Impacts of urbanization on ecosystem carbon cycle: a case study of land use change in Tianjin metropolitan area.

For the sustainable development of the city, in a study of Tianjin's rapid urbanization, we explore the complex interplay between land use change and the ecosystem carbon cycle from 2000 to 2020. Spatial analysis and profit-loss matrix calculations reveal contrasting ecological impacts: expansion of woodlands and grasslands enhances Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and reduces carbon emissions, while urban construction shows the opposite effect. Over 20 years, Tianjin's urban transformation led to a 16.91 GgC decline in NPP amidst a construction boom. However, post-2015 ecological policy shifts resulted in a significant net carbon uptake of 0.85 Gt, demonstrating the potential of policy interventions in mitigating environmental impacts of urbanization. This study underscores the importance of sustainable urban planning and ecological conservation strategies in highly urbanized settings.

Proliferation genes in lung development associated with the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma but not squamous cell carcinoma.

There are many similarities between embryonic development and tumorigenesis, and gene expression profiles show that certain correlations exist between the gene signature during development and the clinical phenotypes of different cancers. Our group previously reported the gene expression profiles of human lung development, and the expression of one group of proliferation-related genes (PTN1 genes) steadily decreased during lung development. Here, we examined the prognostic value of PTN1 genes in 5 independent lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) and 5 lung independent squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) microarray datasets and found that the expression levels of PTN1 genes were associated with survival in lung ADC but not lung SCC. All of the lung ADC datasets contained a set of highly correlated genes from PTN1 genes, but the lung SCC datasets had no similar set of genes. We identified 63 unique core genes from the PTN1 genes in the 5 lung ADC datasets: 17 of these core genes appeared in at least 4 of the lung ADC datasets, and the 17 corresponding proteins clearly interacted more strongly with each other in lung ADC than in lung SCC. Moreover, 16 of the 17 core genes play major roles in the G2 /M phase of the cell cycle. These data indicate that proliferation-related genes in lung development have a significant prognostic value for lung ADC; the synergistic effects of the 17 core genes play an important role in lung ADC prognosis. These genes may have significant clinical implications for the treatment and prognosis of lung ADC.

Nidogen-1: a candidate biomarker for ovarian serous cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Effective biomarkers for early detection of ovarian cancer are needed. Our study previously showed that basement membrane protein, nidogen-1 plasma level was significantly increased in ovarian cancer patients. This study aimed to examine the plasma levels of nidogen-1 in a large patient population to evaluate its effectiveness in ovarian serous carcinoma and expression in tumor tissues. METHODS: The concentration of nidogen-1 in circulating plasma specimens of 265 ovarian serous cancer patients and 98 healthy individuals were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The medical records of 265 ovarian serous cancer cases were reviewed retrospectively. The expression status of nidogen-1 in tumor tissues of 44 ovarian serous carcinoma patients was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. For statistical analysis, we used the Mann-Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test and receiver operating characteristic. RESULTS: Protein levels of nidogen-1 were considerably raised in the plasma from ovarian serous cancer patients compared with those in healthy controls (P < 0.001), especially elevated in patients with advanced stage and those received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery. However, it was irrelevant to the grade, chemotherapy sensitivity or residual tumor of the ovarian serous carcinoma cases investigated (P > 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis for nidogen-1 showed that it could discriminate patients with ovarian serous carcinomas from healthy controls [areas under the curve (AUC): 0. 65, 95%CI, 0.59-0.71], but CA125 was superior (AUC: 0. 98, 95%CI, 0.96-0.99). The immunohistochemical staining result showed that nidogen-1 protein was localized both in the cancer cell cytoplasm and intercellular substance, mainly expressed in extracellular matrix of ovarian serous carcinoma tissues (the positive rate was 77.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that plasma nidogen-1 may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for ovarian serous carcinoma and can reflect the tumor burden.

