAD patients were divided into low and high autophagy groups. For immune score, stromal score, tumor purity, tumor infiltrating immune cells, co-signaling molecules, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, mismatch repair, immune-related pathways, immune signatures, somatic mutations and subtype analysis, high autophagy group might benefit more from immunotherapy. Among 232 ARGs, IFNG was generally significantly correlated with tumor immunotherapy biomarkers (PD-L1, CD8A and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL)). The disease-free survival of high IFNG group was significantly longer than that of low group. On abovementioned immune-related research, the high IFNG group reached the same conclusion. The qRT-PCR and IHC analysis confirmed that IFNG was significantly higher expressed in dMMR samples compared to pMMR samples. For chemotherapy, the autophagy and IFNG were significantly negatively related to the chemosensitivity to cisplatin; IFNG inhibitor glucosamine increased cisplatin chemoresistance while IFNG increased cisplatin chemosensitivity; IFNG could reverse glucosamine induced chemoresistance. The functional enrichment analysis of IFNG, PD-L1, CD8A and 20 similar proteins were related to the activation of the immune system. The GSEA and ceRNA network partly described interaction mechanisms of IFNG with PD-L1 and CD8A. Conclusion: Autophagy score and IFNG expression were novel immunotherapy predictive biomarkers, which might play predictive effects through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. IFNG might be a potential targeted therapy for cisplatin resistant colon cancer. Besides, IFNG was also a prognostic indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activated form of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3], regulates numerous cellular processes, including inhibition of cancer progression. IL-1β has been reported to facilitate cancer development, especially by inducing an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in several malignant tumors. However, the underlying mechanism of 1,25(OH)2D3 and IL-1β in colorectal cancer (CRC) still remains largely unknown. To fill in this knowledge gap, we measured cell proliferation and invasion by CCK-8 and Transwell assays after stimulation with 1,25(OH)2D3 and IL-1β. E-cadherin and vimentin were chosen as markers of EMT measured by immunofluorescence, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and Western blot. The expression and function of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) was evaluated by Western blot and luciferase reporter assay. qRT-PCR and RNA-FISH were performed to detect the expression and location of lncTCF7 in vitro. The binding sites of VDR in the lncTCF7 promoter were confirmed by a chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Based on the above experiments, we found that 1,25(OH)2D3 attenuates IL-1β-induced increased proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer through enhancing VDR, which inhibits the expression of lncTCF7 by directly binding to its promoter region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non‑coding RNA (Lnc)TCF7 is a novel lncRNA that is involved in tumorigenesis. Previous studies have revealed that lncTCF7 serves an essential role in maintaining cancer stem cell self‑renewal; however, the functions of lncTCF7 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of lncTCF7 in CRC. LncTCF7 was upregulated in 52/58 CRC tissues, and its expression correlated with tumor size, lymph metastasis and tumor‑node‑metastasis stage in CRC. Knocking down lncTCF7 in colon cancer cell lines decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while lncTCF7 overexpression showed opposite changes. In addition, lncTCF7 promoted cell proliferation in vivo. LncTCF7 activated the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway, which is essential for cancer development. Survival analysis revealed that patients with higher expression of lncTCF7 had significantly worse prognosis compared with patients with low expression. These findings indicate that lncTCF7 regulates CRC progression and support the notion of lncTCF7 as a CRC prognostic marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to explore the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) colon cancer‑associated transcript 2 (CCAT2) expression in human colorectal cancer (CRC). Expression levels of lncRNA CCAT2 in CRC, adjacent non‑tumor and healthy colon mucosa tissues were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The disease‑free survival and overall survival rates were evaluated using the Kaplan‑Meier method, and multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazard analysis. The expression level of lncRNA CCAT2 in CRC tissues was increased significantly compared with adjacent normal tissues or non‑cancerous tissues. CCAT2 expression was observed to be progressively increased between tumor‑node‑metastasis (TNM) stages I and IV. A high level of CCAT2 expression was revealed to be associated with poor cell differentiation, deeper tumor infiltration, lymph node metastasis, distance metastasis, vascular invasion and advanced TNM stage. Compared with patients with low levels of CCAT2 expression, patients with high levels of CCAT2 expression had shorter disease‑free survival and overall survival times. Multivariate analyses indicated that high CCAT2 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor. Therefore, increased lncRNA CCAT2 expression maybe a potential diagnostic biomarker for CRC, and an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of site-specific metastases in patients with metastatic bladder cancer and analyze the roles that surgeries play in the treatment of this malignancy. Materials and methods: A population-based retrospective study using Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results dataset was performed and metastatic bladder cancer patients were classified according to the sites of metastases (bone, brain, liver, lung and distant lymph nodes). Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used for survival comparisons. Multivariate Cox regression model was employed to analyze the effect of distant metastatic sites on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Results: A total of 1862 patients with metastatic bladder cancer from 2010 to 2014 were identified. Bone, lung and distant lymph nodes were the most common metastatic sites. Patients with bone, brain, liver and lung involvement had worse OS and CSS compared to patients without the corresponding sites of metastases. Multivariate analysis showed that bone, brain, liver and lung metastases were independent prognostic factors for both OS and CSS, while distant node metastasis was not. Moreover, patients with a single metastatic site had more favorable OS (p<0.001) and CSS (p<0.001) than patients with multisite metastases. Among single-site metastatic patients, distant nodes and liver metastases represented the best and the worst prognosis, respectively. Moreover, radical cystectomy was an independent predictor for better OS and CSS, while in patients with liver metastasis and multiple metastatic sites, RC did not bring benefits. Besides, in patients with a single metastatic site, metastasectomy seemed to be associated with favorable OS (p=0.042), especially for patients with age <65 years (p=0.006) and for muscleinvasive bladder cancer patients (p=0.031). Conclusion: Distant metastatic sites have differential impact on survival outcomes in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. Surgeries, including radical cystectomy and metastasectomy, might still lead to survival benefits for highly selected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibronectin (FN) is associated with tumorigenesis and progression in bladder cancer, however, the underlying mechanisms causing this remain largely unknown. Furthermore, cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) has been shown to play important regulatory roles in cancer proliferation. Here, we investigated whether FN regulates CIP2A expression to promote bladder cancer cell proliferation. Methods: The correlations of stromal FN with CIP2A and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression were analyzed in a cohort bladder cancer patients. The roles of FN and CIP2A in regulating bladder cancer cell proliferation were evaluated in cell and animal models. Cycloheximide treatment was used to determine the effects of CIP2A on β-catenin stabilization. The CIP2A-β-catenin interaction was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and co-immunoprcipitation. Results: In this study, we found that stromal FN expression correlated positively with the levels of CIP2A and PCNA in bladder cancer tissues. Meanwhile, in human bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and J82), exogenous FN significantly promoted cell proliferation, however, CIP2A depletion inhibited this process. Furthermore, the interaction between CIP2A and β-catenin enhanced the stabilization of β-catenin, which was involved in FN-induced cell proliferation. In vivo, CIP2A depletion repressed FN-accelerated subcutaneous xenograft growth rates. Conclusions: These data reveal that CIP2A is a crucial mediator of FN-induced bladder cancer cell proliferation via enhancing the stabilization of â-catenin. Promisingly, FN and CIP2A could serve as potential therapeutic targets for bladder cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objectives of this study are to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis analysis of unicentric retroperitoneal Castleman's disease (CD), and to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment of unicentric retroperitoneal CD. Methods: The clinical data of 14 patients with unicentric retroperitoneal CD undergoing surgery from September 2007 to March 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were six males and eight females with a median age of 39 years old (range 15-58). Only three patients had a clinical manifestation of abdominal pain, and one patient associated with myasthenia gravis. All patients underwent surgical resection. The mean operation time was 137 min with a range of 72-472 min. The mean blood loss was 143 ml (range 50-500 ml). The CD was confirmed by histopathology. There were hyaline vascular (HV) type of CD in 13 cases, and mixed type of CD in one case. The mean hospital stay was 17.9 days with a mean postoperation hospital stay of 9.2 days. The duration of follow-up ranged from 21 to 99 months for 14 cases. All the 14 patients were alive without recurrence. Conclusions: Unicentric retroperitoneal CD is a rare disease that is often misdiagnosed due to the absence of specific clinical manifestations. The final diagnosis depends on pathologic examination. Complete surgical resection of the tumor is the best therapeutic alternative for unicentric CD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved and efficient method for the synthesis of panobinostat was developed. The commercially available starting material 4-(chloromethyl)benzaldehyde was converted to (E)-methyl 3-[4-(chloromethyl)phenyl]acrylate via the Wittig--Horner reaction and was then directly condensed with 2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethanamine to afford the key intermediate (E)-methyl3-[4-({[2-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]amino}methyl)phenyl]acrylate in a one-pot synthesis reactor. Subsequently a nucleophilic substitution reaction was carried out smoothly to generate the desired compound. The key intermediate and target compound were characterised by HRMS, ¹H NMR and 13C NMR. This procedure is operationally simple and would be more suitable for industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal squamous cell carcinoma is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. Chronic irritation from nephrolithiasis and/or pyelonephritis is the leading cause. Case