The choice of dissection or preservation of the inferior pulmonary ligament after an upper lobectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The necessity of the inferior pulmonary ligament (IPL) dissection after an upper lobectomy remains controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether this accessional procedure could reduce the postoperative complications and improve outcomes. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane Library, CBM, and CNKI databases were searched for the relevant studies which compared the dissection with preservation of IPL during the upper lobectomy. The Review Manager 5.3 software was used for this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Three RCTs and five CCTs were included in this meta-analysis. These studies contained a total of 610 patients, in which 315 patients received a pulmonary ligament dissection (group D) after the upper lobectomy, while the other 295 patients preserved the pulmonary ligament (group P). No significant difference was demonstrated between the group D and group P in terms of drainage time after surgery (MD 0.14, 95%CI - 0.05 to 0.33, P = 0.15), rate of postoperative dead space (OR 1.33, 95%CI 0.72 to 2.46, P = 0.36), rate of postoperative complications (OR 1.20, 95%CI 0.66 to 2.19, P = 0.56). However, the pooled comparison revealed a greater change of the right main bronchial angle (MD 5.00, 95%CI 1.68 to 8.33, P = 0.003) in group D compared with group P, indicated that the dissection of IPL may lead to a greater distortion of bronchus. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis confirmed that the dissection of IPL do not effectively reduce the postoperative complications and improve the prognosis. Therefore, it is not necessary to dissect the IPL after an upper lobectomy.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prognostic Value of Serum High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels for Solid Tumors.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels correlate strongly with cancer patient survival. However, other studies have had the opposite results. We therefore conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prognostic value of HDL-C levels in people with cancer. We searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (last update by December 28, 2017) for studies evaluating the effect of serum HDL-C levels on cancer patient prognosis. Data from 25 studies covering13,140 patients were included. Combined hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were assessed using fixed-effects and random-effects models. High serum HDL-C levels were associated with better OS (pooled HR = 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.60-0.82). In the subgroup, the relative high level of HDL-C yielded a favorable outcome in most of tumor types. However, in the nasopharyngeal carcinoma subgroup, the correlation was not significant (combined HR = 1.31; 95% CI (0.91-1.90)). High serum HDL-C levels were associated with better DFS (pooled HR = 0.64; 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.50-0.81)). This meta-analysis demonstrates that high serum HDL-C levels are associated with better OS in patients with solid tumors, but not nasopharyngeal carcinoma; and high serum HDL-C levels are associated with better DFS.

Hyperglycemia-induced downregulation of apolipoprotein M expression is not via the hexosamine pathway.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that hyperglycemia could suppress apolipoprotein M (apoM) synthesis both in vivo and in vitro; however, the mechanism of hyperglycemia-induced downregulation of apoM expression is unknown yet. METHODS: In the present study we further examined if hexosamine pathway, one of the most important pathways of glucose turnover, being involved in modulating apoM expression in the hyperglycemia condition. We examined the effect of glucosamine, a prominent component of hexosamine pathway and intracellular mediator of insulin resistance, on apoM expression in HepG2 cells and in rat's models. In the present study we also determined apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) as a control gene. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that glucosamine could even up-regulate both apoM and apoA1 expressions in HepG2 cell cultures. The glucosamine induced upregulation of apoM expression could be blocked by addition of azaserine, an inhibitor of hexosamine pathway. Moreover, intravenous infusion of glucosamine could enhance hepatic apoM expression in rats, although serum apoM levels were not significantly influences. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that both exogenous and endogenous glucosamine were essential for the over-expression of apoM, which may suggest that the increased intracellular content of glucosamine does not be responsible for the depressed apoM expression at hyperglycemia condition.

Endoscopic closure of gastric tube perforations with titanium clips: a four-case report.

Perforation of a gastric tube is a rare yet lethal complication after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer treatment. Currently, over-the-scope clip (OTSC) is an effective way to treat gastric tube perforation. Due to the lack of OTSCs, we invented an alternative method composed of a titanium clip and gastroscope. The aim of this study was to describe this novel endoscopic device in the treatment of gastric tube perforation. We used a titanium clip system to treat 4 male patients (range, 53 to 77 years with gastric tube perforation. After the location of the perforation was identified by gastroscope, a titanium endoscopic clip was used to close the perforation. Successful closure of the gastric tube perforation was achieved in three patients while in one patient this failed due to his refusal to undergo reoperation. No postoperative complication was found in the three patients whose perforations were closed and the patient who refused reoperation died due to the reoccurrence of his esophago-cardiac carcinoma. The endoscopic system composed of titanium clip and gastroscope proved to be an efficient and effective device in the treatment of the patients with gastric tube perforations.