[Protein levels and its clinical significance of septin-9 and clusterin in peripheral blood of epithelial ovarian cancer patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate septin-9 and clusterin protein levels in the peripheral blood samples from epithelial ovarian cancer patients, and explore its clinical significance. METHODS: Clinical data of 200 patients in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from Jan. 29, 2008 to Feb. 1, 2010 were collected. The peripheral blood samples were obtained from 137 epithelial ovarian cancer patients, 12 borderline ovarian tumor patients, 10 benign ovarian tumor patients, 41 benign pelvic lesion patients and 58 healthy women. The septin-9 and clusterin protein levels in the plasma were measured by double antibody sandwich ELISA or ELISA. The clinical significance of clusterin and septin-9 in plasma was analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy of septin-9 and clusterin protein in the detection of ovarian cancer was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Double antibody sandwich ELISA showed: the mean levels of plasma septin-9 in epithelial ovarian cancer patients or benign pelvic lesion patients were significantly higher than that in healthy women detedted by double antibody sandwich ELISA (P < 0.01). The mean levels of plasma septin-9 in epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients with tumor family history or distance metastasis were significantly higher than those patients without (P < 0.05). While the expression level of septin-9 protein in peripheral blood of ovarian cancer patients was not related to the patient age, pathologic stage, pathologic differentiation, smoking history, treatment history (including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy) and lymph node metastasis (all P > 0.05). ELISA showed: the mean level of plasma clusterin in epithelial ovarian cancer patients was significantly higher than that in healthy women deteded by ELISA (P = 0.021). The expression level of clusterin protein in peripheral blood of ovarian cancer patients was not related to the above clinical pathological parameters (all P > 0.05). To distinguish between ovarian cancer patients and healthy women by septin-9 protein expression level in plasma, when AUC was 0.712 and cut off was 0.28, the sensitivity of detection ovarian cancer by septin-9 protein expression was 82.5%, and the specificity was 50.0%. To distinguish between ovarian cancer patients and healthy women by clusterin protein expression level in plasma, when AUC was 0.636 and cut off was 87.96 pg/L, the sensitivity of detection ovarian cancer by clusterin protein expression was 71.5%, and the specificity was 41.4%. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of septin-9 and clusterin protein in peripheral blood of ovarian cancer patients is increased, especially the expression level of septin-9 protein with related to the distant metastasis. The study results shown that the detection of septin-9 and clusterin in plasma has a certain diagnosis value in ovarian cancer, which may be a potential markers for ovarian cancer.

[OLC1 protein levels in plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and its clinical application].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to detect the plasma concentration of OLC1 (overexpressed in lung cancer 1) protein as a potential cancer biomarker, and evaluating its clinical application value in the diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: We prepared OLC1 antibody with OLC1 full length protein, in 5-6-week old Bal B/c mice. Each mouse was immunized four times at a dose of 15-30 µg antigen protein, and the interval between two consecutive immunizations was two weeks. Antibody screening was made by ELISA and Western blot, and a double antibody sandwich ELISA kit was developed. We used this established ELISA kit to detect the plasma concentration of OLC1 protein in 281 NSCLC patients and 92 gender- and age-matched healthy controls. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the detection efficacy of OLC1. RESULTS: We obtained 11 OLC1 monoclonal antibodies and successfully established the ELISA kit to detect the plasma concentration of OLC1 with a detection range from 1.95 ng/ml to 62.50 ng/ml. OLC1 concentration in the case group (124.69 ng/ml) was significantly higher than that in the control group (67.07 ng/ml, P < 0.001). In the scenario of distinguishing NSCLC from control group, AUC result was 0.69. When the cut-off was set at 67.72 ng/ml, the sensitivity and specificity was 84.4% and 51.1%, respectively. In term of distinguishing early lung cancer (IA) from normal controls, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity were 0.68, 77.8% and 54.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The plasma concentration of OLC1 protein is significantly elevated in NSCLC patients. OLC1 may be as a potential cancer biomarker applied in clinical diagnosis.

