Significance of TRPS1 in the development and clinicopathologic of hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this paper was to explore roles and significance of transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 (TRPS1) in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and clinicopathological parameters of HCC patients, respectively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of TRPS1 was detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between TRPS1 and clinicopathological parameters of HCC patients. SiRNA was designed to suppress the expression of TRPS1. Moreover, transwell assay and cell cycle analysis were adopted to determine the invasion ability and proliferation ability of HCC cells. RESULTS: It was demonstrated that TRPS1 was abnormally over-expressed in HCC tissues and cells, and was closely associated with the vascular invasion, tumor size, and TNM stage of HCC patients. Besides, the results indicated that the inhibition of TRPS1 in HCC cells could impede the cell invasion ability and proliferation ability. CONCLUSIONS: TRPS1 plays a key role in the development of HCC and is closely associated with the clinicopathological parameters of HCC patients. Hence, it is proposed that TRPS1 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

CT findings of anomalous systemic artery to the left lower lobe: comparison with pulmonary sequestration in the left lower lobe.

AIM: To analyse and compare CT findings of anomalous systemic artery to the left lower lobe (ASALLL) and pulmonary sequestration (PS) in the left lower lobe (LLL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study cohort comprised 16 patients with ASALLL and 25 patients with PS in the LLL confirmed by surgical and pathological findings. Medical records and CT images were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Cough and sputum were more common in PS (84% and 60%, respectively) than in ASALLL (25% and 12.5%, respectively; p < 0.05). Haemoptysis was more common in ASALLL (100%) than in PS (24%; p < 0.05). The frequency of ground-glass opacity (GGO), normal bronchial distribution, dilated left inferior pulmonary veins, and absence of the interlobar artery distal to the origin of the superior segmental artery in the LLL differed significantly between ASALLL and PS. A mass was less common in ASALLL (0%) than in PS (88%; p < 0.01). The mean diameters of the anomalous artery (12.10 ± 1.49 mm) and left inferior pulmonary veins (13.20 ± 2.19 mm) in ASALLL were significantly larger than those (6.73 ± 2.59 mm, 10.04 ± 1.55 mm) in PS. The threshold diameters of the anomalous artery and left inferior pulmonary vein for ASALLL were 9.75 and 11.75 mm, respectively. The presence of an anomalous artery arising from the thoracic aorta was not different between ASALLL (100%) and PS (72%). CONCLUSION: The following imaging features favour ASALLL over PS in the LLL: a larger anomalous systemic artery arising from the thoracic aorta, dilated left inferior pulmonary veins, absence of the interlobar artery distal to the origin of the superior segmental artery, normal bronchial distribution, and GGO in the LLL.