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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7150/thno.22469.].
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. In this study, we reveal the pivotal role of Stratifin (SFN), also recognized as 14-3-3σ, in driving HCC progression. Our investigation underscores a substantial upregulation of SFN within HCC tissues, manifesting a significant association with worse prognostic outcomes among HCC patients. In vitro and in vivo experiments reveal that SFN overexpression significantly amplifies proliferation, mitigates sorafenib-induced effects on HCC cells, and enhances tumorigenesis. While SFN silencing exerts converse effects on HCC progression. Additionally, we unveil a critical interaction between SFN and AKT, where SFN boosts AKT kinase activity by disrupting the binding of PHLPP2 and AKT, thereby intensifying the malignant progression of HCC cells. In conclusion, this study identifies the oncogenic role of SFN and elucidates the regulatory mechanism of the SFN/AKT axis in HCC, which may provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of HCC progression and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Asunto(s)
Proteínas 14-3-3 , Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Proliferación Celular , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Exorribonucleasas , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt , Transducción de Señal , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Proteínas 14-3-3/metabolismo , Proteínas 14-3-3/genética , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patología , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/metabolismo , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/genética , Línea Celular Tumoral , Exorribonucleasas/metabolismo , Exorribonucleasas/genética , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patología , Neoplasias Hepáticas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Hepáticas/genética , Pronóstico , Proteínas Proto-Oncogénicas c-akt/metabolismo , Persona de Mediana EdadRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the additional advantages of integrating contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) into the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS) ultrasound (US) for the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective multicenter study recruited women suspected of having adnexal lesions with solid components between September 2021 and December 2022. All patients scheduled for surgery underwent preoperative CEUS and US examinations. The lesions were categorized according to the O-RADS US system, and quantitative CEUS indexes were recorded. Pathological results served as the reference standard. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify risk factors for malignancy in adnexal lesions with solid components. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess diagnostic performance. RESULTS: A total of 180 lesions in 175 women were included in the study. Among these masses, 80 were malignant and 100 were benign. Multivariable analysis revealed that serum CA-125, the presence of acoustic shadowing, and peak intensity (PI) ratio (PImass/PIuterus) of solid components on CEUS were independently associated with adnexal malignancy. The modified CEUS risk stratification model demonstrated superior diagnostic value in assessing adnexal lesions with solid components compared to O-RADS US (AUC: 0.91 vs 0.78, p < 0.001) and exhibited comparable performance to the Assessment of Different NEoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model (AUC 0.91 vs 0.86, p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the potential value of CEUS as an adjunctive tool for enhancing the precision of diagnostic evaluations of O-RADS US. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: The promising performance of the modified CEUS risk stratification model suggests its potential to mitigate unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components. KEY POINTS: ⢠The additional value of CEUS to O-RADS US in distinguishing between benign and malignant adnexal lesions with solid components requires further evaluation. ⢠The modified CEUS risk stratification model displayed superior diagnostic value and specificity in characterizing adnexal lesions with solid components when compared to O-RADS US. ⢠The inclusion of CEUS demonstrated potential in reducing the need for unnecessary surgeries in the characterization of adnexal lesions with solid components.