Identification of potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) based on TMT-labeled LC-MS/MS and machine learning

OBJECTIVES

To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying aggressive progression of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma and identify potential biomarkers.

METHODS

Samples were collected and sequenced using tandem mass tag-labeled liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified and further analyzed using Mfuzz and protein-protein interaction analysis (PPI). Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to validate the DEPs.

RESULTS

Five thousand, two hundred and three DEPs were identified and quantified from the tumor/normal comparison group or the N1/N0 comparison group. Mfuzz analysis showed that clusters of DEPs were enriched according to progressive status, followed by normal tissue, tumors without lymphatic metastases, and tumors with lymphatic metastases. Analysis of PPI revealed that DEPs interacted with and were enriched in the following metabolic pathways: apoptosis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, PI3K-Akt pathway, cholesterol metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and thyroid hormone synthesis. In addition, 18 of the 20 target proteins were successfully validated with PRM and IHC in another 20 paired validation samples. Based on machine learning, the five proteins that showed the best performance in discriminating between tumor and normal nodules were PDLIM4, ANXA1, PKM, NPC2, and LMNA. FN1 performed well in discriminating between patients with lymph node metastases (N1) and N0 with an AUC of 0.690. Finally, five validated DEPs showed a potential prognostic role after examining The Cancer Genome Atlas database: FN1, IDH2, VDAC1, FABP4, and TG. Accordingly, a nomogram was constructed whose concordance index was 0.685 (confidence interval: 0.645-0.726).

CONCLUSIONS

PDLIM4, ANXA1, PKM, NPC2, LMNA, and FN1 are potential diagnostic biomarkers. The five-protein nomogram could be a prognostic biomarker.

[Simultaneous combined radical surgery for hepatic and renal alveolar echinococcosis: an analysis of 10 clinical cases]

Objective: To examine the feasibility, safety and efficacy of simultaneous combined radical surgery for hepatic and renal alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Methods: Clinical dates of consecutive 10 hepatic and renal AE patients who accepted surgical treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University during April 2013 to September 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. There were 8 males and 2 females, aged (42.5±10.3) years (range: 27 to 52 years). Seven of them had previously palliative surgical treatment with poor compliance to post-operative medication. All of the patients had hepatic-renal combined AE lesions, and two of them had left lateral and left renal lesions for each, which sized for (726.4±576.1)cm³ (range: 117.0 to 1 998.0 cm³). Extra-hepatic or renal lesions infiltrated to right diaphragm, inferior vena cava, right adrenal gland, abdominal wall, right psoas muscle, duodenum wall and right pulmonary lobe (respectively were 7, 7, 6, 2, 1, 1, 2 cases). Surgery were performed mainly with simultaneous combined surgery and vascular reconstruction techniques for this series. Hemi-hepatectomy or extended right lobectomy was applied in 8 patients, while 2 other patients received ex vivo liver resection and autotransplantation, additionally, one patient had partial hepatectomy for left lateral lobular lesion. Total right nephrectomy, partial right nephrectomy and partial left nephrectomy were respectively performed on 7, 3 and 1 patient(s). Additionally, extra-hepatic or renal lesions were eradicated followed by relevant repairments or reconstructions. Results: Surgeries went well and there was no intra-or post-operative liver or renal dysfunction occurred. During recovery period, 3 cases experienced with hydrothorax and managed well after drainage and supportive treatment, and one patient developed peri-renal urinary leakage and cured by "J" catheter. The subjects were followed-up for 6 to 81 months (median: 21 months), no death, organ dysfunction, chronic or acute kidney diseases occurred. One case encountered with abdominal hernia at post-operative 7^th month and was successfully managed with laparoscopic repair with artificial mesh. No disease recurrence in all patients, which reached clinical cure at last. Conclusion: When complied strictly to indications, simultaneous combined radical surgery could be a feasible, safe and efficient approach for patients with hepatic and renal AE, which is primary or relapsed from previous hepatic AE surgery or interventional therapies as well as neighboring organ AE invasions.

