Use of transrectal high-frequency ultrasound in assessment of middle compartment prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the superiority of transrectal high-frequency ultrasound (TRUS) in precise assessment of middle compartment prolapse in comparison with routine transperineal ultrasound (TPUS). METHODS: Prospectively analyzed and compared detection rates of entire cervical length and uterine descent on TPUS and TRUS in 101 patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). RESULTS: Detection rates of entire cervix on TRUS were significantly higher than those on TPUS both at rest and during Valsalva maneuver (90.10% VS 49.50%, 92.08% VS 9.90% respectively, both p < 0.05). Uterine descent was able to be evaluated in 92.08% of patients by TRUS and in 5.94% of patients by TPUS, which was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The interobserver repeatability for the measurements of anterior lip, cervical canal and posterior lip on TRUS was excellent. The mean lengths of anterior lip, cervical canal and posterior lip were significantly increased during Valsalva maneuver than those measured at rest (p < 0.05). And mean length of anterior lip was longer than posterior lip both at rest and during Valsalva (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TRUS can significantly raise detection rates of entire cervix, and make the direct evaluation of uterine descent feasible. TRUS can be used as a complementary method to TPUS to attain more comprehensive and accurate presurgical imaging information in middle compartment prolapse patients.

HPV prevalence and distribution characteristics in postmenopausal women from Nanjing, China.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is strongly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the data of postmenopausal women who were tested for HPV in Nanjing First Hospital from 2019 to 2021. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 14,608 postmenopausal women aged 45-90 years, who underwent HPV examination in Nanjing First Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021. All participants were tested for 23 HPV genotypes. We subsequently analyzed the infection rate and evaluated the distribution of HPV using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Our results showed that the HPV infection rate in postmenopausal women in Nanjing, China was 22.36%. In terms of age group, the infection rate was 19.54%, 24.30%, 26.58%, and 14.99% in those aged ≤ 50, 51-60, 61-70, and ≥ 71 years, respectively. The most common HPV subtypes were HPV52 (22.1 3%), HPV58 (15.86%), HPV53 (14.17%), HPV16 (12.61%), and HPV81 (11.66%), in that order. The single-HPV infection rate was 14.23%, and the multiple-genotype infection rate was 8.14% (1189/14,608). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that in Nanjing, China, the different age groups of post-menopausal women could have different rates of HPV infection, and the most common types were HPV52, HPV58, HPV53, HPV16 and HPV81. These findings highlighted the importance of understanding the epidemiology of HPV infection in specific populations, such as postmenopausal women in Nanjing, China. The results could provide valuable information for healthcare professionals and policymakers to develop targeted prevention and screening strategies for reducing the burden of HPV-related diseases in this population.

Clinical Performance of a Dedicated Urine-Based Assay for the Detection of Human Papillomavirus and Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia.

Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the clinical performance of a urine-based high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher (CIN2+). Methods: Between September and December 2021, women aged 20 to 65 years referred to colposcopy clinic were prospectively recruited at three clinical centers in China. Paired urine and cervical specimens from all enrolled women were obtained for hrHPV DNA fluorescence quantitative PCR test. The results of liquid-based cytology (LBC), colposcopy and diagnostic biopsies were collected. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity for CIN and assessed the agreement/kappa value. Results: A total of 732 women (median age, 40 years) with valid results were included in the study, and 130 (17.8%) women were histologically confirmed as CIN2+. The sensitivity of urine and cervical test for CIN2+ and CIN3+ were 87.69% and 85.45%, respectively. The specificity of urine test performed better than cervical test in women with

Assessing vaginal wall indexes in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women by transrectal linear array high-frequency probe.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to verify the feasibility of 2D measurement of full-layer thickness of vaginal wall and evaluation of its elasticity by shear wave elastic imaging using transrectal linear array high-frequency ultrasound and to investigate the differences of vaginal wall indexes in premenopausal versus postmenopausal women. METHOD: From September to November 2022, a total of 87 women in the Department of Gynecology, Nanjing First Hospital were examined by a sonographer using transrectal linear array high-frequency ultrasound, including 34 women of reproductive age and 53 postmenopausal women. The vagina was divided into upper, middle, and lower segments, and the full-layer thickness of each part was measured. Then shear wave elastography (SWE) was used, and the average value of Young's modulus was used to evaluate the degree of vaginal elasticity. RESULTS: Transrectal linear array high-frequency ultrasound can clearly display structures of vaginal wall; measurement of the full thickness of the vaginal wall and evaluation of the degree of vaginal elasticity were feasible. There was a statistically significant difference in the thickness of each part of the vaginal wall between pre- and postmenopausal women (P < 0.001); there was no significant difference in the vaginal Young's modulus of pre- and postmenopausal women (P = 0.073). CONCLUSION: Transrectal linear array high-frequency ultrasonography is a non-invasive and feasible method to measure vaginal wall thickness (VWT) and elasticity. There are significant differences in VWT between pre- and postmenopausal women.

