Reversed windshield-wiper effect leads to failure of cement-augmented pedicle screw: Biomechanical mechanism analysis by finite element experiment.

The failure mode of cement-augmented pedicle screw (CAPS) was different from common pedicle screw. No biomechanical study of this failure mode named as "reversed windshield-wiper effect" was reported. To investigate the mechanisms underlying this failure mode, a series of finite element models of CAPS and PS were modified on L4 osseous model. Nine models were created according to the cement volume at 0.5 mL interval (range: 1-5 mL). Pullout load and cranio-caudal loads were applied on the screws. Stress and instantaneous rotation center (IRC) of the vertebra were observed. Under cranio-caudal load, the stress concentrated on the screw tip and pedicle region. The maximal stress (MS) at the screw tip region was +2.143 MPa higher than pedicle region. With cement volume increasing, the maximal stress (MS) at the screw tip region decreased dramatically, while MS at pedicle region was not obviously affected. As dose increased to 1.5 mL, the MS at pedicle region became higher than screw tip region and the maximal stress difference was observed at 3.5 mL. IRC of the vertebra located at the facet joint region in PS model. While IRC in CAPS models shifted anteriorly closer to the vertebral body with the increasing of cement volume. Under axial pull-out load, the maximal stress (MS) of cancellous bone in CAPS models was 29.53-50.04% lower than that 2.228 MPa in PS model. MS in the screw-bone interface did not change significantly with cement volume increasing. Therefore, the possible mechanism is that anterior shift of IRC and the negative difference value of MS between screw tip and pedicle region due to cement augmentation, leading to the screw rotate around the cement-screw complex as the fulcrum point.

Acute Treatment with Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride Reduces Hippocampal Damage and Preserves the Cognitive Function of Mice with Ischemic Injury.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is a critical cosubstrate for enzymes involved in supplying energy to the brain. Nicotinamide riboside (NR), an NAD+ precursor, emerges as a neuroprotective factor after chronic brain insults. However, researchers have not determined whether it improves cognition after acute ischemia. In the present study, mice with middle cerebral artery occlusion were treated with NR chloride (NRC, 300 mg/kg, IP., 20 min after reperfusion). The results of the Morris water maze test revealed better recovery of learning and memory function in the NRC-treated group. Acute NRC treatment decreased hippocampal infarct volume, reduced neuronal loss and apoptosis in the hippocampus. Western blot and high-performance liquid chromatography assays of hippocampal tissues revealed that the activation of Sirtin-1 and adenosine 5' monophosphate-activated protein kinase was increased, the NAD content was elevated, and the production of adenosine triphosphate was strengthened by NRC. Collectively, acute NRC treatment increased the energy supply, reduced the neuronal loss and apoptosis, protected the hippocampus and ultimately promoted the recovery of cognitive function after brain ischemia.

Wolfberry genomes and the evolution of Lycium (Solanaceae).

Wolfberry Lycium, an economically important genus of the Solanaceae family, contains approximately 80 species and shows a fragmented distribution pattern among the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Although several herbaceous species of Solanaceae have been subjected to genome sequencing, thus far, no genome sequences of woody representatives have been available. Here, we sequenced the genomes of 13 perennial woody species of Lycium, with a focus on Lycium barbarum. Integration with other genomes provides clear evidence supporting a whole-genome triplication (WGT) event shared by all hitherto sequenced solanaceous plants, which occurred shortly after the divergence of Solanaceae and Convolvulaceae. We identified new gene families and gene family expansions and contractions that first appeared in Solanaceae. Based on the identification of self-incompatibility related-gene families, we inferred that hybridization hotspots are enriched for genes that might be functioning in gametophytic self-incompatibility pathways in wolfberry. Extremely low expression of LOCULE NUBER (LC) and COLORLESS NON-RIPENING (CNR) orthologous genes during Lycium fruit development and ripening processes suggests functional diversification of these two genes between Lycium and tomato. The existence of additional flowering locus C-like MADS-box genes might correlate with the perennial flowering cycle of Lycium. Differential gene expression involved in the lignin biosynthetic pathway between Lycium and tomato likely illustrates woody and herbaceous differentiation. We also provide evidence that Lycium migrated from Africa into Asia, and subsequently from Asia into North America. Our results provide functional insights into Solanaceae origins, evolution and diversification.