[Study on 21 cases of multiple primary lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics of multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) and provide potential clues to the early diagnosis and treatment selection of MPLC patients. METHODS: The clinical data of 21 patients with MPLC confirmed by postoperative histopathology were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: All the 21 patients received surgery (pulmonary lobectomy or pulmonary wedge resection), and 49 intrapulmonary tumors were resected. The histopathological examination demonstrated that all the 21 cases were MPLC. Among the 21 patients, 10 had bilateral lesions in lung and 11 had unilateral lesions; 17 suffered synchronous and 4 suffered metachronous tumors; 14 had double two primary tumors, 6 had three primary tumors and 1 had four primary tumors. In these patients, 2 had various histological subtypes among their multiple lesions and 19 had same histological subtypes among their multiple tumors; 14 cases with stage I disease, stage II 2 cases, stage III 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS: For the patients who were detected as MPLC by diagnostic imaging examination, more positive therapeutic decision, such as surgery, could be suggested. The molecular markers should be developed for assisting diagnosis of MPLC.

Cigarette smoking-related OLC1 overexpression associated with poor prognosis in bladder urothelial carcinoma.

AIMS: To explore the clinical significance of OLC1 and cigarette smoking in bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: OLC1 mRNA expression was detected in 106 UBC samples by mRNA array or reverse real-time PCR. OLC1 protein expression in 114 UBC samples was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Wild-type C57BL/6J mice were injected with cigarette smoke condensate (n = 12) or exposed to cigarette smoke (n = 6) to investigate the correlations between cigarette smoking and OLC1 expression using mRNA array. KEY FINDINGS: The mRNA and protein expression of OLC1 were higher in tumor samples (p < 0.01) and significantly correlated with tumor stage (p < 0.05). OLC1 protein expression and smoking history were correlated with disease-free survival (p < 0.05). OLC1 expression was significantly elevated in smoking patients with higher smoking intensity on both mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.05). Cigarette smoke exposure experiments revealed that OLC1 mRNA overexpressed in bladder uroepithelium of mice. SIGNIFICANCE: OLC1 could serve as a potential prognosis biomarker of UBC, especially for smoking patients.

[Analyzed the molecular interaction network of tumor suppressor gene 14-3-3 sigma in lung cancer cell based on stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture technology].

OBJECTIVE: To analysis the molecular interaction network of 14-3-3 sigma in non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. METHODS: Established stable over-expressed 14-3-3 sigma protein PG cells, MTT assay was used to assess the growth rate of PG cells. Though stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) and Mass spectrometry (MS) technology, to identify difference expressed proteins caused by over expressed 14-3-3 sigma. The protein expressed >2 or <0.5 times was termed as the differential protein. By searching Human protein reference database (HPRD) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), established the molecular interaction network of tumor suppressor gene 14-3-3 sigma. RESULTS: The growth rate of over-expressed 14-3-3 sigma PG cell was obviously slower down compared to vector PG cells. A database including 147 differential protein was established. And a molecular interaction network of 14-3-3 sigma containing 26 protein was constructed.In this network, the expression of CSNK2A1 (casein kinase II subunit alpha), involved in numerous cellular processes, such as cell cycle progression, apoptosis and transcription, was the most significantly increased. A DNA repair protein, MEN1 (Menin) which functions as a transcriptional regulator was the most significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: After stable transfected with 14-3-3 sigma gene, growth rate of PG cells was inhibited, the proteins associated with cell cycle, DNA damage repair mechanisms were significantly changed, and constructed the molecular interaction network.

