Association between psoriasis and lung cancer: two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies reported an association between psoriasis and risk of lung cancer. However, whether psoriasis is causally associated with lung cancer is unclear. METHODS: Genetic summary data of psoriasis were retrieved from two independent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetic information of lung cancer was retrieved from GWAS of International Lung Cancer Consortium. A set of quality control steps were conducted to select instrumental tools. We performed two independent two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and a meta-analysis based on the two independent MR estimates to assess the causal relationship between psoriasis and lung cancer (LUCA) as well as its subtypes, squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and adenocarcinoma (LUAD). RESULTS: Between-SNP heterogeneity was present for most MR analyses, whereas horizontal pleiotropy was not detected for all MR analyses. Multiplicative random-effect inverse variance weighted (IVW-MRE) method was therefore selected as the primary MR approach. Both IVW-MRE estimates from the two independent MR analyses suggested that there was no significant causal relationship between psoriasis and LUCA as well as its histological subtypes. Sensitivity analyses using other four MR methods gave similar results. Meta-analysis of the two IVW-MRE derived MR estimates yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 1.00 (95% CI 0.95-1.06) for LUCA, 1.01 (95% CI 0.93-1.08) for LUSC, and 0.97 (95% CI 0.90-1.06) for LUAD. CONCLUSION: Our results do not support a genetic association between psoriasis and lung cancer and its subtypes. More population-based and experimental studies are warranted to further dissect the complex correlation between psoriasis and lung cancer.

Comprehensive analysis to identify pseudogenes/lncRNAs-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 network as a prognostic biomarker in gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer. The molecular mechanism of gastric cancer progression remains unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four hub genes were identified through GEO and TCGA database screening and analysis. Prognostic analysis revealed that COL5A2 was the most likely to affect the prognosis of gastric cancer among the four hub genes. The relationships between COL5A2 and clinical variables and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Then, COL5A2 was analyzed for single-gene differences and related functional enrichment. Using the starBase database for prediction and analysis, miRNAs and pseudogenes/lncRNAs that might combine with COL5A2 were identified; thus, the ceRNA network was constructed. Finally, the network was verified by Cox analysis and qPCR, and a nomogram was constructed. RESULTS: First, we found that COL5A2, COL12A1, BGN and THBS2 were highly expressed in gastric cancer. COL5A2 had statistical significance in overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free interval (PFI) analysis. Immune infiltration analysis suggested that COL5A2 might influence the changes in the tumor immune microenvironment. The StarBase database was used to predict that 3 pseudogenes and 7 lncRNAs might inhibit the hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 axis in gastric cancer. The pseudogenes/lncRNA-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 ceRNA network was identified and verified using Cox regression analysis and PCR. Finally, we constructed a nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: We elucidated the regulatory role of the pseudogenes/lncRNA-hsa-miR-200b-3p-COL5A2 network in gastric cancer progression and constructed a nomogram. These studies may provide effective treatments and potential prognostic biomarkers for gastric cancer.

Isosteviol reduces the acute inflammatory response after burns by upregulating MMP9 in macrophages leading to M2 polarization.

Isosteviol is a widely known sweetener isolated from the herb Stevia rebaudiana. It is well documented that isosteviol, a derivative of stevioside, has a variety of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, and cardioprotective effects and alleviation of ischaemia-reperfusion injury. However, the protective mechanism of isosteviol in burn injuryis still unclear. This work aimed to screen and identify the role of macrophage-related genes after burn injury through bioinformatic analysis and biological experiments and to detect the effect of isosteviol on burn inflammation. The results showed that two days after burn injury was considered the acute inflammatory response node, which was when the expression levels of CCL3, CCL4, MMP9, and CD86 in macrophages were significantly changed. Monitoring and regulating these sensitive indicators may help to evaluate the severity of burns and reduce the inflammatory impact of burns on the body. After treatment with isosteviol, during the acute inflammatory phase, the expression of MMP9 was increased, the polarization of macrophages towards the alternatively activated (M2) phenotype was increased, and IL-6 and TNF-α levels were significantly decreased. Our study provides evidence thatisosteviol can reduce inflammation after burn injury by promoting an increase in the M2-classically activated (M1) macrophage ratio and increasing the expression of MMP9 in burn wound tissue during acute inflammation.

