Folate deficiency promotes cervical squamous carcinoma SiHa cells progression by targeting miR-375/FZD4/ß-catenin signaling.

Epidemiological studies suggest an association between folate deficiency (FD) and cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) progression. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. Our study showed that FD-driven downregulation of miR-375 promoted proliferation of SCC SiHa cells and progression of xenograft tumors developed from SiHa; however, the exact mechanism of this process remained unclear. The current study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which FD promotes the progression of SiHa cells by downregulating miR-375 expression. The results showed that miR-375 acted as a suppressor of SCC and inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SiHa cells. The FZD4 gene was identified as a target gene of miR-375, which can reverse the anti-onco effect of miR-375 and promote the proliferation and migration of SiHa cells. Furthermore, the regulatory effects of miR-375 and FZD4 on SiHa cells may be achieved by activating the ß-catenin signaling pathway. Moreover, FD may regulate the expression of miR-375 by regulating its DNA methylation level in the promoter region. In conclusion, our study reveals that FD regulates the miR-375/FZD4 axis by increasing the methylation of the miR-375 promoter, thereby activating ß-catenin signaling to promote SiHa cells progression. This study may provide new insights into the role of folic acid in the prevention and treatment of SCC.

Analysis of the Risk Factors for Massive Hemorrhage in Pernicious Placenta Previa and Evaluation of the Efficacy of Internal Iliac Artery Balloon Occlusion.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of intraoperative massive hemorrhage in patients with pernicious placenta previa (PPP) and analyze the value of bilateral internal iliac artery balloon occlusion in Cesarean section for these patients. Methods: The clinical data of 134 patients with PPP admitted to the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2012 to January 2019 were analyzed. A logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors for intraoperative massive hemorrhage in PPP. The study subjects were divided into the intervention group (38 cases) and the routine group (96 cases) according to whether bilateral internal iliac artery balloon occlusion was conducted during the operation. The differences in some clinical indicators were compared between the two groups. Results: The risk factors for intraoperative massive hemorrhage in PPP were age ≥35 years, gestational age ≥34 weeks, complete placenta previa, and the presence of placenta accreta. The differences in the operation time, postoperative transfer to the intensive care unit, postoperative length of the hospital stay, and neonatal weight and score were not statistically significant between the intervention group and the routine group (P > 0.05 for all). While the intraoperative blood loss and the transfusion volume in the intervention group were lower than in the routine group, the hospitalization cost was higher in the former than in the latter, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 for all). Moreover, there was no case of hysterectomy in the intervention group, while there were two cases of hysterectomies in the routine group. Conclusion: The risk factors for intraoperative massive hemorrhage in PPP were age ≥35 years, gestational age ≥34 weeks, complete placenta previa, and the presence of placenta accreta. Internal iliac artery balloon occlusion during PPP could reduce intraoperative blood loss and the hysterectomy rate.