Screening microRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To screen and identify microRNAs (miRNAs) associated with the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) using clinical samples and construct a prediction model for the prognosis of LUAD. METHODS: 160 patient samples were used to screen and identify miRNAs associated with the prognosis of LUAD. Differentially expressed miRNAs were analyzed using gene chip technology. The selected miRNAs were validated using samples from the validation sample group. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to construct the model and Kaplan-Meier was used to plot survival curves. Model power was assessed by testing the prognosis of the constructed model using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) data. RESULTS: The data showed that miR-1260b, miR-21-3p and miR-92a-3p were highly expressed in the early recurrence and metastasis group, while miR-2467-3p, miR-4659a-3p, miR-4514, miR-1471 and miR-3621 were lowly expressed. It was further confirmed that miR-21-3p was significantly highly expressed in the early recurrence and metastasis group (p = 0.02). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results showed cut-off point value of 0.0172, sensitivity of 88.2% and specificity of 100%. The predictive results of the constructed model were in good agreement with the actual prognosis of patients by using the validation sample test (Kappa = 0.426, p < 0.001), with a model sensitivity of 74.4%, a specificity of 68.3%, and an accuracy of 71.3%. CONCLUSION: miRNAs associated with the prognosis of patients with stage I LUAD were screened and validated, and a risk model for predicting the prognosis of patients was constructed. This model has good consistency with the actual prognosis of patients.

The ovarian cancer-derived secretory/releasing proteome: A repertoire of tumor markers.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy worldwide, and early detection of this disease using serum or plasma biomarkers may improve its clinical outcome. In the present study, a large scale protein database derived from ovarian cancer was created to enable tumor marker discovery. First, primary organ cultures were established with the tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissues obtained from six ovarian cancer patients, and the serum-free conditioned medium (CM) samples were collected for proteomic analysis. The total proteins from the CM sample were separated by SDS-PAGE, digested with trypsin and then analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Combining data from the tumor tissues and the normal tissues, 1129 proteins were identified in total, of which those categorized as "extracellular proteins" and "plasma membrane proteins" accounted for 21.4% and 16.9%, respectively. For validation, three secretory proteins (NID1, TIMP2, and VCAN) involved in "organ development"-associated subnetwork, showed significant differences between their levels in the circulating plasma samples from ovarian cancer patients and healthy women. In conclusion, this ovarian cancer-derived protein database provides a credible repertoire of potential biomarkers in blood for this malignant disease, and deserves mining further.

Mechanical shear contributes to granule formation resulting in quick start-up and stability of a hybrid anammox reactor.

It appears that if suspended biomass washout can be reduced effectively, granule formation will be fastened in fluidized bed. Quicker reactor start-up can be anticipated especially for those system keeping slow growth bacteria such as anammox. A hybrid reactor combined fixed-bed with nonwoven fabrics as biomass carrier and fluidized bed with slow speed mechanical stirring was therefore developed, and its nitrogen removal performances was evaluated experimentally. Only in 38 days, the total nitrogen removal rate (NRR) reached to 1.9 kg(N) m(-3) day (-1) and then doubled within 17 days, with total nitrogen removal efficiency kept above 70%. After 180 days reactor operating, the NRR reached a maximum value of 6.6 kg(N) m(-3) day(-1) and the specific anammox activity was gradually constant in 0.32 kg(N) kg(VSS)(-1) day(-1). Biomass attached on nonwoven fabrics could additionally improve reactor nitrogen removal by 8%. The dominant size of granular sludge reached to 0.78 mm with stirring speed adjusted from 30 to 80 rpm and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 8 to 1.5 h during the whole operating time. Scanning electron microscope observation showed especially compact structure of granular sludge. A 70% of anammox bacteria percentage was identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis.

Radiomics Signature to Predict Prognosis in Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm) Patients with No Lymph Node Metastasis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the predictive ability of radiomics signature to predict the prognosis of early-stage primary lung adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm) with no lymph node metastasis (pathological stage I). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included consecutive patients with lung adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm) with no lymph node metastasis (pathological stage I) and divided them into two groups: good prognosis group and poor prognosis group. The association between the radiomics signature and prognosis was explored. An integrative radiomics model was constructed to demonstrate the value of the radiomics signature for individualized prognostic prediction. RESULTS: Six radiomics features were significantly different between the two prognosis groups and were used to construct a radiomics model. On the training and test sets, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve value of the radiomics model in discriminating between the two groups were 0.946 and 0.888, respectively, and those of the pathological model were 0.761 and 0.798, respectively. A radiomics nomogram combining sex, tumor size and rad-score was built. CONCLUSION: The radiomics signature has potential utility in estimating the prognosis of patients with pathological stage I lung adenocarcinoma (≤3 cm), potentially enabling a step forward in precision medicine.

