Malate, a natural inhibitor of 6PGD, improves the efficacy of chemotherapy in lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic reprogramming is an important coordinator of tumor development and resistance to therapy, such as the tendency of tumor cells to utilize glycolytic energy rather than oxidative phosphorylation, even under conditions of sufficient oxygen. Therefore, targeting metabolic enzymes is an effective strategy to overcome therapeutic resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We explored the differential expression and growth-promoting function of MDH2 by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting experiments in lung cancer patients and lung cancer cells. Pentose phosphate pathway-related phenotypes (including ROS levels, NADPH levels, and DNA synthesis) were detected intracellularly, and the interaction of malate and proteinase 6PGD was detected in vitro. In vivo experiments using implanted xenograft mouse models to explore the growth inhibitory effect and pro-chemotherapeutic function of dimethyl malate (DMM) on lung cancer. RESULTS: We found that the expression of malate dehydrogenase (MDH2) in the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) was increased in lung cancer. Biological function enrichment analysis revealed that MDH2 not only promoted oxidative phosphorylation, but also promoted the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP pathway). Mechanistically, it was found that malate, the substrate of MDH2, can bind to the PPP pathway metabolic enzyme 6PGD, inhibit its activity, reduce the generation of NADPH, and block DNA synthesis. More importantly, DMM can improve the sensitivity of lung cancer to the clinical drug cisplatin. CONCLUSION: We have identified malate as a natural inhibitor of 6PGD, which will provide new leads for the development of 6PGD inhibitors. In addition, the metabolic enzyme MDH2 and the metabolite malate may provide a backup option for cells to inhibit their own carcinogenesis, as the accumulated malate targets 6PGD to block the PPP pathway and inhibit cell cycle progression.

US Risk Stratification System for Follicular Thyroid Neoplasms.

Background Preoperative assessment of follicular thyroid neoplasms is challenging using the current US risk stratification systems (RSSs) that are applicable to papillary thyroid neoplasms. Purpose To develop a US feature-based RSS for differentiating between follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) in biopsy-proven follicular neoplasm and compare it with existing RSSs. Materials and Methods This retrospective multicenter study included consecutive adult patients who underwent conventional US and received a final diagnosis of follicular thyroid neoplasm from seven centers between January 2018 and December 2022. US images from a pretraining data set were used to improve readers' understanding of the US characteristics of the FTC and FTA. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of qualitative US features with FTC in a training data set. Features with P < .05 were used to construct a prediction model (follicular tumor model, referred to as F model) and RSS for follicular neoplasms using the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was compared between follicular TI-RADS (hereafter, F-TI-RADS) and existing RSS (American College of Radiology [ACR] TI-RADS, Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology and Korean Society of Radiology TI-RADS [hereafter, referred to as K-TI-RADS], and Chinese TI-RADS [hereafter, referred to as C-TI-RADS]) in a validation data set. Results The pretraining, training, and validation data sets included 30 (mean age, 47.6 years ± 16.0 [SD]; 16 male patients; FTCs, 30 of 60 [50.0%]), 703 (mean age, 47.9 years ± 14.5; 530 female patients; FTCs, 188 of 703 [26.7%]), and 155 (mean age, 49.9 years ± 13.3 [SD]; 155 female patients; FTCs, 43 of 155 [27.7%]) patients. In the validation data set, the F-TI-RADS showed improved performance for differentiating between FTA and FTC (AUC, 0.81; 95% CI: 0.71, 0.86) compared with ACR TI-RADS (AUC, 0.74; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.80; P = .02), K-TI-RADS (AUC, 0.69; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.76; P = .002), and C-TI-RADS (AUC, 0.68; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.75; P = .002). Conclusion F-TI-RADS outperformed existing RSSs for differentiating between FTC and FTA. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Baumgarten in this issue.

CCL20 is a potential therapeutic target associated with immune infiltration in breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: CCL20 is a chemotactic factor that is involved in immune cell recruitment and cancer progression. However, the role of CCL20 in the prognosis of breast cancer remains unclear. This study analyzed correlations between CCL20 expression and immune infiltration, clinicopathological parameters, and prognosis in breast cancer patients. METHODS: Correlations between CCL20 expression and clinicopathological parameters, prognosis, and immune infiltration in breast cancer were determined using the TIMER, UALCAN, and PrognoScan databases. Furthermore, gene-gene and protein-protein interactions were determined using GeneMANIA and STING network construction, respectively. RESULTS: CCL20 expression was significantly upregulated in breast cancer and had significant associations with clinicopathological features, including race, sex, age, menopause status, cancer stage, cancer subclass, and nodal metastasis; moreover, patients with higher CCL20 expression exhibited poor prognosis. Meanwhile, CCL20 expression was significantly correlated with the infiltration of immune cells in breast cancer, including monocytes, neutrophils, tumor-associated macrophages, Th1 cells, regulatory T cells, and exhausted T cells. Moreover, the network of CCL20 expression showed the majority genes and proteins were associated with immune reactions. CONCLUSIONS: CCL20 is a prognosis-related biomarker in breast cancer on the basis of its correlation with immune infiltration levels and has potential to also be a therapeutic target.

