The relationship between urologic cancer outcomes and national Human Development Index: trend in recent years.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the influence of the socioeconomic development on worldwide age-standardized incidence and mortality rates, as well as mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) and 5-year net survival of urologic cancer patients in recent years. METHODS: The Human Development Index (HDI) values were obtained from the United Nations Development Programme, data on age-standardized incidence/mortality rates of prostate, bladder and kidney cancer were retrieved from the GLOBOCAN database, 5-year net survival was provided by the CONCORD-3 program. We then evaluated the association between incidence/MIR/survival and HDI, with a focus on geographic variability as well as temporal patterns during the last 6 years. RESULTS: Urologic cancer incidence rates were positively correlated with HDIs, and MIRs were negatively correlated with HDIs. Prostate cancer survival also correlated positively with HDIs, solidly confirming the interrelation among cancer indicators and socioeconomic factors. Most countries experienced incidence decline over the most recent 6 years, and a substantial reduction in MIR was observed. Survival rates of prostate cancer have simultaneously improved. CONCLUSION: Development has a prominent influence on urologic cancer outcomes. HDI values are significantly correlated with cancer incidence, MIR and survival rates. HDI values have risen along with increased incidence and improved outcomes of urologic caner in recent years.

[Baicalin inhibits LPS/IFN-γ-induced inflammation via TREM2/TLR4/NF-κB pathway in BV2 cells].

This study investigated the mechanism of baicalin on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)/interferon γ(IFN-γ)-induced inflammatory microglia based on the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappaB(NF-κB) pathway. Specifically, LPS and IFN-γ were used to induce inflammation in mouse microglia BV2 cells. Then the normal group, model group, low-dose(5 µmol·L~(-1)) baicalin group, medium-dose(10 µmol·L~(-1)) baicalin group, high-dose(20 µmol·L~(-1)) baicalin group, and minocycline(10 µmol·L~(-1)) group were designed. Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay and cell morphology was observed under bright field. The expression of interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), interleukin-4(IL-4), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-10(IL-10), and arginase-1(Arg-1) mRNA was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, the protein expression of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1ß, TREM2, TLR4, inhibitor kappaB-alpha(IκBα), p-IκBα, NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65 by Western blot, and transfer of NF-κB p65 from cytoplasm to nucleus by cellular immunofluorescence. Compared with the normal group, most of the BV2 cells in the model group tended to demonstrate the pro-inflammatory M1 amoeba morphology, and the model group showed significant increase in the mRNA levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and iNOS, decrease in the mRNA levels of IL-4, IL-10, and Arg-1(P<0.01), rise of the protein expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, TLR4, p-IκBα, and p-NF-κB p65(P<0.01), reduction in TREM2 protein expression, and increase in the expression of NF-κB p65 in nucleus. Compared with the model group, baicalin groups and minocycline group showed the recovery of BV2 cell morphology, significant decrease in the mRNA levels of IL-1ß, IL-6 and iNOS, increase in the mRNA levels of IL-4, IL-10, and Arg-1(P<0.01), reduction in the protein expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, TLR4, p-IκBα, and p-NF-κB p65(P<0.05), rise of TREM2 protein expression, and decrease in the expression of NF-κB p65 in nucleus. In summary, these results suggest that baicalin can regulate the imbalance between TREM2 and TLR4 of microglia and inhibit the activation of downstream NF-κB, thus promoting the polarization of microglia from pro-inflammatory phenotype to anti-inflammatory phenotype.

Predictive value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with oesophageal cancer undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The survival rate of patients with advanced oesophageal cancer is very low and can vary significantly, even among patients with the same TNM stage. It is important to look for indicators that are economical and readily available to predict overall survival. The aim of this study was to determine whether lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) could be potential predictors of survival in patients with advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: Differences in survival among 204 patients with advanced oesophageal cancer who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy were collected and analysed. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to investigate the association between blood inflammatory markers and patient survival before treatment. RESULTS: Univariate COX regression analyses showed that a history of alcohol use, neutrophil count, LMR, NLR, tumour length, and N stage were significantly associated with the survival of tumour patients receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that NLR and LMR were predictors of outcome in tumour patients receiving chemoradiotherapy. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the AUC of LMR and NLR was 0.734 and 0.749, and the best cutoff point for LMR and NLR was 3.03 and 2.64, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: LMR and NLR can be used to predict the survival of patients with advanced oesophageal cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy, thereby providing clinicians with suggestions for further treatment options.

A novel nomogram for predicting the risk of epilepsy occurrence after operative in gliomas patients without preoperative epilepsy history.

OBJECTIVE: Epilepsy is a common complication in glioma patients after undergoing brain tumor surgery combined with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Whether antiepileptic drug prophylaxis could be used in these patients remains an open question. The purpose of this study was to produce a model for predicting the risk of epilepsy occurrence in such patients. METHODS: The clinicopathologic data of glioma patients after tumor treatment were reviewed in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to analyze the correlation between the clinicopathologic data and the risk of epilepsy occurrence. A nomogram was built according to the multivariate logistic regression model results. RESULTS: A total of 219 patients with gliomas were reviewed. Univariate analyses revealed that age, WHO glioma classification, CD34, EGFR, Ki67, MGMT, P53 and VIM were significantly associated with the risk of epilepsy occurrence. Multivariate analyses revealed that age, WHO glioma classification, CD34, EGFR, MGMT, and VIM were predictors of risk of epilepsy occurrence. A nomogram of the risk of epilepsy occurrence was built based on statistically significant variables from the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The c-index of the nomogram was 0.755 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.742-0.769). SIGNIFICANCE: This nomogram model provides reliable information about the risk of epilepsy occurrence for oncologists and neurological physicians.

High Mean Corpuscular Volume as a Predictor of Poor Overall Survival in Patients with Esophageal Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of recent studies have demonstrated that high mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a predictor of poor overall survival (OS) and therapeutic response in patients with solid tumors. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between high MCV and OS in patients with advanced esophageal cancer (EC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Enrolled in this study were 249 patients with advanced EC who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Pre-treatment MCV values were collected in all patients and their correlations with OS and pathophysiological characteristics were analyzed. The chi-square test was used to explore the correlation between MCV and various clinical pathophysiological characteristics, and the prognostic significance of high MCV using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Cox proportional hazards model. All P-values were two-tailed and a P-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: According to ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off value of MCV was 93.6 fL. The mean OS was 14.7 months in all 249 EC patients, 10.9 months in patients with MCV >93.6 fL, and 18.8 months in patients with MCV <93.6 fL; the difference is statistically significant (P<0.05). Chi-square test showed that the MCV value was correlated with the N stage of the tumor and the therapeutic effect, indicating that the higher the MCV was, the higher the T stage of the tumor and the worse the therapeutic effect would be (p=0.012 and p <0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that MCV (OR = 1.864, 95% CI: 1.439-2.415) was an independent prognostic factor for OS in EC patients. CONCLUSION: High MCV is a poor predictor of OS in patients with advanced EC receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy.