[Cangxi Tongbi Capsules promote chondrocyte autophagy by regulating circRNA＿0008365/miR-1271/p38 MAPK pathway to inhibit development of knee osteoarthritis].

To investigate the mechanism by which Cangxi Tongbi Capsules promote chondrocyte autophagy to inhibit knee osteoarthritis(KOA) progression by regulating the circRNA＿0008365/miR-1271/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) pathway. The cell and animal models of KOA were established and intervened with Cangxi Tongbi Capsules, si-circRNA＿0008365, si-NC, and Cangxi Tongbi Capsules combined with si-circRNA＿0008365. Flow cytometry and transmission electron microscopy were employed to determine the level of apoptosis and observe autophagosomes, respectively. Western blot was employed to reveal the changes in the protein levels of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3(LC3)Ⅱ/Ⅰ, Beclin-1, selective autophagy junction protein p62/sequestosome 1, collagen Ⅱ, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5(ADAMTS-5), and p38 MAPK. The mRNA levels of circRNA＿0008365, miR-1271, collagen Ⅱ, and ADAMTS-5 were determined by qRT-PCR. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was employed to reveal the pathological changes of the cartilage tissue of the knee, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure the levels of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α). The chondrocytes treated with IL-1ß showed down-regulated expression of circRNA＿0008365, up-regulated expression of miR-1271 and p38 MAPK, lowered autophagy level, increased apoptosis rate, and accelerated catabolism of extracellular matrix. The intervention with Cangxi Tongbi Capsules up-regulated the expression of circRNA＿0008365, down-regulated the expression of miR-1271 and p38 MAPK, increased the autophagy level, decreased the apoptosis rate, and weakened the catabolism of extracellular matrix. However, the effect of Cangxi Tongbi Capsules was suppressed after interfering with circRNA＿0008365. The in vivo experiments showed that Cangxi Tongbi Capsules dose-dependently inhibited the p38 MAPK pathway, enhanced chondrocyte autophagy, and mitigated articular cartilage damage and inflammatory response, thereby inhibiting the progression of KOA in rats. This study indicated that Cangxi Tongbi Capsules promoted chondrocyte autophagy by regulating the circRNA＿0008365/miR-1271/p38 MAPK pathway to inhibit the development of KOA.

Risk factors for prolonged preoperative waiting time of intertrochanteric fracture patients undergoing operative treatment.

PURPOSE: Intertrochanteric fracture is a common fracture in older adults. We observed the case characteristics of intertrochanteric fracture and analyzed the risk factors for prolonged preoperative waiting time based on patient data from a 6 year period. Investigate the post-admission treatment of intertrochanteric fracture. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records from July 2015 to July 2021 of patients hospitalized for intertrochanteric fracture who had undergone internal fixation surgery in the orthopedic ward of the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Data regarding gender, age, AO/OTA classification, preoperative waiting time, preoperative medical comorbidities, and complicated deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower limbs were collected. Statistical tests were used to evaluate the factors influencing preoperative preparation time and DVT. RESULTS: A total of 1812 cases were retrospectively analyzed, 1258 patients (69.43%) had three or more medical comorbidities. The average preoperative waiting time was 5.09 ± 3.27 days. Advanced age, more preoperative medical comorbidities and DVT led to longer preoperative waiting times, and preoperative medical comorbidities were an independent risk factor. Patients with advanced age and preoperative medical comorbidities were more likely to have DVT. CONCLUSION: Age and preoperative medical comorbidities are risk factors for DVT and prolonged preoperative preparation time in intertrochanteric fracture patients. Preoperative medical comorbidities are an independent risk factors affecting the preoperative waiting time, and a combination of multiple comorbidities almost predicts the delay of the operation time.

Impact of minimal solid and micropapillary components on invasive lung adenocarcinoma recurrence.

