Personalised neoantigen-based therapy in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become one of the most common tumours with high morbidity, mortality and distinctive evolution mechanism. The neoantigens arising from the somatic mutations have become considerable treatment targets in the management of CRC. As cancer-specific aberrant peptides, neoantigens can trigger the robust host immune response and exert anti-tumour effects while minimising the emergence of adverse events commonly associated with alternative therapeutic regimens. In this review, we summarised the mechanism, generation, identification and prognostic significance of neoantigens, as well as therapeutic strategies challenges of neoantigen-based therapy in CRC. The evidence suggests that the establishment of personalised neoantigen-based therapy holds great promise as an effective treatment approach for patients with CRC.

New NNN pincer copper complexes as potential anti-prostate cancer agents.

Eleven novel NNN Cu(II) complexes supported by a tridentate bis(imidazo[1,2-α]pyridin-2-yl)pyridine ligand were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, HRMS, and X-ray determination. Target prediction and docking studies indicated that these pincer complexes formed hydrogen bonds with Asp33 and Gly35 of Cathepsin D protein, which is highly associated with prognosis of advanced prostate cancer. Furthermore, they exhibited anti-proliferation activity in both androgen-sensitive and androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cells according to WST-1 assay results. Mechanistic study showed that pincer complexes arrested cell cycle progression at G0/G1 phase and inhibited Cathepsin D regulated signaling pathways. Most importantly, new pincer copper complexes significantly inhibited xenograft prostate cancer growth along with a promising in vivo safety profile. In summary, these results suggest the applicability of the developed novel pincer copper complexes as promising anticancer agents for prostate cancer treatment.

The Novel Function of Unsymmetrical Chiral CCN Pincer Nickel Complexes as Chemotherapeutic Agents Targeting Prostate Cancer Cells.

We report that the pincer nickel complexes display prostate cancer antitumor properties through inhibition of cell proliferation. Notably, they display better antitumor properties than cisplatin. Mechanistic studies reveal that these pincer nickel complexes trigger cell apoptosis, most likely due to cell cycle arrest. Interestingly, these complexes also inhibit androgen receptor (AR) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) signaling, which are critical for prostate cancer survival and progression. Our study reveals a novel function of pincer nickel complexes as potential therapeutic drugs in prostate cancer.

The effect of light on follicular development in laying hens.

OBJECTIVE: The oxidative stress status and changes of chicken ovary tissue after shading were studied, to determine the mechanism of the effect of shading on follicular development. METHODS: Twenty healthy laying hens (40 weeks old) with uniform body weight and the same laying rate were randomly divided into two groups (the shading group and normal light group). In the shading group, the cage was covered to reduce the light intensity inside the cage to 0 without affecting ventilation or food intake. The normal lighting group received no additional treatment. After 7 days of shading, oxidative stress related indicators and gene expression were detected. RESULTS: Analysis of paraffin and ultrathin sections showed that apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) increased significantly after light shading. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay results revealed that the levels of total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione, catalase (CAT), and other substances in the sera, livers, ovaries, and follicular GCs of laying hens increased significantly after shading for 7 days; and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in the livers of laying hens also increased significantly. ROS in the serum, ovarian and GCs also increased. After shading for 7 days, the levels of 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine in the sera and ovarian tissues of laying hens increased significantly. Cell counting kit-8 detection showed that the proliferation activity of GCs in layer follicles decreased after shading for 7 days; the expression level of the anti-apoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma-2 in ovarian tissue and follicular GCs was significantly reduced, and the expression levels of pro-apoptotic caspase 3 (casp3), and SOD, glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2), and CAT were all significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress induced by shading light has a serious inhibitory effect on follicular development during reproduction in laying hens.

An interventional radiology technique to treat pharyngeal or esophageal perforation associated with mediastinal abscess in children.

