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OBJECTIVE: This study will explore whether the femoral neck osteotomy angle (FNOA) has an effect on hip anatomical functional reconstruction and clinical outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 254 patients (296 hips) who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty using the same uncemented short stem (Tri-Lock BPS) between December 2018 and December 2019. Correlations between FNOA and the radiologic and clinical outcomes of patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Patients were divided into 3 groups according to different FNOA. FNOA ≤50° is Group A, 50°< FNOA <55° Group B, and FNOA ≥55° Group C. There were significant differences among the three groups in distal D1 (p=0.029), sitting proud (SP) (p<0.001), varus and valgus alignment (p<0.001), FO (p=0.001), and caput-collum-diaphysis angle (CCD) (p<0.001). There were significant differences in the incidence of complications among the three groups (p<0.007). There was a significant linear correlation with D1 (B=0.005, CI=0.002 to 0.008, p=0.004), SP (B=-0.266, CI=-0.286 to 0.166, p<0.001), the femoral stem varus-valgus alignment angle (B=-0.359, CI=-0.422 to -0.297, p<0.001), femoral offset (FO) (B=-0.500, CI=-0.795 to -0.205, p=0.001), and CCD (B=0.696, CI=0.542 to 0.849, p<0.001). In logistic regression analysis, inappropriate FNOA increased the risk of dislocation (OR=0.892, CI=0.812 to 0.979, p=0.016) and thigh pain (OR=0.920, CI=0.851 to 0.995, p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates the relationship between FNOA and short-term radiological and clinical outcomes of patients after THA using a Tri-Lock femoral prosthesis. Inappropriate FNOA was significantly associated with failure of hip anatomical reconstruction and a higher risk of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to construct a competent model that can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoid (GC) or neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of patients with GC or NEC were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1975 to 2017. Univariable and multivariable Cox analysis was used to determine the independent factors for patients with GC or NEC. Nomograms were established based on the independent factors and the results were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: A total of 214 patients with GC and 65 patients with gastric NEC were extracted from the SEER database. Independent prognostic factors for patients with GC were M stage, gender, age, and chemotherapy. Independent prognostic factors for patients with gastric NEC included age, M stage, and chemotherapy. ROC curves, calibration curves, and DCA confirmed that the nomograms can precisely predict the prognosis of patients with GC and NEC. CONCLUSIONS: The nomograms can effectively predict survival in patients with GC or NEC, which may assist the clinician in their decision-making and quantitatively judge the prognosis of individual patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between baseline atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and new-onset myocardial infarction (MI) in hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 2,281 participants were included in this analysis after strict adherence to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using multivariable Cox regression models. A generalized additive model was employed to determine nonlinear relationships. RESULTS: In multivariate-adjusted models, there was a positive association between AIP and new-onset MI (per SD increase; HR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.22-1.65). Smoothing curve fitting revealed a J-shaped association between AIP and new-onset MI, with a turning point of approximately -0.08. The addition of AIP to a model with established risk factors improved the C-index (p=0.007), integrated discrimination improvement (p=0.007), and continuous net reclassification improvement (p=0.027) for the new-onset MI. CONCLUSIONS: A J-shaped relationship was observed between AIP and new-onset MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop a risk prediction model of pyroptosis-related genes based on its impact on immunotherapy sensitivity of uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC), one of the most common and threatening gynecological malignancies. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Through multiple bioinformatics analysis, we obtained raw counts of RNA-sequencing data and corresponding clinical information related to UCEC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) to investigate the potential mechanisms of differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes (DEPRGs), including the correlation between DEPRGs and prognosis, tumor immune microenvironment and the immunotherapy sensitivity of UCEC patients. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Enrichment Analysis were used to figure out the functional differences. Furthermore, a mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network was constructed to identify potential impact of pyroptosis on tumor progression. RESULTS: In this study, we achieved six DEPRGs (CASP3, GPX4, GSDMD, NOD2, PYCARD and TIRAP) and constructed a 6-gene signature which classified UCEC patients in the TCGA cohort into a low-risk group or a high-risk group. Patients in the low-risk group showed significantly longer survival time (p=0.000373). The risk score was also confirmed as an independent prognostic factor combining with the clinical characteristics. GO and KEGG functional analysis revealed the possible molecular mechanisms by which six DEPRGs influence anti-tumor immunity in UCEC patients. In addition, we found that two DEPRGs (GPX4, TIRAP) were not only significantly associated with tumor mutational burden (TMB) or microsatellite Instability (MSI), but also involved in regulating the number and function of CD8+ cells. CONCLUSIONS: Upon comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, it was concluded that pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) could predict the prognosis of EC patients and be affected in modulating the anti-tumor immune responses for patients with EC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: SIRT6 is an NAD-dependent histone deacetylase known to regulate aging, inflammation and energy metabolism, and might play an important role in atherosclerosis. However, whether it also plays a role in coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, we detected the expression of SIRT6 in serum by Western blotting. The concentrations of SIRT6 in serum specimens from 69 patients with CAD [30 with stable angina (SA) and 39 with acute coronary syndrome (ACS)] and 16 controls were analysed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. RESULTS: Western blotting analysis of the serum samples found that SIRT6 expression was decreased in the SA group (p=0.000) and ACS group (p=0.000) compared with the control group. Significantly lower levels of serum SIRT6 were observed in SA patients (18.80±9.14 ng/mL) and ACS patients (16.85±9.66 ng/mL) than in healthy controls (25.79±14.23 ng/mL). SIRT6 concentrations were positively correlated with other markers of CAD, such as high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.362, p<0.01) and age (r=0.265, p<0.05), and negatively correlated with blood glucose (r=-0.284, p<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that lower SIRT6 levels were independently associated with the presence of CAD in men (OR=0.817, 95% CI 0.694-0.962, p=0.015). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that lower serum SIRT6 could distinguish CAD patients (AUC, 0.726; 95% CI, 0.508-0.943; p=0.041) from controls. SIRT6 is found downregulated in blood vessels of atherosclerotic APOE-/- mice and human aorta arteries. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that SA and ACS patients had lower serum concentrations of SIRT6. The decreased serum SIRT6 level was independently associated with the diagnosis of CAD. SIRT6 may play a cardioprotective role in CAD patients, and future research is required to address this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze spatiotemporal changes of CT manifestations in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective review, 110 patients with confirmed COVID-19 by RT-PCR form February 16, 2020, to March 28, 2020 were included. A total of 449 CT scans were reviewed. We analyze the type and distribution of lung abnormalities, and CT general assessment and lesion area statistics were performed. Patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe disease based on Chinese guidelines: mild (patients with minimal symptoms, CT scans showed no pneumonia or a small area of pneumonia infection), moderate (different extent of clinical manifestations and CT scans showed multiple pneumonia infections in both lungs), severe disease (respiratory distress, CT scans lesion area exceeds 50%, and the lesion contains consolidation). The proportion of patients with mild, moderate and severe diseases was counted. RESULTS: The CT score and the area involved reached a peak (median 10) on illness days 7-12, and then, continued to be at a high level. The main abnormal pattern after symptoms appeared GGO (36/94 [36%] to 40/65 [62%] in different periods). The proportion of mixed reached its peak on illness days 13-18 (36/93 [39%]). Pure GGO was the most common subtype of GGO (24 of 60 CT scans [40%] to 23 of 33 CT scans [70%]) after symptoms onset. The ratio of GGO with irregular lines and interfaces peaked on illness days 7-12 (6/34 [18%]). The lesions are mainly distributed on both sides and under the pleura. 76/84 (90%) of discharged patients had residual lesions on the final CT scans. 4 confirmed patients' CT scans did not show lesions (on illness days 1-24 days). There were 47 mild cases (42.7%), 46 moderate cases (41.8%), and 7 severe cases (6.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The degree of lung abnormality on the CT of the patients reached the peak on the 7th to 12th days of the disease. CT performance changes with time have a certain regularity, which may indicate the progress and recovery of the disease. 90% of patients still observed residual lung abnormalities in CT images at the time of discharge. There were 4 confirmed cases where the CT images did not show the lesion; hence, CT cannot be used as a basis for judging COVID-19 as a single tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of rehabilitation training on cognitive impairment after cerebrovascular accident and its potential mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 100 patients of cerebrovascular accident treated in our hospital from August 2018 to August 2019 were selected as the subjects, and 50 patients with physical examination were selected as healthy control group. The patients with cerebrovascular accident were randomly divided into control group (50 patients) and research group (50 patients). The patients in the control group were given routine medication, the patients in research group were given rehabilitation training on the basis of routine drug therapy. The blood samples were collected on admission and 6 months after admission to detect the molecular markers related to inflammation, nerve cell nutrition and function and apoptosis in the serum. The cognitive function was evaluated by scales. We established a rat cerebral ischemia model, compared the differences in the evasive latency, serum CRP, BNDF, Bcl-2, BAX, Glu, NE levels and BNDF, TrkB, pTrkB, JNK levels in hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal tissue between model rats after rehabilitation training and model rats without rehabilitation training. RESULTS: On admission, there were no significant differences in the scores of Barthel index (BI), Fugl-Meyer motor function scale (FM), Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) (p>0.05). 6 months later, the above scores and BNDF, Bcl-er in the research group (p<0.05), while CRP, Bax, 5-HT and glutamate in the research group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation training can improve the motor function, mental state and cognitive level of patients, reduce the levels of neurotoxic factors, pro-inflammatory factors and pro-apoptotic factors, and improve the levels of inhibiting apoptotic factors, neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters. In animal experiments, rehabilitation training can increase BDNF and its activated receptors in hippocampus, amygdala and prefrontal lobe of rats, and decrease JNK of apoptotic protein, suggesting that rehabilitation training may regulate the expression of apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bax by upregulating BDNF and its receptors and acting on JNK pathway, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis and improving cognitive impairment after cerebrovascular accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Previous systematic review has shown the safety and efficiency of EPO (erythropoietin) for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). To date, the evidence is limited that EPO is beneficial to therapeutic hypothermia as an adjuvant. There has not a brief discussion about the neuroprotection effects of EPO without hypothermia. To evaluate the long-term prognosis of HIE treated with EPO alone, we carried out this study that can be a supplement to the previous meta-analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 7 databases (including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, CKNI, CBM, WanFang, and VIP) and the ClinicalTrials. gov were retrieved from inception to 1 March 2020. The inclusion criteria were RCTs with EPO treatment without hypothermia. The outcomes were tested by using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID), including the Bayley Mental Development Index Score (MDI) and the Bayley Psychomotor Development Index Score (PDI). This meta-analysis was done to compare the Risk Ratio (RR) for the scores of BSID less than 70 after over 6 months of follow-up. RESULTS: 11 RCTs (1099 newborns) were included, excluding deaths and lost visits, and 917 patients finally were performed the statistical analysis. In neonatal HIE infants, investigation results showed a lower risk of cognitive impairment and psychomotor disability with EPO monotherapy. The pooled event rates of MDI <70 saw a reduction of 36% (95% CI 24%-54%) compared to the control group. There was a decrease of 37% (95% CI 24%- 56%) of Psychomotor abnormal (PDI <70) in the EPO group. CONCLUSIONS: EPO administration alone could improve the scores of mental and psychomotor in neonates with HIE. However, the level of evidence is low to moderate for the insufficient sample size, so large-scale, multicenter clinical trials are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The attention network is the structural basis of cognitive function. As one of the two known attention networks, the ventral attention network (VAN) has a significant impact on the cognitive impairment of patients with epilepsy. Nevertheless, changes in network homogeneity (NH) are rarely reported in the VAN of right temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) patients. Therefore, we explored the NH of the VAN in rTLE patients in this study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy rTLE patients and 69 healthy controls were recruited. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which was the primary method of evaluation. The executive control reaction time (ECRT) was examined via the attentional network test. The Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI (DPARSF) was used to analyze NH. The independent component analysis (ICA) and correlation analysis were used in data analysis. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, patients with right temporal lobe epilepsy showed a lower NH in the right superior temporal gyrus, and a longer ECRT. However, abnormal NH values had no significant association with the clinical measurements. CONCLUSIONS: P atients w ith r ight t emporal lobe epilepsy have abnormal NH values in the VAN, and the executive functions in rTLE patients are also altered. The altered NH values in VAN may help provide new insights into the pathophysiology of cognitive impairment in rTLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: RBBP6 is identified to be a cancer-associated gene by bioinformatics analysis. This study aims to explore the role of RBBP6 in regulating proliferation and metastasis in ovarian cancer, thus providing theoretical references for ovarian cancer treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Differential expressions of RBBP6 in ovarian cancer and normal ones were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between RBBP6 and prognosis in ovarian cancer patients was analyzed. The interaction between RBBP6 and PIK3R6 was detected by bioinformatics analysis and Dual-Luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, regulatory effects of RBBP6 and PIK3R6 on proliferative and migratory potentials in A2780 and CAOV3 cells were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) and transwell assay, respectively. Finally, tumorigenicity assay was conducted in nude mice to illustrate the in vivo regulations of PBBP6 and PIK3R6 on ovarian cancer growth. RESULTS: RBBP6 was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues than normal ones. RBBP6 was irrelevant to age, tumor size and tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging in ovarian cancer patients, but correlated to lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis. RBBP6 was abundantly expressed in ovarian cancer cells, and among the tested cell lines, CAOV3 and A2780 expressed the highest level of RBBP6. Knockdown of RBBP6 attenuated in vitro proliferative and migratory potentials in CAOV3 and A2780 cells. PIK3R6 was the target gene binding RBBP6, which was positively regulated by RBBP6. Overexpression of PIK3R6 could abolish the inhibited proliferative and migratory potentials in ovarian cancer cells with RBBP6 knockdown. In addition, the knockdown of RBBP6 slowed the in vivo growth of ovarian cancer in nude mice, and the alleviated cancer progression was reversed by overexpression of PIK3R6. CONCLUSIONS: RBBP6 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer cases, which stimulates proliferative and migratory potentials by targeting PIK3R6. RBBP6 may be a novel therapeutic target for ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential correlation between endothelin 1 (EDN1) gene polymorphisms with preeclampsia (PE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 248 PE patients and 232 healthy controls were genotyped by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The possible association between EDN1 polymorphisms and PE was revealed through the t-test and the Chisquare test. RESULTS: PE risk was significantly correlated with the C allele of polymorphism rs5370 in EDN1. The polymorphism rs5370 in EDN1 was remarkably associated with the onset of severe PE, rather than mild PE. The markedly increased risk of early-onset PE was related to the C allele of polymorphism rs5370 in EDN1, while no significant difference in the allele frequency of polymorphism rs1800541 was detected between the PE group and the control group. In the co-dominant model, the CC genotype of polymorphism rs5370 in EDN1 was associated with the increased PE risk. PE risk in the population carrying TC genotype was 1.59 times higher than those with TT/CC genotype, while polymorphism rs1800541 had no apparent association with PE risk. In the severe PE group, there was an evident difference in the genotype frequency between the dominant and over-dominant models of polymorphism rs5370. In the recessive model, the raised risk of early-onset PE was notably correlated with the TT/CC genotype compared with that of TT genotype. However, no evident association with the genotype frequency of polymorphism rs1800541 was observed between PE patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: EDN1 gene polymorphism rs5370 is correlated with the increased risk of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a gastrointestinal tract cancer, which threatens the well-being of million of patients due to high metastasis. Recently, numerous studies have recognized nuclear RNA host gene 14 (SNHG14) as a remarkable oncogene in different cancers. However, the regulatory mechanism of SNHG14 in CRC development is mostly unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of SNHG14, miR-944 and Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) in tissues and cells was measured by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Cell migration and invasion were assessed using transwell assay. Protein expression of KRAS, AKT, phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) was detected by Western blot. Animal models were constructed by subcutaneously injecting SW620 cells stably transfected with sh-SNHG14 and sh-NC. The interaction among SNHG14, miR-944 and KRAS was determined by luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay. RESULTS: The expression of SNHG14 and KRAS was up-regulated whereas miR-944 was down-regulated in CRC tumors and cells compared with normal tissues and cells. In addition, SNHG14 silencing attenuated cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while accelerated apoptosis in CRC cells by suppressing PI3K/AKT pathway. Consistently, SNHG14 knockdown hindered tumor growth in vivo. MiR-944 was a target of SNHG14 and directly targeted KRAS. Moreover, miR-944 inhibitor abrogated silenced SNHG14-mediated inhibition on proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as promotion on apoptosis in CRC cells. Similarly, miR-944 regulated CRC cell progression by targeting KRAS through PI3K/AKT pathway. CONCLUSIONS: SNHG14 contributed to cell proliferation, migration and invasion, while suppressed apoptosis in CRC cells by targeting miR-944/KRAS axis through PI3K/AKT pathway, representing novel biomarkers for CRC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: DJ-1 is a negative regulator of PTEN and plays a role in tumorigenesis. Abnormal miR-203 expression is associated with pancreatic cancer. Bioinformatics analysis showed a targeted relationship between miR-203 and DJ-1 3'-UTR. This study investigated whether miR-203 regulates DJ-1 expression and its role in pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cisplatin (DDP) resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay validated the targeted regulation between miR-203 and DJ-1. The DDP-resistant cell line SW1990/DDP was established and divided into miR-NC group and miR- 203 mimic group followed by analysis of the expression of DJ-1, PTEN and p-AKT, cell apoptosis, and proliferation. RESULTS: There was a targeted relationship between miR-203 and DJ-1 mRNA. The expression of miR-203 in SW1990/DDP cells was significantly lower than that in SW1990 cells, while the expression of DJ-1 mRNA and protein was significantly higher than that in SW1990 cells. Compared with miR-NC group, the expression of DJ-1 and p-AKT protein in SW1990/DDP cells was significantly decreased in miR-203 mimic transfection group, while the expression of PTEN was significantly increased with increased cell apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation, as well as reduced DDP resistance. CONCLUSIONS: The decreased expression of miR-203 and the increased expression of DJ-1 is associated with drug resistance in pancreatic cancer cells. Elevated miR-203 can inhibit the expression of DJ-1, affect the activity of PTEN-PI3K/AKT pathway, inhibit the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells, induce cell apoptosis, and reduce DDP resistance of pancreatic cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in regulating cancer carcinogenesis; however, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains largely unknown. Our work was aimed to investigate the role of miR- 4513 in regulating OSCC cells behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiR-4513 expression in OSCC cells was analyzed by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were analyzed by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, wound-healing assay, transwell invasion assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. The connections of miR-4513 and CXC ligand 17 (CXCL17) were analyzed by luciferase reporter assay and Western blot assay. RESULTS: MiR-4513 expression was found elevated in the OSCC cell lines. The downregulation of miR-4513 expression inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion and, at the same time, promotes apoptosis. Furthermore, we validated CXCL17 as a direct target of miR-4513. Knocking down the expression of CXCL17, inhibited the effects of miR-4513 on OSCC cell behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested the oncogenic role of miR-4513 in OSCC, and therefore it might be used as a target for the OSCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies showed that miR-770 expression was deregulated in many tumors. However, the effect of miR-770 function on glioma remains as a mystery. The present study aimed to explore its expression, cellular function and clinic features in glioma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed RNA sequencing data to explore abnormally expressed miRNAs in glioma. Glioma tissue specimens and their matched normal tissues were collected to test miR-770 expression using quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. The correlation between miR-770 and the clinicopathological factors and the prognostic value of miR-770 was statistically analyzed. We then investigated alterations in a series of cancer-related phenotypes, including cell viability, apoptosis, colony formation and metastasis capacities. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the expression changes of EMT-related proteins and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins. RESULTS: We identified a novel glioma-related miRNA miR-770, which was significantly down-regulated in human glioma tissues. The results of RT-PCR further showed that miR-770 expression was significantly down-regulated in both glioma tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, decreased miR-770 expression was significantly associated with advanced WHO grade, KPS score and shorter five-year overall survival. Then, functional assays indicated that overexpression of miR-770 suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT pathway, and induced the apoptosis of glioma cells in vitro. Moreover, we further illustrated that the up-regulation of miR-770 suppressed the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our present findings firstly reported the roles and mechanisms associated with miR-770 in glioma progression, highlighting miR-770 as a potential therapeutic target for glioma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Atherosclerosis, a kind of peripheral arterial disease with chronic inflammation, leads to the dysfunction of the vascular system and many other diseases. Hypoxia has been proven to participate in the progression of atherosclerosis, while curcumin can inhibit hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). However, the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to examine the expression of HIF-1α, IL-6 and TNFα of macrophages under hypoxic condition. Western blot was applied to examine the changes of HIF-1α, ERK and p-ERK after treatment with curcumin. Oli Red O staining and enzymatic assay were used to examine the lipid and total cholesterol in macrophages, respectively. ELISA was used to examine the release of IL-6 and TNFα by macrophages. FACS and MTT assays were applied to examine the apoptosis and proliferation of macrophages. RESULTS: Here, we found curcumin inhibited the expression of HIF-1α at the protein level in macrophages under hypoxic condition and curcumin and HIF-1α inhibitors repressed the total cholesterol and lipid level in macrophage under hypoxic condition. Moreover, curcumin also decreased the expression of HIF-1α downstream genes, VEGF, HMOX1, ROS and PDGF. Then, the data show the HIF-1α-induced apoptosis and inflammation of macrophages were inhibited by curcumin. Curcumin also rescued the proliferation defect of macrophages caused by hypoxia. Furthermore, we found it inhibited the expression of HIF-1α via ERK signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We describe that curcumin inhibited the HIF-1α-induced apoptosis and inflammation of macrophages via ERK signaling pathways. These results suggest curcumin can be used for the treatment of atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: In order to investigate the role of the zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) expression in the incidence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the effects of the ZEB1 expression on the pathogenesis and prognosis of NSCLC were investigated. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Correlations of the expression of ZEB1 in 88 clinical patients with NSCLC with clinicopathological features were determined. The patients were followed up for 60 months to study the correlation between the ZEB1 expression and the prognosis of NSCLC patients. To further explore the role of the ZEB1 expression in the incidence of NSCLC, the expressions of ZEB1 and E-cadherin in three NSCLC cell lines (A549, NCI-H1299 and NCI-H1975) and human normal lung epithelial BESA-2B cell line were measured, and the cell invasion ability was detected. The role of ZEB1 in NSCLC cell invasion was verified through the knockdown of ZEB1 by the short hairpin ribonucleic acids (shRNAs). In addition, its effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells were confirmed by the overexpression of ZEB1. RESULTS: The expression of ZEB1 in NSCLC tissues was remarkably higher than that in normal tissues, and the expression level of ZEB1 was significantly related to the cancer stage and tumor size. The lower the expression of ZEB1 was, the higher the overall survival rate and the longer the survival time would be. The expression of ZEB1 was negatively correlated with that of E-cadherin in cell lines, and ZEB1-shRNAs markedly reduced the invasion ability of NSCLC cells. The overexpression of ZEB1 resulted in an increase in the proliferation activity and a significant decrease in the apoptosis of A549 cells. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of ZEB1 is closely related to the incidence and prognosis of NSCLC. Increased expression of ZEB1 is helpful for promoting the invasion of NSCLC and enhancing the proliferation activity of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Long noncoding RNA LINC00313 (LINC00313) has been reported to be dysregulated in several tumors, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Our present study aimed to further explore the potential mechanism of LINC00313 in the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: RT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of LINC00313 in both PTC tissues and cell lines. Luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed to explore whether SP1 could bind to the promoter region of LINC00313 and activate its transcription. The biological functional correlation of LINC00313 was determined by down-regulating the expression of LINC00313 on PTC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. The regulating relationship between LINC00313 and miR-422a was investigated in PTC cells using luciferase reporter assays. RESULTS: We observed that LINC00313 expression was significantly up-regulated in both PTC tissues and cell lines. Next, the results of bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays indicated that the transcription factor SP1 can bind to the promoter region of LINC00313 resulting in the overexpression of LINC00313 in PTC. Moreover, functional study revealed that knockdown of LINC00313 significantly suppressed cells proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. Finally, our results indicated that LINC00313 functioned as an oncogene in PTC in part through serving as a competing endogenous RNA to modulate mi-422a expression. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our data demonstrated that SP1-induced LINC00313 contributed to PTC progression by via competitively binding to miR-422a, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Desmoglein-2 (Dsg2) plays a crucial role in the assembly and adhesion of desmosomes. The absent or aberrant expression of Dsg2 was reported to be associated with the progression of varies human cancers. However, the expression of Dsg2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its association with tumor prognosis is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression level of Dsg2 in HCC and of the correlation between Dsg2 expression and clinicopathological variables. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 104 patients diagnosed with HCC were enrolled in this study. Real time-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were performed to determine the expression level of Dsg2 in HCC tumor tissues and matched noncancerous tissues. Cell proliferation and cell cycle were measured by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow-cytometry assay, respectively. RESULTS: Our results revealed that Dsg2 expression was significantly higher in HCC tumor tissues than in matched noncancerous tissues (p < 0.01), positively correlated with tumor size (p = 0.035) and tumor stage (p = 0.021). Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated Dsg2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Meanwhile, we found knockdown the expression of Dsg2 using small interfering RNA (siRNA) could efficiently impaired HCC cell proliferation rate and cell cycle progression (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our results suggest that increased Dsg2 expression was associated with tumor progression in HCC and may function as a promising biomarker for unfavorable prognosis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and hip arthrodesis (HA) in treating coxotuberculosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 40 patients with coxotuberculosis treated in the Orthopedic Department in our hospital from February 2011 to February 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Comparison of total curative effect between THA and HA in treating coxotuberculosis was analyzed. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Harris hip function score (HHS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein, post-operative hip pain time (PHPT), postoperative start walking time (PSWT), postoperative start weight bearing time (PSWBT) and postoperative complications were observed and compared. RESULTS: All patients successfully underwent successful THA or HA without major complications. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume in patients who underwent HA were better than those of patients who underwent THA (p<0.001, p=0.010, p<0.001, respectively). During the postoperative evaluation, VAS, HHS, ESR, CRP in patients who underwent THA were better than those of patients who underwent HA, and the differences were statistically significant. About the recovery, PHPT, PSWT, PSWBT in patients who underwent THA were shorter than those in patients who underwent HA (p=0.021, p=0.044, p<0.001, respectively). There was no fracture, infection, dislocation, neurological or vascular complications in THA group. No patient had subsidence, loosening or heterotopic ossification. 1 patient in HA group had a fracture of the steel plate, and 1 patient had delayed union in HA group. CONCLUSIONS: THA is an effective treatment for advanced tuberculous arthritis. THA is superior to HA in the treatment of coxotuberculosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between GALNT3 gene and osteoporosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 184 cases of osteoporosis that were treated at our hospital from 2013 to 2014 were selected as research subjects in the observation group. In addition, 84 healthy people were selected as the control group from 2013 to 2014. The bone mineral density of the observation and control groups were detected by x-rays and the expression levels and differences of mRNA of the GALNT3 gene and protein in their body was detected using fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), enzyme-linked immunoassay, and Western blotting. RESULTS: X-ray results suggest that when compared to the healthy group, bone mineral density of patients in the observation group was significantly lower than that of research subjects in the control group, with significant differences. The fluorescence qPCR results suggest that the expression levels of mRNA of the GALNT3 gene in patients with osteoporosis were significantly lower than that in the healthy group (p<0.05). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results suggest that the expression levels of the GALNT3 gene in patients with osteoporosis (1.26±0.32) μg/L was significantly lower than that in the healthy group (12.41±0.28) µg/L, with significant differences (p<0.05). The Western blotting results agreed with the ELISA results. We also found in our research that the bone mineral density of patients with osteoporosis significantly correlated with the expression levels of the GALNT3 gene (r=0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the GALNT3 gene significantly correlated with osteoporosis and the low expression of GALNT3 gene can promote the occurrence and deterioration of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Pathogenic mechanism of multiple myeloma is still unclear yet. Abnormality in cell autophagy is closely correlated with various orthopedic diseases especially multiple myeloma. Therefore, this study investigated the mechanism of cell autophagy abnormality in multiple myeloma occurrence and clinical implications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using multiple myeloma cell line H929 as the model, cells were treated with UV irradiation. Western blot was used to measure the autophagy of H929 cell, expression level of autophagy molecules and activation of autophagy signal pathway such as Wnt. Using autophagy activator, H929 cell autophagy was potentiated, followed by quantification of autophagy molecular expression and signal pathway such as Wnt activation. Agonist or antagonist of Wnt signal pathway was used to treat H929 cells followed by measuring autophagy molecules and Wnt pathway activation. The correlation between Wnt signal pathway or cell autophagy and occurrence of multiple myeloma was analyzed. RESULTS: UV irradiation treatment on multiple myeloma cell line H929 induced autophagy and Wnt signal pathway activation. The inhibitor of Wnt signal pathway suppressed UV-induced H929 cell autophagy. However, over-expression of Wnt signal pathway enhanced UV-mediated autophagy of H929 cells. The condition of Wnt activation and autophagy level were positively correlated. CONCLUSIONS: UV irradiation can induce autophagy of multiple myeloma cells, suggesting that management of cell autophagy might be one possible treatment for multiple myeloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: We aimed at investigating the clinical and bacteriological features and drug resistance of bloodstream infection of Acinetobacter baumannii, so as to provide new evidence for treatment of bloodstream infection of Acinetobacter baumannii. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Statistical analysis was carried out for the clinical and bacteriological features and drug sensitivity of 74 bloodstream infection cases of Acinetobacter baumannii who were admitted to this hospital between July 2016 and June 2017. RESULTS: Among 74 patients, about 72.0% of them were admitted to the ICU and Respiratory Department; the average age of these patients was 63 years old. Among 74 patients, 62 patients stayed in the hospital for over 2 weeks (83.8%), and 35 for over 1 month (47.3%); 72.0% of patients experienced intrusive operation, in which 28.0% of patients dead. The experiment of drug sensitivity showed that tigecycline had the highest sensitivity (100%), sequentially followed by amikacin (over 90.0%) and other anti-bacterial drugs (less than 40.0%). Pan-drug resistance was identified in 42 patients, accounting for 56.8%. Comparison between the pan-drug resistant and non-pan-drug resistant patients showed that in the first two weeks before the positive blood culture, there were statistically significant differences in administration of carbapenem antibiotics and intrusive operation (p<0.05). Among the patients, the lowest resistance to carbapenem antibiotics was 8.16%, while the rate of resistance to other 12 antibiotics was more than 40.00%. Multiple-resistant strain mainly originated from the ICU and the burn center. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with bloodstream infection of Acinetobacter baumannii, the pandrug resistant strains account for a vast majority with a high mortality rate. Age, intrusive operation and length of stay in hospital longer than 2 weeks are the common susceptible factors, while the administration of carbapenem antibiotics and intrusive operations might be the highrisk factors leading to pan-drug resistant cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Aberrant expression of miR-338-3p has recently involved in the progression and development of various types of malignant tumors, but its role in the progression of cervical cancer remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the role of miR- 338-3p/MACC1 axis in the progression of cervical cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MiR-338-3p and metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) expression was determined in cervical cancer by quantitative real-time PCR (qRTPCR). We explored the association of miR-338-3p expression with pathology and prognosis in cervical cancer patients. We explored the function of miR-338-3p and MACC1 on cell proliferation. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the target gene of miR-338-3p in cervical cancer cells. RESULTS: In the present work, our data showed that the expression of miR-338-3p was substantially decreased in cervical cancer tissues and associated with advanced FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis, depth of cervical invasion and poor overall survival. However, the MACC1 had an opposite expression. Mechanistically, we identified that MACC1 which acted as a functional downstream target for miR-338-3p. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-338-3p decreased expression of MACC1 in cervical cancer cells could significantly inhibit cervical cancer cell proliferation and induce cells apoptosis. Interestingly, miR-338-3p and MACC1 had proven to be involved in the progression of cervical cancer cells by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested miR-338-3p/MACC1/MAPK regulatory pathway play an important role in the progression of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of ventilator mask atomization inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension liquid in the treatment of acute exacerbation COPD (AECOPD) on circulating levels of inflammatory factors and prognosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 86 cases of patients on ventilator support were randomly divided into control group and observation group with 43 cases each. The control group was administered routine treatment including basic disease treatment, anti-infection, maintenance of a stable internal environment, nutritional support, oxygen inhalation and so on. All the patients were administered saline through a ventilator mask. The observation group was treated with atomized inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension and oxygen flow 3-5 L/min, 15-20 min/time and twice a day for 1 week. The treatment effects were compared. RESULTS: Serum TNF-α, IL-6, and CRP levels were decreased in both groups after treatment, but levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group; differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC and maximal expiratory flow rate in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment (p < 0.05). After treatment, the PaO2, SpO2 and respiratory failure index (RFI) of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group. The PaCO2 levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The clinical efficacy of the observation group was better than that of the control group; the ventilation time and total treatment time was significantly shorter and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ventilator mask atomizing inhalation of ipratropium bromide and budesonide suspension liquid in the treatment of AECOPD can significantly improve circulating inflammatory reaction, improve lung function and blood gas levels, increase the treatment efficiency, and shorten the treatment time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosomal abnormalities are an attractive avenue for the screening of various disorders especially related to carcinogens like acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The cytogenetic findings like Karyotypic patterns are common in pediatric patients. On the other hand, monosomal karyotype (MK) and complex karyotype (CK) are more common in older patients. Further, recent studies have revealed direct proportion between the number of chromosome abnormalities and mortality rates in both pediatric as well as old patients affected by AML. Moreover, to be specific 5q, 7q and/or 17p loss lead to higher mortality rates in comparison to loss of to MK. The present review article would put light on current views of important chromosomal changes during AML, especially in pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy under different anesthesia on pain and immunity of patients with lumbar disc herniation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 92 cases of patients with lumbar disc herniation in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from February 2015 to January 2016 were collected. These patients were randomly divided into control group and observation group (n = 46). Patients in the control group underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy with the use of local anesthesia, while patients in the observation group used continuous epidural anesthesia. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Visual Analogue Scale of Pain (VAS) were used to compare the surgical effect and the degree of pain of patients in the two groups. Adverse reactions (nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness) of patients in two groups were compared. T lymphocytes subset level (CD4+, CD8+) and inflammatory cytokines (IL-2, TNF) in the immune system were compared on the 1st, 3rd, and 10th day post-operatively. RESULTS: The pain degree of patients in the two groups had no significant difference before their operations (p > 0.05). The intraoperative pain rate of patients in the observation group was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). Patients in both groups achieved a remarkable decrease of pain intensity on month 1 and month 3 post-operatively (p < 0.05). There is no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). ODI scores of patients in the two groups had no significant difference pre-operatively (p > 0.05). Patients in both groups achieved a remarkable decrease of ODI scores after surgery (p < 0.05), and there is no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). The occurrence of adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). On day 1 and 3 post-operatively, CD4+ and CD8+ levels of patients in both groups were lower than before operation, and data in the control group decreased more than the observation group (p < 0.05). IL-2 and TNF-α levels of patients in the two groups were significantly higher than pre-operatively, and data in the control group was higher than the observation group (p < 0.05). On day 10 post-operatively, all the indexes returned to the preoperative level. CONCLUSIONS: Both continuous epidural anesthesia and local anesthesia can reduce or avoid perioperative pain, but continuous epidural anesthesia has more advantages than local anesthesia, and it can improve the immune function for patients undergoing PTED for LDH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in various cellular biological processes. It is also involved in the occurrence and development of the tumor. BCAR4 is reported to be highly expressed in breast cancer and promotes cell proliferation. However, the biological effects of BCAR4 in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was performed for detecting BCAR4 expression in 76 pairs of NSCLC tissues and corresponding cancer-adjacent tissues and 6 NSCLC cell lines. BCAR4 expression was knocked down, and its effects on NSCLC cell proliferation, cycle, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis were studied via MTT, clone formation, flow cytometry, TUNEL and Transwell assay. Metastatic tumor model of nude mice was established to investigate its effects on NSCLC cell metastasis. BCAR4 downstream target gene protein expression was detected using Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: BCAR4 was higher in NSCLC tissues than that in cancer-adjacent tissues and was positively correlated with tumor size, clinical stage, and distant metastasis, suggesting that BCAR4 can be used as an independent predictor of prognosis. Results also showed that BCAR4 knockdown could inhibit tumor cell invasion, metastasis, and proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest and increase cell apoptosis. BCAR4 knockdown inhibits the metastasis and invasion of tumor cells via regulating Vimentin, N-cadherin and E-cadherin in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT). CONCLUSIONS: BCAR4 promotes the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC