Cells responsible for tumor surveillance in man: effects of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and biologic response modifiers

Operable hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: gut microbiota profile of patients at different ages

Background

Age was important prognostic factors for operable hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The aim of the present study was to assess the difference in gut microbiota in patients with operable hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) at different ages ; to investigate the features of the microbiota and its function associated with different ages; to provide a preliminary look at effects of the gut microbiota dimension on prognostic.

Methods

From September 2020 to May 2021, patients with HBV-HCC were able to undergo liver resection and were recruited consecutively and divided into the younger age group (age <45 years) (Y.AG) (n=20), middle age group (age from 45 to 65 years) (M.AG) (n=13) 45–65 years, and older age group (age >65 years) (O.AG) (n=20). The relationships between gut microbiota and different ages were explored using 16S rRNA gene sequencing data. PICRUST2 was used to examine the metagenomic data in PHLF patients. Fisher’s exact and Mann-Whitney U-test were used for the data analysis.

Results

Pairwise comparison between the three groups showed that the α-diversity of Y.AG was significantly higher than that of O.AG (ACE Index, P=0.017; chao1 Index, P=0.031; observed_species Index, P=0.011; and goods_coverage Index, P=0.041). The β-diversity in the 3 groups differed significantly (stress =0.100), while the composition (β-diversity) differed significantly between the Y.AG and the M.AG (stress =0.090), the M.AG and the O.AG (stress =0.095), and the Y.AG and the O.AG (stress =0.099). At the genus level, 7 bacterial genera were significantly enriched in the O.AG compared with the Y.AG, of which Streptococcus, Blautia, Erysipelotrichaceae_UCG-003, and Fusicatenibacter represented the major variances in O.AG microbiomes. Eleven genera were significantly increased in the O.AG, of which Prevotella, Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, Ruminiclostridium, and Phascolarctobacterium represented the major variances in the O.AG. The Y.AG and the O.AG were predicted by PICRUSt2 analysis, which found 72 pathways related to differential gut microbiome at the genus level. Redundancy analysis showed that 7 environmental factors were significantly correlated with intestinal microorganisms, especially in the Y.AG compared with the O.AG.

Conclusions

Analysis of gut microbiota characteristics in patients of different ages could ultimately contribute to the development of novel avenues for the treatment of HCC at different ages.

The relationship between the systemic inflammatory response, tumour proliferative activity, T-lymphocytic and macrophage infiltration, microvessel density and survival in patients with primary operable breast cancer

The significance of the inter-relationship between tumour and host local/systemic inflammatory responses in primary operable invasive breast cancer is limited. The inter-relationship between the systemic inflammatory response (pre-operative white cell count, C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations), standard clinicopathological factors, tumour T-lymphocytic (CD4+ and CD8+) and macrophage (CD68+) infiltration, proliferative (Ki-67) index and microvessel density (CD34+) was examined using immunohistochemistry and slide-counting techniques, and their prognostic values were examined in 168 patients with potentially curative resection of early-stage invasive breast cancer. Increased tumour grade and proliferative activity were associated with greater tumour T-lymphocyte (P<0.05) and macrophage (P<0.05) infiltration and microvessel density (P<0.01). The median follow-up of survivors was 72 months. During this period, 31 patients died; 18 died of their cancer. On univariate analysis, increased lymph-node involvement (P<0.01), negative hormonal receptor (P<0.10), lower albumin concentrations (P<0.01), increased tumour proliferation (P<0.05), increased tumour microvessel density (P<0.05), the extent of locoregional control (P<0.0001) and limited systemic treatment (P⩽0.01) were associated with cancer-specific survival. On multivariate analysis of these significant covariates, albumin (HR 4.77, 95% CI 1.35–16.85, P=0.015), locoregional treatment (HR 3.64, 95% CI 1.04–12.72, P=0.043) and systemic treatment (HR 2.29, 95% CI 1.23–4.27, P=0.009) were significant independent predictors of cancer-specific survival. Among tumour-based inflammatory factors, only tumour microvessel density (P<0.05) was independently associated with poorer cancer-specific survival. The host inflammatory responses are closely associated with poor tumour differentiation, proliferation and malignant disease progression in breast cancer.

The response of Dunning R3327 prostatic adenocarcinoma to IL-2, histamine and radiation

A syngeneic, androgen-sensitive Dunning R3327 rat prostatic adenocarcinoma was transplanted bilaterally in the flanks of male Copenhagen Fisher rats. Approximately 3 months after implantation, when the tumours had a median volume of 150 mm3, one group of rats was treated with histamine alone (4 mg kg(-1) subcutaneously on week days), another group with human recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) alone (425 IU kg(-1) continuous infusion) and a third group with both histamine and IL-2 during 6 weeks. Tumours on one flank were irradiated (6 Gy once daily for 3 days to a total dose of 18 Gy) beginning 1 week after the onset of treatment with histamine and/or IL-2. The contralateral tumour served as the intra-animal control. The tumour volumes were determined weekly. The growth curves showed that all three drug treatments were effective in delaying growth, but when used individually did not cause tumour shrinkage. Radiation was the most effective single agent, but when used alone the shrinkage did not occur until 2 weeks after irradiation. When combined with the drugs, more rapid and extensive growth delay and/or shrinkage was seen. The growth curves showed clear differences between the different treatments. The combination of the three agents was the most effective of all. The most striking difference between radiation alone and radiation plus biotherapy was the time at which a tumour response was detectable. Thus, active biotherapy alone and especially in a combination with histamine and radiotherapy warrants further investigation as a potential therapeutic approach to prostate cancer.