Implantation of computed tomography-guided high-dose-rate 192Ir brachytherapy in oldest old patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing aging and the popularization of medical diagnosis, the growing number of oldest old with lung cancer needs to be focused on. Several medical and physiological challenges often accompanying the oldest old cancer patients make the choice of the optimal treatment daunting. The current research suggests that people who get adequate treatment can benefit, but it is worth discussing which treatment will benefit them more. High-dose-rate (HDR) 192Ir brachytherapy deserves attention in this context owing to its association with less trauma and reduced complications. CASE PRESENTATION: An 86-years-old woman with a right glandular lung carcinoma presented with progressive lesions 11 months after chemotherapy. Because of her old age and poor performance status (eastern cooperative oncology group performance status 3), she received HDR 192Ir brachytherapy for her right lung lesion without any common complications, such as pneumothorax and hemorrhage. She continued on 0.25 g oral gefitinib each day after received brachytherapy treatment. The right lung lesion keeps a partial response until 18 months later now. CONCLUSION: HDR 192Ir brachytherapy can potentially be used as a safe and effective choice for the oldest old with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. It can especially benefit cancer patients with concurrent chemotherapy or targeted therapy.

Study on Gas Chromatographic Fingerprint of Essential Oil from Stellera chamaejasme Flowers and Its Repellent Activities against Three Stored Product Insects.

The objective of this study was to establish the chromatographic fingerprints of the essential oil (EO) from Stellera chamaejasme flowers collected from various natural sites by gas chromatography (GC) combined with chemometric methods. The EO was obtained by hydrodistillation, and its chemical composition was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Most components were identified as ketones and the relatively high-content components were fitone (38.973%), n-hentriacontane (5.807%), myristic acid (4.944%) and phytol (3.988%). In addition, the repellent activities of the EO from S. chamaejasme flowers and its four main chemical compounds were evaluated against three stored product pests (Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, Liposcelis bostrychophila) for the first time. In this work, the EO and the four chemical compounds showed a repellent effect against three storage pests after 2 and 4 h exposure. The experimental method and repellent activity of S. chamaejasme flower EO could provide a basis for the development of botanical pesticide and the utilization of the rich plant resources of S. chamaejasme in the future.

[Pharmacology and Clinical Evaluation of Ensartinib Hydrochloride Capsule].

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies with the highest incidence rate and mortality rate worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85%. Only 5% NSCLC patients are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement positive NSCLC, but the prognosis of these patients is poor, and treatment is urgent. Ensartinib (X-396), a next-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ALK-TKI), has shown greater potency on inhibiting ALK activity and controlling brain metastases than crizotinib, which is indicated for the treatment of crizotinib-resistant, ALK-positive NSCLC patients. Several phase I to III clinical trials included both healthy volunteers and NSCLC patients have been conducted both in China and abroad. In this review, we briefly summarized the results of these trials, and preliminary efficacy, safety, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of ensartinib were discussed.

Diagnostic significance of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with cervical cancer after brachytherapy: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with uterine cervical cancer suffer high mortality. Accurate detection of a residual tumor by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) during and after directed brachytherapy (BCT) is crucial for the success of cancer treatment and is a significant predictor of patient survival. PURPOSE: To determine the diagnostic significance of MRI in detecting residual tumor tissue after BCT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, and PubMed were systematically searched (January 1997 to December 2016) for post-brachytherapy MRI studies that measured residual tumors in patients with uterine cervical cancer. All data were analyzed using the Meta-Disc 1.4 program. RESULTS: Four clinical studies consisting of 163 patients (147 of whom were included in the present analysis) who were diagnosed with uterine cervical cancer according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system were included in the study. All the patients received BCT and underwent MRI detection of residual tumors tissue. In studies where the accuracy of MRI detection was confirmed by histological tests or gynecological tests, the summary estimates of specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were 88.5%, 83.5%, 53.5%, 97.1%, and 84.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: MRI-directed BCT is commonly used for cervical cancer patients. Based on our investigation of four independent studies, MRI showed better prediction of positive results than negative results in patients with cervical cancer after BCT. However, more data on the greater numbers of patients are needed to establish the accuracy of MRI detection of cervical cancer after BCT.

Value of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging Combined with miR-18a Level in Predicting Radiosensitivity of Cervical Cancer.