BACKGROUND: The specific impacts of solid and micropapillary components on prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma remain unclear. Herein, we elucidated their distinct contributions to lung adenocarcinoma recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lung adenocarcinoma was classified into solid and micropapillary absent (S-M-); solid absent, micropapillary present (S-M+); micropapillary absent, solid present (S + M-); and solid and micropapillary present (S + M+). Cumulative incidence of recurrence (CIR) was calculated using competing risk analysis. RESULTS: Of 994 adenocarcinomas, 650 (65.4%) were classified as S-M-; 152 (15.3%), S-M+; 148 (14.9%), S + M-; and 44 (4.4%), S + M+. In total, 168 (16.9%) patients had recurrence; 16 (1.6%) died from other causes. S-M- had significantly lower CIR than other groups (S-M- vs. S-M+: P < 0.001, S-M- vs. S + M-: P < 0.001, S-M- vs. S + M+: P < 0.001); S + M- had significantly higher CIR than S-M+ (P = 0.002). These differences remained significant in multivariable analysis. In stage IA, S-M- had significantly lower CIR than other groups (S-M- vs. S-M+: P = 0.006, S-M- vs. S + M-: P < 0.001, S-M- vs. S + M+: P < 0.001); S + M- and S + M+ had significantly higher CIR than S-M+ (P = 0.005, P = 0.008, respectively). These differences remained significant in multivariable analysis. CIR was not significantly different between S + M- and S-M+ subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of solid or micropapillary component (≥1%) was an independent risk factor for CIR; patients with solid component alone had a higher CIR than those with micropapillary component alone. In IA lung adenocarcinoma, patients with both solid and micropapillary components had a higher CIR than those with micropapillary component alone; the proportion of solid or micropapillary component was not associated with CIR.

Association of lymph node involvement with the prognosis of pathological T1 invasive non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node involvement could help to predict the prognosis of pathological T1 (pT1, diameters of ≤3 cm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study assessed the clinicopathological factors and associated lymph node involvement in invasive lung adenocarcinoma (IAC) and squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) and the overall and disease-free survival associated with these factors. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-five patients with pathological T1 NSCLC (253 IAC and 72 SCC) were retrospectively analyzed from a pool of 1094 primary lung cancer patients. The data were assessed using multiple logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Among patients with a ≤30-mm tumor lesion (N = 325), N1 and N2 lymph node involvement was found in 28 (8.6%) and 34 (10.4%) patients, respectively. Lymph node metastasis occurred in 13.0% (33/253) of pT1 IAC patients and 40.3% (29/72) of SCC patients. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, SCC by histology, and tumor lesions larger than 1.0 cm were associated with lymph node involvement (P < 0.0001, <0.0001, and 0.048, respectively). In IAC patients, negative lymph nodes were associated with better overall survival compared with lymph node-positive ones (P = 0.021). No significant difference was observed in SCC patients regardless of lymph node status (P = 0.40). Multivariable Cox analysis revealed that lymph node involvement was an independent prognostic predictor of overall IAC patient survival (P = 0.041), but not of SCC patient survival (P = 0.470). Chemotherapy was administered to 72.2% (52/72) of SCC patients, a significantly higher rate when compared with that of IAC patients (42.3%, 107/253). CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node metastasis was inversely associated with the overall survival of IAP patients, but not with the survival of SCC patients. Patients with pT1 SCC exhibited a significantly higher rate of lymph node involvement when compared with IAC patients. Thus, a systematic lymph node dissection should be performed in pT1 IAC patients, especially in patients with IAC larger than 1.0 cm, for additional treatment selections to improve survival.

Reductions in myeloid-derived suppressor cells and lung metastases using AZD4547 treatment of a metastatic murine breast tumor model.

