A novel and sustainable approach to efficiently modify cotton material via a physical flash-explosion with sub- or SCF-CO2 as medium.

A novel and eco-friendly approach to modify natural cotton fiber by flash-explosion with a sub- or supercritical fluid of carbon dioxide (sub- or SCF-CO2) for improving its structure and properties was constructed for the first time. The achieved results demonstrate that remarkable improvements in the coloration performance of cotton fiber by 71.1 % and the water retention by 1001.2 % against the control could be readily available by employing the flashily-explosion method at a recommended condition with 4-cycle explosion in sub- or SCF-CO2, and system temperature, fluid treatment duration and explosion number exhibited much more pronounced positive influences among all parameters. Additionally, minimal influences from the supercritical explosion on cotton fiber micronaire value, thermal property and tensile breaking strength were also observed. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and porosity investigations clearly show that plenty of micropores and/or strip fissures were formed on the fiber surfaces and their inner phases, and notably improved fiber surface area, pore volume and size were also obtained after a subsupercritical flash-explosion. Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy (1H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis disclose that numbers of hydrogen bonds between the fiber macrochains and/or from their intramolecular chains were broken by generating numerous free hydroxyl groups, which reasonably supported the improvements of the dye uptake behaviors and water retention properties, etc. The Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis on the fiber cross-sections further confirms that a loosening of the inner aggregation structure of the cotton fiber was achieved after a flash explosion by significantly enhancing its coloration performance, etc. This innovative approach provides a promising idea and possibility as an alternative to chemical methods via mechanically and physically modifying fiber or other materials with sub- or SCF-CO2 fluid in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner.

Oatmeal-derived carbon loaded with Pt nanoparticles using a "two-fold benefit approach" for sensitive detection of the biomolecule adrenaline.

In this study, we innovatively synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres (NCS) derived from oatmeal. By utilizing polyoxometalates (POM) as both reducing and linking agents, we achieved uniform loading of platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) onto the surface of the NCS. The composite nanoparticles constructed from Pt/polyoxometalate/nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres (Pt/POM/NCS) fully exploit the synergistic catalytic effect, demonstrating superior performance in adrenaline detection. The method has a linear range of 2.59 to 1109.59 µM, a detection limit as low as 0.25 µM (S/N = 3), and a sensitivity of 0.74 µA µM-1 cm-2. Additionally, it exhibits high stability and strong anti-interference ability. The recoveries in human serum were 98.51 % to 101.25 %.

Molecular phylogenetic relationships based on mitochondrial genomes of novel deep-sea corals (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea): Insights into slow evolution and adaptation to extreme deep-sea environments.

A total of 10 specimens of Alcyonacea corals were collected at depths ranging from 905 m to 1 633 m by the manned submersible Shenhai Yongshi during two cruises in the South China Sea (SCS). Based on mitochondrial genomic characteristics, morphological examination, and sclerite scanning electron microscopy, the samples were categorized into four suborders (Calcaxonia, Holaxonia, Scleraxonia, and Stolonifera), and identified as 9 possible new cold-water coral species. Assessments of GC-skew dissimilarity, phylogenetic distance, and average nucleotide identity (ANI) revealed a slow evolutionary rate for the octocoral mitochondrial sequences. The nonsynonymous ( Ka) to synonymous ( Ks) substitution ratio ( Ka/ Ks) suggested that the 14 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were under purifying selection, likely due to specific deep-sea environmental pressures. Correlation analysis of the median Ka/ Ks values of five gene families and environmental factors indicated that the genes encoding cytochrome b (cyt b) and DNA mismatch repair protein ( mutS) may be influenced by environmental factors in the context of deep-sea species formation. This study highlights the slow evolutionary pace and adaptive mechanisms of deep-sea corals.

Important Factors Controlling Gibberellin Homeostasis in Plant Height Regulation.

Plant height is an important agronomic trait that is closely associated with crop yield and quality. Gibberellins (GAs), a class of highly efficient plant growth regulators, play key roles in regulating plant height. Increasing reports indicate that transcriptional regulation is a major point of regulation of the GA pathways. Although substantial knowledge has been gained regarding GA biosynthetic and signaling pathways, important factors contributing to the regulatory mechanisms homeostatically controlling GA levels remain to be elucidated. Here, we provide an overview of current knowledge regarding the regulatory network involving transcription factors, noncoding RNAs, and histone modifications involved in GA pathways. We also discuss the mechanisms of interaction between GAs and other hormones in plant height development. Finally, future directions for applying knowledge of the GA hormone in crop breeding are described.

