Corrigendum: Sesquiterpene lactones attenuate paclitaxel resistance via inhibiting MALAT1/STAT3/ FUT4 axis and P-Glycoprotein transporters in lung cancer cells.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.795613.].

Distribution pattern of medial group retropharyngeal lymph nodes and its implication in optimizing clinical target volume in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and to elucidate the clinical characteristics of medial group retropharyngeal lymph nodes (RLNs) based on multi-modal imaging. Also, we intended to explore the feasibility of optimizing the CTV60 boundary based on the characteristics of medial group RLNs. Methods: A total of 549 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), DWI, and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) to detect and evaluate clinical characteristics of medial group RLNs. [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography was utilized to identify fluorodeoxyglucose uptaking and contrast-enhanced CT to ensure the reliability of CTV optimization during radiotherapy. The DESdC (Drinking, Eating, Swallowing Difficulties, and Coughing while Eating or Drinking) score was utilized to evaluate swallowing disability. Results: Fourteen of 549 patients had medial group RLNs with a transverse diameter of 2.0-19.0 mm, which distributed between the upper margin of 1st cervical vertebra (C1) and the upper one-third of C3. Lasso regression and Pearson chi-square test suggested that its occurrence was associated with stage N, bilateral cervical lymph node metastases, especially when the transverse diameter of cervical lymph nodes was > 3 cm. The sensitivity of DWI, T2 STIR, and contrast-enhanced CT was 100%, 57.1%, and 21.4%, respectively. We optimized CTV60 of medial group RLNs from the base of skull to the upper edge of C2 excluding specific cases. For patients with CTV60 optimization, radiation dose and volume of swallowing structures decreased obviously. Based on our radiotherapy strategy on CTV60, acute toxicities of enrolled patients were well tolerated. Ninety-six of 549 patients had scores with DESdC score. Eighty-three patients scored 1, seven patients scored 2, one patient scored 3, and three patients scored 4. The median interval from the onset of symptoms was 72 (4-114) months. The 5-year overall survival, progression-free survival, local recurrence-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival were 87%, 80%, 93%, and 85%, respectively. None of the patients with regional recurrence happened in the optimized region. Conclusion: DWI possesses superiorities in displaying lymph nodes. Based on the low incidence of the medial RLNs, CTV60 of medial group RLNs from the base of skull to the upper edge of C2 is feasible and has dosimetric advantages for protecting swallowing structures.

Sesquiterpene Lactones Attenuate Paclitaxel Resistance Via Inhibiting MALAT1/STAT3/ FUT4 Axis and P-Glycoprotein Transporters in Lung Cancer Cells.

Paclitaxel resistance is a challenging factor in chemotherapy resulting in poor prognosis and cancer recurrence. Signal transducer and activator of transcription factor 3 (STAT3), a key transcription factor, performs a critical role in cancer development, cell survival and chemoresistance, while its inactivation overwhelms drug resistance in numerous cancer types including lung cancer. Additionally, the fucosyltransferase 4 (FUT4) is a crucial enzyme in post-translational modification of cell-surface proteins involved in various pathological conditions such as tumor multidrug resistance (MDR). The P-glycoprotein (P-GP) is the well-known ABC transporter member that imparts drug resistance in different cancer types, most notably paclitaxel resistance in lung cancer cells. LncRNA-MALAT1 exerts a functional role in the cancer development as well as the drug resistance and is linked with STAT3 activation and activity of FUT4. Moreover, STAT3-mediated induction of P-GP is well-documented. Natural compounds of Sesquiterpene Lactone (SL) family are well-known for their anticancer properties with particular emphasis over STAT3 inhibitory capabilities. In this study, we explored the positive correlation of MALAT1 with STAT3 and FUT4 activity in paclitaxel resistant A549 (A549/T) lung cancer cells. Additionally, we investigated the anticancer activity of two well-known members of SLs, alantolactone (ALT) and Brevilin A (Brv-A), in A549/T lung cancer cells. ALT and Brv-A induced apoptosis in A549/T cells. Furthermore, these two natural SLs suppressed MALAT1 expression, STAT3 activation, and FUT4 and P-GP expression which are the hallmarks for paclitaxel resistance in A549 lung cancer cells. The inhibition of MALAT1 enhanced the competence of these SLs members significantly, which accounted for the growth inhibition as well as anti-migratory and anti-invasive effects of ALT and Brv-A. These findings suggest SLs to be the promising agents for overcoming paclitaxel resistance in A549 lung cancer cells.

