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The AlkB homolog 7 (ALKBH7) is a nonheme iron (II) α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase superfamily member, which may affect the progression of several types of human cancer. However, the biological effect, especially the immune-related effect, of ALKBH7 in HNSC remains unclear. Herein, several databases were employed at first to assess the different expression of ALKBH7 as well as their relationship to the prognosis, RNA modification, DNA methylation modulation, immune microenvironment and chemotherapeutic responses of various types of cancers. We found that ALKBH7 was expressed differentially in pan-cancer, and correlated with a satisfied prognosis especially in HNSC. The expression of ALKBH7 was also associated with the level of immune cell infiltration, TMB, MSI, HRD, MMR deficiency, and DNA methyltransferases in a wide variety of cancers, which might be potentially related to the responses against chemotherapeutic agents. Next, the role of ALKBH7 in HNSC was further investigated. Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis in HNSC patients from the NMU cohort showed the reduced ALKBH7 expression level in tumor tissues. In vitro experiments of cell migration, invasion, and proliferation showed a potential protective effect of ALKBH7 in HNSC. Collectively, ALKBH7 might play a protective role in the development and progression of multiple cancers by affecting the metabolism and immune cell infiltration, especially HNSC, which could be a potential biomarker to predict prognosis and chemotherapeutic response.

Histone modification is an important epigenetic alteration, and histone deacetylases are involved in the occurrence and development of various respiratory diseases. Sirtuins (SIRTs) have been demonstrated to play an important role in the formation and progression of chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract. SIRTs participate in the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation and are related to cell structure and cellular localization. This paper summarizes the roles and mechanisms of SIRTs in airway inflammation and describes the latest research on SIRT modulators, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the study of potential epigenetic alteration-inducing drug targets., Competing Interests: The authors declared that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wu and Liu.)

Objectives/Hypothesis: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the efficacy of and complications associated with antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication for the treatment of otomycosis. Data Sources: The PubMed, EMBASE, GeenMedical, Cochrane Library, CBM, CNKI, VIP and other databases were searched from January 1991 to January 2021. Methods: The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (case-control, cohort, and case series) were included to assess the topical use of antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication in patients with otomycosis. The research subjects were patients who were clinically diagnosed with otomycosis and whose external auditory canal secretions were positive for fungi. Funnel plots were used to detect bias, and the Q test was used to assess heterogeneity. The random-effects model was used for meta-analysis. The t -test was used to assess significance. Results: Of the 324 non-duplicate studies screened, 16 studies met the criteria for full-text review, and 7 were included in the meta-analysis. Four studies reported recovery conditions ( P = 0.01). Six common complications after medication use were compared, and there were no significant differences. The authors further conducted subgroup analysis according to complications. The differences in the rates of ear distension ( P = 0.007), earache ( P = 0.03) and tinnitus ( P = 0.003) were statistically significant. Conclusion: The results of this meta-analysis and literature review showed that antifungal drugs and traditional antiseptic medication were effective in relieving symptoms in patients with otomycosis, and the two treatments were associated with different complications. Otolaryngologists have the option to use one medication or a combination of two drugs on the basis of the condition. Future research in this area should include RCTs with long-term follow-up to guide the development of otomycosis guidelines to overcome some of the weaknesses found in the literature. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#myprospero., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wu, Cheng, Lin and Liu.)