Characterization and validation of fatty acid metabolism-related genes predicting prognosis, immune infiltration, and drug sensitivity in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer is considered to be the second most common tumor of the female reproductive system, and patients diagnosed with advanced endometrial cancer have a poor prognosis. The influence of fatty acid metabolism in the prognosis of patients with endometrial cancer remains unclear. We constructed a prognostic risk model using transcriptome sequencing data of endometrial cancer and clinical information of patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis. The tumor immune microenvironment was analyzed using the CIBERSORT algorithm, followed by functional analysis and immunotherapy efficacy prediction by gene set variation analysis. The role of model genes in regulating endometrial cancer in vitro was verified by CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, and transabdominal invasion assays, and verified in vivo by subcutaneous tumor transplantation in nude mice. A prognostic model containing 14 genes was constructed and validated in 3 cohorts and clinical samples. The results showed differences in the infiltration of immune cells between the high-risk and low-risk groups, and that the high-risk group may respond better to immunotherapy. Experiments in vitro confirmed that knockdown of epoxide hydrolase 2 (EPHX2) and acyl-CoA oxidase like (ACOXL) had an inhibitory effect on EC cells, as did overexpression of hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase (HPGDS). The same results were obtained in experiments in vivo. Prognostic models related to fatty acid metabolism can be used for the risk assessment of endometrial cancer patients. Experiments in vitro and in vivo confirmed that the key genes HPGDS, EPHX2, and ACOXL in the prognostic model may affect the development of endometrial cancer.

Estrogen receptor-related receptor γ uppresses hypoxia-induced angiogenesis by regulating VEGFA in endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

Estrogen receptor-related receptor γ (ERRγ), is implicated in cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. The function of ERRγ in tumor angiogenesis, however, is to be revealed. This study was designed to elaborate the regulatory effect of ERRγ on angiogenesis in endometrial cancer (EC).

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was adopted to determine the protein expression of ERRγ, VEGFA, CD31 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) in tumor tissues. HEC-1A cells stably expressing ERRγ were established bytransfection, and then an endothelial cell tube formation assay was performed. CCK-8 assay was employed for cell viability, and wound healing assay for cell migration ability. Besides, western blot, ELISA and qRT-PCR were used to examine the VEGFA expression. After hypoxia treatment of ERRγ overexpressing HEC-1A cells, the ERRγ expression and VEGFA expression were determined by western blot. Finally, EC xenografts in nude mice were constructed by subcutaneous injection of ERRγ stably expressing HEC-1A cells and control HEC-1A cells.

RESULTS

IHC results revealed a negative correlation between the expression of ERRγ and VEGFA in EC tissues. ERRγ overexpression significantly decreased the level of HIF-1 in tumor tissue of nude mice. ERRγ overexpression down-regulated inhibited angiogenesis capability and inhibited the proliferation and migration of HEC-1A cells. Furthermore, ERRγ expression was suppressed under the condition of hypoxia while restoration of ERRγ partially inhibited hypoxia-induced VEGFA expression in HEC-1A cells.

CONCLUSIONS

ERRγ is an angiogenesis suppressor and involved in hypoxia-induced VEGFA expression in EC. Hence, ERRγ might be a promising antiangiogenic target for human EC.

CircRAPGEF5 interacts with RBFOX2 to confer ferroptosis resistance by modulating alternative splicing of TFRC in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancers. Ferroptosis is a newly identified form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxide accumulation. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators for cancer development. However, circRNA-mediated modulation of ferroptosis in EC is yet to be clarified. In this study, we found that circRAPGEF5 expression was elevated in EC tissues compared to the normal endometrial tissues. In vitro and in vivo functional analysis demonstrated that circRAPGEF5 facilitates rapid proliferation of EC cells. RNA binding protein fox-1 homolog 2 (RBFOX2), a splicing regulator, was identified as the protein interacts with circRAPGEF5. Further studies revealed that circRAPGEF5 can bind to the Fox-1 C-terminal domain of RBFOX2 and induces specific exon exclusion of TFRC through obstructing the binding of RBFOX2 to pre-mRNA. As a result, elevated levels of circRAPGEF5 lead to ferroptosis resistance via the decreased labile iron pool and attenuated lipid peroxide production in EC cells. Additionally, a series of gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that knocking down or overexpressing RBFOX2 reversed the effects of knocking down or overexpressing circRAPGEF5 in EC cells. Finally, it is revealed that circRAPGEF5 promote the formation of TFRC with exon-4 skipping and confer ferroptosis resistance in EC cells through the interaction with RBFOX2. Collectively, these findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanism in which circRNAs mediate mediates ferroptosis via modulating alternative splicing, and circRAPGEF5/RBFOX2 splicing axis could be a promising therapeutic target for treating EC.

The Evaluation Indicators of X-ray Radiographs for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Objective: To explore the evaluation indicators of X-ray radiographs for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome, and to propose therapeutic plans for FAI syndrome by using X-ray radiographs. Methods: From June 2016 to May 2018, patients who were diagnosed as FAI syndrome by hip joint anteroposterior radiographs in Second Yinzhou District Hospital were selected as research objects. After screening, the surgical treatment group included 52 cases, totally. Another 30 healthy adults who received X-ray radiography were included as the control group. Each included patient underwent minimally invasive surgery under hip arthroscopy. The efficacy indicators were evaluated, and the data were statistically analyzed. Results: By analyzing the basic data of the subjects, it was found that there was no significant difference in gender and body mass index between the healthy people and FAI patients (P > 0.05), but the VAS and Harris scores of 7d, 30d, 90d, and 180d after surgery were significantly higher than those before the operation, and with the prolongation of the treatment time, the scores increased continuously, the difference had statistical significance (P < 0.05). By analyzing patients' knee joint mobility, it was found that after therapy, the flexion, pronation, abduction, and extension of knee joint at 30d, 90d, and 180d were distinctly increased compared with those before therapy. Also, the difference had statistical significance (P < 0.05) with the treatment time increasing; the X-ray films of hip joint of the subjects were observed, and it was found that there were healthy people, clamp type FAI, and cam type FAI three typical kinds. There were significant differences in the angle, eccentricity, depth of acetabulum, coverage rate of acetabulum, and CE angle among cam type patients, clamp type patients, and healthy people (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The research in this study found that when using the X-ray radiographs to determine the FAI syndrome, the differences between the classification of FAI symptoms and the healthy adults were obvious. In addition, the knee joint gradually recovered significantly in the range of movement (RM) after treatments, thereby providing experimental basis for diagnosing and treating the FAI syndrome in the later clinical stage.

