BRF2 is mediated by microRNA-409-3p and promotes invasion and metastasis of HCC through the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Its invasiveness and ability to metastasize contributes to an extremely high patient mortality. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie the characteristics of HCC progression are not well understood. BRF2 has been shown to be an oncogene in a number of tumors; however, its role in HCC has not yet been thoroughly examined. In this study, we identified and validated BRF2 as an oncogene in HCC, providing a new insight into HCC pathogenesis and therapeutic possibilities. We showed that BRF2 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines and tissues, while BRF2 depletion suppressed HCC metastasis and invasion. We then examined the upstream regulation of BRF2 and identified miR-409-3p as being predicted to bind to the 3' UTR of BRF2. We used a luciferase activity assay and functional verification to show that BRF2 is downregulated by miR-409-3p. Finally, we used bioinformatic analysis to show that BRF2 may be related to early HCC development through the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway.

A phase Ib study of the highly selective MET-TKI savolitinib plus gefitinib in patients with EGFR-mutated, MET-amplified advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are recommended first-line treatments in EGFR-mutated (EGFRm) non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, acquired resistance (e.g. MET amplification) is frequently observed. Savolitinib (volitinib, HMPL-504, AZD6094) is an oral, potent, and highly selective MET-TKI. In this phase Ib, open-label, multicenter study, we enrolled Chinese patients with EGFRm advanced NSCLC, whose disease progressed following prior EGFR-TKI treatment. In the safety run-in, patients received savolitinib 600 or 800 mg plus gefitinib 250 mg orally once daily, and dose-limiting toxicities were recorded. In the expansion phase, patients with MET amplification received savolitinib plus gefitinib. The primary endpoint was safety/tolerability. Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity. Thirteen patients were enrolled in the safety phase (median age 52 years, 46% female) and 51 enrolled in the expansion phase (median age 61 years, 67% female). No dose-limiting toxicities were reported in either dose group during the safety run-in. Adverse events of grade ≥ 3 in the safety run-in and expansion phases (n = 57) were reported in 21 (37%) patients. The most frequently reported adverse events (all grades) were: vomiting (n = 26, 46%), nausea (n = 23, 40%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (n = 22, 39%). Of four deaths, none were treatment-related. The objective response rates in EGFR T790M-negative, -positive, and -unknown patients were 52% (12/23), 9% (2/23), and 40% (2/5), respectively. Savolitinib 600 mg plus gefitinib 250 mg once daily had an acceptable safety profile and demonstrated promising antitumor activity in EGFRm, MET-amplified advanced NSCLC patients who had disease progression on EGFR-TKIs. NCT02374645, Date of registration: March 2nd 2015.

Pegylated filgrastim is comparable with filgrastim as support for commonly used chemotherapy regimens: a multicenter, randomized, crossover phase 3 study.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a single subcutaneous injection of pegylated filgrastim with daily filgrastim as a prophylaxis for neutropenia induced by commonly used chemotherapy regimens. Fifteen centers enrolled 337 chemotherapy-naive cancer patients with normal bone marrow function. All patients randomized into AOB and BOA arms received two cycles of chemotherapy. Patients received a single dose of pegylated filgrastim 100 µg/kg in cycle 1 (AOB) or cycle 2 (BOA) and daily doses of filgrastim 5 µg/kg/day in cycle 1 (BOA) or cycle 2 (AOB). Efficacy and safety parameters were recorded. The primary end point was the rate of protection against grade 4 neutropenia after chemotherapy [defined as the rate at which the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) remained >0.5×10(9)/l throughout the entire cycle]. Ninety-four percent of patients receiving pegylated filgrastim or filgrastim did not develop grade 4 neutropenia. The incidence of ANC<1.0×10(9)/l was 16.0% (50/313) after support with either pegylated filgrastim or filgrastim. The incidences of febrile neutropenia and antibiotic administration were similar in both groups. Notably, faster ANC recovery was observed with pegylated filgrastim support. The ANC nadir was also earlier with pegylated filgrastim (day 7) support than with filgrastim support (day 9), although the depth of nadir was not significantly different. A single subcutaneous injection of pegylated filgrastim 100 µg/kg provided adequate and safe neutrophil support comparable with daily subcutaneous injections of unmodified filgrastim 5 µg/kg/day in patients receiving commonly used standard-dose mild-to-moderate myelosuppressive chemotherapy regimens.

