A new modified neuroendoscope technology to remove severe intraventricular haematoma.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive endoscopic haematoma evacuation is widely used in the treatment of intraventricular haemorrhage. However, its technique still has room for improvement. A new modified neuroendoscope technology (MNT) was used in this study and we explored its safety and efficacy in the treatment of severe acute intraventricular haemorrhage by comparing it with extraventricular drainage plus urokinase thrombolytic (EVD + UT) therapy. METHODS: The following parameters were compared between the MNT group and the control group: incision design, operation time, ICU monitoring time, ventricular drainage tube (VDT) placement time, post-operative drainage tube obstruction (PDTO) rate, post-operative complications rate, 6-month mortality and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were enrolled. The ICU monitoring times, VDT placement times, PDTO rate were shorter in the MNT group. Multivariable logistic regression identified that good medium-term outcome (GOS scores 4-5) was significantly associated with MNT applied (OR 1.017, 95% CI 1.005-1.029, p = 0.008), age under 65 years (OR 4.223, 95% CI, 1.322-17.109, p = 0.034) and pre-operation GCS scores more than 10 (OR 3.427, 95% CI 1.048-11.205, p = 0.040). CONCLUSION: MNT surgery for severe intraventricular haematoma evacuation is a safe and efficient new surgical option. This technique is minimally invasive and may be helpful to provide good outcomes for selected patients.

Current status and future prospects of clinical trials on CRS + HIPEC for gastric cancer peritoneal metastases.

PURPOSE: There is no standard treatment for peritoneal metastases (PM) from gastric cancer (GC). The aim of this review is to evaluate the clinical trials on cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for GC PM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The published clinical trials on CRS + HIPEC for GC PM are critically evaluated, and survival and safety are the primary endpoints. In addition, the registered ongoing clinical trials are summarised. RESULTS: The natural course of GC PM is <5 months. CRS + HIPEC could improve the overall survival (OS). In prospective studies, the median OS was 11.0 months in the CRS + HIPEC group vs. 5.4 months in the CRS alone group. In case-control studies, the median OS was 13.3 months in the CRS + HIPEC group vs. 7.9 months in the CRS alone group. In cohort studies, the median OS after CRS + HIPEC was 13.3. The median 1-, 2- and 5-year survival rates after CRS + HIPEC were 50.0%, 35.8% and 13.0%, respectively. There is no statistically significant increase in serious adverse events that are directly attributed to CRS + HIPEC. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of CRS and HIPEC is a promising integrated treatment strategy for GC PM that has encouraging initial results, calling for urgent further evaluation of this strategy in randomised control trials (RCTs).

Cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the treatment of primary peritoneal serous carcinoma: Results of a Chinese retrospective study.

Purpose Primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) is a rare condition with a poor survival rate, even after treatment with debulking surgery followed by systemic chemotherapy. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the treatment of PPSC. Patients and methods This retrospective study included 22 female patients with primary advanced PPSC (group A, n = 12) or recurrent PPSC (group B, n = 10) treated with 25 CRS + HIPEC procedures. The primary end point was overall survival (OS), and the secondary end points were safety profiles. Results A total of 25 CRS + HIPEC procedures were performed in these 22 patients. The median OS was 31.0 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 22.3-39.7), and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 100%, 45.5%, and 27.3%, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the median OS was 31.0 months (95% CI 19.8-42.2) for group A vs. 38.5 months (95% CI 9.6-67.4) for group B (P = 0.832, log rank test); 51.5 months (95% CI 34.9-68.1) for peritoneal cancer index (PCI) ≤ 15 vs. 20.3 months (95% CI 12.6-28.0) for PCI > 15 (P = 0.000, log rank test); and 38.5 months (95% CI 22.5-54.5) for completeness of cytoreduction (CC) of 0-1 vs. 23.5 months (95% CI 15.3-31.7) for CC of 2-3 (P = 0.178, log rank test). There were no perioperative deaths. Serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred in two patients (9.1%). A univariate analysis identified PCI ≤ 15 as the only prognostic predicator (hazard ratio (HR) 13.1, 95% CI 2.7-63.4, P = 0.001). Conclusions CRS + HIPEC could contribute to favourable outcomes for select PPSC patients with acceptable safety profiles.

Cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy with lobaplatin and docetaxel improves survival for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from abdominal and pelvic malignancies.

BACKGROUND: This work was to evaluate the perioperative safety and efficacy of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with lobaplatin and docetaxel in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) from gastrointestinal and gynecological cancers. METHODS: Patients were treated by CRS + HIPEC with lobaplatin 50 mg/m(2) and docetaxel 60 mg/m(2) in 6000 mL of normal saline at 43 ± 0.5 °C for 60 min. Vital signs were recorded for 6 days after CRS + HIPEC procedures. Perioperative serious adverse events (SAE), hematological, hepatic, renal, and electrolytes parameters, the changes in serum tumor markers (TM) before and after operation, patient recovery, and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred consecutive PC patients underwent 105 CRS + HIPEC procedures and postoperative chemotherapy. The median CRS + HIPEC duration was 463 (range, 245-820) min, and the highest temperature and heart rate during six postoperative days were 38.6 °C (median 37.5 °C) and 124 bpm (median 100 bpm), respectively. The 30-day perioperative SAE occurred in 16 (15.2 %) and mortality occurred in 2 (1.9 %) patients. Most routine blood laboratory tests at 1 week after surgery turned normal. Among 82 cases with increased preoperative TM CEA, CA125, and CA199, 71 cases had TM levels reduced or turned normal. Median time to nasogastric tube removal was 5 (range, 3-23) days, to liquid food intake 6 (range, 4-24) days, and to abdominal suture removal 15 (range, 10-30) days. At the median follow-up of 19.7 (range, 7.5-89.2) months, the median OS was 24.2 (95 % CI, 15.0-33.4) months, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 77.5, 32.5, and 19.8 %, respectively. Univariate analysis identified five independent prognostic factors on OS: the origin of PC, peritoneal cancer index, completeness of CRS, cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy, and SAE. CONCLUSIONS: CRS + HIPEC with lobaplatin and docetaxel to treat PC is a feasible procedure with acceptable safety and can prolong the survival in selected patients with PC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00454519.

EGFR mutation status and its impact on survival of Chinese non-small cell lung cancer patients with brain metastases.

Brain metastasis (BM) is a leading cause of death in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EGFR mutations in primary NSCLC lesions have been associated with sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Therefore, it has become important to understand EGFR mutation status in BM lesions of NSCLC, and its clinical implications. BM samples of 136 NSCLC patients from South China, in which 15 had paired primary lung tumors, were retrospectively analyzed for EGFR mutation by amplification mutation refractory system (ARMS). Effect of BM EGFR mutations on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank test. EGFR mutations were detected in 52.9% (72 of 136) of the BM lesions, with preference in female and never-smokers. A concordance rate of 93.3% (14 of 15) was found between the primary NSCLC and corresponding BM. Positive prediction value of testing primary NSCLCs for BM EGFR mutation is 100.0 %, and negative prediction value is 87.5%. Median PFS of BM surgery was 12 and 10 months (P = 0.594) in the wild-type and mutant group, respectively. Median OS of BM surgery was 24.5 and 15 months (P = 0.248) in the wild-type and mutant group, respectively. In conclusion, EGFR mutation status is highly concordant between the primary NSCLC and corresponding BM. The primary NSCLC could be used as surrogate samples to predict EGFR mutation status in BM lesions or vice versa. Moreover, EGFR mutations showed no significant effect on PFS or OS of NSCLCs with BM.

Locomotor Exercise Enhances Supraspinal Control of Lower-Urinary-Tract Activity to Improve Micturition Function after Contusive Spinal-Cord Injury.