Cigarette smoke suppresses the ubiquitin-dependent degradation of OLC1.

The newly identified gene, overexpressed in lung cancer 1 (OLC1), is highly expressed as OLC1 protein in the tumor tissues of lung cancer patients with histories of cigarette smoking. However, the underlying mechanisms of how the gene is affected by cigarette smoke have been poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated how OLC1 is regulated in lung cancer cells by cigarette smoke condensate (CSC). Compared to the controls, CSC treatment increased OLC1 protein levels in a dose- and time-dependent manner without affecting OLC1 mRNA levels in lung cancer cells. Ubiquitination of OLC1 protein was blocked upon CSC treatment. Biochemical analysis revealed that the ubiquitin E3 ligase anaphase promoting complex (APC) and its activators cell-division cycle protein 20 (CDC20) and cadherin-1 (CDH1) are responsible for the degradation of OLC1. However, upon introducing CSC the binding of OLC1 to the proteins CDC20, CDH1, and APC2 was impaired. These results demonstrate that CSC regulates OLC1 expression in lung cancer cells by compromising its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation through the ubiquitin E3 ligase APC.

An immunohistochemical analysis-based decision tree model for estimating the risk of lymphatic metastasis in pN0 squamous cell carcinomas of the lung.

AIMS: Lung cancer patients within the pN0 category have a significantly different outcome. The aim of this study was to develop a mathematical model to assist in predicting the prognosis of pN0 lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). METHODS AND RESULTS: Twenty-three proteins were examined by immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis on primary tumour tissues from 319 lung SCC patients. In a training group, using IHC data, a recursive partitioning decision tree (RP-DT) was used to build a model for estimating the risk for lymphatic metastasis. This model was then validated in a test cohort. Of 23 proteins, 8 (matrix metallopeptidase 1, metalloproteinase inhibitor 1, Ras GTPase-activating-like protein IQGAP1, targeting protein for Xklp2, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, cathepsin D, fascin, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor/secretory component) were selected, and generated a tree model in a training group of 255 patients to classify them as at high or low risk of lymphatic invasion, with accuracy of 78.0% (compared to histopathological diagnosis), sensitivity of 83.0% and specificity of 70.3%. When the tree model was applied to the test group, the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were 76.6%, 76.0% and 76.9%, respectively. The performance of this mathematical model was substantiated further in 34 'problematic' stage I/pN0 patients by survival analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The RP-DT model, constructed with eight protein markers for estimating lymphatic metastasis risk in pN0 lung SCC, is clinically feasible and practical, using IHC data from the primary tumour.

Exploration of a Novel Prognostic Risk Signature and Its Effect on the Immune Response in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive and metastatic carcinoma with different molecular characteristics and clinical outcomes. In this work, we aimed to establish a novel gene signature that could predict the prognosis of NPC patients. A total of 13 significant genes between the recurrence/metastasis (RM) group and the no recurrence/metastasis (no-RM) group were identified by machine learning from RNA-Seq data including 60 NPC tumor biopsies. Based on these genes, a 4-mRNA signature (considering U2AF1L5, TMEM265, GLB1L and MLF1) was identified. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analyses indicated that this signature had good prognostic value for NPC. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the patients in the high-risk group were significantly shorter than those of the patients in the low-risk group (p = 0.00126 and p = 0.000059, respectively). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of the 4-mRNA signature were higher than those of T stage and N stage for OS (0.893 vs 0.619 and 0.582, respectively) and PFS (0.86 vs 0.538 and 0.622, respectively). Furthermore, the 4-mRNA signature was closely associated with cell proliferation and the immune response. The expression of GLB1L and TMEM265 was associated with the level of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (r > 0.4, p < 0.05). We have validated the model through measuring the expression levels of the 4-mRNA signature by qRT-PCR, in an independent cohort of NPC patients. Here, we report a novel gene signature that can serve as a new tool for predicting the prognosis of NPC patients.