Consensus Statements on Precision Oncology in the China Greater Bay Area.

BACKGROUND: Next-generation sequencing comprehensive genomic panels (NGS CGPs) have enabled the delivery of tailor-made therapeutic approaches to improve survival outcomes in patients with cancer. Within the China Greater Bay Area (GBA), territorial differences in clinical practices and health care systems and strengthening collaboration warrant a regional consensus to consolidate the development and integration of precision oncology (PO). Therefore, the Precision Oncology Working Group (POWG) formulated standardized principles for the clinical application of molecular profiling, interpretation of genomic alterations, and alignment of actionable mutations with sequence-directed therapy to deliver clinical services of excellence and evidence-based care to patients with cancer in the China GBA. METHODS: Thirty experts used a modified Delphi method. The evidence extracted to support the statements was graded according to the GRADE system and reported according to the Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence guidelines, version 2.0. RESULTS: The POWG reached consensus in six key statements: harmonization of reporting and quality assurance of NGS; molecular tumor board and clinical decision support systems for PO; education and training; research and real-world data collection, patient engagement, regulations, and financial reimbursement of PO treatment strategies; and clinical recommendations and implementation of PO in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: POWG consensus statements standardize the clinical application of NGS CGPs, streamline the interpretation of clinically significant genomic alterations, and align actionable mutations with sequence-directed therapies. The POWG consensus statements may harmonize the utility and delivery of PO in China's GBA.

Dexmedetomidine pretreatment protects the heart against apoptosis in ischemia/reperfusion injury in diabetic rats by activating PI3K/Akt signaling in vivo and in vitro.

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) exerts cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the precise mechanisms underlying this cardioprotective effect in diabetic rats are still not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cardioprotective mechanism of DEX pretreatment on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in diabetic rats. A total of 25 streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were equally randomized into five groups: i) Sham, ii) DEX (100 µg/kg); iii) myocardial I/R; iv) myocardial I/R+DEX (10 µg/kg); and v) myocardial I/R+DEX (100 µg/kg) groups. Primary cardiomyocytes were cultured in DEX for 1 h, and then oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD)/R for 36 h. These results showed that pretreatment with DEX significantly decreased the I/R-induced size of the myocardial infarction, structural damage, morphological changes and apoptosis in myocardial cells, as well as levels of creatinine kinase, malondialdehyde and cardiac troponin I, and increased the I/R-induced superoxide dismutase activity in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis revealed that DEX pretreatment significantly increased the I/R-induced expression levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (pPI3K) and pAkt, and significantly decreased those of pBcl-2 associated agonist of cell death, Bcl-2-associated X protein and cleaved caspase 3 in vivo and in vitro. In addition, all of these cardioprotective effects of DEX were reversed by yohimbine and LY294002 pretreatment. These results suggested that DEX pretreatment may activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in an α2 adrenoceptor-dependent manner. DEX pretreatment may exert cardioprotective effects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in diabetic rats through the I/R-induced inhibition of cell apoptosis by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

GEMSTONE-301: a phase III clinical trial of CS1001 as consolidation therapy in patients with locally advanced/unresectable (stage III) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who did not have disease progression after prior concurrent/sequential chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: In China, platinum-based doublet chemotherapy is the standard treatment for patients who have unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), administered with radiotherapy on either a concurrent or sequential basis. However, NSCLC patients who undergo this treatment can expect poor median progression-free survival (PFS) of around 8-10 months and a dismal 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of about 15%. In the recent PACIFIC trial, durvalumab was demonstrated to hold significant clinical benefit for patients with locally advanced/unresectable NSCLC who experienced no disease progression after definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT). CS1001 is the first full-length, fully human immunoglobin G4 (IgG4) monoclonal antibody (mAb) that targets programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) created through the OMT transgenic rat platform. The phase Ia/Ib study indicated CS1001 was well tolerated and exhibited anti-tumor potential with a range of tumors. GEMSTONE-301 is a phase III randomized, double-blind, study to explore the efficacy and safety of CS1001 compared with a placebo as consolidation therapy for stage III unresectable NSCLC patients. METHODS: In this trial, eligible patients will be randomized to receive CS1001 1,200 mg or placebo, every 3 weeks (Q3W). The primary endpoint will be investigator-assessed PFS, based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1. The secondary endpoints will include OS, PFS assessment based on Blinded Independent Center Review (BICR), objective response rate (ORR), other efficacy measurements, safety, and tolerability. DISCUSSION: This phase III trial will determine the efficacy and safety of CS1001 as consolidation therapy in patients with locally advanced/unresectable (stage III) NSCLC who did not have disease progression after prior concurrent/sequential chemoradiotherapy (cCRT or sCRT), and is the first phase III trial on an anti-PD-L1 mAb initiated in China for this indication. PROTOCOL VERSION: Version 3.0/September 12, 2019.

