Long noncoding RNA ZFPM2-AS1 regulates renal cell carcinoma progression via miR-130a-3p/ESCO2.

Previous studies reported that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) ZFPM2-AS1 is upregulated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, the biological role of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in RCC has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the role of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 in the progression of RCC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used for gene expression analysis, and functional assays including Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry-based apoptosis assay and transwell migration assays were performed to examine the malignant phenotypes. The functional interaction between ZFPM2-AS1 or miR-130A-3P and their targets was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay. We found that the expressions of ZFPM2-AS1 and ESCO2 were upregulated in RCC tissues and cells, whereas miR-130a-3p was downregulated. The expression level of ZFPM2-AS1 is significantly associated with advanced TNM, distant metastasis, lymphatic metastasis, and a poor overall survival in RCC patients. Silencing ZFPM2-AS1 in RCC cells suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induced cell apoptosis. ZFPM2-AS1 interacted with miR-130A-3P and negatively regulated its expression in RCC cells. We further showed that ESCO2 was a downstream target of miR-130a-3p. Both miR-130a-3p inhibitor and ESCO2 overexpression could rescue the inhibitory effects of ZFPM2-AS1 knockdown in RCC cells. Together, our study demonstrates that ZFPM2-AS1 plays an oncogenic role in RCC progression via the miR-130a-3p/ESCO2 axis.

Clinical application of percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a patient with kyphoscoliosis.

This case report describes the performance of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy in a 50-year-old woman who had scoliosis with kyphosis and a history of tuberculosis of the lumbar spine. The operation was performed with the patient under general anesthesia and in the prone position. Residual stones were found in the right lower kidney calyx postoperatively, resulting in a second-phase surgery using the same approach 2 weeks later. All stones were successfully removed during the second surgery. No complications occurred in either operation, and the patient recovered well. This study suggests that ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy is a safe and effective approach in treating renal calculi in patients with scoliosis.

Loss-of-function HSD17B13 variants, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and adverse liver outcomes: Results from a multi-ethnic Asian cohort

Background/Aims@#17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) variants were recently reported to have significantly lower odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This is a two-part study that aimed to evaluate the association of HSD17B13 variants with NAFLD and its histological severity, and to identify the association of the variants with clinical outcomes in a cohort of biopsy-proven NAFLD patients. @*Methods@#Consecutive biopsy-proven NAFLD patients and controls without fatty liver were recruited for this study between 2009 and 2014. Genotyping for HSD17B13 variants was performed using rhAmp assays. A total of 165 patients with NAFLD were monitored up until August 2019. Clinical outcomes were recorded. @*Results@#HSD17B13 rs72613567 TA allele and rs6834314 G allele were associated with lower odds of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the overall cohort and among ethnic Chinese, but not among ethnic Malays or Indians (P<0.05). During a mean follow-up of 89 months, 32 patients (19.4%) experienced at least one clinical outcome (cardiovascular events, n=22; liver-related complications, n=6; extra-hepatic malignancy, n=5; and mortality, n=6). The rs72613567 homozygous TA allele and the rs6834314 homozygous G allele were independently associated with a lower incidence of liver-related complications (hazard ratio [HR], 0.004; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00–0.64; P=0.033 and HR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00–0.97; P=0.048, respectively) and were associated with lower grade of hepatocyte ballooning among the ethnic Chinese. @*Conclusion@#HSD17B13 rs72613567 and rs6834314 variants were inversely associated with NAFLD and NASH, and were associated with lower incidence of adverse liver outcomes in a cohort of multi-ethnic Asian patients with NAFLD.

Loss-of-function HSD17B13 variants, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and adverse liver outcomes: Results from a multi-ethnic Asian cohort

Background/Aims@#17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 13 (HSD17B13) variants were recently reported to have significantly lower odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This is a two-part study that aimed to evaluate the association of HSD17B13 variants with NAFLD and its histological severity, and to identify the association of the variants with clinical outcomes in a cohort of biopsy-proven NAFLD patients. @*Methods@#Consecutive biopsy-proven NAFLD patients and controls without fatty liver were recruited for this study between 2009 and 2014. Genotyping for HSD17B13 variants was performed using rhAmp assays. A total of 165 patients with NAFLD were monitored up until August 2019. Clinical outcomes were recorded. @*Results@#HSD17B13 rs72613567 TA allele and rs6834314 G allele were associated with lower odds of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in the overall cohort and among ethnic Chinese, but not among ethnic Malays or Indians (P<0.05). During a mean follow-up of 89 months, 32 patients (19.4%) experienced at least one clinical outcome (cardiovascular events, n=22; liver-related complications, n=6; extra-hepatic malignancy, n=5; and mortality, n=6). The rs72613567 homozygous TA allele and the rs6834314 homozygous G allele were independently associated with a lower incidence of liver-related complications (hazard ratio [HR], 0.004; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.00–0.64; P=0.033 and HR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.00–0.97; P=0.048, respectively) and were associated with lower grade of hepatocyte ballooning among the ethnic Chinese. @*Conclusion@#HSD17B13 rs72613567 and rs6834314 variants were inversely associated with NAFLD and NASH, and were associated with lower incidence of adverse liver outcomes in a cohort of multi-ethnic Asian patients with NAFLD.