Ovarian mucinous borderline tumor with anaplastic carcinomatous nodules in adolescents.

Bilateral ovarian epithelial neoplasms in adolescents are rare. Moreover, borderline mucinous neoplasms with local intraepithelial carcinoma with anaplastic carcinoma are even more infrequent. Herein, we presented a single case (a 17-year-old female) with regular menstrual cycles and stomach pain when eating who was diagnosed with a left ovarian tumor accompanied by mural nodules. The right ovarian cyst, the left ovary, and the fallopian tube were removed by surgery. Intraoperative diagnosis suggested a bilateral ovarian tumor with mural nodules, which include three different pathological types: sarcomatoid transformation, anaplastic carcinoma, and sarcoma. Paclitaxel combined with carboplatin was given for 6 cycles after an operation, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) was given at the beginning of chemotherapy for 3 cycles for ovarian function protection. Regular follow-up (the last follow-up was performed 48 months after the operation) of gynecological ultrasound and tumor indicators did not indicate recurrence. In clinical practice, it is necessary to pay attention to the symptoms such as abdominal pain in adolescent females. Routine non-invasive pelvic ultrasound is recommended to fully evaluate the nature of the tumor before surgery, and decide the operation mode. Also, intraoperative frozen pathology of the tissue should be performed as soon as possible.

Chronic exposure to perfluorohexane sulfonate leads to a reproduction deficit by suppressing hypothalamic kisspeptin expression in mice.

BACKGROUND: Perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) is a six-carbon perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acid found as an environmental contaminant. This study aims to investigate the effects of PFHxS exposure on female reproduction and the underlying mechanism in mice. METHODS: Eight-week-old ICR mice were divided randomly into four groups administered corn oil (vehicle) and PFHxS at doses of 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg/day for 42 days by intragastric administration. Body weight, ovarian weight, estrous cycle, follicle counts, and serum sex hormone levels were evaluated. The expression of kisspeptin and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in the hypothalamus was also detected. RESULTS: Compared to vehicle exposure, 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS treatment prolonged the estrous cycle, especially the duration of diestrus, after 42 days of treatment. The numbers of secondary follicles, antral follicles and corpus lutea were significantly reduced in the PFHxS-treated mice. Moreover, compared with the control mice, the PFHxS-treated mice showed decreases in the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estrogen (E2), and reduced GnRH mRNA levels, along with the lack of an LH surge. Furthermore, the PFHxS-treated mice had lower levels of kisspeptin immunoreactivity and kiss-1 mRNA in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) than the control mice. After intraventricular administration of kisspeptin-10, the numbers of secondary follicles, antral follicles and corpus lutea recovered, along with the levels of GnRH mRNA, FSH, and LH in the mice treated with 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that chronic exposure of mice to 5 mg/kg/day PFHxS affects reproductive functions by inhibiting kisspeptin expression in the ARC and AVPV regions, leading to deficits in follicular development and ovulation.

Self-assembled iron-containing mordenite monolith for carbon dioxide sieving.

The development of low-cost, efficient physisorbents is essential for gas adsorption and separation; however, the intrinsic tradeoff between capacity and selectivity, as well as the unavoidable shaping procedures of conventional powder sorbents, greatly limits their practical separation efficiency. Herein, an exceedingly stable iron-containing mordenite zeolite monolith with a pore system of precisely narrowed microchannels was self-assembled using a one-pot template- and binder-free process. Iron-containing mordenite monoliths that could be used directly for industrial application afforded record-high volumetric carbon dioxide uptakes (293 and 219 cubic centimeters of carbon dioxide per cubic centimeter of material at 273 and 298 K, respectively, at 1 bar pressure); excellent size-exclusive molecular sieving of carbon dioxide over argon, nitrogen, and methane; stable recyclability; and good moisture resistance capability. Column breakthrough experiments and process simulation further visualized the high separation efficiency.

Oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazines and diarylamines using a polyoxomolybdate-based iron catalyst.

We report an efficient method for the oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazines and diarylamines in aqueous ethanol using Anderson-type polyoxomolybdate-based iron(iii) as a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. A series of azo compounds and tetraarylhydrazines were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. The reaction conditions and substrate scopes are complementary or superior to those of more established protocols. In addition, the catalyst shows good stability and reusability in water. The preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that a radical process is involved in the reaction.

A 14-year multi-institutional collaborative study of Chinese pelvic floor surgical procedures related to pelvic organ prolapse.

BACKGROUND: It has been a global trend that increasing complications related to pelvic floor surgeries have been reported over time. The current study aimed to outline the development of Chinese pelvic floor surgeries related to pelvic organ prolapse (POP) over the past 14 years and investigate the potential influence of enhanced monitoring conducted by the Chinese Association of Urogynecology since 2011. METHODS: A total of 44,594 women with POP who underwent pelvic floor surgeries between October 1, 2004 and September 30, 2018 were included from 22 tertiary academic medical centers. The data were reported voluntarily and obtained from a database. We compared the proportion of each procedure in the 7 years before and 7 years after September 30, 2011. The data were analyzed by performing Z test (one-sided). RESULTS: The number of different procedures during October 1, 2011-September 30, 2018 was more than twice that during October 1, 2004-September 30, 2011. Regarding pelvic floor surgeries related to POP, the rate of synthetic mesh procedures increased from 38.1% (5298/13,906) during October 1, 2004-September 30, 2011 to 46.0% (14,107/30,688) during October 1, 2011-September 30, 2018, whereas the rate of non-mesh procedures decreased from 61.9% (8608/13,906) to 54.0% (16,581/30,688) (Z = 15.53, P < 0.001). Regarding synthetic mesh surgeries related to POP, the rates of transvaginal placement of surgical mesh (TVM) procedures decreased from 94.1% (4983/5298) to 82.2% (11,603/14,107) (Z = 20.79, P < 0.001), but the rate of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) procedures increased from 5.9% (315/5298) to 17.8% (2504/14,107). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of synthetic mesh procedures increased while that of non-mesh procedures decreased significantly. The rate of TVM procedures decreased while the rate of LSC procedures increased significantly. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03620565, https://register.clinicaltrials.gov.

Lysates of Lactobacillus acidophilus combined with CTLA-4-blocking antibodies enhance antitumor immunity in a mouse colon cancer model.

Previous reports have suggested that many gut microbiomes were associated with the development of colorectal cancer (CRC), and could modulate response to numerous forms of cancer therapy, including checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Here we evaluated the protective efficacy of Lactobacillus acidophilus (L. acidophilus) cell lysates combined with an anti-CTL antigen-4 blocking antibody (CTLA-4 mAb) in syngeneic BALB/c mice CRC models induce by a single intraperitoneal injection of 10 mg/kg azoxymethane (AOM), followed by three cycles of 2% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water. In contrast to CTLA-4 mAb monotherapy, L. acidophilus lysates could attenuate the loss of body weight and the combined administration significantly protected mice against CRC development, which suggested that the lysates enhanced antitumor activity of CTLA-4 mAb in model mice. The enhanced efficacy was associated with the increased CD8 + T cell, increased effector memory T cells (CD44 + CD8 + CD62L+), decreased Treg (CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3+) and M2 macrophages (F4/80 + CD206+) in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, our results revealed that L. acidophilus lysates had an immunomodulatory effect through inhibition the M2 polarization and the IL-10 expressed levels of LPS-activated Raw264.7 macrophages. Finally, the 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal microbiota demonstrated that the combined administration significantly inhibited the abnormal increase in the relative abundance of proteobacteria and partly counterbalance CRC-induced dysbiosis in model mice. Overall, these data support promising clinical possibilities of L. acidophilus lysates with CTLA-4 mAb in cancer patients and the hypothesis that probiotics help shape the anticancer immune response.

Malignant ascite-derived extracellular vesicles inhibit T cell activity by upregulating Siglec-10 expression.

