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Yi Ru,1–4 Xiao-Jie Chen,5 Wen-Zhi Guo,1–4 She-Gan Gao,5 Yi-Jun Qi,5 Pan Chen,5 Xiao-Shan Feng,5 Shui-Jun Zhang1–4 1Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, 2Open Laboratory of Key Disciplines of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation, 3Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases and Organ Transplant Medicine, 4Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China; 5Henan Key Laboratory of Cancer Epigenetics; Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, People’s Republic of China Background: Liver cancer is a type of malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in People’s Republic of China. Its occurrence and development involve the variation and expression changes of multiple genes, and the pathogenesis and related regulatory networks are complex. Purpose: In the present research, we investigate the involvement of NEAT1_2 and SFPQ in cisplatin resistance in liver cancer. The effects of LncRNA NEAT1 and SFPQ expression on the chemotherapeutic resistance of liver cancer cells were analyzed. Methods: The expression level of NEAT1_2 and SFPQ mRNA in tissue specimens or cell lines were examined by RT-qPCR and western blotting. CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Cell proliferation was performed using the EdU cell proliferation assay. Results: Our data showed that increase NEAT1_2 and SFPQ expressions in liver cancer specimens were associated with the development of cisplatin resistance; high SFPQ expression level impaired patients’ survival from liver cancer. Gain-and loss-of function assay using NEAT1_2 knock-in and knock-out cells constructed using CRISPER/Cas9 system revealed that NEAT1_2 is essential for liver cancer cell survival and mediates cisplatin resistance in liver cancer cells at least partially through SFPQ. Artificial change in NEAT1_2 expression level didn’t significantly influence SFPQ transcription or translation level. Conclusion: Our data revealed NEAT1_2—SFPQ axis as a novel cisplatin resistance mechanism in liver cancer cells in vitro. Keywords: NEAT1, NEAT1_1, NEAT1_2, SFPQ, liver cancer, cisplatin resistance

Jingxia Li,1,* Shuangfeng Mu,1,* Lixiang Mu,1 Xiaohui Zhang,1 Ranran Pang,1 Shegan Gao2 1Radiation Oncology Department, 2Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objective: To examine the relationship between cytokine levels of transforming growth factor-beta-1 (TGF-β1), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in the plasma of esophageal carcinoma patients and radiation-induced pneumonitis (RP). Materials and methods: Sixty-three patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (RT) using the Elekta Precise treatment planning system with a prescribed dose of 50–70 Gy. Dose–volume histograms were collected from three-dimensional conformal RT to determine the volume percentage of the lung received V5, V10, V20, and the normal tissue complication probability. RP was diagnosed based on computed tomography imaging, respiratory symptoms, and signs. The severity of radiation-induced lung toxicity was determined using the Lent–Soma scale defined by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group. Plasma samples obtained before RT, during RT (at 40 Gy), and at 1 day, 1 month, and 3 months after RT were assayed for TGF-β1, IL-1β, and ACE levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: From the 63 patients, 17 (27%) developed RP, and 13 (21%) had RP of grade I and four (6%) had grade II or higher. We found plasma TGF-β1 levels were elevated in the patients that had RP when compared with the other 46 patients who did not have RP. The plasma IL-1β levels were not changed. The ACE levels were significantly lower in the 17 patients with RP compared to the 46 patients without RP throughout the RT. As expected, RP is associated with a higher dose of irradiation (>60 Gy); no other factors, including dose–volume histogram, age, sex, smoking status, location of tumor, and methods of treatment, are associated with RP. Conclusion: Elevated plasma TGF-β1 levels can be used as a marker for RP. Keywords: radiation-induced pneumonitis, esophageal carcinoma, TGF-β1, IL-1β, ACE

Yong-Xuan Liu, Xin-Shuai Wang, Yu-Feng Wang, Xiao-Chen Hu, Jun-Qiang Yan, Ya-Li Zhang, Wei Wang, Rui-Jie Yang, Ying-Ying Feng, She-Gan Gao, Xiao-Shan Feng Department of Oncology, Cancer Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, People’s Republic of China Abstract: The overexpression of programmed cell death-ligand 1(PD-L1) has been observed in gastric cancer (GC). However, whether the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells or blood serum is associated with the prognosis of patients with GC remains unclear. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of PD-L1 expression in GC. Electronic databases were searched systematically. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Data concerning the hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival and disease-free survival with a 95% confidence interval (CI) according to the expression status of PD-L1 evaluated by immunohistochemistry or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were extracted. The data were analyzed using a random effects model. Subgroup analyses were proposed. Our results showed that eight studies with 950 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled HR for overall survival indicated that patients with PD-L1-positive expression had significantly shorter survival time compared with the PD-L1-negative group (HR1.60, 95% CI 1.09–2.36, P=0.012). The pooled HR for disease-free survival demonstrated that the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (HR 1.02, 95% CI0.32–3.20, P=0.98). In conclusion, our results indicate that the evaluation of PD-L1 overexpression in GC tissue or blood serum may be useful in the future as a novel prognostic factor. Keywords: PD-L1, gastric cancer, prognostic, meta-analysis, OS, immunohistochemistry

Objective MicroRNA-150 (miR-150) was revealed to be an attractive prognostic biomarker in recent studies. However, the prognostic significance of miR-150 expression in cancer remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to summarize the global predicting role of miR-150 in survival in patients with various carcinomas. Methods Eligible studies were identified through multiple search strategies. Data were extracted from the studies by investigating the relationship between miR-150 expression and survival in patients with cancer. A meta-analysis of the hazard ratio (HR) was then performed to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-150 in different tumors. Pooled HRs of miR-150 for overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated to measure the effect of miR-150 expression on prognosis. Results This meta-analysis included nine published studies concerning various carcinomas. Our results indicate that an elevated miR-150 expression is associated with an enhanced overall survival in the digestive tract cancer subgroup (HR =0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37-0.90) and a poor progression-free survival in various cancers (HR =3.08, 95% CI: 2.00-4.75). Conclusion miR-150 may have the potential to become a new useful prognostic factor to monitor cancer prognosis and progression. However, given the current insufficient relevant data, further clinical studies are needed.