The recovery of lower-urinary-tract activity is a top priority for patients with spinal-cord injury. Historically, locomotor training improved micturition function in both patients with spinal cord injury and animal models. We explore whether training augments such as the supraspinal control of the external urethral sphincter results in enhanced coordination in detrusor-sphincter activity. We implemented a clinically relevant contusive spinal-cord injury at the 12th thoracic level in rats and administered forced wheel running exercise for 11 weeks. Awake rats then underwent bladder cystometrogram and sphincter electromyography recordings to examine the micturition reflex. Subsequently, pseudorabies-virus-encoding red fluorescent protein was injected into the sphincter to trans-synaptically trace the supraspinal innervation of Onuf's motoneurons. Training in the injury group reduced the occurrence of bladder nonvoiding contractions, decreased the voiding threshold and peak intravesical pressure, and shortened the latency of sphincter bursting during voiding, leading to enhanced voiding efficiency. Histological analysis demonstrated that the training increased the extent of spared spinal-cord tissue around the epicenter of lesions. Compared to the group of injury without exercise, training elicited denser 5-hydroxytryptamine-positive axon terminals in the vicinity of Onuf's motoneurons in the cord; more pseudorabies virus-labeled or c-fos expressing neurons were detected in the brainstem, suggesting the enhanced supraspinal control of sphincter activity. Thus, locomotor training promotes tissue sparing and axon innervation of spinal motoneurons to improve voiding function following contusive spinal-cord injury.

EDIL3 regulates gastric cancer cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via TGF-ß1/XIST/miR-137 feedback loop.

BACKGROUND: Human gastric cancer is a serious disease with high mortality rate all over the world. The one of difficulties in effective therapy of gastric cancer is metastasis. It has been reported that lncRNAs and miRNAs are involved in cancer metastasis. So, exploration of new molecular mechanism underlying gastric cancer metastasis involving in network of lncRNAs/miRNAs/effector proteins is important and meaningful for guiding the treatment of gastric cancer. METHODS: MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis and colony formation assay were performed to evaluate AGS or MKN-45 cell proliferation, cycle distribution and colony formation, and RT-qPCR was used to examine the expressive abundances of EDIL3, XIST and miR-137. EDIL3 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins were detected by western blot and migration and invasion were measured by transwell analysis. Meanwhile, Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm XIST binding to miR-137, and miR-137 binding to EDIL3. AGS cells were used to establish the xenograft tumor model to verify the role of EDIL3 in tumorigenesis in nude mice. RESULTS: Expression levels of EDIL3 was increased in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of EDIL3 or XIST and overexpression of miR-137 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in AGS and MKN-45 cells. XIST could specifically bind to miR-137, and EDIL3 was a target gene of miR-137. Moreover, TGF-ß1 stimulated XIST expression, inhibited miR-137 expression and induced migration, invasion and EMT. We also found that overexpression of EDIL3 elevated levels of TGF-ß1 and induced migration, invasion and EMT, which were reversed by TGF-ß1 inhibition. EDIL3 knockdown suppressed migration, invasion and EMT, which were reversed by XIST. Overexpression of miR-137 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, which were reversed by EDIL3 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: EDIL3 regulates gastric cancer cell migration, invasion and EMT, which is involved in the regulation of TGF-ß1/XIST/miR-137 feedback loop, and EDIL3 knockdown inhibits tumor growth in nude mice. These findings indicate that the EDIL3 mediated molecular feedback loop may be developed as drug targets for the gastric carcinoma treatment.

Magnetic separation of peripheral nerve-resident cells underscores key molecular features of human Schwann cells and fibroblasts: an immunochemical and transcriptomics approach.

