Association between MRI-detected osteophytes and changes in knee structures and pain in older adults: a cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To describe cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected osteophytes (OPs) and knee structural abnormalities and knee pain in older adults.

METHOD

A prospective population-based cohort study of 895 participants aged 50-80 years (mean age 62 years, 50% female) was performed. T1-or T2-weighted fat suppressed MRI was used to assess knee OPs, cartilage volume, cartilage defects and bone marrow lesions (BMLs) at baseline and after 2.6 years. Radiographically-detected OPs were scored according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) atlas. Knee pain was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire at baseline, 2.6 and 5 years later.

RESULTS

85% of participants had MRI-detected OPs at baseline, while 10% of participants had radiographically-detected OPs. Cross-sectionally, higher gardes of MRI-detected OPs in all compartments were significantly, independently and site-specifically associated with higher prevalences of cartilage defects and BMLs, lower cartilage volume and higher prevalence of knee pain. Longitudinally, higher gardes of baseline MRI-detected OPs site-specifically predicted greater risks of any increase in cartilage defects or BMLs, and loss of cartilage volume in medial and lateral tibiofemoral (LTF) and total compartments over 2.6 years in multivariable analyses. These significant associations were similar in those without radiographically-detected OPs. MTF and total OP scores were significantly associated with change in total knee pain over 2.6 and 5 years but these became non-significant after adjustment for cartilage defects and BMLs.

CONCLUSION

MRI-detected knee OPs are common and appear to be clinically relevant to knee structural changes in older adults.

Comparative efficacy and toxicity of induction chemotherapy with concurrent stereotactic body radiotherapy and stereotactic body radiotherapy with subsequent chemotherapy in patients with clinical stage T1-3N0M0 non-small cell lung carcinoma

PURPOSE

We compared the clinical efficacy and toxicity of stereotactic body radiotherapy with induction chemotherapy and concurrent radiochemotherapy vs stereotactic body radiotherapy with subsequent chemotherapy in patients with clinical stage T1-3N0M0 non-small cell lung carcinoma.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 38 patients with c-stage T1-3N0M0 non-small cell lung carcinoma who received stereotactic body radiotherapy. All patients received six cycles of chemotherapy. Fifteen of the patients were treated with three cycles of induction chemotherapy, one cycle of concurrent radiochemotherapy, and then two cycles of consolidation chemotherapy, while 23 patients received Sequential Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Patients in the induction chemotherapy group experienced a longer duration of esophagitis (median 2 vs 0, range 0-6 vs 0-3.6 weeks, p = 0.04). We divided the patients into two groups based on their median pre-treatment tumor volume (cm³): >32.11 and ≤32.11. The tumor response rate in patients with larger tumor volume was substantially higher in the induction chemotherapy group than in the Sequential Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy group (66.67 vs 40%). Among patients with pre-treatment tumor volume (cm³) >32.11, the median local progression-free survival (LPFS) in the induction chemotherapy group and Sequential Radiotherapy/Chemotherapy group was 18 months (range 7-72 months) and 11 months (range 6-53 months), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Simultaneous SBRT and chemotherapy can result in a longer duration of esophagitis. However, for patients with large tumor volume, ICT combined with concurrent radiochemotherapy may result in better local tumor response as well as longer LPFS and progression-free survival. To better elucidate the best treatment, further clinical trials are needed.

The expression of the BRM and MMP2 genes in thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection

OBJECTIVE

To study the expression, roles, and clinical significance of Brahma (BRM) and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in the thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection.

