Structure-activity relationship and in vitro inhibition of human cytochrome CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 by flavonoids

Decreased complement 4d increases poor prognosis in patients with non‑small cell lung cancer combined with gastrointestinal lymph node metastasis

Lung cancer is a common malignancy that is difficult to treat and has a high risk of mortality. Although gastrointestinal lymph node metastasis has long been known to exert major impact on the prognosis of lung cancer, the mechanism of its occurrence and potential biological markers remain elusive. Therefore, the present study retrospectively analyzed data from 132 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) combined with lymph node metastasis between February 2010 and April 2019 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (Suzhou, China) and Sichuan Cancer Hospital (Chengdu, China). Overall survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox logistic regression model. In addition, a prediction model was constructed based on immune indicators such as complement C3b and C4d (measured by ELISA), before the accuracy of this model was validated using calibration curves for 5-year OS. Among the 132 included patients, a total of 92 (70.0%) succumbed to the disease within 5 years. Multifactorial analysis revealed that complement C3b deficiency increased the risk of mortality by nearly two-fold [hazard ratio (HR)=2.23; 95% CI=1.20-4.14; P=0.017], whilst complement C4d deficiency similarly increased the risk of mortality by two-fold (HR=2.14; 95% CI=1.14-4.00; P=0.012). The variables were subsequently screened using Cox model to construct a prediction model based on complement C3b and C4d levels before a Nomogram plotted. By internal validation for the 132 patients, the Nomogram accurately estimated the risk of mortality, with a corrected C-index of 0.810. External validation of the model in another 50 patients from Sichuan Cancer Hospital revealed an accuracy of 77.0%. Overall, this mortality risk prediction model constructed based on complement levels showed accuracy in assessing the prognosis of patients with metastatic NSCLC. Therefore, complement C3b and C4d have potential for use as biomarkers to predict the risk of mortality in such patients.

Isolation of Antimalarial Agents From Indonesian Medicinal Plants: Swietenia mahagoni and Pluchea indica

Malaria is a neglected tropical disease that still demands serious efforts to tackle successfully, including the need for new antimalarial lead compounds to combat drug-resistant Plasmodium. Intensive phytochemical and pharmacological investigation into the Indonesian medicinal plants Swietenia mahagoni and Pluchea indica successfully revealed 5 constituents. Antimalarial bioassays indicated 34,5-tri- O-caffeoylquinic acid (4) to be the most active against Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 and Dd2 strains with IC50 values of 8.2 and 8.8 µM, respectively. No cytotoxicity was observed against Human Embryonic Kidney cells at a concentration of 40 µM.

Complement sC5b-9 and CH50 increase the risk of cancer-related mortality in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Objectives: Immunologic dysfunction occurred in most of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which worsened the overall survival (OS) of patients. Complement activation plays a significant role in abnormal activation of immune system. However, the prognostic value of complement components such as CH50 and sC5b-9 in NSCLC patients remains unclear. This study evaluated the risk factors of NSCLC and created a prediction model.

Methods: A real-world study was conducted including data from 928 patients with NSCLC between April 1, 2005 and June 1, 2015. CH50 and sC5b-9 were recorded during the admission. Cox proportional hazard model was applied for survival analyses and for assessing risk factors of cancer-related mortality and to create a nomogram for prediction. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by C-index and calibration curve.

Results: In this study, the mortality in group with high CH50 level (≥ 480.56 umol/L) was 92.0%. Based on univariate analysis, we put factors (P <0.05) into a multivariate regression model, patients with high CH50 level (P <0.001, HR=1.59) and sC5b-9 >1422.18 μmol/L (P <0.001, HR=2.28) remained statistically factors for worsened OS and regarded as independent risk factors. These independently associated risk factors were applied to establish an OS estimation nomogram. Nomogram revealed good accuracy in estimating the risk, with a bootstrap-corrected C index of 0.741.

Conclusion: sC5b-9 and CH50 increased the risk of cancer-related mortality in patients with NSCLC. Nomogram based on multivariate analysis demonstrated good accuracy in estimating the risk of overall mortality.