PURPOSE: Pharyngeal or esophageal perforation with mediastinal abscess is notably dangerous in children and can be very difficult to treat. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of the transnasal placement of a mediastinal drainage catheter and a nasojejunal feeding tube, with or without gastric decompression, in the treatment of the above perforations in children. METHODS: We placed transnasal mediastinal drainage catheters and nasojejunal feeding tubes in 14 pediatric patients. Patients with esophageal perforation also underwent the placement of a gastric decompression tube. Four of these patients additionally received chest drainage tubes. RESULTS: The fistula healed after a median of 66 days (range, 5-404 days). Corrosive esophagitis occurred in two patients with pharyngeal perforations. One of these patients underwent surgical treatment 2 months after fistula healing, and the other underwent repeated balloon dilatation procedures for cicatricial restenosis. Four months after the fistula had healed, the patients with esophageal perforations were all free from recurrence. CONCLUSION: The use of interventional radiology to place a transnasal mediastinal drainage catheter, a nasojejunal feeding tube, and a gastric decompression tube is a safe, easy, inexpensive, and efficacious way to treat pharyngeal or esophageal perforation complicated by mediastinal abscess in children. TYPE OF STUDY: Treatment study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

LncRNA XIST facilitates cell growth, migration and invasion via modulating H3 histone methylation of DKK1 in neuroblastoma.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been confirmed to be aberrantly expressed and involved in the progression of neuroblastoma. This study aimed to explore the expression profile of lncRNA X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) and its functional involvement in neuroblastoma. In this study, the relative level of XIST in neuroblastoma tissues and cell lines was detected by qPCR, and DKK1 protein expression was determined using western blot. The effect of XIST on cell growth, invasion and migration in vitro and in tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma was assessed. The level of H3K27me3 in DKK1 promoter was analyzed with ChIP-qPCR. Interaction between XIST and EZH2 was verified by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down assay. XIST was significantly upregulated in neuroblastoma tissues (n = 30) and cells lines, and it was statistically associated with the age and International Neuroblastoma Staging System (INSS) staging in neuroblastoma patients. Downregulation of XIST suppressed the growth, migration and invasion of neuroblastoma cells. EZH2 inhibited DKK1 expression through inducing H3 histone methylation in its promoter. XIST increased the level of H3K27me3 in DKK1 promoter via interacting with EZH2. Downregulation of XIST increased DKK1 expression to suppress neuroblastoma cell growth, invasion, and migration, which markedly restrained the tumor progression. In conclusion, XIST downregulated DKK1 by inducing H3 histone methylation via EZH2, thereby facilitating the growth, migration and invasion of neuroblastoma cells and retarding tumor progression.

Advances in the Surgical Treatment of Neuroblastoma.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to review the efficacy of surgical resections in different clinical situations for a better understanding of the meaning of surgery in the treatment of neuroblastoma (NB). DATA SOURCES: The online database ScienceDirect (201-2018) was utilized. The search was conducted using the keywords "neuroblastoma," "neuroblastoma resection," "neuroblastoma surgery," and "high-risk neuroblastoma." STUDY SELECTION: We retrospectively analyzed of patients who underwent surgical resections in different clinical situations. The article included findings from selected relevant randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses or good-quality observational studies. Abstracts only, letters, and editorial notes were excluded. Full-text articles and abstracts were extracted and reviewed to identify key articles discussing surgery management of NB, which were then selected for critical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 7800 English language articles were found containing references to NB (201-2018). The 163 articles were searched which were related to the surgical treatment of NB (201-2018). Through the analysis of these important articles, we found that the treatments of NB at low- and intermediate-risk groups were basically the same. High-risk patients remained controversial. CONCLUSIONS: NB prognosis varies tremendously based on the stage and biologic features of the tumor. After reviewing the relevant literature, patients with low-risk disease are often managed with surgical resection or observation alone with tumors likely to spontaneously regress that are not causing symptoms. Intermediate patients are treated with chemotherapy with the number of cycles depending on their response as well as surgical resection of the primary tumor. High-risk patients remain controversial. Multidisciplinary intensive treatment is essential, especially for patients who received subtotal tumor resection. Minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of NBs without image-defined risk factors in low- to high-risk patients is safe and feasible and does not compromise the treatment outcome. We conclude that ≥90% resection of the primary tumor is both feasible and safe in most patients with high-risk NB. New targeted therapies are crucial to improve survival.