PATIENTS ND METHODS

Arterial specimens from 20 cases of thoracic aortic dissection and 38 cases of thoracic aortic aneurysm, as well as normal tissue were collected, paraffin-embedded, sectioned, and stained with anti-BRM and MMP2 monoclonal antibodies. Sections were analyzed by immunofluorescence, and the distribution and expression of BRM and MMP2 in the aortic wall were determined. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure the expression of BRM and MMP2 mRNA in the thoracic aortic aneurysm, thoracic aortic dissection, and normal tissues. The expression of MMP2 and BRM protein in these tissues was analyzed by Western blot. SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

MMP2 and BRM (mRNA and protein) were expressed in arterial tissue from thoracic aortic aneurysms and aortic dissections. Immunofluorescence also showed that BRM and MMP2 were expressed in the thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection tissue. The expression was very high in thoracic aortic aneurysm tissue. The differences in expression of BRM and MMP2 in the different arterial tissues were statistically significant (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Expression of BRM and MMP2 in the thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection is very high, indicating that BRM and MMP2 may play important roles in the occurrence and development of thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection. They may represent potential targets for the treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection and provide a new basis for clinical diagnosis.

[Effects of noise competition on monosyllabic and disyllabic word perception in children]

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of noise competition on word perception in normal hearing (NH) children and children with cochlear implantation (CI). Methods: To estimate the contribution of noise competition on speech perception, word perception in speech-shaped noise(SSN)and 4-talker babble noise(BN) with Mandarin Lexical Neighborhood Test were performed in 80 NH children and 89 children with CI. Corrected perception percentages were acquired in each group. Results: Both signal to noise ratio (SNR) and noise type influenced the word perception. In NH group, corrected percentages of disyllabic word perception in SSN were 24.2%, 55.9%, 77.1%, 85.1% and 88.9% at -8, -4, 0, 4 and 8 dB SNR, corresponding corrected percentages of monosyllabic word were 13.9%, 39.5%, 60.1%, 68.8% and 80.1%, respectively. In BN noise, corrected percentages of disyllabic word were 2.4%, 24.3%, 55.6%, 74.3% and 86.2%, corresponding monosyllabic word were 2.3%, 20.8%, 47.2%, 61.1% and 74.8%, respectively. In CI group, corrected percentages of dissyllabic word in SSN and BN at 10 dB SNR were 65.5% and 58.1%, respectively. Corresponding monosyllabic word were 49.0% and 41.0%. For SNR=5 dB, corrected percentages of disyllabic word in SSN and BN were 50.0% and 38.1%, corresponding corrected percentages of monosyllabic word were 40.8% and 25.1%, respectively. Analysis indicated that the masking effect were significantly higher in BN compared with SSN. Conclusions: Noise competition influence word perception performance significantly. In specific, the influence of noise on word perception is bigger in children with CI than in NH children. The masking effect is higher in BN noise when compared with SSN.

[Percentile curves on growth among breastfed 1-4 year olds in 8 urban areas]

Objective: To construct the growth percentile curves of weight-, length/height-, head circumference and BMI for 1 to 4 year-olds who had been breastfed in urban areas. Methods: Data was from the longitudinal study on 1 025 breastfed children aged 1 to 4 years, in 8 urban areas during 2008-2012. MLwiN2.25 was selected to construct the multi-level models of weight-for-age,length for-age, head circumference-for-age and BMI-for-age. The models included many growth relevant factors including gender, age, family and social demographic characteristics, perinatal factors, parent biological characteristics, dietary patterns and diseases of childen. Based on these models, predicted values (P(3), P(15), P(50), P(85), P(97)) were estimated to fit the percentiles reference curves. Results: The percentiles reference curves of weight-, length/height, head circumferenceand BMI-for-age for the 1-4 year-olds who had been breastfed in the urban areas were developed. Differences of all the indicators between boys and girls were statistically significant (P<0.001). Weight, length/height, head circumference and BMI were higher in boys than those in girls, with an average differences as 0.56-0.76 kg, 0.89-1.12 cm, 0.64-0.91 cm and 0.31-0.52 kg/m(2). Conclusion: The percentiles reference curves on growth, constructed by the longitudinal observational data and scientific method, were important in reflecting the development of breastfed children in urban areas.

