An injectable biomimetic hydrogel adapting brain tissue mechanical strength for postoperative treatment of glioblastoma without anti-tumor drugs participation.

Adapting the mechanical strength between the implant materials and the brain tissue is crucial for the postoperative treatment of glioblastoma. However, no related study has been reported. Herein, we report an injectable lipoic acid­iron (LA-Fe) hydrogel (LFH) that can adapt to the mechanical strength of various brain tissues, including human brain tissue, by coordinating Fe3+ into a hybrid hydrogel of LA and its sodium salt (LANa). When LFH, which matches the mechanical properties of mouse brain tissue (337 ± 8.06 Pa), was injected into the brain resection cavity, the water content of the brain tissue was maintained at a normal level (77%). Similarly, LFH did not induce the activation or hypertrophy of glial astrocytes, effectively preventing brain edema and scar hyperplasia. Notably, LFH spontaneously degrades in the interstitial fluid, releasing LA and Fe3+ into tumor cells. The redox couples LA/DHLA (dihydrolipoic acid, reduction form of LA in cells) and Fe3+/Fe2+ would regenerate each other to continuously provide ROS to induce ferroptosis and activate immunogenic cell death. As loaded the anti-PDL1, anti-PDL1@LFH further enhanced the efficacy of tumor-immunotherapy and promoted tumor ferroptosis. The injectable hydrogel that adapted the mechanical strength of tissues shed a new light for the tumor postoperative treatment.

Low-Temperature and High-Rate Rechargeable Aluminum Batteries Enabled by Ternary Eutectic Electrolytes.

Rechargeable aluminum batteries (RABs) have garnered extensive scientific attention as a promising alternative chemistry due to the inherent advantages associated with aluminum (Al) metal anodes, including their high theoretical capacities, cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and inherent non-flammable properties. Nonetheless, the practical energy density of RABs is constrained by the electrolytes that support lower operational voltage windows. Herein, we report a ternary eutectic electrolyte composed of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C2C1im]Cl):1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C4C1im]Cl):aluminum chloride (AlCl3) for the application of RABs. The electrolyte exhibits a high operational potential window (~3V vs. Al/Al3+ on SS 316) and high ionic conductivity (~8.3 mS.cm-1) while exhibiting only a low temperature glass transition at -65 oC suitable for all-climate conditions. Al||graphene nanoplatelets cell delivers a high capacity of ~117 mAh/g, and ~43 mAh/g at a very high current densities of 1A/g and 5A/g, respectively. The cells render a reversible capacity of 20 mAh/g at -20 oC and 17 mAh/g at -40 oC, indicating their suitability for operation under extreme environmental conditions. We comprehensively evaluated the design and optimization of carbon paper-based battery systems. The ternary eutectic electrolyte demonstrates exceptional electrochemical performance, thus signifying its substantial potential for utilization in high-performance energy storage systems in all climates.

Potential of sonobiopsy as a novel diagnosis tool for brain cancer.

Brain tumors have a poor prognosis. Early, accurate diagnosis and treatment are crucial. Although brain surgical biopsy can provide an accurate diagnosis, it is highly invasive and risky and is not suitable for follow-up examination. Blood-based liquid biopsies have a low detection rate of tumor biomarkers and limited evaluation ability due to the existence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is composed of brain capillary endothelial cells through tight junctions, which prevents the release of brain tumor markers to the human peripheral circulation, making it more difficult to diagnose, predict prognosis, and evaluate therapeutic response through brain tumor markers than other tumors. Focused ultrasound (FUS)-enabled liquid biopsy (sonobiopsy) is an emerging technique using FUS to promote the release of tumor markers into the circulatory system and cerebrospinal fluid, thus facilitating tumor detection. The feasibility and safety data from both animal models and clinical trials support sonobiopsy as a great potential in the diagnosis of brain diseases.

Screening for metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: Time to discard the emperor's clothes of normal liver enzymes?

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is the most prevalent chronic liver condition worldwide. Current liver enzyme-based screening methods have limitations that may missed diagnoses and treatment delays. Regarding Chen et al, the risk of developing MAFLD remains elevated even when alanine aminotransferase levels fall within the normal range. Therefore, there is an urgent need for advanced diagnostic techniques and updated algorithms to enhance the accuracy of MAFLD diagnosis and enable early intervention. This paper proposes two potential screening methods for identifying individuals who may be at risk of developing MAFLD: Lowering these thresholds and promoting the use of noninvasive liver fibrosis scores.

