Expression Significance of Estrogen Receptor ER-α36 in Breast Cancer Treated by Chemotherapy: A Meta-Analysis.

Estrogen receptor (ER) is a molecular marker and target for diagnosing and treating breast cancer (BC). ER-α36, a novel estrogen receptor subtype, involved in the proliferation, differentiation, metastasis, and invasion of tumor cells. It is closely linked to the progression of various cancers. Therefore, studying ER is of high significance in treating BC. In this study, we will investigate the changes in the expression level of ER-α36 in patients with BC treated by chemotherapy through meta-analysis, so as to evaluate the clinical value of ER-α36 in the prognosis of BC treated by chemotherapy. English databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and The Cochrane Library were searched to retrieve the articles published from the establishment of the database to April 2023. The keywords included chemotherapy, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast cancer, estrogen receptor alpha, and ER-α36. Five suitable studies, encompassing 636 patients, were ultimately selected. The meta-analysis results revealed that, following the chemotherapy, the analysis of ER-α36 positive cases yielded an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.42, a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.28-0.64 (Z = 4.00, P < 0.0001). Additionally, the analysis of cases exhibiting remission in BC demonstrated an OR of 2.22 (95% CI = 1.40-3.50, Z = 3.40, P = 0.0007). Compared to patients receiving single chemotherapy agents or those untreated with chemotherapy, the combined use of multiple chemotherapy drugs can significantly reduce the levels of ER-α36 in BC patients, enhancing the remission rate of BC. ER-α36 can serve as a critical indicator for assessing the prognosis of BC following chemotherapy.

WW domain binding protein 2 (WBP2) as an oncogene in breast cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic prospects-a narrative review.

Background and Objective: WW domain binding protein 2 (WBP2), considered an emerging breast cancer gene, functions as a binding partner for WW domain proteins. The WBP2 gene is involved in mediating the malignant development and clinical drug resistance of breast cancer, but its potential mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of WBP2 in breast cancer, which will help to provide new methods for clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Methods: The PubMed database was searched using the terms "WW Domain Binding Protein 2" or "WBP2", "breast cancer" or "breast neoplasms" or "human cancer" from January 1997 through August 2022. Through the screening and evaluation of titles and abstracts, about 120 English articles were included in this study. Key Content and Findings: By describing the multiple regulatory functions of WBP2 at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational levels, and summarizing how WBP2 as a key node crosstalks multiple signaling pathways, we reveal the ability of WBP2 to promote breast cancer malignant progression. In different subtypes of breast cancer, the mechanism of WBP2-mediated drug resistance is related to estrogen receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) 2 status, and hormones may be an essential factor in WBP2-mediated drug resistance. In addition, we discuss the application prospects of WBP2 in targeted therapy and immunotherapy and propose therapeutic strategies to overcome drug resistance in breast cancer by jointly targeting WBP2 and its related molecules. This provides a theoretical basis for the innovation of breast cancer targeted drugs. Conclusions: WBP2 is a promising target for breast cancer therapy. Nuclear WBP2, as the main functional form of WBP2 after its activation, is a meaningful indicator for the diagnosis and prediction of breast cancer progression.

Establishment of Serum TSH Reference Intervals by an Indirect Method for Healthy Population in Southwest China.

BACKGROUND: Serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) detection is of great clinical significance in monitoring thyroid function. The aim of the present study was to establish reference intervals (RIs) for serum TSH in healthy Han population in Southwest China using data from routine health check-up individuals. METHODS: Healthy subjects (n = 7,116) were enrolled from January 2019 to September 2020. Serum TSH values were determined in the Beckman Coulter UniCel™ DxI 800 Access® immunoassay system. Outliers were identified and removed using Dixon's interactive principle. The 95th percentile range was calculated as RIs for serum TSH. All the statistical analyses were run on R statistical software version 4.0.3. RESULTS: A total of 6,668 (1,324 female and 5,344 male) suitable individuals were included in this study. Serum TSH results showed a non-Gaussian distribution by Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. According to Mann-Whitney U analysis, the serum TSH values for the female group differ from the male group's (p < 0.05). Besides, Spearman's rank correlation test disclosed that no obvious correlation was observed between serum TSH levels and age (r = -0.0039, p > 0.05). Accordingly, the RIs for serum TSH in Southwest China Han population were 0.64 (95% CI: 0.62 to 0.65) to 4.05 (95% CI: 4.02 to 4.09) mIU/L in male and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.67 to 0.77) to 5.66 (95% CI: 5.58 to 5.75) mIU/L in female, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the laboratory specific RIs for serum TSH were successfully established by indirect method using the data from health check-up population. It implies that the indirect method is an easy and lowcost pathway for each laboratory to establish its own RIs.

A narrative review of research progress on FoxM1 in breast cancer carcinogenesis and therapeutics.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to clarify the potential roles of forkhead box transcription factor M1 (FoxM1) in the occurrence and progression of breast cancer, as well as the predictive value of FoxM1 as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for breast cancer. BACKGROUND: Breast cancer, well-known as a molecularly heterogeneous cancer, is still one of the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumors among females worldwide. Tumor recurrence and metastasis are the central causes of high mortality in breast cancer patients. Many factors contribute to the occurrence and progression of breast cancer, including FoxM1. FoxM1, widely regarded as a classic proliferation-related transcription factor, plays pivotal roles in the occurrence, proliferation, invasion, migration, drug resistance, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes of multiple human tumors including breast cancer. METHODS: The PubMed database was searched for articles published in English from February 2008 to May 2021 using related keywords such as "forkhead box transcription factor M1", "human breast cancer", "FoxM1", and "human tumor". About 90 research papers and reports written in English were identified, most of which were published after 2015. These papers mainly concentrated on the functions of FoxM1 in the occurrence, development, drug resistance, and treatment of human breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Considering that the abnormal expression of FoxM1 plays a significant role in the proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and chemotherapy drug resistance of breast cancer, and its overexpression is closely correlated with the unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics of breast tumor patients, it is considerably important to comprehend the regulatory mechanism of FoxM1 in breast cancer. This will provide strong evidence for FoxM1 as a potential biomarker for the targeted treatment and prognostic evaluation of breast cancer patients.