Background and purpose: To evade immune defense, cancer cells can employ extracellular vesicles (EVs) to inhibit the anti-tumor activity of lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanisms and key molecules that mediate the effects of EVs on lymphocytes are unclear. Patients and methods: We used Quantibody® Human Cytokine Antibody Array 440 to determine the tumor immunity-related cytokine profile of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) stimulated with EVs derived from peritoneal washes or malignant ascites. We detected 21 upregulated and 27 downregulated proteins, including the immunosuppressive receptors Siglec-10, SLAM, PD-1, and TIM-3. Results: Flow cytometry analysis of PBLs or ovarian cancer ascites suggested that Siglec-10 expression on CD3+ T cells was higher in ovarian cancer patients than in healthy controls and in the malignant ascites of ovarian cancer patients than in their blood. Moreover, the expression of CD24, the Siglec-10 ligand, was associated with tumor stage and cancer cell metastasis. Finally, compared to the benign peritoneal wash-derived EVs, the malignant EVs significantly upregulated Siglec-10 expression on Jurkat T cells, inhibited the protein kinase C activity induced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin, and impaired the phosphorylation of the tyrosine kinase ZAP-70 activated by crosslinking with an anti-CD3 antibody. Conclusion: The EVs secreted by malignant ovarian cells upregulated Siglec-10 expression on T cells and impaired T cell activation in the tumor microenvironment. We believe that a comprehensive understanding of the regulation of Siglec-10 and CD24 by malignant EVs has clinical importance, as it will aid in the development of better immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer.

Comparative Gene Expression Analysis of Lymphocytes Treated with Exosomes Derived from Ovarian Cancer and Ovarian Cysts.

Cancer cells employ many strategies to evade immune defense and to facilitate tumor growth and angiogenesis. As a novel mode of intercellular communication, cancer-derived exosomes contribute to the recruitment and mediation of lymphocytes within the tumor environment. However, the mechanisms and key molecules mediating the effect of exosomes on lymphocytes are unclear. We treated healthy peripheral blood lymphocytes with exosomes from ovarian cancer and ovarian cysts and screened for differentially expressed genes using the RT2 Profiler Cancer Inflammation and Immunity Crosstalk PCR Array. A total of 26 upregulated genes (mainly pro-inflammatory genes and immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive factor) and two downregulated genes (antigen presentation HLA-A/B) were identified. Western blotting using lymphocytes from malignant ascites and peritoneal washings of benign ovarian cysts suggested that the interferon and NF-κB signaling pathway were involved in the immune regulation of malignant exosomes. Out of 28 differentially expressed genes detected using the array, 11 were validated by real-time PCR using lymphocytes within ovarian cancer (n = 27) and ovarian cyst (n = 9) environments. In conclusion, our findings indicate that malignant cells secrete exosomes in the tumor microenvironment to recruit lymphocytes in order to suppress antitumor immunity (IL10, Foxp3, and HLA-A/B) and enhance tumor invasion, angiogenesis, and dissemination of proinflammatory cytokines (such as IL6 and VEGFA) via the interferon and NF-κB signaling pathways. These results clarify lymphocyte-cancer cell cross talk via exosomes and may facilitate the development of effective immunotherapeutic strategies for ovarian cancer.

One-Pot Template-Free Synthesis of Cu-MOR Zeolite toward Efficient Catalyst Support for Aerobic Oxidation of 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural under Ambient Pressure.

Supported catalysts are widely studied, and exploring new promising supports is significant to access more applications. In this work, novel copper-containing MOR-type zeolites Cu-MOR were synthesized in a one-pot template-free route and served as efficient supports for vanadium oxide. In the heterogeneous oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-diformylfuran (DFF) with molecular oxygen (O2) under ambient pressure, the obtained catalyst demonstrated high yield (91.5%) and good reusability. Even under the ambient air pressure, it gave a DFF yield of 72.1%. Structure-activity relationship analysis indicated that the strong interaction between the framework Cu species and the guest V sites accounted for the remarkable performance. This work reveals that the Cu-MOR zeolite uniquely acts as the robust support toward well-performed non-noble metal heterogeneous catalyst for biomass conversion.

Hydroxyl-Exchanged Nanoporous Ionic Copolymer toward Low-Temperature Cycloaddition of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide into Carbonates.

