Intracardiac metastasis of gestational choriocarcinoma: a case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) with intracardiac metastasis is rare, and here we reported a patient with intracardiac metastasis of high-risk and refractory gestational choriocarcinoma and reviewed relevant literatures. CASE PRESENTATION: A 37-year-old woman presented with vaginal bleeding and high level of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-hCG) at 199,060 (mIU/mL). It was clinically diagnosed with gestational choriocarcinoma. The patient initially received eight cycles of chemotherapy but unsatisfactory response was observed, and the level of ß-hCG still ranged between 5000 and 10,000. Then there was found intracardiac masses in the right atrium (2.6*1.7 cm), anterior chordae tendineae of the tricuspid valve (1.4*0.7 cm) and the right ventricle (4.1*2.9 cm) by ultrasonic cardiogram (UCG). PET/CT highly suspected the intracardiac metastasis of choriocarcinoma (SUVmax = 9.3) and no disease was found in the lung and pelvis. The patient undertook complete intracardiac masses resection. The pathology confirmed the intracardiac metastasis of disease. After a week of operation, the UCG found a 5.4*4.2 cm mass in the right atrium again. Considering the poor prognosis, the patient received palliative care and eventually died of disease progression. CONCLUSION: Intracardiac metastasis of GTN is an aggressive sign of disease. Patients can benefit from chemotherapy and surgery. Future investigation of PD-1 immunotherapy combines with chemotherapy are expected to improve the prognosis in this group of patients.

PRKDC-Mediated NHEJ May Play a Crucial Role in Aneuploidy of Chromosome 8-Driven Progression of Ovarian Cancer.

High malignancy is a prominent characteristic of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), emphasizing the necessity for further elucidation of the potential mechanisms underlying cancer progression. Aneuploidy and copy number variation (CNV) partially contribute to the heightened malignancy observed in EOC; however, the precise features of aneuploidy and their underlying molecular patterns, as well as the relationship between CNV and aneuploidy in EOC, remain unclear. In this study, we employed single-cell sequencing data along with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to investigate aneuploidy and CNV in EOC. The technique of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was employed using specific probes. The copy number variation within the genomic region of chromosome 8 (42754568-47889815) was assessed and utilized as a representative measure for the ploidy status of individual cells in chromosome 8. Differential expression analysis was performed between different subgroups based on chromosome 8 ploidy. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction (PPI), and hub-gene analyses were subsequently utilized to identify crucial genes involved. By classifying enriched tumor cells into distinct subtypes based on chromosome 8 ploidy combined with TCGA data integration, we identified key genes driving chromosome 8 aneuploidy in EOC, revealing that PRKDC gene involvement through the mediated non-homologous end-joining pathway may play a pivotal role in disease progression. Further validation through analysis of the GEO and TCGA database and survival assessment, considering both mRNA expression levels and CNV status of PRKDC, has confirmed its involvement in the progression of EOC. Further functional analysis revealed an upregulation of PRKDC in both ovarian EOC cells and tissues, with its expression showing a significant correlation with the extent of copy number variation (CNV) on chromosome 8. Taken together, CNV amplification and aneuploidy of chromosome 8 are important characteristics of EOC. PRKDC and the mediated NHEJ pathway may play a crucial role in driving aneuploidy on chromosome 8 during the progression of EOC.

Organic fertilizers activate soil enzyme activities and promote the recovery of soil beneficial microorganisms after dazomet fumigation.

