circ_HMGCS1 modulates hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance via miR-338-5p/IL-7 pathway.

Hepatocellular cancer is one of the most serious types of cancer in the world, with high incidence and mortality rates. Most HCC patients with long-term chemotherapy develop chemoresistance, leading to a poor prognosis. However, the underlying mechanism of circRNAs in HCC chemoresistance remains unclear. Our research found that circ_0072391(circ_HMGCS1) expression was significantly upregulated in cisplatin-resistant HCC cells. The silence of circ_HMGCS1 attenuated the cisplatin resistance in HCC. Results showed that circ_HMGCS1 regulated the expression of miR-338-5p via acting as microRNA sponges. Further study confirmed that miR-338-5p regulated the expression of IL-7. IL-7 could remodel the immune system by improving T-cell function and antagonising the immunosuppressive network. IL-7 is an ideal target used to enhance the function of the immune system. circ_HMGCS1 exerts its oncogenic function through the miR-338-5p/IL-7 pathway. Inhibition of circ_HMGCS1/miR-338-5p/IL-7 could effectively attenuate the chemoresistance of HCC. IL-7 might be a promising immunotherapy target for HCC cancer treatment.

Effect of terrestrial vegetation growth on climate change in China.

Globally, some vegetation has grown significantly over the past decades, but the climate benefits remain unclear, especially in the temperate regions. Understanding the biophysical effects and identifying the potential of vegetation will help to mitigate climate change. Here, we propose a vegetation-adjusted temperature index to understand how terrestrial vegetation growth in China affects the air temperature for 2001-2013, based on satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index, near-surface air temperature (Ta) and the land surface temperature. Grassland growth and cropland growth are found to cool the Ta by -0.08 ± 0.32 °C (mean ± one standard deviation) and -0.06 ± 0.28 °C, respectively. Forest growth results in net climate warming by 0.05 ± 0.29 °C. Biophysical effects, elevation and background climate are used to explain the climate impacts of vegetation. Results show that the biophysical effects dominate the climate impact. More specifically, evapotranspiration (ET) controls the daytime climate impact, and at night, an indirect effect of albedo (the release of daytime heat storage) dominates it. Lower precipitation, temperature and elevation reinforce the warming potential. Moreover, the effects of albedo and ET on climate are nonlinear. During the day, although lower albedo absorbs more incoming radiation, it releases more extra heat per unit ET that can compensate for the increased incoming radiation. At night, the warming effect reflects the release of daytime heat storage. Overall, tropical vegetation growth (-0.04 ± 0.10 °C) and warm temperate vegetation growth (-0.08 ± 0.15 °C) achieve the climatic benefits. Overall, the method proposed contributes to quantitatively evaluate the role of afforestation plan on regional climate cooling, and provides some policy/practical implications for future afforestation projects. Future afforestation projects should carefully consider the biophysical process and background climate to mitigate climate change.

Elliptical Airy beam.

We found a new type of noncircular symmetrical Airy beam called an elliptical Airy beam (EAB). Using a simple single-pixel checkerboard hologram method, we achieved the EAB in an experiment. We observed its unique property of double focusing and the ability of the energy to flow towards the endpoints of the long axis during propagation. These particular properties will have some potential applications.

Comparative sonographic study of cerebral hemodynamic differences and changes after oxygen therapy in healthy youths of different ethnicities in Tibet.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to sonographically assess the cerebral hemodynamic differences and changes after oxygen therapy in healthy youths of different ethnicities in Tibet. METHODS: Sixty-six healthy young Han visitors and 29 healthy young Tibetan residents were divided into 4 groups. Basic information was collected. Pulsed Doppler sonography was used to record the cerebral hemodynamic parameters for the internal carotid, vertebral, and middle cerebral arteries. The participants were then instructed to inhale oxygen, and basic information and cerebral hemodynamic parameters were recorded at 1, 2, 4, and 8 minutes, respectively. Differences in these parameters between groups were analyzed. RESULTS: In comparisons of the flow parameters between sex-matched groups, the mean resistive index values for the internal carotid, vertebral, and middle cerebral arteries in the Han groups were significantly lower than those in the Tibetan groups (P <. 05). The mean peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, and mean velocity values for the middle cerebral artery in the Han groups were significantly higher than those in the Tibetan groups (P < .05). After oxygen uptake, there were no significant differences in the mean arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, mean velocity, and resistive index values between the male groups, and similar changes were found for the arterial oxygen saturation and peak systolic velocity values between female groups after 8 minutes of oxygen uptake (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Sonography is a useful modality for noninvasive and real-time detection of changes in cerebral hemodynamics and can provide reference values for the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases.