Concomitant modulation of PTEN and Livin in gastric cancer treatment.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) and Livin are important in the development of gastric cancer (GC). PTEN and Livin are involved in the regulation of tumor cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. The modulation of PTEN or Livin has been investigated extensively in various cancer models. However, no studies have been performed to evaluate the combined effect of concurrently modulating these two genes on the development of GC. In the present study, the BGC823 human gastric carcinoma cell line was transfected with a dual gene modified vector (pCL-neo-PTEN-siLivin) in parallel with single gene modified vectors (pCL­neo­PTEN or pRNAT­U6.1­siLivin), and an empty control vector. Dual gene modulation (pCL­neo­PTEN­siLivin) had a more marked effect on the inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and reduction of cell penetration in Matrigel, compared with either single gene alone or empty vector transfection. In a xenograft nude mouse model, the inoculation of pCL­neo­PTEN­siLivin­transfected BGC823 cells led to a markedly reduced tumor burden, compared with that in all other inoculation groups. In conclusion, the overexpression of PTEN concomitant with Livin gene silencing was confirmed as a feasible and effective in vitro and in vivo gene modulation method, which may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GC.

Distribution and morphology of ghrelin-immunopositive cells in the thymus of the African ostrich / Distribución y morfología de células inmunopositivas de la ghrelina en el timo de la avestruz africana

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, has been detected in the thymus of multiple vertebrates. However, little is known about its distribution in the thymus of the African ostrich. In this study, we evaluated the distribution and morphological characteristics of ghrelin-producing cells in the thymus of the African ostrich. Our results revealed that the thymus consists of a capsule and a parenchyma, which comprises the cortex and medulla. Compared to the cortex, the medulla had a fewer number of thymocytes and a greater number of epithelial cells. Additionally, three thymic corpuscles were identified. Ghrelin-immunopositive (ghrelin-ip) cells were detected both in the cortex and medulla of the African ostrich thymus, specifically within epithelial cells and thymic corpuscles. On the other hand, no ghrelin-ip cells were detected within thymocytes. These results clearly demonstrate the presence of ghrelin-ip cells in the thymus of the African ostrich.

La ghrelina, un ligando endógeno para el receptor secretor de la hormona del crecimiento, se ha detectado en el timo de múltiples vertebrados. Sin embargo, poco se sabe sobre su distribución en el timo de la avestruz africana. En este estudio se evaluó la distribución y características morfológicas de las células productoras de ghrelina en el timo de la avestruz africana. Nuestros resultados revelaron que el timo consiste en una cápsula y un parénquima, que comprende la corteza y la médula. En comparación con la corteza, se observó un número menor de timocitos en la médula y un mayor número de células epiteliales. Además, se identificaron tres corpúsculos tímicos. Se detectaron células inmunopositivas a la ghrelina (ghrelin-ip) tanto en la corteza como en la médula del timo de la avestruz africana, específicamente dentro de células epiteliales y corpúsculos tímicos. Por otra parte, no se detectaron células ghrelin-ip dentro de los timocitos. Estos resultados demuestran claramente la presencia de células ghrelin-ip en el timo de la avestruz africana.

Outcomes of Coronary Artery Bypass and Stents for Unprotected Left Main Coronary Stenosis.

