Coexistence of craniopharyngioma and cranial fibrous dysplasia: a case series of clinicopathological study.

BACKGROUND: Craniopharyngioma (CP) and cranial fibrous dysplasia (CFD) are rare embryonic benign cranial diseases that most commonly present during childhood or adolescence. The coexistence of CP and CFD is extremely rare and has not yet been reported. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data of five patients with concomitant CP and CFD treated at Beijing Tiantan Hospital from January 2003 to January 2021 and summarized their clinicopathological features, treatment modalities, and outcomes. We also performed a comprehensive literature review, tested the patients for characteristic GNAS gene mutations related to CFD, and tested the CP specimens for corresponding Gsα protein to explore the potential connection leading to the coexistence of CP and CFD. RESULTS: The cohort comprised four men and one woman (median age, 39 years). The symptoms mainly included headache, dizziness, fatigue, polyuria/polydipsia, hypogonadism, and blurred vision. CFD most commonly involved the sphenoid bone (n = 4). Four patients underwent surgery to remove the CP (one trans-sphenoidal and three transcranial resections); complete and subtotal resection were achieved in two patients, respectively. The tumor subtype was adamantinomatous in three patients and unknown in one. The common postoperative complications were panhypopituitarism, diabetes insipidus, and hypothyroidism. The mean follow-up duration was 57.2 months. Two patients required postoperative hormone replacement therapy. Three patients underwent genetic study of the tumor specimens; GNAS mutations were not detected, but these patients were positive for Gsα protein. CONCLUSIONS: Although a definite causative relationship has not been proved, the coexistence of CP and CFD means that potential interplay or an atypical fibrous dysplasia course as uncommon manifestations of CP cannot be excluded. It is more challenging to initiate prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment for concomitant CP and CFD than for solitary CP because of skull base deformations. Current management strategies are aimed at surgical treating the CP and regularly monitoring the CFD.

Tumor size measured by multidetector CT in resectable colon cancer: correlation with regional lymph node metastasis and N stage.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a risk factor for poor long-term outcomes and a prognostic factor for disease-free survival in colon cancer. Preoperative lymph node status evaluation remains a challenge. The purpose of this study is to determine whether tumor size measured by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) could be used to predict LNM and N stage in colon cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred six patients with colon cancer who underwent radical surgery within 1 week of MDCT scan were enrolled. Tumor size including tumor length (Tlen), tumor maximum diameter (Tdia), tumor maximum cross-sectional area (Tare), and tumor volume (Tvol) were measured to be correlated with pathologic LNM and N stage using univariate logistic regression analysis, multivariate logistic analysis, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of Tlen (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.94, 0.95, respectively), Tdia (ICC = 0.81, 0.93, respectively), Tare (ICC = 0.97, 0.91, respectively), and Tvol (ICC = 0.99, 0.99, respectively) parameters measurement are excellent. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in Tlen, Tdia, Tare, and Tvol between positive and negative LNM (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that Tvol was independent risk factor for predicting LNM (odds ratio, 1.082; 95% confidence interval for odds ratio, 1.039, 1.127, p<0.001). Tlen, Tdia, Tare, and Tvol could distinguish N0 from N1 stage (p < 0.001, 0.041, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively), N0 from N2 (all p < 0.001), N0 from N1-2 (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively), and N0-1 from N2 (p < 0.001, 0.001, < 0.001, < 0.001, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was higher for Tvol than that of Tlen, Tdia, and Tare in identifying LNM (AUC = 0.83, 0.82, 0.69, 0.79), and distinguishing N0 from N1 stage (AUC = 0.79, 0.78, 0.63, 0.74), N0 from N2 stage (AUC = 0.92, 0.89, 0.80, 0.89, respectively), and N0-1 from N2 stage (AUC = 0.84, 0.79, 0.76, 0.83, respectively). CONCLUSION: Tumor size was correlated with regional LNM in resectable colon cancer. In particularly, Tvol showed the most potential for noninvasive preoperative prediction of regional LNM and N stage.

[Corrigendum] MicroRNA-375 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and migration by downregulating RWDD3 in vitro.