Integrated estrogenic effects and semi-volatile organic pollutants profile in secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment effluents in North China.

Endocrine-disrupting effects on aquatic organisms caused by wastewater discharging have raised extensive concerns. However, the efficiency of various wastewater treatment processes to remove estrogenic activity in effluents and the association with organic micropollutants was not well known. We evaluated the estrogenic activity using a well-characterized in vivo bioassay featuring the Chinese rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) and analyzed 886 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in effluents from four secondary wastewater treatment plants (SWTP A-D) and a tertiary wastewater treatment plant (TTP E) that utilized various common treatment processes in northern China. The final effluents from SWTPs and TTP E all exhibited estrogenic effects, increasing male fish plasma vitellogenin (VTG) contents and estradiol/testosterone (E2/T) ratios. Key regulating genes in the male fish liver including vtg1, vtg3, era, erß, and cyp19a were upregulated. TTP E demonstrated high performance in reducing estrogenic activity in the effluents, with a reduction of 64% in integrative biomarkers of estrogenic response (IBR). UV disinfection at SWTPs removed IBR by 14%- 33%, while ozone disinfection at TTP E did not reduce IBR. Several SVOCs including alkanes, chlorobenzenes, and phthalates, detected at ng/L to µg/L level, significantly correlated with effluent estrogenic activity. Our findings suggest the necessity and the potential means to improve the efficiency of current wastewater treatment approaches to achieve better protection for aquatic organisms against the joint effects of mixtures of various categories of micropollutants in effluents.

Unicentric Castleman disease was misdiagnosed as pancreatic mass: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Castleman's disease (CD) is a lymphatic proliferative disorder of unknown cause and is rarely seen clinically. It has been divided into unicentric and multicentric types. Unicentric CD (UCD) occurs as a solitary enlarged mass and mediastinal lymph nodes are the most common site. Surgical excision has proven to be curative for UCD. Multicentric CD (MCD) appears as a systemic disease with peripheral lymphadenopathy. MCD had a poor response to surgery and monoclonal antibodies with rituximab have become a research hotspot. CASE SUMMARY: A 44-year-old woman presented with a pancreatic mass during routine physical examination. She had no obvious symptoms, such as fever, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, or jaundice. Ultrasound examination indicated a hypoechoic mass between the body of the pancreas, left lobe of the liver and stomach. It had a clear boundary, irregular shape, uneven echo, and no obvious blood flow signals. To clarify the diagnosis, contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination was performed, which showed a benign pancreatic lesion. Neuroendocrine or solid pseudopapillary tumor was a possible diagnosis. The patient underwent further contrast-enhanced computed tomography and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, which were suggestive of solid pseudopapillary tumor or neuroendocrine tumor. All the examinations failed to give a definitive diagnosis, and the patient underwent surgery. The final pathological and immunohistochemical results showed that the mass was CD. CONCLUSION: This case highlights when lymphadenopathy is encountered clinically, CD should be considered and a biopsy should be performed.

NcRNA-regulated CAPZA1 associated with prognostic and immunological effects across lung adenocarcinoma.

Recent discoveries have suggested that the F-actin capping protein α1 subunit (CAPZA1) in various human tumors could play a significantly important role in regulating cell proliferation, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, the immune-regulating role of CAPZA1 in the initiation and development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. In our research, we first found that CAPZA1 serves as an oncogene in pan-cancers from the TCGA data and higher CAPZA1 expression process unfavorably prognostic value in LUAD based on starBase database, PrognoScan, and LOGpc database. Then, in our analyses, lncRNAs AC026356.1 in LUAD acted as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-30d-5p, which might be the possible regulatory miRNA of CAPZA1 based on the starBase database. Finally, we confirmed that CAPZA1 expression had a tightly positive correlation with immune infiltration cells, immune infiltration markers, TMB, MSI, immune score, stromal score, and immune checkpoints, indicating that CAPZA1 was a markedly reliable therapeutic target for immunological antitumor strategies. In conclusion, our investigations revealed that CAPZA1 might function as an immune-associated biomarker in the development and treatment of LUAD, thereby acting as a promising prognostic and therapeutic target against LUAD.