Nerve-derived human Schwann cell (SC) cultures are irreplaceable models for basic and translational research but their use can be limited due to the risk of fibroblast overgrowth. Fibroblasts are an ill-defined population consisting of highly proliferative cells that, contrary to human SCs, do not undergo senescence in culture. We initiated this study by performing an exhaustive immunological and functional characterization of adult nerve-derived human SCs and fibroblasts to reveal their properties and optimize a protocol of magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) to separate them effectively both as viable and biologically competent cells. We next used immunofluorescence microscopy imaging, flow cytometry analysis and next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to unambiguously characterize the post-MACS cell products. High resolution transcriptome profiling revealed the identity of key lineage-specific transcripts and the clearly distinct neural crest and mesenchymal origin of human SCs and fibroblasts, respectively. Our analysis underscored a progenitor- or stem cell-like molecular phenotype in SCs and fibroblasts and the heterogeneity of the fibroblast populations. In addition, pathway analysis of RNA-seq data highlighted putative bidirectional networks of fibroblast-to-SC signaling that predict a complementary, yet seemingly independent contribution of SCs and fibroblasts to nerve regeneration. In sum, combining MACS with immunochemical and transcriptomics approaches provides an ideal workflow to exhaustively assess the identity, the stage of differentiation and functional features of highly purified cells from human peripheral nerve tissues.

Pedicle screw loosening: the value of radiological imagings and the identification of risk factors assessed by extraction torque during screw removal surgery.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Pedicle screw loosening is a common complication after spine surgeries. Traditionally, it was assessed by radiological approaches, both X-ray and CT (computed tomography) scan, while reports using mechanical method to study screw loosening after spine surgery are rare. The primary objective was to study the prevalent of pedicle screw loosening according to extraction torque during screw removal surgery and access the sensitivity and specificity of both X-ray and CT scan for diagnosing screw loosening. The second objective was to identify the risk factors for low extraction torque of pedicle screw that might lead to loosening. METHODS: Thirty-three patients who underwent pedicle screw removal surgery after at least 2 years from primary surgery were evaluated preoperatively for fixation stability by X-ray and CT scan. In total, 236 screws were taken out, and the extraction torque data was recorded and analyzed to identify the sensitivity and specificity of both imaging studies for screw loosening. Furthermore, risk factors that might contribute to low extraction torque were also studied. RESULTS: The mean extraction torque of removed screws was 1.55 ± 1.00 Nm; a torque force of less than 1.02 Nm was used to define a screw as loosened. According to such criterion, the loosening rate was found to be 33%. X-ray had a sensitivity of 24% and a specificity of 98%, while CT scan had a sensitivity of 22% and a specificity of 96%. Extraction torque of pedicle screws inserted in fractured vertebrae was significantly lower than those in non-fractured vertebrae (p = 0.009); meanwhile, screws of non-fusion surgery had lower extraction torque when compared to those in fusion surgery (p = 0.001). BMD (bone mineral density) and age had low but significant linear relationship with screw extraction torque (p = 0.01, R2 = 0.304; p = 0.045, R2 = 0.123). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that both X-ray and CT scan had high specificity for screw loosening detection, but their sensitivities were relatively low. Surgeons needed to be more cautious when assessing screw loosening merely according to radiological examination, and aware of that screws in fractured vertebrae or non-fusion surgery were vulnerable to loosening.

Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy: Development of a Physiotherapy Program.

BACKGROUND: This study was to assess the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) and to evaluate the safety and feasibility of physiotherapy program to prevent VTE during cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). METHODS: For VTE prevention, we developed a systematic physiotherapy program consisting of active exercises of both arms and legs, and intermittent pneumatic compression device to massage both legs. This physiotherapy was applied to all patients, and the VTE-related events were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Cytoreductive surgery + HIPEC was performed on 466 patients with PC. All patients had highest VTE risk, with the median Caprini risk factor score being 11. During the 3-month observation period, 8 patients had 9 (1.9%) clinically symptomatic VTE events, including 8 (1.7%) deep vein thrombosis and 1 (0.2%) pulmonary embolism. Among those, 5 patients received pharmacological treatments with low-molecular-weight heparin, and the other 3 received physical exercises only. All these patients recovered well, and there was no mortality about VTE perioperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PC treated by CRS + HIPEC are at highest risk for VTE. The systematic physiotherapy program is safe and feasible to prevent VTE post CRS + HIPEC.

