Research progress of bile biomarkers and their immunoregulatory role in biliary tract cancers.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), including cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma, originate from the biliary epithelium and have a poor prognosis. Surgery is the only choice for cure in the early stage of disease. However, most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage and lose the chance for surgery. Early diagnosis could significantly improve the prognosis of patients. Bile has complex components and is in direct contact with biliary tract tumors. Bile components are closely related to the occurrence and development of biliary tract tumors and may be applied as biomarkers for BTCs. Meanwhile, arising evidence has confirmed the immunoregulatory role of bile components. In this review, we aim to summarize and discuss the relationship between bile components and biliary tract cancers and their ability as biomarkers for BTCs, highlighting the role of bile components in regulating immune response, and their promising application prospects.

Genetic Screening Revealed Latent Keratoconus in Asymptomatic Individuals.

PURPOSE: To adopt molecular screening in asymptomatic individuals at high risk of developing keratoconus as a combinative approach to prevent subclinical patients from post-refractive surgery progressive corneal ectasia. METHODS: In this study, 79 Chinese and nine Greek families with keratoconus were recruited, including 91 patients with clinically diagnosed keratoconus as well as their asymptomatic but assumptive high-risk first-degree relatives based on underlying genetic factor. Mutational screening of VSX1, TGFBI, and ZEB1 genes and full clinical assessment including Pentacam Scheimpflug tomography were carried out in these individuals. RESULTS: Five variants in VSX1 and TGFBI genes were identified in three Chinese families and one Greek family, and four of them were novel ones. Surprisingly, ultra-early corneal changes in Belin/Ambrosio Enhanced Ectasia Display of Pentacam corneal topography together with co-segregated variants were revealed in the relatives who had no self-reported symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Variants of VSX1 and TGFBI genes identified in both the clinically diagnosed and subclinical patients may cause the keratoconus through an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, with different variable expressivity. Combining genetic with Belin/AmbrosioEnhanced Ectasia Display can be used to identify patients with latent keratoconus. This study indicates that genetic testing may play an important supplementary role in re-classifying the disease manifestation and evaluating the preoperative examination of refractive surgery.

Tumor-specific Th2 responses inhibit growth of CT26 colon-cancer cells in mice via converting intratumor regulatory T cells to Th9 cells.

The abnormality of immune regulation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cancer; the underlying mechanism has not been fully understood yet. This study aims to investigate the role of cancer specific T helper (Th)2 response in the inhibition of colon cancer (Cca) cell growth. The results showed that with Cca cell (CT26 cell) extracts as an antigen, the Cca-extract specific Th2 response was induced in the Cca-bearing mice. The Cca mass size was significantly reduced, or radically disappeared (5 out of 10; or 50%); the survival rate was markedly improved in mice immunized with Cca-extract, but not in those immunized with another tumor cell (U87 cell) extracts or to bovine serum albumin. The immunization with Cca-extract also induced Cca cell apoptosis and converted the intra-Cca Tregs to T helper (Th) 9 cells. In conclusion, Cca-specific Th2 responses inhibit Cca growth in a mouse model via inducing Cca cell apoptosis and converting intra-Cca Tregs to Th9 cells.