ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of Liu-Shen-Wan on transplanted tumors in mice with colon cancer based on the polarization of M2 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Methods We established a subcutaneous transplantation tumor model of mice with CT26 colon cancer. Mice were randomly divided into vehicle, oxaliplatin, and oxaliplatin combined with Liu-Shen-Wan groups. Treatment was administered for three weeks, and tumor volume was measured. All mice were weighed during the administration. After the end of the treatment, the mice were dissected and tumors were photographed and weighed. Spleen index was calculated. The expression levels of IFN-γ and IL-12P40 in serum and related blood biochemical indices were measured. The expression levels of M2 macrophage polarization indices, namely, IL-10 and TGF-β, in serum and tumor tissues were detected. The infiltration degree of M2 macrophages in each group was observed by immunohistochemical experiments. Results The tumor volume and mouse weight in the oxaliplatin combined with Liu-Shen-Wan group significantly decreased compared with those in the vehicle group. The spleen index increased, and the expression levels of IFN-γ and IL-12P40 in serum also significantly increased. The mice had no obvious side effects after the drug treatment. In addition, the expression levels of IL-10 and TGF-β in the serum and tissues of mice in the oxaliplatin combined with Liu-Shen-Wan group significantly decreased. The expression levels of CD68 and CD206 in tumor tissues also decreased. Conclusion The anti-tumor effect of Liu-Shen-Wan on the transplanted tumors of mice with colon cancer is related to the inhibition of M2 macrophage polarization in the tumor microenvironment.
ABSTRACT
Objective The cumulative incidence function (CIF) is an important descriptive indicator for competing risk data in medical follow-up study.However,the upper and lower limits of the classic confidence interval (CI) of CIF may be exclusive the boundaries.In this paper,the CI estimators based on five different transformations and their performances are studied.Methods The CIs of CIF are constructed based on the linear (classical),log,log (-log),arcsine and logit transformation,respectively.Through the simulation study,the average deviations of the false coverage probabilities for all CIs are comprehensively investigated by the ANOVA technology.Results The simulation results show that the CIs based on linear and arcsine transformation have a large positive deviation.Log transformation is prone to fluctuations and has a minimum negative deviation,only log (-log) transformation is closest to the expected constant 0,and most robust and reliable.Conclusion Combined with the simulation results and example,CIs base on linear and log transformation are easy to have wide range and unstable performance,and can not overcome the bounds being negative or above 1;the arcsine and logit is slightly fluctuated,but their performances are relatively balanced;only performance of log(-log) is the most robust and reliable.
ABSTRACT
Objective Nonparametric maximum likelihood estimate(NPMLE)and Breslow-Fleming-Harrington estimate(BFH)are extremely sensitive to small risk set for left truncated and right censored data,this study aims to develop estimation methods to improve the estimation accuracy and compare the existing methods.Methods We introduced the NPMLE,weighted NPMLE,conditional NPMLE,BFH and a new weighted BFH estimate.Simulation studies were carried out to compare five methods via the integrated absolute error(IAE) and integrated average width(IAW).Results The IAE of NPMLE,BFH,weighted NPMLE,weighted BFH and conditional NPMLE is ascending in turn;The IAW of weighted BFH is the lowest and NPMLE is the largest,BFH,conditional NPMLE and weighted NPMLE is reversed under different censored rate.Conclusion According to the results of simulation and example,weighted BFH and weighted NPMLE is recommended in turn when the risk set is small.Otherwise,the results of five methods would be consistent.
ABSTRACT
Comparison of survival curves between two groups is an important part of disease prognosis study.Log-rank test is commonly used,but when the two curves' later intersecting opening is too large,the proportion of assumptions is not established,thus the Log-rank test is ineffective.We introduces five statistical tests to compare two survival curves at a fixed time points:classic method,logarithmic transformation,cloglog transformation,arcsine transformation and logit transformation.Through the study we found that if the overall survival curves are difficult to compare between groups tested with Log-rank test method or Two-stage test method,the fixed time point test can effectively determine whether there was significant difference in survival rate at a fixed time point.Among the five fixed time point tests,cloglog transformation could give more precise result.