Copy Number Variations of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 Serve as Novel Signatures for the Prognosis of Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Finding effective prognostic signatures is of great urgency due to the high risk of recurrence and progression of bladder cancer (BC). Although a lot of genetic alterations are involved in the carcinogenesis, none of them were referred in the current risk group stratifications. In this study, we aimed to find significant copy number variations (CNVs) to predict prognosis for BC patients. METHODS: CNVs with high aberration frequencies in BC were explored by array-based comparative genomic hybridization in 65 tumor samples. Candidates were validated in independent groups of BC tumor samples (n=219) and urine samples (n=123). 3D digital PCR was applied for detecting accurate gene copy numbers in BC urine. In order to explore the prognostic value of candidate CNVs, all enrolled patients were followed up for the disease-free survival (DFS). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to find the independent prognostic factors for DFS. RESULTS: CNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 with high aberration frequencies (67.7%, 56.9% and 60.0%, respectively) were found in BC tumors. Copy numbers of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were gained in 219 tumor samples. CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were correlated with advanced tumor stage and high grade. Retrospective analysis (median follow-up time: 69 months) revealed that CNVs of CEP63 and FOSL2 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients, while CNVs of FOSL2 and PAQR6 were independent prognostic factors for DFS of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients. Models for predicting DFS were constructed based on CNVs of three genes. Patients with high prognostic indexes tended to have poor DFS. Prognostic index can also help to identify those with worse outcomes among high risk NMIBC patients. Copy number gains of CEP63 and FOSL2 in urine were found to be significantly correlated with poor DFS of NMIBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: CNVs of CEP63, FOSL2 and PAQR6 were capable of predicting DFS and may serve as promising signatures for prognosis of BC.

CYR61 as a potential biomarker for the preoperative identification of muscle-invasive bladder cancers.

BACKGROUND: The biological behaviors, clinical treatment, prognosis of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancers (NMIBCs) and muscle-invasive bladder cancers (MIBCs) are distinct. Accurate staging is pivotal in optimal therapy planning for bladder cancers (BCs). However, it is insufficient for urologists in preoperative determining whether the tumor has invaded within the muscularis propria through cystoscope and imaging methods (CT or MRI). Therefore, searching for ideal biomarkers from the tumor tissues and urine is important for identifying the MIBCs preoperatively. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes between NMIBCs and MIBCs were identified by microarray analysis and validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analysis. The correlation between cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61) expression and Kaplan-Meier test evaluated patients' overall survival (OS). CYR61 protein levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in preoperatively collected urine samples from BC patients. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of uric CYR61. The siRNA mediated silencing of CYR61 in bladder carcinoma cells was performed using Lipofectamine 2000. Cell migration and invasion were assessed using wound healing and transwell assay, respectively. RESULTS: Differential gene expression analysis using microarray between 14 MIBCs and 16 NMIBCs human tumor samples revealed a significant increase (P<0.001) in the expression of CYR61 in MIBCs compared with NMIBCs. Higher expression of CYR61 in MIBCs was found in additional 54 tumor samples using qRT-PCR. Therefore, the overexpression of CYR61 in MIBCs could be used as a potential biomarker to distinguish between MIBCs and NMIBCs. ELISA detected elevated levels of CYR61 in the urine samples of MIBC patients (average 2.5-fold) compared with NMIBCs, with 72.7% sensitivity and 86.0% specificity to distinguish MIBCs from NMIBCs. Wound healing and transwell assays using CYR61-silenced carcinoma cells indicated the role of CYR61 in cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: CYR61 expression is higher in MIBCs compared with NMIBCs and can serve as a promising biomarker for the preoperative diagnosis of MIBCs with prognostic value; however, multicentric prospective validation is essential for the further evaluation of CYR61.