Prospective assessment of diagnostic efficacy and safety of SonazoidTM and SonoVue® ultrasound contrast agents in patients with focal liver lesions.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the respective diagnostic value of Sonazoid™ and SonoVue® for characterizing FLLs as benign or malignant and the corresponding safety. METHODS: This prospective Phase 3 study was conducted at 17 centres in China and Korea (May 2014 to April 2015); 424 patients (20 to 80 years) with at least 1 untreated focal liver lesion (FLL) (< 10 cm in diameter) underwent a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examination (218 received Sonazoid of 0.12 µL microbubbles/kg; 206 received SonoVue of 2.4 mL). Three independent blinded readers evaluated pre- and post-contrast images characterising the FLLs as benign or malignant. RESULTS: Sonazoid-enhanced and SonoVue-enhanced ultrasound provided a statistically significant improvement in specificity for all 3 readers comparing to unenhanced ultrasound (for Sonazoid: p = 0.0093, < 0.0001, 0.0011; for SonoVue: p = 0.002, 0.03, 0.12, respectively). Difference in accuracy improvement between the 2 groups was within the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of 20% for all 3 readers (6.1%, 95% CI: - 5.0 to 17.2; - 7.5%, 95% CI: - 18.4 to 3.5; - 0.3%, 95% CI: - 11.3 to 10.7). The diagnostic confidence level for all 3 readers increased with post-contrast images relative to pre-contrast images. Both contrast agents were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: Results showed a similar efficacy for Sonazoid™ and SonoVue® in diagnosing FLLs as benign or malignant, and underlined the benefit of CEUS imaging over unenhanced ultrasound imaging in reaching a confident diagnosis without having to refer patients for additional imaging exams.

Organic matter composition, BaP biodegradation and microbial communities at sites near and far from the bioanode in a soil microbial fuel cell.

Bioanodes in a soil microbial fuel cell (SMFC) can serve as sustainable electron acceptors in microbial metabolism processes; thus, SMFCs are considered a promising in situ bioremediation technology. Most related studies have focused on the removal efficiency of contaminants. Relatively few efforts have been made to comprehensively investigate the organic matter composition and biodegradation metabolites of organic contaminants and microbial communities at various distances from the bioanode. In this study, the level and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM), biodegradation metabolites of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), and microbial communities at two sites with different distances (S1cm and S11cm) to the bioanode were investigated in an SMFC. The consumption efficiency of dissolved organic carbon (RDOC) and removal efficiency of BaP (RBaP) at S1cm were slightly higher than those at S11cm after 100 days (RDOC 47.82 ± 5.77% at S1cm and 44.98 ± 10.76% at S11cm; RBaP 72.52 ± 1.88% at S1cm and 68.50 ± 4.34% at S11cm). More fulvic acid-like components and more low-molecular-weight metabolites (indicating a higher biodegradation degree) of BaP were generated at S1cm than at S11cm. The microbial community structures were similar at the two sites. Electroactive bacteria (EAB) and some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degraders were both enriched at the bioanode. Energy metabolism at the bioanode could be upregulated to generate more adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In conclusion, the bioanode could modulate the metabolic pathways in the adjacent soil by strengthening the contact between the EAB and BaP degraders, and providing more ATP to the BaP degraders.

Electron donating capacities of DOM model compounds and their relationships with chlorine demand, byproduct formation, and other properties in chlorination.

Electron donating capacity (EDC) is a promising parameter to characterize the antioxidant properties and oxidant consumption of dissolved organic matter (DOM). To assess the potential of EDC in rapidly predicting the chlorine demand during chlorination, the EDC values were measured for ten DOM model compounds, including phenol, quinol, resorcinol, vanillin, tannic acid, l-phenylalanine, l-tryptophan, l-tyrosine, l-cysteine, and reduced glutathione. The EDC values varied according to the functional moieties present in the model compounds and the pH. At pH 7.0, the order of EDC values of the ten model compounds was (mol e-/mol C): 0.843 (cysteine) > 0.538 (tyrosine) > 0.522 (tannic acid) > 0.516 (resorcinol) > 0.452 (phenol) ≈ 0.450 (tryptophan) > 0.257 (vanillin) > 0.226 (reduced glutathione) > 0.160 (quinol) > 0.00035 (phenylalanine). The EDC values correlated well (R2 = 0.93) with the 24 h Cl2 demand of the model compounds (except for phenol and tannic acid). By contrast, there was poor correlation between the EDC values and the 24 h formation potentials of chlorination byproducts (trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids and haloacetonitriles). The levels and variation of the EDC values were not significantly correlated with the total organic carbon, specific UV absorbance at 254 nm, or assimilable organic carbon of the model compounds.