Soil fumigation can reduce the impact of soil-borne diseases, weeds and insect pests on commercial crop production. Unfortunately, fumigation also kills beneficial microorganisms. In this study, we explored if dazomet fumigation could be used in combination with organic fertilizers (silicon fertilizer, potassium humate organic fertilizer, Bacillus microbial fertilizer, and mixtures of the last two) to reduce its impact on soil beneficial microorganisms. We evaluated the effects of adding these fertilizers after fumigation on the soil's physical and chemical properties and its enzyme activities, as well as its effects on the soil microbial communities under continuous production for >20 years. We found that fertilizers applied after fumigation increased the soil nitrate nitrogen content by 11.6%-29.4%, increased available potassium content by 5.6%-26.3% and increased organic matter content by 28.5%-48.8%. In addition, soil conductivity and water content increased significantly by 8.2%-26.5% and 8.0%-16.0%, respectively. The activities of soil catalase and soil sucrase were significantly increased by 6.2%-15.9% and 133.1%-238.5%, respectively. High-throughput DNA sequencing showed that fertilizers applied after fumigation increased the relative abundance of the phyla Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Ascomycota; and the genera Sphingomonas, Chaetomium and Mortierella. Silicon fertilizer applied after fumigation has the most significant promotion effect on soil micro-ecological health. The results showed that organic fertilizers applied after fumigation can improve the soil's fertility, activate soil enzyme activities and promote the recovery of soil beneficial microorganisms, which are all factors that improve crop quality and yield.

Clinical Characteristics and Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Mycobacterium intracellulare and Mycobacterium abscessus Pulmonary Diseases: A Retrospective Study.

The incidence of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) diseases is increasing every year. The present study was performed to investigate the clinical characteristics, CT findings, and drug susceptibility test (DST) results of patients diagnosed with M. intracellulare or M. abscessus nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTMPD). This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with NTMPD due to M. intracellulare or M. abscessus for the first time at Anhui Chest Hospital between 01/2019 and 12/2021. The patients were grouped as M. intracellulare-NTMPD group or M. abscessus-NTMPD group. Clinical features, imaging data and DST data, were collected. Patients with M. intracellulare infection had a higher rate of acid-fast smears (66.1% vs. 45.2%, P=0.032) and a higher rate of cavitation based on pulmonary imaging (49.6% vs. 19.4%, P=0.002) than patients with M. abscessus infection, but both groups had negative TB-RNA and GeneXpert results, with no other characteristics significant differences. The results of DST showed that M. intracellulare had high susceptibility rate to moxifloxacin (95.9%), amikacin (90.1%), clarithromycin (91.7%), and rifabutin (90.1%). M. abscessus had the highest susceptibility rate to amikacin (71.0%) and clarithromycin (71.0%). The clinical features of M. intracellulare pneumopathy and M. abscessus pneumopathy are highly similar. It may be easily misdiagnosed, and therefore, early strain identification is necessary. M. intracellulare has a high susceptibility rate to moxifloxacin, amikacin, clarithromycin, and rifabutin, while M. abscessus has the highest susceptibility rate to amikacin and clarithromycin. This study provides an important clinical basis for improving the management of NTMPD.

Camrelizumab plus apatinib in patients with high-risk chemorefractory or relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (CAP 01): a single-arm, open-label, phase 2 trial.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for patients with high-risk chemorefractory or relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia are scarce. The synergistic antitumour effect of immunotherapy and antiangiogenic drugs has been shown in many solid tumours. This phase 2 trial evaluated the activity and safety of camrelizumab (PD-1 inhibitor) plus apatinib (VEGF receptor inhibitor) in patients with high-risk chemorefractory or relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. METHODS: This was a single-arm, open-label, phase 2 trial, done at a single tertiary health-care centre in Beijing, China. Women (18-70 years) with high-risk (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics score ≥7) chemorefractory or relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia who had received at least two lines of previously unsuccessful multidrug chemotherapy regimens and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 were eligible for inclusion. Patients received 4-week cycles of intravenous camrelizumab 200 mg every 2 weeks plus oral apatinib 250 mg once per day until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was objective response rate assessed according to serum human chorionic gonadotrophin concentration. Activity and safety were analysed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. The study is ongoing, but recruitment is complete. The study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04047017. FINDINGS: Between Aug 7, 2019, and March 18, 2020, 20 patients enrolled; 19 (95%) were diagnosed with choriocarcinoma and one (5%) had placental site trophoblastic tumour. The median follow-up duration was 18·5 months (IQR 14·6-20·9). The objective response rate was 55% (95% CI 32-77); ten (50%; 95% CI 27-73) patients had complete response. The most common grade 3 treatment-related adverse events were hypertension (five [25%] patients), rash (four [20%] patients), neutropenia (two [10%]), leukocytopenia (two [10%]), and aspartate aminotransferase increase (two [10%]). One patient had a treatment-related serious adverse event (aspartate aminotransferase 19-times higher than the upper limit of normal). No grade 4 or 5 treatment-related adverse events were reported. INTERPRETATION: Camrelizumab plus apatinib showed promising antitumour activity and acceptable toxicity and could be a salvage therapy option for the treatment of high-risk chemorefractory or relapsed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy for heavily-treated patients and upfront use of camrelizumab plus apatinib for patients with high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia are under investigation in phase 2 trials. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals.