Bisphenol A disturbs transcription of steroidogenic genes in ovary of rare minnow Gobiocypris rarus via the abnormal DNA and histone methylation

Increasing studies have established the toxic effects of BPA on development and reproduction in animals. In present study, we investigated epigenetic effects on the transcription of several ovarian steroidogenic genes in rare minnows Gobiocypris rarus after BPA exposure at 15 μgL^-1 for 21, 42 and 63 d. Results showed that short term BPA exposure (21 d) caused significant increase of both estradiol and testerone levels whereas long term exposure (63 d) led to significant decrease of them. The oocytes development was hindered after BPA exposure. BPA treatments for 21 and 42 d resulted in significant increase of genome DNA methylation in ovary while 63-d exposure caused marked decrease. The histone trimethylation levels (H3K4me3, H3K9me3 and H3K27me3) in the ovary were also disturbed by BPA. H3K9me3 was significantly decreased after 21 d whereas it was markedly increased after 42 and 63 d. The 42-d exposure caused significant decrease for H3K4me3. Meanwhile, 42- and 63-d BPA exposure led to significant decrease of H3K27me3. DNA methylation could involve in gene expression regulation of cyp17a1 and cyp19a1a after BPA exposure. After short (21 d) and long term (63 d) BPA exposure, the respective mRNA expression down-regulation and up-regulation of star, cyp11a1, and cyp17a1 were mediated by H3K9me3. This study suggests that epigenetic modulation including DNA and histone methylation could be responsible for the detrimental effects on ovary development upon BPA exposure in G. rarus. It is speculated that BPA exposures for short or long term duration could disturb the steroidogenesis in entirely different mechanisms.

N-acetylcysteine alleviated bisphenol A-induced testicular DNA hypermethylation of rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) by increasing cysteine contents

Ubiquitous BPA exposure resulted in DNA methylation errors and oxidative stress. Numerous studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress can lead to changes in DNA methylation levels and supplementation with antioxidants, including N-acetylcysteine (NAC), was able to restore these changes. Our previous study supposed that BPA-induced de novo synthesis of glutathione (GSH) promoted DNA methylation process in Gobiocypris rarus testes. To validate this conjecture and explore the protective effects of NAC on BPA toxicity, the present study was carried out. Adult male G. rarus was treated with 225 μg L^-1 BPA and/or NAC for 7 days. The sperm motility and DNA integrity of G. rarus were determined. Meanwhile, the levels of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), GSH, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), DNA methyltransferase proteins (DNMTs), γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (GCS), S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), homocysteine (HCY), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and cysteine in the testes were detected. Furthermore, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured. Results indicated that NAC addition resulted in increase of cysteine contents and partially inhibited the BPA-induced DNA hypermethylation of G. rarus testes. In addition, the changes in DNA methylation levels in the testes after BPA and/or NAC treatment might be controlled by DNA methylation process that mediated by DNMTs. Moreover, BPA exposure caused oxidative stress in the testes and the elimination of H₂O₂ might be mainly accomplished by CAT while it changed to mainly through GPx after NAC supplement. Finally, the positive response of testicular antioxidant enzyme system and the antioxidant activity of NAC itself protected sperm motility and DNA integrity from oxidative damage in each group.