An ionic copolymer catalyst with nanopores, large surface area, high ionic density, and superior basicity was prepared via the radical copolymerization of amino-functionalized ionic liquid bromide and divinylbenzene, followed with a hydroxyl exchange for removing bromonium. Evaluated in chemical fixation of CO2 with epoxides into cyclic carbonates in the absence of any solvent and basic additive, the nanoporous copolymer catalyst showed high and stable activity, superior to various control catalysts including the halogen-containing analogue. Further, high yields were obtained over a wide scope of substrates including aliphatic long carbon-chain alkyl epoxides and internal epoxide, even under atmospheric pressure and less than 100 °C for the majority of the substrates. On the basis of in situ Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) investigation and density functional theory (DFT) calculation for the reaction intermediates, we proposed a possible reaction mechanism accounting for the superior catalytic activity of the ionic copolymer. The specifically prepared ionic copolymer material of this work features highly stable, noncorrosive, and sustainable catalysis and, thus, may be a new possibility for efficient chemical fixation of CO2 since it is an environmentally friendly, metal-free solid catalyst.

One-Pot Synthesis of Zeolitic Strong Solid Bases: A Family of Alkaline-Earth Metal-Containing Silicalite-1.

Fabricating stable strong basic sites in well-preserved crystallized zeolitic frameworks still remains a difficult issue. Here, we reported a family of MFI-type metallosilicate zeolites, AeS-1 (Ae: alkaline-earth metal ions of Mg, Ca, Sr or Ba; S-1: silicalite-1) through a direct one-pot hydrothermal method involving the acidic co-hydrolysis/condensation of the silica precursor with the Ae salts. Step-by-step full characterizations were designed and conducted for in-depth discussion of the Ae status in AeS-1. Strong basicity (H_≈22.5-26.5) was detected in AeS-1. The basicity was further confirmed by CO2 sorption measurements, (13) C NMR spectra of chloroform-adsorbed samples, and (1) H→(13) C and (1) H→(29) Si cross-polarization magic-angle spinning NMR spectra of ethyl cyanoacetate-adsorbed samples. The results of Knoevenagel condensations demonstrated the excellent solid base catalysis of AeS-1, which showed high activity, reusability, and shape-selectivity, all of which are explained by Ae-derived zeolitic intracrystalline strong basic sites.

Midkine as a potential diagnostic marker in epithelial ovarian cancer for cisplatin/paclitaxel combination clinical therapy.

The paclitaxel/cisplatin combination therapy commonly is used as the first-line treatment for advanced ovarian cancer patients. Midkine (MK), known as a novel tumor biomarker, has been elevated in the serum of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In this study, we aimed to detect the expression of MK in EOC tissues and evaluate clinical value of MK in diagnosis and therapy of EOC. We perform immunohistochemistry analysis to detect MK in EOC sample with postoperative platinum/paclitaxel combination therapy, we found that 71.4% (85 in 119 samples) of these samples were MK positive (> 10% of the cells were stained), and the expression of MK was significantly associated with disease histology (P = 0.038) as well as differentiation grade (P < 0.001). Moreover, MK positive samples show much more sensitive to cisplatin/paclitaxel combination therapy, compared with MK negative samples (P = 0.029). Those results indicated that MK expression might correlate with paclitaxel and/or cisplatin cytotoxicity in clinical therapy of EOC. Then, we evaluated the sensitivity to cisplatin and paclitaxel in 5 ovarian cancer cell lines (ES2, A2870, HO-8910, SKOV3 and SW626), and ES2, the highest MK expression among those cell lines, show the most sensitive to paclitaxel and cisplatin. Further, we confirmed this correlation between MK and paclitaxel and/or cisplatin cytotoxicity with the gain- and lost- of function. Finally, we demonstrated that MK enhanced the cytotoxicity of paclitaxel and/or cisplatin by accumulated cisplatin and paclitaxel through inhibited the expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP3). In conclusion, MK could be an effective biomarker in diagnosis and therapy of EOC, especially for the drug selection at the time of initial diagnosis.

[Elevated levels of dendritic cell-correlated miRNAs in ascites and sera of patients with ovarian cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the clinical characteristics of ovarian cancer and the levels of miRNAs which could regulate the differentiation of dendritic cells, and assess its value in estimating the immune state and prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. METHODS: Real-time quantitative PCR was used to determine the levels of miRNAs in ascites and sera of 39 cases of ovarian cancer and in the sera of 20 healthy women. RESULTS: The levels of miR-21, miR-222 and miR-142-3p in sera of ovarian cancer patients were significantly higher than those of the healthy. The expression of miR-21 was higher in the advanced stages (III and IV) than in the earlier stages (I and II ), whereas the level of serum miR-142-3p was lower in high pathological grade than in low grade. The levels of miR-21 and miR-222 in the ascites were higher than those in the peripheral blood. CONCLUSION: The increased expressions of miR-21, miR-222 and miR-142-3p in the ascites and sera of ovarian cancer patients might be correlated with the clinical pathological grading of the patients.