MSRE TRANSIENT BENCHMARKS USING SAM

In recent years, there has been renewed interest in Molten Salter Reactors (MSRs) for their potential advantages compared to reactors that rely on solid fuel. In response to such interest, the System Analysis Module (SAM) was enhanced to include MSR-specific modeling features including a delayed neutron precursor drift model and a modified point kinetics model. This paper discusses the validation of these features using the experiments conducted in the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE). These experiments include the pump start-up and coast-down tests at zero power and a thermal convection test. For the zero power tests, the change in pump speeds induces flow rate changes in the core that impact the precursor concentrations. This introduces a neutron imbalance and requires the adjustment of the control rods to counter-balance this effect. SAM was used to evaluate the precursor concentration in the core as a function of time, and the resulting changes in reactivity were evaluated through the modified point kinetics equation. The results show good agreement with the experimental data. It should be noted that the pump performance curve used in this analysis was re-constructed based on the initial water test data of the fuel pump. The steady-state pump curve is assumed to be applicable to transient flow operations. The thermal convection test was conducted by shutting off the pumps, reducing the inlet core temperature for 360 minutes, and allowing the power to be adjusted by the inherent feedbacks of the system. The power level during this transient was evaluated by SAM as a function of time.

FOXF2 aggravates the progression of non-small cell lung cancer through targeting lncRNA H19 to downregulate PTEN

OBJECTIVE

To illustrate the role of FOXF2 in the aggravation of the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 to down-regulate the gene of phosphate and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The relative levels of FOXF2 and H19 in NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between the expression levels of FOXF2 and H19 was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were depicted for uncovering the prognostic value of FOXF2 in NSCLC patients. The proliferative and migratory abilities of A549 cells influenced by FOXF2 were also assessed. The interaction between FOXF2 and H19 was evaluated through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and Western blot, so did the association between H19 and PTEN. Finally, rescue experiments were conducted to explore the role of FOXF2/H19/PTEN axis in regulating the viability and migration of A549 cells.

RESULTS

FOXF2 and H19 were upregulated in NSCLC and a positive correlation was observed between the two genes. High level of FOXF2 indicated a worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. The knockdown of FOXF2 attenuated the proliferative and migratory abilities of A549 cells. FOXF2 could bind to the promoter region of H19 and accelerated its transcription. Moreover, H19 could recruit EZH2 to bind to PTEN. The overexpression of H19 could reverse the regulatory effects of FOXF2 on the viability and migration of A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

FOXF2 was upregulated in NSCLC. It accelerated the proliferative and migratory abilities of the NSCLC cells by targeting H19 to downregulate PTEN, thus aggravating the progression of NSCLC.

Efficacy and safety of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) created using covered stents of different diameters: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to make a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the stent diameter (8mm vs. 10mm) that conveys better safety and clinical efficacy for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four databases were used to identify clinical trials published from inception until March 2020. Data were extracted to estimate and compare one-year and three-year overall survivals, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal rebleeding, and shunt dysfunction rates between patients with 8mm covered stents and those with 10mm covered stents.

RESULTS

Five eligible studies were selected, which included 489 patients (316 men, 173 women). The 8mm covered stent group had higher efficacy regarding one-year or three-year overall survival (odds ratio [OR], 2.88; P=0.003) and (OR, 1.81; P=0.04) and lower hepatic encephalopathy (OR, 0.69; P=0.04) compared with 10mm covered stent group. There were no significant differences in variceal rebleeding rate (OR 0.80; P=0.67). However, shunt dysfunction was lower in 10mm covered stent group (OR, 2.26; P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the use of 8mm covered stents should be preferred to that of 10mm covered stents for TIPS placement when portal pressure is frequently monitored.

NLRP3 inflammasome activation by estrogen promotes the progression of human endometrial cancer

Background

Activation of NLPR3 inflammasome is associated with the development and progression of some types of malignant tumors, but its role in endometrial cancer is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression and function of NLRP3 inflammasome in endometrial cancer.

Materials and methods

 The expression levels of NLRP3, its inflammasome components and estrogen receptor β in endometrial cancer and paired non-tumor tissues were detected. The effects of NLPR3 silencing or overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Ishikawa and HEC-1A cells were determined. The impact of NLPR3 silencing on the growth of implanted tumors was determined in vivo. The effects of estrogen on NLPR3 inflammasome activation and Ishikawa cell proliferation were determined.

Results

The upregulation of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and IL-1β was associated with the progression of endometrial cancer and poor survival. NLPR3 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of endometrial cancer cells while NLPR3 overexpression had opposite effects. NLPR3 silencing reduced IL-1β and caspase-1 expression and the growth of implanted endometrial tumors, accompanied by decreased pro-IL-1β maturation. Estrogen enhanced NLPR3, ERβ, pro-IL-1β, IL-1β expression, and endometrial cancer cell proliferation, which were mitigated by treatment with ERβ inhibitor but not ERα inhibitor.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that estrogen acts through ERβ to enhance the activation of NLPR3 inflammasome and promote the progression of endometrial cancer. NLPR3 inflammasome may be a new therapeutic target for endometrial cancer.