Proteomic Analysis of Desiccation Tolerance and Its Re-Establishment in Different Embryo Axis Tissues of Germinated Pea Seeds.

The model of loss and re-establishment of desiccation tolerance (DT) in germinated seeds has been well developed to explore the mechanisms associated with DT, but little attention has been paid to the tissue variation in this model. Herein, we investigated DT in different embryo axis tissues of germinated pea seeds and its re-establishment by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) treatment and then employed an iTRAQ-based proteomic method to explore the underlying mechanisms. DT varied among the four embryo axis parts of germinated seeds: epicotyl > hypocotyl-E (hypocotyl part attached to the epicotyl) > hypocotyl-R (hypocotyl part attached to the radicle) > radicle. Meanwhile, PEG treatment of germinated seeds resulted in a differential extent of DT re-establishment in these tissues. Proteins involved in detoxification and stress response were enriched in desiccation-tolerant hypocotyls-E and epicotyls of germinated seeds, respectively. Upon rehydration, proteome change during dehydration was recovered in the hypocotyls-E but not in the radicles. PEG treatment of germinated seeds led to numerous changes in proteins, in abundance in desiccation-sensitive radicles and hypocotyls-R, of which many accumulated in the hypocotyls-E and epicotyls before the treatment. We hypothesized that accumulation of groups 1 and 5 LEA proteins and proteins related to detoxification, ABA, ethylene, and calcium signaling contributed mainly to the variation of DT in different tissues and its re-establishment.

Chloropicrin alternated with dazomet improved the soil's physicochemical properties, changed microbial communities and increased strawberry yield.

Chloropicrin (Pic) and dazomet (DZ) are effective soil fumigants that are often used to reduce soil-borne pathogens that would otherwise reduce crop yield. As Pic is scheduled to be banned, we investigated whether its consumption could be halved by alternating it with DZ. We observed that Pic alternated with DZ increased the soil NH4+-N content by 28.74-47.07 times, increased available potassium content by 40.80%-46.81% and increased electrical conductivity by 39.23%-85.81%. It generally improved the soil's physicochemical properties. High-throughput DNA sequencing showed that Pic alternated with DZ changed the taxonomic diversity of bacteria and fungi by increasing the relative abundance of Bacillus and Firmicutes, and by decreasing Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Sphingomonas. Moreover, Pic alternated with DZ can inhibit key soil pathogens by more than 90% and significantly increased strawberry yield by 78.22%-116.12%. In terms of strawberry production, we recommend using DZ in the first year and Pic in the second year. Our results showed significant ecological benefit and yield benefit when Pic consumption was halved by alternating it with DZ.

Poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors as maintenance therapy in women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (including their different types) as maintenance therapy in women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, and to explore whether this therapy produces a survival benefit in a subgroup population with specific clinical characteristics. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science and relevant clinical research registry platforms on October 1, 2019, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared PARP inhibitors with placebo in women (aged ≥ 18 years) with newly diagnosed epithelial ovarian cancer. RESULTS: We identified four RCTs with 3,070 participants. Compared with placebo, PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy showed a clinically significant benefit on progression free survival (PFS) in homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) positive population (hazard ratio [HR], 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.29-0.53). In contrast, no clear differences were identified between the groups in the HRD negative population (HR, 0.83; 95% CI 0.67-1.03). Further, there was no clear difference between the groups in terms of other outcomes (overall survival, health-related quality of life, and adverse events). CONCLUSIONS: PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy significantly prolongs the PFS of patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, especially in HRD positive patients. The diagnostic test used to determine HRD status plays an important role in guiding PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy. Compared with placebo, the effect of PARP inhibitors on ovarian cancer was probably not affected by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage status, response to first-line chemotherapy, and residual macroscopic disease after debulking surgery.

