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Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins (Slug, vimentin, and N-cadherin) are downregulated by Protein Z silencing, which significantly prohibits cellular proliferation and EMT activity (decrease of cellular migration and invasion) in non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

Objective: To establish an immune gene prognostic model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and explore its correlation with immune cells in bone marrow microenvironment., Methods: Gene expression profile and clinical data of TCGA-AML were downloaded from TCGA database. Immune genes were screened by LASSO analysis to construct prognosis prediction model, and prediction accuracy of the model was quantified by receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve. Survival analysis was performed by Log-rank test. Enriched pathways in the different immune risk subtypes were evaluated from train cohort. The relationship between immune prediction model and bone marrow immune microenvironment was verified by flow cytometry in the real world., Results: Patients with low-risk score of immune gene model had better prognosis than those with high-risk score. Multivariate analysis showed that the immune gene risk model was an independent prognostic factor. The risk ratio for AML patients in the training concentration was HR=24.594 (95%CI: 6.180-97.878), and the AUC for 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rate was 0.811, 0.815, and 0.837, respectively. In addition, enrichment analysis of differential gene sets indicated activation of immune-related pathways such as cytokines and chemokines as well as autoimmune disease-related pathways. At the same time, real world data showed that patients with high immune risk had lower numbers of CD8 + T cells and B lymphocytes compared with low immune risk patients., Conclusion: We constructed a stable prognostic model for AML, which can not only predict the prognosis of AML, but also reveal the dysregulation of immune microenvironment.

NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, occurs more frequently in Asia and Latin America. In China, NKTCL accounts for 30.1% in T-NHL and is highly related with EBV (Epstein-Barr virus) infection. This disease is highly aggressive, not sensitive to chemotherapy, with poor prognosis. The mean survival time is about 12-38 months. It is important to accurately assess the patient's stage of progression for an optimal treatment. For stageI-II, the combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy have better therapeutic effects. As for stage III-IV NKTCL, especially for non-nasal and aggressive subtypes, the chemotherapy is the main treatment method. For advanced disease, combining therapy is the most commonly selected approach, such as high-intensity chemotherapy combined with radiation and a regimen containing L-asparaginase (L-Asp) will benefit to patients. Recently, some studies have demonstrated that promising outcomes have been found in selected cases by high-dose chemotherapy supplemented with auto-or allo-HSCT. Targeting therapy is also an optimal choice. This review mainly focuses on the advance of treatment for NKTCL.

Objective: To explore the expression and clinical significance of Semaphorin4D (Sema4D) mRNA in peripheral blood lymphocyte, Sema4D on platelet surface, soluble Sema4D (sSema4D) in plasma in patients with cerebral infarction., Methods: Taking 299 patients with cerebral infarction as the case group while 195 healthy adults as the control group. The mRNA expression of Sema4D was detected by Real-time PCR, and Sema4D expression on platelet by flow cytometry, sSema4D by ELISA. Then, the expression of Sema4D on platelet surface and the concentration of sSema4D in plasma of the 195 selected patients following 2 weeks' treatment were tested., Results: The expression of Sema4D mRNA significantly increased in the case group \[(2.23, 2.66)×10(4) IU/ml\] than in the control group \[(0.49, 0.53)×10(4)IU/ml\] (P < 0.01). The level of Sema4D on platelet surface in the case group (191.62 ± 46.56) significantly decreased than in the control group (303.33 ± 112.66) (P < 0.01). But the concentration of sSema4D in plasma in the case group \[(1.34 ± 0.56) µg/L\] was obviously higher than in the control group \[(0.61 ± 0.31) µg/L\] (P < 0.01). The expression of Sema4D on platelet was obviously relevant with the concentration of sSema4D in plasma in the case group with the correlation coefficient as 0.328 (P < 0.01). The expression of Sema4D on platelet obviously peaked up following 2 weeks' routine therapy in the case group, which was close to that in the control group. Meanwhile the concentration of sSema4D in plasma was downward corrected to the normal in the case group., Conclusion: The increased expressions and plasma levels, and reduced expressions on platelet of Sema4D in acute period, which returned to normal 2 weeks after treatment in the case group may be related to the occurrence of acute cerebral infarction, reflecting the development process of cerebral infarction.