Identification of key pathways and genes in endometrial cancer using bioinformatics analyses

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynecological cancer types worldwide. However, to the best of our knowledge, its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The current study downloaded three mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) datasets of EC and normal tissue samples, GSE17025, GSE63678 and GSE35794, from the Gene Expression Omnibus to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and miRNAs (DEMs) in EC tumor tissues. The DEGs and DEMs were then validated using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas and subjected to gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct a protein-protein interaction network and the prognostic effects of the hub genes were analyzed. Finally, miRecords was used to predict DEM targets and an miRNA-gene network was constructed. A total of 160 DEGs were identified, of which 51 genes were highly expressed and 100 DEGs were discovered from the PPI network. Three overlapping genes between the DEGs and the DEM targets, BIRC5, CENPF and HJURP, were associated with significantly worse overall survival of patients with EC. A number of DEGs were enriched in cell cycle, human T-lymphotropic virus infection and cancer-associated pathways. A total of 20 DEMs and 29 miRNA gene pairs were identified. In conclusion, the identified DEGs, DEMs and pathways in EC may provide new insights into understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms that facilitate EC tumorigenesis and progression.

The Effects of miR-195-5p/MMP14 on Proliferation and Invasion of Cervical Carcinoma Cells Through TNF Signaling Pathway Based on Bioinformatics Analysis of Microarray Profiling

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study is aimed at identification of miR-195-5p/MMP14 expression in cervical cancer (CC) and their roles on cell proliferation and invasion profile of CC cells through TNF signaling pathway in CC.

METHODS

Microarray analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and DAVID were used to analyze differentially expressed miRNAs, mRNAs and signaling pathways. MiR-195-5p and MMP14 expression levels in CC cell were determined by qRT-PCR. Western blot was employed to measure MMP14 and TNF signaling pathway-relating protein level. Luciferase reporter system was used to confirm the targeting relationship between MMP14 and miR-195-5p. Cell proliferation and invasion was respectively deeded by CCK8, transwell. In vivo experiment was carried out to study the impact of MMP14 and miR-195-5p on CC development in mice.

RESULTS

The microarray analysis and the results of qRT-PCR determined that miR-195-5p was under-expressed and MMP14 was over-expressed in CC cells. GSEA and DAVID analysis showed that TNF signaling pathway was regulated by miR-195-5p/MMP14 and activated in cervical carcinoma cells. The miR-195-5p and MMP14 have a negative regulation relation. In vivo experiment found that down-regulated MMP14 and up-regulated miR-195-5p suppressed the tumor development.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that MMP14 is a direct target of miR-195-5p, and down-regulated MMP14 and up-regulated miR-195-5p suppressed proliferation and invasion of CC cells by inhibiting TNF signaling pathway.

Potential use of two filter media in constructed wetlands for simultaneous removal of As, V and Mo from alkaline wastewater - Batch adsorption and column studies

The potential to use water treatment sludge and bauxite as active filter media in constructed wetlands to remove As, V and Mo from alkaline drainage originating from seawater-neutralized bauxite processing residue was evaluated in laboratory batch and column studies. Batch adsorption studies showed that increasing the electrolyte concentration from 0.01 to 0.30 M NaCl (the typical electrolyte strength of the drainage) increased adsorption of all three oxyanions onto both media while increasing initial pH from 6.7 to 8.3 (the typical pH of drainage) and using granules (1-2 mm dia.) rather than ground material (<0.2 mm) both decreased adsorption. Kinetic studies showed that while ionic strength had little effect on the contact time required to reach maximum adsorption, increased initial pH increased the time to reach maximum adsorption for Mo on both media and increased particle size increased the time required for maximum adsorption of all three oxyanions onto both media. In batch experiments, at initial elemental concentrations of 1 and 50 mg L^-1, adsorption from multi-element solutions (compared with single element ones) was reduced in the order: Mo » As > V. In continuous flow column studies from single element solutions (1 mg L^-1), breakthrough curves for Mo occurred first and greater than three times more eluent passed through the columns before breakthrough of V and then As occurred. When multi-element solutions were used, less volume of eluent was required for breakthrough of all three anions and the volume required before breakthrough of As was greatly reduced compared to that for V. The possibility that the strong ability of V to compete with As and particularly Mo could cause desorption of previously adsorbed Mo and As and their movement through a wetland filter needs to be further investigated. It was concluded that molybdate is the least strongly held oxyanion and that a decrease in solution pH within the wetland would greatly improve Mo removal efficiency.

Estrogen‑related receptor γ promotes the migration and metastasis of endometrial cancer cells by targeting S100A4

S100 calcium binding protein A4 (S100A4) is a well‑established tumor metastasis mediator in various malignancies, including endometrial cancer (EC). However, the regulatory mechanism underlying S100A4 expression remains elusive. In the present study, by analyzing public datasets and clinical samples, we found that estrogen‑related receptor γ (ERRγ) was upregulated and positively correlated with S100A4 transcription in EC. ERRγ knockdown inhibited S100A4 expression and promoted the expression of its downstream target E‑cadherin, and vice versa. Mechanistic studies indicated that ERRγ enhanced the promoter activity of S100A4 to facilitate its transcription. In addition, knockdown of ERRγ suppressed migration and invasion of EC cells in vitro, while ectopic ERRγ expression promoted migration and invasion of EC cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Importantly, restoration of S100A4 expression prevented EC cells from undergoing ERRγ‑mediated changes in these biological features. In addition, synchronous changes in S100A4 and ERRγ expression were observed after incubation with estrogen. Overall, ERRγ may exert oncogenic activity mainly associated with aggressiveness of EC by activating S100A4 transcription and thus may be a novel therapeutic target in EC.