A consensus on immunotherapy from the 2017 Chinese Lung Cancer Summit expert panel.

The notable clinical success of cancer immunotherapy using checkpoint blockade suggests that it is likely to form the foundation of curative therapy for many malignancies. However, checkpoint blockades do not achieve sustained clinical response in most patients and thus amounts of problems needed to be figured out. Regarding these challenges, the 2017 Chinese Lung Cancer Summit expert panel organized a forum on the 14th Chinese Lung Cancer Summit to formally discuss these controversies. Five consensuses finally were reached to guide the application of checkpoint blockades.

[Correlation of tenascin-C degradation fragment with recurrence and/or metastasis in early non-small-cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation of tenascin-c (TN-C) degradation with relapse and/or metastasis in stage-I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in order to search for a potential biomarker for predicting recurrence, and also to investigate the molecular mechanism of TN-C degradation. Methods The fragment of TN-C in 63 surgically treated stage-I NSCLC was detected by Western blotting, and the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) was also examined by gelatin zymography. RESULTS: TN-C degradation fragment was positively detected in 12 of 63 patients, and 9 of these 12 patients (75.0%) were found to develope recurrence during follow-up. The recurrence-free survival at 4 years was 28.1% in patients with positive TN-C degradation versus 82.1% in those without (P < 0.001), and which was 76.6% at 10 years in the patients without TN-C degradation. The activity of MMP-2 in the patients with positive TN-C degradation was also found to be significantly higher than that in the patients without (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Tenascin-c degradation fragment may be a reliable biomarker for predicting recurrence and/or metastasis in the early NSCLC, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 may be a responsible proteinase for degradation of tenascin-c.

[Antitumor immune responses induced by idiotype-pulsed dendritic cells with cell-penetrating peptide vaccination in vivo].

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the therapeutic effect of dendritic cell (DC) vaccine on treatment for mice with lymphoma and the protective effect of DC vaccine loaded with different antigens on the tumor-bearing BAL B/c mice. METHODS: Firstly, a mouse tumor model was set up by s. c. inoculation of 1 x 10(6)/mouse A20 tumor cells. Then different DC vaccines were injected, respectively, and the tumor size and survival time were observed. Secondly, the immunized mice with DC vaccines were challenged with A20 tumor cells, and observed whether a new tumor occurred in the mice and the time of survival. RESULTS: The tumor of mice immunized with Id-DC vaccines grew slower than the controls (mean time of survival was 40.4 days vs. 33.4 days), but statistically not significantly different. The tumor of mice injected with CPP-Id-DC vaccines grew slower than that injected with Id-DC vaccines and controls, and one of 5 mice got CR and the tumor in another one mouse became stable. The median survival time was 70.8 days during a 90-days observation period. The difference was significant (P<0.01). The mice injected with Id-DC vaccines were challenged with A20 tumor cells showed new tumor occurred at 7 - 12 days, and 1 of the 5 mice survived for 60 days. The mice injected with CPP-Id-DC vaccines had no tumor. CONCLUSION: The DC loaded with CPP-Id was better than that loaded with Id alone in treating B cell lymphoma, and It can enhance their antitumor responses and prolong the survival time of the A20 tumor animal models. The vaccine of DC loaded with CPP-Id can protect mice from A20 tumor cell challenge.