The intra-neuroendoscopic technique: A new method for rapid removal of acute severe intraventricular hematoma.

The mortality rate of acute severe intraventricular hematoma is extremely high, and the rate of disability in survivors is high. Intraventricular hematoma has always been a difficult problem for clinical treatment. Although minimally invasive endoscopic hematoma evacuation is widely used to treat this disease, the technique still has room for improvement. Equipment for the intra-neuroendoscopic technique (INET) consists of two of our patented inventions: a transparent sheath (Patent No. ZL 200820046232.0) and a hematoma aspirator (Patent No. ZL 201520248717.8). This study explored the safety and efficacy of INET by comparing it with extraventricular drainage in combination with urokinase thrombolytic therapy. This trial recruited 65 patients with severe intraventricular hemorrhage, including 35 (19 men and 16 women, aged 53.2 ± 8.7 years) in the INET group and 30 (17 men and 13 women, aged 51.5 ± 7.9 years) in the control group (extraventricular drainage plus urokinase thrombolytic therapy). Our results showed that compared with the control group, the INET group exhibited lower intraventricular hemorrhage volumes, shorter intensive care-unit monitoring and ventricular drainage-tube placement times, and fewer incidences of intracranial infection, secondary bleeding, and mortality. Thus, the prognosis of survivors had improved remarkably. These findings indicate that INET is a safe and efficient new method for treating severe intraventricular hematoma. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02515903).

Value of the Application of Neuroendoscope in the Treatment of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Blockage.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of the application of neuroendoscopy techniques in the treatment of ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt blockage. METHODS: Our study included 3 plans for revision surgeries for VP shunt blockage. In plan A, the choroid plexus or ependyma growing inside the ventricular catheter was completely removed. In plan B, the terminal part of the ventricular catheter was clipped and removed. In plan C, the ventricular catheter was carefully extracted with the aid of neuroendoscopy, and the tissues blocking the catheter were removed. The ventricular catheter was then reinserted into the lateral ventricle. RESULTS: The side holes of the tube may be blocked by cerebral tissue, granulation tissue, newly formed blood vessels, choroid plexus, or ependyma. Five patients successfully underwent plan A revision surgery, 8 patients underwent plan B revision surgery, and the remaining 22 patients underwent plan C revision surgery. After the operation, 34 patients experienced relief of symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure. In all patients, the shunt obstruction was resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Neuroendoscopy techniques can be used to reveal the various causes of shunt obstruction. Any attempt to extract the tube should be performed with the aid of a neuroendoscope. The 3 surgical revision strategies for a blocked catheter are described for the first time in the literature. These approaches can reduce the operation time, the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage, and the risk of infection.

Treatment of hypermyoglobinemia after CRS + HIPEC for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis: A retrospective comparative study.

This retrospective comparative study aims to explore the time courses of serum myoglobin (Mb) changes, and summarize our experience in treating patients with hypermyoglobinemia after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).This study covered 60 patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis treated with CRS + HIPEC as the study group, and another 25 cancer patients treated with conventional extensive surgery without HIPEC as the control group from February to October 2016. In the study group, patients with postoperative hypermyoglobinemia were on a comprehensive treatment regimen consisting intravenous injection of sodium bicarbonate solution according to the Mb level. In the control group, patients were recorded and treated with the same regimen except for special sodium bicarbonate solution. The preoperative and postoperative serum Mb, blood urine nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) levels were evaluated.There were no significantly difference between the 2 groups in serum Mb, BUN, and Cr levels before surgery. Postoperative serum Mb levels were elevated in both groups and significantly higher on postoperative 0 to 2 days (P < .05) in the study group than the control group. The peak value of serum Mb levels (426.65 ±â€Š108.386 µg/L) occurred on the surgery day. The serum Mb change rate was much bigger in the study group than the control group. Serum BUN levels in both groups revealed a slow increase during the early postoperative period and were significantly lower in the study group than the control group on days 1 and 2. The serum Cr levels were similar and stable between the 2 groups after surgery. The serum Cr change rates changed synchronously with same tendency in both groups, and on postoperative day 1 the increase rate was bigger in the control group than the study group.Hypermyoglobinemia is a common and prominent lab abnormality after CRS + HIPEC, and serum Mb levels could be an early and sensitive indicator for dramatic disturbances in the internal milieu after CRS + HIPEC. Adequate treatment with sodium bicarbonate could accelerate the reduction in serum Mb levels and reduce the risk for major organ damages.