Estrogen and progesterone promote breast cancer cell proliferation by inducing cyclin G1 expression

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer among women in most countries (WHO). Ovarian hormone disorder is thought to be associated with breast tumorigenesis. The present study investigated the effects of estrogen and progesterone administration on cell proliferation and underlying mechanisms in breast cancer MCF-7 cells. It was found that a single administration of estradiol (E2) or progesterone increased MCF-7 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and promoted cell cycle progression by increasing the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase. A combination of E2 and progesterone led to a stronger effect than single treatment. Moreover, cyclin G1 was up-regulated by E2 and/or progesterone in MCF-7 cells. After knockdown of cyclin G1 in MCF-7 cells using a specific shRNA, estradiol- and progesterone-mediated cell viability and clonogenic ability were significantly limited. Additionally, estradiol- and progesterone-promoted cell accumulation in the G2/M phase was reversed after knockdown of cyclin G1. These data indicated that estrogen and progesterone promoted breast cancer cell proliferation by inducing the expression of cyclin G1. Our data indicated that novel therapeutics against cyclin G1 are promising for the treatment of estrogen- and progesterone-mediated breast cancer progression.

[The clinical practice of improvement the "Volume and Quality" of functional liver in autologous liver transplantation for the patients with alveolar echinococcosis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of accurate assessment of "volume and quality" of functional liver in Autologous liver transplantation (ALT) in the treatment of the advanced hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE). Methods: The clinical data of 12 patients with advanced HAE who underwent ALT at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from May 2015 to July 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The preoperative hepatic functions of 12 patients were 8 Child-Pugh Grade A, 1 Grade B, and 3 Grade C. Three of the patients had moderate or severe jaundice. Three of the patients calculated functional liver graft volume (GV) and standard liver volume (SLV) ratio (GV/SLV) were <30%. After the protection of liver function, anti-infection, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography drainage (PTCD), selective portal vein embolization (PVE), and staging liver resection, liver function Child-Pugh grade of 11 patients was raised to A grade, and the other patient was B grade, meanwhile the bilirubin was reduced to 2 times the normal value. The GV/SLV ratios of 3 patients with low GV/SLV ratio had reached 44.4%, 47.2% and 56.2% respectively. In this study, the GV/SLV ratios of the 12 patients were between 73.2% and 40.8% with an average of 55.6%. Operation time was 11.5-20.5 h, with an average of 12.3 h. Anhepatic phase time was 193-375 min with median 253.5 min. The red blood cell suspension was 0-6 U during the operation. The average hospitalization was 10-42 d, with the average 22.7 d. Total hospital costs were 121 600-434 800 Yuan, with the median cost of 174 400 Yuan. One patient died of septic shock a week after surgery. Conclusion: (1)ALT may provide feasibility for the advanced HAE. (2)Accurate assessment of functional liver "volume and quality" appeared as the key points to the ALT. (3)Precise surgery and individualized treatment could improve and protect the functional liver "volume and quality" .

A morphometric study of the lumbar spinous process in the Chinese population

Our goal was to analyze the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spine spinous process for an interspinous stabilization device designed for the Chinese population and to offer an anatomical basis for its clinical application. The posterior lumbar spines (T₁₂-S₁) of 52 adult cadavers were used for measuring the following: distance between two adjacent spinous processes (DB), distance across two adjacent spinous processes (DA), thickness of the central spinous processes (TC), thickness of the superior margin of the spinous processes (TS), thickness of the inferior margin of the spinous processes (TI), and height of the spinous processes (H). Variance and correlation analyses were conducted for these data, and the data met the normal distribution and homogeneity of variance. DB decreased gradually from L_1-2 to L₅-S₁. DA increased from T₁₂-L₁ to L_2-3 and then decreased from L_2-3 to L_4-5. The largest H in males was noted at L₃ (25.45±5.96 mm), whereas for females the largest H was noted at L₄ (18.71±4.50 mm). Usually, TS of the adjacent spinous process was lower than TI. Based on the anatomical parameters of the lumbar spinous processes obtained in this study, an “H”-shaped coronal plane (posterior view) was proposed as an interspinous stabilization device for the Chinese population. This study reports morphometric data of the lumbar spinous processes in the Chinese population, which provides an anatomical basis for future clinical applications.

Posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion in the treatment of congenital scoliosis

INTRODUCTION

Posterior hemivertebra resection combined with multisegmental or bisegmental fusion has been applied successfully for congenital scoliosis. However, there are several immature bones and their growth can be influenced by long segmental fusion in congenital patients. Posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion was therefore suggested for treatment of congenital scoliosis caused by hemivertebra.

METHODS

Between June 2001 and June 2010, 60 congenital scoliosis patients (aged 2-18 years) who underwent posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion were enrolled in our study. A standing anteroposterior x-ray of the whole spine was obtained preoperatively, postoperatively and at the last follow-up appointment to analyse the Cobb angle in the coronal and sagittal planes as well as the trunk shift.

RESULTS

The mean preoperative coronal plane Cobb angle was 41.6°. This was corrected to 5.1° postoperatively and 5.3° at the last follow-up visit (correction 87.3%). The compensatory cranial curve was improved from 18.1° preoperatively to 7.1° postoperatively and 6.5° at the last follow-up visit while the compensatory caudal curve was improved from 21.5° to 6.1° after surgery and 5.6° at the last follow-up visit. The mean sagittal plane Cobb angle was 23.3° before surgery, 7.3° after surgery and 6.8° at the last follow-up visit (correction 70.1%). The trunk shift of 18.5mm was improved to 15.2mm.

CONCLUSIONS

Posterior hemivertebra resection and monosegmental fusion seems to be an effective approach for treatment of congenital scoliosis caused by hemivertebra, allowing for excellent correction in both the frontal and sagittal planes.

Slowly progressive hemiparesis in childhood as a consequence of Rasmussen encephalitis without or with delayed-onset seizures

Five young children developed slowly progressive hemiparesis as the initial manifestation of Rasmussen encephalitis (RE). Three have remained seizure free over an observational period of 1.3-1.9 years. In the remaining two patients, seizures occurred after 0.5 and 0.6 years respectively. We suggest that RE might be presently underdiagnosed and should be suspected in cases of new onset hemiparesis. In this series, three out of five patients showed oligoclonal bands on examination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which represented additional diagnostic hints towards an immune-mediated condition. According to recently published formal diagnostic criteria, evidence of progressive cerebral hemiatrophy or bioptic identification of RE-typical inflammation confirms the diagnosis in such cases. Long-term immunotherapy is recommended in order to prevent further tissue loss and functional decline.

Comparison between sensitivities of phase and intensity detection in surface plasmon resonance

We have experimentally and theoretically compared intensity and phase measurements of surface plasmon resonance, in order to check the widely claimed superiority of the phase method. Both experiment and theory show a slightly higher sensitivity for intensity detection. Simulations confirm that this result is generally true for a wide range of resonance conditions. The basic reason is that phase measurements must be performed by measuring light intensities in some way, and therefore both modes of operation are limited in similar ways by photon statistics. Sensitivity can only be improved by using larger light intensities.

Null alleles reveal novel requirements for Bic-D during Drosophila oogenesis and zygotic development

In the Drosophila ovary, the Bicaudal-D (Bic-D) gene is required for the differentiation of one of 16 interconnected cystocyte sister cells into an oocyte. A new class of Bic-Dnull alleles reveals a novel requirement for Bic-D for zygotic viability. In the germ line, the null mutations show that developmental processes that take place in germarial region 1, even those that create asymmetry, are independent of Bic-D function. Bic-D is then required to establish oocyte identity in one cystocyte and is essential, not only for the oocyte-specific accumulation of all oocyte markers that we have tested so far, but also for the posterior migration of the oocyte. In addition, normal polarity amongst the nurse cells requires Bic-D, indicating that the creation of different nurse cell identities may depend on oocyte determination. Our results show that different processes in early oogenesis require different amounts of Bic-D in a process-specific way and certain later processes can proceed at low levels of Bic-D. This suggests that the patterning of the female germ line and the development of an oocyte depend on differential responses to a single activity that is capable of initiating distinct oogenesis processes and can establish different cell fates.