[Tumor-selective replication, cytotoxicity and GM-CSF production of oncolytic recombinant adenovirus in KH901 injection].

OBJECTIVE: To study the tumor-selective replication, cytotoxicity and GM-CSF production of the recombinant virus in KH901 injection used to infect the cells cultured in vitro. METHODS: A panel of tumor and normal cells was infected with recombinant adenovirus in KH901 and wild-type adenovirus type 5 at a MOI of 2 PPC, the cells were harvested at 72 hours after infection and made a titer after three cycles of freeze/thaw; A panel of tumor and normal cells was infected with recombinant adenovirus KH901 at MOI of 1 or 10 PPC. For 24 hours after infection the medium was harvested to determine the biological activity of GM-CSF; A panel of tumor and normal cells was infected with KH901 of recombinant adenovirus and wild-type adenovirus type 5 at MOIs of 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 PPC. At 7 days after infection, cell viability was determined by the MTT assay, and ECso was determined too. RESULTS: The data showed that wild-type adenovirus type 5 replicated efficiently in and killed both the tumor and normal cells, however, the recombinant adenovirus in KH901 replicated hugely in tumor cells [(2526.4+/-136.8)-(2796.6+/-104.6) TCID50/cell), and produced significant amount of GM-CSF [(1177. 793 +/-6.62)-(3924.497+/-17.79) IU/(10(6) cell x 24h)] and killed the tumor cells [EC50: (0.31+/-0.06)-(0.19+/- 0.01) pfu/cell] while was replicating poorly in non-permissive human normal cells [(56.8+/-9.2)-(90.1+/-14.4) TCID50/ cell], and producing very small amount of GM-CSF [(13.397+/-0.82) IU/(10(6)cell x 24 h)] and attenuating human primary cells killed [EC50: (92.33 +/- 9.12)-(121.20 +/- 19.94) pfu/cell], with which there was statistically a significant difference between wild-type adenovirus type 5 and recombinant adenovirus in KH901 (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In vitro studies show that the tumor-selective replication, cytotoxicity, GM-CSF production of recombinant adenovirus lead the injection KH901 containing the recombinant adenovirus, as oncolytic agent, to have a potential utility for the treatment of solid tumors.

Prognostic and predictive value of serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients with epidermal growth factor receptor sensitive mutations and receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Despite the widespread use of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), no biomarkers for predicting the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with EGFR-sensitive mutations have yet been identified. The purpose of our study was to explore the effect of baseline serum tumor markers in stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients treated with EGFR-TKIs. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-seven patients with stage IIIB/IV NSCLC who harbored EGFR-sensitive mutations and were treated with EGFR-TKIs were retrospectively reviewed. Their levels of CEA, CYFRA 21-1, NSE and CA199 were measured before treatment with EGFR-TKIs. RESULTS: The response rate for all patients was 54.8%, with a median progression-free survival of 6.6 months and overall survival of 14.8 months. In univariate analyses, patients with CEA levels below the cutoff point (10 ng/ml) had higher RR, better PFS, and better OS than those with CEA levels above 10 ng/mL (RR: 69.2% vs. 43.4%, p= 0.001; mPFS: 7.8 months vs. 5.3 months, p=0.029; mOS: 18.8 months vs. 11.8 months, p=0.000). The baseline serum CEA level was an independent factor for RR (odds ratio [OR] =0.322, p=0.001), PFS (hazard ratio [HR] =1.45, p=0.025), and OS (HR=2.133, p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that baseline serum CEA levels may play a role in predicting the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients with EGFR-sensitive mutations who are treated with EGFR-TKIs.