BACKGROUND: This study assessed the short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes of coronary artery bypass grafting vs stenting for patients with unprotected left main coronary artery disease through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and major conference proceedings databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials of coronary artery bypass grafting compared with stents in unprotected left main coronary artery disease. End points assessed were all-cause death, myocardial infarction, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, target vessel revascularization, and cerebral stroke. A meta-analysis was conducted according to predefined clinical end points. RESULTS: All-cause death and stroke were similar between stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting at 1 year and at follow-up beyond 1 year. The incidence of myocardial infarction was similar between stenting and coronary artery bypass grafting at each separate time point. The incidence of repeat revascularization was similar between the two groups at 30 days but was higher for stenting at 1 year and beyond. There was a trend toward fewer major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events after stenting compared with coronary artery bypass grafting at 30 days, but this difference was no longer significant at 1 year and reversed at follow-up beyond 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The early advantages of stenting over coronary artery bypass grafting have been shown to progressively shift to coronary artery bypass grafting over time. Further larger sample randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the results.

microRNA-761 induces aggressive phenotypes in triple-negative breast cancer cells by repressing TRIM29 expression.

PURPOSE: Despite advances that have been made in systemic chemotherapy, the prognosis of advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients is still poor. The identification of key factors governing TNBC development is considered imperative for the development of novel effective therapeutic approaches. Previously, it has been reported that microRNA (miR)-761 may act as either a tumor suppressor or as an oncogene in different types of cancer. Here, we aimed at assessing the biological role of this miRNA in TNBC. METHODS: First, we measured the expression of miR-761 in primary breast cancer tissues and breast cancer-derived cell lines using qRT-PCR. Subsequently, over-expression and silencing experiments were performed to determine the role of miR-761 in TNBC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion in vitro. The in vivo role of miR-761 in TNBC growth and metastasis was determined in mouse models. Bioinformatics analyses, dual-luciferase reporter assays, Western blot analyses and rescue experiments were performed to identify miR-761 target gene(s). RESULTS: We found that miR-761 was up-regulated in primary breast cancer tissues and its derived cell lines and, particularly, in TNBC tissues and cell lines. We also found that exogenous miR-761 over-expression augmented in vitro TNBC cell proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion, whereas miR-761 down-regulation impaired these features. In vivo, we found that miR-761 over-expression facilitated TNBC growth and lung metastasis. Mechanistically, miR-761 was found to negatively regulate the expression of tripartite motif-containing 29 (TRIM29) in TNBC cells by binding to the 3'-untranslated region of its mRNA. In conformity with these results, a significant negative correlation between miR-761 expression and TRIM29 protein expression was noted in primary TNBC tissues (r = -0.452, p = 0.0126). We also found that exogenous TRIM29 over-expression reversed the proliferative and invasive capacities of TNBC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that miR-761 acts as an oncogene in TNBC. This mode of action can, at least partially, be ascribed to the down-regulation of its target TRIM29. We suggest that miR-761 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for TNBC.

[Screening and identification of apolipoprotein A-I as a potential marker for hepatoblastoma in children].

OBJECTIVE: To screen and identify serum biomarkers for childhood hepatoblastoma (HB). METHODS: The serum samples from 30 children with hepatoblastoma (HB), 20 children with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and 20 normal children were treated with magnetic bead-based weak cation exchange chromatography. The platform of surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was used to eliminate the interference of inflammatory factors and to screen out the differentially expressed proteins in serum between tumor group and normal group. After the purification and separation of target proteins were performed using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry was used to determine their amino acid sequences. The SwissProt database was searched for matched proteins. Finally, real-time PCR and ELISA were used to verify and measure the expression of target proteins. RESULTS: After SELDI-TOF-MS was used for screening and elimination of the interference of inflammatory factors, a differentially expression protein with a mass-to-charge ratio of 9 348 Da was found in serum between HB group and normal group, and the HB group had significantly lower expression of this protein than the normal group (p<0.05). This protein was identified as apolipoprotein A-1 (Apo A-I). Real-time PCR and ELISA verified the low mRNA and protein expression of Apo A-I in serum in the HB group and high expression in serum in the normal group. CONCLUSIONS: Apo A-I can be used as a non-inflammatory protein marker for HB and has a certain value in the early diagnosis of HB.

Bis(2-{1-[(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imino]ethyl}pyrrol-1-ido-κ(2)N,N')nickel(II): a supramolecular structure formed by C-H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds.

