Retracted: Taxol-Resistant Gene 1 (Txr1) Mediates Oxaliplatin Resistance by Inducing Autophagy in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

An editorial decision has been made to retract this manuscript due to breach of publishing guidelines, following the identification of non-original and manipulated figures. Reference: Hua-ming Chi, Jing-dong Du, Jie Cheng, Hua-dong Mao: Taxol-Resistant Gene 1 (Txr1) Mediates Oxaliplatin Resistance by Inducing Autophagy in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells. Med Sci Monit 2019; 25:475-483. 10.12659/MSM.913180.

Interleukin-27 inhibits helper T cell type-2 response in allergic rhinitis.

OBJECTIVE: Interleukin-27 (IL-27) is a recently identified cytokine which plays both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effect in different diseases. However, its function in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) was not clear so far. METHODS: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to detect the expression of interleukin 27 (IL-27) and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) from 22 patients diagnosed with AR and 20 normal controls. Purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were prepared for in vitro experiment. RESULTS: Serum mRNA and protein levels of IL-27 were down-regulated in AR patients compared with normal controls. The expression of IL-27 showed negative correlation with Th2 cytokines. In vitro study showed that IL-27 significantly inhibited Th2 cytokines expression from PBMCs. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that decreased IL-27 expression in AR were correlated with Th2 response. IL-27 may be used as potential target in the future treatment of AR.

Taxol-Resistant Gene 1 (Txr1) Mediates Oxaliplatin Resistance by Inducing Autophagy in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells.

BACKGROUND Oxaliplatin (L-OHP) is an important chemotherapy regimen for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but can fail due to drug resistance. In this study, the role of Txr1 (taxol-resistant gene 1) in oxaliplatin resistance was investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cell viability assay was carried out using the CellTiter-Glo Luminescent Cell Viability Assay Kit. CNE1 and CNE2 cells were cultured continuously with gradually increasing concentrations of L-OHP for 6 months to establish drug-resistant cell lines. Autophagy was detected by electron microscopy. Txr1 expression in NPC cells was detected via Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). RESULTS In L-OHP-resistant CNE1/L-OHP and CNE2/L-OHP cells, mRNA and protein expression of Txr1 increased compared to the parental cells, and downregulation of Txr1 re-sensitized drug-resistant cells to L-OHP. Moreover, we found that Txr1-mediated L-OHP resistance was associated with increased autophagy. Txr1-overexpression cells developed L-OHP resistance and a high level of autophagy. Inhibiting autophagy using 2 different methods - inhibition of autophagy-related gene expression and autophagy inhibitor - attenuated L-OHP resistance of NPC cells. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the detection of Txr1 might become a good indicator to evaluate the treatment and prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Our data suggest that further investigation of Txr1 in the setting of L-OHP resistance is warranted.

Efficacy of Telephone Follow-Up in Children Tonsillectomy with Day Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Day surgery for tonsillectomy has become more and more popular in China. However, many parents face difficulties to cope up with the pain and side effects after surgery. The present study was aimed to examine the efficacy of telephone follow-up on children's post-discharge recovery after tonsillectomy. METHODS: In this prospective study, the sample consisted of 863 children randomly assigned to receive clinic visit after discharge or 1 to 14 d' telephone follow-up after discharge. During the follow-up, the research nurse or parents assessed each child's status, identified problems, and provided needed follow-up care. Key outcomes were pain intensity, postoperative complication, and unanticipated contact with the health care system. RESULTS: Compared with clinical visit, children in telephone follow-up group presented with less pain in early stage after surgery and better food and drink intake. The prevalence of hemorrhage, nausea, vomiting, fever and dizziness had no difference between the groups. Telephone follow-up also reduced unanticipated healthcare services. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested that a follow-up telephone call is a safe and cost-effective method of postoperative management for pediatric patients who have undergone tonsillectomy.

Osteopontin induced vascular endothelial growth factor production in dispersed nasal polyp cells through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathways.

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN) is involved in cell survival, migration, and angiogenesis. The role of OPN in inducing angiogenesis in tumor has been confirmed. In this study, we investigated the expression of OPN in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyp (NP) and the relationship of OPN with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production. METHODS: We enrolled 45 subjects with CRS (25 with CRS with NPs [CRSwNP] and 20 subjects with CRS without NPs [CRSsNP]), and with 14 normal controls to determine the expression of OPN and VEGF. The distribution, messenger RNA (mRNA), and protein levels of OPN and VEGF were examined by immunohistochemistry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The effect of OPN on the VEGF production was tested in dispersed NP cells (DNPC) and the involved signaling pathways were examined by Western blot. RESULTS: In NP tissue of the subjects with CRSwNP, the epithelial cells, interstitial cells, glandular cells, and endothelial cells were positive for OPN and VEGF staining, whereas OPN and VEGF immunoactivity in specimens of subjects with CRSsNP and in normal controls was significantly reduced. We found that the immunostainings, the mRNA expression, and the protein levels of OPN and VEGF were significantly increased in NPs compared with normal controls. OPN induced VEGF production by DNPCs in a time- and dose-dependent manner through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase- protein kinase B and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway. Moreover, VEGF also induced OPN production, which formed a positive feedback between OPN and VEGF. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that OPN and VEGF were overproduced in NPs and that OPN induced VEGF production, which indicated that OPN-VEGF axis might contribute to angiogenesis in NPs.

[The treatment of glottic carcinoma with high-frequency electrotome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgery management of glottic carcinoma with high-frequency electrotome. METHOD: Twenty cases of patients with glottic carcinoma were treated by cordectomy under micro-laryngoscopy with high-frequency electrotome. RESULT: The 20 patients were followed up from 5 months to 6 years, retained good laryngeal function and structure: 1 case had local recurrences after 6 months, underwent total laryngectomy, and now no recurrence had been found: 19 cases (mild adhesions of vocal cords formed in 2 cases) had no local recurrence nor lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: It is unnecessary to invest in expensive equipment in the cordectomy under micro-laryngoscopy with high frequency electrotome under general anesthesia and the result is satisfactory.