Activated biochar derived from spent Auricularia auricula substrate for the efficient adsorption of cationic azo dyes from single and binary adsorptive systems.

In this study, spent Auricularia auricula substrate (AS)-derived biochar (ASBCs) and activated biochar with NaOH (A-ASBC) were evaluated for the adsorption of cationic azo dyes, including methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RB), and crystal violet (CV), from single and binary adsorptive systems. A-ASBC showed a higher maximum adsorption capacity for these dyes (MB: 53.62 mg·g-1, RB: 32.33 mg·g-1, CV: 735.73 mg·g-1) than ASBCs in a single system because it had a greater specific surface area and more oxygen containing-functional groups on the surface. The adsorption process of the three dyes onto the adsorbents was in good agreement with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm and fit the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which revealed sorbate polymolecular layer formation over the adsorbent surface and the involvement of chemisorption. The adsorption mechanism showed that the adsorption of three dyes on adsorbents could be postulated as a multistep process with extraordinary affinity-induced adsorption in terms of both physisorption and chemisorption. In the binary adsorptive system, the results showed that all MB, RB, and CV had antagonistic/competitive effects on each other's adsorption (QBinary/QSingle < 1). Furthermore, a phytotoxic assay affirmed the effectiveness of the adsorbent in adsorbing dye species from aqueous solutions using Brassica pekinensis L. seeds as the model. Therefore, activated biochar prepared from AS can be used as a potentially economical and effective adsorbent for treating printing and dyeing wastewater.

Combined detection and subclass characteristics analysis of CTCs and CTECs by SE-iFISH in ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Hematogenous metastasis is essential for the progression of ovarian cancer (OC), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are part of the metastatic cascade. However, the detection rate of CTC is low due to the use of less sensitive detection methods. Therefore, this study aimed to detect CTCs and circulating tumorigenic endothelial cells (CTECs) in patients with OC using subtraction enrichment and immunostaining and fluorescence in situ hybridization (SE-iFISH). METHODS: We enrolled a total of 56 subjects, including 20 OC patients and 36 ovarian benign tumor patients. CTCs and CTECs were captured by subtraction enrichment (SE) and counted and classified according to immunofluorescence staining of tumor markers (TMs) carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH) of chromosome 8 (Chr8) aneuploidy. The diagnostic value and subtype characteristics of CTCs and CTECs were investigated. RESULTS: The detection rate of CTCs by SE-iFISH was high. Compared with CA125 and HE4, Chr8 aneuploidy was the major identification feature of CTC. CTC counts in OC were statistically higher than those in benign groups. CTC and CTEC with ≥pentaploidy were detected in both groups, illustrating the poor diagnostic value of CTC or CTEC. Distributions of triploid and tetraploid CTC subtypes were significantly different, and combined detection of triploid and tetraploid CTCs showed the best diagnostic value. In contrast, the distribution of CTECs in the OC and benign groups had no statistically significant difference. Small CTCs accounted for over 1/3 of the total CTC count. We also found that small CTCs and CTECs primarily comprised triploid cells, while large CTCs and CTECs mainly comprised pentaploidy and beyond. CONCLUSIONS: The application of SE-iFISH offered a more comprehensive understanding of heterogeneous CTCs and CTECs in OC. Analysis of subclass characteristics of the CTCs and CTECs according to Chr8 aneuploidy and cell size may broaden their potential clinical utility and deepen mechanistic studies in OC.

The anti-parasitic drug suramin potently inhibits formation of seminal amyloid fibrils and their interaction with HIV-1.

