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Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in tumor generation and progression. However, the exact functional significance and underlying molecular mechanism by which lncRNA CERS6-AS1 operates in the context of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remain unknown. We aimed to evaluate the potential role of the CERS6-AS1/miR-424-5p/ANLN axis in the progression of LUAD through bioinformatics and cytobehavioral experiments, and to provide a new insight into the combined treatment of LUAD. Based on the TCGA database, the expression of CERS6-AS1 in pan-cancer was evaluated, and its prognostic performance in LUAD was evaluated by ROC curve, survival curve and COX analysis. In addition, quantification of CERS6-AS1 expression levels in LUAD patients and lung cancer cells using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and further validate the functional significance of CERS6-AS1 in promoting the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of lung cancer cells. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed, and miR-424-5p inhibitors were applied to CERS6-AS1 knockdown cells. The potential downstream genes associated with the regulatory axis of CERS6-AS1/miR-424-5p were analyzed by PPI network and gene enrichment analysis (KEGG). Finally, we evaluated the prognostic value of high expression of ANLN in LUAD and its effects on immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden, chemotherapy response, and immunotherapy. CERS6-AS1 expression was significantly elevated in both LUAD patients and lung cancer cells. In the CERS6-AS1 knockdown assay, the proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of cancer cells were significantly inhibited. Notably, there was a prominent upregulation of miR-424-5p expression in cells where CERS6-AS1 was knocked down. Co-transfection of siRNA and miR-424-5p inhibitors into lung cancer cells restored the restriction on lung cancer cells. Anillin (ANLN) has been identified as a potential target gene for miR-424-5p and as a prognostic and immune biomarker associated with immune cell infiltration and tumor mutational burden in LUAD. Additionally, ANLN impacts the efficacy of chemotherapy and immunotherapy in LUAD patients. This study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism in which CERS6-AS1 may contribute to the progression of LUAD by influencing the expression of ANLN as a competitive sponge for miR-424-5p.

Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies (AIGAs) syndrome is susceptible to disseminated opportunistic infections due to increased AIGAs, but its clinical immunological characteristics remain unrecognized. We conducted a prospective cohort study between January 2021 and December 2023, recruiting patients with opportunistic infections who were categorized into AIGAs-positive and AIGAs-negative groups. Clinical immunological data and outcomes were documented. A subset of AIGAs-positive patients received glucocorticoid treatment, and its effectiveness was evaluated. A total of 238 patients were enrolled, with 135 AIGAs-positive and 103 AIGAs-negative patients. AIGAs-positive patients showed higher rates of multiple pathogen dissemination, shorter progression-free survival (PFS), and increased exacerbation frequency. They also showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), globulin (GLB), immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgE, and IgG4 levels. Among the 70 AIGAs-positive patients monitored for at least six months, three subtypes were identified: high AIGAs titer with immune damage, high AIGAs titer without immune damage, and low AIGAs titer without immune damage. Of the 55 patients followed for 1 year, decreasing AIGAs titer and immune indices (GLB, IgG, IgE, IgG4) were observed. Among the 31 patients with high AIGAs titer and immune damage treated with low-dose glucocorticoids at the stable phase, reductions were observed in immune indices and AIGAs titer in 67.74% of cases. In summary, AIGAs-positive patients exhibit infectious and immunological characteristics. Elevated AIGAs, IgG, IgG4, and IgE indicate abnormal immune damages. AIGAs titer generally decrease over time. Stable-phase AIGAs-positive patients can be categorized into three subtypes, with those having high AIGAs titer and increased immune indices potentially benefitting from glucocorticoid treatment.

Abstract. Background:. Lung cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for the majority of cases. Patients with NSCLC have achieved great survival benefits from immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoints. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are frequently used for palliation of cancer-associated symptoms, as supportive care for non-cancer-associated symptoms, and for management of immune-related adverse events (irAEs). The aim of this study was to clarify the safety and prognostic significance of glucocorticoid use in advanced patients with NSCLC treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Methods:. The study searched publications from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine disc, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, and Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database up to March 1st, 2022, and conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of glucocorticoid use on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in NSCLC patients treated with ICIs through the available data. The study calculated the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results:. This study included data from 25 literatures that were mainly retrospective, with 8713 patients included. Patients taking GCs had a higher risk for tumor progression and death compared with those not taking GCs (PFS: HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.33–1.86, P