MAGE-TRIM28 complex promotes the Warburg effect and hepatocellular carcinoma progression by targeting FBP1 for degradation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cause of cancer death in the world. Fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (FBP1), a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, has been identified recently as a tumor suppressor in HCC and other cancer types. In this study, we demonstrated that the tripartite motif-containing protein 28 (TRIM28) binds directly to and promotes FBP1 for ubiquitination and degradation. MAGE-A3 and MAGE-C2, which are known to be overexpressed in HCC, can enhance TRIM28-dependent degradation of FBP1 by forming ubiquitin ligase complexes with TRIM28. We further showed that expression of TRIM28 increased glucose consumption and lactate production by promoting FBP1 degradation in HCC cells and that FBP1 is a key mediator of TRIM28-induced HCC growth in culture and in mice. Moreover, we demonstrated that FBP1 and TRIM28 protein levels inversely correlated in HCC patient specimens. Finally, we showed that the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib mitigated the Warburg effect by inhibiting FBP1 degradation in HCC. Collectively, our findings not only identify oncogenic MAGE-TRIM28 complex-mediated proteasome degradation of FBP1 as a key mechanism underlying downregulation of FBP1 proteins in HCC, but also reveal that MAGE-TRIM28-regulated reprogramming of cancer cell metabolism and HCC tumorigenesis is mediated, at least in part, through FBP1 degradation.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum inflammatory cytokines and knee bone marrow lesions in patients with knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To describe cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum levels of interleukin (IL) - 6, IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-23 and knee bone marrow lesions (BMLs) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

DESIGN

Patients (n = 192) with symptomatic knee OA (mean 63 years, range 50-79, female 53%) were assessed at baseline and after 24 months. At each time point, serum IL-6, IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-23 were measured using Bio-Plex^® Multiplex Immunoassays with Luminex xMAP technology. Knee BMLs were scored using the modified whole organ MRI score (WORMS) from T2 weighted fat-suppressed fast spin echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Multivariable linear regression and log binominal regression were used to determine the associations between cytokines and BMLs.

RESULTS

Baseline IL-6 (quarters) were significantly associated with total knee BMLs (P < 0.01 for the trend) as well as associated with an increase in BML score (P = 0.05 for the trend), after adjustment for confounders. Baseline IL-17F and IL-23 (highest quarters vs others) was associated with an increase in BML score in females (P = 0.04 for IL-17F; P = 0.01 for IL-23), but not in males, in multivariable analyses. In contrast, IL-17A was not significantly associated with BMLs in either females or males.

CONCLUSION

IL-6 is associated with increased knee BMLs in both females and males with OA. Serum IL-17F and IL-23 predicted increased knee BML scores in females only, suggesting that inflammation is involved in BML pathogenesis in knee OA, especially in women.

TRAIL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01176344; Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12610000495022.

Femtogram Resolution of Iron Content on a Per Cell Basis: Ex Vivo Storage of Human Red Blood Cells Leads to Loss of Hemoglobin

The magnetic characteristics of hemoglobin (Hb) changes with the binding of dioxygen (O2) to the heme prosthetic groups of the globin chains: from paramagnetic ferrous Hb to diamagnetic ferrous oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) with reversibly bound O2, or paramagnetic ferric methemoglobin (metHb). When multiplied over the number of Hb molecules in a red blood cell (RBC), the effect is detectable through motion analysis of RBCs in a high magnetic field and gradient. This motion is referred to as magnetophoretic mobility, which can be conveniently expressed as a fraction of the cell sedimentation velocity. In this Article, using a previously developed and reported instrument, cell tracking velocimetry (CTV), we are able to detect difference in Hb concentration in two RBC populations to a resolution of 1 × 107 Hb molecules per cell (4 × 107 atoms of Fe per cell or 4-5 femtograms of Fe). Similar resolution achieved with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry requires on the order of 105-106 cells and provides an average, whereas CTV provides a measurement for each cell. CTV analysis revealed that RBCs lose, on average, 17% of their Hb after 42 days of storage, the maximum FDA-approved length of time for the cold storage of RBCs in additive solution. This difference in Hb concentration was the result of routine RBC storage; clinical implications are discussed.