Rice DST transcription factor negatively regulates heat tolerance through ROS-mediated stomatal movement and heat-responsive gene expression.

Plants are frequently subjected to a broad spectrum of abiotic stresses including drought, salinity and extreme temperatures and have evolved both common and stress-specific responses to promote fitness and survival. Understanding the components and mechanisms that underlie both common and stress-specific responses can enable development of crop plants tolerant to different stresses. Here, we report a rice heat stress-tolerant 1 (hst1) mutant with increased heat tolerance. HST1 encodes the DST transcription factor, which also regulates drought and salinity tolerance. Increased heat tolerance of hst1 was associated with suppressed expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging peroxidases and increased ROS levels, which reduced water loss by decreasing stomatal aperture under heat stress. In addition, increased ROS levels enhanced expression of genes encoding heat shock protein (HSPs) including HSP80, HSP74, HSP58 and small HSPs. HSPs promote stabilization of proteins and protein refolding under heat stress and accordingly mutation of HST1 also improved reproductive traits including pollen viability and seed setting under high temperature. These results broaden the negative roles of DST in abiotic stress tolerance and provide important new insights into DST-regulated tolerance to diverse abiotic stresses through both shared and stress-specific mechanisms.

Ferric-loaded lipid nanoparticles inducing ferroptosis-like cell death for antibacterial wound healing.

Skin infection is a major health issue that usually is caused by the continuous proliferation of bacteria in wounds. With the abuse of antibiotics worldwide, the battle against skin infection is becoming more and more difficult. Therefore, the development of new ways with different antibacterial mechanisms to current antibiotics is urgently needed. Inspired by the powerful inhibition of ferroptosis used in cancer therapy, here in our study, ferric-loaded lipid nanoparticles (Fe-LNPs) with unform size (∼130 nm) and surface charge (∼12 mV) were constructed and found to effectively inhibit the growth of both Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, S. aureus) and negative (Escherichia coli, E. coli) strains, possibly due to induction of ferroptosis-like cell death mechanisms. Most importantly, Fe-LNPs can also effectively inhibit the proliferation of S. aureus in a skin infection model and promote the healing of wounds. The Fe-LNPs can be applied as a powerful antibacterial formulation for future application in clinic.

Significant loss of soil inorganic carbon at the continental scale.

Widespread soil acidification due to atmospheric acid deposition and agricultural fertilization may greatly accelerate soil carbonate dissolution and CO2 release. However, to date, few studies have addressed these processes. Here, we use meta-analysis and nationwide-survey datasets to investigate changes in soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stocks in China. We observe an overall decrease in SIC stocks in topsoil (0-30 cm) (11.33 g C m-2 yr-1) from the 1980s to the 2010s. Total SIC stocks have decreased by ∼8.99 ± 2.24% (1.37 ± 0.37 Pg C). The average SIC losses across China (0.046 Pg C yr-1) and in cropland (0.016 Pg C yr-1) account for ∼17.6%-24.0% of the terrestrial C sink and 57.1% of the soil organic carbon sink in cropland, respectively. Nitrogen deposition and climate change have profound influences on SIC cycling. We estimate that ∼19.12%-19.47% of SIC stocks will be further lost by 2100. The consumption of SIC may offset a large portion of global efforts aimed at ecosystem carbon sequestration, which emphasizes the importance of achieving a better understanding of the indirect coupling mechanisms of nitrogen and carbon cycling and of effective countermeasures to minimize SIC loss.

Application of exogenous salicylic acid reduces Cd toxicity and Cd accumulation in rice.

