FGD5­AS1 is an oncogenic lncRNA in pancreatic cancer and regulates the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling pathway via miR­577.

The objective of the present study was to clarify the expression characteristics of long non­coding RNA (lncRNA) FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5­AS1) in pancreatic cancer, as well as its biological function and underlying mechanism. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) was utilized for the detection of FGD5­AS1 and microRNA (miR)­577 expression levels in pancreatic cancer tissues. Transfection was performed to upregulate or downregulate FGD5­AS1 in pancreatic cancer cell lines. MTT and Transwell assays were then utilized to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of cancer cells, respectively. Subsequently, dual­luciferase reporter gene assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, RNA pull­down assay, RT­qPCR, western blotting, and Pearson's correlation analysis were employed to confirm the regulatory relationships among FGD5­AS1, miR­577, low­density lipoprotein receptor­related protein 6 (LRP6) and ß­catenin. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of Axin2, cyclin D1 and c­Myc. The expression level of FGD5­AS1 was upregulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. FGD5­AS1 knockdown inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. By contrast, miR­577 was significantly inhibited in pancreatic cancer cells and tissues; its downregulation promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and reversed the effects of FGD5­AS1 knockdown on pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, it was revealed that miR­577 was a target of FGD5­AS1, and FGD5­AS1 could modulate the expression levels of LRP6, ß­catenin, Axin2, cyclin D1 and c­Myc via suppressing miR­577. In conclusion, in pancreatic cancer, highly expressed FGD5­AS1 activated the Wnt/ß­catenin signaling and promoted cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion via suppression of miR­577.

[Epidemiology survey of gastrointestinal stromal tumor in Shanxi Province in 2011].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the incidence and distribution of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in Shanxi Province. METHODS: Newly diagnosed and suspected GIST cases of Shanxi Province on January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 were collected from medical insurance records and hospital surveys. All specimens were sent to the Department of Pathology at Shanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital for examinations. And the data were analyzed by SPSS statistical analysis software. RESULTS: There were 153 newly discovered cases of GIST in Shanxi Province in 2011. And its distribution was scattered in different regions. The incidence was 4.3 per million (153/35 932 786) . The high-risk areas were Taiyuan (n = 25) and Changzhi (n = 25). There were 83 (54.2%) males and 70 (45.8%) females. And the incidence of males was not different from that of females ( (4.5 vs 4.0 )per million, P > 0.05). The median onset age was 59 (24-79) years. A high incidence of GIST occurred at an age range of 50-59 years (n = 33). Among the 139 patients, the tumor locations were stomach (n = 88, 63.3%), small intestine (n = 21, 15.1%), colon (n = 7, 5.0%), duodenum (n = 6, 4.3%), esophagus (n = 3, 2.2%) and extra-gastrointestinal (n = 14, 10.1%). And 113 cases had a record of tumor size. The median diameter was 5.78 (0.3-25.0) cm. The largest diameter was ≤ 2 cm (n = 30, 26.5%), > 2-5 cm (n = 33, 29.2%), > 5-10 cm (n = 36, 31.9%) and >10 cm (n = 14, 12.4%). The cell types of 141 cases were spindle cell (n = 112, 79.4%), epithelial (n = 11, 7.8%) and mixed (n = 18, 12.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Shanxi Province has a low incidence of GIST. And no statistically significant difference exists in the incidence between males and females. Taiyuan and Changzhi are relatively more prevalent.