Whole exome sequencing and proteomics-based investigation of the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease with diffuse long lesion.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term prognosis of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) with diffuse long lesion underwent coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains worse. Here, we aimed to identify distinctive genes involved and offer novel insights into the pathogenesis of diffuse long lesion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Whole exome sequencing was performed on peripheral blood samples from 20 CAD patients with diffuse long lesion (CAD-DLL) and from 10 controls with focal lesion (CAD-FL) through a uniform pipeline. Proteomics analysis was conducted on the serum samples from 10 CAD-DLL patients and from 10 controls with CAD-FL by mass spectrometry. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to elucidate the involved genes, including functional annotation and protein-protein interaction analysis. RESULTS: A total of 742 shared variant genes were found in CAD-DLL patients but not in controls. Of these, 46 genes were identified as high-frequency variant genes (≥ 4/20) distinctive genes. According to the consensus variant site, 148 shared variant sites were found in the CAD-DLL group. The lysosome and cellular senescence-related pathway may be the most significant pathway in diffuse long lesion. Following the DNA-protein combined analysis, eight genes were screened whose expression levels were altered at both DNA and protein levels. Among these genes, the MAN2A2 gene, the only one that was highly expressed at the protein level, was associated with metabolic and immune-inflammatory dysregulation. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to individuals with CAD-FL, patients with CAD-DLL show additional variants. These findings contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of CAD-DLL and provide potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of CAD-DLL.

Evaluate the Relationship Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Metabolic Syndrome in Real-World Data.

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by disruption in breathing and hypoventilation. In parallel, metabolic syndrome (MetS) mainly co-occur with OSA, however, their association has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the relationship between OSA and MetS using data from the National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and pooled data from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Material and Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and pooled data from genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) were used univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to evaluate the correlation between OSA and MetS, and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized for adjusting for potential confounders. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess the causal relationship between OSA and MetS. The variance-weighted inverse method was employed as the main method of analysis. Results: A positive relationship of OSA with Mets was evidenced by multivariate logistic regression analysis, and OSA was associated with higher incidence rates of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. OSA is strongly associated with abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, high triglycerides, and low HDL. Furthermore, except for hypertriglyceridemia, MR analysis indicated that genetically driven OSA was causally associated with a higher risk of MetS. Conclusion: The positive relationship of OSA with Mets was revealed, and higher incidence rates of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were noted to be correlated with OSA. MR analysis further confirmed the causal relationship of OSA with MetS and cardiovascular disease.

The protective effect of serum carotenoids on cardiovascular disease: a cross-sectional study from the general US adult population.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become a key global health issue. Serum carotenoids are associated with CVD, while their effects on different diseases remain unclear. Herein, the relationship between the concentration of serum carotenoid and the CVD risk was investigated using nationwide adult samples obtained from the USA. Materials and methods: Data of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in 2001-2006 were employed. The association of serum carotenoids (total, lycopene, ß-carotene, α-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, and ß-cryptoxanthin) with CVD was explored by using multivariate logistic, linear and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression analyses. Eventually, data from 12,424 volunteers were analyzed for this study. Results: Multivariate model data showed that lutein/zeaxanthin, α-carotene, lycopene, and ß-cryptoxanthin were negatively associated with the prevalence of CVD (p < 0.05). In comparison with the first quartile, the fourth quartile was associated with α-carotene ([OR] = 0.61 [0.47-0.79]), ß-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.67 [0.50-0.89]), lutein (OR = 0.69 [0.54-0.86]), and lycopene (OR = 0.53 [0.41-0.67]). WQS analysis revealed that the combination of serum carotenoids had negative correlation with the prevalence of total CVD (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.85-0.92, p < 0.001). Additionally, dose-response analysis demonstrated a negative linear association of hypertension with all the carotenoids involved (p > 0.05 for non-linearity). Conclusion: The concentration of serum carotenoids had negative correlation with the prevalence of CVD, with a more significant negative effect against heart attack and stroke.