Significance of glucocorticoid receptor expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Pemetrexed is the preferred chemotherapy agent in the management of non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (non-sq-NSCLC), but lacks biomarkers predicting its efficacy. Dexamethasone, one of the premedications of pemetrexed, may downregulate p53 through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). The purpose of our study was to explore the effect of GR in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and its role in predicting pemetrexed efficacy. METHODS: In all, 122 patients with stage IV non-sq-NSCLC who received first-line pemetrexed-containing chemotherapy were retrospectively reviewed. The expression of GR in PBMC was measured before treatment with pemetrexed using real-time PCR was used to detect the levels of GRα and GRß. RESULTS: The response rate for all patients was 38.5%, with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.9 months and overall survival (OS) of 14.3 months. In univariate analyses, patients with a low GRα/GRß ratio in PBMC had higher RR, better PFS, and better OS than those with a high GRα/GRß ratio (RR: 48.2 vs. 30.3%, p = 0.043; mPFS: 6.9 vs. 4.0 months, p < 0.001; mOS: 18.7 vs. 12.2 months, p = 0.005). The baseline GRα/GRß ratio was an independent factor for RR (odds ratio [OR] = 0.451, 95% CI 0.208-0.978; p = 0.044), PFS (HR = 1.584, 95% CI 1.094-2.295; p = 0.015), and OS (HR = 1.761, 95% CI 1.195-2.595; p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Baseline GRα/GRß ratio in PBMC may play a role in predicting the efficacy of first-line pemetrexed-containing chemotherapy in stage IV non-sq NSCLC patients.

Prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for patients with completely resected stage IIIA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: The patient prognosis after complete resection for pathologic stage IIIA(N2) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a significant concern. The clinical relevance of the host immune response to NSCLC has yet to be established. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in a uniform cohort of patients with completely resected stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC. METHODS: From 2005 to 2012, consecutive patients with pathologic stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC who underwent complete resection at our institution were reviewed. For each case, full-face hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from surgical specimens were evaluated for the TIL density. A published, recommended TIL scoring scale was followed. The patients were stratified into the TIL- or TIL+ group based on pathologic evaluation. RESULTS: Data from 320 patients were included in the analysis. Based on a median follow-up duration of 30.8 months, a higher density of TILs was associated with an improved postoperative survival time (P = 0.06). Subgroup analyses indicated that this positive effect was the greatest for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC; P = 0.03). Among those with SCC, the TIL+ patients experienced a significantly increased 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) compared to the TIL- patients (60.6% versus 42.7%, P = 0.02). Multivariate analyses of the 93 patients with SCC tumors confirmed that TIL+ was an independent prognostic factor for an increased DMFS (HR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.17-0.87, P = 0.02) and a prolonged overall survival (OS; HR = 0.47, 95%CI 0.22-1.00, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest a potential role of TILs in predicting the survival of patients with completely resected stage IIIA(N2) NSCLC. The beneficial effects of TILs were more pronounced in the prediction of the DMFS and the OS in patients with SCC. This parameter should be considered for prospective inclusion in clinical trials.

PA-MSHA in combination with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor: A new strategy to overcome the drug resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells.

The inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling by Gefitinib provides a promising treatment strategy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, drug resistance to Gefitinib and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors presents a major issue. Using NSCLC cell lines with differential EGFR status, we examined the potency of PA-MSHA (Pseudomonas aeruginosa-mannose-sensitive hemagglutinin) in combination with Gefitinib on proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, EGFR signaling and tumor growth. PC-9, A549, and NCI-H1975 cells were treated with PA-MSHA, Gefetinib, or PA-MSHA plus Gefetinib at different concentrations and times. The effects of the drugs on proliferation, cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were evaluated. The activation of EGFR and apoptotic signaling-related molecules was evaluated by Western blotting in the presence or absence of EGFR siRNA. Tumor growth and pathway signaling activation was assessed by xenografts in nude mice. A time-dependent and concentration-dependent cytotoxic effect of PA-MSHA was observed in all NSCLC cells tested. The combination of PA-MSHA plus Gefitinib enhanced the growth inhibition, sub-G1 content and apoptosis over that observed with either agent alone. Furthermore, the combination of PA-MSHA plus Gefitinib resulted in caspase-3/caspase-9 cleavage and increased inhibition of EGFR-dependent activation of AKT and ERK phosphorylation. Combination treatment was more effective in reducing tumor size and EGFR activation than either agent alone. These data suggest that PA-MSHA and Gefitinib function additively to suppress the proliferative effects of NSCLC cells of differential EGFR status. The combination of PA-MSHA and Gefitinib provides a potential new strategy to conquer drug resistance for anti-EGFR-targeted therapy of NSCLC.

[Frequency of prothrombin gene G20210A variant in the 3'-untranslated region in Zhuang ethnic Chinese].