Prognostic significance of L1 cell adhesion molecule in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) extensively participates in nervous system development and the malignant progression of human tumours. The prognostic value of L1CAM for the survival of patients with solid tumours remains controversial. The present meta-analysis was thus performed to highlight the relationship between L1CAM expression and prognosis in cancer patients. Relevant publications were identified after searching several widely used databases, including PubMed, EMBASE and the ISI Web of Science. A fixed-effect or random-effect meta-analytical model was employed to correlate L1CAM expression with different outcome measures in both entire tumours and stratified subgroups. 37 studies in total with 8552 patients were eligible for the final analysis. Combined hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) suggested that high L1CAM expression had an unfavourable impact on overall survival (HR=2.06, 95%CI 1.65-2.57, P<0.001), disease-specific survival (HR=2.45, 95%CI 1.48-4.05, P<0.001), disease-free survival (HR=2.42, 95%CI 1.4-4.19, P=0.002) and progression-free survival/recurrence-free survival (HR=2.07, 95%CI 1.41-3.05, P<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed a similar correlation in most tumour types. Overall, L1CAM might be an effective poor prognostic factor for patients with various tumour types.

Propensity score matching analysis of the prognosis for the rare insular subtype of thyroid cancer based on SEER database

Insular thyroid carcinoma (ITC) is an uncommon thyroid malignancy with an unclear prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the prognoses of patients with ITC. We investigated a large cohort of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database who were registered between 2004 and 2013, and compared the prognosis of patients with ITC to those with classic papillary thyroid cancer (CPTC) and follicular thyroid cancer (FTC). Patient mortality was determined using Kaplan-Meier analyses with log-rank tests, as well as Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. The study cohort comprised of 165 patients with ITC, 5419 patients with FTC, and 60739 patients with CPTC. The rate of cancer-specific mortality per 1000 person-years for ITC was higher than that for CPTC or FTC. According to multivariate Cox regression analysis, however, the cancer-specific and all-cause mortality rates of ITC were similar to those of CPTC and FTC. The cancer-specific survival rate in patients with ITC was higher than that in patients with CPTC, but similar to that in patients with FTC, after adjusting for potentially influencing factors using propensity score matching analysis. These findings, which contrast with previously published data, provide new implications for the treatment of patients with ITC.

Correction: Prognostic and diagnostic significance of lncRNAs expression in cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.18323.].

Transcriptomic analysis of stromal cells from patients with endometrial carcinoma

Tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in cancer pathogenesis. In this study, we performed transcriptomic analysis of stromal cells from patients diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma. Endometrial stromal cells from patients and healthy donors were cultured and total RNA was extracted for RNA integrity examination and gene profiling analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG analysis were also performed. In this study, we found that, in endometrial stromal cells from endometrial cancer patients, a total of 605 genes were changed (fold change ≥2, p-value <0.05). From these, 275 were up-regulated and 330 were down-regulated genes. In addition, GO analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in various biological processes including cell adhesion, biological adhesion, bone development and extracellular matrix organization. Furthermore, KEGG analysis of the DEGs identified four pathways including Wnt signaling pathway, cadherin signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction, and focal adhesion. Our study identified 605 DEGs in stromal cells from endometrial carcinoma which mapped to a variety of biological processes. These results may contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms o of endometrial carcinoma pathogenesis.

Transdifferentiated Monocytes: a Novel Source of Lymphatic Endothelial-like Cells

Although monocytes have previously been demonstrated to contribute to lymphatic vessel formation in vivo, monocyte transdifferentiation into lymphatic endothelial cells and the specific conditions required remain unclear. In this study, monocyte cultures isolated from human peripheral blood were stimulated to transdifferentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells under specific in vitro induction conditions. These results demonstrate primary isolates of CD14 (+) monocytes express low levels of lymphatic endothelial cell specific markers or pan-endothelial markers under routine culture conditions. Using fibronectin (FN) coated flasks and EGM-2 supplemented culture medium, monocytes were induced to express lymphatic endothelial markers Prox-1, VEGFR-3, LYVE-1, Podoplanin, and pan-endothelial markers vWF, CD144, and VEGFR-2. Furthermore, using the FN/EGM-2/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) culture conditions, monocytes displayed dramatically increased expressions of Prox-1, VEGFR-3, Podoplanin, LYVE-1 and vWF, while the expression of CD144 and VEGFR-2 sharply decreased. In addition, VEGF-C secretion by monocytes exposed to fibronectin coated plates with EGM-2 medium with FN/EGM-2/LPS in vitro was significantly increased over levels seen in routine culture conditions. These findings demonstrate that monocytes can be induced to undergo transdifferentiation becoming more lymphatic endothelial-like cells and increase their VEGF-C production in an FN/EGM-2/LPS environment.

Prognostic and diagnostic significance of lncRNAs expression in cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be abnormally expressed in cervical cancer (CC) and presumably serve as diagnostic or prognostic markers. We thus performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical values of dysregulated lncRNAs in CC. A literature search was performed using the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. A total of 22 relevant studies were eligible, including 21 on clinicopathological features, 18 on prognosis, and 4 on diagnosis. For clinicopathological features, HOTAIR expression was positively associated with tumor size (odds ratio [OR]=2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.42-3.38, P=0.000) and lymph node metastasis (OR=6.04, 95% CI 3.51-10.42, P=0.000). For the prognostic values, up-regulated HOTAIR had an unfavorable impact on overall survival ([OS]; hazard ratio [HR]=1.94, 95%CI 1.17-3.22, P=0.011) and disease-free survival (HR=2.61, 95%CI 1.35-5.05, P=0.004), and high PVT1 expression was correlated with shorter OS (HR=1.66, 95%CI 1.21-2.29, P=0.002). For the diagnostic values, the pooled result showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.85, with 85% sensitivity and 81% specificity in discriminating patients with CC from healthy controls. Overall, we conclude that lncRNAs might serve as promising indicators for prognostic and diagnostic evaluation of patients with CC.