Nitrogen-based polydentate ligands are of interest owing to their flexible complexation to transition metal atoms. For the title compound, [Ni(C15H17N2)2], a transition metal complex formed by the coordination of two identical N,N'-bidentate mono(imino)pyrrolyl ligands to an Ni(II) centre, an X-ray crystal diffraction study indicates that the two ligands show an inverted arrangement with respect to one another around the Ni(II) centre, which is located on a crystallographic inversion centre. The planes of the aromatic substituents at the imine N atoms of the ligands show dihedral angles of 85.91 (5)° with respect to the NiN4 plane. The Ni-N bond lengths are in the range 1.9072 (15)-1.9330 (15) Å and the Nimino-Ni-Npyrrole bite angles are 83.18 (6)°. The Ni-Npyrrole bond is substantially shorter than the Ni-Nimino bond. Molecules are linked into an extensive network by means of intermolecular C-H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds in which every molecule acts both as hydrogen-bond donor and acceptor. The supramolecular assembly takes the form of an infinite two-dimensional sheet.

DNA methyltransferase 3b silencing affects locus-specific DNA methylation and inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 and BEL-7402 cells.

DNA methylation is an important regulator of gene transcription, and its role in carcinogenesis has been a topic of considerable interest in previous years. The present study examined the influence of DNA methyltransferase 3b (DNMT3b) on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and the methylation status of identified tumor suppressor genes in hepatoma SMMC-7721 and BEL-7402 cells. DNMT3b was silenced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Transfection efficiency was verified using a fluorescent imaging system, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blotting. A cell proliferation assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. The migratory and invasive ability of cells was measured using a Transwell assay. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) was performed to assess methylation in the promoter region of genes. The present data revealed that DNMT3b siRNA successfully inhibited expression of the DNMT3b gene in these two liver cancer cell lines and therefore inhibited the proliferation of the transfected cells, stimulated apoptosis in the cells, led to an accumulation of cells in the G2/M phase and decreased cell migration and invasion. It was also found that silencing DNMT3b expression results in hypomethylation of specific sets of gene promoters and increases the expression of distinct set of genes in HCC cell lines. The present study is therefore useful for assessing the specificity of emerging action based on the altered expression of associated regulatory genes, particularly in methylation-silenced genes.

Right hemicolectomy and multivisceral resection of right colon cancer: A report of 21 cases.

The long- and short-term outcomes in 21 patients with right colon cancer after right hemicolectomy and multivisceral resection surgery were investigated. Short-term therapeutic effects and long-term survival rate were retrospectively analyzed in patients with right colon cancer. These individuals underwent right hemicolectomy in combination with multivisceral resections including pancreatic head, duodenum, kidney, liver, gallbladder, and abdominal wall at the Department of General Surgery in the Henan Tumor Hospital between January 2003 and August 2014. The patients had an average age of 58.9 years (range: 39-78). Three patients had metastatic invasion only to the duodenum; meanwhile 18 patients had invasion to the duodenum and other adjacent organs. The median survival time was 41 months (95% CI: 6.972-75.028) with one death in the perioperative period. No patients lost follow-up. One-, 3-, and 5-year survival rate was 75%, 56%, and 43%, respectively. It was concluded that indications for surgery should be tightly controlled. Favorable clinical outcomes of right hemicolectomy and multivisceral resection surgery were demonstrated for patients with right colon cancer at the T4 stage.

A meta-analysis of robotic versus laparoscopic colectomy.

