[The prospect and challenge of liquid biopsy in the diagnosis and treatment of chest malignancy].

In recent years, the incidence of chest malignant tumors in China has increased year by year, which has seriously threatened the health problems of people. Among them, early screening and intervention of patients with chest malignancies is the key to cancer prevention. Early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment as the "three early prevention" of clinical practice are conducive to improve the survival rate of tumor patients. As a non-invasive and real-time reflection of tumor status, liquid biopsy has gradually received attention in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and exosomes as liquid biopsy "Three carriages" are not only widely used in the diagnosis, monitoring and prognostic evaluation of chest malignancies, but also face many unknown challenges. In this article, the application of liquid biopsy in chest malignancies in recent years is elaborated in detail, which provides a reference for the formulation of clinical tumor prevention and diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Circulating microRNA array (miR-182, 200b and 205) for the early diagnosis and poor prognosis predictor of non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cause for cancer-related mortality worldwide. Currently, early detection of NSCLC is one of the main available strategies for improving its prognosis. Due to the lack of non-invasive and convenient tools, early diagnosis of NSCLC remains poor. Recently, it has been reported that circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) can be stably detected in serum. Meanwhile, they play a powerful role as biomarkers in various tumors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to detect the expression levels of serum miR-182, 200b and 205 in NSCLC patients, and to investigate their diagnostic and prognostic values. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was carried out to measure the expressions of miR-182, 200b and 205 in NSCLC tissues and normal controls. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the potential value of serum miRNAs for NSCLC diagnosis. Meanwhile, transwell assays were performed to observe the functional effects of miRNAs on the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. RESULTS: Compared with normal controls, serum levels of miR-182 and 205 in NSCLC patients were significantly upregulated, whereas miR-200b was remarkably downregulated. ROC analysis indicated that miRNA array (miR-182, 200b and 205) was useful biomarkers for early diagnosis of NSCLC. In addition, transwell assays demonstrated that miR-182 promoted the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that serum miR-182, 200b and 205 might serve as promising biomarkers for early detection and treatment of NSCLC.

[Dietary pattern and its seasonal characteristic in residents of Shanghai, 2012-2014].

Objective: To analyze dietary pattern and its seasonal characteristic in residents of Shanghai. Methods: A representative sample was surveyed and followed up in four different seasons during 2012-2014. Information of food consumption was collected by 3-day 24-hour dietary recall and condiments weighing method. The intake of energy and macronutrients were calculated according to the Chinese Food Composition Table. Results: Annual average daily intake was 191.09 g for grain, 250.69 g for vegetable, 107.23 g for fruit, 223.53 g for animal food, 96.39 g for dairy products, 11.19 g for soy bean and its product, 36.54 g for cooking oil, and 7.57 g for salt. Significant differences were observed in food consumption among different seasons (P<0.05). Annual average daily intake of energy was 2 048.70 kcal, carbohydrates was 241.04 g, protein was 82.35 g, fat was 85.99 g and proportion of energy contributed by fat was 37.99%. Different seasons, age, residential areas, and income were influence factors for food consumption (P<0.05). Conclusions: Energy intake was adequate in residents of Shanghai. Unhealthy dietary pattern, including high proportion of fat and consumption of cooking oil and salt (lower than average intake of large cities, but higher than recommendation), was observed. It is necessary to take appropriate nutrition intervention, and future researches on dietary intake should consider seasonal influences.

Effect of Ginkgo biloba extract on matrix metalloproteinase-3 expression in a rat model of chondrocyte injury.

A rat model with cartilage chondrocyte injury was established using interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) to investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) on matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) expression. Rat chondrocytes were extracted and randomly divided into six groups: control group, IL-1ß (model) group, IL-1ß + dexamethasone group, and IL-1ß + EGb group (both high and low dose groups). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect MMP-3 expression. Compared to the MMP-3 mRNA level in the control group, MMP-3 mRNA level significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.05). The application of dexamethasone or EGb significantly decreased the MMP-3 mRNA level (P < 0.05). MMP-3 mRNA and protein levels decreased in the EGb-treated group, especially in the high-dose group, compared to those in the dexamethasone group (P < 0.05). EGb may reduce MMP-3 production during IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte damage and protect chondrocytes to some extent, with better efficacy at high doses.

Avian leukosis virus p27 inhibits tumor necrosis factor alpha expression in RAW264.7 macrophages after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide.

UNLABELLED: Avian leukosis is a widely distributed disease caused by Avian leukosis virus (ALV). ALV p27 is a capsid protein and group specific antigen, whose role in host immune response is poorly understood. To explore ALV p27, we developed a RAW264.7 macrophage cell line stably expressing p27-GFP fusion protein. The cells of this line and control cell line expressing GFP protein only were compared in production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukins IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, and in proliferative activity stimulated by the lipopolysaccharide (LPS). It was found that the ALV p27 expression markedly reduced the production of TNF-alpha, but did not affect the production of IL-1beta, IL-6, and 12, and cell proliferative activity. These results demonstrate that ALV p27 specifically inhibits TNF-alpha expression in the macrophages stimulated by LPS, suggesting a possible contribution of ALV p27 to immunosuppression detected in ALV-infected hosts. KEYWORDS: Avian leukosis virus; p27; tumor necrosis factor alpha; interleukins; macrophages; lipopolysaccharide.

Adjuvant chemotherapy of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin for complete resectable esophageal cancer: a case-matched cohort study in east China.

It is still controversial whether adjuvant chemotherapy of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin can increase the overall survival of esophageal cancer patients, and which subgroup of patients get most benefits from it. Between 1998 and 2004, 66 esophageal cancer patients with adjuvant chemotherapy and 160 well-matched patients without chemotherapy were included in this study. Nine markers were measured in the protein level to analyze prognostic significance. In the whole group, adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve the survival of esophageal cancer patients. There was also no significant difference for survival in stage I (P=0.59 and P=0.59), stage II (P=0.28 and P=0.28) and stage III patients (P=0.144 and P=0.06) between the observation and the chemotherapy group. Chemotherapy was most effective for the patients who had metastases in cervical and/or celiac lymph nodes (IV subgroup). One and 3-year disease-free survival and overall survival were significantly better than for those who did not receive the chemotherapy(P=0.038, and 0.016, respectively). Bcl-2 expression was a bad prognostic factor, and was more predictive in the adjuvant chemotherapy group than in the no-chemotherapy group. Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved the treatment result of stage IV patients compared with the observation group. Bcl-2 could be used to analyze prognosis and guide the adjuvant treatment.