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Most studies on the human gut microbiome have focused on the bacterial fraction rather than fungal biomics, which as resulted in an incomplete understanding of the fungal microbiome. Recent advances in microbiota detection and next-generation sequencing technology have boosted an increase in research on fungi. Symbiotic fungi have become increasingly influential in health and disease and modulate various physiologic functions within the host. Fungal infections can result in high morbidity and mortality rates and are life-threatening in some immunocompromised patients. In addition to bacterial dysbiosis, alterations in fungal communities are important and have been linked to many diseases, including asthma, mental illness, and various cancers. When investigating cancer it is imperative to consider the role of fungi alongside viruses and bacteria. This review examined the impact of intestinal fungi and peri-tumor fungi on tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and response to anticancer therapies. The review highlights the specific involvement of some fungal species in cancers include digestive tract tumors such as colorectal, pancreatic, liver, and gastric cancers, as well as non-digestive tract tumors such as lung, melanoma, breast, and ovarian cancers. Furthermore, fungal mechanisms of action, including fungus-host recognition and immune regulation, biofilm formation, toxin and metabolite production in the tumor microenvironment, and the complex effects of fungus-bacteria interactions on tumorigenesis and development, highlight the significance of potential biomarkers in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Abstract The potential benefit of neoadjuvant toripalimab plus axitinib in cases with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVC-TT) remains unclear. NEOTAX was a phase 2 study to investigate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant toripalimab plus axitinib in patients with ccRCC and IVC-TT (ChiCTR2000030405). The primary endpoint was the down-staging rate of IVC-TT level. Secondary endpoints included change in TT length, response rate, percentage change in surgical approach, surgical morbidity, progression-free survival (PFS), safety, and biomarker analyses. In all, 25 patients received study treatment, 44.0% (11/25) patients had a reduction in thrombus level, and none experienced an increase in Mayo level. The median change in tumor thrombus length was −2.3 cm (range: −7.1 to 1.1 cm). Overall, 61.9% (13/21) patients experienced changes in surgical strategy compared with planned surgery, three patients experienced major complications. The median PFS was 25.3 months (95% CI: 17.0-NE). The 1-year PFS was 89.1% (95% CI: 62.7–97.2). No any of grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse event was identified. Biopsy samples of non-responders exhibited increased T cytotoxic cell infiltration, but these cells were predominantly PD-1 positive. Biopsy samples of responders exhibited lower T helper cells, however, their subtype, regulatory T cells remained unchanged. In surgical samples of the TT, non-responders exhibited increased CD8T_01_GZMK_CXCR4 subset T cells. NEOTAX met preset endpoints proving that toripalimab in combination with axitinib downstages IVC-TT in a significant proportion of patients leading to simplification in the procedure of surgery.

Abstract To explore the differences of vaginal microbes in women with preterm birth (PTB), and to construct prediction model. We searched for articles related to vaginal microbiology in preterm women and obtained four 16S rRNA-sequence datasets. We analyzed that for species diversity and differences, and constructed a random forest model with 20 differential genera. We introduce an independent whole genome-sequencing (WGS) data for validation. In addition, we collected vaginal and cervical swabs from 33 pregnant women who delivered spontaneously full-term and preterm infants, performed WGS in our lab to further validate the model. Compared to term birth (TB) samples, PTB women vagina were characterized by a decrease in Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, and an increase in diversity accompanied by the colonization of pathogenic bacteria such as Gardnerella, Atopobium and Prevotella. Twenty genus markers, including Lactobacillus, Prevotella, Streptococcus, and Gardnerella performed well in predicting PTB, with study-to-study transfer validation and LODO validation, different gestation validation showing good results, and in two independent cohorts (external WGS cohorts and woman samples WGS cohorts) in which the accuracy was maintained. PTB women have unique vaginal microbiota characteristics. A predictive model of PTB was constructed and its value validated from multiple perspectives.

BackgroundThe relationship between dysbiosis of the gastrointestinal microbiota and gastric cancer (GC) has been extensively studied. However, microbiota alterations in GC patients vary widely across studies, and reproducible diagnostic biomarkers for early GC are still lacking in multiple populations. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the gastrointestinal microbial communities involved in gastric carcinogenesis through a meta-analysis of multiple published and open datasets.MethodsWe analyzed 16S rRNA sequencing data from 1,642 gastric biopsy samples and 394 stool samples across 11 independent studies. VSEARCH, QIIME and R packages such as vegan, phyloseq, cooccur, and random forest were used for data processing and analysis. PICRUSt software was employed to predict functions.ResultsThe α-diversity results indicated significant differences in the intratumoral microbiota of cancer patients compared to non-cancer patients, while no significant differences were observed in the fecal microbiota. Network analysis showed that the positive correlation with GC-enriched bacteria increased, and the positive correlation with GC-depleted bacteria decreased compared to healthy individuals. Functional analyses indicated that pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism were significantly enriched in GC, while biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids was diminished. Additionally, we investigated non-Helicobacter pylori (HP) commensals, which are crucial in both HP-negative and HP-positive GC. Random forest models, constructed using specific taxa associated with GC identified from the LEfSe analysis, revealed that the combination of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus included alone could effectively discriminate between GC patients and healthy individuals in fecal samples (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.7949). This finding was also validated in an independent cohort (AUC = 0.7712).ConclusionsThis study examined the intratumoral and fecal microbiota of GC patients from a dual microecological perspective and identified Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium and Phascolarctobacterium as intratumoral and intestinal-specific co-differential bacteria. Furthermore, it confirmed the validity of the combination of Lactobacillus and Streptococcus as GC-specific microbial markers across multiple populations, which may aid in the early non-invasive diagnosis of GC.

