Elevated C1orf63 expression is correlated with CDK10 and predicts better outcome for advanced breast cancers: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Chromosome 1 open reading frame 63 (C1orf63) is located on the distal short arm of chromosome 1, whose allelic loss has been observed in several human cancers. C1orf63 has been reported to be up-regulated in IL-2-starved T lymphocytes, which suggests it might be involved in cell cycle control, a common mechanism for carcinogenesis. Here we investigated the expression and clinical implication of C1orf63 in breast cancer. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded specimens, clinicopathological features and follow-up data of the breast cancer patients were collected. Publicly available microarray and RNA-seq datasets used in this study were downloaded from ArrayExpress of EBI and GEO of NCBI. KM plotter tool was also adopted. The expression of C1orf63 and CDK10, one known cell cycle-dependent tumor suppressor in breast cancer, was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Western blotting was performed to detect C1orf63 protein in human breast cancer cell lines, purchased from the Culture Collection of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai. RESULTS: In a group of 12 human breast tumors and their matched adjacent non-cancerous tissues, C1orf63 expression was observed in 7 of the 12 breast tumors, but not in the 12 adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.001). Similar results were observed of C1orf63 mRNA expression both in breast cancer and several other cancers, including lung cancer, prostate cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. In another group of 182 breast cancer patients, C1orf63 expression in tumors was not correlated with any clinicopathological features collected in this study. Survival analyses showed that there was no significant difference of overall survival (OS) rates between the C1orf63 (+) group and the C1orf63 (-) group (P = 0.145). However, the analyses of KM plotter displayed a valid relationship between C1orf63 and RFS (relapse free survival)/OS (P < 0.001; P = 0.007). Notablely, in breast cancers with advanced TNM stages (III ~ IV) among these 182 patients, C1orf63 expression was an independent prognostic factor predicting better clinical outcome (HR: 0.41; 95 % CI: 0.17 ~ 0.97; P = 0.042). Additionally, we found that CDK10 mRNA expression was positively correlated with C1orf63, which was consistent with the relationship of protein expression between C1orf63 and CDK10 (r s = 0.391; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues, C1orf63 expression was elevated in tumor tissues. However, C1orf63 predicts better prognosis for breast cancers with advanced TNM stage, and the underlying mechanism is unknown. In addition, C1orf63 is correlated with the cell cycle related gene, CDK10.

Requests for health education from Chinese cancer patients during their recovery period: a cross-sectional study.

To determine the prevalence of posttreatment patient requests for health information from Chinese cancer patients during their recovery period, a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a mailed survey was conducted among 374 patients selected randomly. The survey addressed what types of information patients actually wanted but did not receive from their care providers. Questionnaires from 360 patients were received and analyzed. Approximately 76.0% of the patients did not receive health information and expressed the need for the information. The information about how to reduce emotional distress (90.1%), rehabilitation (76.2%), disease symptoms (59.3%), and nutritional support (56.8%) were paramount among patients' concerns. Only 12.8% hoped to acquire information on sexual health. Health information for cancer patients at the recovery stage in China is poor. A tripartite involvement of the hospital-family-community and the combined intervention related to physical sequelae and psychosocial factors are needed at the recovery stage.

Determining the Age of Terrace Formation Using Luminescence Dating-A Case of the Yellow River Terraces in the Baode Area, China.

Dating fluvial terraces has long been a challenge for geologists and geomorphologists, because terrace straths and treads are not usually directly dated. In this study, the formation ages of the Yellow River terraces in the Baode area in China were determined by dating fluvial deposits overlying bedrock straths using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques. Seven terraces (from the lowest terrace T1 to the highest terrace T7) in the study area were recognized, and they are characterized by thick fluvial terrace deposits overlaid by loess sediments. Twenty-five samples from nine terrace sections were dated to about 2-200 ka. The OSL ages (120-190 ka) of the fluvial samples from higher terraces (T3-T6) seem to be reliable based on their luminescence properties and stratigraphic consistency, but the geomorphologic and stratigraphic evidence show that these ages should be underestimated, because they are generally similar to those of the samples from the lower terrace (T2). The formation ages of the terrace straths and treads for the T1 terrace were deduced to be about 44 ka and 36 ka, respectively, based on the deposition rates of the fluvial terrace deposits, and the T2 terrace has the same strath and tread formation age of about 135 ka. The incision rate was calculated to be about 0.35 mm/ka for the past 135 ka, and the uplift rate pattern suggests that the Ordos Plateau behaves as a rigid block. Based on our previous investigations on the Yellow River terraces and the results in this study, we consider that the formation ages of terrace straths and treads calculated using deposition rates of terrace fluvial sediments can overcome problems associated with age underestimation or overestimation of strath or fill terraces based on the single age of one fluvial terrace sample. The implication is that, for accurate dating of terrace formation, terrace sections should be systematically sampled and dated.

[The preliminary study of metallic stent implantation in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma patients with portal vein tumor thrombus].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficiency of metallic stent implantation in combination with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal vein tumor thrombus. METHODS: 22 cases of HCC patients with portal vein tumor thrombus were devided into 2 groups: 10 patients (group A) recieved stent implantation in combination with conformal radiation therapy, 12 patients (group B) recieved stent implantation and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. The adverse reactions, and liver function before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. The stent patency rate at 4, 6 and 12 months and the survival rate at 3, 6 and 12 months were followed up. Comparison of liver function was analyzed by Wilcoxon signed rank test. Comparison of stent patency rate curves and survival curves was analyzed by Log rank test. RESULTS: The portal vein catheterization was successful in all the patients. The stents were successfully implanted by transhepatic portal vein approach, and portal vein stenosis was re-opened. There was no abdominal hemorrhage in all the patients, but there were symptoms of abdominalgia, fever, nausea, vomiting and flatulence of varying degrees after interventional operation, and these symptoms were relieved by symptomatic treatment in one week. All patients in group A completed the treatment. I-II degree gastrointestinal tract reactions occurred in 3 cases, I-II degree myelosuppression occurred in 2 cases, and they were all completely relieved after treatment. The stent patency rate at 4, 6 and 12 months was 90%, 70%, 30% in group A; and 50%, 25% , 16.7% in group B (P < 0.05). The survival rate at 3, 6 and 12 months was 100%, 80% , 30% in group A and 91.7%, 41.7%, 16.7% in group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Stent implantation combined with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy is a good treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumor thrombus and causes less damage to liver.