Reciprocal Effect of Copper and Iron Regulation on the Proteome of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Cyanobacteria can acclimate to changing copper and iron concentrations in the environment via metal homeostasis, but a general mechanism for interpreting their dynamic relationships is sparse. In this study, we assessed growth and chlorophyll fluorescence of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and investigated proteomic responses to copper and iron deductions. Results showed that copper and iron exerted reciprocal effect on the growth and photosynthesis of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 at combinations of different concentrations. And some proteins involved in the uptake of copper and iron and the photosynthetic electron transport system exhibit Cu-Fe proteomic association. The protein abundance under copper and iron deduction affected the photosynthetic electronic activity of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and eventually affected the growth and photosynthesis. Based on these results, we hypothesize that the Cu-Fe proteomic association of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 can be elucidated via the uptake system of outer membrane-periplasmic space-inner plasma membrane-thylakoid membrane, and this association is mainly required to maintain electron transfer. This study provides a broader view regarding the proteomic association between Cu and Fe in cyanobacteria, which will shed light on the role of these two metal elements in cyanobacterial energy metabolism and biomass accumulation.

Situs inversus totalis patients with gastric cancer: Robotic surgery the standard of treatment?-A case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Situs inversus totalis (SIT) is a very rare congenital condition. Situs inversus totalis (SIT) patients who present with gastric cancer have been reported in Japan, China, the United States, and other countries. China has a high incidence of gastric cancer, accounting for 40% of the global annual incidence. Surgical treatment options for situs inversus totalis (SIT) gastric cancer patients are of great concern due to the rare nature of the condition and the anatomical variations. This case aims to demonstrate the utility of robotic surgery in treating situs inversus totalis patients with gastric cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 69-year-old male situs inversus totalis (SIT) gastric cancer patient who successfully underwent a DaVinci robotic-assisted distal gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction. The patient had no complications after the operation and was discharged postoperative day 15. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Gastric cancer is an aggressive disease that requires timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Unfortunately, many patients present late with gastric cancer and do not benefit from surgical or other appropriate interventions. Patients who are eligible for surgery however still need a clean marginal resection to maximize prognosis, which is not always possible due to complex anatomy or variations as seen in situs inversus totalis. DaVinci robotic surgery system is a new generation of minimally invasive operating systems after conventional laparoscopy, and its visual field clarity, operating flexibility, and instrument stability have obvious advantages over conventional laparoscopic surgery and traditional open surgery. CONCLUSION: Robotic surgery for situs inversus totalis (SIT) patients is more advantageous than laparoscopic and traditional surgeries as it offers a broader view of the variant anatomy and allows optimum dexterity and clarity.

[Advances in studies on steroidal alkaloids and their pharmacological activities in genus Veratrum].

Genus Veratrum plants contain a diversity of steroidal alkaloids, so far at least 184 steroidal alkaloids attributed to cevanine type(A-1～A-69), veratramine type(B-1～B-21), jervanine type(C-1～C-31), solanidine type(D-1～D-10) and verazine type(E-1～E-53), respectively, have been isolated and identified in the genus Veratrum. Their pharmacological activities mainly focused on decreasing blood pressure, anti-platelet aggregation and anti-thrombosis, anti-inflammatory and analgesic, and antitumor effect. This paper classified and summarized the 184 kind of steroidal alkaloids from the Veratrum plants and their major pharmalogical activities in order to provide the scientific basis for the further development and utilization of active alkaloids.

