Post-ERCP cholecystitis: Incidence, characteristics, and outcomes from a prospective multicenter biliary endoscopy registry.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of post-ERCP cholecystitis are poorly described. We aimed to describe cases of post-ERCP cholecystitis from a prospective multicenter registry with protocolized 30-day follow-up. METHODS: Patient- and procedure-related data from 7 centers were obtained. The primary outcome was post-ERCP cholecystitis, defined according to a Delphi-based criteria and causal attribution system. Risk factors and outcomes were described for all cases. RESULTS: Seventeen cases of post-ERCP cholecystitis were identified among 4428 patients with gallbladders undergoing ERCP between 2018 and 2023 (incidence, 0.38%; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-0.57). In ERCPs with covered metal stenting, 7 of 467 resulted in cholecystitis (incidence, 1.50%; 95% confidence interval, 0.40-2.60). Patients had symptoms at a median of 5 days (interquartile range, 5) after ERCP. Management strategies included cholecystectomy, percutaneous cholecystostomy, and endoscopic stent removal/exchange. CONCLUSIONS: Estimates of post-ERCP cholecystitis incidence can inform discussions around procedural risk.

Establishment of Standards for the Referral of Large Non-Pedunculated Colorectal Polyps: An International Expert Consensus Using a Modified Delphi Process.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Resection of colorectal polyps has been shown to decrease the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer. Large non-pedunculated colorectal polyps are often referred to expert centres for endoscopic resection, which requires relevant information to be conveyed to the therapeutic endoscopist to allow for triage and planning of resection technique. The primary objective of our study was to establish minimum expected standards for the referral of LNPCP for potential ER. METHODS: A Delphi methodology was employed to establish consensus on minimum expected standards for the referral of large colorectal polyps among a panel of international endoscopy experts. The expert panel was recruited through purposive sampling, and three rounds of surveys were conducted to achieve consensus, with quantitative and qualitative data analysed for each round. RESULTS: A total of 24 international experts from diverse continents participated in the Delphi study, resulting in consensus on 19 statements related to the referral of large colorectal polyps. The identified factors, including patient demographics, relevant medications, lesion factors, photodocumentation and the presence of a tattoo, were deemed important for conveying the necessary information to therapeutic endoscopists. The mean scores for the statements ranged from 7.04 to 9.29 out of 10, with high percentages of experts considering most statements as a very high priority. Subgroup analysis by continent revealed some variations in consensus rates among experts from different regions. CONCLUSION: The identified consensus statements can aid in improving the triage and planning of resection techniques for large colorectal polyps, ultimately contributing to the reduction of colorectal cancer incidence and mortality.

Multi-imaging platform for rhizosphere studies: Phosphorus and oxygen fluxes.

Rhizosphere is a soil volume of high spatio-temporal heterogeneity and intensive plant-soil-microbial interactions, for which visualization and process quantification is of highest scientific and applied relevance, but still very challenging. A novel methodology for quick assessment of two-dimensional distribution of available phosphorus (P) in rhizosphere was suggested, tested, and development up to the application platform. Available P was firstly trapped by an in-situ diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) sampler with precipitated zirconia as the binding gel, and subsequently, the loaded gel was analyzed with an optimized colorimetric imaging densitometry (CID). The imaging platform was established linking: i) DGT, ii) planar optode, and iii) soil zymography techniques to simultaneously determine available P, oxygen, and acid phosphatase in rhizosphere at sub-millimeter spatial scales. The DGT identified available P level in rice rhizosphere were spatially overlapping to the localized redox hotspots and phosphatase activity. The spatial relationship between available P and acid phosphatase activity was dependent on root development. The root radial oxygen loss (ROL) remained active during the experimental observations (2-3 days), while a flux of available P of 10 pg cm-2 s-1 was visualized within 2-3 mm of roots, confirming the correlative response of rice roots to oxygen secretion and P uptake. Summarizing, the established imaging platform is suitable to capture spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of root activities, nutrient bioavailability, ROL and enzyme activities in rhizosphere.