Cd pollution in farmland is becoming a serious problem because it affects the safety of rice production and human health. Salicylic acid (SA) plays crucial roles in plant development and mediates plant responses to biotic and abiotic stress. This study assessed the molecular and physiological mechanisms of SA spraying effects on Cd tolerance and Cd accumulation in rice. Spraying of 0.1 mM SA had no great effect on the agronomic traits of rice, but significantly decreased Cd accumulation in rice grains, and SA spraying increased the Cd contents in leaves (only at the mature stage) and decreased the Cd contents in panicles (only at the filling and mature stage), but had no evident impact on the Cd content of other tissues and other growth stages. SA spraying reduced Cd accumulation in rice grains by promoting the deposition and fixation of Cd in the cell wall of leaves, thus preventing Cd being transferred from leaves to rice grains at the filling stage. SA spraying also decreased Cd toxicity by reducing H2O2 and MDA accumulation and increasing the chlorophyll content in rice leaves. Furthermore, SA spraying remarkably decreased Cd accumulation in rice grains by modulating the expression level of the genes associated with Cd translocation and accumulation to control the Cd accumulation in rice. Hence, SA spraying reduced the inhibition of Cd on the plant height caused by Cd and increased the dry weight of shoots in the vegetative growth period of rice seedlings, and it reduced Cd transport from leaves to grains, thus reducing Cd content in rice. These findings provide a novel perspective and a new method for reducing Cd accumulation in rice.

A Sensitive, Point-of-Care Detection of Small Molecules Based on a Portable Barometer: Aflatoxins In Agricultural Products.

Sensitive and point-of-care detection of small toxic molecules plays a key role in food safety. Aflatoxin, a typical small toxic molecule, can cause serious healthcare and economic issues, thereby promoting the development of sensitive and point-of-care detection. Although ELISA is one of the official detection methods, it cannot fill the gap between sensitivity and point-of-care application because it requires a large-scale microplate reader. To employ portable readers in food safety, Pt-catalysis has attracted increasing attention due to its portability and reliability. In this study, we developed a sensitive point-of-care aflatoxin detection (POCAD) method via a portable handheld barometer. We synthesized and characterized Au@PtNPs and Au@PtNPs conjugated with a second antibody (Au@PtNPs-IgG). A competitive immunoassay was established based on the homemade monoclonal antibody against aflatoxins. Au@PtNPs-IgG was used to catalyze the production of O2 from H2O2 in a sealed vessel. The pressure of O2 was then recorded by a handheld barometer. The aflatoxin concentration was inversely proportional to the pressure recorded via the barometer reading. After optimization, a limit of detection of 0.03 ng/mL and a linear range from 0.09 to 16.0 ng/mL were achieved. Recovery was recorded as 83.1%-112.0% along with satisfactory results regarding inner- and inter-assay precision (relative standard deviation, RSD < 6.4%). Little cross-reaction was observed. Additionally, the POCAD was validated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) by using peanut and corn samples. The portable POCAD exhibits strong potential for applications in the on-site detection of small toxic molecules to ensure food safety.

Preparation of Self-Assembled Composite Films Constructed by Chemically-Modified MXene and Dyes with Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Characterization.

The effective functionalization and self-assembly of MXene are of crucial importance for a broad range of nanomaterial applications. In this work, we investigated the aggregates of sulfanilic acid-modified MXene (abbreviated as MXene-SO3H) with three model dyes at the air⁻water interface and demonstrated the morphological and aggregation changes of composite films, using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technology, as well as excellent uniformity and reproducibility by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra. This research has found that cationic dye molecules were adsorbed onto negatively charged MXene-SO3H particles mainly through electrostatic interaction and the particles induced dyes to form highly ordered nanostructures including H- and/or J-aggregates corresponding to monomers in bulk solution. The surface pressure-area isotherms from different dye sub phases confirmed that the stable composite films have been successfully formed. And the spectral results reveal that different dyes have different types of aggregations. In addition, the SERS spectra indicated that the optimal layers of MXene-SO3H/methylene blue (MB) films was 50 layers using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as probe molecule. And the formed 50 layers of MXene-SO3H/MB films (MXene-SO3H/MB-50) as SERS substrate were proved to possess excellent uniformity and repeatability.

The role of C2H2 zinc finger proteins in plant responses to abiotic stresses.

Abiotic stresses are important factors affecting plant growth and development and limiting agricultural production worldwide. Plants have evolved complex regulatory mechanisms to respond and adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions. C2H2 zinc finger proteins form a relatively large family of transcriptional regulators in plants. Recent studies have revealed that C2H2 zinc finger proteins function as key transcriptional regulators in plant responses to a wide spectrum of stress conditions, including extreme temperatures, salinity, drought, oxidative stress, excessive light and silique shattering. Here, we summarize recent functional analysis on C2H2 zinc finger proteins in plant responses to abiotic stresses and discuss their roles as part of a large regulatory network in the perception and responses by plants to different environmental stimuli.

Spatial-temporal evolution and prediction of urban landscape pattern and habitat quality based on CA-Markov and InVEST model.