Isoliquiritigenin suppresses the proliferation and induced apoptosis via miR-32/LATS2/Wnt in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma is limited by the various severe side-effects and surgery is rarely performed. Iosliquiritigenin has a series of biological activities, such as antiviral, anti-free radical and antitumor. However, the role and underlying mechanism of isoliquiritigenin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma have not been understood yet. Herein, the results revealed that isoliquiritigenin could inhibit cell proliferation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines, including C666-1 and CNE2, in both Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. In addition, isoliquiritigenin promoted nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell apoptosis, with the up-regulations of Bax, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 and the down-regulation of Bcl-2. Meanwhile, isoliquiritigenin suppressed nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells migration and invasion with the down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9. Furthermore, the expression of miR-32 was up-regulated in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues, while isoliquiritigenin could significantly down-regulate the expression of miR-32. And over-expression of miR-32 promoted the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells growth, migration and invasion, and suppressed apoptosis. However, isoliquiritigenin treatment dramatically inhibited the effect of miR-32. Besides, luciferase reporter assay confirmed that large tumor suppressor 2 (LATS2) was a direct target of miR-32. And isoliquiritigenin increased the expression of LATS2, while silencing of LATS2 promoted the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells growth. Moreover, western blotting discovered that isoliquiritigenin inhibited nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells growth via Wnt signaling pathway. Finally, CNE2 cells transplanted xenografts tumor model in nude mice were performed and it suggested that isoliquiritigenin could inhibit the development of xenografts nude mice, along with the decrease of tumor volume and the expression of miR-32 and LATS2. Overall, isoliquiritigenin was confirmed to be a potent anti-nasopharyngeal carcinoma compound both in vitro and in vivo, and accomplished by regulation of miR-32/LATS2/Wnt.

A retrospective dosimetry study of intensity-modulated radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: radiation-induced brainstem injury and dose-volume analysis.

BACKGROUND: Radiation therapy is the standard radical treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) but also causes transient as well as long-term complications. Patients who develop severe radiation-induced brainstem injuries have a poor prognosis due to the lack of effective medical therapies. However, the relationship between brainstem injury and radiation volume dose is unknown. In this study, we found that radiation-induced brainstem injury was significantly associated with brainstem dose per unit volume. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on a consecutive cohort of 327 patients with NPC receiving IMRT from May 2005 to December 2014. Dose-volume data and long-term outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 56 months (range, 3-141 months), and six with T4 and two with T3 patients had radiation-induced brainstem injuries. The 3-year and 5-year incidences were 2.2% and 2.8%, respectively. The latency period of brainstem injury ranged from 9 to 58 months, with a median period of 21 months. The Cox regression analysis showed that brainstem radiation toxicity was associated with the T4 stage, D2% of gross tumor volume of nasopharyngeal primary lesions and their direct extensions (GTVnx), Dmax (the maximum point dose), D1%, D0.1cc (the top dose delivered to a 0.1-ml volume), and D1cc (the top dose delivered to a 1-ml volume) of the brainstem (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed that GTVnx D2% and the Dmax, D1%, D0.1cc, and D1cc of the brainstem were significant predictors of brainstem injury. The area under the ROC curve for these five parameters was 0.724, 0.813, 0.818, 0.818, and 0.798, respectively (p < 0.001), and the cutoff points 77.26 Gy, 67.85 Gy, 60.13 Gy, 60.75 Gy, and 54.58 Gy, respectively, were deemed as the radiation dose limit. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy-induced brainstem injury was uncommon in patients with NPC who received definitive IMRT. Multiple dose-volume data may be the dose tolerance of radiation-induced brainstem injury.

MicroRNA-125b inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting BMF.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate the expression of genes by suppressing translation or facilitating mRNA decay. Their expression regulates a wide variety of cellular processes, including the development and progression of cancer. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a malignant cancer with high morbidity and recurrence in Asia. In the present study, the biological function of miR-125b and its underlying mechanism in ESCC were explored. The results revealed that miR-125b expression was significantly decreased in ESCC tissues and cell lines. A decrease in miR-125b was markedly related to lymphatic metastasis in patients. Functional analysis revealed that the overexpression of miR-125b using miR-125b mimics significantly inhibited cell growth and induced cell apoptosis, and increased the G1 phase of the cell cycle in EC109 and EC9706 cells. Notably, the miR-125b inhibitors revealed the opposite effect. Additionally, overexpression of miR-125b significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, BCL-2-modifying factor (BMF) was considered to be a potential candidate target of miR-125b based on miRNA target databases. miR-125b negatively regulated BMF expression by directly binding to its 3'-untranslated region. BMF was a functional target of miR-125b in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and the cell cycle in EC109 and EC9706 cells. In clinical ESCC specimens, BMF expression was upregulated, and negatively correlated with that of miR-125b. In conclusion, miR-125b had an antitumor role in ESCC cells mediated by targeting BMF, which can be potentially useful for tumorigenesis in ESCC.