Toll-like receptor-4 pathway is required for the pathogenesis of human chronic endometritis.

Toll-like receptor (TLR) signal transduction is a central component of the primary innate immune response to pathogenic challenge. TLR4, a member of the TLR family, is highly expressed in the endometrial cells of the uterus and could thus be a key link between human chronic endometritis (CE) and the immune system. However, the exact biological function of TLR4 in human CE remains largely unexplored. The present study aimed to examine the role of TLR4 in human CE. A comprehensive expression and activation analysis of TLR4 in the endometrial cells of the uterus from patients with human CE (n=25) and normal endometrial (NE) tissue (n=15) was performed. Western blot analyses demonstrated that compared with NE, the protein expression TLR4 markedly increased in human CE. Endometrial tissue scrapings were also used for total RNA extraction and were transcribed and amplified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that significant upregulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and downregulation of IL-10 mRNA was observed in CE compared with the NE group. Furthermore, the protein of the signaling adapter myeloid differentiation factor-88 and the accessory molecules (TNF receptor associated factor 6 and transforming growth factor-ß-activated kinase 1) were also detected in all the assayed tissues. Of note, differential expression (CE versus NE) was observed by immunoblotting at each level of the nuclear factor-κB signaling cascade, including inhibitor κBα and P65 (all P<0.05). The altered TLR4 and its corresponding downstream signaling molecules in CE cells may be of relevance for the progression of the human CE. These findings indicate that the evaluation of expression patterns of TLR4 holds promise for the treatment of human CE.

[Detection of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with malignant ovarian tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships and implications between the various immune cell subsets in the peripheral blood of patients with ovarian cancer and the clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to test the regulatory T cells (Tregs), helper T cells (Th1 cells), dendritic cells (DCs), natural killer (NK) cells and other immune cell subsets in the pre-operative peripheral blood and ascites of 24 patients with malignant ovarian tumors. Then, the results were compared with those in the peripheral blood of 20 healthy women, and their relationships with the clinicopathological parameters were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, there were an elevated level of Tregs, significantly reduced levels of Th1 cells and activated receptor NKG2D on CD8⁺ T cells (P<0.05) in the peripheral blood of the 24 patients with ovarian cancer, which were correlated with pathological staging (P<0.05). The total DCs were not significantly different between healthy controls and ovarian cancer patients, but mature DCs (mDCs) were reduced and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) increased in the peripheral blood of the patients with ovarian cancer. The degree of the decreased mDCs was related to clinical stage, and the degree of the increased pDCs was correlated with pathological grade (P<0.05). Besides, compared with peripheral blood, the levels of CD16 on NK cells and NKG2D receptor on CD8⁺ T cells dropped in ascites. CONCLUSION: The anti-tumor immune function declined in patients with malignant ovarian tumors, and the immune functions of the tumor-killing effect T cells and NK cells in the peripheral blood and ascites of the patients were both significantly inhibited, meanwhile, the antigen presentation of DCs was descended.

Ovarian tumor-associated microRNA-20a decreases natural killer cell cytotoxicity by downregulating MICA/B expression.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding regulatory RNAs, and changes in miRNAs are involved in tumor origin and progression. Studies have shown that miR-20a is overexpressed in human ovarian cancer tissues and that this miRNA enhances long-term cellular proliferation and invasion capabilities. In this study, a positive correlation between serum miR-20a expression and ovarian cancer stage was observed. We found that miR-20a binds directly to the 3'-untranslated region of MICA/B mRNA, resulting in its degradation and reducing its protein levels on the plasma membrane. Reduction of membrane-bound MICA/B proteins, which are ligands of the natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) receptor found on natural killer (NK) cells, γδ(+) T cells and CD8(+) T cells, allows tumor cells to evade immune-mediated killing. Notably, antagonizing miR-20a action enhanced the NKG2D-mediated killing of tumor cells in both in vitro and in vivo models of tumors. Taken together, our data indicate that increased levels of miR-20a in tumor cells may indirectly suppress NK cell cytotoxicity by downregulating MICA/B expression. These data provide a potential link between metastasis capability and immune escape of tumor cells from NK cells.