LncRNA FAM13A-AS1, transcriptionally regulated by PHOX2B, modulates hepatocellular carcinoma chemoresistance via stabilizing PPARγ.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global public health concern, with approximately 79 million new cases and 75 million HCC-related deaths occurring annually worldwide. Among the drugs, cisplatin (DDP) is considered a cornerstone and has been shown to significantly inhibit cancer progression. However, the mechanism underlying DDP-resistance in HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to identify a novel lncRNA. FAM13A Antisense RNA 1 (FAM13A-AS1), that promotes the proliferation of DDP-resistant HCC cells and to elucidate its downstream and upstream mechanisms in the progression of HCC DDP-resistance. Our results suggest that FAM13A-AS1 interacts directly with Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor γ (PPARγ), stabilizing its protein through de-ubiquitination. Moreover, our findings indicate that Paired Like Homeobox 2B (PHOX2B) transcriptionally regulates the expression of FAM13A-AS1 in HCC cells. These results shed new light on the understanding of the progression of HCC DDP-resistance.

Benign pancreatic lesion on 18F-FDG PET-MRI: A case report.

RATIONALE: Differentiation of benign and malignant lesions in the head of pancreas is the key. When the mass is small, it is difficult to distinguish via conventional imaging modalities. Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) can distinguish benign and malignant lesions from the perspective of metabolism, which provides a new idea for the diagnosis of pancreatic head mass. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report the case of a 44-year-old male patient who underwent an 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MRI for medical examination. The patient did not complain of special discomfort. DIAGNOSES: PET-MRI revealed in the head of the pancreas, there is a circular space-occupying lesion without obvious fluorodeoxyglucose accumulation, which tends to be benign based on its MRI and metabolic characteristics. INTERVENTIONS: The patient refused further laboratory examination or ultrasound gastroscopy as there is no discomfort. OUTCOMES: No special discomfort was found in the patient after 6 months follow-up. LESSONS: If routine examination fails to diagnose benign or malignant pancreatic head occupying, and the patient refuses invasive examination, PET-MRI can be performed for identification.

Assessing the ambient air quality patterns associated to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Yangtze River Delta: A random forest approach.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19), first identified at the end of December 2019, has significant impacts on all aspects of human society. In this study, we aimed to assess the ambient air quality patterns associated to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region using a random forest (RF) model. To estimate the accuracy of the model, the cross-validation (CV), determination coefficient R2, root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were used. The results demonstrate that the RF model achieved the best performance in the prediction of PM10 (R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 8.81 µg/m3), PM2.5 (R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 6.16 µg/m3), SO2 (R2 = 0.76, RMSE = 0.70 µg/m3), NO2 (R2 = 0.75, RMSE = 4.25 µg/m3), CO (R2 = 0.81, RMSE = 0.4 µg/m3) and O3 (R2 = 0.79, RMSE = 6.24 µg/m3) concentrations in the YRD region. Compared with the prior two years (2018-19), significant reductions were recorded in air pollutants, such as SO2 (-36.37%), followed by PM10 (-33.95%), PM2.5 (-32.86%), NO2 (-32.65%) and CO (-20.48%), while an increase in O3 was observed (6.70%) during the COVID-19 period (first phase). Moreover, the YRD experienced rising trends in the concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and CO, while SO2 and O3 levels decreased in 2021-22 (second phase). These findings provide credible outcomes and encourage the efforts to mitigate air pollution problems in the future.

