Leucine-tRNA-synthase-2-expressing B cells contribute to colorectal cancer immunoevasion.

Immunoregulatory B cells impede antitumor immunity through unknown features and mechanisms. We report the existence of leucine-tRNA-synthase-2 (LARS2)-expressing B cell (LARS B) subset with a transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1)-dominant regulatory feature in both mouse and human progressive colorectal cancer (CRC). Of note, LARS B cells exhibited a leucine nutrient preference and displayed active mitochondrial aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. They were located outside the tertiary lymphoid structure and correlated with colorectal hyperplasia and shortened survival in CRC patients. A leucine diet induced LARS B cell generation, whereas LARS B cell deletion by Lars2 gene ablation or leucine blockage repressed CRC immunoevasion. Mechanistically, LARS2 programmed mitochondrial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) regeneration and oxidative metabolism, thus determining the regulatory feature of LARS B cells in which the NAD-dependent protein deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) was involved. We propose a leucine-dieting scheme to inhibit LARS B cells, which is safe and useful for CRC therapy.

Hydroxyphenylpyruvate Dioxygenase Is a Metabolic Immune Checkpoint for UTX-deficient Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Aberrant epigenetic events mediated by histone methyltransferases and demethylases contribute to malignant progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the role of the histone demethylase ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat on chromosome X (UTX) in CRC remains poorly understood. METHODS: UTX conditional knockout mice and UTX-silenced MC38 cells were used to investigate UTX function in tumorigenesis and development of CRC. We performed time of flight mass cytometry to clarify the functional role of UTX in remodeling immune microenvironment of CRC. To investigate metabolic interaction between myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CRC, we analyzed metabolomics data to identify metabolites secreted by UTX-deficient cancer cells and taken up by MDSCs. RESULTS: We unraveled a tyrosine-mediated metabolic symbiosis between MDSC and UTX-deficient CRC. Loss of UTX in CRC resulted in methylation of phenylalanine hydroxylase, preventing its degradation and subsequently increasing tyrosine synthesis and secretion. Tyrosine taken up by MDSCs was metabolized to homogentisic acid by hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. Homogentisic acid modified protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 via carbonylation of Cys 176, and relieved the inhibitory effect of protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 on signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 transcriptional activity. This in turn, promoted MDSC survival and accumulation, enabling CRC cells to acquire invasive and metastatic traits. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings highlight hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase as a metabolic checkpoint to restrict immunosuppressive MDSCs and to counteract malignant progression of UTX-deficient CRC.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection for well-differentiated nonampullary duodenal neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nonampullary duodenal neuroendocrine tumors (NAD-NETs) are rare, with limited evidence regarding endoscopic treatment. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of endoscopic resection of well-differentiated NAD-NETs and evaluated long-term outcomes, including local recurrence and metastasis. METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with NAD-NETs who underwent endoscopic resection between January 2011 and August 2022 were included. Clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment outcomes were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: En-bloc resection was achieved for 74 tumors (94.9%) and R0 resection for 68 tumors (87.2%). Univariate analysis identified tumors in the second part of the duodenum, tumor size ≥10 mm, and muscularis propria invasion as risk factors for noncurative resection. Two patients with R1 resection (vertical margin involvement) and 2 patients with lymphovascular invasion underwent additional surgery. Four patients experienced adverse events (5.1%), including 2 cases of delayed bleeding and 2 cases of perforation, all successfully managed conservatively. During a median follow-up period of 62.6 months, recurrence and lymph node metastasis were only detected in 1 patient with R1 resection 3 months after the original procedure. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection is safe and effective and provides a favorable long-term outcome for patients with well-differentiated NAD-NETs without regional lymph node or distant metastasis.

The safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal fenestration in the treatment of completely embedded upper gastrointestinal foreign body.

BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion is a common digestive tract emergency, of which completely embedded ones were challenging for most endoscopists. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal fenestration in the treatment of completely embedded upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies. METHODS: From December 2018 to December 2021, 19 patients with completely embedded upper gastrointestinal foreign bodies who underwent endoscopic submucosal fenestration in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University were included. The safety, efficacy, and outcome were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among the 19 patients, 15 foreign bodies were embedded in the esophagus, 3 located in the gastric wall, and 1 located in the duodenal bulb. The foreign bodies were successfully managed in 12 cases, and 7 failed after attempts of repeated exploration. Two cases confirmed completely traversing into the mediastinum were successfully removed after transfer to surgery. One case had retrieval of a foreign body in a half-year examination. Till now, 3 failed patients had great relief of symptoms and only one patient claimed occasional thoracodynia. Of note, there were neither serious adverse events, nor long-term complications during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: In disposing of foreign bodies completely embedded in the upper gastrointestinal tract, ESF is a safe and effective alternative to surgery.

Exosomal lncRNA HOTAIR induces PDL1+ B cells to impede anti-tumor immunity in colorectal cancer.

Regulatory B cells (Bregs) contribute to tumor immunosuppression. However, how B cells acquire their regulatory features in tumors remain unclear. Exosomes are important messengers that transmit tumor information to remodel tumor immunity. Here we revealed that tumor-derived exosomes drive Bregs to suppress anti-tumor immunity by delivering long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). HOTAIR was screened by lncRNA profiling in both colorectal cancer (CRC)-derived exosomes and infiltrating B cells. Tumor-derived HOTAIR polarized B cells toward a regulatory feature marked by programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PDL1) in CRC, and induced PDL1+ B cells to suppress CD8+ T cell activity. Exosomal HOTAIR bound to and protected pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) against ubiquitination degradation, resulting in STAT3 activation and PDL1 expression. Results from CRC patients showed a positive correlation between exosomal HOTAIR and tumor-infiltrating PDL1+ B cells. These findings reveal how B cells acquire PDL1-dominant regulatory feature in CRC, implying the clinical significance of exosomal therapy targeting HOTAIR.

A cross-sectional study reveals a chronic low-grade inflammation in achalasia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Immune-mediated neuroinflammation has been proposed to underlie the loss of lower esophageal sphincter (LES) myenteric neurons in achalasia. However, the immune status and key pathogenic immune subpopulations remain unclear. This study aims to evaluate the inflammatory status of patients with achalasia and their correlation with clinical characteristics, and further explore the key pathogenic subpopulations. METHODS: We investigated the complete blood cell count and inflammatory markers in a large population of patients with achalasia (n = 341) and healthy controls (n = 80). The subpopulations of lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Immunofluorescence was used to determine immune cell infiltration in the LES. Transcriptome changes of the key subpopulation were determined by RNA sequencing analysis. RESULTS: NLR, MLR, CRP, globulin, IL-6 and IL-10 were significantly elevated in patients with achalasia. MLR and globulin were positively correlated with disease duration. The absolute count and percentage of CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and its infiltration around ganglion in the LES were significantly increased in achalasia. Transcriptome analysis indicated that CD8+ T cells were activated and proliferative. In addition to multiple inflammatory pathways, regulation of neuroinflammatory response pathway was also significantly up-regulated in achalasia. GSEA analysis revealed a close association with autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with achalasia suffered from chronic low-grade inflammation with dysregulated immune cells and mediators associated with disease duration. CD8+ T cells might be the key pathogenic subpopulation of achalasia. Our results provide an important immune cell signature of the pathogenesis of achalasia.

Comparison of statins with steroids and botulinum toxin A in the prevention of benign strictures after esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Preventing benign strictures following esophageal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) remains difficult, and finding a safe, effective, and simple management method is vital. We previously reported that rosuvastatin significantly reduced the incidence and severity of strictures in a rabbit model of esophageal stricture. Accordingly, in this study, we compared the effects of statins, steroids, and botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) on stricture prevention after ESD involving more than three-fourths of the luminal circumference. METHODS: Of the 1019 ESD cases treated between January 2015 and December 2020, 246 met the inclusion criteria, with 21 cases excluded due to loss to follow-up, tumor recurrence, death, or need for additional surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy. Of the 225 included cases, 145 received no intervention, while the remaining 80 were treated: 16 with oral steroids, 20 with topical triamcinolone acetonide (TA) injection, 21 with topical BTX-A injection, and 23 with statins. RESULTS: The occurrence stricture rate in the statins group (17.4%, 4/23) was significantly lower than in the non-intervention (75.2%, 109/145, P = 0.000), oral steroids (56.3%, 9/16, P = 0.011) and TA injection (50%, 10/20, P = 0.023) groups, but comparable to in the BTX-A injection (38.1%, 8/21, P = 0.124) group. The dysphagia score was lower in the statin than non-intervention group (P = 0.000). Although there was no significant difference in the number of required dilations between groups, the maximum number of dilations in the statins group was only six. CONCLUSIONS: Statins may be a potential treatment to prevent esophageal strictures after extensive ESD; however, clinical trials should be conducted to validate this.