The authors of the above article drew to our attention that they had identified three instances of data overlapping between data panels, suggesting that data purportedly showing results obtained under different experimental conditions had been derived from the same original source. Comparing between the two figures, two pairs of panels in Fig. 4B (the Mimics control and blank experiments for the U87 and U251 cell lines) were shown to be overlapping, and a further pair of panels showed overlapping data in Fig. 6B (the data panels for the miR­375 mi + .pCDNA/RWDD3 and miR­375 mi + .pCDNA experiments for the U87 cell line). The authors were able to re­examine the original data files and retrieve the correct data panels. The errors in these figures arose through inadvertently assembling Figs. 4 and 6 incorrectly. The revised versions of Figs. 4 and 6, featuring the corrected data panels for the Mimics control and blank experiments for the U87 and U251 cell lines in Fig. 4B, and the correct data for the U87 cell line in Fig. 6B, are shown opposite and on the next page, respectively. Note that the corrections to the data shown in these Figures do not affect the overall conclusions reported in the paper. The authors are grateful to the Editor of Oncology Reports for allowing them the opportunity to publish this Corrigendum, and apologize to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [the original article was published in Oncology Reports 39: 1825-1834, 2018; DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6261].

[Retracted] MicroRNA-375 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and migration by downregulating RWDD3 in vitro.

The authors of the above article drew to our attention that, in the above paper, they had identified three instances of data overlapping between data panels, suggesting that data purportedly showing results obtained under different experimental conditions had been derived from the same original source. Comparing among the data panels, two pairs of panels in Fig. 4B were shown to be overlapping, and a further pair of panels showed overlapping data in Fig. 6B. The authors were presented with an opportunity to correct their figures in a Corrigendum, although it has subsequently come to light that the replacement figures themselves featured problems with overlapping data. Given the errors that have been identified in the compilation of the figures in this article, the Editor of Oncology Reports has decided that this article should be retracted from the publication owing to a lack of overall confidence in the presented data. The authors all agree to the retraction of this article, and the Editor and the authors apologize for any inconvenience that might result from this retraction. [the original article was published in Oncology Reports 39: 1825-1834, 2018; DOI: 10.3892/or.2018.6261].

Prognostic and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA HNF1A-AS1 in solid cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: LncRNA HNF1A Antisense RNA 1 (HNF1A-AS1) is often dysregulated in cancer. We performed this meta-analysis to clarify the usefulness of HNF1A-AS1 as a prognostic marker in malignant tumors. METHODS: The PubMed, OVID, and Web of Science databases were searched from inception to January 11, 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to explore the relationship between HNF1A-AS1 expression and survival. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to assess the association between HNF1A-AS1 expression and pathological parameters. RESULTS: Eight studies with a total of 802 patients were included in the study. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) suggested high HNF1A-AS1 expression correlated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 4.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.43-9.68), and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 6.34, 95% CI: 1.03-39.12) in cancer patients. High HNF1A-AS1 expression also correlated with poor histological grade (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.27-2.79), high tumor stage (OR = 4.04, 95% CI: 2.53-6.47), lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 4.53, 95% CI: 2.30-8.92), and distant metastasis (OR = 5.99, 95% CI: 2.88-12.48). Begg funnel plot did not show any evidence of obvious asymmetry for high tumor stage (Pr > |z| = 0.368) and LNM (Pr > |z| = 1.000). CONCLUSIONS: Thus high HNF1A-AS1 expression is predictive of poor OS, DFS, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, histological grade, and larger tumor stage, which suggests high HNF1A-AS1 expression may serve as a novel biomarker of poor prognosis in cancer.

Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA ZEB1-AS1 in Chinese cancer patients: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant expression of long non-coding RNA Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (lncRNA ZEB1-AS1) can be detected in numerous malignancies. Therefore, a meta-analysis had been carried out in this study, aiming to examine the prognostic value of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 in malignancies. METHODS: Electronic databases, such as PubMed, OVID as well as Web of Science, had been systemically retrieved from inception to February 14th, 2019. Besides, the hazard ratios (HRs), together with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), had also been analyzed for determining the association of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression with the overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). In addition, the pooled odds ratios (ORs) would also be computed using the Stata SE12.0 software for evaluating the relationship of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression with pathological factors. RESULTS: A total of 21 original studies involving 1801 cancer patients had been enrolled into the current meta-analysis. As suggested by the pooled HR, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 had displayed marked correlation with OS (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.89-2.47) among cancer patients, and no significant heterogeneity was detected. Additionally, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 was also markedly associated with RFS among cancer patients (pooled HR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.61-4.03). Besides, the expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 had displayed marked correlation with poor histological grade (PHG) (OR = 2.86, 95% CI: 2.11-3.87), high tumor stage (HTS) (OR = 3.81, 95% CI: 2.72-5.34) as well as lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 2.47-4.49). Additionally, no distinct asymmetry had been detected for RFS, PHG as well as HTS based on Begg funnel plot. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, high expression of lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 can predict the dismal OS, RFS, LNM, PHG, and HTS, indicating that lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 can be potentially used as a new biomarker to predict the dismal prognosis for cancer patients.