Uncovering potential key genes associated with the pathogenesis of asthma: A microarray analysis of asthma-relevant tissues

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to discover more potential genes associated with the pathogenesis of asthma.

METHODS

The microarray data of GSE67940 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in bronchial alveolar lavage cells from patients with mild-moderate asthma (notSA) and severe asthma (SA) compared with normal controls (NC), respectively. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed upon the identified up- and down-regulated DEGs. Besides, the gene association network based on the common up-regulated and down-regulated genes was generated and transcriptional regulatory pairs of overlapping DEGs in the PPI network were identified.

RESULTS

A total of 104 DEGs (30 up- and 74 down-regulated genes) were identified in notSA vs. NC. Additionally, 2796 DEGs were screened out in SA vs. NC group, including 320 up-regulated DEGs, and 135 down-regulated DEGs. Specially, 41 overlapping DEGs were screened out in notSA vs. NC and SA vs. NC, including 16 common up-regulated genes and 25 common down-regulated genes. No pathways were enriched by the DEGs in notSA vs. NC. DEGs in SA vs. NC were associated with cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. VEGFA was a hub protein in both the PPI networks of DEGs in notSA vs. NC and SA vs. NC. Gene association network showed that signalling pathways and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction were involved in. The overlapping VEGFA, and IFRD1, and ZNF331 were regulated by more TFs.

CONCLUSION

Genes such as VEGFA, and IFRD1, and ZNF331 may be associated with pathogenesis of asthma.

Abstract P5-16-13: Predictive and prognostic value of Ki-67 expression in triple-negative breast cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel plus carboplatin

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is one of the main treatment strategies for patients with locally advanced breast cancer. This study was designed to demonstrate the utility of a platinum-containing treatment regimen in the neoadjuvant setting and to identify the predictive or prognostic value of Ki-67 among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC)

Methods: Data from 280 patients with stage II–III TNBC were collected. All patients underwent four cycles of NCT with paclitaxel (80 mg/m2) and carboplatin (AUC 2 mg*min/ml) on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Ki-67 values were evaluated in both biopsy and excision specimens. The clinical responses to NCT were evaluated based on MRI and ultrasound examinations in accordance with the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST) version 1.1. The pathological evaluation of surgical specimens was conducted at by the Miller-Payne (MP) grading system. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of pathological complete response (pCR). Survival analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of various clinical and pathological variables.

Results: The overall pCR rate was 33.9%. Both the categorical and linear Ki-67 were independently correlated with pCR (P&lt;0.001). There were also statistically significant differences among Ki-67 categories with respect to clinical response (P&lt;0.001), Miller-Payne (MP) grades (P&lt;0.001), and node status (P&lt;0.001). A significant reduction of Ki-67 after NCT was most likely observed in patients with a relatively better response. Among 185 patients with a residual tumor after NCT, the tumor cell proliferation significantly decreased from a median Ki-67 value of 20.0% before chemotherapy to 15% after chemotherapy. The mean absolute reductions in Ki-67 were 29.4%, 8.5%, and -10.2% in patients with an ideal response (MP 5/4), a partial response (MP 3) and a poor response (MP2/1), respectively. In the multivariate model for non-pCR patients, Ki-67 reduction presented an independent prognostic value for relapse of disease (HR=0.986, 95% CI: 0.978-0.994; P=0.001). Residual node involvement was also an independent predictor of patient outcome (HR=0.895, 95% CI: 0.355-2.259 for 1-3 nodes and HR=2.424, 95% CI: 1.048-5.608 for more than 4 nodes, using 0 nodes as a reference; P=0.002). Better survival was more frequently observed in patients with a greater reduction in the Ki-67 value and fewer involved nodes.

Conclusions: The primary Ki-67 might help in further classifying TNBCs into subtypes with different responses to chemotherapy. The significant reduction of Ki-67 after treatment could indicate a favorable prognosis in non-pCR patients.