Altered expression of hormone receptor, integrin β3 and pinopode in the endometrium of luteal phase defect women

OBJECTIVE

To invistigate estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), integrin β3, and pinopode expression in luteal phase deficiency (LPD) women.

METHODS

There were 52 nulligravidas consecutive infertile patients undergoing a routine assistant reproduction consultation included in this study. An endometrial biopsy sample was randomly obtained between days 4 and 10 of the luteal phase. Endometrial morphology was examined with scanning electron microscopy. Expressions of ER, PR, integrin β3 were determined in the endometrium of LPD patients with immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The incidence of LPD was 15.3% (8/52) in this study. On day luteinizing hormone (LH) surge + 9∼LH + 10, noted regressing pinopodes resembling a day LH + 7∼LH + 8 in the endometrium of the control group. The expressions of ER and PR in glandular epithelium were significantly increased in endometrium of LPD than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, there was a statistically significant decrease expression of the integrin β3 in women from the group of LPD (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The altered expression of ER and PR may be associated with the expression variation of integrin and pinopode formation in endometrium of LPD women. This alteration may imply the association of low rates of cycle fecundity and high rates of embryonic loss in LPD women.

Efficacy of Anti-VEGF/VEGFR Agents on Animal Models of Endometriosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background/Objective

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most important promotor of angiogenesis. Some studies indicate that anti-angiogenic agents that interfere with VEGF and its receptor (VEGFR), i.e., anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents, may be applied to treat endometriosis. This meta-analysis investigated the efficacy of anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents in animal models of endometriosis.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed for animal studies published in English or Chinese from January 1995 to June 2016, which evaluated the effect of anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents on endometriosis. The databases were: PubMed, Web of Science, BIOSIS, Embase, and CNKI. The quality of included studies was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. The random-effect models were used to combine the results of selected studies. Heterogeneity was assessed using H²statistic and I² statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine the source of heterogeneity in endometriosis scores and follicle numbers.

Results

We identified 13 studies that used anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents in various animal models. The meta-analysis showed that anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents were associated with smaller size (standardized mean difference (SMD) –0.96, 95% CI –1.31 to –0.62; P < 0.0001) and weight (SMD –1.70, 95% CI –2.75 to –0.65; P = 0.002) of endometriosis lesions, relative to the untreated controls, as well as a lower incidence rate of endometriosis (risk ratio 0.26, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.93; P = 0.038) and endometriosis score (SMD –1.17, 95% CI –1.65 to –0.69; P < 0.0001); the number of follicles were similar (SMD –0.78, 95% CI –1.65 to 0.09; P = 0.08).

Conclusions

Anti-VEGF/VEGFR agents appeared to inhibit the growth of endometriosis, with no effect on ovarian function. Anti-angiogenic therapy may be a novel strategy in treating endometriosis.

Association between glutathione S-transferase M1/T1 gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Endometriosis is a polygenic/multifactorial disease caused by interactions between multiple genes and the environment. Findings from studies evaluating the association between the glutathione S-transferase (GST) M1/T1 null genotype and susceptibility to endometriosis are inconsistent. This meta-analysis updated and reevaluated the possible associations between GSTM1, GSTT1 and combined GSTM1/GSTT1 (null genotype versus wild-type) gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to endometriosis. The PubMed, Embase and Chinese BioMedical Literature databases and Google Scholar were searched for case-control genetic association studies on GSTM1/GSTT1 (null genotype versus wild-type) gene polymorphisms and endometriosis in comparison with non-endometriosis or healthy controls. Fixed-effect and random-effect meta-analytical techniques were conducted for the outcome measure and subgroup analyses. The meta-analysis demonstrated significant associations between the GSTM1 [odds ratio (OR)=1.56; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25–1.95; P<0.0001), GSTT1 (OR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.02–1.68; P=0.037) and GSTM1/GSTT1 (OR=1.68; 95% CI: 1.29–2.17; P<0.0001) null genotypes and increased risk for endometriosis. The results suggest that the GSTM1, GSTT1, and combined GSTM1/GSTT1 null genotypes increase susceptibility to endometriosis. Additional well-designed studies and precise analyses are warranted to confirm these findings.

Stromal cells of endometrial carcinoma promotes proliferation of epithelial cells through the HGF/c-Met/Akt signaling pathway

Tumor microenvironment participates in the endometrial carcinoma pathogenesis. This study focuses on the interaction between endometrial cancer stromal cells and epithelial cells from normal endometrium tissue using in vitro transwell coculture system and in vivo xenograft model. We demonstrate that cancer interstitial (CI) cells stimulate normal epithelial (NE) cell proliferation. Tumor xenograft model confirmed the pro-proliferative effect of CI cells on epithelial cell growth. Tumor suppressor PTEN was reduced, and oncogene K-ras was increased in epithelial cells cocultured with CI cells. Moreover, we observed increased expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in CI cells and tumor xenografts derived from the coculturing system. Higher HGF secretion activated Akt signaling pathway, which was reversed by HGF receptor inhibitor (crizotinib). These results demonstrate that endometrial carcinoma stromal cells stimulate epithelial cell proliferation via the HGF/c-Met/Akt signaling pathway.