Among women, breast cancer is the most prevalent form of a malignant tumour. Among the subtypes of breast cancer, hormone receptor (HR) positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) negative kinds make up the biggest proportion. The advent of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors, which are dependent on cell cycle proteins, has greatly enhanced the prognosis of patients with advanced HR+/HER2− breast cancer. This is a specific treatment that stops the growth of cancer cells by preventing them from dividing. Nevertheless, the drug resistance of the disease unavoidably impacts the effectiveness of treatment and the prognosis of patients. This report provides a thorough analysis of the current research advancements about the resistance mechanism of CDK4/6 inhibitors in HR+/HER2− breast cancer. It presents an in-depth discussion from numerous viewpoints, such as aberrant cell cycle regulation and changes in signalling pathways. In response to the drug resistance problem, subsequent treatment strategies are also being explored, including switching to other CDK4/6 inhibitor drugs, a combination of novel endocrine therapeutic agents, an optimal combination of targeted therapies and switching to chemotherapy. An in-depth study of the resistance mechanism can assist in identifying creative tactics that can overcome or postpone drug resistance, alleviate the problem of restricted treatment strategies following drug resistance and enhance the prognosis of patients.

Objective: To investigate the vaginal and gut microbes changes during the carcinogenesis of cervical and the auxiliary diagnostic value. To investigate the effect of microbiome-specific metabolites butyric on cervical cancer cells. Methods: We studied 416 vaginal 16S rRNA sequencing data and 116 gut sequencing data. Reads were processed using VSEARCH. We used Shannon index, Chao1 index, Simpson diversity index, β diversity index, Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe), co-abundance network and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis to explore microbiome differences between groups. We constructed random forest models based on genus and verified its discriminant effect. Finally, we used the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method to detect cell proliferation capacity and flow cytometry to detect apoptosis and induction of cell cycle progression. Results: Compared to the non-cancerous population, patients with cervical cancer had unique microbial community characteristics in both vaginal and gut ecological niches. Our predictive model based on genus in two ecological regions achieved high accuracy in the diagnosis of cervical cancer (vaginal model AUC=91.58 %; gut model AUC=99.95 %). Butyric inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner and promoted apoptosis of cancer cells. Conclusion: Significant differences were found in vaginal and gut microbes in patients with cervical cancer compared to the non-cancerous population. The prediction models constructed at the genus level in both ecological sites have good diagnostic value. Microorganisms may be involved in cervical cancer progression in a metabolite-dependent way, and targeting butyric may provide therapeutic options for cervical cancer.

Internal solitary waves (ISWs) propagating in polar seas are affected by the sea ice at upper boundary of seas and thus exhibit complex evolution characteristics. Herein, spatiotemporal changes in the wave element, flow field, and energy of ISWs beneath an ice keel model were investigated to examine the evolution of ISWs. For this purpose, laboratory experiments were conducted using dye-tracing labeling, conductivity probes, Schlieren technology, and particle image velocimetry. The results show that ice keel causes an increase in the thickness of the pycnocline and even the occurrence of breaking and internal surging of ISW. Additionally, the waveform becomes narrower or wider at different positions, and wave amplitude and speed decrease, with a maximum reduction 30%–40%. Furthermore, the ice keel strengthens the shear of the ISW-induced flow field, generating vortices and mixing. The energy of ISWs undergoes internal conversion majorly at the front slope of the ice keel, while energy dissipation occurs largely at the back slope, with dissipation rates as high as 60%.

Abstract Background The relationship between commensal microbiota and lung cancer (LC) has been studied extensively. However, developing replicable microbiological markers for early LC diagnosis across multiple populations has remained challenging. Current studies are limited to a single region, single LC subtype, and small sample size. Therefore, we aimed to perform the first large‐scale meta‐analysis for identifying micro biomarkers for LC screening by integrating gut and respiratory samples from multiple studies and building a machine‐learning classifier. Methods In total, 712 gut and 393 respiratory samples were assessed via 16 s rRNA amplicon sequencing. After identifying the taxa of differential biomarkers, we established random forest models to distinguish between LC populations and normal controls. We validated the robustness and specificity of the model using external cohorts. Moreover, we also used the KEGG database for the predictive analysis of colony‐related functions. Results The α and β diversity indices indicated that LC patients' gut microbiota (GM) and lung microbiota (LM) differed significantly from those of the healthy population. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of effect size (LEfSe) helped us identify the top‐ranked biomarkers, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, and Escherichia, in two microbial niches. The area under the curve values of the diagnostic model for the two sites were 0.81 and 0.90, respectively. KEGG enrichment analysis also revealed significant differences in microbiota‐associated functions between cancer‐affected and healthy individuals that were primarily associated with metabolic disturbances. Conclusions GM and LM profiles were significantly altered in LC patients, compared to healthy individuals. We identified the taxa of biomarkers at the two loci and constructed accurate diagnostic models. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of LC‐specific microbiological markers in multiple populations and contributes to the early diagnosis and screening of LC.