BACKGROUND Radioresistance during radiotherapy of cervical cancer often leads to treatment failure; therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective predictive indicators of radiosensitivity for cervical cancer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cervical cancer cells were collected from 40 patients who received surgical resections. The relationships between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of masses before surgery and different micro-RNAs (miRNA) levels (miR-18a, miR-132, and miR-145) of these cells were investigated. Cervical cancer cells were divided into 4 groups according to the ADC values of original tumor tissues and expression level of miR-18a. Then, these cells were exposed with irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Advanced cervical cancer showed lower ADC values in magnetic resonance imaging. miR-18a, miR-132, and miR-145 all were increased in the cervical cancer tissues, while miR-18a showed a more marked negative correlation with ADC values. The results of in vitro and in vivo assays showed that higher expression of miR-18a in cervical cancer cells leads to more radiosensitivity, especially in cells from cancer tissues with lower ADC values. CONCLUSIONS The combination of ADC values with expression level of miR-18a may be a new and reliable predictor for radiosensitivity of cervical cancer, helping cervical cancer patients with low ADC values and high expressions of miR-18a to achieve better outcomes in radiotherapy.

Chemical profiling of Malva verticillata L. by UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE and their antioxidant activity in vitro.

Malva verticillata L. (M. verticillata) is an edible medicinal plant. Its dry, mature seeds are used in Traditional Mongolian Medicine. Nevertheless, detailed information regarding its chemical composition remains scarce. In this study, nineteen compounds were identified preliminarily using a UPLC-Q-TOF-MSE method. All of the compounds from M. verticillata are reported for the first time. M. verticillata is shown to be a rich source of phenolics, and the total phenolic content in the leaves, stems and seeds is 110.32 ±â€¯3.45 mg GAE/g extract, 97.98 ±â€¯4.19 mg GAE/g extract and 40.85 ±â€¯7.63 mg GAE/g extract, respectively. The leaves are ideal for scavenging ABTS free radicals and possess ferric reducing antioxidant power, and the seeds are ideal for scavenging DPPH free radicals. M. verticillata is a rich source of natural antioxidants. These findings support the notion that M. verticillata is a functional food and can be used in nutraceutical applications.

[Study on effects and mechanism of traditional Mongolian medicine wuweifengshi capsule on adjuvant arthritis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects and immunoregulation mechanism of the traditional Mongolian medicine Wuweifengshi capsule on adjuvant arthritis (AA). METHOD: Wister rats were divided into several groups: normal group, AA model group, Wuweifengshi capsule groups (with low, moderate, high dose of 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g x kg(-1) x d(-1) respectively), and Zhonglun-5 group (original dose of 1.68 g x kg(-1) x d(-1)). The edema degree, the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and MDA and the activity of SOD in serum were detected. Through cell culture, the effects of the medicine on AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity were studied. The influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rats' on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity under the medicine was evaluated. RESULT: Wuweifengshi capsule showed an inhibiting function on the level of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, PGE2, NO and increased the activity of SOD in serum, but showed no significant influence on MDA. It also inhibited the AA rat's splenic cell's multiplication capacity and the influence of celiac macrophage cell culture fluid of AA rat's on C57BL/6J mice thymic cell multiplication capacity. CONCLUSION: The anti-AA effect of Wuweifengshi capsule is possibly due to its inhibition of relevant cytokines and its adjustment of corresponding enzyme's activity and immunization organ's cell multiplication capacity.

[Characterization and expression analysis of two cotton genes encoding putative UDP-Glycosyltransferases].

UDP-Glycosyltransferases (UGT) are a large family of enzymes, which catalyze the transfer of a sugar from an activated sugar donor to an acceptor molecule. Both in plant and in mammalian, they are important in maintenance of cellular homeostasis. In this study, two genes (designated GhUGT1 and GhUGT2, respectively) encoding putative UGT were isolated from cotton fiber cDNA library. The deduced proteins contain the signature sequences of plant UGTs in the C-terminal region. The GhUGT1 gene encodes a polypeptide of 457 amino acids, and displays homology at amino acid levels with the known glucosyltransferase genes. Sequence analysis revealed that the GhUGT2 merely encodes a small protein, as there is a nucleotide substitution that results in formation of a stop codon in its open-reading frame. Real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of GhUGT1 is higher in the fast growth tissues, such as in fibers and roots. GhUGT2 has also higher expression in roots, but with lower expression levels in fibers and other tissues. The result also showed that the expression of GhUGT1 is higher than GhUGT2. Further study showed that GhUGT1 and GhUGT2 expressions are regulated under osmotic stress, suggesting they may be involved in plants responding to osmotic stress.