Endoscopic resection and suturing methods for non-ampullary duodenal submucosal tumors: "mini-invasive" treatments that should never be underestimated.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic resection and various suturing methods to treat non-ampullary duodenal submucosal tumors (NAD-SMTs). DESIGN: We performed a retrospective observational study of patients with NAD-SMTs who underwent endoscopic resection at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, China, between June 2017 and December 2020. Data on patient characteristics, treatments and follow-up results were collected. The association between clinicopathologic characteristics and different suturing methods or adverse events were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 128 patients analyzed, 26 underwent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR), 64 underwent endoscopic submucosal excavation (ESE), and 38 underwent endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR). EMR and ESR are both appropriate for non-full-thickness lesions, whereas ESE is more appropriate for tumors located in the bulb or descending duodenum. Gastric tube drainage is more strongly recommended after ESE. Satisfactory suturing is also vital endoscopic resection of NAD-SMTs. Metallic clips are often used in EMR or ESE of non-full-thickness lesions. The pathological findings revealed that the full-thickness lesions were predominantly gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), Brunner's tumor or lipoma, and the surgeons usually used purse-string sutures to close the wounds. The operation time was longer for purse-string suture closure than metallic clip closure. Eleven patients had complications. Risk factors for adverse events included large-diameter tumor (≥ 2 cm), location in the descending part of the duodenum, involvement of the fourth layer of the duodenal wall, EFTR, and GIST. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic resection of NAD-SMTs is effective but is associated with a high incidence of complications due to their anatomical peculiarities. Preoperative diagnosis is quite important. Careful selection of treatment and suturing methods are necessary to reduce the risk of adverse effects. Given the increased frequency of severe complications during or following duodenal endoscopic resection, this procedure should be performed by experienced endoscopists.

NEK2 promotes the migration and proliferation of ESCC via stabilization of YAP1 by phosphorylation at Thr-143.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) was characterized as a regional-prevalent and aggressive tumor with high morbidity and mortality. NIMA-related kinase 2 (NEK2) is an interesting oncogene, the alteration of which leads to patients-beneficial outcomes. We aimed to explore the role of NEK2 in ESCC and excavate its mechanism. METHODS: RNA-seq data were downloaded from TCGA and GEO and analyzed by R software. The protein levels were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or western blot (WB), and mRNA expression was detected by qRT-PCR. The in vitro role of proliferation and migration was detected by Transwell migration assay and by colony formation assay, respectively. The in vivo roles were explored using a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model, where immunofluorescence (IF) and IHC were employed to investigate expression and localization. The interaction between proteins was detected by immunoprecipitation. The stability of proteins was measured by WB in the presence of cycloheximide. RESULTS: A higher level of NEK2 was found in ESCC than normal esophageal epithelia in GEO, TCGA, and tissue microarray, which was associated with worse prognoses. The NEK2 knockdown impaired the proliferation and migration of ESCC, which also downregulated YAP1 and EMT markers like N-cadherin and Vimentin in vitro. On the contrary, NEK2 overexpression enhanced the migration of ESCC and elevated the levels of YAP1, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. Additionally, the overexpression of YAP1 in NEK2 knocked down ESCCs partly rescued the corresponding decrease in migration. The knockdown of NEK2 played an anti-tumor role in vivo and was accompanied by a lower level and nucleus shuffling of YAP1. In mechanism, NEK2 interacted with YAP1 and increased the stability of both endogenous and exogenous YAP1 by preventing ubiquitination. Moreover, the computer-predicted phosphorylation site of YAP1, Thr-143, reduced the ubiquitination of HA-YAP1, strengthened its stability, and thus influenced the migration in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: NEK2 is a prognostic oncogene highly expressed in ESCC and promotes the progression of ESCC in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NEK2-mediated phosphorylation of YAP1 at Thr-143 protects it from proteasome degradation and might serve as a promising therapeutic target in ESCC. Video Abstract.