Hepatic Microwave Ablation-Induced Tumor Destruction and Animal End Point Survival Can Be Improved by Suppression of Heat Shock Protein 90.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) modulation on tumor necrosis, apoptosis, tumor growth delay, and end point survival by combining microwave ablation (MWA) with an HSP90 inhibitor in a nude mouse model. METHODS: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee. Forty mice with HepG2 subcutaneous xenograft tumors (10 ± 1 mm) were randomized into 4 groups: (1) no treatment, (2) MWA only, (3) the HSP90 inhibitor ganetespib only, and (4) ganetespib combined with MWA. Tumors were harvested 24 hours after treatment, and gross coagulation diameters were measured. The effect of ganetespib on HSP90 and caspase 3 expression in the periablational rim was assessed. Another 40 mice with the same tumors and groupings were observed after treatment. Tumor growth curve and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed with a tumor diameter of 2.2 cm and 40 days of survival as the defined survival end points. RESULTS: Combination treatment significantly increased the coagulation size compared to tumors treated with MWA or ganetespib alone (P < 0.05). The combination of MWA and ganetespib decreased HSP90 expression and increased cleaved caspase 3 expression 24 hours after treatment. Compared with MWA or ganetespib only, combination treatment could lengthen the end point survival and reduce the tumor growth rate. CONCLUSIONS: Modulation of HSP production can improve MWA-induced tumor apoptosis and destruction, reduce residual tumor growth rates, and prolong end point survival.

Multicenter surveillance study of surgical site infection and its risk factors in radical resection of colon or rectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal surgery is associated with high rates of surgical site infection (SSI). We investigated SSI in radical resection of colon or rectal carcinoma and its epidemiological distribution in 26 hospitals in China. METHODS: We conducted prospective surveillance of patients who underwent radical resection of colon or rectal carcinoma in 26 selected hospitals from January 2015 to June 2016.An information system monitored all of the surgical inpatients. Infection control professionals observed the inpatients with suspected SSI who had been screened by the system at the bedside. The infection status of the incisions was followed up by telephone 1 month after the operation. RESULTS: In total, 5729 patients were enrolled for the two operations; SSIs occurred in 206 patients, and the infection rate was 3.60%. The incidence of SSI after radical resection of rectal carcinoma (5.12%; 119/2323) was 2.1 times higher than that after radical resection of colon carcinoma (2.55%; 87/3406) (P < 0.0001). Additionally, in the colon versus rectal groups, the rate of superficial incisional SSI was 0.94% versus 2.28% (P < 0.0001), the rate of deep incisional SSI was 0.56% versus 1.11% (P = 0.018), and the rate of organ space SSI was 1.06% versus 1.72% (P = 0.031), respectively. The most common pathogens causing SSIs after radical resection of colon carcinoma were Escherichia coli (21/38) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5/38). Escherichia coli (24/65) and Enterococcus spp. (14/65) were the two most common pathogens in the rectal group. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only the operating time and number of hospital beds were common independent risk factors for SSIs after the two types of surgery. CONCLUSION: This multicenter study showed that there were significant differences in the incidence of SSIs, three types of SSIs, and some risk factors between radical resection of colon carcinoma and rectal carcinoma.

Comparison of Sonazoid and SonoVue in the Diagnosis of Focal Liver Lesions: A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of Sonazoid and SonoVue in subjects with focal liver lesions. METHODS: The patients who had untreated focal solid liver lesions confirmed by B-mode ultrasonography were eligible for the study. The target lesion and whole liver were scanned by gray scale ultrasonography; then, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was performed, and the results were evaluated blindly. The main end point was accuracy improvement with postcontrast versus precontrast ultrasound examination for diagnosis of the target lesion of interest as malignant or benign against the reference standard. RESULTS: There were 65 patients with 65 hepatic tumors enrolled in the study. The improvement of diagnostic accuracy was 0.30 in the Sonazoid group and 0.16 in the SonoVue group (95% confidence interval, -0.828-0.168; P = .24). Using 20% as the noninferiority margin, the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (0.168) was less than 0.20. The number of lesions detected during the whole-liver scanning in the Sonazoid group was significantly more than that detected in the SonoVue group (P = .024). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis value of Sonazoid is noninferior to SonoVue, and this new contrast agent can improves the whole-liver image quality.