Background: Inflammation is critical in the etiology and progression of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This study aims to rigorously assess the predictive capacity of systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in determining the outcomes of patients with ARDS. Methods: Patient data were extracted from version 2.2 of the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve was deployed to determine the optimal cutoff value for the SII, facilitating the stratification of participants into distinct cohorts based on SII levels. The relationship between SII and survival outcomes was rigorously evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. The association between SII and patient survival was rigorously examined using Cox proportional-hazard models. The impact of varying SII levels on mortality was quantitatively assessed through these models, with the results articulated as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Three distinct models were formulated for this analysis: Model 1 employed univariate Cox regression to relate SII with mortality; Model 2 introduced adjustments for age and sex; and Model 3 extended these adjustments to include age, sex, race, SAPS II, APSIII, Hemoglobin, Albumin, Pneumonia, SpO2, and SBP. Results: Post-application of the inclusion criteria, a cohort of 976 eligible patients was delineated for detailed examination. Univariate analysis focusing on 30-day mortality within the SII ≥1694, the hazard ratio (HR) was 1.42 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11, 1.81). However, after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, race, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), Acute Physiology Score (APS) III, Hemoglobin, Albumin, Pneumonia, SpO2, and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP), an SII value of ≥1694 was identified as an independent and significant risk factor for mortality in patients with ARDS, with an HR of 1.38 (95% CI: 1.08–1.77, P = 0.0016). This trend was consistent for 90-day and one-year mortality rates. Conclusions: SII surfaced as an autonomous determinant of mortality in ARDS patients, affirming its status as an accessible and dependable prognostic indicator for individuals newly diagnosed with this critical condition. Additional research is imperative to further elucidate the prognostic implications of SII in the therapeutic management of patients with ARDS.

Cancer poses a severe threat to human health. Although conventional chemotherapy remains a cornerstone of cancer treatment, its significant side effects and the growing issue of drug resistance necessitate the urgent search for more efficient and less toxic anticancer drugs. In recent years, bacteriocins, antimicrobial peptides of microbial origin, have garnered significant attention due to their targeted antitumor activity. This unique activity is mainly attributed to their cationic and amphiphilic nature, which enables bacteriocins to specifically kill tumor cells without harming normal cells. When involving non-membrane-disrupting mechanisms, such as apoptosis induction, cell cycle blockade, and metastasis inhibition, the core mechanism of action is achieved by disrupting cell membranes, which endows bacteriocins with low drug resistance and high selectivity. However, the susceptibility of bacteriocins to hydrolysis and hemolysis in vivo limits their clinical application. To overcome these challenges, structural optimization of bacteriocins or their combination with nanotechnology is proposed for future development. This review aims to study the mechanism of action and current research status of bacteriocins as anticancer treatments, thus providing new insights for their clinical development and application.

Abstract Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer‐related deaths after lung cancer. Metastasis of the central nervous system is a terrible event for breast cancer patients, affecting their survival and quality of life. Compared with hormone receptor‐positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐negative breast cancer patients, brain metastases are more likely to affect patients with triple‐negative breast cancer and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐positive breast cancer. The treatment of breast cancer has improved greatly in the last two decades. However, brain metastases from breast cancer remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with breast cancer brain metastasis have been in an inferior position due to the lack of clinical research in this field, and they are often explicitly excluded from almost all clinical trials. The occurrence and progression of brain metastases will result in severe cognitive impairment and adverse physical consequences, so we must have a good understanding of the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer brain metastasis. In this article, we have retrieved the latest literature of molecules and pathways associated with breast cancer brain metastasis, summarized common therapy strategies, and discussed the prospects and clinical implications of targeting the molecules involved.

Fruit juice spoilage that caused by contaminated Alicyclobacillus has brought huge losses to beverage industry worldwide. Thus, it is very essential to understand the growth and metabolism processing of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (A. acidoterrestris) in controlling juice spoilage caused by Alicyclobacillus. In this work, simulative models for the growth and metabolism of A. acidoterrestris were systematically conducted in the medium and fruit juice. The results showed that low temperature (4 ℃) and strong acidic environment (pH 3.0–2.0) of medium inhibited the growth and reproduction of A. acidoterrestris. In addition, with decreasing temperature, the color, smell and turbidity of commercially available juice supplemented with A. acidoterrestris significantly improved. This work provided a clear exploration of growth characteristics of A. acidoterrestris by applying theory (medium) to reality (fruit juices), and pave fundamental for exploring the zero additives of controlling juice spoilage.

The stomach was once considered a sterile organ until the discovery of Helicobacter pylori (HP). With the application of high-throughput sequencing technology and macrogenomics, researchers have identified fungi and fivemajor bacterial phyla within the stomachs of healthy individuals. These microbial communities exert regulatory influence over various physiological functions, including energy metabolism and immune responses. HP is a well-recognized risk factor for gastric cancer, significantly altering the stomach’s native microecology. Currently, numerous studies are centered on the mechanisms by which HP contributes to gastric cancer development, primarily involving the CagA oncoprotein. However, aside from exogenous infections such as HP and EBV, certain endogenous dysbiosis can also lead to gastric cancer through multiple mechanisms. Additionally, gut microbiota and its metabolites significantly impact the development of gastric cancer. The role of microbial therapies, including diet, phages, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation, in treating gastric cancer should not be underestimated. This review aims to study the mechanisms involved in the roles of exogenous pathogen infection and endogenous microbiota dysbiosis in the development of gastric cancer. Also, we describe the application of microbiota therapy in the treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer.