Transplantation of neural stem cells preconditioned with high­mobility group box 1 facilitates functional recovery after spinal cord injury in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating disorder that often results in temporary and/or permanent functional impairment below the injured level. To date, few satisfactory therapeutic strategies are available to treat SCI. Hence, exploring novel strategies for SCI is an essential public health concern. Cell transplantation therapy, which is associated with neuroprotection, immunomodulation, axon regeneration, neuronal relay formation and myelin regeneration, provides a promising therapeutic strategy for SCI. The neuronal stem cell (NSC) preconditioning method is an emerging approach, which facilitates NSC survival and neuronal differentiation after implantation. The aim of the present study was to develop a feasible candidate for cell­based therapy following SCI in rats and to investigate the role of high mobility group box­1 (HMGB1) in NSC activation. The results of the present study showed that transplantation of NSCs, preconditioned with 1 ng/ml HMGB1, facilitated functional improvement of injured spinal cords, as indicated by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan mean scores, mechanical hypersensitivity and cold stimulation. Meanwhile, the histological examination of hematoxylin and eosin staining indicated that engraftment of HMGB1­preconditioned NSCs resulted in decreased atrophy of the injured spinal cord. Meanwhile, the transplantation of HMGB1­preconditioned NSCs resulted in an increased number of functional Nissl bodies in neurons, as detected by Nissl staining, and an increase in the number of ßIII­tubulin+ cells in the epicenter of injured spinal cords in rats with SCI. In addition, the results also demonstrated that 1 ng/ml HMGB1 promoted the differentiation of NSCs into neurons, and that the ERK signaling pathway played an important role in this process. In conclusion, the present data indicated that the preconditioning strategy with 1 ng/ml HMGB1 may present a feasible candidate for cell­based therapy following SCI in rats, which may enlarge the scope of HMGB1 in NSC activation.

Comparison of unilateral and bilateral polymethylmethacrylate-augmented cannulated pedicle screw fixation for the management of lumbar spondylolisthesis with osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Cannulated pedicle screw (CPS) augmented by polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) can achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis with osteoporosis. However, accurate application of CPSs will help to avoid the difficulty of screw revision and reduce the incidence of PMMA-related complications. This study aimed to investigate the mid-term efficacy of CPS compared to unilateral and bilateral applications in this common lumbar degenerative disease. METHODS: May 2011 and May 2018, 50 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis with osteoporosis who underwent posterior fixation and fusion using traditional pedicle screws or CPSs were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups based on the application: the unilateral PMMA-augmented CPS group (UC, n = 29) and the bilateral PMMA-augmented CPS group (BC, n = 21). Operation time, blood loss, average hospitalization time, PMMA leakage, and other complications were recorded. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were used to evaluate symptom recovery. Radiographic results were compared for intervertebral fusion and screw loosening. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the baseline data of the two groups. The VAS and ODI scores improved significantly after surgery (P < 0.05), with no significant differences between the groups (P > 0.05). The operation time and blood loss in the UC group were significantly lower than those in the BC group (P < 0.05). However, the loss of intervertebral disk height and Taillard index did not differ significantly between the groups. The rates of PMMA leakage in the UC and BC groups were 7.0% and 11.9%, respectively (P < 0.05). Bony fusion was achieved in all groups without screw loosening at the last follow-up. Only one patient experienced superficial infection in both groups, while cerebrospinal fluid leakage was observed in two patients in the BC group. CONCLUSIONS: Unilateral application of PMMA-augmented CPS may provide adequate clinical safety and effectiveness in the surgical treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis with osteoporosis.

Identification of circRNA-miRNA networks for exploring an underlying prognosis strategy for breast cancer.

Aim: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) still have many potential functions in the process of tumor development that are not completely understood. The study aims to explore novel circRNAs and their mechanisms of action in breast cancer (BCa). Materials & methods: A combination strategy of RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technique, quantitative real-time PCR and bioinformatic analysis was employed to identify the potential mechanisms involving differentially expressed circRNAs in the serum exosomes and tissues of BCa patients. Results: The expression levels of hsa-circRNA-0005795 and hsa-circRNA-0088088 were significantly different both in serum exosomes and tissues and might function as competing endogenous RNAs and play vital roles in BCa development. Conclusion: We constructed two circRNA-miRNA networks and provided new insight into the prognosis and therapy of BCa using circRNAs from serum exosomes.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Galvanized-45 Steel/AZ91D Bimetallic Material by Liquid-Solid Compound Casting.

