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In recent years, the role of circular RNA in cancer cells has been studied broadly; however, the functional significance of circular RNA in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is not fully understood. In this study, we aimed to reveal the role of circ_TNFRSF21 in M2 macrophage‐induced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) angiogenesis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to determine the levels of the indicated genes. Direct binding between circ_TNFRSF21 and miR‐3619‐5p, miR‐3619‐5p, and ROCK2 was verified by dual‐luciferase activity. The migration and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were evaluated by wound healing and transwell assays. Tube formation was performed to detect in vitro angiogenesis. Circ_TNFRSF21 and ROCK2 were upregulated in cSCC tissue, while miR‐3619‐5p was downregulated. Circ_TNFRSF21 negatively regulated the expression of miR‐3619‐5p, while miR‐3619‐5p negatively regulated the expression of ROCK2. miR‐3619‐5p suppressed tube formation by inhibiting ROCK signaling. M2 macrophages facilitated tube formation via the circ_TNFRSF21/miR‐3619‐5p/ROCK2 axis. Our present study revealed that circ_TNFRSF21 was elevated in M2 macrophages and mediated M2 macrophage‐induced tube formation in vitro.

Background Endothelial dysfunction plays an important role in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD). Previous studies suggested that human endothelial cell-specific molecule-1 (endocan) may be a novel endothelial dysfunction marker. This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum endocan level and the presence and severity of CAD in patients with hypertension.Methods A total of 190 eligible hypertension patients were enrolled in this study. Serum endocan level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The presence and severity of CAD were evaluated by coronary angiography.Results Hypertensive patients with CAD had significantly higher serum endocan level than those without CAD (1.63 ± 0.51 ng/mL vs 1.31 ± 0.65 ng/mL, P< 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that serum endocan level was independently associated with the presence of CAD (odds ratio, 2.662; 95% confidence interval, 1.560–4.544; P< 0.001). Spearman rank correlation analysis demonstrated that serum endocan level was associated with SYNergy between PCI with TAXUS and Cardiac Surgery score (r = 0.349, P= 0.001).Conclusions Serum endocan level is independently correlated with the presence and severity of CAD in hypertension patients, and those with high endocan level may have an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.