ABSTRACT Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, which has strong acidophilic and heat-resistant properties, can cause spoilage of pasteurized acidic juice. The current study determined the physiological performance of A. acidoterrestris under acidic stress (pH 3.0) for 1 h. Metabolomic analysis was carried out to investigate the metabolic responses of A. acidoterrestris to acid stress, and integrative analysis with transcriptome data was also performed. Acid stress inhibited the growth of A. acidoterrestris and altered its metabolic profiles. In total, 63 differential metabolites, mainly enriched in amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and energy metabolism, were identified between acid-stressed cells and the control. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that A. acidoterrestris maintains intracellular pH (pHi) homeostasis by enhancing amino acids decarboxylation, urea hydrolysis, and energy supply, which was verified using real-time quantitative PCR and pHi measurement. Additionally, two-component systems, ABC transporters, and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis also play crucial roles in resisting acid stress. Finally, a model of the responses of A. acidoterrestris to acid stress was proposed. IMPORTANCE Fruit juice spoilage caused by A. acidoterrestris contamination has become a major concern and challenge in the food industry, and this bacterium has been suggested as a target microbe in the design of the pasteurization process. However, the response mechanisms of A. acidoterrestris to acid stress still remain unknown. In this study, integrative transcriptomic, metabolomic, and physiological approaches were used to uncover the global responses of A. acidoterrestris to acid stress for the first time. The obtained results can provide new insights into the acid stress responses of A. acidoterrestris, which will point out future possible directions for the effective control and application of A. acidoterrestris.

Abstract Background Fresh or dried Persimmon leaves (Diospyros kaki Thunb.) exhibit preventive effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, their antidepressant effects and underlying mechanisms are unclear. Thus, we investigated mechanisms responsible for Persimmon leaf extract (PLE) activity on chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced depressive-like behaviors in mice. Methods CSDS was used as a mouse model of depression. We performed the sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swim test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST) to identify depressive-like behavior. Spine density and dendritic morphology were assessed using Golgi staining. Neurochemicals were quantified by microdialysis, doublecortin by immunofluorescence, and cAMP using an ELISA kit. Finally, the levels of cortical proteins of phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic density synapsin-1 and protein 95 (PSD95) were quantified by western blot. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to detect fecal microbiota. Results Treatment of CSDS-subjected mice with PLE (30.0–60.0 mg/kg, i.g.) enhanced sucrose preference, decreased immobility times in the TST and FST but did not affect locomotor activity. Furthermore, persistent social defeat stress decreased dendritic spine density and dendritic length in the brain, as well as decreased PSD95 and synapsin-1 expression. PLE, interestingly, inhibited dendritic spine loss and increased synaptic protein levels. PLE also increased brain levels of 5-HT, cAMP, phosphorylated (p)-CREB, BDNF, PSD95, and synapsin-1 in mice subjected to CSDS. Furthermore, PLE increased their doublecortin-positive cell count in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. CSDS mice represented a distinct fecal microbiota cluster which differed compared with normal C57BL/6J mice, and the phenotype was rescued by PLE. Conclusions PLE alleviated CSDS-induced depressive behaviors and spinal damage by suppressing serotonin reuptake and activating the cAMP/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway. Simultaneously, PLE influenced the composition of the fecal microbiota in CSDS-subjected mice.

Abstract Background Ovarian function suppression (OFS) is indicated in premenopausal women with early or metastasis breast cancer, which may be achieved with similar effect by gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) or ovarian ablation (OA). We examined whether there were differences in major depressive symptoms outcomes and its associated factors between gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) and ovarian ablation (OA) in premenopausal breast cancer patients. Methods Premenopausal breast cancer patients from seven hospitals who received OFS participated in the study between June 2019 and June 2020. The correlated variable was the type of ovarian suppression, categorized as either OA (n = 174) or GnRHa (n = 389). Major depressive symptoms was evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire was used to assess sexual function. Results A total of 563 patients completed the surveys. The mean PHQ-9 sum score was slightly lower in the GnRHa cohort than in the OA cohort (11.4 ± 5.7 vs. 12.8 ± 5.8, P = 0.079). There were significantly fewer patients with major depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 15) in the GnRHa cohort (31.1% vs. 40.2%, Exp (B)=1.805, P=0.004). Further, breast-conserving surgery and sexual dysfunction were negatively correlated with major depressive symptoms [mastectomy vs. breast-conserving: Exp (B) = 0.461, P

IntroductionA growing body of evidence indicates that the dysbiosis of both mammary and intestinal microbiota is associated with the initiation and progression of breast tumors. However, the microbial characteristics of patients with breast tumors vary widely across studies, and replicable biomarkers for early-stage breast tumor diagnosis remain elusive.MethodsWe demonstrate a machine learning-based method for the analysis of breast tissue and gut microbial differences among patients with benign breast disease, patients with breast cancer (BC), and healthy individuals using 16S rRNA sequence data retrieved from eight studies. QIIME 2.0 and R software (version 3.6.1) were used for consistent processing. A naive Bayes classifier was trained on the RDP v16 reference database to assign taxonomy using the Vsearch software.ResultsAfter re-analyzing with a total of 768 breast tissue samples and 1,311 fecal samples, we confirmed that Halomonas and Shewanella were the most representative genera of BC tissue. Bacteroides are frequently and significantly enriched in the intestines of patients with breast tumor. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of random forest models were 74.27% and 68.08% for breast carcinoma tissues and stool samples, respectively. The model was validated for effectiveness via cohort-to-cohort transfer (average AUC =0.65) and leave-one-cohort-out (average AUC = 0.66). The same BC-associated biomarker Clostridium_XlVa exists in the tissues and the gut. The results of the in-vitro experiments showed that the Clostridium-specific-related metabolite deoxycholic acid (DCA) promotes the proliferation of HER2-positive BC cells and stimulates G0/G1 phase cells to enter the S phase, which may be related to the activation of peptide-O-fucosyltransferase activity functions and the neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction pathway.DiscussionThe results of this study will improve our understanding of the microbial profile of breast tumors. Changes in the microbial population may be present in both the tissues and the gut of patients with BC, and specific markers could aid in the early diagnosis of BC. The findings from in-vitro experiments confirmed that Clostridium-specific metabolite DCA promotes the proliferation of BC cells. We propose the use of stool-based biomarkers in clinical application as a non-invasive and convenient diagnostic method.