The change of urban landscape caused by human activities is one of the most important factors affecting terrestrial ecosystem. The distribution of urban landscape pattern has great impacts on the service function of regional biodiversity. To reveal the variation of landscape pattern and habi-tat quality in cities and its driving factors, we extracted landscape type information of Wuhan in 2005, 2010, 2015, and analyzed spatial-temporal evolution of landscape pattern using Markov transition model. The CA-Markov model was used to simulate the landscape pattern in 2020 under the natural growth scenario. The driving factor for landscape variation was analyzed using Logistic regression model. Combined with InVEST model, spatial pattern of habitat quality and its variation in three phases were calculated and evaluated. The simulated habitat quality in 2020 was obtained and its distribution characteristics were analyzed. The relationship between variation of landscape pattern and human activities was explored. The results showed that cultivated land and manufactured surface were the landscape types with highest variations between 2005 and 2015. The area of cultivated land continued to decline, with most of the area being transferred into manufactured surface. The area of manufactured surface continued to increase, most of which was transferred from paddy field and dry land. From 2005 to 2015, the habitat quality declined, with a large number of landscapes with high habitat quality level being changed to low habitat quality level. The overall index of habitat quality decreased and the biodiversity service function declined, indicating the degeneration of habitat quality. In 2015-2020, the evolutionary trend of landscape pattern and habitat quality would keep consistent with the past decade, with an increasing area of artificial surface, decreasing index of habitat quality, weakening biodiversity service function, and degenerating habitat quality. The most important factor accounted for the landscape pattern change in the study area was the changes in Gross Domestic Product (GPD) and regional fiscal revenue. Human socio-economic activities were the key driving force for the spatial variation of landscape and degeneration of habitat quality. Urbanization and land reclamation by filling lakes were the main reasons for landscape pattern variation in Wuhan.

MicroRNA166 Modulates Cadmium Tolerance and Accumulation in Rice.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 20- to 24-nucleotide small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression in eukaryotic organisms. Several plant miRNAs, such as miR166, have vital roles in plant growth, development and responses to environmental stresses. One such environmental stress encountered by crop plants is exposure to cadmium (Cd), an element highly toxic to most organisms, including humans and plants. In this study, we analyzed the role of miR166 in Cd accumulation and tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa). The expression levels of miR166 in both root and leaf tissues were significantly higher in the reproductive stage than in the seedling stage in rice. The expression of miR166 in the roots of rice seedlings was reduced after Cd treatment. Overexpression of miR166 in rice improved Cd tolerance, a result associated with the reduction of Cd-induced oxidative stress in transgenic rice plants. Furthermore, overexpression of miR166 reduced both Cd translocation from roots to shoots and Cd accumulation in the grains. miR166 targets genes encoding the class-III homeodomain-Leu zipper (HD-Zip) family proteins in plants. In rice, HOMEODOMAIN CONTAINING PROTEIN4 (OsHB4) gene (Os03g43930), which encodes an HD-Zip protein, was up-regulated by Cd treatment but down-regulated by overexpression of miR166 in transgenic rice plants. Overexpression of OsHB4 increased Cd sensitivity and Cd accumulation in the leaves and grains of transgenic rice plants. By contrast, silencing OsHB4 by RNA interference enhanced Cd tolerance in transgenic rice plants. These results indicate a critical role for miR166 in Cd accumulation and tolerance through regulation of its target gene, OsHB4, in rice.

Plastid Translation Elongation Factor Tu Is Prone to Heat-Induced Aggregation Despite Its Critical Role in Plant Heat Tolerance.

Translation elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) is a conserved GTP-binding protein essential for protein translation in prokaryotes and in eukaryotic mitochondria and plastids. EF-Tu also has a GTP/GDP-independent chaperone activity that may function in acclimation to heat. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plastid EF-Tu, Rabe1b, rapidly becomes insoluble at temperatures as low as 35°C in vitro and 41°C in vivo, with more than 90% aggregation after 9 h at 45°C in vivo. Based on its established function in protein translation, heat-induced aggregation likely inactivates Rabe1b. To determine the effect of heat-induced aggregation, we isolated an Arabidopsis rabe1b knockdown mutant and discovered it to be highly compromised in heat tolerance. Overexpression of constitutive GTP- or GDP-bound mutant forms of Rabe1b in Arabidopsis and virus-induced silencing of Rabe1b in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) also reduced heat tolerance. Compromised heat tolerance in the Arabidopsis rabe1b mutant and in the lines overexpressing constitutive GTP- or GDP-bound mutant Rabe1b proteins was associated with reduced plastid translation under heat stress. The Arabidopsis rabe1b mutant also showed compromised heat-induced expression of HsfA2 and its target genes. Constitutive overexpression of HsfA2 activated its target genes but only partially restored the heat tolerance of the rabe1b mutant. These results strongly suggest that the plastid protein EF-Tu is heat sensitive and acts as a critical limiting factor in plant heat stress responses, primarily functioning in plastid protein translation but also in protein folding and retrograde signaling of nuclear heat-responsive gene expression.

