Prognostic value of lymph node metastasis in patients with T1-stage colorectal cancer from multiple centers in China.

AIM: To explore the features and prognostic value of lymph node metastasis in patients with T1-stage colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: In all, 321 cases of T1-stage CRC were selected from 10132 patients with CRC who received surgical therapy in six large-scale hospitals in China and were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the risk factors for lymphatic metastasis. A survival analysis was then performed to analyze the prognostic value of lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: The occurrence rate of T1 stage was 3.17% (321/10132); of these patients, the lymph node metastasis rate was 8.41% (27/321), and the non-lymph node metastasis rate was 91.59% (294/321). Univariate analysis showed that preoperative serum CEA, preoperative serum CA199, preoperative serum CA724, vascular invasion, and degree of differentiation were associated with lymph node metastasis in T1-stage CRC (P < 0.05 for all). Multivariate analysis indicated that preoperative serum CA724, vascular invasion, and degree of differentiation were closely related to lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05 for all). Log-rank survival analysis showed that age, preoperative serum CEA, preoperative serum CA199, vascular invasion, degree of differentiation, and lymph node metastasis (χ2 = 24.180, P < 0.001) were predictors of 5-year overall survival (OS) (P < 0.05 for all). COX regression analysis demonstrated that preoperative serum CA199 and lymph node metastasis (HR = 5.117; P < 0.05; 95%CI: 0.058-0.815) were independent prognostic indicators of 5-year OS in patients with T1-stage CRC (P < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: The morbidity of T1-stage CRC was 3.17% for all CRC cases. Preoperative serum CA724, vascular invasion, and degree of differentiation are independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. Lymph node metastasis is an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with T1-stage CRC.

Anticancer activity of bicalutamide-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in prostate cancers.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancy in men in western and most developing countries. Bicalutamide (BLT) is an antineoplastic hormonal agent primarily used in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancers. In the present study, the aim was to develop a nanotechnology-based delivery system to target prostate cancer cells. This involved the development of a BLT-loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) PLGA (PLGA-BLT) nanoparticulate system in an attempt to improve the therapeutic efficacy of BLT in prostate cancer and to mitigate its toxicity. Nanosized particles with a uniform size distribution and spherical shape were developed. PLGA-BLT showed a pronounced cytotoxic effect on LNCaP and C4-2 cancer cells. The superior cell-killing effect of the nanoparticles may be attributable to their sustained drug-release characteristics and high cellular internalization. PLGA-BLT was also found to significantly inhibit colony formation in the two cell lines. Furthermore, the caspase-3 activity of PLGA-BLT treated cancer cells was enhanced, indicating the cell apoptosis-inducing potential of PLGA-BLT. Overall, these results suggest that nanotechnology-based formulations of BLT exhibit superior anticancer activity and have enormous potential in the treatment of prostate cancers.

The ratio of circulating regulatory T cells (Tregs)/Th17 cells is associated with acute allograft rejection in liver transplantation.

CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Th17 cells are known to be involved in the alloreactive responses in organ transplantation, but little is known about the relationship between Tregs and Th17 cells in the context of liver alloresponse. Here, we investigated whether the circulating Tregs/Th17 ratio is associated with acute allograft rejection in liver transplantation. In present study, thirty-eight patients who received liver transplant were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: acute allograft rejection group (Gr-AR) (n = 16) and stable allograft liver function group (Gr-SF) (n = 22). The frequencies of circulating Tregs and circulating Th17 cells, as well as Tregs/Th17 ratio were determined using flow cytometry. The association between Tregs/Th17 ratio and acute allograft rejection was then analyzed. Our results showed that the frequency of circulating Tregs was significantly decreased, whereas the frequency of circulating Th17 cells was significantly increased in liver allograft recipients who developed acute rejection. Tregs/Th17 ratio had a negative correlation with liver damage indices and the score of rejection activity index (RAI) after liver transplantation. In addition, the percentages of CTLA-4(+), HLA-DR(+), Ki67(+), and IL-10(+) Tregs were higher in Gr-SF group than in Gr-AR group. Our results suggested that the ratio of circulating Tregs/Th17 cells is associated with acute allograft rejection, thus the ratio may serve as an alternative marker for the diagnosis of acute rejection.