Poor morphology of inner cell mass increases birth weight and large for gestational age.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Can inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm morphological grading, especially ICM and trophectoderm graded C, affect perinatal outcomes? DESIGN: A retrospective review of medical records of 8946 singletons delivered from vitrified-warmed single blastocyst transfer cycles between January 2009 and December 2020. RESULTS: Inner cell mass graded C had a higher adjusted birth weight than ICM graded A (0.61 ± 1.06 versus 0.48 ± 1.06; P = 0.025). Large for gestational age (LGA) increased with decreasing ICM morphological grading (18.96%, 21.88% and 23.38%; grade B versus grade A, P = 0.013; grade C versus grade A, P = 0.036) (P < 0.025 was considered statistically significant for multiple pairwise comparisons). Linear regression analysis suggested that ICM morphological grading was significantly associated with adjusted birth weight, with grade C increasing adjusted birth weight compared with grade A (ß 0.13, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.25, P = 0.043) (P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant for linear regression). Logistic regression analysis suggested that ICM morphological grading was significantly associated with LGA, with grade C increasing LGA compared with grade A (adjusted OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.81). Moreover, blastocysts with ICM graded C had a higher chance of being a male infant compared with ICM graded A (adjusted OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.68). CONCLUSIONS: Inner cell mass morphological grading was significantly associated with adjusted birth weight and LGA. Poor ICM graded C increased birth weight and LGA.

[Biomechanical Study of New Biodegradable Esophageal Stent].

The radial force of the degradable esophageal stent before and after degradation is one of the important indicators for effective treatment of esophageal stricture. Based on a combination of in vitro experiments and finite element analysis, this paper studies and verifies the biomechanical properties of a new type of degradable esophageal stent under different esophageal stricture conditions. Under radial extrusion conditions, the maximum stress at the port of the stent is 65.25 MPa, and the maximum strain is 1.98%; The peak values of stress and strain under local extrusion and plane extrusion conditions both appear in the extrusion area and the compression expansion area at both ends, which are respectively 48.68 MPa, 46.40 MPa, 0.49%, 1.13%. The maximum radial force of the undegraded stent was 11.22 N, and 97% and 51% of the maximum radial force were maintained after 3 months and 6 months of degradation, respectively. The research results verify the safety and effectiveness of the radial force of the new degradable esophageal stent, and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of esophageal stricture.

Development and screening of EMS mutants with altered seed oil content or fatty acid composition in Brassica napus.

Brassica napus is an important oilseed crop in the world, and the mechanism of seed oil biosynthesis in B. napus remains unclear. In order to study the mechanism of oil biosynthesis and generate germplasms for breeding, an ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutant population with ~100 000 M2 lines was generated using Zhongshuang 11 as the parent line. The EMS-induced genome-wide mutations in M2-M4 plants were assessed. The average number of mutations including single nucleotide polymorphisms and insertion/deletion in M2-M4 was 21 177, 28 675 and 17 915, respectively. The effects of the mutations on gene function were predicted in M2-M4 mutants, respectively. We screened the seeds from 98 113 M2 lines, and 9415 seed oil content and fatty acid mutants were identified. We further confirmed 686 mutants with altered seed oil content and fatty acid in advanced generation (M4 seeds). Five representative M4 mutants with increased oleic acid were re-sequenced, and the potential causal variations in FAD2 and ROD1 genes were identified. This study generated and screened a large scale of B. napus EMS mutant population, and the identified mutants could provide useful genetic resources for the study of oil biosynthesis and genetic improvement of seed oil content and fatty acid composition of B. napus in the future.