BACKGROUND: AZD4547, a small-molecule inhibitor targeting the tyrosine kinase of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors (FGFRs), is currently under phase II clinical study for human subjects having breast cancer, while the underlying mechanism remains elusive. The aim of this study is to explore the potential mechanism by which AZD4547 inhibits breast tumor lung metastases at the level of the tumor microenvironment. METHODS: First, through in vitro experiments, we investigated the efficacy of the FGFRs inhibitor AZD4547 on 4T1 tumor cells for their proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Second, by in vivo animal experiments, we evaluated the effects of AZD4547 on tumor growth and lung metastases in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice. Finally, we examined the impact of AZD4547 on the infiltration of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in lung, spleens, peripheral blood and tumor. RESULTS: Through this study we found that AZD4547 could efficiently suppress tumor 4T1 cells through restraining their proliferation, blocking migration and invasion, and inducing apoptosis in vitro. In animal model we also demonstrated that AZD4547 was able to inhibit tumor growth and lung metastases, consistent with the decreased MDSCs accumulation in the tumor and lung tissues, respectively. Moreover, the reduced number of MDSCs in peripheral blood and spleens were also observed in the AZD4547-treated mice. Importantly, through the AZD4547 treatment, the CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cells were significantly increased in tumor and spleens. CONCLUSION: Our studies showed that AZD4547 can inhibit breast cancer cell proliferation, induce its apoptosis and block migration and invasion in vitro and suppress tumor growth and lung metastases by modulating the tumor immunologic microenvironment in vivo.

Differential expression of miR-125a-5p and let-7e predicts the progression and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer.

Aberrant expression of various microRNAs (miRNA) has shown diagnostic and prognostic significance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). qRT-PCR analysis confirmed altered expression of miR-125a-5p, let-7e, miR-30a, miR-30e and miR-30e-3p in 70 paired tissue and serum samples from NSCLC patients. The reduced expression of miR-125a-5p, let-7e and miR-30e was strongly associated with NSCLC dedifferentiation. The lost expression of miR-125a-5p and let-7e was associated with shorter overall survival and let-7e was an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC patients. These five miRNA expressions should be further evaluated as biomarkers for the early detection and prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Evaluation of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of the micropapillary component of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the ability of markers of inflammation to identify the solid or micropapillary components of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma and their effects on prognosis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of clinicopathologic data from 654 patients with stage IA lung adenocarcinoma collected between 2013 and 2019. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of these components, and we also evaluated the relationship between markers of inflammation and recurrence. RESULTS: Micropapillary-positive participants had high preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios. There were no significant differences in the levels of markers of systemic inflammation between the participants with or without a solid component. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (odds ratio [OR] = 2.094; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.668-2.628), tumor size (OR = 1.386; 95% CI, 1.044-1.842), and carcinoembryonic antigen concentration (OR = 1.067; 95% CI, 1.017-1.119) were independent predictors of a micropapillary component. There were no significant correlations between markers of systemic inflammation and the recurrence of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio independently predicts a micropapillary component of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, the potential use of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the optimization of surgical strategies for the treatment of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma should be further studied.

Overexpression of members of the microRNA-183 family is a risk factor for lung cancer: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early detection is considered critical for lung cancer treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have shown promise as diagnostic and prognostic indicators. This study was to identify specific miRNAs with diagnostic and prognostic value for patients with lung cancer, and to explore the correlation between expression profiles of miRNAs and patient survival. METHODS: Gene expression of members of the miR-183 family (miR-96, miR-182, and miR-183) were examined in 70 paired samples from lung cancer patients (primary cancer and non-cancerous tissues and sera), as well as 44 serum samples from normal volunteers and lung cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The correlation between the expression of miRNAs in tissues, sera, and patient overall survival were also examined by log-rank and Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Expression levels of members of the miR-183 family in lung cancer tumor and sera were higher than that of their normal counterparts. The miR-96 expression in tumors was positively associated with its expression in sera. Log-rank and Cox regression analyses demonstrated that high expression of tumor and serum miRNAs of the miR-183 family were associated with overall poor survival in patients with lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the expressions of miR-96, miR-182, and miR-183 in tumor and sera may be considered potential novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of lung cancer.