Intraperitoneal free cancer cells in gastric cancer: pathology of peritoneal carcinomatosis and rationale for intraperitoneal chemotherapy/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in gastric cancer.

Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is one of the most common causes of death in gastric cancer patients. Intraperitoneal free cancer cells (IFCCs) play a very important role in forming PC, but the administration of intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) and/or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) could be an effective treatment for IFCCs. This review focuses on the origin of IFCCs, the mechanism of PC formatting, the rationale of IPC/HIPEC, and the current clinical trials on IPC/HIPEC to treat advanced gastric cancer patients.

Assessment of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy to Eradicate Intraperitoneal Free Cancer Cells.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to eradicate intraperitoneal free cancer cells and to explore the feasibility of cytological cure for peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC). METHODS: The peritoneal lavage fluid (or ascites) from 50 PC patients was collected before and after intraoperative HIPEC, respectively, for conventional cytology test, and conventional and real-time quantitative reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction detecting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) mRNA and cytokeratin-20 (CK20) mRNA. The blood samples 3 days before and 7 days after intraoperative HIPEC were also collected for detecting the serum tumor markers, including CEA, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125, and CA19-9. RESULTS: The positive rate of conventional cytology test before HIPEC versus after HIPEC was100.0% versus 22.0% (P = .000). The positive rates of CEA mRNA and CK20 mRNA before HIPEC versus after HIPEC were 100.0% versus 86.0% (P = .012) and 100.0% versus 96.0% (P = .495), respectively. Moreover, after HIPEC, 18 (36.0%) patients had a decline in CEA mRNA (P = .000), and 17 (34.0%) patients had a decline in CK20 mRNA (P = .000). The positive rates of serum CEA, CA125, and CA199 before HIPEC versus after HIPEC were 52.0% versus 28.0% (P = .014), 52.0% versus 44.0% (P = .423), and 40.0% versus 28.0% (P = .205), respectively. CONCLUSION: HIPEC could effectively eradicate intraperitoneal free cancer cells and partially achieve cytological cure for PC.

The suppressive role and aberrent promoter methylation of BTG3 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: BTG3 (B-cell translocation gene 3) has been identified as a tumor suppressor and hypermethylation contributes to its down-regulation in some tumors, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. This study aimed to detect the expression and methylation status of BTG3 in HCC cell lines or tissues, and determine its function in HCC progression. METHODOLOGY: The expression of BTG3 was detected in HCC cell lines and HCC tissue by real-time RT-PCR, Western blot or immunohistochemistry. The promoter methylation status of BTG3 was measured by using methylation-specific PCR in HCC cell lines. A series of assays were performed to evaluate the effect of BTG3 on proliferation, invasion and cell cycle transition in vitro. RESULTS: BTG3 expression was lower in HCC cell lines than in hepatocyte cell line LO2 (P<0.05). BTG3 was also down-regulated in HCC tissues. Its expression was positively correlated with differentiation and distant metastasis (P<0.05). Patients with lower BTG3 expression had shorter overall survival time (P=0.029). DNA methylation directed repression of BTG3 mRNA expression in HCC cell lines. BTG3 suppressed proliferation, invasion and induces G1/S cycle arrest of HCC cells in vitro. CONCLUSION: Down-regulation of BTG3 due to the promoter hypermethylation is closely associated with proliferation, invasion and cell cycle arrest of HCC cells. It may be a novel prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.