Seminal amyloid fibrils are made up of naturally occurring peptide fragments and are key targets for the development of combination microbicides or antiviral drugs. Previously, we reported that the polysulfonic compound ADS-J1 is a potential candidate microbicide that not only inhibits HIV-1 entry, but also seminal fibrils. However, the carcinogenic azo moieties in ADS-J1 preclude its clinical application. Here, we screened several ADS-J1-like analogs and found that the antiparasitic drug suramin most potently inhibited seminal amyloid fibrils. Using various biochemical methods, including Congo red staining, CD analysis, transmission EM, viral infection assays, surface plasmon resonance imaging, and molecular dynamics simulations, we investigated suramin's inhibitory effects and its putative mechanism of action. We found that by forming a multivalent interaction, suramin binds to proteolytic peptides and mature fibrils, thereby inhibiting seminal fibril formation and blocking fibril-mediated enhancement of viral infection. Of note, suramin exhibited potent anti-HIV activities, and combining suramin with several antiretroviral drugs produced synergistic effects against HIV-1 in semen. Suramin also displayed a good safety profile for vaginal application. Moreover, suramin inhibited the semen-derived enhancer of viral infection (SEVI)/semen-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 transcytosis through genital epithelial cells and the subsequent infection of target cells. Collectively, suramin has great potential for further development as a combination microbicide to reduce the spread of the AIDS pandemic by targeting both viral and host factors involved in HIV-1 sexual transmission.

Fibrinogen alpha chain promotes the migration and invasion of human endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis through focal adhesion kinase/protein kinase B/matrix metallopeptidase 2 pathway†.

Fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA), a cell adhesion molecule, contains two arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid (RGD) cell adhesion sequences. Our previous study demonstrated that FGA, as an up-regulated protein in endometriosis (EM), was closely related to disease severity and involved in the development of EM. However, the biological functions and underlying mechanism of FGA in EM have not been fully understood. To explore the roles of FGA in EM, we analyzed the effects of FGA on the biological behaviors of human primary eutopic endometrial stromal cells (EuESC). The results indicated FGA knockdown suppressed the migration and invasion ability of EuESC, which also altered the distribution of cytoskeletal filamentous and cell morphology. Western blot analysis demonstrated that knockdown of FGA attenuated the migration-related protein levels of vimentin and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2), but not integrin subunit alpha V (ITGAV) and integrin subunit beta 3 (ITGB3). Meanwhile, integrin-linked transduction pathways were detected. We found FGA knockdown significantly suppressed the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) level and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation, without extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) dependent pathways. Treatment with the AKT inhibitor MK2206 or RGD antagonist highly decreased the effects of FGA on the migration and invasion of EuESC. RGD antagonist treatment strongly inhibited FAK- and AKT-dependent pathways, but not ERK pathways. Our data indicated that FGA may enhance the migration and invasion of EuESC through RGD sequences binding integrin and activating the FAK/AKT/MMP-2 signaling pathway. This novel finding suggests that FGA may provide a novel potential approach to the treatment of EM, which provides a new way to understand the pathogenesis of EM.

Near-infrared dye-labeled antibody COC183B2 enables detection of tiny metastatic ovarian cancer and optimizes fluorescence-guided surgery.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the ability of the fluorescent monoclonal antibody probe COC183B2-Cy7 (Cy7-conjugated COC183B2 antibody) to detect tiny metastatic lesions of ovarian cancer and thus guide precise tumor resection. METHODS: The expression of the tumor-associated antigen OC183B2 in lymph nodes and SKOV3-Luc cells was detected using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. A subcutaneous mouse tumor model and an intraperitoneal ovarian cancer metastasis model were constructed using SKOV3-Luc cells. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging was performed to determine the imaging parameters and evaluate the ability of COC183B2-Cy7 to detect tiny metastatic lesions. RESULTS: OC183B2 was expressed in metastatic lymph nodes and SKOV3-Luc cells. NIRF imaging of the subcutaneous mouse tumor model showed that the tumor background ratio was significantly higher in the COC183B2-Cy7 group than in the control group at different time points postinjection. Biodistribution study showed that COC183B2-Cy7 did not accumulate in other organs. COC183B2-Cy7 can detect tiny metastatic lesions of ovarian cancer. The smallest intraperitoneal metastatic tumor detected by COC183B2-Cy7 was approximately 1 mm. CONCLUSIONS: COC183B2-Cy7 probe has relatively high specificity and sensitivity. Our study suggests that COC183B2-Cy7 probe is a promising diagnostic tool for the complete and accurate resection of malignant lesions in fluorescence-guided surgery.