presentation: We described a 51-year-old male patient who was admitted because of left flank pain. Ultrasonography showed a renal cyst containing calculus. However, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and CT scan revealed an irregular-shaped mass derived from a calculi-containing cyst. Ultrasound guided biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of renal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient refused any further therapeutic management and died six months later. Conclusions: Our present case emphasizes that the careful diagnostic work-up and use of multiple imaging modalities in cases of unusual renal calculi is quite necessary, since they may carry the risk of co-existing hidden malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutcracker syndrome is an entity resulting from left renal vein compression by the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, which leads to symptoms of hematuria or left flank pain. The alternative option of endovascular or extravascular stenting is very appealing because of the minimal invasive procedures. Stents in the renal vein can cause fibromuscular hyperplasia, proximal migration or embolization. Case presentation: A 30-year-old female was diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome for severe left flank pain. After failed conservative approach, she underwent endovascular stenting and subsequently developed recurrent symptom for stent migration one month postoperatively. She underwent successful extravascular stenting with complete symptom resolution. Conclusion: The extravascular stenting is an alternative option after migration of left renal vein endovascular stenting. The computed tomographic imaging was closely correlated to therapeutic interventions and stent migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal vein thrombosis (RVT) with flank pain, and hematuria, is often mistaken with renal colic originating from ureteric or renal calculus. Especially in young and otherwise healthy patients, clinicians are easily misled by clinical presentation and calcified RVT. Case presentation: A 38-year-old woman presented with flank pain and hematuria suggestive of renal calculus on ultrasound. She underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy that failed, leading to the recommendation that percutaneous lithotomy was necessary to remove the renal calculus. In preoperative view of the unusual shape of the calculus without hydronephrosis, noncontrast computed tomography was taken and demonstrated left ureteric calculus. However computed tomography angiography revealed, to our surprise, a calcified RVT that was initially thought to be a urinary calculus. Conclusion: This case shows that a calcified RVT might mimic a urinary calculus on conventional ultrasonography and ureteric calculus on noncontrast computed tomography. Subsequent computed tomography angiography disclosed that a calcified RVT caused the imaging findings, thus creating a potentially dangerous clinical pitfall. Hence, it is suggested that the possibility of a RVT needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis whenever one detects an uncommon shape for a urinary calculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal squamous cell carcinoma is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. Chronic irritation from nephrolithiasis and/or pyelonephritis is the leading cause. Case presentation: We described a 51-year-old male patient who was admitted because of left flank pain. Ultrasonography showed a renal cyst containing calculus. However, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and CT scan revealed an irregular-shaped mass derived from a calculi-containing cyst. Ultrasound guided biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of renal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient refused any further therapeutic management and died six months later. Conclusions: Our present case emphasizes that the careful diagnostic work-up and use of multiple imaging modalities in cases of unusual renal calculi is quite necessary, since they may carry the risk of co-existing hidden malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutcracker syndrome is an entity resulting from left renal vein compression by the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery, which leads to symptoms of hematuria or left flank pain. The alternative option of endovascular or extravascular stenting is very appealing because of the minimal invasive procedures. Stents in the renal vein can cause fibromuscular hyperplasia, proximal migration or embolization. Case presentation: A 30-year-old female was diagnosed with nutcracker syndrome for severe left flank pain. After failed conservative approach, she underwent endovascular stenting and subsequently developed recurrent symptom for stent migration one month postoperatively. She underwent successful extravascular stenting with complete symptom resolution. Conclusion: The extravascular stenting is an alternative option after migration of left renal vein endovascular stenting. The computed tomographic imaging was closely correlated to therapeutic interventions and stent migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Renal vein thrombosis (RVT) with flank pain, and hematuria, is often mistaken with renal colic originating from ureteric or renal calculus. Especially in young and otherwise healthy patients, clinicians are easily misled by clinical presentation and calcified RVT. Case presentation: A 38-year-old woman presented with flank pain and hematuria suggestive of renal calculus on ultrasound. She underwent extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy that failed, leading to the recommendation that percutaneous lithotomy was necessary to remove the renal calculus. In preoperative view of the unusual shape of the calculus without hydronephrosis, noncontrast computed tomography was taken and demonstrated left ureteric calculus. However