The relationship between gut microbiota (GM) and mental health is one of the focuses of psychobiology research. In recent years, the microbial-gut-brain axis (MGBA) concept has gradually formed about this bidirectional communication between gut and brain. But how the GM is involved in regulating brain function and how they affect emotional disorders these mechanisms are tenuous and limited to animal research, and often controversial. Therefore, in this review, we attempt to summarize and categorize the latest advances in current research on the mechanisms of GM and depression to provide valid information for future diagnoses and therapy of mental disorders. Finally, we introduced some antidepressant regimens that can help restore gut dysbiosis, including classic antidepressants, Chinese materia medica (CMM), diet, and exogenous strains. These studies provide further insight into GM’s role and potential pathways in emotion-related diseases, which holds essential possible clinical outcomes for people with depression or related psychiatric disorders. Future research should focus on clarifying the causal role of GM in disease and developing microbial targets, applying these findings to the prevention and treatment of depression.

PurposePosttransplant skin cancer is the most common malignancy after patients have undergone renal transplantation. Through comprehensive observation with a large sample size nationwide, understanding the risk factors and outcome of posttransplant skin cancer will help to develop appropriate patient surveillance and disease prevention strategies.Materials and methodsThis retrospective population-based cohort study was based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data released in March 2021. Characteristics and outcomes, including patient survival and graft survival of recipients, were compared. Risk factors for posttransplant skin cancer, cancer onset momentum, and mortality were determined.ResultsA total of 199,564 renal transplant recipients were included. After renal transplantation, 7,334 (3.68%), 6,093 (3.05%), and 936 (0.47%) were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, and melanoma, respectively. Skin cancer was the major cause of death (squamous cell carcinoma: 23.8%, basal cell carcinoma: 18%, and melanoma: 41.6%). Five-year survival rates ranked from best to worst were as follows: basal cell carcinoma (96.7 [95% confidence interval: 96.3–97.2]%), squamous cell carcinoma (94.1 [93.5–94.6]%), melanoma (89.7 [87.7–91.6]%), and cancer-free (87.4 [87.2–87.5]%) (p < 0.001 for all except melanoma vs. cancer-free, p = 0.534). Regarding graft survival, death-censored graft survival, posttransplant skin cancer, and melanoma were significantly better than the cancer-free group (p < 0.001). Independent risk factors for developing posttransplant skin cancer included older age, male sex, Caucasian race, pretransplant malignancy, polycystic kidney disease-induced end-stage renal disease (ESRD), retransplantation, private health insurance, T-cell depletion induction, and tacrolimus/mycophenolic acid use. Caucasian race and pretransplant malignancy were independent risk factors for posttransplant skin cancer onset momentum. Male sex, Caucasian race, pretransplant malignancy, hypertension- or diabetes-induced ESRD, retransplantation, diabetes history, deceased donor, cyclosporin, and mTOR inhibitor use were independent risk factors for posttransplant skin cancer mortality.ConclusionAlthough posttransplant skin cancer is a major cause of recipient death, information regarding its impact on patient and graft survival is limited. Given the differences regarding risk factors for posttransplant skin cancer incidence, onset momentum, and mortality, personalized approaches to screening may be appropriate to address the complex issues encountered by kidney transplant recipients.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a group of systemic autoimmune diseases, which is typified by inflammatory necrosis predominantly affecting the small vessels and often accompanied by positive ANCA. Clinically, AAV primarily includes microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). It has been found that in AAV pathogenesis, both innate and adaptive immunity are related to neutrophil function mutually. Many proteins, such as myeloperoxidase (MPO) and proteinase 3 (PR3), in neutrophil cytoplasm lead to the production of proteins such as MPO-ANCA and PR3-ANCA by activating adaptive immunity. In addition, through the process of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, activation of an alternative complement pathway and the respiratory burst can stimulate the neutrophils close to vascular endothelial cells and will participate the vessel inflammation. This review aims to reveal the potential mechanisms regulating the association between the neutrophils and various types of AAVs and to emphasize the results of recent findings on these interactions. Moreover, multiple underlying signaling pathways involved in the regulation of neutrophils during AAV processes have also been discussed. The ultimate goal of this review is to identify novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for AAV management in the future.