Recent advances in the fabrication of pH-sensitive indicators films and their application for food quality evaluation.

Over a few decades, anthocyanin (ACN)-based colorimetric indicators in intelligent packaging systems have been widely used to monitor the freshness or spoilage of perishable food products. Most of the perishable food products are highly susceptible to enzymatic/microbial spoilage and produce several volatile or nonvolatile organic acid and nitrogenous compounds. As a result, the natural pH of fresh foods significantly changes. Fabrication of CAN-based colorimetric indicators in intelligent packaging systems is an advanced technique that monitors the freshness or spoilage of perishable foods based on the display of color variations at varying pH values. This study focuses on the advancement of pH-sensitive indicators and extraction of colorimetric indicators from commercially available natural sources. Moreover, the fabrication techniques and widespread industrial applications of such indicators have also been discussed. In addition, readers will get information about the color-changing and antioxidant mechanisms of ACN-based indicator films in food packaging.

Epidemiology and outcomes of choledocholithiasis and cholangitis in the United States: trends and urban-rural variations.

BACKGROUND: Gallstone disease poses a significant health burden in the United States. Choledocholithiasis and cholangitis are common complications of gallstone disease for which data on current epidemiological trends are lacking. We aimed to evaluate temporal changes in hospitalization, management, and outcomes for patients with choledocholithiasis and cholangitis. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was used to identify discharges for choledocholithiasis and cholangitis between 2005 and 2014. Temporal trends were evaluated via annual percent changes (APCs). Joinpoint regression was used to assess inflection points. Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate associations of interest. RESULTS: From 189,362 unweighted discharges for choledocholithiasis and/or cholangitis, there was an increase in discharges for choledocholithiasis (APC 2.3%, 95% confidence intervals, CI, 1.9-2.7%) and cholangitis (APC 1.5%, 95% CI 0.7-2.2%). Procedural interventions were more likely at urban hospitals for choledocholithiasis (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 2.94, 95% CI 2.72 to 3.17) and cholangitis (aOR 2.97, 95% CI 2.50 to 3.54). In-hospital mortality significantly decreased annually for choledocholithiasis (aOR 0.90, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.93) and cholangitis (aOR 0.93, 95% CI 0.89 to 0.97). In-hospital mortality between rural and urban centers was comparable for choledocholithiasis (aOR 1.16, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.52) and cholangitis (aOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.72 to 1.72). CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalizations for choledocholithiasis and cholangitis have increased between 2005 and 2014, reflecting a growing burden of gallstone disease. Hospital mortality between urban and rural centers is similar, however urban centers have a higher rate of procedural interventions suggesting limitations to accessing procedural interventions at rural centers.

Electrospun nanofibers food packaging: trends and applications in food systems.

Food safety is a bottleneck problem. In order to provide information about advanced and unique food packaging technique, this study summarized the advancements of electrospinning technique. Food packaging is a multidisciplinary area involving food science, food engineering, food chemistry, and food microbiology, and the interest in maintaining the freshness and quality of foods has grown considerably. For this purpose, electrospinning technology has gained much attention due to its unique functions and superior processing. Sudden advancements of electrospinning have been rapidly incorporated into research. This review summarized some latest information about food packaging and different materials used for the packaging of various foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and processed items. Also, the use of electrospinning and materials used for the formation of nanofibers are discussed in detail. However, in food industry, the application of electrospun nanofibers is still in its infancy. In this study, different parameters, structures of nanofibers, features and fundamental properties are described briefly, while polymers fabricated through electrospinning with advances in food packaging films are described in detail. Moreover, this comprehensive review focuses on the polymers used for the electrospinning of nanofibers as packaging films and their applications for variety of foods. This will be a valuable source of information for researchers studying various polymers for electrospinning for application in the food packaging industry.