Serum bile acid profiles are associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: An exploratory study.

AIM: To analyse the association between serum bile acid (BA) profile and heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). METHODS: We enrolled 163 individuals with biopsy-proven MAFLD undergoing transthoracic echocardiography for any indication. HFpEF was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction >50% with at least one echocardiographic feature of HF (left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, abnormal left atrial size) and at least one HF sign or symptom. Serum levels of 38 BAs were analysed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Among the 163 patients enrolled (mean age 47.0 ± 12.8 years, 39.3% female), 52 (31.9%) and 43 (26.4%) met the HFpEF and pre-HFpEF criteria, and 38 serum BAs were detected. Serum ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and hyocholic acid (HCA) species were lower in patients with HFpEF and achieved statistical significance after correction for multiple comparisons. Furthermore, decreases in glycoursodeoxycholic acid and tauroursodeoxycholic acid were associated with HF status. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study, specific UDCA and HCA species were associated with HFpEF status in adults with biopsy-confirmed MAFLD.

High-Density Dynamic Bonds Cross-Linked Hydrogel with Tissue Adhesion, Highly Efficient Self-Healing Behavior, and NIR Photothermal Antibacterial Ability as Dressing for Wound Repair.

Multifunctional hydrogels with tissue adhesion, self-healing behavior, and antibacterial properties have potential in wound healing applications. However, their inefficient self-healing behavior and antibacterial agents can cause long-term cytotoxicity and drug resistance, considerably limiting their clinical use. Herein, we reported a PDA@LA hydrogel constructed by introducing polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA-NPs) into a high-density dynamic bonds cross-linked lipoic acid (LA) hydrogel that was formed by the polymerization of LA. Because of its rich carboxyl groups, the LA hydrogel could adhere firmly to various tissues. Owing to the high-density dynamic bonds, the cut LA hydrogel exhibited highly inefficient self-healing behavior and recovered to its uncut state after self-healing for 10 min. After the introduction of the PDA-NPs, the hydrogel was able to heat up to more than 40 °C to kill approximately 100% of the Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus under near-infrared (NIR) laser, thus resisting wound infections. Because no toxic antibacterial agent was used, the PDA@LA hydrogel caused mild long-term cytotoxicity or drug resistance. Consequently, the adhesive, highly efficient self-healing, and NIR photothermal antibacterial PDA@LA hydrogel exhibits considerable potential for clinical use.

Comparison of bioelectrical impedance analysis and computed tomography for the assessment of muscle mass in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Low muscle mass was significantly correlated with poor clinical outcomes in cancer patients. This study aimed to compare the differences between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and computed tomography (CT) in measuring skeletal muscle mass and detecting low muscle mass in patients with gastric cancer (GC). METHOD: This cross-sectional study included a total of 302 consecutive patients diagnosed with GC at our institution from October 2021 to March 2023. CT images were analyzed at the L3 level to obtain the cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle, which was subsequently used for calculating whole-body skeletal muscle mass via the Shen equation and skeletal muscle tissue density. BIA was utilized to measure skeletal muscle mass using the manufacturer's proprietary algorithms. Skeletal muscle mass (kg) was divided by height squared (m2) to obtain skeletal muscle index (SMI, kg/m2). Pearson's correlation coefficient was performed to assess the correlation between SMI measured by BIA and CT. The agreement between the two methods was assessed using Bland-Altman analyses. The clinically acceptable agreement was defined as the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) for the percentage bias falling within ± 10%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the performance of BIA in identifying low muscle mass. RESULTS: A total of 59 patients (19.5%) were identified as having low muscle mass based on CT analysis, whereas only 19 patients (6.3%) met the criteria for low muscle mass according to BIA analysis. BIA-measured SMI showed a strong positive correlation with CT-measured SMI in all patients (r = 0.715, P < 0.001). With Bland-Altman analysis, there was a significant mean bias of 1.18 ± 0.96 kg/m2 (95% CI 1.07-1.29, P < 0.001) between SMI measured by BIA and CT. The 95% LOA for the percentage bias ranged from -7.98 to 33.92%, which exceeded the clinically acceptable range of ± 10%. A significant difference was observed in the mean bias of SMI measured by BIA and CT between patients with and without GLIM malnutrition (1.42 ± 0.91 kg/m2 versus 0.98 ± 0.96 kg/m2, P < 0.001). The cut-off values for BIA-measured SMI in identifying low muscle mass using CT as the reference were 10.11 kg/m2 for males and 8.71 kg/m2 for females (male: AUC = 0.840, 95% CI: 0.772-0.908; female: AUC = 0.721, 95% CI: 0.598-0.843). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a significant correlation, the values of skeletal muscle mass obtained BIA and CT cannot be used interchangeably. The BIA method may overestimate skeletal muscle mass in GC patients compared to CT, especially among those with GLIM malnutrition, leading to an underestimation of low muscle mass prevalence.