Determination of dihalobenzoquinones in water using gas chromatography coupled with an electronic capture detector.

Dihalobenzoquinones are a group of disinfection byproducts with high potential toxicity and thus currently receiving increased attention. A determination method of 2,6-dichloro-1,4-benzoquinone (2,6-DCBQ) and 2,6-dibromo-1,4-benzoquinone (2,6-DBBQ) was developed upon using liquid-liquid extraction and a gas chromatography with an electronic capture detector (LLE-GC-ECD). The optimized extraction condition was as the following: volume ratio of formic acid to water 0.005%, Na2SO4 dosage 200 g L-1, methyl-tert-butyl ether (MtBE)/water volume ratio 1/10, and extraction with MtBE for once. With the dosed concentrations of 0.5-5.0 µg L-1, the recovery rates of 2,6-DCBQ and 2,6-DBBQ were 81%-88% and 73%-96%. The limits of quantitation (LOQs) of the LLE-GC-ECD method were 2.4 and 2.7 ng L-1 in 1-L water for 2,6-DCBQ and 2,6-DBBQ. In six local tap waters, 2,6-DCBQ was detected in the range of

MicroRNA-150-5p affects cell proliferation, apoptosis, and EMT by regulation of the BRAFV600E mutation in papillary thyroid cancer cells.

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common endocrine malignancy. Studies have confirmed an association between microRNA (miRNA) and the BRAFV600E mutation in various cellular biological processes of PTC. This study aimed to clarify the potential relationship between miR-150-5p and the BRAFV600E mutation in PTC. Human PTC cell lines B-CPAP and TPC-1 were transfected with the miR-150-5p mimic, an inhibitor, and the corresponding controls. Then, cell proliferation, viability, and apoptosis were detected by bromodeoxyuridine, trypan blue exclusion, and flow cytometry assays. The expressions of the main factors of cell cycle, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), and DNA mismatch repair were examined by Western blot analysis and a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, pc-BRAFV600E was transfected into B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells to determine the relationship between miR-150-5p and BRAFV600E . In addition, the methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signal pathway was examined using Western blot analysis. Overexpression of miR-150-5p promoted cell proliferation and viability, inhibited apoptosis, and upregulated cell cycle factor expressions at 50 passages of B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells after transfection. Overexpression of miR-150-5p led to an obvious decrease in E-cadherin expression, but enhanced N-cadherin, Slug and Vimentin, ZEB1, and Snail expression. Moreover, overexpression of miR-150-5p markedly suppressed POLD3, MSH2, and MSH3 expression. Furthermore, BRAFV600E overexpression increased the expression level of miR-150-5p in TPC cells, and overexpression of telomerase reverse transcriptase further enhanced the promoting effect of BRAFV600E on miR-150-5p expression in B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells. Finally, BRAFV600E overexpression activated the MEK/ERK signal pathway in B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells. These data indicated that miR-150-5p promoted cell proliferation, suppressed apoptosis, and accelerated the EMT process by regulation of the BRAFV600E mutation. Our findings will help elucidate the pathogenesis of PTC and identify biomarkers.

lncRNA CCAT1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by down-regulation of miR-143 in FTC-133 thyroid carcinoma cell line.

Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor. Long non-coding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (lncRNA CCAT1) is highly expressed in many cancers; however, the molecular mechanism of CCAT1 in thyroid cancer remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effect of CCAT1 on human thyroid cancer cell line FTC-133. FTC-133 cells were transfected with CCAT1 expressing vector, CCAT1 shRNA, miR-143 mimic, and miR-143 inhibitor, respectively. After different treatments, cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were measured. Moreover, the regulatory relationship of CCAT1 and miR-143, as well as miR-143 and VEGF were tested using dual-luciferase reporter assay. The relative expressions of CCAT1, miR-143, and VEGF were tested by qRT-PCR. The expressions of apoptosis-related factors and corresponding proteins in PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways were analyzed using western blot analysis. The results suggested that CCAT1 was up-regulated in the FTC-133 cells. CCAT1 suppression decreased FTC-133 cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and miR-143 expression, while it increased apoptosis and VEGF expression. CCAT1 might act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-143. Moreover, CCAT1 activated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways through inhibition of miR-143. This study demonstrated that CCAT1 exhibited pro-proliferative and pro-metastasis functions on FTC-133 cells and activated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways via down-regulation of miR-143. These findings will provide a possible target for clinical treatment of thyroid cancer.

