Association between serum lactate dehydrogenase and lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2009 cervical cancer (CC) stages IB1-IIA2. All patient medical records with FIGO 2009 stage IB1-IIA2 CC between January 2012 and January 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. The association between serum LDH and LNM was assessed using uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses, subgroup analyses and P-splines. The present study included 586 patients, 91 (15.5%) of whom had LNM. Patients with an elevated LDH level were more likely to have a deep stromal invasion, lymph-vascular space invasion, LNM and to be of an older age. Multivariate logistic regression revealed a significant association between LNM and LDH levels. After adjusting for age, FIGO stage, tumor markers and risk factors according to the Sedlis criteria, patients in the highest LDH quartile had an increased risk of LNM compared with those in the lowest LDH quartile (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.57-7.81). Furthermore, P-spline regression revealed a dependence of LNM on LDH. The predictive value of LDH level remained significant in the subgroup analysis. The present study suggested that a higher LDH level was independently associated with CC and LNM, and that LDH level may serve as a potential tumor marker and treatment-related indicator.

A critical role of the KCa 3.1 channel in mechanical stretch-induced proliferation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mechanical stimulation is an important factor regulating mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) functions such as proliferation. The Ca2+ -activated K+ channel, KCa 3.1, is critically engaged in MSC proliferation but its role in mechanical regulation of MSC proliferation remains unknown. Here, we examined the KCa 3.1 channel expression and its role in rat bone marrow-derived MSC (BMSC) proliferation in response to mechanical stretch. Application of mechanical stretch stimulated BMSC proliferation via promoting cell cycle progression. Such mechanical stimulation up-regulated the KCa 3.1 channel expression and pharmacological or genetic inhibition of the KCa 3.1 channel strongly suppressed stretch-induced increase in cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. These results support that the KCa 3.1 channel plays an important role in transducing mechanical forces to MSC proliferation. Our finding provides new mechanistic insights into how mechanical stimuli regulate MSC proliferation and also a viable bioengineering approach to improve MSC proliferation.