Oncogenic roles and related mechanisms of the long non-coding RNA MINCR in human cancers.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in regulating epigenetic mechanisms and gene expression levels, and their dysregulation is closely associated with a variety of diseases such as cancer. Several studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs are dysregulated during tumor progression. Recently, the MYC-induced long non-coding RNA MINCR, a newly identified lncRNA, has been demonstrated to act as an oncogene in different cancers, including gallbladder cancer, hepatocellular cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, nasopharyngeal cancer, and glioma. Moreover, MINCR has been reported to act as a biomarker in the prognosis of patients with different cancers. In this review, we summarize and analyze the oncogenic roles of MINCR in a variety of human cancers in terms of its clinical significance, biological functions, cellular activities, and regulatory mechanism. Our analysis of the literature suggests that MINCR has potential as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in human cancers.

Construction and validation of a nomogram based on the log odds of positive lymph nodes to predict cancer-specific survival in patients with small cell lung cancer after surgery.

Background: The lymph node ratio (LNR) is useful for predicting survival in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The present study compared the effectiveness of the N stage, number of positive LNs (NPLNs), LNR, and log odds of positive LNs (LODDS) to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with SCLC. Materials and methods: 674 patients were screened using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database. The Kaplan-Meier survival and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to address optimal estimation of the N stage, NPLNs, LNR, and LODDS to predict CSS. The optimal LN status group was incorporated into a nomogram to estimate CSS in SCLC patients. The ROC curve, decision curve analysis, and calibration plots were utilized to test the discriminatory ability and accuracy of this nomogram. Results: The LODDS model showed the highest accuracy compared to the N stage, NPLNs, and LNR in predicting CSS for SCLC patients. LODDS, age, sex, tumor size, and radiotherapy status were included in the nomogram. The results of calibration plots provided evidences of nice consistency. The ROC and DCA plots suggested a better discriminatory ability and clinical applicability of this nomogram than the 8th TNM and SEER staging systems. Conclusions: LODDS demonstrated a better predictive power than other LN schemes in SCLC patients after surgery. A novel LODDS-incorporating nomogram was built to predict CSS in SCLC patients after surgery, proving to be more precise than the 8th TNM and SEER staging.

Clinical Features, Treatment Modalities, and Outcomes of Elderly Thymoma Patients: A Propensity-Matched Study Based on the SEER Database.

INTRODUCTION: Thymoma is a common mediastinal tumor, but few studies have been performed in thymoma patients 80 years or older. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes of thymoma patients at least 80 years old and compare these features to those of patients younger than 80 years old. METHOD: Data from thymoma patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database between 2000 and 2019 were selected. Clinical features, treatment modalities of the two age groups were compared. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test was used to compare survival rates between two groups. Propensity score matching was used based on whether surgery was performed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Compared with the younger patients, the patients aged 80 years or older had a similar distribution of Masaoka-Koga tumor stage, a higher proportion of type A thymoma, and a lower recurrence rate in the early stage. In elderly patients after propensity score matching, the overall survival and cancer-specific survival were better in the surgery group with complete resection and compared with patients of different ages, elderly patients showed similar benefit from surgery as younger patients were observed. CONCLUSION: In thymoma patients aged 80 years or older, surgery still plays an important role in survival outcome. Compared with younger patients, older patients have unique clinical features.

Relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular comorbidity, causation or co-occurrence: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: In recent years, the incidence rates of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and heart disease (HD) have noticeably increased worldwide. Previous studies have found that patients with RA are more likely to develop HD, while the cause and effect have still remained elusive. In this study, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was used to indicate whether there was a potential association between RA and HD. Methods: Data of RA, ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarction (MI), atrial fibrillation (AF), and arrhythmia were based on the genome-wide association study (GWAS) dataset. No disease group was intersected. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was used to calculate MR estimates, and sensitivity analysis was performed. Results: The primary MR analysis showed that genetic susceptibility to RA was significantly associated with the risk of IHD and MI, rather than with AF and arrhythmia. Besides, there was no heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy between the primary and replicated analyses. There was a significant correlation between RA and the risk of IHD (odds ratio (OR), 1.0006; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.000244-1.00104; P = 0.001552), meanwhile, there was a significant correlation between RA and the risk of MI (OR, 1.0458; 95% CI, 1.07061-1.05379; P = 0.001636). The results were similar to those of sensitivity analysis, and the sensitivity analysis also verified the conclusion. Furthermore, sensitivity and reverse MR analyses suggested that no heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy or reverse causality was found between RA and cardiovascular comorbidity. Conclusion: RA was noted to be causally associated with IHD and MI, rather than with AF and arrhythmia. This MR study might provide a new genetic basis for the causal relationship between RA and the risk of CVD. The findings suggested that the control of RA activity might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis increases the risk of heart failure-current evidence from genome-wide association studies.

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is related to increased incidence of heart failure (HF), but the underlying association remains unclear. In this study, the potential association of RA and HF was clarified using Mendelian randomization analysis. Methods: Genetic tools for RA, HF, autoimmune disease (AD), and NT-proBNP were acquired from genome-wide studies without population overlap. The inverse variance weighting method was employed for MR analysis. Meanwhile, the results were verified in terms of reliability by using a series of analyses and assessments. Results: According to MR analysis, its genetic susceptibility to RA may lead to increased risk of heart failure (OR=1.02226, 95%CI [1.005495-1.039304], P=0.009067), but RA was not associated with NT-proBNP. In addition, RA was a type of AD, and the genetic susceptibility of AD had a close relation to increased risk of heart failure (OR=1.045157, 95%CI [1.010249-1.081272], P=0.010825), while AD was not associated with NT-proBNP. In addition, the MR Steiger test revealed that RA was causal for HF and not the opposite (P = 0.000). Conclusion: The causal role of RA in HF was explored to recognize the underlying mechanisms of RA and facilitate comprehensive HF evaluation and treatment of RA.

ABCA1 upregulating apolipoproein M expression mediates via the RXR/LXR pathway in HepG2 cells.

We have previously reported that liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, TO901317, could significantly inhibit hepatic apolipoprotein M (apoM) expression. It has been reported that TO901317 could activate the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) that mediates cholesterol efflux to the lipid-poor apoAI, which is an essential step for the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) formation. It is unknown if ABCA1 may regulate hepatic apoM expression. In the present study, HepG2 cells were cultured with the synthetic LXR agonists, TO901317 or GW3965 in the presence or absence of ABCA1 antagonist, disodium 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene- 2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS). The mRNA levels of ABCA1, apoM and liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) determined by the real-time RT-PCR. It demonstrated that both TO901317 and GW3965 could significantly enhance ABCA1 expression, and simultaneously, inhibit LRH1 expression. However, TO901317 alone could significantly inhibit apoM expression, while GW3965 alone did not influence apoM expression. ABCA1 antagonist, DIDS, have no effects on GW3965 induced upregulation of ABCA1 and downregulation of LRH1. However, apoM mRNA level was significantly decreased when the cells cultured with GW3965 together with DIDS. The present study demonstrated that apoM expression could be elevated by ABCA1 via the RXR/LXR pathway and LRH1 does not involve in the regulation of apoM by the activation of ABCA1, although the direct regulative pathway(s) between ABCA1 and apoM gene is still unknown yet. The detailed mechanism needs further investigation.

Identifying octogenarians with non-small cell lung cancer who could benefit from surgery: A population-based predictive model.

Background: As the population ages, there will be an increasing number of octogenarian patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In carefully selected elderly patients, surgery can improve long-term survival. To identify candidates who would benefit from surgery, we performed this study and built a predictive model. Materials and methods: Data from NSCLC patients over 80 years old were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to balance the clinicopathological features between the surgery and non-surgery groups. Kaplan-Meier analyses and log-rank tests were used to assess the significance of surgery to outcome, and Cox proportional-hazards regression and competing risk model were conducted to determine the independent prognostic factors for these patients. A nomogram was built using multivariable logistic analyses to predict candidates for surgery based on preoperative factors. Results: The final study population of 31,462 patients were divided into surgery and non-surgery groups. The median cancer-specific survival time respectively was 53 vs. 13 months. The patients' age, sex, race, Tumor, Node, Metastasis score, stage, chemotherapy use, tumor histology and nuclear grade were independent prognostic factors. Apart from race and chemotherapy, other variates were included in the predictive model to distinguish the optimal surgical octogenarian candidates with NSCLC. Internal and external validation confirmed the efficacy of this model. Conclusion: Surgery improved the survival time of octogenarian NSCLC patients. A novel nomogram was built to help clinicians make the decision to perform surgery on elderly patients with NSCLC.