Prognostic value of expression of Kit67, p53, TopoIIa and GSTP1 for curatively resected advanced gastric cancer patients receiving adjuvant paclitaxel plus capecitabine chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To investigate the role of Kit67, p53, topoisomerase II (TopoII) and glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) in predicting clinical outcome of advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine plus paclitaxel chemotherapy. METHODOLOGY: The clinical data and tissue samples from 136 curatively resected advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine plus paclitaxel in the third affiliated hospital of Kunming medical university from January 2005 to December 2007 were retrospectively collected and analyzed for Kit67, p53, TopoIIa and GSTP1 expressions by immunohistochemistry. The relationships between expressions of the biomarkers and survival were analyzed. RESULTS: p53 expression were associated with the significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p=0.012) in the curatively resected advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine plus paclitaxel. Kit67, TopoIIa and GSTP1 expressions were not related to DFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: p53 expression positive might predict prognosis in gastric cancer patients who underwent curative surgery followed by adjuvant capecitabine plus paclitaxel chemotherapy. A favorable effect of capecitabine plus paclitaxel might therefore be expected in patients that do not express p53.

A comparison of Chinese multicenter breast cancer database and SEER database.

There are different characteristics of BC in developing countries and developed countries. We intended to study the factors which influence the survival and prognosis of BC between southern China and the United States. (a) To study the two groups BC patients in southern China from 2001 to 2016 and SEER database from 1975 to 2016. (b) To register, collect and analyze the clinicopathological features and treatment information. Our study found that there are significant differences in tumor size, positive lymph node status and KI-67 between southern China and SEER cohort (P < 0.000). The positive lymph node status may be one of the causes of difference of morbidity and mortality of BC patients in China. Furthermore, the differences in treatment methods may also account for the differences between China and seer databases.

Effects of vasoactive drugs on hepatic and intestinal circulation and intestinal barrier in patients with septic shock.

In this study, 60 patients with septic shock were selected over the course of 1 year, and the effects of dopamine and norepinephrine combined with dobutamine on hepatic and intestinal circulation and intestinal barrier in patients with septic shock were studied by comparison between the control group and the experimental group. All patients received mechanical ventilation to maintain breathing at 14 to 20 times/min. The experimental group was treated with vascular active drugs after adequate rehydration, and the control group only received adequate rehydration. There were extremely significant differences (p<0.01) in the total effective rate of each group. There were significant differences in the hemodynamic indexes in each group (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in total 24-hour bile output (p<0.01). There were significant differences in liver function and blood lipid values in patients (p<0.01). There were significant differences in the repair of epithelial injury at 0 hour, 48 hours and 96 hours (p<0.01). There were significant differences in the transmembrane resistance of monolayer cells (p<0.01). The expression differences of three proteins ZO-1, occludin and ß-actin were also significant, among which the three proteins in the control group were weak, while those in groups A and B were strong. The expression of tight junction protein in monolayer cells was weakly positive in expression and strong in other proteins. In conclusion, vasoactive drugs had significant effects on hepatic and intestinal circulation and intestinal barrier in patients with septic shock.

[Spatial Variation Characteristics and Remote Sensing Retrieval of Total Suspended Matter in Surface Water of the Yangtze River].