Noninvasive prenatal testing of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes using cell-free DNA in maternal plasma.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to establish a practical protocol for early noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for fetuses at risk of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome or familial adenomatous polyposis, two classical types of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes, for risk evaluation and whole-life monitoring. METHOD: Target enrichment was performed using hybridization probes coordinating the serine-threonine kinase 11 gene region and APC gene region, with 1458 highly heterozygous Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms included. Semitarget amplification random sequencing was used for large fragment deletion detection. For relative haplotype dosage (RHDO) analysis, haplotype construction was performed by segmented haplotype estimation and imputation tool software, the circular binary segmentation algorithm was used for recombination event calculation, and Bayes factor was used for the determination of whether the fetus was affected. RESULTS: Haplotypes were successfully constructed in the nine recruited families with different pedigree characteristics, and the results for the RHDO analysis were consistent with the amniocentesis sampling detection results. The cell-free fetal DNA fraction can be detected as low as 2% in maternal plasma. CONCLUSION: This is the first NIPT assay on hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes based upon RHDO analysis.

Effects of Developmental Bibliotherapy on Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

The current study sought to create a developmental bibliotherapy material database (DBMD) and examine the effectiveness of developmental bibliotherapy on subjective well-being of older adults living in nursing homes. Based on the reading needs of older adults, we developed a DBMD, which included 327 materials with five themes: Health Care, Current Affairs and Politics, Historical Biographies, Geriatric Culture, and Psychological Adjustment. Fifty-four single materials were randomly selected from the DBMD to perform the intervention. This study used a quasi-experimental, single-group pre-/post-survey approach. Sixty-four older adults participated in the study for 6 weeks. Immediately before and after the intervention, older adults completed the Optimism-Pessimism Scale and Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness. There were significant improvements in older adults' optimistic tendency and subjective well-being (p < 0.05). Reading materials in the DBMD promoted older adults' optimistic attitude toward life, reduced negative emotions, and improved subjective well-being. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(7), 15-22.].

Effects of ultrasound on functional properties, structure and glycation properties of proteins: a review.

Protein is an indispensable part of life. It provides nutrition for human body and flavor for food. The role of protein depends largely on the functional properties of the protein. Therefore, the elucidation of protein structure and functional properties needs to be further explored. The effects of structural and functional properties of proteins under different ultrasonic treatment conditions were reviewed. The structural changes of protein were studied by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry combined with fluorescence spectrometry and proteomics, and the mechanism of action was determined. The glycation site, the glycation degree, and the glycation characteristics of different sugars were determined. The protein was modified by ultrasound, and the influence of protein structure, physicochemical properties, protein glycation characteristics, and the action mechanism were analyzed by biological mass spectrometry.

Implications of cell division cycle associated 4 on the Wilm's tumor cells viability via AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of present report was to elucidate the effect of cell division cycle associated 4 (CDCA4) on the proliferation and apoptosis of Wilm's tumor cells, and to further evaluate its underlying mechanism. METHODS: The expression profiles of CDCA4 and clinical information of Wilm's tumor patients were obtained from public Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments (TARGET) database portal. Real-time qPCR and western blot analyses were utilized to determine the expression levels of CDCA4. Gain- and loss-of-function of CDCA4 assays were conducted with transfection technology to investigate the biological role of CDCA4 in Wilm's tumor cells. Cell counting kit 8 and flow cytometer assays were employed to examine the effect of CDCA4 on the cells proliferation and apoptosis. Protein expression levels of indicated markers in each group of Wilm's tumor cells were measured by western blot. RESULTS: The transcriptional expression of CDCA4 was drastically upregulated in Wilm's tumor tissues according to the public TARGET database and in Wilm's tumor cells. The cells viability was remarkably reduced whereas the cells apoptosis was increased in CDCA4-knockdown group compared with negative control group. However, CDCA4-overexpression group promoted the cells proliferation and suppressed the cells apoptosis. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of p-AKT, p-mTOR, and Cyclin D1 were significantly reduced after depletion of CDCA4, whereas overexpression of CDCA4 dramatically elevated these markers' expression levels. CONCLUSIONS: CDCA4 is highly expressed in Wilm's tumor and promoted the proliferation whereas inhibited the apoptosis of Wilm's tumor cells through activating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Reinforced Topological Nanoassemblies: 2D Hexagon-Fused Wheel to 3D Prismatic Metallo-Lamellar Structure with Molecular Weight of 119 K Daltons.