2-Methyl-carbamoyl-4-{4-[3-(trifluoro-meth-yl)benzamido]phen-oxy}pyridinium 4-methyl-benzene-sulfonate monohydrate.

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(21)H(17)F(3)N(3)O(3) (+)·C(7)H(7)O(3)S(-)·H(2)O, contains two formula units. In one of the cations, the pyridinium and trifluoro-methyl benzene rings form dihedral angles of 87.42 (8) and 45.92 (8)°, respectively, with the central benzene ring [79.56 (8) and 43.52 (8)° in the other cation]. In the crystal structure, N-H⋯O, O-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the ions and water mol-ecules, forming a three-dimensional network.

[Enhancement pattern of thyroid carcinoma with contrast-enhanced ultrasound].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the enhancement pattern of thyroid carcinoma with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the diagnostic value. METHODS: Thirty-one cases with thirty-five thyroid Occupied were retrospectively reviewed. The final diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy pathology. Contrast agent SonoVue and contrast pulse sequencing (CPS) technique were used in this study. RESULTS: Thirty-five thyroid carcinoma presented three enhancement patterns with CEUS. Type I: twenty-three lesions enhanced in a pattern of ring with centripetal fill-in, however, the central part of no contrast agent filling. Type II: five lesions enhanced regularly and homogeneously. Type III: seven lesions enhanced irregularly and homogeneously. Thyroid benign and malignant lesions perfusion time curve, compared to papillary thyroid carcinoma with nodular goiter in the AT, TTP and WT indicators P < 0.05; papillary thyroid carcinoma and thyroid adenoma, compared to WT alone an indicator of P < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of the different enhancement patterns of thyroid carcinoma could improve the diagnostic ability of CEUS.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and lymphatic vessel density are associated with progression from adenocarcinoma in situ to invasive adenocarcinoma of the lung.

The present study aimed to investigate the roles of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and lymphatic vessel density (LVD) during the progression from adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) to invasive lung adenocarcinoma (IAC). A total of 77 patients with stage 0-IA lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin, MMP-9 and D2-40 were immunohistochemically analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. In the non-invasive component, the proportion of CAFs and the expression levels of MMP-9 increased from AIS to IAC; however, the LVD was not significantly different. CAFs were positively correlated with levels of MMP-9. The LVD had no significant correlation with CAFs and MMP-9. In the invasive component, CAFs, MMP-9 and LVD were significantly higher in IAC compared with in minimally invasive adenocarcinoma. CAFs, MMP-9 and LVD were all positively correlated with each other. The micropapillary subtype in IAC was associated with overall survival (OS). The LVD in IAC, but not MMP-9 and CAFs, was associated with OS. CAFs, MMP-9 and LVD were involved in the progression from AIS to IAC. CAFs exhibited a strong association with MMP-9 levels in the non-invasive and invasive components. The increase in the proportion of CAFs and the expression levels of MMP-9 may have been an early event before the adenocarcinoma became invasive. Once the adenocarcinoma was invasive, the LVD served an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis, and hence may be used as a prognostic marker of poor OS in stage IA IAC.

A proteomic study on a human osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2 treated with diallyl trisulfide.