A connection between hot-dip galvanized 45 steel and AZ91D was achieved by liquid-solid compound casting to achieve one material with a better mechanical performance and a light weight. The microstructure and properties of galvanized-steel/AZ91D bimetallic materials were investigated in this study. A scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and an X-ray diffraction (XRD) were applied to analyze the microstructure evolution and formation mechanism of the galvanized 45 steel/AZ91D interface zone which could be divided into three layers. Among three different layers, the layer close to AZ91D was composed of α-Mg and an eutectic structure (α-Mg + MgZn). The intermediate layer was comprised of an eutectic structure (α-Mg + MgZn), and the layer adjacent to 45 steel consisted of α-Mg and FeAl3. Furthermore, galvanized-45 steel/AZ91D bimetallic material had better shear strength than the bare-45 steel/AZ91D metallic material which can indicate that owing to the formation of metallurgical bonding, the adhesive strength of galvanized-steel and AZ91D was improved to 11.81 MPa. In addition, the fact that corrosion potential increased from -1.493 V to -1.143 V and corrosion current density changed from 3.015 × 10-5 A/cm2 to 1.34 × 10-7 A/cm2 implied that the corrosion resistance of galvanized-steel/AZ91D was much better than AZ91D.

Circular RNA circASS1 is downregulated in breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and suppressed invasion and migration.

AIM: The study aimed to investigate the role of circular RNA circASS1 in breast cancer cells. MATERIALS & METHODS: Circular RNAs microarray expression profile were analyzed in MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and qRT-PCR and western blotting were used to quantify expression of circASS1 and its parental gene ASS1. Wound healing, migration and invasion assay were performed. Luciferase assay system was used to detect harbored miRNA. RESULTS: CircASS1 in MDA-MB-231 is downregulated comparing to MCF-7, and overexpression of circASS1 could suppress invasion and migration. While silence, it could promote invasion and migration. MiR-4443 functioning as a tumor promoter gene could be captured by circASS1. ASS1 is upregulated in loss-of-function experiments, while downregulated in gain-of-function experiments. CONCLUSION: CircASS1 suppresses invasion and migration capacity of breast cancer cells and harbored miR-4443.

Exosome: a novel mediator in drug resistance of cancer cells.

Exosomes are small membrane vesicles with a diameter of 40-100 nm, which are released into the intracellular environment. Exosomes could influence the genetic and epigenetic changes of receptor cells by promoting the horizontal transfer of various proteins or RNAs, especially miRNAs. Moreover, exosomes also play an important role in tumor microenvironment. Exosomes could promote the short- and long-distance exchanges of genetic information by acting as mediators of cell-to-cell communication. In addition, exosomes participate in drug resistance of tumor cells by genetic exchange between cells. It is reported that exosomes could be absorbed by recipient cells and transmit chemoresistance from drug-resistant tumor cells to sensitive ones. Then understanding the mechanisms of chemotherapy failure and controlling tumor progression effectively will be a major challenge for us. Therefore, in this review, we will briefly reveal the role of exosomes in drug resistance.

Circular RNA hsa_circ_0072995 promotes breast cancer cell migration and invasion through sponge for miR-30c-2-3p.

AIM: To study the role of hsa_circ_0072995 in regulating the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. MATERIALS & METHODS: Hsa_circ_0072995 expression was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR; evaluating the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells through transwell assay; predicating circRNA/microRNAs interaction using the miRanda and RNAhybrid software; identifying the relationship between hsa_circ_0072995 and miR-30c-2-3p by luciferase activity assay; detecting the location of hsa_circ_0072995 by Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay. RESULTS: Hsa_circ_0072995 was significantly upregulated in MDA-MB-231 cells compared with MCF-7 cells. Hsa_circ_0072995 regulated the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells. Hsa_circ_0072995 existed in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and the proportion of the two was roughly equal. Hsa_circ_0072995 bound to miR-30c-2-3p. Overexpression of miR-30c-2-3p inhibited breast cancer cells migration and invasion. Low expression of miR-30c-2-3p was correlated with poor overall survival by The Cancer Genome Atlas database. CONCLUSION: Hsa_circ_0072995 may be a novel biomarker for breast cancer, and may function in metastasis of breast cancer.