Phase angle - A screening tool for malnutrition, sarcopenia, and complications in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with gastric cancer (GC) are more likely to experience malnutrition and muscle wasting. This study aims to investigate the potential of phase angle (PhA) as a screening tool for identifying malnutrition and sarcopenia in GC patients, as well as its association with short-term outcomes after radical gastrectomy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled patients diagnosed with GC at The Affiliated People's Hospital of Jiangsu University from October 2021 to September 2022. PhA was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Computed tomography scan images were analyzed for body composition at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. Malnutrition was diagnosed using Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria. Sarcopenia diagnosis was based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria. RESULTS: A total of 248 patients with GC were analyzed, including 188 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy. Of these, 71.4 % (n = 177) were male and 28.6 % (n = 71) were female and the median overall age was 68 years (IQR: 61-72 years). According to GLIM criteria, 49.2 % (n = 122) of patients were malnourished and 19.8 % (n = 49) had sarcopenia based on AWGS criteria. A one-degree decrease in PhA was significantly associated with GLIM malnutrition (Odds Ratio [OR] = 8.108, 95 % CI:3.181-20.665) and sarcopenia (OR = 2.903, 95 % CI:1.170-7.206). PhA exhibited fair to good diagnostic accuracy in identifying GLIM malnutrition (male: AUC = 0.797; female: AUC = 0.816) and sarcopenia (male: AUC = 0.814; female: AUC = 0.710). Low PhA (OR = 3.632, 95 % CI: 1.686-7.824) and operation time (OR = 2.434, 95 % CI:1.120-5.293) were independently associated with the risk of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: PhA can serve as a reliable screening tool for identifying patients at risk of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and postoperative complications in GC.

Pharmacological Accommodative Changes of the Anterior Segment and Its Impact on the Vault in Implantable Collamer Lens Implantation.

PURPOSE: To estimate the accommodative changes of the anterior segment and its impact on the central and peripheral vaults after Visian Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) (STAAR Surgical) implantation. METHODS: Eighty eyes of 40 consecutive patients (mean age: 28.05 years; range: 19 to 42 years) were examined 3 months after ICL implantation. Eyes were randomly divided into a mydriasis group and a miosis group. Anterior chamber depth (ACD) to crystalline lens (ACD-L), anterior chamber depth to ICL (ACD-ICL), central distance from endothelium to sulcus to sulcus (ASL), central distance from sulcus to sulcus to crystalline lens (STS-L), central distance from ICL to sulcus to sulcus (STS-ICL), and central (cICL-L), midperipheral (mICL-L), and peripheral (pICL-L) vaults were measured by ultrasound biomicroscopy at baseline and after induction with tropicamide or pilocarpine. RESULTS: After tropicamide treatment, cICL-L, mICL-L, and pICL-L decreased from 0.531 ± 0.200, 0.419 ± 0.173, and 0.362 ± 0.150 mm to 0.488 ± 0.171, 0.373 ± 0.153, and 0.311 ± 0.131 mm, respectively. The values decreased from 0.540 ± 0.185, 0.445 ± 0.172, and 0.388 ± 0.149 mm to 0.464 ± 0.199, 0.378 ± 0.156, and 0.324 ± 0.137 mm after pilocarpine administration, respectively. The ASL and STS showed a significant increase in the mydriasis group (all P ≤ .038), but a decrease in the miosis group (all P < .001). The ACD-L increased and STS-L decreased in the mydriasis group (all P < .001), indicating the backward shift of the crystalline lens, whereas crystalline lens forward shift was observed in the miosis group. Additionally, the STS-ICL decreased in both groups (all P ≤ .021), suggesting the ICL backward shift. CONCLUSIONS: Both central and peripheral vaults decreased during the pharmacological accommodation process, and the ciliaris-iris-lens complex contributed to the changes. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(6):414-420.].