PurposeThe incidence of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) caused by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing with the high prevalence of RCC as well as those with treatment-related renal function impairment. Worries about tumor recurrence after transplant-related immunosuppression hinder the recommendation of kidney transplantation for RCC-induced ESRD patients. However, no direct analysis has been performed to identify whether kidney transplantation can offer better survival than maintaining dialysis.Materials and methodsThis retrospective population-based cohort study was based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data released in March 2021. Characteristics and outcomes were compared, including the patient and graft survival of candidates and recipients with RCC-induced ESRD etiology as well as other primary diseases.ResultsPatients with RCC-induced ESRD were older; more likely to be male, White, and obese; and more likely to have a history of diabetes and dialysis. They also had higher creatinine levels, more delayed graft function, more primary non-function, and higher Kidney Donor Profile Index score donors, compared with the glomerulonephritis (GN) group. While waiting, RCC candidates suffered the worst outcomes of all groups, a 44% (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.44 [1.27–1.62]) higher risk of removal than GN patients. After transplantation, RCC recipients demonstrated comparable patient survival and better graft survival (p=0.21 and p=0.13, respectively). Compared with still-waiting RCC patients, the RCC recipients who received kidney transplants had significantly better outcomes (13.6 [9.3–17.8] vs. 61 [52–68.4] %), decreasing the death or deteriorating risk by 84% (aHR, 0.16 [0.13–0.20]).ConclusionsPatients with RCC-induced ESRD can dramatically benefit from kidney transplantation. Hence, these patients should not be limited to transplantation by strict strategies or a delayed waiting time out of their malignancy history.

The human intestine is home to a variety of microorganisms. In healthy populations, the intestinal flora shares a degree of similarity and stability, and they have a role in the metabolism, immunological response, and physiological function of key organs. With the rapid advent of high-throughput sequencing in recent years, several researchers have found that dysbiosis of the human gut microflora potentially cause physical problems and gynecological malignancies among postmenopausal women. Besides, dysbiosis hinders tumor treatment. Nonetheless, the importance of maintaining homeostatic gut microbiota and the effective use of probiotics in the treatment of gynecological malignancies should not be disregarded. Moreover, intestinal flora regulation and the involvement of probiotics as well as associated biologically active substances in gynecological malignancies could be an adjuvant treatment modality related to surgery and chemoradiotherapy in the future. Herein, this article aims to review the potential relationship between gut microorganisms and postmenopausal status as well as gynecologic malignancies; then the relationship between gut microbes and early screening as well as therapeutic aspects. Also, we describe the role of probiotics in the prevention, treatment, and prognosis of gynecologic malignancies.

Primary neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast (NECB) is characterized with heterogeneity, rarity, and poor differentiation, which is probably an underestimated subtype of breast cancer, including small cell NECs and large cell NECs. The diagnostic criteria for NECB have been constantly updated as the disease changes and the understanding increases. According to the latest WHO Classification, primary neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) of the breast consists of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET), extremely aggressive neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) as well as invasive breast cancers of no special type (IBCs-NST) with neuroendocrine differentiation. The accurate diagnosis of NECB remains a challenge for its low incidence, which needs multi-disciplinary methods. For the rarity of the disease, there is a lack of large samples and prospective clinical research. For these invasive tumors, there are no standardized therapeutic guidelines or norms, and the treatment often refers to nonspecific breast cancer. In addition, the prognosis of such patients remains unknown. In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed NECB as an independent entity for the first time, while few features of NECB were clarified. In this review, it presents the WHO Classification, clinicopathologic characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of these patients. In addition, it summarizes the latest studies on molecular features of NECB, aiming to provide new therapeutic perspectives for the disease.

Abstract Background The emergence of new molecular targeted drugs provides new prospects for the treatment of advanced breast cancer; the future therapeutic trend includes chemotherapy combined with molecular targeted therapy. Apatinib mesylate, a novel, small anti-angiogenic agent, highly selectively inhibits the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 tyrosine kinase. Apatinib mesylate also blocks the signaling of vascular endothelial growth factor binding to its receptor, thereby strongly inhibiting tumor angiogenesis and exerting an anti-tumor effect. However, there have been no reports of a randomized controlled clinical trial of apatinib combined with vinorelbine for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We will compare the therapeutic effect of vinorelbine alone or in combination with apatinib mesylate, in patients with recurrent or metastatic TNBC in North China who have received at least two drug treatments, including anthracyclines and taxanes. Methods/analysis This study is a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. We plan to include 238 female patients with locally recurrent or metastatic TNBC, admitted to the Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute, Northeast China. All enrolled patients will be randomized to oral vinorelbine alone (40 mg, thrice a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) in each 3-week cycle), or in combination with oral apatinib mesylate (500 mg, once daily in each 3-week cycle). Radiographic assessment will be performed every 6 weeks for 36 weeks and every 9 weeks thereafter. The primary outcome is progression-free survival and secondary outcomes include overall survival, disease control rate, objective response rate, and incidence of adverse events at grades 3 and 4, as defined by the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria Version 4.0. Outcome measures will be evaluated at baseline (

BackgroundTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), as a highly aggressive and metastatic tumor, can still not contain the medical needs. It has become an urgent problem to develop prognostic markers further and realize precision medicine. The predictive and prognostic significance of peripheral blood lymphocytes, as well as the clinicopathological factors affecting them, were explored in the present study.MethodsThe clinicopathological data of 278 patients with TNBC were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (pBL) and blood routine indexes before treatment were quantified by flow cytometry analysis. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox hazard proportion regression model. The associations between hematologic parameters and treatment response and clinicopathological characteristics were estimated by the Mann-Whitney test and Spearman test.ResultsCompared with all blood routine indexes, only a significant correlation between better treatment efficacy and higher peripheral CD4 +/CD8 + ratio of TNBC patients was observed (P=0.059), particularly those treated with chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (P=0.048). Among the pBL subsets, CD4 + T lymphocyte was the only independent factor that could predict the prognosis of metastatic TNBC. Patients presenting higher values of peripheral CD4 + T lymphocytes showed longer PFS (median PFS 9 months vs. 5 months; HR =0.65, 95%CI: 0.440-0.973, P = 0.032) and OS (median OS 31 months vs. 16 months; HR=0 .63, 95%CI: 0.417-0.940, P< 0.01). Especially CD4+ was found predictive for prognosis in TNBC patients who received chemotherapy (P

