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BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, with high incidence and poor prognosis. Revealing mechanisms of ESCC progression and developing new therapeutic targets remains crucial. The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of miR-30c-5p in regulating the malignant progression of ESCC. METHODS: TCGA, GEO, and other datasets were used to analyze the differential expression of miR-30c-5p in ESCC and adjacent tissues, and its impact on prognosis. Then the effects of miR-30c-5p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TE-1 and Eca9706 cells were investigated through proliferation experiments, transwell and wounding healing assays. The regulatory mechanism of miR-30c-5p on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and its interaction in cancer progression were investigated through Western blots, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments. RESULTS: miR-30c-5p was significantly downregulated in ESCC tissue and represented a poor prognosis. miR-30c-5p mimic significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of ESCC, while miR-30c-5p inhibitor significantly promoted tumor cell progression. Through bioinformatic analysis and experimental results, miR-30c-5p interacted directly with PIK3CA mRNA and inhibited subsequent signaling pathway activation. PIK3CA activator could eliminate the inhibitory effects of miR-30c-5p mimic on the progression of ESCC, while PIK3CA inhibitors could rescue the promoting effect of miR-30c-5p inhibitor group cells. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we found that miR-30c-5p inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of ESCC by inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway for the first time, and this study is expected to provide a novel insight and potential therapeutic target for managing ESCC.
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Background: Although video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) plays an increasingly significant part in treating thoracic disease, the role of thoracotomy is not replaced in cystic echinococcosis. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the application of VATS and traditional thoracotomy in the treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease in Shigatse of the Tibet Plateau and to compare the clinical safety and efficacy of these two surgical approaches. Methods: A total of 53 patients with pulmonary hydatid who received thoracoscopic cystectomy with needle aspiration from January 2015 to December 2020 were enrolled in the study, and 126 patients who received thoracotomy during the same period were matched as the control group. The clinical characteristics, operative time, incidence of perioperative complications, length of stay, and hospitalization cost of the VATS and thoracotomy groups were analyzed to compare the safety and efficacy. Patients were followed up through telephone and outpatient service. In order to balance potential confounding baseline factors, propensity-score matching (PSM) was applied to establish a 1:1 VATS to thoracotomy group ratio. Results: There were statistically significant differences between the VATS group and the thoracotomy group in operative time, blood loss, drainage volume, and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.05), with the VATS group being superior to the thoracotomy group. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, adverse imaging outcomes, or recurrence rates between the 2 groups. In terms of complications, there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative air leakage, atelectasis, or other common complications between the 2 groups, while the frequency of postoperative fever and incision infection in the thoracotomy group was significantly higher than that in the VATS group (P<0.05). Moreover, the postoperative recurrence rate between the 2 groups showed no significant difference after a 3-year follow-up. Conclusions: Compared to traditional thoracotomy, VATS had acceptable efficacy and safety and it could further accelerate postoperative recovery and reduce the cost in the treatment of pulmonary hydatid disease in the Tibetan Plateau. Thus, VATS should be promoted more widely to other Tibetan regions.
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BACKGROUND: The prognostic significance of ALK rearrangement is still contradictory. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of lung adenocarcinoma patients with ALK rearrangement, and analyze whether these patients benefited from targeted therapy. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of 80 ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma patients who had undergone radical surgery and another 3031 ALK mutation-negative patients were retrospectively reviewed for inclusion in this case-controlled analyses. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated using the Kaplan--Meier method. Univariate analysis (UVA) and multivariate analysis (MVA) by the Cox proportional hazards regression identified risk factors that predicted OS. RESULTS: Compared to ALK-negative patients, the ALK rearranged patients were younger, with more non-smokers, more females, a larger primary tumor was demonstrated, and were a higher pathological stage. In particular, the risk of lymph node metastasis was higher. For patients with surgically-resected tumors, the prognosis was better for ALK rearranged patients (HR = 0.503; 95% CI: 0.259-0.974, p = 0.041). In addition, for stage II-III patients, targeted therapy was an independent prognostic factor of better OS (HR = 0.159; 95% CI: 0.032-0.801, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: ALK rearranged lung adenocarcinoma patients who have undergone radical surgery have distinct clinical features. Patients with ALK rearrangement may have a favorable prognosis, and stage II-III patients may benefit from targeted treatment.