In Situ Implantation of Chitosan Oligosaccharide-Doped Lipoic Acid Hydrogel Breaks the "Vicious Cycle" of Inflammation and Residual Tumor Cell for Postoperative Skin Cancer Therapy.

Surgical excision is the main treatment for skin cancer, but the tumor recurrence caused by the "vicious cycle" between residual tumor cells and postoperative inflammation remains a challenge. Herein, a new material, which can break the "vicious cycle", was developed by incorporating chitosan oligosaccharides into lipoic acid hydrogel (COS@LA-hydrogel). When implanted at the resection site, the COS@LA-hydrogel would have a sustained release of LA and COS, which could not only kill residual tumor cells by synergistically reducing AKT phosphorylation but also decrease inflammation by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inhibiting bacterial infection, respectively. As a proof of concept, in the postoperative melanoma resection model, the COS@LA-hydrogel reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and interleukin-6 (IL-6) by up to 78 and 80%, respectively, and they showed almost no tumors and the median survival of the mice was 2.5 times longer than that of the control group. The hydrogel with the function of "vicious cycle" breaking holds clinical potential.

Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Crystal-Assisted Etching of Nickel Foam for the Collectively Exhaustive Electrochemical Performance of Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

In this work, an organic-inorganic hybrid crystal, violet-crystal (VC), was used to etch the nickel foam (NF) to fabricate a self-standing electrode for the water oxidation reaction. The efficacy of VC-assisted etching manifests the promising electrochemical performance towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), requiring only ~356 and ~376 mV overpotentials to reach 50 and 100 mA cm-2 , respectively. The OER activity improvement is attributed to the collectively exhaustive effects arising from the incorporation of various elements in the NF, and the enhancement of active site density. Furthermore, the self-standing electrode is robust, exhibiting a stable OER activity after 4,000 cyclic voltammetry cycles, and ~50 h. The anodic transfer coefficients (αa ) show that the first electron transfer step is the rate-determining step on the surface of NF-VCs-1.0 (NF etched by 1 g of VCs) electrode, while the chemical step involving dissociation following the first electron transfer step is identified as the rate-limiting step in other electrodes. The lowest Tafel slope value observed in the NF-VCs-1.0 electrode indicates the high surface coverage of oxygen intermediates and more favorable OER reaction kinetics, as confirmed by high interfacial chemical capacitance and low charge transport/interfacial resistance. This work demonstrates the importance of VCs-assisted etching of NF to activate the OER, and the ability to predict reaction kinetics and rate-limiting step based on αa values, which will open new avenues to identify advanced electrocatalysts for the water oxidation reaction.

A nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph nodes for predicting the prognosis of T1 stage rectal cancer.

Early detection and timely treatment is the key to improving the prognosis of rectal cancer. Lymph node metastasis is one of the reasons for the poor prognosis of rectal cancer, especially early-stage rectal cancer. In this study, we developed a nomogram based on log odds of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with T1 rectal cancer. We included 1934 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and divided them into a training cohort and an in-validation cohort. 140 patients from our hospital formed the ex-validation cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that age, sex, grade, and M stage were independent prognostic factors for CSS. LODDS showed better predictive ability than the N stage and PLNs (positive lymph nodes) and was further selected as an independent prognostic factor for the construction of the nomogram. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.743, 0.756, and 0.876 in the training, in-validation, and ex-validation cohorts, respectively. The AUC values of the three cohorts were 0.750, 0.703, and 0.958 at 3 years and 0.731, 0.678, and 0.783 at 5 years. The calibration curves and DCA demonstrated the nomogram's excellent performance. In conclusion, we developed and validated a new nomogram based on LODDS that can effectively predict CSS at 3 and 5 years for patients with T1 rectal cancer.

A Secondary Al-CO2 Battery Enabled by Aluminum Iodide as a Homogeneous Redox Mediator.

As an emerging energy storage concept, Al-CO2 batteries have not yet been demonstrated as a rechargeable system that can deliver a high discharge voltage and a high capacity. In this work, we present a homogeneous redox mediator to access a rechargeable Al-CO2 battery with an ultralow overpotential of 0.05 V. In addition, the resulting rechargeable Al-CO2 cell can maintain a high discharge voltage of 1.12 V and delivers a high capacity of 9394 mAh/gcarbon. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis indicates that the discharge product is aluminum oxalate which can facilitate the reversible operation of Al-CO2 batteries. The rechargeable Al-CO2 battery system demonstrated here holds great promise as a low-cost and high-energy alternative for future grid energy storage applications. Meanwhile, the Al-CO2 battery system could facilitate capture and concentration of atmospheric CO2, ultimately benefiting both the energy and environmental sectors of society.