Potential for use of industrial waste materials as filter media for removal of Al, Mo, As, V and Ga from alkaline drainage in constructed wetlands--adsorption studies

The potential to remove Al, Mo, V, As and Ga from alkaline (pH 8.0-8.6) drainage originating from seawater neutralized bauxite processing residue storage areas using constructed wetland technology was studied in a laboratory study. Bauxite processing residue sand, bauxite, alum water treatment sludge and blast furnace slag were investigated as potential active filter materials. Al was shown to precipitate as Al(OH)3 in the pH range 7.0-8.0 in aqueous solution and 6.0-8.5 in the presence of silica sand particles that provided a surface for nucleation. For V As Mo and Ga, adsorption to the surfaces of the adsorbents decreased greatly at elevated pH values (>pH 6-9). Water treatment sludge and bauxite had a greater ability to adsorb V, As and Mo at high pH (As and V at pH 7-9 and Mo at pH 5-7) than processing sand and slag. Adsorption isotherm data for As and V onto all four adsorbent than processing sand and slag. Adsorption isotherm data for As and V onto all four adsorbent materials fitted equally well to the Langmuir and Freundlich equations but for Ga, and to a lesser extent Mo, the Freundlich equation gave higher R(2) values. For all four ions, the maximum adsorption capacity (Langmuir value qmax) was greatest for water treatment sludge. Bauxite adsorbed more Mo, Ga and V than residue sand or slag. The pseudo-second order equation gave a better fit to the experimental kinetic data than the pseudo-first order model suggesting that chemisorption rather than diffusion/exchange was the rate limiting step to adsorption. It was concluded that water treatment sludge and bauxite were the most effective adsorbents and that for effective removal of the target ions the pH of the drainage water needs to be decreased to 6.0-7.0.

Longitudinal assessment of oxytocin efficacy on bone and bone marrow fat masses in a rabbit osteoporosis model through 3.0-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy and micro-CT

This study aims to longitudinally assess the effect of oxytocin on bone and bone fat masses using micro-CT, in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and histopathological adipocyte quantification. Early in vivo oxytocin (OT) treatment to the osteoporosis (OP) rabbit model may reliably inhibit bone degeneration and reduce bone marrow fat accumulation by decreasing marrow adipocyte size and density.

INTRODUCTION

This study aims to longitudinally assess the effect of early OT treatment on bone and bone fat masses in a rabbit OP model by comparing the results of MRS and micro-CT with histopathological findings.

METHODS

Sixty 20-week-old female rabbits were randomly assigned into three groups. The control and OP groups were subjected to either sham surgery or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX). The OT group was subcutaneously injected with OT daily from the second week after OVX for 8 weeks. The left proximal femurs of the rabbits were evaluated through MRS, micro-CT, and histopathological examination at 0, 4, 8, 10, and 12 weeks after operation. Differences in fat fraction (FF) values, micro-CT parameters, and calculated pathological marrow adipocytes among three groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

The FF values of the OP group significantly increased (p = 0.019), but the tissue mineral density (TMD) decreased (p = 0.037) from eighth week compared with those of the control group. The FF values of the OT group significantly decreased (p = 0.044), but the TMD values increased (p = 0.042) from eighth week compared with those of the OP group. The adypocyte diameter of the OT group significantly decreased (p = 0.041) from eighth week and then adypocyte density did so too from tenth week, compared with those of the OP group at the same time point. No difference in adypocyte calculation was found between the OT and control groups until the 12th week after operation.

CONCLUSION

Early in vivo OT treatment slowed down bone deterioration and reduced bone marrow adiposity accumulation in a rabbit OP model, which is consistent with pathologic findings. OT treatment is a promising preventive OP therapy.

HGF and c-Met in pathogenesis of endometrial carcinoma

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) regulates cell growth, motility, and morphogenesis of various types of cells via its receptor c-Met. In the growth of endometrium, HGF/c-Met signaling promotes the proliferation of both endometrial epithelial cells and stromal cells. In the onset and development of several cancers, HGF/c-Met signaling drives carcinogenesis and cancer invasion and metastasis. In endometrial carcinoma (EC), accounting for a majority of cancer-related morbidity and mortality among women, the increased expression of HGF and c-Met signaling is associated with a poor prognosis of EC patients. Thus, we will discuss the role of HGF and c-Met in the EC pathogenesis in this review.

Monocytes can be induced to express lymphatic phenotypes

Although it has been recently shown that monocytes can transdifferentiate into blood vascular endothelial cells which are involved in angiogenesis, little attention has been paid to their potential to transdifferentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells. Therefore, we examined this question in our study. We first stimulated monocytes with either fibronectin (FN), VEGF-C, TNF-alpha, LPS, or IL-3 for 24h. Then we examined the expression of several markers of lymphatic endothelium and found that the monocytes expressed specific lymphatic endothelial markers, LYVE-1, Podoplanin, and Prox-1, but not common endothelial markers vWF or eNOS. Next, monocytes were incubated in endothelial growth medium with FN and VEGF-C for 6d. These monocytes were also found to express LYVE-1, Podoplanin and Prox-1, but not vWF or eNOS. Our results indicate that monocytes in vitro can be easily induced to present lymphatic phenotypes in an inflammatory environment.