By a precise metallo-ligand design, the advanced coordination-driven self-assembly could succeed in the preparation of giant molecular weight of the metallo-architectures. However, the synthesis of a single discrete high-molecular-weight (>100 K Da) structure has not been demonstrated due to the insurmountable synthetic challenge. Herein, we present a two-dimensional wheel structure (W1) and a gigantic three-dimensional dodecagonal prism-like architecture (P1), which were generated by multicomponent self-assembly of two similar metallo-organic ligands and a core ligand with metal ions, respectively. The giant 2D-suprastructure W1 with six hexagonal metallacycles that fused to the central spoke wheel was first achieved in nearly quantitative yield, and then, directed by introducing a meta-substituted coordination site into the key ligand, the supercharged (36 Ru2+ and 48 Cd2+ ions) double-decker prismatic structure P1 with two wheel structure W1s serve as the surfaces and 12 connectivities serve as the edges, where a molecular weight up to 119 498.18 Da was accomplished. The expected molecular composition and size morphology was unequivocally characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy investigations. The introduction of a wheel structure is able to add considerable stability and complexity to the final architecture. These well-defined scaffolds are expected to play an important role in the functional materials field, such as molecular encapsulation and medicine sustained release.

Systematic review with meta-analysis: Nutritional screening and assessment tools in cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Disease-related malnutrition is common in cirrhosis. Multiple studies have evaluated nutritional screening tools (NSTs, rapid bedside tests targeting who needs assessment) and nutritional assessment tools (NATs, used in diagnosing malnutrition) as predictors of clinical outcome in this population. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of this literature with the aim of summarising the varying definitions of malnutrition across studies, the available evidence for NSTs and the ability of NSTs and NATs to predict clinical outcomes in cirrhosis. METHODS: The primary outcome measures were pre- and post-transplant mortality with a range of secondary outcomes. Inclusion: cirrhosis over age 16. Exclusion: >25% with hepatocellular carcinoma, primarily laboratory test-based NATs or lack of screening, assessment or outcome criteria. RESULTS: Eight thousand eight hundred fifty patients were included across 47 studies. Only 3 studies assessed NSTs. Thirty-two definitions for malnutrition were utilised across studies. NATs predicted pre-transplant mortality in 69% of cases that were assessed with a risk ratio (RR) of 2.38 (95% CI 1.96-2.89). NATs were prognostic for post-transplant mortality only 28% of the times they were assessed, with a RR of 3.04 (95% CI 1.51-6.12). CONCLUSIONS: The cirrhosis literature includes limited data on nutrition screening and multiple definitions for what constitutes malnutrition using NATs. Despite this discordance, it is clear that malnutrition is a valuable predictor of pre-transplant mortality almost regardless of how it is defined. We require clinical and research consensus around the definition of malnutrition and the accepted processes and cut-points for nutrition screening and assessment in cirrhosis.

Electrospun antibacterial poly(vinyl alcohol)/Ag nanoparticles membrane grafted with 3,3',4,4'-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid for efficient air filtration.

In this study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes containing Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) were prepared by electrospinning and grafted copolymerization with 3,3',4,4'-benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid (BPTA) to provide better mechanical properties, lower water vapor transmittance, and higher antibacterial activity (against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) than the PVA/AgNPs membrane. The PVA/AgNPs/BPTA membrane showed higher antibacterial activity than the other membranes, and it produced inhibition zones with diameters of 18.12 ± 0.08 and 16.41 ± 0.05 mm against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. The PVA/AgNPs/BPTA membrane was found to be capable of promoting reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation under both light and dark conditions. Cycling experiments performed following ROS quenching showed that the best-performing composite membrane retained >70% of its original OH⋅ radical and H2O2 charging capacity after seven cycles. In the filtration test, the electrospun nanofibrous membranes showed high filtration efficiencies of 99.98% for sodium chloride (NaCl). In addition, these membranes maintained a relatively low pressure drop of 168 Pa with a basis weight of 2.1 g m-2. Thus, the PVA/AgNPs/BPTA membrane was concluded to be a promising medical protective material offering the benefits of structural stability and reusability.