Therapeutic efficacy of programmed spatial anatomy of the myopectineal orifice in total extraperitoneal hernioplasty: a retrospective study.

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of programmed spatial anatomy of myopectineal orifice technique in laparoscopic total extraperitoneal hernioplasty (TEP) surgery. A total of 121 adult male patients with unilateral inguinal hernias who underwent TEP in the Department of General Surgery, Wujin Hospital, affiliated with Jiangsu University, from January 2019 to December 2020 were selected. Patients were divided into the procedural (63 cases) and traditional groups (58 cases) according to the surgical methods adopted. The procedural group underwent programmed spatial anatomy of the myopectineal orifice combined with TEP, and the traditional group underwent traditional TEP. The perioperative evaluation indicators and postoperative complications were observed and compared between the two groups. Compared with the traditional group, the time of handling hernia, the intraoperative operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ambulation time, and postoperative hospital stay in the procedural group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications such as sensory nerve abnormalities and chronic pain was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the total incidence of complications in the procedural group was significantly lower than that in the traditional group (P < 0.05). While there was no significant difference in postoperative incision infection (P > 0.05). The programmed spatial anatomy of the myopectineal orifice can significantly improve the treatment outcome of TEP, significantly improve the patients' intraoperative and postoperative indicators, and reduce the incidence of postoperative complications. It is worthy of being promoted among young physicians and basic hospitals.

Disorder- and Topology-Enhanced Fully Spin-Polarized Currents in Nodal Chain Spin-Gapless Semimetals.

Recently discovered high-quality nodal chain spin-gapless semimetals MF_{3} (M=Pd, Mn) feature an ultraclean nodal chain in the spin up channel residing right at the Fermi level and displaying a large spin gap leading to a 100% spin polarization of transport properties. Here, we investigate both intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to anomalous and spin transport in this class of materials. The dominant intrinsic origin is found to originate entirely from the gapped nodal chains without the entanglement of any other trivial bands. The side-jump mechanism is predicted to be negligibly small, but intrinsic skew scattering enhances the intrinsic Hall and Nernst signals significantly, leading to large values of respective conductivities. Our findings open a new material platform for exploring strong anomalous and spin transport properties in magnetic topological semimetals.

Scavenging ROS and inflammation produced during treatment to enhance the wound repair efficacy of photothermal injectable hydrogel.

Injectable hydrogels with near infrared (NIR) photothermal ability show attractive application prospects in the treatment of wound infection and promoting skin defect repair. Nevertheless, excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory responses caused by bacterial infection and photothermal therapy (PTT) would delay tissue regeneration and wound healing. In this study, a novel NIR photothermal injectable hydrogel with anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation by incorporating α-lipoic acid modified palladium nanoparticles into calcium ions crosslinked sodium alginate hydrogel was developed. The resulting hydrogel facilitated to fill perfectly various irregular wounds, and could convert NIR light into local high-heat to kill >80 % of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Remarkably, the hydrogel exhibited excellent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, which could scavenge >60 % of ROS in cells and decrease the relative expression level of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1ß genes by 52.9 % and 53.3 % respectively. It was found that the NIR photothermal injectable hydrogel with anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation could effectively reduce ROS and inflammation caused by bacterial infection and PPT. Additionally, it could also enhance wound repair efficiency. The hydrogel is expected to be a potential wound dressing for the treatment of clinical skin defects.

Environmental evaluation of radioactivity levels and associated radiation hazards in groundwater around the WIPP site.