Safety and effectiveness of total splenic vessel ligations in paediatric patients with splenomegaly.

BACKGROUNDS: Splenomegaly may contribute to hypersplenism and can result in thrombocytopenia. Many approaches are used to treat splenomegaly; however, the current management of splenomegaly has intrinsic limitations or disadvantages. Now, we initiate a new approach, that of total splenic vessel (artery and vein) ligations (TSVLs) in paediatric patients with splenomegaly. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the results obtained with TVSLs procedure for paediatric patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen paediatric patients with splenomegaly were screened for enrolment into this retrospective analysis. PROCEDURE: We identified and dissociated the splenic vessel. Next, we ligated the splenic artery and we used clips to ligate the vein distally and proximally. RESULT: The mean [standard deviation (SD)] splenic infarction rate of a total of 17 patients was 77.5 (5.1)% in 6 months after operation. After TSVL, the mean count of platelet (PLT) and white blood cell (WBC) increased significantly and reached a steady state in the third month. Both the PLT and WBC had a significance higher than pre-TSVL in a 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Based on the evidence, we make cautious conclusions that TSVLs are a safe and effective method in the treatment of paediatric patients with splenomegaly, achieving a satisfactory long-term haematological response and benefit.

Combination of laparoscopy and endoscopy for fusiform choledochal cysts.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to elucidate the efficacy of laparoscopy and endoscopy in the treatment of fusiform choledochal cysts (CDC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2006 and June 2012, 18 patients with fusiform CDC were treated in our hospital. All the 18 patients presented abdominal pain, and 13 presented jaundice. 18 patients presented elevated serum and urinary amylase, when abdominal pain appeared. All the patients underwent laparoscopic and endoscopic surgery successfully. The clinical presentation, radiological features and surgical treatment were analyzed. The postoperative symptoms, laboratory examination and bile duct changes were evaluated during follow-up term. RESULTS: Intraoperative cholangiography showed filling defect, dilatation of the common channel and pancreatic ducts visualization in 18 patients, including 9 patients of pancreatic duct dilatation. The protein plugs and/or stones were removed completely under laparoscopy and endoscopy in 18 patients. Patients were followed-up for 3 months to 6 years. The biochemical and ultrasound examination showed no increase in pancreatic amylase and recurrence of the stones in the common channel and pancreatic duct. CONCLUSIONS: The children with congenital fusiform biliary dilatation presented abdominal pain. Patients presented elevated serum and urinary amylase, when abdominal pain occurred. Filling defect and dilatation of the common channel showed by cholangiography. Laparoscopy and endoscopy clearance of the protein plugs and/or stones in the common channel in congenital fusiform biliary dilatation is effective, and the long-term result is good.

Therapeutic effect of minimally invasive interventional treatment of brain hematoma.

To investigate the therapeutic effect of minimally invasive interventional treatment of brain hematoma, 128 patients with brain hematoma were randomly divided into two groups, including observation group (64 cases) and control group (64 cases). The observation group was performed with minimally invasive interventional therapy and drug conservative therapy was used in the control group. Clinical curative effect, treatment of neural function defect score, and quality of life score were recorded. Total effective rate in observation group was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that in control group (90.6% vs 62.5%). And the mortality in observation group was significantly lower (p<0.05) than that in control group (3.1% vs 9.4%). National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) and Quality of Life (QOL) of the two groups after treatment were improved significantly (p<0.05) compared with those with treatment before; and the improved level of concept in observation group was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control group. Therefore, minimally invasive interventional brain hematoma surgery can effectively remove the hematoma in the brain, improve the nerve function of patients caused by trauma and improve the quality of life.

Is extra-pleura Nuss procedure more secure and effective?