The research progress in mechanism and influence of biosorption between lactic acid bacteria and Pb(II): A review.

Currently, due to high surface to volume ratio; large availability, rapid kinetics of adsorption and desorption and low cost, the exploitation of microbial biosorption of heavy metals is regarded as a reliable alternative compared to the conventional bioremediation approaches. In parallel with the increasing attractiveness of biosorption research, its pace of advance is also boosted. The barrier that prevent biosorption as an effective method from being applied into wastewater purification is listed, (1) There is not enough data on multi-component biosorption, (2) It remains to be seen that physical-chemical characteristics of different biomasses. (3) Studies on surface modification of strains for enhancement of heavy metals removal efficiency is lack. And extensive literatures involving the mechanism and model of biosorption for particular metal and microbial strains are not available. The present literatures lack systematization, the theory on interaction between lactic acid bacteria and Pb is far from complete. Therefore, the review tries to give a comprehensive explanation about the mechanism of Pb removal from Lactic acid bacteria and provide a brief overview of distinction between biosorption and bioaccumulation, biosorption technology, highlight the underlying features of biosorption and the various affecting factors such as pH, dose required, initial concentration, temperature, and treatment performance as a reference. Biosorption mechanisms can be briefly generalized into several pathways, which are ion exchange, complexation, precipitation, reduction and chelation. Many views holds that complexation is the major absorption mechanisms of Pb. Biosorption mechanisms can be roughly classified as biosorption and bioaccumulation, which have great differences between each other. Biosorption is metabolism-independent but fast, while bioaccumulation is metabolism-dependent but slow. The slight advantages of the bioaccumulation are the metabolite (lactic acid), lactobacillus surface-layers, enzymes and so on. Many factors can greatly affect adsorption process, different factors have different influence and the effects of pretreatment, pH and temperature are relatively greater. Desorption is not a fully reversible process of biosorption, but could not only achieve the goal of the recycle of microorganism, but also contribute to release of trace metal elements. Also the technologies for observation of biosorbents characterics and effect on the metal binding process are reviewed.

Extraction Optimization, Structural Characterization, and Antioxidant Activities of Polysaccharides from Cassia Seed (Cassia obtusifolia).

In order to explore Cassia seed polysaccharides (CSPs) as natural antioxidants for application in the functional-food industry, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was optimized for the extraction of CSPs by using a response surface methodology. Furthermore, the chemical structures and antioxidant activities of CSPs extracted by MAE and hot water extraction were investigated and compared. The maximum extraction yield of CSPs extracted by MAE (8.02 ± 0.19%) was obtained at the optimized extraction parameters as follows: microwave power (415 W), extraction time (7.0 min), and ratio of water to raw material (51 mL/g). Additionally, the contents of the uronic acids, molecular weight, ratio of constituent monosaccharides, intrinsic viscosities, and degrees of esterification of CSPs were significantly affected by the MAE method. Moreover, CSPs exhibited remarkable 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) ABTS, 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl DPPH, nitric oxide, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities as well as reducing power. The high antioxidant activities observed in CSPs extracted by MAE could be partially attributed to its low molecular weights and high content of unmethylated galacturonic acid. Results indicate that the MAE method could be an efficient technique for the extraction of CSPs with high antioxidant activity, and CSPs could be further explored as functional food ingredients.

Research progress in tofu processing: From raw materials to processing conditions.

As a traditional soybean product with good quality and a healthy food with many functional components, tofu is increasingly consumed in people's daily life. Traditional tofu processing consists of numerous steps, including the soaking and grinding of soybean seeds, heating of the soybean slurry, filtering, and addition of coagulants, and others. The properties of soybean seeds, processing scale, soaking and heating conditions, type and concentration of coagulant, and other factors collectively impact the processing steps and the final tofu quality. The generation of whole soybean tofu with more nutritive value comparing with traditional tofu has been successfully reported by several studies. As one of the most important functional component, isoflavones and their presence in tofu are also influenced by the above-mentioned factors, which influence the nutritive value of tofu. Research investigating the influence of tofu processing conditions on the quality and isoflavone profiles of tofu are the subject of this review. Issues that should be further studied to investigate the influence of processing conditions on the quality and nutritive value of tofu are also introduced.