Evaluation of a novel ovarian cancer-specific fluorescent antibody probe for targeted near-infrared fluorescence imaging.

BACKGROUND: To meet clinical needs, fluorescence-guided surgery has emerged as a new technique that guides surgeons in the resection of cancerous tissue by highlighting tumour lesions during surgery. We aimed to evaluate the novel ovarian cancer-specific antibody fluorescent probe COC183B2-800 (COC183B2 conjugated with IRDye800CW) in tumour-specific imaging to determine if it can help surgeons remove malignant lesions under fluorescence guidance. METHODS: The expression of OC183B2 antigen in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and cell lines was determined using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Western blotting was used to verify the expression of OC183B2 in SKOV3-Luc tumours. Antibodies against OC183B2 and mouse immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) were conjugated with IRDye800CW to develop the antibody fluorescent probes COC183B2-800 and IgG-800 (immunoglobulin G1 conjugated with IRDye800CW). A subcutaneous mouse tumour model of SKOV3-Luc cells was constructed. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was conducted to detect the tumour location. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging was performed after the mice were injected with imaging agents. The mice were sacrificed 96 h postinjection, and the biodistribution assays were performed using NIRF imaging. RESULTS: In 69 EOC patients, the total positive rate of OC183B2 in EOC tissues was 89.9% (62/69). Expression of the OC183B2 antigen was positive in SKOV3-Luc, 3AO, ES2 and A2780 cells. The OC183B2 antigen could be detected in SKOV3-Luc tumours. NIRF imaging of the COC183B2-800 probe at different doses showed a high fluorescent signal at the tumour location that was in line with the site detected by bioluminescent imaging. The tumour background ratio (TBR) was significantly higher in the COC183B2-800 group than in the IgG-800, IRDye800CW and PBS groups. The fluorescent probe COC183B2-800 is metabolized mainly through the liver and does not accumulate in other organs. CONCLUSIONS: COC183B2-800 shows effective tumour-specific targeting of EOC and is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic tool for fluorescence-guided surgery.

Effects of different mulching and fertilization on phosphorus transformation in upland farmland.

In the present study, the impact of different soil surface mulching, fertilization on phosphorus mineralization and bio-availability of spring maize at various growth stages and soil layers (0-20 and 20-40 cm soil layer) were evaluated. The results indicated that the contents of total P and Olsen-Phosphorus (Olsen-P) in the soils of 0-20 cm soil layer were significantly higher than those in the 20-40 cm soil layer at different stages. The addition of organic fertilizer significantly increased the soil total P and Olsen-P content in the 0-20 cm soil layer. The different surface mulching, no mulching (NM), gravel mulching (GM) and film mulching (FM) were significantly affected by the content of Olsen-P in both soil layers during the critical growth period of spring maize. The Ca10-P contents in both soil layers were the maximum in terms of the inorganic phosphorus content in soils with different surface mulching and different fertilization. Surface mulching significantly affected the transformation of inorganic phosphorus in different soil layers of dry-land farmland, and accelerated the increase of Ca2-P content (first phosphorus source) in 0-20 cm soil layer by GM and FM. In addition, phosphorus combined with inorganic nitrogen fertilizer increased Ca8-P (second Olsen-P source) to a certain extent, and reduced the relative content of Ca2-P (first phosphorus source). Compared with phosphate (P), nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) treatments, manure and nitrogen and phosphorus (MNP) treatments increased the contents of Ca2-P (first phosphorus source) and Ca8-P (second effective phosphorus source), while it reduced the insoluble phosphorus source (O-P) content.

Knockdown of long noncoding RNA CCDC144NL-AS1 attenuates migration and invasion phenotypes in endometrial stromal cells from endometriosis†.