Knockdown of HOXC6 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest by targeting WIF-1 in vitro and vivo.

BACKGROUND: Homeobox C6 (HOXC6) is one of several HOXC genes and is frequently overexpressed in multiple cancers. However, the function and mechanism of HOXC6 in glioma remain unclear. METHODS: The expression level of HOXC6 and its relationship with prognosis in glioma were determined through the TCGA database. The expressions of HOXC6 mRNA in glioblastoma tissues and normal brain tissues were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. To explore the role of HOXC6 in glioma, a lentiviral vector that expressed HOXC6-shRNA was constructed and transfected into glioma U87 cells. The expression levels of HOXC6 and WNT inhibitory factor 1 (WIF-1) in the glioma U87 cells after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot． CCK-8, colony formation and EdU assays were used to measure the effects of HOXC6 on U87 cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to monitor the changes in the cell cycle and cell apoptosis after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA. Xenograft tumors were examined in vivo for the carcinogenic effects and prognostic value of HOXC6 in glioma tissues. RESULTS: In this study, HOXC6 was highly expressed in human glioma tissues, and a high expression of HOXC6 was associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. We demonstrated that HOXC6 was highly expressed in human GBM tissues and three glioma cell lines. The knockdown of HOXC6 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation ability of U87 cells by blocking cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and induced apoptosis. In addition, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of WIF-1 were substantially increased after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA compared with Ctrl-shRNA in vitro. Consistent with the results of the in vitro assays, the xenograft assay and immunohistochemistry also demonstrated that in response to HOXC6 inhibition, the tumor growth and Ki-67 expression level were inhibited and the WIF-1 expression was increased in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the results of the current study indicate that HOXC6 promotes glioma U87 cell growth through the WIF-1/Wnt signaling pathway and HOXC6 might be a novel target in clinical treatment for gliomas.

MicroRNA-375 inhibits glioma cell proliferation and migration by downregulating RWDD3 in vitro.

Derived from brain glial cells, gliomas are currently the most common primary tumours in the central nervous system and are characterised by a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. RWDD3 (RWD domain-containing sumoylation enhancer, also termed RSUME), which can be induced by cellular stress, such as CoCl2, heat shock and hypoxia, may play a crucial role in tumour angiogenesis, growth and metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to act as negative regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression and are involved in tumour growth and metastasis. In the present study, we explored the role of RWDD3 in glioma cell proliferation and invasion by the knockdown of RWDD3 with lentiviral shRNA and demonstrated that miRNA hsa-miR-375, regulates RWDD3 and has an important role in glioma progression. We found that expression of RWDD3 in high-grade gliomas was significantly higher than that noted in normal brain tissues and lower-grade gliomas in vivo. Knockdown of RWDD3 effectively led to cell cycle arrest, decreased proliferation and invasion, and increased apoptosis in human glioma cell lines. Furthermore, miR-375 was downregulated in human gliomas and overexpression of miR-375 caused downregulation of RWDD3 in glioma cells as well as inhibited their motility. Thus, these findings suggest that RWDD3 and miR-375 may function as therapeutic biomarkers for glioma patients.

Lentivirus­mediated knockdown of chondroitin polymerizing factor inhibits glioma cell growth in vitro.

Glioma is the most common primary tumor in the central nervous system, characterized by rapid progression, aggressive behavior, frequent recurrence and poor prognosis. In the present study we demonstrated that chondroitin polymerizing factor (CHPF) is highly expressed in human glioma tissues and 4 glioma cell lines. To explore the role of CHPF in glioma, a lentiviral vector expressing CHPF shRNA was constructed and transfected into the glioma U251 cells, which stably downregulated the expression levels of the CHPF gene in U251 cells in vitro. U251 cell proliferation inhibition rates were determined by MTT assay. The effect of survivin shRNA on U251 cell cycle distribution and cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry. Compared to the shRNA­Ctrl group of cells, the shRNA-CHPF group of cells exhibited decreased proliferation and a significant increase in the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase. In addition, we found that knockdown of the expression of CHPF increased apoptosis in glioma U251 cells. Therefore, our results confirmed that CHPF promotes growth and inhibits apoptosis in glioma U251 cells. Thus, by in vivo and in vitro data, the present study suggests that CHPF could be a new potential therapeutic target for glioma.