Garlic is generally used as a therapeutic reagent against various diseases, and numerous studies have indicated that garlic and its derivatives can reduce the risk of various types of human cancer. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), a major member of garlic derivatives, could inhibit the cell proliferation by triggering either cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in a variety of cancer cell lines as shown in many studies. However, whether DATS has the same effect on human osteosarcoma cells remains unknown. In this study, we have attempted to analyze the effects of DATS on cell proliferation, cell cycle, induction of apoptosis, global protein expression pattern in a human osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2 cells, and the potential molecular mechanisms of the action of DATS. Saos-2 cells, a human osteosarcoma cell line, were treated with or without 25, 50, and 100 micromol/l DATS for various time intervals. The cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis were examined in this study. Then, after treatment with or without 50 micromol/l DATS for 48 h, protein add pattern in Saos-2 cells were systematically studied using two-dimensional electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. DATS could inhibit the proliferation of Saos-2 cells in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. Moreover, the percentage of apoptotic cell and cell arrest in G0/G1 phase was also dose-dependent and time-dependent upon DATS treatment. A total of 27 unique proteins in Saos-2 cells, including 18 downregulated proteins and nine upregulated proteins, were detected with significant changes in their expression levels corresponding to DATS administration. Interestingly, almost half of these proteins (13 of 27) are related to either the cell cycle or apoptosis. DATS has the ability to suppress cell proliferation of Saos-2 cells by blocking cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis in a dose and time-dependent manner. The proteomic results presented, therefore, provide additional support to the hypothesis that DATS is a strong inducer of apoptosis in tumor cells. However, the exact molecular mechanisms, how these proteins significantly changed in the Saos-2 cell line upon DATS treatment, should be further studied.

A Prediction Rule for Overall Survival in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients with a Pathological Tumor Size Less Than 30 mm.

We sought to develop and validate a clinical nomogram model for predicting overall survival (OS) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with resected tumors that were 30 mm or smaller, using clinical data and molecular marker findings. We retrospectively analyzed 786 NSCLC patients with a pathological tumor size less than 30 mm who underwent surgery between 2007 and 2017 at our institution. We identified and integrated significant prognostic factors to build the nomogram model using the training set, which was subjected to the internal data validation. The prognostic performance was calibrated and evaluated by the concordance index (C-index) and risk group stratification. Multivariable analysis identified the pathological tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and Ki-67 expression as independent prognostic factors, which were entered into the nomogram model. The nomogram-predicted probabilities of OS at 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years posttreatment represented optimal concordance with the actual observations. Harrell's C-index of the constructed nomogram with the training set was 0.856 (95% CI: 0.804-0.908), whereas TNM staging was 0.814 (95% CI: 0.742-0.886, P = 5.280221e - 13). Survival analysis demonstrated that NSCLC subgroups showed significant differences in the training and validation sets (P < 0.001). A nomogram model was established for predicting survival in NSCLC patients with a pathological tumor size less than 30 mm, which would be further validated using demographic and clinicopathological data. In the future, this prognostic model may assist clinicians during treatment planning and clinical studies.

Prognostic value of mutant p53, Ki-67, and TTF-1 and their correlation with EGFR mutation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

INTRODUCTION: The clinical characteristics of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation have been well studied. However, the correlation of EGFR mutation with mutant p53, Ki-67, and thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) and their prognostic value remain indistinct. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical and pathological characteristics and overall survival were analysed retrospectively in 523 surgically resected NSCLC patients. The expression levels of p53, Ki-67, and TTF-1 protein were detected by immunohistochemistry, and an amplification refractory mutation system was used to access the status of EGFR mutations. RESULTS: Of 523 patients with surgically resected NSCLC, 210 patients (38.4%) harboured EGFR mutations. Compared to the EGFR wild-type lung cancer, mutated EGFR harboured significantly increased mutant p53-positive or TTF-1-positive tumors (P<0.001 and<0.001, respectively). Former or current smokers, pathological stage and mutant p53-or TTF-1-positive status were independent predictors of EGFR mutation (P=0.001, 0.014, 0.014 and <0.001, respectively). Patients with p53 under expression had significantly better overall survival in the whole cohort and wild-type EGFR cohort (P=0.0010 and 0.0020, respectively) as well as in Ki-67-negative and TTF-1-positive patients (P<0.0001 and 0.0009, and P<0.0001 and 0.0004, respectively). Interestingly, in patients harbouring EGFR mutations, p53-under expression and Ki-67-negative cases still had better survival than positive cases, whereas there was no obvious difference between TTF-1-negative and TTF-1-positive cases (P=0.0198, 0.0068 and 0.3684, respectively). Finally, in NSCLC patients with wild-type EGFR, positive Ki-67 expression was the independent predictor for the worst survival (P=0.022). CONCLUSION: The expression levels of mutant p53, Ki-67, and TTF-1 were correlated with EGFR mutation. High expression of mutant p53 and Ki-67 correlated with poor survival in the entire cohort, EGFR mutation or wild-type cohort. In addition, Ki-67 might have an impact on the prognosis for patients with NSCLC with wild-type EGFR.

The accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in determining the osteotomy plane in osteosarcoma.

This study evaluated the accuracy of T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining the osteotomy plane in 21 patients with osteosarcoma undergoing limb-salvage surgery. Twelve cases involved the distal femur and nine cases involved the proximal tibia. Mean patient age was 16.3 years (range, 12-24 years). None of the patients presented with evidence of metastasis. After being placed on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, all patients were treated with en bloc resection and a custom prosthesis. Intramedullary extension was measured on preoperative MRI and radiographs, and also on postoperative specimen by gross and histopathological evaluation. The osteotomy plane was confirmed at 30 mm distal from the primary tumor based on T1-weighted MRI. Mean intramedullary extension measured on MRI, radiographs, and gross examination were 107.4+/-34.5, 78.6+/-25.6, and 92.6+/-20.5 mm, respectively; actual mean extension was 104.3+/-32.8 mm. There were no significant differences between the actual extension and the extension measured on MRI according to statistical analysis. Intramedullary extension was measured accurately on MRI, which also confirmed the surgical margins. These findings indicate using 30 mm distal from the primary tumor as the osteotomy plane based on T1-weighted MRI is safe.

A novel surgical method for treating medial-end clavicle fractures.

The present study examined the effectiveness of the method of inversing the distal clavicle anatomic locking plate to treat medial-end clavicle fractures. This involved retrospectively analyzing six cases of medial-end clavicle fractures treated using the method of inversing the distal clavicle anatomic locking plate between September 2013 and December 2015. These cases included five men and one woman with an average age of 46.3±10.6 years old and a range of 24-66 years old. Among these cases, one was type A, two were type C, and three were type D, based on the Throckmorton type classification. All patients had fresh closed fractures, which were caused by direct injury. A regular postoperative follow-up was performed and the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated systematically with reference to the Rockwood and Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score standards. All six cases had a follow-up visit, which was between 10 and 14 months with an average of 12.0±2.2 months. All patients exhibited osseous healing and functional recovery without incision infection, nerve vascular injury, chest injury, fracture nonunion, or other complications. According to the Rockwood and DASH score standards, evaluation of the curative effect showed that five cases were excellent and one case was good, and the associated rate for achieving good or excellent outcomes was 100%. All of the DASH scores were <10. These results indicated that the effect of the treatment of medial-end clavicle fractures by the method of inversing the distal clavicle anatomic locking plate was reliable, and the functional recovery of patients was good, making this method worthy of clinical promotion.

Treatment of Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells with diallyl trisulfide is associated with an increase in calreticulin expression.

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is a natural organic sulfur compound that may be isolated from garlic and has strong anticancer activity. DATS has been demonstrated to upregulate the expression of calreticulin (CRT) in various types of human cancers, which is associated with the prognosis of cancer and its response to therapy. However, whether DATS has the same effect on human osteosarcoma cells is not known. Therefore, in the present study, Saos-2 human osteosarcoma cells were cultured with different concentrations of DATS (0, 25, 50 and 100 µmol/l) for 24 h, or with 50 µmol/l DATS for different time periods (0, 12, 24 and 36 h). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), western blotting and immunofluorescent staining were used to detect CRT mRNA and protein in the Saos-2 cells. Exposure to DATS changed the morphology and inhibited the growth of the Saos-2 cells, and its effects appeared to be concentration- and exposure time-dependent. The optimum concentration and exposure time of DATS were 50 µmol/l and 24 h, respectively. The levels of CRT mRNA and protein in the Saos-2 cells were significantly upregulated following exposure to DATS. The upregulation of CRT expression by DATS may be a mechanism underlying the ability of DATS to inhibit the growth of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells.