Endometriosis (EM) is a mysterious and complicated disease that has been found to be multifactorial. Recent studies demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of EM. However, the functional and biological mechanisms of lncRNAs in EM remain unknown. Here, we performed microarray analyses to compare the lncRNA expression profiles of four paired ectopic endometrial (EC) tissues and eutopic endometrial (EU) tissues from patients with ovarian EM. A novel lncRNA, CCDC144NL-AS1, was identified as being potentially functional. CCDC144NL-AS1 expression was upregulated in EC tissues compared to EU and normal endometrial (NE) tissues. Its expression was higher in EC tissues than in EU tissues in 86.7% (26/30) of patients with EM. Despite the lack of a significant increase according to revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) stages, approximately 60% of stage VI EM cases exhibited higher CCDC144NL-AS1 levels, many more than in the stage II-III cases. Subcellular fractionation demonstrated that CCDC144NL-AS1 was localized in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the human EM-derived immortalized endometrial stromal cell line hEM15A. CCDC144NL-AS1 depletion suppressed the migration and invasion of hEM15A cells, but exerted no effects on cell adhesion, proliferation, apoptosis, or cell cycle. Knockdown of CCDC144NL-AS1 dramatically altered the distribution of cytoskeletal filamentous actin (F-actin) stress fibers compared to the negative control group treatment. Western blot analysis revealed that knockdown of CCDC144NL-AS1 attenuated the protein levels of vimentin filaments and MMP-9, but not N-cadherin or ß-catenin. Collectively, our results suggest that CCDC144NL-AS1 might be involved in the pathogenesis of EM and provide a novel target for ovarian EM.

Fibrinogen alpha chain is up-regulated and affects the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

RESEARCH QUESTION: In the group's previous study, fibrinogen alpha chain (FGA) was identified as an up-regulated differential protein that was highly expressed in women with endometriosis. The current study investigated the expression and effects of FGA in endometriosis. It also evaluated the effects of FGA on human endometrial stromal cells and studied the possible mechanism. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional analysis of FGA expression in plasma and endometrial tissue of matched eutopic and ectopic samples from women with endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic surgery and samples from women without endometriosis. Forty-four patients with endometriosis and 32 healthy control subjects who donated plasma for FGA analysis, including 26 matched cases of eutopic and ectopic endometria from endometriosis patients and 22 endometria from healthy control subjects, were analysed. The effects of FGA were studied in a human endometrial stromal cell line after transfection with FGA short interfering RNA (siRNA). RESULTS: FGA concentrations in serum and expression in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissue were significantly higher in women with endometriosis than controls (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 respectively), whereas FGA expression was not significantly different in eutopic compared with ectopic endometrial tissues from the same patients. High FGA concentrations in serum were related to disease stage and ovarian involvement, but were not affected by age and menstrual cycle. The knockdown of FGA expression by FGA siRNA inhibited hEM15A cellular adhesion, migration and invasion, and attenuated matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression. CONCLUSIONS: High FGA expression in endometriosis was closely related to disease severity and affected cell adhesion, migration and invasion, which might play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Evaluation of COC183B2 antibody targeting ovarian cancer by near-infrared fluorescence imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the imaging potential of a novel near-infrared (NIR) probe conjugated to COC183B2 monoclonal antibodies (MAb) in ovarian cancer (OC). METHODS: The expression of OC183B2 antigen in OC was determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining using tissue microarrays with the H-score system and immunofluorescence (IF) staining of tumor cell lines. Imaging probes with the NIR fluorescent dye cyanine 7 (Cy7) conjugated to COC183B2 Mab were chemically engineered. OC183B2-positive human OC cells (SKOV3-Luc) were injected subcutaneously into BALB/c nude mice. Bioluminescent imaging (BLI) was performed to detect tumor location and growth. COC183B2-Cy7 at 1.1, 3.3, 10, or 30 µg were used for in vivo fluorescence imaging, and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), free Cy7 dye and mouse isotype immunoglobulin G (IgG)-Cy7 (delivered at the same doses as COC183B2-Cy7) were used as controls. RESULTS: The expression of OC183B2 with a high H-score was more prevalent in OC tissue than fallopian tube (FT) tissue. Among 417 OC patients, the expression of OC183B2 was significantly correlated with the histological subtype, histological grade, residual tumor size, relapse state and survival status. IF staining demonstrated that COC183B2 specifically expressed in SKOV3 cells but not HeLa cells. In vivo NIR fluorescence imaging indicated that COC183B2-Cy7 was mainly distributed in the xenograft and liver with optimal tumor-to-background (T/B) ratios in the xenograft at 30 µg dose. The highest fluorescent signals in the tumor were observed at 96 h post-injection (hpi). Ex vivo fluorescence imaging revealed the fluorescent signals mainly from the tumor and liver. IHC analysis confirmed that xenografts were OC183B2 positive. CONCLUSIONS: COC183B2 is a good candidate for NIR fluorescence imaging and imaging-guided surgery in OC.