Prognostic Assessment of Oxidative Stress-Related Genes in Colorectal Cancer and New Insights into Tumor Immunity.

Oxidative stress is crucial to the biology of tumors. Oxidative stress' potential predictive significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been studied; nevertheless here, we developed a forecasting model based on oxidative stress to forecast the result of CRC survival and enhance clinical judgment. The training set was chosen from the transcriptomes of 177 CRC patients in GSE17536. For validation, 65 samples of colon cancer from GSE29621 were utilized. For the purpose of choosing prognostic genes, the expression of oxidative stress-related genes (OXEGs) was found. Prognostic risk models were built using multivariate Cox regression analysis, univariate Cox regression analysis, and LASSO regression analysis. The outcomes of the western blot and transcriptome sequencing tests were finally confirmed. ATF4, CARS2, CRP, GPX1, IL1B, MAPK8, MRPL44, MTFMT, NOS1, OSGIN2, SOD2, AARS2, and FOXO3 were among the 14 OXEGs used to build prognostic characteristics. Patients with CRC were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups according on their median risk scores. Cox regression analysis using single and multiple variables revealed that OXEG-related signals were independent risk factors for CRC. Additionally, the validation outcomes from western blotting and transcriptome sequencing demonstrated that OXEGs were differently expressed. Using 14 OXEGs, our work creates a predictive signature that may be applied to the creation of new prognostic models and the identification of possible medication candidates for the treatment of CRC.

TO901317 regulating apolipoprotein M expression mediates via the farnesoid X receptor pathway in Caco-2 cells.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein M (apoM) may have potential antiatherosclerotic properties. It has been reported that apoM expression could be regulated by many intracellar and extracellar factors. In the present study we further investigated regulation of apoM expression in Caco-2 cells stimulated by a liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, TO901317. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Caco-2 cells were cultured in the presence of either TO901317, farnesoid X receptor (FXR) antagonist guggulsterone or TO901317 together with guggulsterone at different concentrations for 24 hrs. The mRNA levels of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), apoA1, apoM, liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) and short heterodimer partner 1 (SHP1) were determined by real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: When Caco-2 cell cultured with TO901317 alone, the mRNA levels of ABCA1, apoA1, apoM, LRH-1 and SHP1 were significantly increased with dose-dependent manners (p < 0.05), whereas when the cells cultured with guggulsterone alone, the mRNA levels of apoM, SHP1 and LRH-1 (p < 0.05) were strongly inhibited. Moreover, guggulsterone could abolish the TO901317 enhanced mRNA levels of apoA1 apoM, SHP1 and LRH-1. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrated that LXR agonist TO901317 induced apoM expression in Caco-2 cells might be mediated via the LXR/FXR pathway.

Emergent management of penetrating trauma of aortic arch in a countryside hospital.