The effects of rainfall regimes and terracing on runoff and erosion in the Three Gorges area, China.

Changes in natural rainfall regimes have taken place and are expected to become more pronounced in future decades. These changes are also likely to be accompanied by changes in crop management practices. The main purpose of this study was to analyze runoff and soil loss in relation to rainfall regimes and terracing in the Three Gorges area, China. Based on 10 years of field observation and k-mean clusters, 101 rainfall events were grouped into three rainfall regimes. Rainfall regime I was the group of events with strong rainfall intensity, high frequency, and short duration. Rainfall regime III consisted of events with low intensity, long duration, and high rainfall amount. Rainfall regime II was the aggregation of events of high intensity and amount, and less frequent occurrence. The results showed that event runoff coefficients were not significantly different among rainfall regimes. However, the average soil erosion rates in rainfall regimes I and II were significantly higher than that in regime III. The average erosion rates under rainfall regimes I, II, and III were 21.6, 39.7, and 9.8 g m-2, respectively. The effect of rainfall regime on soil erosion also was changed by terracing. On unterraced cropland, soil erosion rate in rainfall regime I is significantly higher than that in regime III. However, the situation did not exist in unterraced orchard. Terracing significantly reduced runoff and soil erosion, and compensated the effects of rainfall regime on soil erosion, which indicated that runoff and erosion in terraced system may be little influenced by climate change. Based on these results, it was suggested more attention should be paid to the timing of rainfall events in relation to crop development and the high erosion on unterraced citrus orchard to control soil erosion in this area.

[Oxidation Process of Dissolvable Sulfide by Manganite and Its Influencing Factors].

As one of the manganese oxides, which are easily generated and widely distributed in supergene environment, manganite participates in the oxidation of dissolvable sulfide (S²â»), and affects the migration, transformation, and the fate of sulfides. In the present work, the redox mechanism was studied by determining the intermediates, and the influence of initial pH and oxygen atmosphere on the processes were studied. The chemical composition, crystal structures and micromorphologies were characterized by XRD, FTIR and TEM. The concentration of S²â» and its oxidation products were analyzed using spectrophotometer, high performance liquid chromatograph and ion chromatograph. The results indicated that elemental sulfur was formed as the major oxidation product of S²â» oxidation, and decreased pH could accelerate the oxidation rate of S²â» in the initial stage, however, there was no significant influence on final products. Elemental S could be further oxidized to S2O3²â» when the reaction system was bubbled with oxygen, and manganite exhibited excellent catalytic performance and chemical stability during the oxidation of dissolvable sulfide by oxygen. After reaction of more than 10 h, the crystal structure of manganite remained stable.

High-Level Expression and Prognostic Significance of Matrix Metalloprotease-19 and Matrix Metalloprotease-20 in Human Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-19 and MMP-20 are important members of the MMP family, and their roles in tumor survivorship and progression are continually reported. This work aimed to determine the expression and prognostic significance of MMP-19 and MMP-20 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the levels of MMP-19 and MMP-20 expression in carcinoma tissues and paracancerous tissues from 102 PDAC patients. RESULTS: The MMP-19 and MMP-20 were, respectively, expressed in 71.6% (73/102) and 70.6% (72/102) of carcinoma tissues, and the expression was positively correlated (r = 0.643, P < 0.001). High-level expression of MMP-19 and MMP-20 was strongly correlated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high-level expression of MMP-19 and MMP-20 was significantly associated with decreased event-free survival (P < 0.001) and overall survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that high-level expression of MMP-19 could act as an independent predictive biomarker for poor event-free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Levels of MMP-19 and MMP-20 expression are significantly increased in PDAC. High-level expression of MMP-19 and MMP-20 is closely correlated to progression and prognosis of PDAC, and these may be considered as promising markers for unfavorable prognoses.