Preparation, morphology and coagulation characteristics of a new polyferric chloride coagulant prepared using pyrite cinders

Pyrite cinders are the main industrial waste generated from the process of sulphuric acid production using pyrite ores. The pyrite cinders may have utilization value in preparing a new polyferric chloride (PFC) coagulant. In order to attain this objective, a preparation method for PFC products from pyrite cinders was studied by a Taguchi orthogonal array experiment. On the basis of the successful preparation, the morphologies and coagulation characteristics of three PFC products, with different basicities, were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and examined by jar tests, respectively. The results showed that the molar ratio of NaOH to Fe should be in a range between 0.75:1 and 1:1, the molar ratio of stabilizer NaH2PO4 to Fe should be in a range between 0.12:1 and 0.15:1, the curing time should be 2 h, the curing temperature can be 60 degrees C and the molar ratio of NaHCO3 to Fe can be determined according to the basicity required in order to get the optimal stability of PFC products and the best flocculation efficiency. Although the degree of aggregation of the PFC products became larger with the increase in the basicity, the coagulation efficiency could be only improved with an increase in the basicity within a certain range. When the basicity exceeded a certain value, the coagulation efficiency started to decrease. In this study, PFC2 (B = 11.16%) had better coagulation characteristics than either PFCl (B = 6.08%), PFC2 (B = 11.16%), PFC3 (B = 15.92%) or polyaluminium chloride (PAC).

The effect of cognitive flexibility on skill rehabilition training of schizophrenics in community

Objective

To study the effect of cognitive flexibility on skill rehabilition training of schizophrenics in community.

Methods

150 schizophrenic outpatients in their rehabilitation stage were randomly divided into skills training group (100 cases) and control group (50 cases with five drop of). The training lasted for 24 weeks and the patients were followed up for 12 weeks. The assessing instruments included PANSS (positive and negative symptom scale), MRSS (morning. side rehabilitation stage scale) and cognitive flexibility (WCST, Stroop test and Trail making).

Results

133 subjects completed the trial. The scores of PANSS, the negative subscale, the General Psychopathology subscale in both groups decreased signifieantly after treatment (P < 0.05∼P < 0.01). The scores of MRSS, Dependency subscale, Inactivity subscale, effects of Current Symptoms and Deviant Behavior Subscale in the skills training group decreased significantly after treatment (P< 0.05∼P < 0.01); the reductions of PANSS, MRSS between two groups were not significant different; Relapse rate was lower in the skills training group than that in the control group, without a statistical significant. Within skills training group, the numbers of continuous error (WCST) and correct error in effective group was better than those in ineffective group.

Conclusion

Community reintegration skill is of benefit to rehabilitation of schizophrenics in decreasing symptoms, improving social function and decreasing defect. The cognitive flexibility and the effect of skill training rehabilitation in chronic schizophrenia patients has certain relations.

The Influence of Group Psychotherapy to Crisis Frangibility and Coping Style in Community Residents

Objective

To understood the influence of group psychotherapy to crisis frangibility and coping style in community residents,seek the methods and value of community psychological coping intervention,and provide the basis of psychological theory and practice for the work of community mental health.

Methods

The scale of crisis frangibility and BCQ were employed to evaluate and compare the mental state before and after intervention.

Results

1)

Conclusion

9 Group psychotherapy in community is a effective method to reduce resident's crisis frangibility,and the setup of experimental model has provided the theory and the practice basis for development psychology counseling in community.

Bioremediation of contaminated surface water by immobilized Micrococcus roseus

The problems caused by contaminated surface water have gradually become more serious in recent years. Although various remediation technologies were investigated, unfortunately, no efficient method was developed. In this paper, a new bioremediation technology was studied using Micrococcus roseus, which was immobilized in porous spherical beads by an improved polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) - sodium alginate (SA) embedding method. The experimental results indicated that COD removal rate could reach 64.7 % within 72 hours when immobilized M. roseus beads were used, which was ten times as high as that of free cells. The optimum inoculation rate of immobilized M. roseus beads was 10 % (mass percent of the beads in water sample, g g(-1)). Suitable aeration was proved necessary to enhance the bioremediation process. The immobilized cells had an excellent tolerance to pH and temperature changes, and were also more resistant to heavy metal stress compared with free cells. The immobilized M. roseus beads had an excellent regeneration capacity and could be reused after 180-day continuous usage. The Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) analysis showed that the bead microstructure was suitable for M. roseus growth, however, some defect structures should still be improved.

[Detection of gangliosides in human milk with a high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)]

OBJECTIVES

To determine the ganglioside composition in human milk during lactation, and to evaluate the biological significance.

METHODS

The gangliosides extracted from 68 milk samples were examined with a high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC).

RESULTS

The concentration of total lipid bound sialic acid was 7.8-10.4 microliters/ml. Four gangliosides were found and designated as GM3, GD3, GX1 and GX2, respectively. GX1 and GX2, which had not been described previously, were tentatively assumed to be gangliosides of the c-pathway because they did not react to the GA1 antibody after sialidase treatment. GD3 and GM3 were the major gangliosides in human milk (accounted for 50%-65%). CM3 decreased sharply at eight days postpartum. Both GM3 and GD3 changed significantly during lactation (GM3, r = 0.65, P < 0.01; GD3, r = -0.58, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Four gangliosides, GM3, GD3, GX1 and GX2 were found in human milk. Both GM3 and GD3 changed significantly during lactation.

Effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-2 on spleen lymphocyte migration in mouse skin

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) are reported to enhance lymphocyte binding to endothelial cells in vitro. We examined these two agents on lymphocyte migration in vivo. Spleen lymphocytes were radiolabeled with tritiated uridine (3H-UR) and then injected i.v. into mice. Each cytokine (TNF-alpha or IL-2) or both cytokines were then injected intradermally on the back of mice. The results demonstrated that TNF-alpha stimulates lymphocyte migration in vivo in dose-dependent fashion. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that migration with TNF-alpha started at 3 h, peaked at 6 h, followed by a gradual decline back to baseline at 24 h. IL-2, on the other hand, was nearly inactive, and did not augment lymphocyte migration over and above that induced by TNF-alpha when both cytokines were injected together.