Prognostic significance of lymphadenectomyin malignant ovarian sex cord stromal tumor: A retrospective cohort study and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic significance of lymphadenectomy in malignant ovarian sex cord stromal tumor (SCST). METHODS: The medical records of patients with malignant ovarian SCST who underwent primary surgery from April 2005 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Qilu Hospital. A meta-analysis was performed by searching the PubMed and Embase database up to July 20, 2017. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by STATA statistical software version 19.0. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients with malignant SCST were identified in our institution. The mean age of the patients was 44.3years (range, 8-80years). Among the 72 patients, 69.4% had granulosa cell tumors (GCTs, n=50); 47.2% (n=34) underwent lymphadenectomy, and 52.8% (n=38) did not undergo the surgery. None of the lymph nodes had pathologically confirmed metastasis. No significant differences in overall survival of the patients with SCST or GCT were noted based on patient age, tumor size, surgery extent, or administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy, except tumor stage (P=0.010 in SCTs and 0.029 in GCTs, respectively). Lymphadenectomy showed no statistically significant difference in overall survival of patients with SCST or GCT (P=0.734 and 0.079, respectively). In our meta-analysis, a total of 179 studies were identified through a search strategy, and 13 studies were included eventually; 3223 cases were identified, including those from our institution. The random-effects model was used because of moderate heterogeneity (I2=43.8%, P=0.040). The estimated pooled OR was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.57-1.31), indicating that lymphadenectomy has no statistical significance in improving overall survival in SCSTs (Z=0.68, P=0.496). CONCLUSIONS: Tumor stage is the most important prognostic factor affecting SCST overall survival. There is no significant effect of lymphadenectomy in improving the overall survival of SCSTs. Lymphadenectomy is not recommended in initial staging surgery of SCST due to the extremely low lymph node metastasis rate.

Overexpression of GPNMB predicts an unfavorable outcome of epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Glycoprotein non-metastatic protein B (GPNMB) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed at higher levels in several malignant human tissues than those in matched normal tissues. Thus, GPNMB may serve as an attractive therapeutic target of cancer treatment. In this study, the prognostic value of GPNMB expression was examined in tumors derived from a cohort of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). METHODS: GPNMB expression in matched formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue samples was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), whereas GPNMB mRNA expression in fresh-frozen biopsy tissues was detected using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Meanwhile, the correlations of GPNMB expression with the clinical characteristics of EOC were assessed. Besides, survival data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, respectively. RESULTS: GPNMB expression was remarkably upregulated in EOC tissues compared with that in normal ovarian controls at both mRNA and protein levels. In addition, abundant GPNMB expression in EOC was correlated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P < 0.001), residual tumor (P = 0.036), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.004). Furthermore, results of univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that GPNMB expression level was an independent prognostic factor of the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively) for EOC patients. CONCLUSION: Upregulated GPNMB levels in EOC patients are associated with dismal prognosis. Moreover, findings in the current study indicate that GPNMB is a potentially useful prognostic predictor of the therapeutic approaches for EOC.