Controlled hypertension under hemostasis prevents post-gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection bleeding: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is a prominent minimally invasive operative technique for treating early gastrointestinal tumors but can result in postoperative bleeding. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to determine whether increasing blood pressure under hemostasis during gastric ESD to identify potential bleeding spots reduces the risk of post-ESD bleeding. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled, single-blinded clinical trial, 309 patients with early gastric cancer who were admitted to a hospital to undergo ESD were recruited from March 2017 to February 2018 and were randomized into intervention and control groups. In the control group, patients underwent normal ESD. In the intervention group, we increased patients' blood pressure to 150 mmHg for 5 min using a norepinephrine pump (0.05 µg/kg/min initial dose) after the specimen was extracted during the ESD operation to identify and coagulate potential bleeding spots with hot biopsy forceps. Our primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative bleeding over 60-day follow-up. RESULTS: The incidence of post-ESD bleeding was lower in the intervention group (1.3%, 2/151) than in the control group (10.1%, 16/158, p = 0.01). Deeper tumor invasion was associated with a higher risk of post-ESD bleeding (5.3% in mucosal/submucosal layer 1 group vs. 12.5% in submucosal layer 2/muscularis propria group, p < 0.001). Multi-factor but not univariate analysis showed that proton pump inhibitor administration three times per day may be a better choice than twice per day. CONCLUSION: Increasing blood pressure under hemostasis during ESD to identify and coagulate potential bleeding spots could reduce the risk of delayed bleeding after gastric ESD.

The DNA methylation landscape of human early embryos.

DNA methylation is a crucial element in the epigenetic regulation of mammalian embryonic development. However, its dynamic patterns have not been analysed at the genome scale in human pre-implantation embryos due to technical difficulties and the scarcity of required materials. Here we systematically profile the methylome of human early embryos from the zygotic stage through to post-implantation by reduced representation bisulphite sequencing and whole-genome bisulphite sequencing. We show that the major wave of genome-wide demethylation is complete at the 2-cell stage, contrary to previous observations in mice. Moreover, the demethylation of the paternal genome is much faster than that of the maternal genome, and by the end of the zygotic stage the genome-wide methylation level in male pronuclei is already lower than that in female pronuclei. The inverse correlation between promoter methylation and gene expression gradually strengthens during early embryonic development, reaching its peak at the post-implantation stage. Furthermore, we show that active genes, with the trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3) mark at the promoter regions in pluripotent human embryonic stem cells, are essentially devoid of DNA methylation in both mature gametes and throughout pre-implantation development. Finally, we also show that long interspersed nuclear elements or short interspersed nuclear elements that are evolutionarily young are demethylated to a milder extent compared to older elements in the same family and have higher abundance of transcripts, indicating that early embryos tend to retain higher residual methylation at the evolutionarily younger and more active transposable elements. Our work provides insights into the critical features of the methylome of human early embryos, as well as its functional relation to the regulation of gene expression and the repression of transposable elements.

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine profiling from genomic and cell-free DNA for colorectal cancers patients.

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is a DNA modification that is generated by the oxidation of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) in a reaction catalyzed by the ten-eleven translocation (TET) family enzymes. It tends to mark gene activation and affects a spectrum of developmental and disease-related biological processes. In this manuscript, we present a 5hmC selective chemical labelling technology (hmC-Seal) to capture and sequence 5hmC-containing DNA fragments with low input. We tested 10 tumour/adjacent colon cancer tissues and 10 tumour/healthy plasma samples. Furthermore, we tested if this methodology could generate the 5hmC differential genes among cancer patients, healthy controls and precancerous adenoma patients from plasma. Robust cancer-specific epigenetic signatures were identified for colon cancers. The results show that 5hmC is mainly distributed in gene active regions. The results also indicate the potential application of 5hmC change signals in early stage of colon cancer, even show potential in the diagnosis of precancerous adenoma. We demonstrated the robustness of the 5hmC-Seal method in tissue and cell-free DNA (cfDNA) as potential biomarkers. Moreover, this study provides the potential value and feasibility of 5hmC-Seal approach on colorectal cancer (CRC) early detection. We believe this strategy could be an effective liquid biopsy-based diagnosis and a potential prognosis method for colon cancer using cfDNA.

Artificial oocyte activation improves cycles with prospects of ICSI fertilization failure: a sibling oocyte control study.