Transplantation of hypoxic preconditioned neural stem cells benefits functional recovery via enhancing neurotrophic secretion after spinal cord injury in rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating, costly, and common pathological condition that affects the function of central nervous system (CNS). To date, there are few promising therapeutic strategies available for SCI. To look for a suitable therapeutic strategy, we have developed a sublethal hypoxic preconditioning procedure using Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, LDH releasing, and cell viability assays in vitro. Meanwhile, we have examined the benefits of neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation prior to hypoxic preconditioning on functional recovery and potential mechanism via MRI screening, H&E, and Nissl staining, immunofluorescence staining and Elisa assays. Our data showed that transplantation of hypoxic prconditioned NSCs could enhance neuronal survival, especially 5-TH+ and ChAT+ neurons, in the injured spinal cord to reinforce functional benefits. The hypoxia exposure upregulated HIF-1α, neurotrophic and growth factors including neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, functional recovery, including locomotor and hypersensitivities to mechanical and thermal stimulation assessed via behavioral and sensory tests, improved significantly in rats with engraftment of NSCs after hypoxia exposure from day 14 post-SCI, compared with the control and N-NSCs groups. In short, the approach employed in this study could result in functional recovery via upregulating neurotrophic and growth factors, which implies that hypoxic preconditioning strategy could serve as an effective and feasible strategy for cell-based therapy in the treatment of SCI in rats.

MiR-29a: a potential therapeutic target and promising biomarker in tumors.

MiRNAs, small non-coding RNA molecules, were recognized to be associated with the incidence and development of diverse neoplasms. MiRNAs were small non-coding RNAs that could regulate post-transcriptional level by binding to 3'-UTR of target mRNAs. Amongst which, miR-29a was demonstrated that it had significant impact on oncogenicity in various neoplasms through binding to critical genes which enhanced or inhibited the progression of cancers. MiR-29a participated in kinds of physiological and pathological processes, including virus replication, cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, fibrosis, angiogenesis, tumorigenicity, metastasis, drug-resistance, and so on. According to its sufficient sensitivity and specificity, many studies showed that miR-29a might serve as a potential therapeutic target and promising biomarker in various tumors. In this review, we discussed the functions of miR-29a and its potential application in the diagnosis, treatment and stages of carcinoma, which could provide additional insight to develop a novel therapeutic strategy.

Biomechanics of anterior plating failure in treating distractive flexion injury in the caudal subaxial cervical spine.

BACKGROUND: Operative level is a potential biomechanical risk factor for construct failure during anterior fixation for distractive flexion injury. No biomechanical study of this concept has been reported, although it is important in clinical management. METHODS: To explore the mechanism of this concept, a previously validated three-dimensional C2-T1 finite element model was modified to simulate surgical procedure via the anterior approach for treating single-level distractive flexion injury, from C2-C3 to C7-T1. Four loading conditions were used including no-compression, follower load, axial load, and combined load. Construct stability at the operative level was assessed. FINDINGS: Under these loading conditions with the head's weight simulated, segmental stability decreases when the operative level shifts cephalocaudally, especially at C6-C7 and C7-T1, the stress of screw-bone interface increases cephalocaudally, and in the same operative level, the caudal screws always carries more load than the cephalad ones. All these predicted results are consistent with failure patterns observed in clinical reports. In the contrast, under other loading conditions without the weight of head, no obvious segmental divergence was predicted. INTERPRETATION: This study supports that the biomechanical mechanism of this phenomenon includes eccentric load from head weight during sagittal movements and difference of moment arms. Our study suggests that anterior fixation is not recommended for treating distractive flexion injury at the caudal segments of the subaxial cervical spine, especially at C6-C7 and C7-T1, because of the intrinsic instability in these segments. Combined posterior rigid fixation with anterior fixation should be considered for these segments.