According to the literature, only a small proportion of occurrences regarding penetrating trauma of the thoracic aorta can be treated successfully. Herein we reported our experience of a recent rescue of such a patient in a countryside hospital lacking advanced instruments for cardiopulmonary bypass operations. A 20-year-old male was admitted for a penetrating injury with disrupted innominate vein and right common carotid artery together with a 1.5-cm laceration on the aortic arch between the innominate artery and the left common carotid artery. The patient was successfully saved without the implementation of cardiopulmonary bypass. Presentation and management in this case were discussed.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of SR-B1 in solid tumors: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The expression of cell surface receptors is abnormal in malignant tumors. The scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-B1) is an integral membrane glycoprotein receptor that facilitates the selective uptake of cholesterol by malignant cells. Accumulated studies investigated the prognostic role of SR-B1 in many solid tumors, such as breast cancer, lung cancer and so on. However, the conclusions remain undefined. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to obtain more accurate evaluation of prognostic significance of SR-B1 in solid tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of science and Cochrane library for eligible studies published before November 2018. The included studies investigated the association between the SR-B1 level and clinicopathological features including survival outcomes in solid tumors. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adopted to assess the survival outcomes and odds ratio (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to evaluated the clinicopathological features. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies involving 2585 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that low SR-B1 level was significantly correlated with earlier tumor grade (pooled OR = 2.09, 95%CI = 1.28-3.43, P = 0.001), less nodal involvement (pooled OR = 2.07, 95%CI = 1.43-3.0, P < 0.001), less distant metastasis (OR = 19.8, 95%CI = 2.58-151.65, P = 0.004), smaller tumor size (OR = 2.34, 95%CI = 1.53-3.57, P < 0.001), earlier TNM stage (OR = 3.77, 95%CI = 1.67-8.48, P = 0.001), lower recurrence (HR = 1.98, 95%CI = 1.57-2.49, P = 0.000), and better OS (HR = 1.99, 95%CI = 1.70-2.31, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The low expression of SR-B1 was significantly associated with better clinicopathological status and longer survival in patients with solid tumors. SR-B1 might act as a promising prognostic biomarker for solid tumors.

Non-negligible factors in studying the ApoM-S1P axis using EA.hy926 cells.

BACKGROUND: The apolipoprotein M (ApoM)-sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) axis was recently identified, and research into its function has received increasing attention. However, there are some factors which might influence the results of studies into the function of the ApoM-S1P axis using the EA.hy926 cells. This study investigated related factors, including coagulation factor VIII (FVIII), ApoM, S1P receptor subtypes (S1PRs), C-myc-tagged, and His-tagged proteins in EA.hy926 cells, as well as the effects of ApoM overexpression on S1PRs. METHODS: The expression of FVIII, ApoM, S1PRs, C-myc, and His-tagged proteins in EA.hy926 cells was investigated through cellular immunofluorescence. EA.hy926 cells were infected with lentiviruses carrying (OE group) or lacking (NC group) the ApoM gene sequence. A stable cell line expressing ApoM was obtained, and the expression of ApoM mRNA was detected through single tube duplex fluorescence reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). S1PRs expression was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blotting. RESULTS: The results showed that EA.hy926 cells expressed FVIII, ApoM, C-myc-tagged, and His-tagged proteins. Moreover, they highly expressed S1PR1, slightly expressed S1PR3, weakly expressed S1PR2, and did not express S1PR4 and S1PR5. ApoM overexpression significantly increased S1PR1 mRNA and protein expression but did not affect the expression of S1PR3. EA.hy926 cells expressed FVIII, suggesting the cell line possesses endothelial cell characteristics and could be used for in vitro studies of the ApoM-S1P axis. CONCLUSIONS: EA.hy926 cell line is suitable for investigation of the ApoM-S1P axis in vitro. However, Since EA.hy926 cells expressed endogenous ApoM, C-myc and His tagged proteins, the exogenous recombinant ApoM should not be labeled with C-myc and His tags for distinguishing from endogenous ApoM. In addition, overexpression of ApoM should be considered to significantly increase the expression of S1PR1 when studying the APOM-S1P axis.

Prognostic significance of TRIM59 for cancer patient survival: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The family of tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins, which includes 80 known TRIM protein genes in humans, play a key role in cellular processes. TRIM59, a member of the TRIM family of proteins, has been reported to be involved in the carcinogenesis of multiple types of tumors. However, the prognostic value of TRIM59 in the survival of tumor patients remains controversial. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to assess the prognostic significance of TRIM59 in cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PubMed, Embase, VIP, CNKI and Wanfang Data were searched for eligible reports published before September 30, 2018. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adopted to estimate the association between TRIM59 and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: Six studies with 1584 patients were included to assess the effect. The results showed that high levels of TRIM59 were significantly associated with poor OS in cancer patients (HR = 1.43, 95%CI: 1.24-1.66, P < .001), indicating that higher TRIM59 expression could be an independent prognostic factor for poor survival in cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis suggests that higher TRIM59 expression predicts poor prognosis in cancer patients, and it may therefore serve as a promising prognostic factor.