Oestrogen dose tapering during luteal phase does not affect clinical outcomes after hormone replacement treatment-frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles: a retrospective analysis.

STUDY QUESTION: Does oestrogen dose tapering during the luteal phase affect the clinical outcome after hormone replacement treatment-frozen-thawed embryo transfer (HRT-FET) cycles? SUMMARY ANSWER: Our results suggest that tapering oestrogen doses during the luteal phase results in similar clinical outcomes to those obtained with the traditional luteal phase support (LPS). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Traditional LPS with oestrogen and progesterone is considered necessary in HRT-FET cycles. However, case reports have shown successful clinical pregnancies and live births in the absence of oestrogen administration after embryo transfers. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This was a retrospective study on 6035 HRT-FET cycles extending over 7 years from January 2011 to June 2018 at the reproductive medicine centre of Xiangya Hospital. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: We compared the clinical outcomes of 1632 HRT-FET cycles with tapered oestrogen doses from 12 days after embryo transfer (study group) to those of 4403 HRT-FET cycles maintained on constant oestrogen doses during the luteal phase (control group) in the case of positive serum HCG test. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: We found similar biochemical pregnancy rates (52.1% vs. 51.9, P = 0.864), clinical pregnancy rates (44.9% vs. 43.2%, P = 0.249), implantation rates (29.8% vs. 29.3%, P = 0.591) and miscarriage rates (16.0% vs. 14.6%, P = 0.379) between the studied groups. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Retrospective, design-associated biases are possible. In addition, some baseline characteristics differed between groups. Finally, we did not compare live birth rates between groups. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Our study showing similar outcomes between traditional LPS and oestrogen tapering during the luteal phase indicates that oestrogen may be cautiously tapered during the luteal phase after HRT-FET cycles. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81401269) and the class General Financial Grant from the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant no. 2017M620360). The authors declare that they have no competing interests. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

PPDPF Promotes the Progression and acts as an Antiapoptotic Protein in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Resistance to radiotherapy is frequently observed in the clinic and leads to poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). How to overcome resistance to radiotherapy is a challenge in the treatment of NSCLC. In this study, PPDPF was found to be upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and its expression negatively correlated with the overall survival of patients with NSCLC. PPDPF promoted the growth, colony formation and invasion of lung cancer cells. Moreover, knockout of PPDPF inhibited tumorigenesis in the KL (KrasG12D; LKB1f/f) mouse model of lung cancer. Additionally, overexpression of PPDPF led to radioresistance in lung cancer cells, and knockdown of PPDPF sensitized lung cancer cells to radiotherapy. Mechanistically, PPDPF interacted with BABAM2 (an antiapoptotic protein) and blocked its ubiquitination by MDM2, thus stabilizing BABAM2 and promoting the radioresistance of lung cancer cells. Our present study suggested PPDPF as a therapeutic target in NSCLC.

Establishment and exploration of evaluation system for science and technology achievements in university-affiliated hospitals / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective:To construct a scientific and technological evaluation system based on the needs of the pilot program for building a national high-quality hospital and establishing a national medical center.Methods:Xiangya Hospital of Central South University gradually improved its academic evaluation system by following the guidelines outlined in national authorities′ documents regarding "abolishing the five only" and "setting new standards", adhering to the guiding principles of "quality, contribution, efficiency, and impact" and employing the principles of "high-standard evaluation, quantitative evaluation, representative work evaluation, and third-party evaluation" .Results:The hospital established a comprehensive, scientific, and quantifiable indicator pool. These indicators were applied to various aspects of medical innovation evaluation, including awarding incentives, discipline assessment, professional promotion, personnel assessment, mentor selection for graduates, and excellence evaluation. Simultaneously, the hospital developed an intelligent platform for medical innovation evaluation and assessment in university-affiliated hospitals based on performance management theory.Conclusions:Through the construction and practice of the Xiangya technology evaluation system, the hospital further improved and optimized its academic evaluation work, guiding researchers to high-quality innovation and efficient translational research, ultimately promoting the high-quality development of the hospital.

Quantitative assessment of vasculature with DCE-MRI in nasopharyngeal carcinomas following radiotherapy and its value for efficacy evaluation / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the changes in quantitative kinetic parameters in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) during radiotherapy and their value for efficacy evaluation in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-four patients with NPC that had been pathologically confirmed as poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma underwent conventional MRI and DCE-MRI scans 1-2 days before radiotherapy (Pre-RT), during radiotherapy (RT 50 Gy), and upon completion of radiotherapy (RT 70 Gy). Based on the two-compartment model and using the arterial input function deconvolution technique, we calculated the quantitative kinetic parameters of DCE-MRI (K(trans), kep, and Ve) of the tumor tissues, examined the correlation between the tumor regression rate (RS0-50) and the parameters on Pre-RT and RT 50 Gy, and compared the parameters for RT 70 Gy among the groups with different prognosis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The K(trans) value of the tumor tissue decreased after radiotherapy and showed a significant difference between Pre-RT and RT 70 Gy, but not between Pre-RT and RT 50 Gy. The kep value decreased and Ve value increased after radiotherapy. The tumor regression rate was found to be positively correlated with the K(trans) value for Pre-RT (P=0.005) but negatively with the K(trans) value for RT 50 Gy (P=0.001). During the follow-up for 3 years, 5 patients died and 3 patients had distant metastases. No statistical differences in K(trans), kep, or Ve were found between the groups with different prognosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The kinetic parameters in DCE-MRI, which vary significantly during radiotherapy, allow monitoring of tumor angiogenesis and vascular permeability and quantitative assessment of treatment efficacy for NPC. K(trans) value for Pre-RT and RT 50 Gy can serve as an indicator for early efficacy assessment of radiotherapy and for treatment adjustment, but its relation with the long-term outcomes awaits further study.</p>