Groundwater may contain radioactive substances which can be dangerous to human health. Concentrations of natural radionuclides polonium (Po), thorium (Th), uranium (U), and radium (Ra) isotopes were measured in groundwater samples collected from different locations in the vicinity of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The average values of gross activity concentrations of 210Po, 228Th, 238U, 234U, 226Ra and 228 Ra isotopes were determined to be 1.62 Bq L-1 in shallow groundwater and 5.88 Bq L-1 in deep groundwater, respectively. The total radioactivity in deep groundwater was higher than that in shallow groundwater, and most of the radioactivity in the water is from 226Ra. Furthermore, the effective doses for ingestion of natural radionuclides were about 0.333 mSv y-1 for shallow groundwater and about 1.338 mSv y-1 for deep groundwater samples, which are higher than the World Health Organization (WHO, 2017) guideline level (0.1 mSv y-1) for drinking water. Ra dominated the total ingestion dose, contributing 93.06 % and 75.40 % of the total effective doses to the deep and shallow groundwater, respectively. The ingrowth and decay of natural radionuclides suggested that 228Ra/226Ra ratio can be a useful indicator of the source of radioactive contamination. The radioactivity data obtained from the investigated groundwater samples can be used to establish a baseline for radioactivity levels in groundwater around the WIPP site.

A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Tumorigenic Role of Matrix Metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) Across Human Cancers.

Growing evidence has shown the oncogenic function of matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) in various tumors. However, no systemic pan-cancer analysis on the association between MMP7 and different cancers based on big clinical data is available. TIMER2, GEPIA2, UALCAN, cBioPortal, String, Metascape, and other web databases were searched in the present study. Generally, MMP7 expression is significantly upregulated in most The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cancer types compared to the paired normal controls, yet is downregulated in tumor tissues of invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA), kidney chromophobe (KICH), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM). MMP7 protein expression is notably higher in the primary tumor tissues of colon cancer, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) than in normal tissues and is significantly lower in the primary tumor tissues of breast cancer, clear cell renal carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. Furthermore, MMP7 expression is strongly associated with pathological stages, clinical outcomes, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (TSI). Gene amplification was detected in most TCGA cancer types. In addition, the missense mutation is the primary type of MMP7 genetic alteration in tumors. Significant positive correlations between MMP7 expression and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been demonstrated in most TCGA cancers. MMP7 expression was also found to be positively correlated with infiltration of dendritic cells and macrophages in some specific tumor types. Functional enrichment analysis by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and gene ontology (GO) methods revealed that RNA processing and DNA damage checkpoints might reveal the pathogenetic mechanisms of MMP7. This pan-cancer analysis provides a clear panorama for the tumorigenic roles of MMP7 across different cancer types. Moreover, MMP7 could be a potential drug therapeutic target in such cancers.

Potential Factors Predicting Histopathologically Upgrade Discrepancies between Endoscopic Forceps Biopsy of the Colorectal Low-Grade Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Endoscopic Resection Specimens.

Background: It was gradually accepted that endoscopic fragment biopsy (EFB) diagnosis cannot accurately guarantee the absence of higher-grade neoplasms within the lesion of the digestive tract. There are no well-established predictors for histopathologically upgrade discrepancies between EFB diagnosing colorectal low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN) and endoscopic resection (ER) specimens. Methods: A total of 918 colorectal LGINs was histopathologically diagnosed by EFB, including 162 cases with upgrade discrepancy and 756 concordant cases. We compared clinicopathological data of EFB and ER specimens between these two groups. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors for this upgrade histopathology. Results: The predominant upgrade discrepancy of LGINs diagnosed by EFB was upgrades to high-grade dysplasia (114/918, 12.4%), followed by upgrades to intramucosal carcinoma (33/918, 3.6%), submucosal adenocarcinoma (10/918, 1.1%), and advanced adenocarcinoma (5/918, 0.5%). NSAID history (OR 4.83; 95% CI, 2.27-10.27; p < 0.001), insufficient EFB number (OR 2.99; 95% CI, 1.91-4.68; p < 0.001), maximum diameter ≥ 1.0 cm (OR 6.18; 95% CI, 1.32-28.99; p = 0.021), lobulated shape (OR 2.68; 95% CI, 1.65-4.36; p < 0.001), erythema (OR 2.42; 95% CI, 1.50-3.91; p < 0.001), erosion (OR 7.12; 95% CI, 3.91-12.94; p < 0.001), surface unevenness (OR 2.31; 95% CI, 1.33-4.01; p = 0.003), and distal location of the target adenoma (OR 3.29; 95% CI, 1.68-6.41; p < 0.001) were associated with the histologically upgrade discrepancies. Conclusion: NSAID history, insufficient EFB number, adenoma size and location, and abnormal macroscopic patterns are potential predictors for upgrade histopathology of LGINs diagnosed by EFBs. The standardization of EFB number and advanced imaging techniques could minimize the risk of neglecting the potential of this upgrade histopathology.