The role of circRNAs in cancers.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recently regarded as a naturally forming family of widespread and diverse endogenous noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that may regulate gene expression in mammals. At present, above 30000 circRNAs have already been found, with their unique structures to maintain stability more easily than linear RNAs. Several previous literatures stressed on the important role of circRNAs, whose expression was relatively correlated with patients' clinical characteristics and grade, in the carcinogenesis of cancer. CircRNAs are involved in many regulatory bioprocesses of malignance, including cell cycle, tumorigenesis, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, vascularization, through adsorbing RNA as a sponge, binding to RNA-binding protein (RBP), modulating transcription, or influencing translation. Therefore, it is inevitable to further study the interactions between circRNAs and tumors and to develop novel circRNAs as molecular markers or potential targets, which will provide promising applications in early diagnosis, therapeutic evaluation, prognosis prediction of tumors and even gene therapy for tumors.

Expression of pathogenesis-related genes in cotton roots in response to Verticillium dahliae PAMP molecules.

Verticillium wilt disease becomes a major threat to many economically important crops. It is unclear whether and how plant immunity takes place during cotton-Verticillium interaction due to the lack of marker genes. Taking advantage of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) genome, we discovered pathogenesis-related (PR) gene families, which have been widely used as markers of immune responses in plants. To profile the expression of G. hirsutum PR genes in the process of plant immunity, we treated cotton roots with two immunogenic peptides, flg22 and nlp20 known as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, as well as three Verticillium dahliae-derived peptides, nlp20Vd2, nlp23Vd3, and nlp23Vd4 which are highly identical to nlp20. Quantitative real-time PCR results revealed that 14 G. hirsutum PR gene (GhPR) families were induced or suppressed independently in response to flg22, nlp20, nlp20Vd2, nlp23Vd3, and nlp23Vd4. Most GhPR genes are expressed highest at 3 h post incubation of immunogenic peptides. Compared to flg22 and nlp20, nlp20Vd2 is more effective to trigger up-regulated expression of GhPR genes. Notably, both nlp23Vd3 and nlp23Vd4 are able to induce GhPR gene up-regulation, although they do not induce necrosis on cotton leaves. Thus, our results provide marker genes and new immunogenic peptides for further investigation of cotton-V. dahliae interaction.

Utilization of ring-shaped bone allograft for surgical treatment of adolescent post-tubercular kyphosis: A retrospective study.

This study aimed to investigate the mid-term outcome of ring-shaped bone allografts in the surgical treatment of adolescent post-tubercular kyphosis secondary to spinal tuberculosis.The records of adolescent patients diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis who received treatment in our department between 2009 and 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. The anterior approach was used in cases of cervical kyphosis and the posterior approach was used in cases of thoracic and lumbar kyphosis. During the surgery, the ring-shaped bone was used as a structural bone graft associated with the cancellous bone filing in the center portion of the ring shape. Cobb's angle, signs of spinal infusion on computed tomography, and complications were followed up.A total of 25 patients were included in our study. Among them, 3 involved the cervical region, 5 involved the thoracic region, 8 involved the thoracolumbar region, and 9 involved the lumbar region. The preoperative kyphosis deformity was a mean 65° Cobb's angle (40°-97°) compared to the postoperative 14° Cobb's angle (10°-21°) for an average correction of 51°. All wounds healed well without graft rejection. All patients achieved bone fusion 3 months postoperative for a 100% fusion rate.Our results show that the ring-shaped allograft bone is an effective option for the treatment of adolescent kyphosis. The ring-shaped allograft bone demonstrated satisfactory mechanical strength and vertebral fusion without mid-term metallic toxicity.

Predictive role of GSTP1-containing exosomes in chemotherapy-resistant breast cancer.

Anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy regimens are usually used as neoadjuvant chemotherapies to decrease tumour size and prevent metastasis of advanced breast cancer. However, patients have a high risk of developing chemo-resistance during treatment through still unknown mechanisms. Glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), which belongs to the family of phase II metabolic enzymes, has been reported to function in detoxifying several anti-cancer drugs by conjugating them with glutathione. Previous studies have identified GSTP1 as a predictor of prognosis and chemo-resistance in breast cancer patients, but the mechanisms governing GSTP1-dependent drug resistance are still unclear. We have found that GSTP1 expression is much higher in adriamycin-resistant cells and their corresponding exosomes. The role of GSTP1-containing exosomes in conferring drug resistance was analysed through cell apoptosis and immunofluorescence staining assays. Furthermore, we analysed 42 cases of paired breast cancer tissues collected before and after anthracycline/taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy by immunohistochemistry. Higher GSTP1 expression was shown in the progressive disease (PD)/stable disease (SD) group than in the partial response (PR)/complete response (CR) group both in the samples collected before and after the chemotherapy treatment. Interestingly, GSTP1 partly re-localized from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm upon treatment, and similar results were obtained for the exosomal marker Tumour susceptibility gene 101 protein (TSG101), which also increased in the cytoplasm after chemotherapy. After analysing the serum exosomes of 30 patients treated with anthracycline/taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy, we discovered that the levels of GSTP1 in exosomes from patients in the PD/SD group were significantly higher than those in the PR/CR group. Here, for the first time, we investigated a novel role for GSTP1-containing exosomes and their capability to transfer drug resistance and evaluated their clinical use in predicting chemo-resistance.

The miR-30 family: Versatile players in breast cancer.

The microRNA family, miR-30, plays diverse roles in regulating key aspects of neoplastic transformation, metastasis, and clinical outcomes in different types of tumors. Accumulating evidence proves that miR-30 family is pivotal in the breast cancer development by controlling critical signaling pathways and relevant oncogenes. Here, we review the roles of miR-30 family members in the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance of breast cancer, and their application to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients. We think miR-30 family members would be promising biomarkers for breast cancer and may bring a novel insight in molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer.

Predictive value of glucose transporter-1 and glucose transporter-3 for survival of cancer patients: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The role of glucose transporters in cancers remains contradictory. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the association between overall survival and glucose transporter s (GLUTs) 1 and 3 to find an accurate prognostic biomarker. METHODS: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMbase and Medline databases for relevant published studies that were consistent with the eligible criteria up to January 2016, and calculated pooled estimated hazard ratios of GLUT-1 and -3's expressions in different cancer types and ethnic populations. Random-effects models were used to assess estimates from studies with significant heterogeneities. RESULTS: Overall, 12 studies concerning GLUT 1 and 2 studies concerning GLUT 3, which involved 2008 participants when combined, were included in this analysis. We found that overexpression of GLUTs were significantly correlated to poorer survival rates (HR=1.63, 95%CI=1.09-2.44 and HR=1.89, 95%CI=1.28-2.81). In the subgroup analysis, the GLUT 1 up-regulation was correlated with negative overall survival in pancreatic cancer and gastric cancer and with better overall survival in colorectal cancer. In addition, overexpression of GLUT 1 was associated with a poorer prognosis in the Asian population, while no significance was found in the non-Asian subgroup. However, limitations do exist, which could be handled better. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of GLUTs 1 and 3 might help predict malignancy of cancers and direct effective cancer therapy.

The role of miRNAs in drug resistance and prognosis of breast cancer formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

PURPOSE: Chemoresistance mediated by miRNAs in breast cancer have been already validated by previous studies in vitro, while little is known concerning the expression of them in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-222, miR-29a, miR-34a, miR-130a, miR-90b, miR-200b, miR-452, miR-197, miR-138, miR-210, miR-423, miR-4298, miR-4644, miR-139, miR-1246, miR-1268a, miR-140, miR-149, miR-3178, miR-3613, miR-4258, miR-574, miR-671, miR-6780b, miR-7107, miR-744 and miR-7847 linked to drug resistance in breast cancer formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and the association of prognosis with miRNAs, thus providing effective targets in chemotherapy, as well as potential biomarkers for guiding effective treatments of breast cancer. METHODS: The relationship between the expression of diverse miRNAs and drug resistance was detected by RT-qPCR using 55 breast cancer FFPE tissues containing 26 paired FFPE specimens. RESULTS: MiR-222, miR-29a, miR-34a, miR-423, miR-140, miR-3178, miR-574, miR-6780b and miR-744 exhibited significantly higher expression levels in surgically-resected specimens compared with pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy biopsies. Evidently high expression of miR-222, miR-29a, miR-140, miR-574, miR-6780b, miR-7107 and miR-744 were found in ineffective group comparing with effective group. Further investigations revealed the significant association between several miRNAs in breast cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the role of numerous miRNAs in prediction of therapeutic responses and suggests that specific miRNAs could serve as valuable sources for biomarker detections and optimal chemotherapeutic choices for breast cancer patients.