Background & Objective: The blood of the patients with malignant tumors is in hypercoagulable state; its correlation to tumor migration evokes more and more attentions. Protein Z (PZ), a newly found anti-coagulation factor, is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein which is synthesized by the liver. Its structure is very similar to the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors, such as FXII, FIX, FX, and protein C, but its physiologic function and clinical significance are unclear. The alteration of PZ level correlates with the increased risk of coagulating abnormality-caused diseases, but its alteration in solid tumors is seldom reported. This study was to explore clinical significance of PZ and the correlation of PZ level to FXII:C; FIX:C and FX:C levels in malignant tumors., Methods: Plasma levels of PZ, FXII:C, FIX:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag of 80 patients with malignant tumors (MT group) and 80 healthy donors (control group) were detected; their correlations were analyzed., Results: The level of PZ was significantly lower in MT group than in control group [(1 210.89+/-251.13) ng/ml vs. (2,378.83+/-429.51) ng/ml, P<0.01], but the levels of FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag were significantly higher in MT group than in control group [(162.42+/-36.57)% vs. (114.78+/-28.96)%, (120.27+/-33.96)% vs. (79.23+/-19.46)%, and (133.66+/-35.51)% vs. (93.0+/-17.73)%, P<0.01]. The levels of FIX:C were (119.86+/-56.38)% in MT group, and (109.21+/-36.46)% in control group (P>0.05). The level of PZ was negatively correlated with the levels of FXII:C; FX:C, and FX:Ag (P<0.01), but had no correlation with the level of FIX:C (P>0.05). The level of PZ was significantly lower in stage III-IV (locally advanced stage-advanced stage) patients than in stage II patients [(998.32+/-117.72) ng/ml vs. (1,326.69+/-245.70) ng/ml, P<0.01], but the levels of FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag were significantly higher in stage III-IV patients than in stage II patients [(206.76+/-28.63)% vs. (136.09+/-26.80)%, (162.53+/-32.92)% vs. (101.89+/-23.44)%, (168.03+/-25.97)% vs. (105.41%+/-13.86)%, P<0.01]., Conclusions: PZ level is obviously decreased in the patients with malignant tumors, and negatively correlated with FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag. PZ level descends along with the progression of malignant tumors, and maybe a poor prognostic factor of malignant tumors.

Objective: To study the alteration of protein Z (PZ) in patients with cardio-cerebral thrombotic diseases, its clinical significance and relations with FX., Methods: PZ and FX:Ag were measured by ELISA, and plasma FX:C by first stage method. In 170 patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS), 40 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 60 healthy adults as contrast, PZ, FX:C and FX:Ag were measured and compared between incipience and recurrence, different ages and genders., Results: In AIS and AMI groups, PZ levels decreased significantly to (940.02 +/- 229.82) microg/L and (1071.44 +/- 180.52) microg/L, respectively \[the contrast group was (2257.97 +/- 479.76) microg/L, P < 0.001\]. But FX:C and FX:Ag raised to (136.73 +/- 34.93)% and (135.54 +/- 54.39)% in AIS group; and to (139.53 +/- 29.18)%, (129.75 +/- 21.91)% in AMI group, respectively, while in the contrast group they were (94.33 +/- 22.00)% and (77.22 +/- 13.19)% (P < 0.001). In the comparative research between the AIS group, AMI group and the contrast group, PZ level was clearly found to negatively relate to the level of FX:C and FX:Ag (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, PZ level, FX:C and FX:Ag in recur-AIS group and recur-AMI group exhibited significant differences (P < 0.05) from those in the primary AIS and AMI groups, suggesting that the decrease of PZ levels reflected the pathological process of the disease. In addition, PZ level gradually decreased with the increase of age (P < 0.05), while FX:C and FX:Ag had no relations with age (P > 0.05). No correlation was found in sex with PZ level, FX:C, FX:Ag (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: PZ level was significantly decreased in AIS and AMI patients and was negatively related to FX:C and FX:Ag. The mechanism leading to FX increase may partially related with the decreased of PZ. PZ level was different in the primary and recurrent disease and was gradually decreased with the increase of age. Lack of PZ might be a etiological factor of cardio-cerebral thrombotic diseases.