ObjectivesWe compared the outcomes of transperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (TRPN) and retroperitoneal robotic partial nephrectomy (RRPN) for complete upper pole renal masses (1 point for the “L” component of the RENAL scoring system).Material and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent either TRPN or RRPN from 2013 to 2016. Baseline demographics and perioperative, functional, and oncological results were compared. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify factors related to pentafecta achievement (ischemia time ≤25 min, negative margin, perioperative complication free, glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) preservation >90%, and no chronic kidney disease upstaging).ResultsNo significant differences between TRPN vs. RRPN were noted for operating time (110 vs. 114 min, p = 0.870), renal artery clamping time (19 vs. 18 min, p = 0.248), rate of positive margins (0.0% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.502), postoperative complication rates (25.0% vs. 13.3%, p = 0.140). TRPN was associated with a more estimated blood loss (50 vs. 40 ml, p = 0.004). There were no significant differences in pathologic variables, rate of eGFR decline for postoperative 12-month (9.0% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.449) functional follow-up. Multivariate analysis identified that only RENAL score (odd ratio: 0.641; 95% confidence interval: 0.455–0.904; p = 0.011) was independently associated with the pentafecta achievement.ConclusionsFor completely upper pole renal masses, both TRPN and RRPN have good and comparable results. Both surgical approaches remain viable options in the treatment of these cases.

The prognosis for female patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) has improved with the emergence of novel drugs, especially for those who have HER2 overexpression or ERBB-2 amplification. Trastuzumab-based regimen has been the paradigm in guidelines as first-line therapy, whereas many patients got progressive disease after several cycles of treatment or rapidly progress because of primary resistance. Point mutations of ERBB2 gene occur in both HER2-amplication and non-amplification patients, with a 2% ratio in HER2 non-amplification cohort and 1.48% in HER2 amplication population. The acquired mutation ratio of ERBB2 substantially raised to 16.7%–17.7% in patients prior to trastuzumab treatment. ERBB2 mutation may be a critical reason of resistance and disease progression among the patients treated with anti-HER2 monoclonal trastuzumab or dual anti-HER2 antibodies with trastuzumab and pertuzumab, or tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. ERBB-2 mutation with L755S and V842I indicates resistance to trastuzumab, while that with L755S and K753I indicates resistance to lapatinib; these mutations maybe sensitive to pan-HER tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. A 48-year woman diagnosed with HER2-positive LABC developed trastuzumab resistance after three lines of trastuzumab cross-line treatment with partial response (PR) as the best response. The tissue was performed by next-generation sequencing (NGS), and the results discovered L755S in ERBB2 gene. Then, she received effective treatment with pyrotinib plus capecitabine and underwent mastectomy after six cycles of combined treatment with PR. Subsequently, breast mastectomy was performed, and she took pyrotinib plus capecitabine for 1 year and pyrotinib monotherapy for another 1 year as adjuvant therapy and achieved a long-term clinical benefit. In conclusion, pyrotinib is a potential neoadjuvant agent for patients who are heavily pretreated and harbor both ERBB2 amplification and ERBB2 mutant in locally advanced breast cancer.

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is a major concern in fruit juice industry due to its spoilage potential of acidic fruit juice. Quantifying the expression levels of functional genes by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is necessary to elucidate the response mechanisms of A. acidoterrestris to acid stress. However, appropriate reference genes (RGs) for data normalization are required to obtain reliable RT-qPCR results. In this study, eight novel candidate RGs were screened based on transcriptome datasets of A. acidoterrestris under acid stress. The expression stability of eight new RGs and commonly used RG 16s rRNA was assessed using geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper algorithms. Moreover, the comprehensive analysis using the RefFinder program and the validation using target gene ctsR showed that dnaG and dnaN were the optimal multiple RGs for normalization at pH 4.0; ytvI, dnaG, and 16s rRNA at pH 3.5; icd and dnaG at pH 3.0; and ytvI, dnaG, and spoVE at pH 2.5. This study revealed for the first time that A. acidoterrestris had different suitable RGs under different acid conditions, with implications for further deciphering the acid response mechanisms of this spoilage-causing bacterium.

Abstract The treatment of breast cancer (BC) has improved greatly in recent years, however, the limitations of current therapeutic modalities underscore the need to define new prognostic tools and develop highly targeted therapies. The aims of the present study were to explore the effects of circulating blood lymphocyte subsets on the survival of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients and to evaluate their predictive and prognostic value. The clinical data of 482 patients with MBC were retrospectively analyzed, and patients were grouped according to molecular types of BC. The distribution of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets at the time of first metastasis was examined by flow cytometry, and the distribution of lymphocyte subsets in each group was categorized into ‘‘high or low’’ subgroups using the upper quartile point as the cutoff. The relationship between the distribution of lymphocyte subsets and progression‐free survival (PFS) as well as overall survival (OS) was evaluated in diverse molecular MBCs. In multivariate analysis, CD4+ was a negative independent predictor of PFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.538, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.313‐0.926, P = 0.025) and CD3+ was a poor independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 0.437, 95% CI = 0.248‐0.772, P = 0.004) in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‐positive group. Neither the CD8+, CD19+, and CD56+ lymphocyte subsets nor the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in peripheral blood was significant predictive or prognostic factors. In conclusion, higher circulating levels of CD4+ and CD3+ at first diagnosis in HER2‐overexpressing MBC were significantly associated with worse survival outcomes. Low levels of plasma CD4+ and CD3+ were associated with increased anti‐HER2 benefit in HER2‐positive MBC. The present results indicate that these factors can be used as predictive and prognostic indicators of the outcome of patients with MBC.