lncRNA CCAT1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by down-regulation of miR-143 in FTC-133 thyroid carcinoma cell line

Thyroid cancer is a common malignant tumor. Long non-coding RNA colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (lncRNA CCAT1) is highly expressed in many cancers; however, the molecular mechanism of CCAT1 in thyroid cancer remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effect of CCAT1 on human thyroid cancer cell line FTC-133. FTC-133 cells were transfected with CCAT1 expressing vector, CCAT1 shRNA, miR-143 mimic, and miR-143 inhibitor, respectively. After different treatments, cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were measured. Moreover, the regulatory relationship of CCAT1 and miR-143, as well as miR-143 and VEGF were tested using dual-luciferase reporter assay. The relative expressions of CCAT1, miR-143, and VEGF were tested by qRT-PCR. The expressions of apoptosis-related factors and corresponding proteins in PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways were analyzed using western blot analysis. The results suggested that CCAT1 was up-regulated in the FTC-133 cells. CCAT1 suppression decreased FTC-133 cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and miR-143 expression, while it increased apoptosis and VEGF expression. CCAT1 might act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-143. Moreover, CCAT1 activated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways through inhibition of miR-143. This study demonstrated that CCAT1 exhibited pro-proliferative and pro-metastasis functions on FTC-133 cells and activated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways via down-regulation of miR-143. These findings will provide a possible target for clinical treatment of thyroid cancer.

Solitary Osteogenic Sternum Plasmacytoma on Bone Scintigraphy and FDG PET/CT.

We reported a rare solitary osteogenic sternum plasmacytoma case. A 49-year-old woman experienced progressing pain in the sternum for 2 years. Abnormal Tc-MDP accumulation and increase in F-FDG uptake (SUVmax, 4.4) were co-localized with the osteogenic lesion in the sternum body detected by diagnostic CT. The lesion was histologically confirmed as plasma cell neoplasm suggestive of plasmacytoma. The patient had good response to radiotherapy.

Aspergillus niger bloodstream infection in gastric cancer after common hepatic artery embolization: A case report.

The present case study reported on a 62-year-old male patient with gastric cancer-associated Aspergillus (A.) niger bloodstream infection. The patient presented with massive hemorrhage in the gastrointestinal tract 3 months after total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Conservative treatment consisting of blood transfusion to supplement blood volume loss was ineffective. Digital subtraction angiography indicated gastroduodenal artery bleeding. The first attempt of performing arterial embolization using gelatin sponges failed, while the second attempt of performing common hepatic artery embolization using gelatin sponges and micro-coil springs stopped the bleeding. Four weeks after angiography, the patient presented with the complication of A. niger bloodstream infection, which was cured using intravenous and oral voriconazole. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of A. niger bloodstream infection after invasive operations in immunocompromised patients and apply timely antifungal treatment.

[Long-term effects of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of small renal cell carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of microwave ablation in the treatment of small renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 140 cases of small cell renal carcinoma (151 lesions with a mean diameter of 2.8±0.8 cm) treated between April, 2006 and October, 2015 with ultrasound-guided microwave ablation with cooled-shaft needle antenna. One microwave ablation antenna was used for tumors less than 2 cm in diameter and 2 antennas were used for larger tumors. The patients received enhanced ultrasound and CT/MRI examinations at 1, 3, and 6 months after the operation and every 6 months thereafter. The overall survival, disease-free survival, and local tumor progression rate of the patients were evaluated. RESULTS: The response rate of treatment (complete ablation at one month on enhanced images) was 100% in these patients. The local tumor progression rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 0.9%, 2.0%, and 7.1%, respectively, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year distant metastasis rates were 1.6%, 2.5%, and 7.9%, respectively. The overall survival rates of the patients at 1, 3, and 5 years were 98.4%, 94.8%, 89.5%, respectively, with disease-free survival rates of 98.4%, 93.0%, and 83.1%, respectively. No major complications occurred in these cases, and multivariate analysis showed that the tumor number (P=0.015) and tumor growth patterns (P=0.049) were independent risk factors that adversely affected the long-term outcome after surgery. CONCLUSION: Our data show that microwave ablation is a safe and effective modality for treatment of renal cell carcinoma.