computed tomography angiography revealed, to our surprise, a calcified RVT that was initially thought to be a urinary calculus. Conclusion: This case shows that a calcified RVT might mimic a urinary calculus on conventional ultrasonography and ureteric calculus on noncontrast computed tomography. Subsequent computed tomography angiography disclosed that a calcified RVT caused the imaging findings, thus creating a potentially dangerous clinical pitfall. Hence, it is suggested that the possibility of a RVT needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis whenever one detects an uncommon shape for a urinary calculus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, iatrogenic foreign-body granuloma has been increasingly reported. The asymptomatic presentation and confusing appearance of granuloma can lead to misdiagnosis of a secondary malignancy, especially for a patient with a corresponding past medical history. Sometimes, surgical treatment is unavoidable, and the diagnosis relies upon the pathologic result. Herein, we report an unusual case of a 43-year-old man who underwent a nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (clear cell type) 5 years ago. A secondary granuloma was identified behind the inferior vena cava in the retroperitoneum 6 months after the surgery, but the radiologists had failed to identify it throughout the 4 years of routine examination. Later on, the lesion was identified by positron emission tomography, which classified it as a highly 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-avid lesion. Considering no visible foreign-bodies identified on images, the lesion was arguably diagnosed as a lymph node metastasis of renal cancer. Finally, it was confirmed as a foreign-body granuloma encasing surgical suture and adipose tissue by the pathological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study presents the case of a patient with multiple pulmonary nodules as observed by computed tomography. Furthermore, a marginal increase in fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was identified by positron emission tomography. Due to the appearance of multiple small nodules and a history of radical nephrectomy, a hypothetical diagnosis of pulmonary metastasis of a previously excised renal carcinoma was determined, which was confirmed by biopsy. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical resection of the nodules was proposed and pathological examination exhibited an unforeseen and rare observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Percutaneous nephrostolithotomy is important approach for kidney stones removal. A percutaneous nephrostomy drainage tube placement is an effective method to stop venous bleeding. Occasionally, the catheter can pierce into the renal parenchyma, and migrate into the renal vein even to the vena cava. Case presentation A 66-year-old woman underwent a percutaneous nephrostolithotomy for kidney staghorn stone complicating severe bleeding. A computed tomography angiography showed the percutaneous nephrostomy drainage tube inside the renal vein. The percutaneous nephrostomy drainage tube was withdrawn 3 cm back to the renal parenchyma/sinus/pelvis in stages with the surgical team on standby. Seven days later, the patient developed severe hematuria. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated the pseudoaneurysm located near the percutaneous nephrostomy drainage tube. Pseudoaneurysm is embolized successfully. Conclusion Our case shows intravenous misplacement of the nephrostomy tube and subsequent pseudoaneurysm after percutaneous nephrostolithotomy. To our knowledge, this seems to be the first documentation of major bleeding from the injury to both renal vein and artery. The percutaneous nephrostomy drainage tube can be withdrawn back to the renal parenchyma/sinus/pelvis in stages with the surgical team on standby, and the withdrawn distance may vary according to patient and catheter position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study simulated outdoor environmental living conditions and observed the growth rates and changes of several photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Car, PE, and PC) in Hypnea cervicornis J. Agardh (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) by setting up different ranges of salinity (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50) and temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30°C). At conditions of culture, the results are as follows. (1) Changes in salinity and temperature have significant effects on the growth of H. cervicornis. The growth rates first increase then decrease as the temperature increases, while growth tends to decline as salinity increases. The optimum salinity and temperature conditions for growth are 25 and 25°C, respectively. (2) Salinity and temperature have significant or extremely significant effects on photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, Car, PE, and PC) in H. cervicornis. The results of this study are advantageous to ensure propagation and economic development of this species in the southern sea area of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disorder that is characterized by hypereosinophilia and organ damage, caused by the infiltration of eosinophils. In rare cases, the urinary bladder may also be involved. The current case report presented a 56-year-old male with gross hematuria and hypereosinophilia. The diagnosis of eosinophilic cystitis associated HES was established. Oral prednisone with a slow tapering regimen was administered as the primary treatment for the patient, which achieved partial hematological remission and complete relief of cystitis during a six-month follow-up period. Although eosinophilic cystitis is not commonly the primary manifestation of HES, eosinophilic cystitis should be taken into consideration following the onset of urinary symptoms in patients with HES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]