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the frequency of prothrombin (FII) gene 3'-untranslated region (3'-UT) G20210A variant and to explore whether this mutation is related to arterial thrombosis in Chinese Zhuang population. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with cerebral thrombosis, 23 patients with myocardial infarction and 106 healthy Chinese Zhuang persons were studied. The G20210A mutant allele of the prothrombin gene in all blood specimens was investigated by DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction amplification, Hind III digestion and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: The patients and normal control subjects were all homozygous for the normal G20210G allele, and there was no FII G20210A variant. CONCLUSION: Factor II gene 3'-UT G20210A mutant allele is absent in the 99 Chinese Zhuang ethnic patients with ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction and is absent in 106 normal healthy Zhuang people. FII G20210A mutation may not be a major risk factor for thrombogenesis in ethnic Chinese.

The mitochondrial division inhibitor mdivi-1 attenuates spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury both in vitro and in vivo: Involvement of BK channels.

Mitochondrial division inhibitor (mdivi-1), a selective inhibitor of a mitochondrial fission protein dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), has been shown to exert protective effects in heart and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion models. The present study was designed to investigate the beneficial effects of mdivi-1 against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (SCIR) injury and its associated mechanisms. SCIR injury was induced by glutamate treatment in cultured spinal cord neurons and by descending thoracic aorta occlusion for 20 min in rats. We found that mdivi-1 (10 µM) significantly attenuated glutamate induced neuronal injury and apoptosis in spinal cord neurons. This neuroprotective effect was accompanied by decreased expression of oxidative stress markers, inhibited mitochondrial dysfunction and preserved activities of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, mdivi-1 significantly increased the expression of the large-conductance Ca(2+)- and voltage-activated K(+) (BK) channels, and blocking BK channels by paxilline partly ablated mdivi-1 induced protection. The in vivo experiments showed that mdivi-1 treatment (1 mg/kg) overtly mitigated SCIR injury induced spinal cord edema and neurological dysfunction with no organ-related toxicity in rats. Moreover, mdivi-1 increased the expression of BK channels in spinal cord tissues, and paxilline pretreatment nullified mdivi-1 induced protection after SCIR injury in rats. Thus, mdivi-1 may be an effective therapeutic agent for SCIR injury via activation of BK channels as well as reduction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal apoptosis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Spinal cord injury.

A single institution, retrospective study of treatment experience in primary mediastinal germ cell tumors: elucidating the significance of systemic chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Primary malignant germ cell tumors (GCTs) of mediastinum are rare neoplasms. We introduce our institutional experience in managing patients with primary malignant GCTs of the mediastinum, focusing on the analysis of therapeutic modalities. METHODS: A retrospective review was done in 39 consecutive patients with mediastinal malignant GCTs treated in our institution between 1991 and 2007. RESULTS: A total of 39 patients were enrolled in this study with a median age of 27 years. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the whole population were 60.2% and 57.7%, respectively. Stratified by the histology, 18 patients (46.2%) had seminoma and 21 patients (53.8%) had nonseminomatous germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). The 5-year OS rate of patients with seminoma was 87.4% as compared with 36.7% in patients with NSGCTs (P = 0.0004). The 5-year PFS rate was also significantly higher in seminoma patients (87.4% vs. 31.6%, P = 0.003). For 19 patients with NSGCTs managed with multi-modality treatment, chemotherapy exposure appeared to impact the prognosis. The 5-year OS rate was 44.9% in patients with chemotherapy exposure as compared with 20.0% in patients without it (P = 0.43). CONCLUSION: Our study confirmed the significance of systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of primary mediastinal GCTs.

The association between XPD Asp312Asn polymorphism and lung cancer risk: a meta-analysis including 16,949 subjects.