via regulating EMT and BCAR4/EMT interaction can be used as a new target for the diagnosis and therapeutics of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: It has not been clear that Voluven (6% hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4) may be administered in pediatric patients safely. The purpose of this study was to determine if Voluven could be used for blood volume expansion and hypovolemia prevention in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 50 pediatric patients with congenital heart disease were recruited in the study. Circulatory and respiratory parameters were determined to monitor the responses to intravenous infusion of Voluven in the patients. RESULTS: Intravenous infusion of Voluven significantly increased levels of colloid osmotic pressure and central venous pressure, but decreased levels of hemoglobin in the patients. Voluven infusion did not significantly affect colloid osmotic pressure, central venous pressure, hemoglobin and heart rate in the preschool children (<6 years old), and similarly, low infusion (100-240 mL per patient) of Voluven did not significantly affect colloid osmotic pressure, central venous pressure, hemoglobin and heart rate in the young child patients. Also, there was the similar response, i.e. increased colloid osmotic pressure, to Voluven infusion in both female child patients and patients with atrial septal defect. CONCLUSIONS: Voluven may be used in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease, but not in the preschool child patients. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to the intravenous administration of Voluven for blood volume expansion and hypovolemia prevention in female pediatric patients and child patients with atrial septal defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor in the digestive system. Curcumin is a kind of phenolic pigment, which is extracted from herbage and has a plenty of physiological roles in anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and anti-tumor. In our study, human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cell lines were selected and treated with curcumin to detect its effects on the apoptosis and AMPK signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Human liver cancer cell strain SMMC-7721 was cultured and treated with different curcumin concentrations for different times followed by measuring the changes of cell proliferation activity and cycle by MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. Protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 were tested by Western blot, and the activation level of AMPK was also detected. RESULTS: Different concentrations of curcumin could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner. After 48 h inhibition by curcumin with a concentration of 40 mmol/L, the inhibitory effect was more obvious with statistically significant (p<0.05). The number of human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells increased in G1 stage and decreased in S stage after treated with different concentrations of curcumin. During the G1 stage to the S stage, inhibition occurred and the effect of curcumin intervention group with 40 mmol/L was more evident than that of 10 mmol/L group, 20 mmol/L group and the control group with statistically significant (p<0.05). SMMC-7721 cell stains had been intervening by curcumin with concentrations of 10 mmol/L, 20 mmol/L and 40 mmol/L for 12 h, 24 h and 48 h, as the drug concentration increased, the reaction time prolonged, the protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Survivin were significantly decreased and Bax protein expression was significantly increased (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin decreased the proliferation activity of tumor cells, increased the cell quantities in G1 stage and decreased the cell numbers in S stage in human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells. The Bcl-2 and Survivin proteins were downregulated and Bax protein was upregulated; furthermore, the AMPK signaling pathway was activated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Ovarian cancer is a gynecological malignancy with high mortality rates all over the world. Markers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy are urgently required to improve the mortality rates. As a key protooncogene, CCND1 is known to be amplified in many different carcinomas, including breast cancer, esophageal cancer, bladder cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer, etc. CCND1 plays an important role in cancer development and progression. However, its function and mechanism have not been completely elucidated in ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the present study, we use cisplatin in vitro to inhibit the cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis in epithelial ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3. CCND1 expression, cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were carried out by real-time PCR, CCK-8 and flow cytometry respectively. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that cisplatin could inhibit the expression of CCND1 in human epithelial ovarian cancer cell line, which is related to the decreased cell proliferation and increased cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that CCND1 is a potential therapeutic target for epithelial ovarian cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRs) may play critical roles in the regulation of tumorigenicity of various cancers. The present study was designed to investigate the expression, function and the underlying mechanism of miR-216b in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of miR-216b and FOXM1 in 24 paired HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was determined by Real-time PCR. The proliferative activity of HepG2 cells was determined by MTT assay. We analyzed cell cycle progression by flow cytometry, apoptosis by cell death enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and cleaved-caspase-3 by western blot. Luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify whether FOXM1 serves as a target of miR-216b in vitro. RESULTS: The expression of miR-216b was significantly decreased in HCC tissues compared with that in adjacent normal tissues, whereas FOXM1 expression was increased. In addition, FOXM1 and miR-216b expression were inversely correlated in HCC tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-216b produced a suppressive effect on the growth of HepG2 cells and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We further demonstrated that miR-216b targets the 3' un-translated region (UTR) of FOXM1 directly to suppress the expression of FOXM1, and that suppression of FOXM1 produced the similar effects to miR-216b CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that down-regulation of miR-216b directly contributes to the up-regulation of FOXM1, which may confer the tumorigenicity of HCC cells. MiR-216b may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to analyze microRNA-1908 expression in human osteosarcoma and to explore the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for patient outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay was performed to evaluate the expression level of microRNA-1908 in 212 patients diagnosed osteosarcoma. The association of miR-1908 expression with clinicopathological factors or the prognosis of glioma patients were also analyzed. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox’s proportional hazards model was used to determine survival rate. RESULTS: MiR-1908 expression levels in osteosarcoma tissues were significantly higher than those in matched adjacent normal bone tissues (p < 0.001). Tumors with high miR-1908 expression had significantly greater extent of recurrence (p < 0.003), metastasis (p = 0.000), and chemotherapy response (p < 0.019) than those with low miR-1908 expression. Kaplan- Meier analysis showed that patients with low level of miR-1908 had favorable trends of survival (p < 0.001). The result of the multivariate analysis showed that miR-1908 expression level and metastasis status retained significance as an independent prognostic factor of human osteosarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that increased microRNA-1908 expression is associated with poor clinical outcome in human osteosarcoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research is to evaluate the association between placenta previa and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A computerized literature search was carried out on PubMed to collect relevant articles on the association between placenta previa and HDP before November 2013. Pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of the associations. RESULTS: A total of 7 cohort studies were identified according to the inclusion criteria. Overall, a significantly inverse correlation between placenta previa and HDP was found when all study results were pooled into the meta-analysis (RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32-0.97). For subgroup analyses, the same results were found in pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) group (RR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.23-0.57) but not in other HDPs group (RR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.44-2.00). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggested a reduced risk for PIH in women with placenta previa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to investigate the effects of 2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME) on cisplatin-induced apoptosis and growth inhibition in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cells were treated with 2-ME, carboplatin, or both, the control group, and cell viability and growth inhibition assays were performed using the MTT method. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry analysis. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to monitor the mRNA and protein expression of the pro-apoptotic genes bax and caspase-3 and the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2. The phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein was monitored by western blotting. RESULTS: Cell viability was inhibited by all three treatments in a time-dependent manner. Importantly, the combination treatment resulted in significantly reduced cell growth compared with the other groups. The mRNA and protein expression of Bax and caspase-3 were increased in the combination treatment group, and the expression of Bcl-2 was decreased in the combination treatment group as compared with the other two groups. The ratio of bax to Bcl-2 mRNA in the combination treatment group was higher than that in the carboplatin-treated group. Finally, phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein was increased stronger in the combination treatment group compared with the carboplatin-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: 2-ME promoted the growth inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of platinum-based agents in SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The mechanism mediating this effect may be related to the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 protein, which reduces the formation of dimers and, thereby, increases apoptosis. Moreover, 2-ME promoted the mRNA and protein expression of Bax, thereby, increasing the Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio and activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery with non-extracorporeal vs. extracorporeal circulation. The study outcomes included operative time, number of graft vessels, pulmonary infection rates, and systemic inflammatory markers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 96 patients received selective CABG, either with non-extracorporeal (study group; n = 48) or extracorporeal circulation (control group; n = 48). Operative time, pulmonary infection rates, and blood levels of inflammatory markers TNF-a a, IL-6, and IL-8 before and 4, 24, and 48 hours after the surgery were quantified. Graft vessels were quantified using computed tomography. RESULTS: Operative time was significantly shorter in study group (4.58 ± 0.91 vs. 5.36 ± 1.12 hours in control group; p < 0.05). The number of graft vessels and pulmonary infection rates were comparable between both techniques. However, systemic inflammatory markers were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in study group at 4 and, partly, 24 hours after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal circulation prolongs operation and can aggravate systemic inflammatory response. Therefore, CABG with non-extracorporeal circulation offers more beneficial outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Ischemic heart disease is the most common cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world, and the incidence has been increasing in developing countries. Stem cell transplantation has emerged as a potent new therapeutic strategy for acute/chronic ischemic heart disease and has been explored extensively. The present study aimed to investigate whether hypoxic preconditioning of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) before transplantation could ameliorate their survival and engraftment in ischemic tissue and the potential mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: EPCs extracted were subjected to increasing hypoxia for 24-72 h, survival and function of the preconditioned EPCs were assayed in both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: Hypoxia for 24 h caused significant enhancements in formation of tube like structure and motility of BM-EPCs (p < 0.05), as well as mRNA expressions of CXCR4, PI3K, AKT, and NF-κB, while these effects were reversed by prolonged hypoxia (48 and 72 h, p < 0.05). Hypoxia of BM-EPCs for 24 h did not result in increased apoptosis resistance, and cell apoptosis was even enhanced by prolonged hypoxia. In vivo transplantation experiments demonstrated the beneficial effect of hypoxic EPCs on left ventricular (LV) functions after acute myocardial ischemia (AMI). CONCLUSIONS: Shorter-term hypoxia showed better survival, differentiation and function of BM-EPCs in vivo, further study was still needed to optimize the hypoxic pattern of BM-EPCs so as to better protect heart from myocardial ischemic injury. The present study showed evidence suggested that hypoxic preconditioning did exert further beneficial effects of BM-EPCs on preservation of LV function after AMI. Shortterm exposure to hypoxia for about 24 h provided better condition for survival and function of BM-EPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the radiological features associated with the motor deficits in patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients with MESCC admitted in our department from July 2006 to December 2008 were included in this analysis. The data on the radiological features of affected vertebrae showed by computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan and the motor deficits level assessed as paralysis or non-paralysis according to Frankel Classification Grading System were collected. A multiple regression model was established to indentify the radiological features associated with the paralysis status of MESCC patients. RESULTS: A total of 56 patients with MESCC were included in this study. All patients had invasion of vertebral body, main affected vertebrae was consecutive in 75% (8/12) of patients with lesions of upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction and 18.18% (8/44) of patients with lesions of cervical spine, middle thoracic spine, lower thoracic spine, and lumbar spine. The paralysis status was consisted with the finding of epidural space involvement. A linear relationship between paralysis status and the radiological features including lamina involvement, retropulsion of posterior wall, and location in upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction was detected by the "optimal" regression equation, of them lamina involvement has the greatest impact on paralysis status. CONCLUSIONS: The radiological features including lamina involvement, retropulsion of posterior wall, and location in upper thoracic spine and/or cervicothoracic junction were significantly associated with the motor deficits of patients with MESCC, which might be helpful to identify these patients who were susceptible to motor deficit, especially lamina involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Long noncoding RNA SOX2OT maintains the stemness of pancreatic cancer cells by regulating DEK via interacting with miR-200a/141, by C.-S. Liu, Q. Zhou, Y.-D. Zhang, Y. Fu.