RESEARCH QUESTION: Does artificial oocyte activation improve clinical outcomes for patients at risk of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertilization failure? DESIGN: In this study, sibling oocytes from patients with previous ICSI failure or severe teratozoospermia were divided equally into two groups, half for artificial oocyte activation (AOA) with ionomycin after conventional ICSI and the other half for conventional ICSI only (non-AOA). The fertilization rates, cleavage rates, transferable embryo rates and blastulation rates of the two groups were compared first; the clinical pregnancy and live birth rates were also compared to assess the efficiency and safety of AOA. RESULT: The outcomes of the AOA group were significantly better than those of the conventional ICSI group in terms of the fertilization (50.38% versus 33.86%, respectively, P < 0.001), cleavage (59.16% versus 39.04%, respectively, P < 0.001) and transferable embryo rates (43.51% versus 26.69%, respectively, P < 0.001). The blastulation (43.53% versus 36.11%, respectively), implantation (26.83% versus 15.79%, respectively), clinical pregnancy (38.46% versus 25%, respectively) and live birth rates (38.46% versus 16.67%, respectively) were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: This study showed that AOA improved some aspects of cycles at risk of ICSI failure by increasing the fertilization and transferable embryo rates. But blastulation, pregnancy and implantation rates were not improved. The study is limited by its small size and absence of data on cumulative outcomes.

Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) without laparoscopic assistance for nonampullary duodenal subepithelial lesions: our clinical experience of 32 cases.

BACKGROUND: Standard treatment for nonampullary duodenal tumors has not yet been established. In case of tumors originated from the muscularis propria (MP) layer and adherent to the serosa layer, the lesions can not be completely removed by ESD. However, with the development of the endoscopic suture technique, endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) of duodenal subepithelial lesions has become possible. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 32 patients with nonampullary duodenal subepithelial lesions who underwent EFTR between February 2012 and January 2017. The suturing method, complications that occurred during and after the operations, perioperative management, tumor characteristics, and pathological findings were analyzed in all patients. RESULTS: The complete resection rate was 100%; all patients successfully received EFTR except for one patient who required conversion to open surgery. Severe abdominal pain was observed after the operation in one patient who then received laparoscopic exploration, and the possibility of delayed perforation was considered. Another patient showed a decline in blood oxygen saturation (SO2) and was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further management. Delayed bleeding and fistula were not observed. All patients achieved complete remission. CONCLUSION: EFTR is a safe, minimally invasive treatment modality that ensures complete eradication of the duodenal subepithelial lesions.

Impact of 5-Fu/oxaliplatin on mouse dendritic cells and synergetic effect with a colon cancer vaccine.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) and oxaliplatin on the function and activation pathways of mouse dendritic cells (DCs), and to clarify whether 5-Fu/oxaliplatin combined with the CD1d-MC38/α-galactosylceramide (α-GC) tumor vaccine exhibits synergistic effects on the treatment of colon cancer in mice. METHODS: The combination of the Toll like receptor (TLR) ligands and/or 5-Fu/oxaliplatin was added into myeloid-derived DCs in vitro culture. DC phenotypic changes were detected by flow cytometry, and the secretion of DC cytokines was detected by cytometric bead array (CBA). A MC38 mouse colon cancer model was constructed and the DCs were isolated from the spleen, tumor tissue and lymph nodes following intraperitoneal injection of 5-Fu/oxaliplatin. The cell phenotypes were detected by flow cytometry. The tumor infiltrating leukocytes, splenocytes and lymph node cells were co-cultured with the dead MC38 tumor cells, and the secretion levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were detected. 5-Fu/oxaliplatin combined with our previously developed CD1d-MC38/α-GC tumor vaccine was used to inhibit the growth of MC38 colon cancer in mice, and the tumor growth rate and survival time were recorded. RESULTS: 5-Fu/oxaliplatin exerted no significant effect on the expression of the stimulating phenotypes of DCs in vitro, while it could reduce the expression of programmed death ligand 1/2 (PD-L1/L2) and promote interleukin-12 (IL-12) secretion by DCs. Furthermore 5-Fu/oxaliplatin was beneficial to the differentiation of T-helper 1 (Th1) cells. 5-Fu/oxaliplatin further enhanced the stimulating phenotypic expression of DCs in tumor bearing mice, decreased PD-L1/L2 expression, and specifically activated the lymphocytes. The CD1d-MC38/α-GC tumor vaccine combined with 5-Fu/oxaliplatin could exert a synergistic role that resulted in a significant delay of the tumor growth rate, and an increase in the survival time of tumor bearing mice. CONCLUSIONS: 5-Fu/oxaliplatin decreased the expression of the DC inhibitory phenotypes PD-L1/L2, promoted DC phenotypic maturation in tumor bearing mice, activated the lymphocytes of tumor bearing mice, and exerted synergistic effects with the CD1d-MC38/α-GC colon cancer tumor vaccine.