Experimental study of inhibitory effects of diallyl trisulfide on the growth of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells by downregulating expression of glucose-regulated protein 78.

BACKGROUND: Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) is a natural organic sulfur compound isolated from garlic that has good anticancer activity according to many previous reports. There are many studies pointing out that DATS can downregulate expression of the glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), which is associated with poor prognosis and drug resistance in various types of human cancers. However, it remains unknown whether DATS has the same effect on human osteosarcoma cells. This study attempted to clarify the potential molecular mechanisms of the action of DATS in human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells. METHODS: We used an inverted phase microscope and immunofluorescent staining to observe the morphological changes of Saos-2 cells after being cultured in different concentrations of DATS (0, 25, 50, and 100 µM) for 24 h, or for four time periods (24, 48, 72, and 96 h) in the same DATS concentration (50 µM). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the expression level of GRP78 mRNA and proteins in Saos-2 cells. GRP78 expression was suppressed in Saos-2 cells by utilizing small-interfering RNA, and the cells were subsequently used to study the anti-proliferative effects of DATS treatment. RESULTS: The expression level of GRP78 mRNA and proteins was significantly downregulated due to the increased concentration and effective times of DATS (P<0.05). In addition, there were significant associations between GRP78 silencing and cell proliferation (P<0.05) of DATS treatment. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that DATS inhibits the growth of human osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells by downregulating the expression of GRP78.

Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutations and Their Prognostic Value with Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Pathological T1 Lung Adenocarcinoma.

AIMS: The prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in the context of serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels remains controversial in T1 lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS: Clinical and pathological characteristics, preoperational carcinoembryonic antigen levels, EGFR mutations, and disease-free and overall survival were analysed retrospectively in 573 pathological T1 patients in East China. RESULTS: EGFR mutations were detected in 220 of 573 patients (38.4%). Patients with serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels ≥ 2.12 ng/mL had worse disease-free (P < 0.001) and overall survival (P < 0.001) than had others, although survival was comparable between patients with and without EGFR mutations. However, patients with exon 21 mutations in EGFR had significantly better overall survival than had patients with exon 19 mutations (P = 0.016), although disease-free survival was comparable (P = 0.424). Among patients with serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels ≥ 2.12 ng/mL, disease-free (P = 0.019) and overall survival (P < 0.001) was also better than that in those with exon 21 mutations. Finally, the exon 19 deletion was found to be an independent predictor of unfavourable overall survival (P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: EGFR mutations were associated with preoperational serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels ≥ 2.12 ng/mL. In patients with levels above this threshold, those with the exon 19 deletion have less favourable prognosis than have those with the exon 21 mutation.

Expression and significance of calreticulin in human osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: As one of the endoplasmic reticulum proteins, calreticulin (CRT) plays a significant role in the body, and it has been used by many researchers as a target for anti-tumor therapy. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of the present study was to study expression of CRT of human osteosarcoma, and analyze the distinctions between normal and tumor tissues, pre- and post-chemotherapy patients, and metastatic and non-metastatic tumors in respect to this expression. METHODS: Immunofluorescent staining was used in order to investigate expression of CRT in diverse tissues. The whole RNA and proteins were extracted from the crushed tissues and used in the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The present study detected expression of CRT in patients with osteosarcoma and revealed a higher expression level in normal tissues surrounding tumors compared with tumor tissues, in the non-metastasis group compared with the metastasis group, and in the chemotherapy group compared with the non-chemotherapy group. CONCLUSIONS: These results could indicate a brand-new biological marker which may be applied to estimate the features and prognosis of osteosarcoma.