Background Acute respiratory failure (ARF) is a life-threatening complication in elderly patients. We developed a nomogram model to explore the risk factors of prognosis and the short-term mortality in elderly patients with ARF. Methods A total of 759 patients from MIMIC-III database were categorized into the training set and 673 patients from our hospital were categorized into the validation set. Demographical, laboratory variables, SOFA score and APS-III score were collected within the first 24 h after the ICU admission. A 30-day follow-up was performed for all patients. Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the heart rate, respiratoryrate, systolic pressure, SPO2, albumin and 24 h urine output were independent prognostic factors for 30-day mortality in ARF patients. A nomogram was established based on above independent prognostic factors. This nomogram had a C-index of 0.741 (95% CI [0.7058–0.7766]), and the C-index was 0.687 (95% CI [0.6458–0.7272]) in the validation set. The calibration curves both in training and validation set were close to the ideal model. The SOFA had a C-index of 0.653 and the APS-III had a C-index of 0.707 in predicting 30-day mortality. Conclusion Our nomogram performed better than APS-III and SOFA scores and should be useful as decision support on the prediction of mortality risk in elderly patients with ARF.

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the efficacy of utidelone, a novel genetically engineered epothilone analog, combined with capecitabine in our center and, furthermore, to identify whether ganglioside monosialic acid (GM1) improved chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN).MethodsFifty-five eligible female patients with metastatic breast cancer were enrolled in our single-center phase III BG01-1323L trial. Utidelone combined with capecitabine-induced peripheral neuropathy was analyzed, and susceptible genes were detected in a germline panel by next-generation sequencing (NGS).ResultsIn our single-center study, median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) improved in the utidelone plus capecitabine group (mPFS: 238 vs. 189 days, P = 0.263; OS: 20.9 vs. 12.9 months, P = 0.326). The median time to severe CIPN reported was 29 days in grade 1, 49 days in grade 2, and 103 days in grade 3. Greatly longer improvement time was indicated in grade 1 (77 vs. 20 days in grade 2, 13 days in grade 3). In the combined group, 19 patients with G2 or G3 CIPN were assigned to the GM1 group and 9 patients to the control group. After intervention, the GM1 group was reported to demonstrate a statistically lower incidence of grade 3 CIPN [GM1 group: 1 of 19 (5.3%); control group: 4 of 9 (44.4%), P = 0.026]. However, there were no statistically significant differences in germline single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) between grade 3 and grade 1 CIPN cohorts.ConclusionGanglioside monosialic acid potentially decreases severe utidelone plus capecitabine-induced peripheral neuropathy in metastatic breast cancer, and further investigation is needed to validate the manageable efficacy of GM1 in CIPN.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT02253459.

Abstract Background Tacrolimus has been widely used for immunosuppressive therapy in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and allo-geneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) over the past 2 decades. Pancreatitis caused by tacrolimus was rarely reported in kidney transplantation previously. Case presentation Here we presented a case of a 45-year-old male who underwent kidney transplantation and received immunosuppressive therapy of tacrolimus, on day + 67 after transplantation he developed acute pancreatitis with extremely high blood concentration of tacrolimus. We excluded other possible causes and speculated tacrolimus was the probable inducer of pancreatitis. After tacrolimus was discontinued and alternated with cyclosporine, he gradually recovered and was discharged home with no relapse. Conclusion Tacrolimus can be a probable cause of pancreatitis after kidney transplantation. We recommended clinicians to be aware of the possibility of tacrolimus-induced pancreatitis during tacrolimus treatment.

Understanding the mechanistic basis for temozolomide (TMZ)-induced glioma resistance is an important obstacle in developing an effective form of chemotherapy for this type of tumor. Glycogenolysis is known to play an essential role in cellular proliferation and potassium homeostasis and involves the glycogen phosphorylase isoenzyme BB (GPBB). In this investigation, plasma GPBB was correlated with TMZ-resistance. Elevated plasma GPBB concentrations were found to be more frequent in a TMZ-resistant cohort of patients with poor survival rates. TMZ inhibits cell proliferation and induces TMZ resistance by upregulating the expression of O(6)-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT). This process requires glycogenolysis, which was confirmed herein by treatment with 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol hydrochloride, a glycogenolysis inhibitor and a special GPBB inhibitor. Acute TMZ treatment leads to upregulation of [Ca2+]i, extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 phosphorylation, and chronic TMZ treatment leads to upregulation of the expression of Na,K-ATPase, ERK1/2, and MGMT protein. Upregulation was abolished for each of these by inhibitors of transient receptor potential channel 1 and the inositol trisphosphate receptor. L-channel [Ca2+]i inhibitors and RyR antagonists had no such effect. These results demonstrate that [Ca2+]i-dependent glycogenolysis participates in acquired glioma TMZ-resistance by upregulating MGMT via a Na,K-ATPase/ERK1/2 signaling pathway. GPBB and glycogenolysis may therefore represent novel therapeutic targets for overcoming TMZ-resistant gliomas.