Do personalised letters in Vietnamese increase cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese women?

In Australia, Vietnamese women are at greater risk of cervical cancer than other Australian women. To increase their participation in cervical screening, the Vietnamese community was exposed to a media campaign about the advantages of cervical smear screening which was delivered in Vietnamese through Vietnamese newspapers and radio. In addition, 689 Vietnamese (18-67 years) were selected from the electoral roll. They were randomly assigned to either receive a personal letter written in Vietnamese promoting cervical screening, or not. We report on the effect of the letter on smear rates. Being randomised to be sent such a letter was not associated with any increase in screening (relative rate of appropriate screening in the intervention versus the control group was 0.85, 95% CI 0.55-1.3). It is important to carefully evaluate untested health promotion interventions.

Thrombogenic properties of antiphospholipid antibodies do not depend on their binding to beta2 glycoprotein 1 (beta2GP1) alone

Immunization of mice with beta2glycoprotein 1 (beta2GP1) induces production of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies, which were shown to have thrombus enhancing properties in an experimental mouse model, indicating that these antibodies are thrombogenic in vivo. To determine whether the thrombogenic effect of murine antiphospholipid antibodies is due to their aPL or their anti-beta2GP1 activity, we injected mice with murine monoclonal anticardiolipin (aCL) and anti-beta2GP1 antibodies. Effects of these antibodies on thrombus formation, was evaluated utilizing a mouse model which enables kinetics of thrombus formation to be studied. The results of this study showed that the size of the thrombus in animals injected with murine aCL antibodies was larger than that in control groups. There was no difference in thrombus kinetics between anti-beta2GP1 injected mice and controls, suggesting that the thrombogenic effect of aPL antibodies is not related to their anti-beta2GP1 activity alone. Mice receiving monoclonal antibodies with both aCL and anti-beta2GP1 activity, also increase thrombus size when compared with controls. These data indicate that murine aCL, but not anti-beta2GP1, antibodies are thrombogenic in vivo.

Acquired CD40-ligand deficiency in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Patients with B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) acquire an immunodeficiency with many characteristics similar to those of persons with inherited defects in the gene encoding the CD40-ligand (CD154). We found that the blood and splenic CD4+ T cells of patients with CLL failed to express surface CD154 after CD3 ligation. However, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we noted that CD3 ligation could induce such T cells to express CD154 messenger RNA at levels similar to that of CD3-activated T cells from normal donors. Moreover, addition of increasing numbers of CLL B cells to activated normal donor T cells rapidly resulted in progressively greater down-modulation of CD154. Such down-modulation of CD154 could be blocked by addition of CD40 monoclonal antibody to cultures in vitro. We propose that leukemia cell-mediated down-modulation of CD154 on activated T cells accounts for some of the acquired immune defects of patients with CLL.

Deficient Fas ligand expression by synovial lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To examine the expression and function of CD95 (Fas) and its ligand in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

METHODS

We used flow cytometry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction methods to assess lymphocyte expression of CD95 and its ligand. We also examined whether lymphocytes could undergo Fas-mediated apoptosis with anti-CD95 monoclonal antibody (MAb) or human Fas ligand-expressing fibroblasts, and if synovial fluid contained a soluble factor(s) that could inhibit such interactions. Finally, we determined whether anti-CD3 MAb could induce synovial T cells to express the Fas ligand in vitro.

RESULTS

Nearly all RA synovial fluid or synovial tissue lymphocytes expressed CD95 and could be induced to undergo apoptosis by CD95 crosslinking. We did not detect a soluble inhibitor in RA synovial fluid that could account for the survival of CD95+ synovial cells in vivo. Instead, we detected little or no expression of Fas ligand by RA synovial lymphocytes. However, we could induce such cells to express Fas ligand with anti-CD3 MAb or phorbol ester and ionomycin in vitro.

CONCLUSION

There is ineffective clearance of activated cells in the RA joint due to deficient expression of the Fas ligand.

Enhanced secretion of glycocholic acid in a specially adapted cell line is associated with overexpression of apparently novel ATP-binding cassette proteins

Secretion of anionic endo- and xenobiotics is essential for the survival of animal and plant cells; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain uncertain. To better understand one such model system--i.e., secretion of bile acids by the liver--we utilized a strategy analogous to that employed to identify the multidrug resistance (mdr) genes. We synthesized the methyl ester of glycocholic acid (GCE), which readily enters cells, where it is hydrolyzed to yield glycocholic acid, a naturally occurring bile acid. The rat hepatoma-derived HTC cell line gradually acquired resistance to GCE concentrations 20-fold higher than those which inhibited growth of naive cells, yet intracellular accumulation of radiolabel in resistant cells exposed to [14C]GCE averaged approximately 25% of that in nonresistant cells. As compared with nonresistant cells, resistant cells also exhibited (i) cross-resistance to colchicine, a known mdr substrate, but not to other noxious substances transported by hepatocytes; (ii) increased abundance on Northern blot of mRNA species up to 7-10 kb recognized by a probe for highly conserved nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) sequences of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) proteins; (iii) increased abundance, as measured by RNase protection assay, of mRNA fragments homologous to a NBD cRNA probe; and (iv) dramatic overexpression, as measured by Western blotting and immunofluorescence, of a group of 150- to 200-kDa plasma membrane proteins recognized by a monoclonal antibody against a region flanking the highly conserved NBD of mdr/P-glycoproteins. Finally, Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA from resistant cells and incubated with [14C]GCE secreted radiolabel more rapidly than did control oocytes. Enhanced secretion of glycocholic acid in this cell line is associated with overexpression of ABC/mdr-related proteins, some of which are apparently novel and are likely to include a bile acid transport protein.