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Objective: To investigate the relationship between the metabolic activity of 18F-FDG in histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (HNL) and its immunophenotype. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 76 patients with pathologically confirmed HNL who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT prior to treatment. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax)，metabolic tumor volume (MTV)，and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. Analysis of the correlation of each metabolic parameter with the expression status of myeloperoxidase (MPO). The differences of PET/CT metabolic parameters between different expression states of MPO were compared and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were plotted to obtain the best cut-off values of PET/CT metabolic parameters to predict MPO expression. Results: 23 cases were negative for MPO expression, 16 cases were weakly positive for MPO expression, and 37 cases were positive for MPO expression. SUVmax , MTV and TLG were all associated with MPO expression status in HNL (P < 0.05). MPO expression status was positively correlated with SUVmax and TLG (P < 0.05). The ROC curves of 18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters for predicting MPO expression showed that SUVmax and TLG were of predictive value, with the highest diagnostic efficiency, sensitivity of 91.9% and 86.5%, and specificity of 71.8% and 76.9% when the cut-off values were 10.90 and 37.1, respectively. Conclusion：18F-FDG PET/CT metabolic parameters, especially SUVmax and TLG, correlated well with MPO expression status. 18F-FDG PET/CT can be used as an imaging tool for non-invasive assessment of MPO immune expression.

Our previous study has demonstrated that long intergenic non-coding RNA 02454 (LINC02454) may act as an oncogene to promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cells. This study was designed to investigate the mechanisms whereby LINC02454 relates to PTC tumorigenesis.The thyroid cancer RNA sequence data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was applied to identify LINC02454 modules associated with PTC. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was used to identify the key pathways and MCC topological method was used to identify the hub genes. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database was used to analyze different expression levels of hub genes between PTC samples and normal samples and explore the prognostic value of hub genes. A total of top 5000 variable genes were investigated, followed by an analysis of 8 modules, and the turquoise module was the most positively correlated with the clinical stage of PTC. KEGG pathway analysis demonstrated the top two pathways of the ECM − receptor interaction and MAPK signaling pathway. In addition, five hub genes (namely FN1, LAMB3, ITGA3, SDC4, and IL1RAP) were identified based on MCC algorithm and KEGG analysis. Further, the expression levels of the five hub genes were significantly upregulated in thyroid cancer, of these five genes, two hub genes (FN1 and ITGA3) were associated with poor disease-free prognosis.Our study identified five hub genes and two key pathways associated with LINC02454, which might disclose the underlying mechanism of LINC02454 action in PTC.

Increasing evidence has shown competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) play key roles in numerous cancers. Nevertheless, the ceRNA network that can predict the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still lacking. The aim of the present study was to identify the prognostic value of key ceRNAs in lung tumorigenesis. Differentially expressed (DE) RNAs were identified between LUAD and adjacent normal samples by limma package in R using The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway function enrichment analysis was performed using the clusterProfiler package in R. Subsequently, the LUAD ceRNA network was established in three steps based on ceRNA hypothesis. Hub RNAs were identified using degree analysis methods based on Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was implemented to calculate the risk score using the candidate ceRNAs and overall survival information. The survival differences between the high-risk and low-risk ceRNA groups were determined by the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test using survival and survminer package in R. A total of 2,989 mRNAs, 185 lncRNAs, and 153 miRNAs were identified. GO and KEGG pathway function enrichment analysis showed that DE mRNAs were mainly associated with “sister chromatid segregation,” “regulation of angiogenesis,” “cell adhesion molecules (CAMs),” “cell cycle,” and “ECM-receptor interaction.” LUAD-related ceRNA network was constructed, which comprised of 54 nodes and 78 edges. Top ten hub RNAs (hsa-miR-374a-5p, hsa-miR-374b-5p, hsa-miR-340-5p, hsa-miR-377-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-326, SNHG1, RALGPS2, and PITX2) were identified according to their degree. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses demonstrated that hsa-miR-21-5p and RALGPS2 had a significant prognostic value. Finally, we found that a high risk of three novel ceRNA interactions (SNHG1-hsa-miR-21-5p-RALGPS2, SNHG1-hsa-miR-326-RALGPS2, and SNHG1-hsa-miR-377-3p-RALGPS2) was positively associated with worse prognosis. Three novel ceRNAs (SNHG1-hsa-miR-21-5p-RALGPS2, SNHG1-hsa-miR-326-RALGPS2, and SNHG1-hsa-miR-377-3p-RALGPS2) might be potential biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of LUAD.