Citation Format: Wang R-X, Chen S, Jin X, Shao Z-M. Predictive and prognostic value of Ki-67 expression in triple-negative breast cancer before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with weekly paclitaxel plus carboplatin [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-16-13.

Occurrence, Distribution, and Molecular Characterization of Citrus yellow vein clearing virus in China

In 2009, a new citrus viral disease caused by Citrus yellow vein clearing virus (CYVCV) was discovered in China. To more effectively monitor the presence of CYVCV, a survey was conducted in 166 citrus orchards from 11 major citrus-growing provinces in China from May 2014 to April 2016. In all, 458 of a total of 2,350 citrus samples tested positive for CYVCV, demonstrating that the virus is widely distributed in China. In this study, the complete genome sequences of 19 CYVCV isolates from different provinces and hosts were sequenced and characterized. Comparisons of the whole-genome sequences of these 19 CYVCV isolates as well as 4 isolates previously reported from around the world revealed that the sequence identity ranged from 97.1 to 99.8%, indicating that there is a very low level of sequence heterogeneity among CYVCV isolates of different geographic origins and hosts. Phylogenetic analysis of these 23 genomic sequences suggested that all of the isolates from China were clustered into the same clade, clearly apart from the CYVCV isolates from Turkey and Pakistan. To our knowledge, this is the first extensive survey conducted in China for CYVCV incidence.

Different expression of sodium-iodide importer (NIS) between lactating breast and thyroid tissues may be due to structural difference of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR)

OBJECTIVE

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) binds TSH receptor (TSHR) on thyroid cell membranes, which will lead activation of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling pathway. Through this pathway, TSHR regulates the expression of sodium-iodide symporter (NIS) to complete iodine intake. In recent studies, it is found that TSHR is widely expressed in a variety of extra-thyroidal tissues. TSHR expressions as well as distribution in normal mammary gland tissues have not been reported. The physiological mechanism of the TSHR in the extra-thyroidal tissues has also been controversial.

METHODS

In this study, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to characterize the expression distribution of TSHR protein in lactating breast. DNA sequence of TSHR cDNA from mice lactating breast was determined and then compared with TSHR cDNA from mice thyroidal tissue.

RESULTS

A 173 amino acid (AA) fragment deletion was found in the extra-cellular domain of lactating breast TSHR. The expression levels of NIS mRNA were compared between two tissues, and the level of NIS mRNA in lactating breasts was lower than the one in thyroidal tissues.

CONCLUSION

The lower expression of NIS in lactating breast may be due to the 173 AA deletion in the TSHR resulting the lower binding of TSH to the TSHR. For the first time, this finding may explain the reason of the lower NIS expression in lactating breast.

Screening for Dementia in Older Adults: Comparison of Mini-Mental State Examination, Mini-Cog, Clock Drawing Test and AD8

This study was conducted to estimate screening performance of dementia screening tools including Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Mini-Cog, Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and Ascertain Dementia 8 questionnaire (AD8) for older adults. 2015 participants aged 65 years or more in eastern China were enrolled. 4 screening tests were administered and scored by specifically trained psychiatrists. We used data from two-by-two tables to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values (PPV/NPV). Our study showed that dementia was highly prevalent among elderly in Zhejiang province. The Mini-Cog, with excellent screening characteristics and spending less time, could be considered to be used as a screening tool among communities to help to diagnose dementia early.

Abnormal white matter structural connectivity in treatment-naïve young adults with borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVE

The pathogenesis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not well understood. We examined the microstructure of white matter in patients with BPD.

METHOD

Treatment-naïve young adult with BPD (N = 30) and young-adult healthy controls (HCs; N = 31) were subjected diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Microstructural parameters were analyzed via tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and post hoc tractography.

RESULTS

TBSS analysis revealed that, relative to the HC group, the BPD group had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the genu and body of the corpus callosum (CC), right superior corona radiate, right anterior corona radiate, as well as higher radial diffusivity (RD) in the left anterior thalamic radiation. Tractography showed that FA values of fiber bundles passing through the fornix were significantly reduced in BPD group relative to HCs. No significant correlations were observed between clinical symptom and DTI indices in BPD group (FDR corrected).