PURPOSE: To compare total extra-pleura Nuss procedure with classical Nuss, and evaluate the efficacies and safety of thoracoscopic total extra-pleural approach of Nuss procedure for correction of pectus excavatum in children. METHODS: We managed 69 patients with pectus excavatum from July 2006 to October 2012. Of the 69 patients, 40 underwent thoracoscopic total extra-pleural approach of Nuss (group A), and 29 underwent classical Nuss procedure (group B). In group A, there were 29 boys and 11 girls, and the mean age was 6.4 (ranged from 3.5 to 14.5). Under thoracoscopic guidance, an extra-pleural tunnel was created using a blunt dissector via a right thoracic incision. A steel bar was inserted in the entirely extra-pleural tunnel. The bar was turned and fixed as in standard Nuss procedure. In group B, there were 20 boys and 9 girls, and the mean age was 5.9 (ranged from 4 to 11) years. Under thoracoscopic guidance, a blunt dissector was inserted into pleura cavity directly via a right thoracic incision. It was a standard Nuss procedure. RESULTS: The operations were completed successfully in all patients. None of the children developed pneumothorax or injuries to the pericardium, heart or lungs. The operating time was 42.0 ± 5.3 and 43.4 ± 6.0 min in group A and B, respectively, and the difference was not significant (p = 0.306). Compared to group B, the postoperative hospital stay of group A was shorter (4.0 ± 1.1 vs 5.2 ± 1.2 days, p = 0.001). The outcomes of both groups were similar (97.5% in group A vs 93.8% in group B, p = 0.377) but pain time was shorter, and time of taking painkiller was less than those of group B (2.6 ± 0.8 vs 4.1 ± 1.0 days, p = 0.001; 1.1 ± 0.6 vs 1.8 ± 0.9 time, p = 0.008). No patients in group A developed subcutaneous emphysema or pleural irritation, while 5 patients in group B showed the symptoms (p = 0.004). All patients were followed-up for 4-30 months (mean 20.2). During the follow-up, none of the children had pulmonary infection or dislocation of the steel board or fixation instruments before the bar was removed. 69 patients removed their bar after a 24-month period on average. According to Nuss' postoperative assessment criteria, one patient in group B was fair. The other patients were all excellent or good. CONCLUSIONS: Extra-pleura Nuss procedure under thoracoscopic guidance is a safe and less traumatic procedure for the correction of pectus excavatum. It is not only superior in postoperative recovery and pleural cavity protection, but also results in fewer complications than the intrapleural procedures.

Design and validation of an early scoring system for predicting early outcomes of type III biliary atresia after Kasai's operation.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine reliable predictors of outcome of biliary atresia (BA) after Kasai's operation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included two consecutive stages of infants with biliary atresia. First stage, 200 BA cases who underwent Kasai's operation at our institution between May 2006 and May 2010 were retrospectively reviewed. In the first stage, we wanted to calculate a clinical scoring system by logistic regression. For cut-off determination, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed. Second stage (validation of scoring system), we used our scoring system to prospectively predict the outcomes of patients underwent a Kasai operation from inspecting the accuracy of our system. RESULTS: Early cholangitis, age at operation, JC time, post-operative TB, DB, AST, ALT and surgical method entered into our scoring system. The most reliable cut-offs determined by ROC analysis were 7.71 (sensitivity: 86.0%, specificity: 98.0%). We used our scoring system to predict the prognosis of the 15 BA patients and found that 13 of 15 patients were correctly predicted at the cut-off value of 7.71. CONCLUSION: Our scoring system is considered to be a reliable and useful predictor of the prognosis of biliary atresia.

Laparoscopic portoenterostomy versus open portoenterostomy for the treatment of biliary atresia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies.

BACKGROUND: Open portoenterostomy (OPE) remains the mainstay in treatment of biliary atresia, while during the past several years, the laparoscopic portoenterostomy (LPE) has been widely introduced. However, safety of LPE remains a major concern. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to review the currently available data comparing LPE and OPE. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Ovid, Elsevier, Google Scholar Embase, Cohrane library. STUDY SELECTION: Comparative cohort studies. DATA EXTRACTION: Two investigators independently assessed selected studies and extracted the following information: study characteristics, quality, outcomes data, etc. RESULTS: Eleven studies about the effectiveness of LPE compared with OPE were performed by meta-analysis. Meta-analysis found no significant difference between the two groups in operative time, hospital stay, intraoperative blood loss, early clearance of jaundice, cholangitis and variceal bleeding. In addition, the rate of 2-year survival with native liver was significantly high in OPE group than in LPE group. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic portoenterostomy could not replace open portoenterostomy and open Kasai portoenterostomy remains the gold standard in the treatment of biliary atresia.