Yingjian Song,1,* Huimin Liu,2,* Chunling Cui,3 Xiaonu Peng,1 Chaoyang Wang,1 Xudong Tian,4 Wenjun Li1 1Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai 264000, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastroenterology, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai 264000, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Library, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, Yantai 264000, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Thoracic Surgery, Liaocheng People’s Hospital, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Xudong TianDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, Liaocheng People’s Hospital, No. 67, Changxi Road, Liaocheng, Shandong 252000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-15653112705Email zhangding553977@126.comWenjun LiDepartment of Thoracic Surgery, The Affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital of Qingdao University, No. 20 Yuhungding East Road, Zhifu District, Yantai 264000, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-18653525277Email liwenjun90808@163.comObjective: To study the effect of peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) on esophageal squamous carcinoma cells and determine whether it plays a role in regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Methods: Three esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (Eca-109, EC9706, and KYSE150) and one normal cell line (human esophageal epithelial cells) were selected. The protein expression of peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1) and the activity of the PI3K/AKT pathway were detected via Western blotting. The proliferation ability of cells was detected through the MTT assay and cell clone formation. Apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Subsequently, cells were treated with a PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor and activator, alone or in combination with silencing of PRDX1, and the above indicators were re-tested.Results: The expression of PRDX1 and activity of PI3K/AKT pathway-associated proteins were higher in esophageal cancer cells than in normal esophageal epithelial cells. Compared with normal human esophageal epithelial cells, the proliferation of the three types of esophageal cancer cells was increased, whereas their level of apoptosis was decreased (p

Twist related protein 2 (TWIST2) plays an important role in bone development, tumorigenesis, tumour progression and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). At present, there are few reports about the role of TWIST2 in lung cancer, which need to be further explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the role and molecular mechanism of TWIST2 in the occurrence and development of lung cancer. The expression of TWIST2 in tissues of patients and cell lines was measured using RT-qPCR and western blotting. MTT and CCK8 assays were used to detect cell proliferation and viability. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of EMT-related proteins, including E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin and Slug. The results revealed that TWIST2 is lowly expressed in the tissues of lung cancer patients and cell lines. Further studies found that overexpression of TWIST2 significantly induced apoptosis and promoted the expression of E-cadherin, as well as inhibiting the expression of N-cadherin, Vimentin and Slug. More importantly, TWIST2 induced oxidative stress in lung cancer cells. In addition, TWIST2 regulated the FGF21 and AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway, which is involved in the molecular mechanism of the gene in lung cancer cells. We suggest that the mechanism of TWIST2 inhibition of the progression of lung cancer is by regulating the FGF21-mediated AMPK/mTOR signalling pathway.

Background Esophageal cancer is one of the worst malignant digestive neoplasms with poor treatment outcomes. Definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) has become the standard nonsurgical treatment option for locally advanced esophageal cancer. The chemotherapeutic drugs 5-fluorouracil and cisplatin have been most commonly used in CRT of esophageal cancer. However, radiotherapy combined with 5-FU/cisplatin often delivers severe toxicity to patients. S-1 as an oral chemotherapeutic drug exhibits higher anti-tumor activity, less adverse effects, and better biological availability. S-1 also has excellent effects as a CRT regimen for esophageal cancer. Methods A systematic literature search will be performed through January 2018 using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar for relevant articles published in any language. Randomized controlled trials, prospective comparative studies will be included. All meta-analyses will be performed using Review Manager software. The quality of the studies will be evaluated using the guidelines listed in the Cochrane Handbook. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statements will be followed until the findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis are reported. Results The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Conclusion Our study will draw an objective conclusion of the effects of S-1 combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of unresectable esophageal cancer and provide level I evidence for clinical decision makings.

Bronchopleural fistula (BPF) is an uncommon and potentially fatal complication of lobectomy or pneumonectomy, particularly in tuberculosis patients. It is associated with high mortality and its treatment remains a challenge. The development of plugging technology has led to the emergence of less invasive endobronchial methods for treating BPF. We describe the successful treatment of a multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patient with BPF using an occlusion device originally designed for transcatheter closure of an atrial septal defect. Follow-up over 10 months revealed maintenance of the repair without any recurrence. This novel technique can be effective for treating a tuberculosis patient with postoperative BPF.