Construction and analysis of a conjunctive diagnostic model of HNSCC with random forest and artificial neural network.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a heterogeneous tumor that is highly aggressive and ranks fifth among the most common cancers worldwide. Although, the researches that attempted to construct a diagnostic model were deficient in HNSCC. Currently, the gold standard for diagnosing head and neck tumors is pathology, but this requires a traumatic biopsy. There is still a lack of a noninvasive test for such a high-incidence tumor. In order to screen genetic markers and construct diagnostic model, the methods of random forest (RF) and artificial neural network (ANN) were utilized. The data of HNSCC gene expression was accessed from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database; we selected three datasets totally, and we combined 2 datasets (GSE6631 and GSE55547) for screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and chose another dataset (GSE13399) for validation. Firstly, the 6 DEGs (CRISP3, SPINK5, KRT4, MMP1, MAL, SPP1) were screened by RF. Subsequently, ANN was applied to calculate the weights of 6 genes. Besides, we created a diagnostic model and nominated it as neuralHNSCC, and the performance of neuralHNSCC by area under curve (AUC) was verified using another dataset. Our model achieved an AUC of 0.998 in the training cohort, and 0.734 in the validation cohort. Furthermore, we used the Cell-type Identification using Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts (CIBERSORT) algorithm to investigate the difference in immune cell infiltration between HNSCC and normal tissues initially. The selected 6 DEGs and the constructed novel diagnostic model of HNSCC would make contributions to the diagnosis.

Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Paranasal Sinuses with Intracranial Extension: A Rare Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms that were initially identified in the pleura. SFTs in the nasal or paranasal sinuses are especially rare. Most SFTs exhibit indolent behavior, with a low local recurrence rate. A 39-year-old man complained of bilateral nasal congestion, hyposmia, and occasional right eye tears six months prior to hospitalization. Based on MRI and CT imaging, a total gross surgical resection was achieved. Subsequently, postsurgical histopathological examinations were conducted. Under the microscope, pathological mitotic bodies were visible (<5 mitoses per 2 mm2). The immunohistochemical staining results revealed that tumor cells were positive for CD34, BCL-2, STAT-6, and Ki-67 (<5%) but negative for EMA, S-100, PR, GFAP, and SMA. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with SFT.

Construction and analysis of a ceRNA network and patterns of immune infiltration in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: based on data mining and experimental verification.

Recent studies have revealed the significant role of the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in human diseases. However, systematic analysis of the ceRNA mechanism in chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is limited. In this study, we constructed a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and identified a potential regulatory axis in CRSwNP based on bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification. We obtained lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus. After analysis of CRSwNP patients and the control groups, we identified 565 DE-lncRNAs, 23 DE-miRNAs, and 1799 DE-mRNAs by the DESeq2 R package or limma R package. Enrichment analysis of 1799 DE-mRNAs showed that CRSwNP was associated with inflammation and immunity. Moreover, we identified 21 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs and 8 mRNAs to construct the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network. A potential MIAT/miR-125a/IRF4 axis was determined according to the degree and positive correlation between a lncRNA and its competitive endogenous mRNAs. The GSEA results suggested that IRF4 may be involved in immune cell infiltration. The validation of another dataset confirmed that MIAT and IRF4 were differentially expressed between the CRSwNP and control groups. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of MIAT and IRF4 was 0.944. The CIBERSORT analysis revealed that eosinophils and M2 macrophages may be involved in the CRSwNP process. MIAT was correlated with dendritic cells and M2 macrophages, and IRF4 was correlated with dendritic cells. Finally, to validate the key genes, we performed in-silico validation using another dataset and experimental validation using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blot. In summary, the constructed novel MIAT/miR-125a/IRF4 axis may play a critical role in the development and progression of CRSwNP. We believe that the ceRNA network and immune cell infiltration could offer further insight into novel molecular therapeutic targets for CRSwNP.

[Research progress of Phyllanthi Fructus and prediction of its Q-markers].

Phyllanthi Fructus, a unique Chinese and Tibetan medicinal plant with both edible and medical values, has high potential of cultivation and development. The resources of Phyllanthi Fructus in China are rich, mainly distributed in Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, etc. Phyllanthi Fructus is widely used in the clinical practice of Chinese medicine and plays an important role in Tibetan medicine, Uyghur medicine, Yi medicine, and Mongolian medicine. Phyllanthi Fructus mainly contains phenolic acids,tannins, terpenes, sterols, fatty acids, flavonoids, amino acids and other compounds. Modern pharmacological studies show that Phyllanthi Fructus has antioxidant, anticancer, blood lipid-lowering, liver protective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immune regulatory activities. In this paper, the research status of Phyllanthi Fructus was reviewed from the aspects of herbal textual research,chemical composition, and pharmacological action. The quality markers(Q-markers) of Phyllanthi Fructus were predicted and analyzed from the aspects of biogenic pathway, specificity and measurability of chemical components, efficacy, properties, new clinical uses, drug-food homology, and transformation of polyphenols. The results will provide a scientific basis for the quality control, quality evaluation, and standard formulation of Phyllanthi Fructus.

PPAR-γ Ligand Inhibits Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Proliferation and Metastasis by Regulating E2F2.

PURPOSE: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) is a nuclear hormone receptor with a key role in lipid metabolism. Previous studies have identified various roles of PPAR-γ in cell cycle progression, cellular proliferation, and tumor progression. However, no report has described a role for PPAR-γ in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Notably, some studies have reported a relationship between PPAR-γ and E2F transcription factor 2 (E2F2), which has been identified as a regulator of cell cycle, apoptosis, and the DNA damage response. Notably, E2F2 has also been reported to correlate with a poor prognosis in patients with various malignancies. METHODS: We used immunohistochemical (IHC) and western blot methods to evaluate PPAR-γ and E2F2 expression and function in nonkeratinizing NPC and nasopharyngitis (NPG) tissue samples, as well as western blotting and CCK8 analyses in the NPC cell lines, CNE1 and CNE2. RESULTS: We observed lower levels of PPAR-γ expression in nonkeratinizing NPC tissues compared with NPG tissues and determined an association between a low level of PPAR-γ expression with a more advanced tumor stage. Furthermore, strong E2F2 expression was detected in nonkeratinizing NPC tissues. We further demonstrated that rosiglitazone, a PPAR-γ agonist, reduced E2F2 expression and proliferation in NPC cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results revealed a novel role for the PPAR-γ-E2F2 pathway in controlling NPC cell proliferation and metastasis.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 7-azaisoindigo derivatives.

A series of novel 7-azaisoindigo derivatives 3-14 were designed, synthesized, and structurally characterized by IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, mass spectra, and elemental analyses. Their antiproliferative activities were evaluated in a hormone-independent prostate cancer cell line DU145. Among them, compounds 8, 9, 14 showed the highest activities. Our study also showed that compounds 7, 11, 12 exhibited higher inhibitory activities on CDK2/cyclin A than that of the positive control meisoindigo. Western blot analysis on DU145 cells treated with compounds 7 and 9 demonstrated that 7-azaisoindigo derivatives could decrease the level of CDK2 activity (phosphorylation) and the expression of cyclin D1, and increase the expression of endogenous cyclin-dependent inhibitor p27.