Upregulation of the long noncoding RNA PCAT-1 correlates with advanced clinical stage and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous carcinoma.

Recent studies reveal that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in cancer biology. Prostate cancer-associated ncRNA transcript 1 (PCAT-1) is one of the lncRNAs involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation of prostate cancer. This study aimed to assess the potential role of PCAT-1 specifically in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of PCAT-1 in matched cancerous tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues from 130 patients with ESCC, 34 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and 30 patients with gastric carcinoma (GC). The correlation of PCAT-1 with clinicopathological features and prognosis were also analyzed. The expression of PCAT-1 was significantly higher in human ESCC compared with the adjacent noncancerous tissues (70.8%, p < 0.01), and the high level of PCAT-1 expression was significantly correlated with invasion of the tumor (p = 0.024), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.003), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.032), and poor prognosis. However, PCAT-1 mRNA expression had no significant difference between paired primary cancerous tissues and the adjacent noncancerous tissues in 34 cases of NSCLC (p = 0.293) and 30 cases of GC (p = 0.125). High expression of PCAT-1 was specifically correlated with invasion of cancer tissues, metastasis of lymph node, and advanced tumor stage of ESCC. High expression of PCAT-1 might reflect poor prognosis of ESCC and indicate a potential diagnostic target in ESCC patients. Adjuvant therapy targeting PCAT-1 molecule might be effective in treatment of ESCC.

Long noncoding RNA SPRY4-IT1 is upregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and associated with poor prognosis.

LncRNA SPRY4-IT1 has been shown to promote the progression of melanoma. However, the role of lncRNA SPRY4-IT1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical significance and biological functions of SPRY4-IT1 in ESCC. The expression levels of lncRNA SPRY4-IT in 92 ESCC patients and 8 ESCC cell lines were evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The prognostic significance was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to suppress SPRY4-IT1 expression in ESCC cell lines. Both in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to further explore its role in tumor progression. SPRY4-IT1 levels were significantly higher in ESCC tissues and cells than in corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues and nontumorigenic esophageal epithelial cells, and the ESCC patients with higher SPRY4-IT1 expression had an advanced clinical stage and poorer prognosis than those with lower SPRY4-IT1 expression. The multivariate analysis revealed that SPRY4-IT1 expression level is an independent prognostic factor in ESCC patients. In vitro assays demonstrated that knockdown of SPRY4-IT1 reduced cell proliferation, invasiveness, and migration. In vivo assays demonstrated that knockdown of SPRY4-IT1 decreases cell growth. SPRY4-IT1 is a novel molecule involved in ESCC progression, which may provide a potential prognostic biomarker and a potential target for therapeutic intervention.

Upregulation of the long non-coding RNA PlncRNA-1 promotes esophageal squamous carcinoma cell proliferation and correlates with advanced clinical stage.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical regulatory roles in cancer biology. PlncRNA-1 is one of lncRNAs that is associated with cell apoptosis and proliferation of prostate cancer. AIM: This study aimed to assess the potential role of PlncRNA-1 in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of PlncRNA-1 in 73 pairs of ESCC and their matched normal tissues. The correlation of PlncRNA-1 with clinicopathological features and clinical stages was also analyzed. Cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed following knock-down of PlncRNA-1 by MTT, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The expression of PlncRNA-1 was significantly higher in human ESCC compared with the adjacent noncancerous tissues (69.8 %, p < 0.05), and the high level of PlncRNA-1 expression was significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage (p < 0.01) and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Furthermore, knockdown of PlncRNA-1 reduced cell proliferation and increased the apoptosis in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: PlncRNA-1 plays an important role in ESCC cell proliferation. Overexpression of PlncRNA-1 is correlated with advanced tumor stage and lymph node metastasis, and may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for ESCC.