Total suspended matter(TSM) is an important parameter that describes optical characteristics and water pollution level. Remote sensing was used to obtain suspended matter concentrations in the planar water body, which can monitor and analyze the reliability of turbidity and pollution levels. In this study, a semi-empirical model of suspended matter along the Yangtze River mainstream(from Chongqing to Shanghai) was constructed based on the field measured hyperspectral data and suspended matter concentration and its components, with reference to MODIS(1-4 band), Landsat 8(1-5 band), Sentinel 2(2-6 band), HJ-B1(1-4 band), and other commonly used band ranges. The results show that:① Turbidity and TSM of the Yangtze River mainstream increased from Chongqing to Shanghai during the dry season, whereas the proportion of OSM to TSM(OSM/TSM) decreased from Chongqing to Shanghai. ② The spectral properties of chlorophyll-a were not obvious; however, it showed a bimodal spectral characteristic of suspended matter concentration. Due to the low concentration of suspended matter in the water(<114.68 mg·L-1), the first peak value was significantly higher than the second peak. However, peak reflection and position had an obvious "red shift" phenomenon in the direction of the wavelength. ③ The reflectance values of the Yangtze River mainstream were most sensitive to the concentration of suspended matter in the 600-710 nm and 475-550 nm bands. Most of these fall in the green and red band of MODI, Landsat 8, Sentinel 2, and HJ-1B satellites. Therefore, the commonly used satellites have a band setting to detect the inversion of turbidity degree index of the Yangtze River main stream water body. The Sentinel 2 satellite band is most suitable for the inversion of suspended matter concentration in the Yangtze River mainstream. The mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) and root mean square error(RMSE) of the optimal exponential model were 10.23 mg·L-1 and 23%, respectively.

[Professor ZHANG Qing-ping's clinical experience of acupuncture for peripheral facial paralysis].

Professor ZHANG Qing-ping's clinical experience and characteristics of acupuncture for peripheral facial paralysis were introduced from three aspects: differentiation of meridians and tendons, treatment by stages, and examples of proven cases. In the treatment of peripheral facial paralysis, Professor ZHANG carefully examines the situation of pathogenic factors and health. In the acute stage, the treatment focuses on eliminating pathogenic factors and supporting the health; in the recovery stage, penetrating needling is recommended with strengthening the health and eliminating pathogenic factors as main purpose; in the sequelae stage, wheat-grain moxibustion is recommended with strengthening the health as main purpose. This treatment plan shows superior clinical efficacy.

Satellite-based regional warming hiatus in China and its implication.

The slowdown in global warming since 1998, often termed the global warming hiatus. Reconciling the "hiatus" is a main focus in the 2013 climate change conference. Accurately characterizing the spatiotemporal trends in surface air temperature (SAT) is helps to better understand the "hiatus" during the period. This article presents a satellite-based regional warming simulation to diagnose the "hiatus" for 2001-2015 in China. Results show that the rapid warming is mainly in western and southern China, such as Yunnan (mean ±â€¯standard deviation: 0.39 ±â€¯0.26 °C (10 yr)-1), Tibet (0.22 ±â€¯0.25 °C (10 yr)-1), Taiwan (0.21 ±â€¯0.25 °C (10 yr)-1), and Sichuan (0.19 ±â€¯0.25 °C (10 yr)-1). On the contrary, there is a cooling trend by 0.29 ±â€¯0.26 °C (10 yr)-1 in northern China during the recent 15 yr, where a warming rate about 0.38 ±â€¯0.11 °C (10 yr)-1 happened for 1960-2000. Overall, satellite simulation shows that the warming rate is reduced to -0.02 °C (10 yr)-1. The changes in underlying surface, Earth's orbit, solar radiation and atmospheric counter radiation (USEOSRACR) cause China's temperature rise about 0.02 °C (10 yr)-1. A combination of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other natural forcing (ONAT, predominately volcanic activity, and atmosphere and ocean circulation) explain another part of temperature trend by approximately -0.04 °C (10 yr)-1. We conclude that there is a regional warming hiatus, a pause or a slowdown in China, and imply that GHGs-induced warming is suppressed by ONAT in the early 21st century.

miR­146a­5p suppresses ATP­binding cassette subfamily G member 1 dysregulation in patients with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae via interleukin 1 receptor­associated kinase 1 downregulation.

In the present study, we examined the function of microRNA (miR)­146a­5p in patients with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. In brief, the expression of miR­146a­5p was reduced in patients with refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Downregulation of miR­146a­5p reduced inflammation in an in vitro model of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, whilst overexpression of miR­146a­5p promoted inflammation. Downregulation of miR­146a­5p induced the protein expression of ATP­binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG1) and interleukin 1 receptor­associated kinase 1 (IRAK­1), while suppressed expression was observed of the aforementioned proteins following overexpression of miR­146a­5p in an in vitro model of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. The administration of small interfering RNA against RXR or IRAK­1 attenuated the effects of miR­146a­5p on inflammation in an in vitro model of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. Collectively, these results suggested that miR­146a­5p reduced ABCG1 expression in refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia via downregulation of IRAK­1.

HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T polymorphism contributes to increased cancer susceptibility: Evidence from 49 studies.

HIF-1α (hypoxia-inducible factor-1α) is a transcriptional factor that participates in the regulation of oxygen homeostasis. Despites numbers of case-control studies working on this area, the actual relationship of HIF-1α gene generic variant rs11549465 C>T imposing on cancer susceptibility remains unveiled. To get a better understanding of such relationship, this meta-analysis was carried out by incorporating all eligible case-control studies. Qualified articles were acquired from PubMed, CNKI, EMBASE, PMC, and Wanfang database update to April 2019. Odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were employed to estimate the relationship of interest. Heterogeneity tests, sensitivity analyses and publication bias assessments were also carried out to ensure the strength of our conclusion. A total of 46 articles with 49 studies including 12920 cases and 13363 controls were included. The results indicated that HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T was significantly related to the increased risk of overall cancer under four genetic models (TT vs. CC: OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.34-3.16; TT vs. CC/CT: OR=2.42, 95% CI=1.60-3.65; CT/TT vs. CC: OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.04-1.40; T vs. C: OR=1.29, 95% CI=1.12-1.48). Furthermore, enhanced cancer risk was detected after stratification by cancer type, ethnicity, the source of controls and HWE. These results suggest that HIF-1α rs11549465 C>T polymorphism may predispose to cancer susceptibility.

[Spatio-temporal Variations in Aquatic Vegetation Cover and the Potential Influencing Factors in Lake Hongze Based on MODIS Images].

Aquatic vegetation is an important part of lake ecosystems and plays a vital role in improving water quality and maintaining biodiversity. At present, China's lakes are facing eutrophication and the degradation of aquatic vegetation. The monitoring of temporal and spatial variations in aquatic vegetation and elucidating the main influencing factors are of great significance for protecting aquatic vegetation and restoring eutrophic lake ecosystems. Therefore, we introduced the Vegetation Present Frequency (VPF) method to extract data on aquatic vegetation and combined this with meteorological factors and human activities to analyze the temporal and spatial in Lake Hongze based on MODIS data from 2007 to 2017. The VPF of aquatic vegetation in Lake Hongze showed clear seasonal and interannual variations. The VPF was significantly higher in spring and summer than in autumn and winter (P<0.05, one way-ANOVA). The maximum VPF of 0.43 occurred in June but the minimum VPF of 0.21 was recorded in January. The VPF from April to October, during the growing season of aquatic vegetation, was significantly higher than in other months. The annual mean VPF of the northern lake area (Z1) decreased significantly (R2=0.56, P<0.01), ranging from the highest value of 0.50 in 2008 to the lowest value of 0.27 in 2016 (a decrease of 45.8%), indicating a significant loss of aquatic vegetation. Spatially, the VPF of Lake Hongze decreases from the coastal zone to the open water, and the VPF values of the northern (Z1) and western sub-lakes (Z2) are higher than that of other lakes segments (Z3-Z5). The interannual variation in VPF for the entire lake was not significantly affected by annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, annual mean wind speed, or annual sunshine duration (P>0.05), indicating that meteorological factors have little influence on interannual variation of aquatic vegetation in this lake. However, total suspended matter concentration was significantly negatively correlated with VPF in Z1 area (R2=0.48, P<0.01), with strong sand-mining activities occurring in this area. These results indicate that the increase of total suspended matter concentrations caused by sand mining is an important driving factor in the decline of aquatic vegetation in the Z1 segment.

Mapping relative humidity, average and extreme temperature in hot summer over China.

