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Abstract Background Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is a factor correlated with a poor prognosis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Lymphatic invasion (LI) and vascular invasion (VI) should be reported separately because they may indicate a difference in prognosis. The prognostic role of LI and VI in ESCC patients remains controversial. A meta-analysis was conducted to resolve this question. Methods We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases for studies on the association between LI and VI and the prognosis of patients with ESCC. The PICOs (Participant, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) strategy were selected for the systematic review and meta-analysis. The effect size (ES) was the hazard ratio (HR) or relative ratio (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Results A total of 27 studies with 5740 patients were included. We calculated the pooled results from univariate and multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards method. The heterogeneity was acceptable in OS and RFS. According to the pooled results of multivariate analysis, both LI and VI were correlated with a worse OS. VI was a negative indicator for RFS, while the p value of VI was greater than 0.05. The prognostic role was weakened in subgroup analysis with studies using haematoxylin–eosin staining method. Conclusions Both LI and VI were indicators of a worse OS outcome. LI was a more significant indicator in predicting a worse RFS. More larger sample studies with immunohistochemical staining and good designs are required to detect the prognostic value of separate LI and VI in ESCC.

Abstract Background The development of tumor cells inside the lymphatics or blood vessels is known as lymphovascular invasion (LVI). The correlation between LVI, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and the diagnosis of superficial esophageal carcinoma (SEC) remains unclear. Methods We searched Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for prospective articles to better understand the relationship between LVI, LNM, and SEC diagnosis. Results We included 23 articles containing data for 4749 patients (range: 54–598) in our meta-analysis. The hazard ratio between LVI and overall survival (OS) was 1.85 with 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.10–3.11, P = 0.02). LNM rate was higher in SEC patients with LVI than SEC patients without LVI (univariate: OR = 4.94, 95% CI: 3.74–6.53, P

Abstract Objectives Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the sacroiliac joint and spine. However, the real mechanisms of immune cells acting on syndesmophyte formation in AS are not well identified. We aimed to find the key AS-associated cytokine and assess its pathogenic role in AS. Methods A protein array with 1000 cytokines was performed in five AS patients with the first diagnosis and five age- and gender-matched healthy controls to discover the differentially expressed cytokines. The candidate differentially expressed cytokines were further quantified by multiplex protein quantitation (3 AS-associated cytokines and 3 PDGF-pathway cytokines) and ELISA (PDGFB) in independent samples (a total of 140 AS patients vs 140 healthy controls). The effects of PDGFB, the candidate cytokine, were examined by using adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and human fetal osteoblast cell line (hFOB1.19) as in vitro mesenchymal cell and preosteoblast models, respectively. Furthermore, whole-transcriptome sequencing and enrichment of phosphorylated peptides were performed by using cell models to explore the underlying mechanisms of PDGFB. The xCELLigence system was applied to examine the proliferation, chemotaxis, and migration abilities of PDGFB-stimulated or PDGFB-unstimulated cells. Results The PDGF pathway was observed to have abnormal expression in the protein array, and PDGFB expression was further found to be up-regulated in 140 Chinese AS patients. Importantly, PDGFB expression was significantly correlated with BASFI (Pearson coefficient/p value = 0.62/6.70E − 8) and with the variance of the mSASSS score (mSASSS 2 years − baseline, Pearson coefficient/p value = 0.76/8.75E − 10). In AS patients, preosteoclasts secreted more PDGFB than the healthy controls (p value = 1.16E − 2), which could promote ADSCs osteogenesis and enhance collagen synthesis (COLI and COLIII) of osteoblasts (hFOB 1.19). In addition, PDGFB promoted the proliferation, chemotaxis, and migration of ADSCs. Mechanismly, in ADSCs, PDGFB stimulated ERK phosphorylation by upregulating GRB2 expression and then increased the expression of RUNX2 to promote osteoblastogenesis of ADSCs. Conclusion PDGFB stimulates the GRB2/ERK/RUNX2 pathway in ADSCs, promotes osteoblastogenesis of ADSCs, and enhances the extracellular matrix of osteoblasts, which may contribute to pathological bone formation in AS.

Abstract Background The current study was carried out to provide a reference for monitory of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in feed ingredients and complete feeds were collected from different Province in China from 2013 to 2015. Methods A total of 443 feed ingredients, including 220 corn, 24 wheat, 24 domestic distillers dried grains with soluble (DDGS), 55 bran, 20 wheat shorts and red dog, 37 imported DDGS, 34 corn germ meal and 29 soybean meal as well as 127 complete feeds including 25 pig complete feed (powder), 90 pig complete feed (pellet), six duck complete feed and six cattle complete feed were randomly collected from different Province in China, respectively, by high-performance chromatography in combined with UV or fluorescence analysis. Results The incidence rates of AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination of feed ingredients and complete feeds were 80.8, 92.3 and 93.9 %, respectively. The percentage of positive samples for DON ranged from 66.7 to 100 %. Domestic DDGS and imported DDGS presented the most serious contamination AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination levels of feeds ranged from 61.5 to 100 %, indicated that serious contamination over the studied 3-year period. Conclusion The current data provide clear evidence that AFB1, ZEN and DON contamination of feed ingredients and complete feeds in different Province in China is serious and differs over past 3-year. The use of corn, domestic DDGS, imported DDGS and corn germ meal, which may be contaminated with these three mycotoxins, as animal feed may triggered a health risk for animal. Feeds are most contaminated with DON followed by ZEN and AFB1. Mycotoxins contamination in feed ingredients and complete feeds should be monitored routinely in China.