[Analysis of first-line chemoresistance and prediction of chemo-response in non-small cell lung cancer by comparative genomic hybridization].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between chromosomal disequilibrium and chemoresistance/chemosensitivity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). METHODS: Genomic DNA samples were prepared from the tumor tissues in paraffin-embedded sections derived from 88 patients with advanced NSCLC (18 with chemosensitivity and 16 with chemoresistance). The DNAs were first amplified by a degenerate oligonucleotide prime-polymerase chain reaction protocol and then labeled with fluorescence as probes for CGH analyses. The correlations of the resulting chromosomal imbalances with the chemo-sensitivity and other pathological features of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 640 abnormal chromosome regions including 96.12% gains and 3.88% losses were detected in 88 specimens. The results indicated that the most frequently gained chromosome regions were 19p13.1-13.3 (39/88, 44.12%), followed by 9q12-q22 (26/88, 29.41%), 22q12-q13 (26/88, 29.41%), and Xq (29/88, 32.35%). The total number of abnormal regions related with chemo-sensitivity was 188( 182 gains and 6 losses), while the number of the abnormal regions linked to the chemoresistance was 452 (431 gains and 21 losses) (P=0.005). Gains of 14p12-p13 and 19p were significantly correlated with the chemosensitivity of the NSCLC (P=0.006). Gains of 1q12-q22, 10q25-q26, 5p15.1-p15.3, 19q13.2-13.4, 20p11.2-p12, 21q22, and Xp 21-p22.1 were also significantly correlated with the chemoresistance (P]0.005, 0.029, 0.039, 0.029, 0.039, 0.016, and 0.006, respectively). No correlation between the chromosome abnormalities and other clinical features was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The specific gains and losses of chromosome region is correlated with platinum-based first-line chemotherapy in NSCLC patients,as confirmed by CGH detection. This finding is useful for further identifying the chemosensitivity-related functional genes, predicting clinical effectiveness, and achieve individualized treatment in the future.

[Effects of Rap2b gene on foci formation and wound-healing of NIH3T3 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects on foci formation and wound-healing of NIH3T3 cells, and to provid the experimental evidence of its function. METHODS: DNA from human lung cells was extracted and amplification of Rap2b gene was done by PCR. Eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3. 1-Rap2b was constructed and was stable transfected into NIH3T3 cell followed with foci formation assay and wound-healing assay. RESULTS: The number of the foci formation of NIH3T3 cell transfected by eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3. 1-Rap2b was increased remarkably in foci formation assay (P < 0.01) and NIH3T3 cells transfected by eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3. 1-Rap2b were quickly heal up in wound-healing assay. CONCLUSION: The extrinsic expression of Rap2b could transform NIH3T3 cell using foci formation assay and wound-healing assay. Rap2b gene might play an oncogenic role in tumorigenesis.

[DNA microarrays-based microRNA expression profiles derived from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of squammous cell carcinoma of larynx].

OBJECTIVE: To establish DNA microarrays-based microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of squamous cell carcinoma of larynx, using archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks, and to screen out and identify the differentially expressed miRNAs associated with the biological characteristics of this malignant disease. METHODS: Total RNA was prepared from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. After quality identification and fluorescent labeling, the RNA samples were hybridized with the Agilent human miRNA microarrays which contains 723 probes for human miRNAs. The data was processed with the softwares GeneSpring GX and R-Project. RESULTS: From the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor blocks collected, 24 RNA samples were obtained with the quality accorded to the requirement of miRNA microarray analysis, and both the hybridization and consequent data processing were accomplished. A total of 319 miRNAs were identified and among them 96 were detected in all the 24 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of laryngeal carcinoma; and 5 differentially expressed miRNAs (false discovery rate < 0.05) were found to be associated significantly with the lymphatic metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.05), including miR-23a(*), miR-28-5p, miR-15a, miR-16 and miR-425. CONCLUSIONS: Histopathological archives of well-annotated formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens are the valuable resources for miRNA study including to collect RNA samples for miRNA microarray analysis. A panel of differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-23a(*), miR-28-5p, miR-15a, miR-16 and miR-425) derived from the miRNA expression profile may serve as the potential molecular biomarkers for the prediction of metastasis development in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.