Upregulated matrix metalloproteinase-2 and downregulated tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 are risk factors for lymph node metastasis and perineural invasion in pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)-2 is closely associated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The aim of this work was to determine the predictive values of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 in identifying lymph node metastasis (LNM) and perineural invasion (PNI) in pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples containing pancreatic carcinoma tissues and their corresponding para-carcinoma tissues were obtained from 122 patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The expression levels of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The roles of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 in predicting LNM and PNI in pancreatic carcinoma were analyzed. RESULTS: The level of MMP-2 expression was markedly increased in pancreatic carcinoma tissues (76.9%) compared with para-carcinoma tissues (29.2%; P<0.05). In contrast, there was obviously decreased TFPI-2 expression level in pancreatic carcinoma tissues (29.2%) compared with para-carcinoma tissues (77.7%; P<0.001). Additionally, MMP-2 expression was significantly positively correlated with LNM (r=0.468, P<0.01) and PNI (r=0.637, P<0.01). In contrast, TFPI-2 expression was strongly negatively correlated with LNM (r=-0.396, P<0.001) and PNI (r=-0.460, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that high MMP-2 expression and low TFPI-2 expression acted as independent predictors for LNM and PNI in pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our findings suggest that upregulated MMP-2 and downregulated TFPI-2 serve as useful predictors for a high risk of LNM and PNI. Obtaining information on the expression of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 before surgery may predict the occurrence of LNM and PNI, thereby permitting reasonable and effective surgical treatment for patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

Overexpression of homeobox B-13 correlates with angiogenesis, aberrant expression of EMT markers, aggressive characteristics and poor prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma.

To investigate the expression of homeobox B (Hoxb)-13 and analyze its relationship with tumor angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers (E-cadherin and vimentin), clinicopathologic data and prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was applied to determine the level of Hoxb-13 expression in tumor tissues and surrounding non-tumor tissues from 85 subjects with pancreatic carcinoma. Besides, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31, E-cadherin and vimentin were also detected in tumor tissues by immunostaining. We found that the level of Hoxb-13 expression was significantly higher in pancreatic carcinoma tissues than in paracarcinomatous tissues (P < 0.05). Hoxb-13 staining was positively correlated with VEGF (r = 0.429, P < 0.001) and microvessel density (MVD) (r = 0.454, P < 0.001). Likewise, Hoxb-13 staining was positively correlated with vimentin (r = 0.448, P < 0.001); while it was negatively correlated with E-cadherin (r = -0.405, P < 0.001). High Hoxb-13 expression was associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, worse disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and worse overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that Hoxb-13 was an independent predictor for poor DFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0.002). In conclusion, our data show that overexpressed Hoxb-13 is correlated with tumor angiogenesis, aberrant expression of EMT-associated markers and aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, and serves as a promising marker for unfavourable prognosis in pancreatic carcinoma.

Correlation and prognostic significance of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 differential expression in pancreatic carcinoma.

Aberrant expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)-2 not only correlate with tumorigenesis, but also with tumor invasion and metastasis. This study aims to investigate the correlation and prognostic significance of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 differential expression in pancreatic carcinoma. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate MMP-2 and TFPI-2 expression in tumor tissues and corresponding non-tumor tissues from 122 patients with pancreatic carcinoma. The results showed that the expression of MMP-2 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in tumor tissues (78.7%) than in adjacent non-tumor tissues (27.9%), whereas the expression of TFPI-2 was significantly (P < 0.001) lower in tumor tissues (27.9%) than in adjacent non-tumor tissues (79.5%). Spearman's rank correlation test showed a negative correlation between MMP-2 and TFPI-2 expression (r = -0.346, P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high MMP-2 expression was significantly correlated with decreased disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001), while high TFPI-2 expression was significantly associated with increased DFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001) of the patients. Multivariate analysis showed that high MMP-2 expression can act as an independent predictive factor for poor DFS (P = 0.01); and low TFPI-2 expression as an independent prognostic factor for poor DFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.001). In conclusion, our findings suggested that the differential expression of MMP-2 and TFPI-2 have a negative correlation in pancreatic carcinoma tissues; they may be considered as valuable biomarkers for prognosis of pancreatic carcinoma.