To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) Asp312Asn polymorphism and lung cancer risk, a meta-analysis was performed. PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Web of Science were searched. Crude ORs with 95% CIs were used to assess the strength of association between the XPD Asp312Asn polymorphism and lung cancer risk. The pooled ORs were performed with co-dominant model (Asp/Asn vs. Asp/Asp, Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp), dominant model (Asp/Asn + Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp), and recessive model (Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp+Asp/Asn), respectively. A total of 18 studies including 7,552 cases and 9,397 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, significantly elevated lung cancer risk was associated with XPD Asn allele when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp: OR=1.158, 95% CI=1.018-1.317; recessive model: OR=1.161, 95% CI=1.029-1.311). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risks were found for both Caucasians (Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp: OR=1.164, 95% CI=1.003-1.351; recessive model: OR=1.169, 95% CI=1.016-1.345) and Asians (Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp: OR=8.056, 95% CI=2.420-26.817; recessive model: OR=7.956, 95% CI=2.391-26.477). When stratified by study design, statistically significantly elevated risk was noted in hospital-based studies (Asn/Asn vs. Asp/Asp: OR=1.315, 95% CI=1.110-1.558; recessive model: OR=1.290, 95% CI=1.099-1.513). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that the XPD Asn allele is a low-penetrant risk factor for developing lung cancer.

Clinical features and treatment outcomes of 14 cases of primary ovarian non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: a single-center experience.

To analyze the clinical characteristics, results of treatment, and prognostic factors of patients diagnosed as primary ovarian non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (PONHL). Fourteen cases of PONHL treated in Fudan University Cancer Center during a 10-year period were retrospectively reviewed, and the clinical data of the patients were analyzed for correlation between KPS, clinical stage, tumor size, IPI, ovary involvement, treatment and prognosis. The median age was 45 years, and thirteen patients were diagnosed of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and one patient lymphoblastic lymphoma. Four patients were stage IE, three stage IIE, and seven stage IVE. The median tumor size was 8 cm (range, 4.0-15.0 cm). The median overall survival (OS) of the 14 patients was 23.0 months (range 11.5-71.2 months). Thirty-six percentage of patients with bilateral ovary involvement had a shorter survival time than those with unilateral ovary involvement (median OS: 19.0 vs. 37.2 months, P=0.014). The OS of Stage IVE was worse than stage IE and stage IIE (median OS: 18.75 vs. 37.5 months, P=0.047). Patients with IPI>2 had worse prognosis than those with IPI≤2 (median OS: 19.0 vs. 42.1 months, P=0.03). PONHL patient with larger tumor mass had worse prognosis (median OS: 19.1 vs. 37.2 months, P=0.019). R-CHOP regimens had a tendency to improve the OS but was not shown to be statistically significant (median OS: 22.4 vs. 37.2 months, P=0.436). The management of PONHL should be based on multi-modality treatment including surgery and chemotherapy. The significant prognostic factors of survival are tumor size, Ann Arbor staging, and IPI.

ERCC2 Lys751Gln polymorphism is associated with lung cancer among Caucasians.

To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the excision repair cross-complementing rodent repair deficiency, group 2 (ERCC2) Lys751Gln polymorphism and lung cancer risk, a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 23 studies including 8137 cases and 9824 controls were involved in this meta-analysis. Overall, significantly elevated lung cancer risk was associated with ERCC2 Gln allele when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (Lys/Gln versus Lys/Lys: odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.03-1.19; Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.06-1.35; dominant model: OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.05-1.20; and recessive model: OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.03-1.29). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significantly increased risk was only found for Caucasians (Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.08-1.45; dominant model: OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.00-1.22; and recessive model: OR=1.22, 95% CI=1.06-1.40). When stratified by study design, statistically significantly elevated risks were found in hospital-based studies (Lys/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.12, 95% CI=1.03-1.22; Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.24, 95% CI=1.06-1.44; dominant model: OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.06-1.24; and recessive model: OR=1.19, 95% CI=1.03-1.37) and population-based studies (Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.12-2.20 and recessive model: OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.08-2.07). In the subgroup analysis whether or not the studies were matched on smoking, significantly increased risk was found not in those matched studies but in the unmatched studies (Lys/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.11, 95% CI=1.03-1.19; Gln/Gln versus Lys/Lys: OR=1.22, 95% CI=1.07-1.40; dominant model: OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.05-1.22; and recessive model: OR=1.18, 95% CI=1.04-1.33). In conclusion, this meta-analysis suggests that the ERCC2 Lys751Gln polymorphism may contribute to lung cancer susceptibility among Caucasians.