BACKGROUND: Robotics, as an innovation of minimally invasive surgical methods, is developing rapidly for colectomy. But there is still no consensus on its comparative merit compared with laparoscopic resections. We conducted this meta-analysis that included randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized controlled trials of robotic colectomy (RC) versus laparoscopic colectomy (LC) to evaluate whether the safety and efficacy of RC are equivalent to those of LC. METHODS: A search of five databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Ovid, and Web of Science), gray literature, hand searches, reference, and forward citation were performed for studies that compared clinical or oncologic outcomes of LC with RC. Clinical outcomes evaluated were conversion rates, operation times, estimated blood loss, length of hospital stay, and complications. Oncologic outcome evaluated was the number of lymph nodes collected. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were identified that included 125,989 patients in total, 4934 in the robotic cohort and 121,055 in the laparoscopic cohort. Meta-analysis suggested that there was a significantly longer hospital stay in the laparoscopic group (mean difference [MD] -0.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.02 to -0.27; P = 0.0008). Robotic surgery was associated with a significantly lower complication rate (odds ratio 0.78; 95% CI 0.72-0.85; P ＜ 0.00001) and a significantly shorter time to recovery of bowel function (MD -0.58; 95% CI -0.96 to -0.20; P = 0.003). There were statistically significant differences in estimated blood loss (MD -19.24; 95% CI -29.38 to -9.09; P = 0.0002) and intraoperative conversion to open (odds ratio 0.56; 95% CI 0.44-0.72; P < 0.00001), but not clinical relevant. There were no significant differences in the number of lymph nodes extracted between the two groups. However, operating time (MD 49.25; 95% CI 36.78-61.72; P < 0.00001) was longer for RC than for LC. CONCLUSIONS: RC can be performed safely and effectively with the number of lymph nodes extracted similar to LC. In addition, it can provide potential advantages of a shorter hospital stay, a shorter time to recovery of bowel function, and lower occurrence of postoperative complications. These findings seem to support the use of robotics for the minimally invasive surgical management of colectomy. However, RC had longer operating time. Future studies involving RC should focus on minimizing duration of operation.

Postoperative steroids after Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia: a meta-analysis.

AIM: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine if adjunct steroids affect jaundice-free, cholangitis, and survival rates after Kasai portoenterostomy. METHODS: The literature was searched using the following terms: biliary atresia, portoenterostomy, steroids, glucocorticoids, dexamethasone, prednisolone, and hydrocortisone. The primary outcome was the jaundice-free rate. Secondary outcomes were cholangitis and survival rates. RESULTS: Ten studies were included in the systematic review and 8 in the meta-analyses. Steroid treatment regimens were inconsistent between studies. The pooled odds ratio (OR) for the jaundice-free rate did not significantly favor steroid over non-steroid treatment (1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.91-4.11; P = 0.087), nor did the pooled OR for the cholangitis rate (0.75; 95% CI: 0.48-1.17; P = 0.202). Overall survival ranged from 58 to 95% in the steroid group and from 36 to 96% in the control group. Native liver survival ranged from 30 to 56% in the steroid group and from 31 to 48% in the control group. The survival data were not suitable for meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Although these results imply that adjunct steroids after Kasai portoenterostomy for BA may not improve jaundice-free or cholangitis rates, the quality of available evidence is limited and therefore not definitive. Additional high quality studies are needed.

[Identification and expression of cytochrome C in tumor-bearing mice model with neuroblastoma].

OBJECTIVE: To screen, identify and verify the serum specific protein of neuroblastoma in a tumor-bearing murine model and speculate about the source of cytochrome C. METHODS: NB cells (KP-N-NS) were inoculated subcutaneously into nude mice. And the sera samples of tumor-bearing mice (observation group, n = 14) and controls (control group, n = 25) were collected at 4 weeks to screen for and identify differentially expressed proteins. The method of surface-enhanced laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) was employed to screen the serum specific protein of neuroblastoma between two groups. Then serum protein targets were purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by LC-MS/MS (LTQ). RESULTS: By comparing protein peaks among two sera groups, we identified the peak (11 609) showing significant differential expression between two groups. The expression of peak (11 609) was 3338.4 ± 1410.9 in observation group and 59.8 ± 40.7 in control group. This peak was identified as murine cytochrome C. CONCLUSION: Cytochrome C is a serum specific protein for neuroblastoma tumor and it comes from the apoptosis of non-tumor cells.