CONCLUSION

Focal microstructural alterations were found in BPD group, mainly in the limbic system and CC. The present findings support the fronto-limbic disconnectivity hypothesis and suggest that abnormal maturation of white matter structures may play an important role in mechanism of BPD.

Investigating the Prevalence of Dementia and Its Associated Risk Factors in a Chinese Nursing Home

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for dementia in residents aged 65 years and older in a Chinese nursing home.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in a nursing home located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Cognitive status, including the presence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), was measured using a combination of medical history and objective cognitive assessments. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict the associated risk factors.

RESULTS

In total, 943 residents (334 males and 609 females) aged 84.00±6.67 years (mean±SD) were included. Dementia was diagnosed in 420 (44.5%) residents, and MCI was diagnosed in 195 (20.7%). Mild, moderate, and severe dementia were present in 20.3%, 14.0%, and 65.7% of those in the dementia group, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that dementia was associated with a low education level (p=0.000), an advanced age (p=0.010), and a history of stroke (p=0.023).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found a high prevalence of dementia in a Chinese nursing home, and a high prevalence of patients with severe dementia. Risk factors for dementia included a low educational level, an advanced age, and a history of stroke. Appropriate interventions need to be applied to this population.

A novel method for assessing signal intensity within infrapatellar fat pad on MR images in patients with knee osteoarthritis

PURPOSE

To assess reliability and validity of a semi-automated quantitative method to measure infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) signal intensity in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

Hundred patients with knee OA were selected. Sagittal planes of fat-saturated T2-weighted images obtained on 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were utilized to assess IPFP signal intensity using MATLAB. Knee structural abnormalities including cartilage defects, bone marrow lesions (BML) and radiographic OA (ROA) were evaluated. Clinical construct validity and concurrent validity were examined through describing associations of IPFP measurements with knee structural abnormalities and a semi-quantitative scoring method, respectively. The reliability was examined by calculating the intra- and inter-observer correlation coefficients.

RESULTS

Significantly positive associations were found between standard deviation of IPFP signal intensity [sDev (IPFP)], clustering factor (H) and all knee structural abnormalities. The volume of high signal intensity regions [Volume (H)] and the ratio of Volume (H) to volume of whole IPFP [Percentage (H)] were positively associated with cartilage defects and ROA, but not with BMLs. The median value [Median (H)] and upper quartile value [UQ (H)] of high signal intensity were only significantly associated with quartiles of cartilage defect score. Significant correlations were found between all quantitative measurements and semi-quantitative scores (All P < 0.001). Intraclass and interclass correlation coefficients for these quantitative measures were high (>0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

A novel and efficient method to segment IPFP and calculate its signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI images is documented. This method is reproducible, and has concurrent and clinical construct validity, but its predictive validity needs to be examined by future longitudinal studies.

Vincristine promotes migration and invasion of colorectal cancer HCT116 cells through RhoA/ROCK/ Myosin light chain pathway

Vincristine is an antitumor vinca alkaloid isolated from vinca rosea, and is a medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. In this study, we investigated the impact of vincristine on oncogenic phenotypes of human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells. MTT assay demonstrated that vincristine showed a obviously inhibitory effect on cell growth compared to non-treated cells. However, Transwell assay showed that vincristine promoted migration and invasion of HCT116 cells in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner between 0.5 and 15 μM vincristine treatment, whereas cell growth showed no remarkable difference within the same concentration range. Additionally, Western blot analysis showed that vincristine significantly elevated RhoA activity and Myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation, suggesting the involvement of RhoA/ROCK pathway in the vincristine-induced enhancement of cellular motility. Furthermore, we found that both the siRNA for RhoA and ROCK inhibitor Y27632 attenuated the phosphorylation of MLC, as well as vincristine-induced migration and invasion. These data indicate that vincristine enhanced migration and invasion of HCT116 cells possibly through stimulating RhoA/ROCK/MLC signaling pathway.