Long noncoding RNA activated by TGF-ß in human cancers: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Because long non-coding RNA ATB (activated by TGF-ß) is dysregulated in many cancers, we performed a meta-analysis to determine its prognostic potential in malignant tumors. METHODS: We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library and Web of Science from inception until November 15, 2016 and identified eight studies with 818 cancer patients for the meta-analysis. We analyzed the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the relationship between lncRNA-ATB expression and overall survival (OS), recurrence -free survival (RFS), disease-free survival (DFS). We also use RevMan5.3 software to calculate odds ratio (ORs) to assess the association between lncRNA-ATB expression and pathological parameters including lymph node metastasis (LNM), distant metastasis (DM) and tumor stage. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that increased lncRNA-ATB expression was associated with OS (HR=2.82, 95% CI:1.98-4.00, P<0.00001), DFS (HR=2.75, 95% CI:1.73-4.38, P<0.0001), RFS(HR=3.96, 95% CI:2.30-6.81, P<0.00001), LNM (OR=4.07, 95% CI 1.74-9.53, P=0.001), DM (OR=3.21, 95% CI 1.06-9.72, P=0.04) and high tumor stage (OR=2.81, 95% 1.78-4.43, P<0.0001) in patients with other types of cancers that excluded pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis demonstrated that increased lncRNA-ATB expression can be a useful prognostic biomarker in human cancer.

Long non-coding RNA HULC as a potential prognostic biomarker in human cancers: a meta-analysis.

Since the long non-coding RNA HULC (Highly Upregulated in Liver Cancer) is dysregulated in many cancers, we performed a meta-analysis to determine its prognostic potential in malignant tumors. We searched electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library and Web of Science from inception until August 14, 2016 and identified seven studies with 730 cancer patients for the meta-analysis. We analyzed the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the relationship between HULC expression and overall survival (OS). We also using RevMan5.3 software to calculate odds ratio (ORs) to assess the association between HULC expression and pathological parameters, including lymph node metastasis (LNM), distant metastasis (DM) and the tumor stage. Our analysis showed that higher HULC expression was associated with OS (HR= 0.50, 95% CI: 0.35-0.70, P <0.00001), LNM (OR=0.20, 95 % CI 0.06-0.64), DM (OR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.54) and the tumor stage (OR=0.39, 95 % CI 0.25-0.64). These meta-analysis data demonstrate that higher HULC expression can be a useful prognostic biomarker in human cancers.

Long noncoding RNA CCAT2 can predict metastasis and poor prognosis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: It has been reported that Colon cancer-associated transcript 2 (CCAT2) is dysregulated in various cancers. We performed this meta-analysis to clarify its promising functions as a prognosis marker in malignant tumors. METHODS: Electronic databases, including PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched from inception to October 20, 2016. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to explore the relationship between CCAT2 expression and survival, which were extracted from the eligible studies. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated to assess the association between CCAT2 expression and pathological parameters using RevMan5.3 software. RESULTS: Six original studies were included in this meta-analysis including 725 cancer patients. The pooled HR suggested that high CCAT2 expression was significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) (HR=2.30, 95% CI: 1.62-3.25, p<0.00001) in cancer patients. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association between CCAT2 and OS in urogenital system (HR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.27-2.26, p<0.003) and non-urogenital system cancer patients (HR=3.18, 95% CI: 2.09-4.83, p<0.0001). A significant association was observed between high CCAT2 expression and poor progression-free survival (PFS) in cancer patients (pooled HR=2.76, 95% CI: 1.74-4.37). CCAT2 expression was significantly related to lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR=4.33, 95% CI 2.03-9.22), distant metastasis (DM) (OR=11.66, 95% CI: 5.36-25.37) and tumor stage (OR=2.58, 95% CI 1.86-3.57). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis demonstrated that high CCAT2 expression significantly predicts poor OS, poor PFS, LNM, DM and tumor stage, suggesting that high CCAT2 expression may serve as a novel biomarker for poor prognosis and metastasis in cancers.

BRAF-activated lncRNA predicts gastrointestinal cancer patient prognosis: a meta-analysis.

BRAF activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) is often dysregulated in cancer. We performed a meta-analysis to clarify its functions as a prognostic indicator in malignant tumors. We searched the PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify BANCR-related studies. Nine original studies and 898 total patients were included in the meta-analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted from the included studies to determine the relationship between BANCR expression and patient overall survival (OS). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using RevMan 5.3 software to assess associations between BANCR expression and pathological parameters. High BANCR expression correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 1.82-6.37, P = 0.0001), distant metastasis (DM) (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.76-5.07, P < 0.0001), tumor stage (OR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.89-5.12, Z = 3.25, P < 0.0001), and poor OS (pooled HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.20-3.27, P = 0.008) in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients, but not in non-GI cancer patients. Our results support the notion that BANCR as a promising prognostic biomarker in Chinese patients with GI cancer.