[Replantation of amputated ear with anastomosis of vessel].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of microsurgical technique in the replantation of amputated ear. METHODS: 7 cases of amputated ears were analyzed from June 2009 to April 2015 in our department. We used microsurgical technique to anastomose about five vessels and nerves. The blood supply of auricle was restored within three to six hours. All subjects underwent treatments including anti-freezing, anti-spasm and anti-infection treatment after the emergency surgery. RESULTS: 7 amputated ears were all survived after replantation. The patients were followed up for one month to six months ( average for 28 months). The appearances of survived ears body were fully recovered without any significant atrophy or pigmentation. The sensory function of ears recovered to normal after 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: The application of microsurgical technique in the replantation of amputated ear can expect the high success rate of ear replantation. However, skilled and high-quality anastomosis technique of small vascular are required.

Prognostic factors of radiotherapy in patients with node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical surgery.

The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze and assess the outcomes and prognostic factors of radiotherapy in patients with node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical surgery. One hundred twenty-six patients with node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma who had undergone adjuvant therapy (postoperative radiotherapy alone or postoperative sequential chemoradiotherapy without receiving postoperative concurrent chemoradiotherapy) after radical surgery, were retrospectively reviewed from January 1996 to December 2003. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using log-rank and Cox proportional hazard models, and survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of all 126 patients were 71.4, 39.1, and 22.0%, and disease-free survival rates were 64.3, 36.4, and 21.5%, respectively. Lymph node ratio (the ratio of the number of metastatic lymph nodes to the number of lymph nodes removed, LNR) > or = 0.2 (P= 0.006), pT3 + pT4 (P= 0.06) and sequential chemoradiotherapy (P= 0.08) were associated with a poorer survival by univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, LNR (P= 0.01, hazard ratio = 0.57, 95% confidence interval, 0.37-0.87) and tumor depth of invasion (P= 0.03, hazard ratio = 0.62, 95% confidence interval, 0.41-0.96) were the independent predictors of survival. Sequential chemoradiotherapy receded survival tendency without significant difference (P= 0.09, hazard ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval, 0.37-1.08). Therefore, LNR and tumor depth of invasion were the independent prognostic factors of radiotherapy in patients with node-positive thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after radical surgery. The addition of chemotherapy does not seem to confer a survival benefit.

The possible role of Myosin light chain in myoblast proliferation

Skeletal muscles have the potential to regenerate by activation of quiescent satellite cells, however, the molecular signature that governs satellite cells during muscle regeneration is not well defined. Myosin light chains (Myls) are sarcomere-related proteins as traditional regulator of muscle contraction. In this report, we studied the possible role of Myl in the proliferation of skeletal muscle-derived myoblasts. Compared to diaphragm-derived myoblasts, the extraocular muscle-derived myoblasts with lower levels of Myl proliferated faster, maintained a longer proliferation phase, and formed more final myotubes. It was found that blockading Myl with anti-Myl antibody or knockdown of Myll by siRNA targeted against Myll could enhance the myoblast proliferation and delay the differentiation of myoblasts. Our results suggested that Myl, likely Myll, can negatively affect myoblast proliferation by facilitating myoblast withdrawal from cell cycle and differentiation.

Cause-of-Death Contributions to Educational Inequalities in Mortality in Austria between 1981/1982 and 1991/1992: Les contributions des causes de décès aux inégalités de mortalité par niveau d'éducation en Autriche entre 1981/1982 et 1991/1992.

This article uses census records and deaths records to analyze trends in educational inequalities in mortality for Austrian women and men aged 35-64 years between 1981/1982 and 1991/1992. We find an increasing gradient in mortality by education for circulatory diseases and especially ischaemic heart disease. Respiratory diseases and, in addition for women, cancers showed the opposite trend. Using decomposition analysis, we give evidence that in many cases changes in the age-structure within the 10-year interval had a bigger effect than direct improvements in mortality on the analyzed subpopulations.