Air temperature and relative humidity are the key variables in environmental health research. Both of them are difficult to map especially at national scale because of spatial heterogeneity. This paper presents a methodology for mapping relative humidity, average and extreme temperature in hot summer (June to August) over China. Several data as explanatory variables were applied to random forest regression models to predict relative humidity and temperatures, including surface reflectance, land cover, digital elevation model (DEM), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), latitude, nighttime lights (NLs), as well as buffer zones of road, railroad, river system and administration center. Results based on cross-validation reflect acceptable prediction errors in estimating relative humidity (RMSE=7.4%), average temperature (RMSE=2.4°C), average maximum temperature (RMSE=2.5°C), and extreme maximum temperature (RMSE=2.6°C). Despite the strong correlation between average and extreme temperatures, significant differences exist in their spatial distribution along the latitude direction, especially in the areas such as Hebei, Szechwan, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia. Specifically, social economic activity, relative humidity and vegetation tend to affect extreme heat events, and both latitude and DEM (i.e., geographical position) determine the average level of temperature. Compared with interpolation technology and statistical methods, the proposed methodology demonstrates the ability to generate relative humidity and temperature maps with finer gradients in hot summer over China.

Hepatitis B virus X protein promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HCCLM3 by targeting HMGA2.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and HBV X protein (HBx) serves an essential role in the development of HCC. However, its mechanism remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role and mechanism of the HBx protein in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC. The HCCLM3 cell line was transfected with a HBx-expressing vector. The effects of HBx overexpression on proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT capacities of the HCCLM3 cell line were evaluated using MTT, migration and invasion assays, and western blotting, respectively. Furthermore, the impact of High mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) knockdown on HBx-mediated metastasis was investigated in the HCC cell line HCCLM3. The results demonstrated that HBx significantly upregulated HMGA2 expression, and enhanced the proliferation, EMT, invasion and migration in HCC cells. Furthermore, HMGA2 knockdown almost abolished HBx-induced EMT and metastasis in HCC. The results of the present study suggest that HBx promotes the proliferation, EMT, invasion and migration of HCC cells by targeting HMGA2. HMGB2 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for HBV-associated HCC.

TP53 Codon 72 Polymorphism Predicts Efficacy of Paclitaxel Plus Capecitabine Chemotherapy in Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The present study analyzed the relationship between TP53 codon 72 polymorphisms and the clinical outcome of advanced gastric cancer patients receiving capecitabine plus paclitaxel chemotherapy. METHODS: Three hundred patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with paclitaxel and capecitabine combination chemotherapy were enrolled in the present study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes and determined using allele specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR). Correlation between TP53 codon 72 polymorphisms and treatment response, gastric cancer survival was analyzed. RESULTS: The Pro/Pro genotypes of TP53 codon 72 were significantly correlated with a lower response rate to capecitabine plus paclitaxel chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer when compared to the Arg/Arg genotype (30.6 vs. 63.2%, p value 0.000). Multivariate survival analysis also showed that the progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for patients with Pro/Pro genotypes of TP53 codon 72 were worse than for those with the Arg/Arg genotype (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.177, p = 0.009; HR = 2.145, p = 0.038, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: TP53 codon 72 polymorphisms was effective in predicting the response to chemotherapy and correlate with PFS and OS in patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with paclitaxel and capecitabine chemotherapy.

Relationship between polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese Dai population.

INTRODUCTION: The angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) is directly involved in the process of cancer cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. It also plays a vital role in inducing liver fibrosis and developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and the risk of HCC in a Chinese Dai population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a study including 210 patients with HCC and 206 healthy controls in Yunnan Cancer Hospital between January 2012-January 2014. I/D genotypes of ACE were determined with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of DNA from peripheral blood leukocytes. RESULTS: The ACE D allele was more frequent in the HCC cases than in the controls (51.7% vs 44.4%, p=0.036). Individuals with DD genotypes were associated with increased HCC risk compared with those with the II genotypes (odds ratio (OR), 1.911; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.081-3.379; p=0.025). However, the ACE I/D polymorphism were not significantly associated with any clinicopathological characteristics such as the tumor stage, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. CONCLUSIONS: The DD genotypes of ACE I/D polymorphism might contribute to the prediction of HCC risk in a Chinese Dai population.