Bioinformatics Identification and Experimental Validation of a Prognostic Model for the Survival of Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) kills more than four million people yearly. Creating more trustworthy tumor molecular markers for LUSC early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, and customized treatment is essential. Cuproptosis, a novel form of cell death, opened up a new field of study for searching for trustworthy tumor indicators. Our goal was to build a risk model to assess drug sensitivity, monitor immune function, and predict prognosis in LUSC patients. The 19 cuproptosis-related genes were found in the literature, and patient genomic and clinical information was collected using the Cancer Genomic Atlas (TCGA) database. The LUSC patients were grouped using unsupervised clustering techniques, and 7626 differentially expressed genes were identified. Using univariate COX analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multivariate COX analysis, a prognostic model for LUSC patients was developed. The tumor immune escape was evaluated using the Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) method. The R packages 'pRRophetic,' 'ggpubr,' and 'ggplot2' were utilized to examine drug sensitivity. For modeling, a 6-cuproptosis-based gene signature was found. Patients with high-risk LUSC had significantly worse survival rates than those with low-risk conditions. The possibility of tumor immunological escape was increased in patients with higher risk scores due to more immune cell inactivation. For patients with high-risk LUSC, we discovered seven potent potential drugs (AZD6482, CHIR.99021, CMK, Embelin, FTI.277, Imatinib, and Pazopanib). In conclusion, the cuproptosis-based genes predictive risk model can be utilized to predict outcomes, track immune function, and evaluate medication sensitivity in LUSC patients.

Leptomeningeal enhancement of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated encephalitis: uncovering novel markers on contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images.

Background: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) is a newly defined autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating central nervous system (CNS) disease characterized by antibodies against MOG. Leptomeningeal enhancement (LME) on contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (CE-FLAIR) images has been reported in patients with other diseases and interpreted as a biomarker of inflammation. This study retrospectively analyzed the prevalence and distribution of LME on CE-FLAIR images in children with MOG antibody-associated encephalitis (MOG-E). The corresponding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and clinical manifestations are also presented. Methods: The brain MRI images (native and CE-FLAIR) and clinical manifestations of 78 children with MOG-E between January 2018 and December 2021 were analyzed. Secondary analyses evaluated the relationship between LME, clinical manifestations, and other MRI measures. Results: Forty-four children were included, and the median age at the first onset was 70.5 months. The prodromal symptoms were fever, headache, emesis, and blurred vision, which could be progressively accompanied by convulsions, decreased level of consciousness, and dyskinesia. MOG-E showed multiple and asymmetric lesions in the brain by MRI, with varying sizes and blurred edges. These lesions were hyperintense on the T2-weighted and FLAIR images and slightly hypointense or hypointense on the T1-weighted images. The most common sites involved were juxtacortical white matter (81.8%) and cortical gray matter (59.1%). Periventricular/juxtaventricular white matter lesions (18.2%) were relatively rare. On CE-FLAIR images, 24 (54.5%) children showed LME located on the cerebral surface. LME was an early feature of MOG-E (P = 0.002), and cases without LME were more likely to involve the brainstem (P = 0.041). Conclusion: LME on CE-FLAIR images may be a novel early marker among patients with MOG-E. The inclusion of CE-FLAIR images in MRI protocols for children with suspected MOG-E at an early stage may be useful for the diagnosis of this disease.

Delayed complications of intradural cement leakage after percutaneous vertebroplasty: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Intradural cement leakage following percutaneous vertebroplasty is a rare but acute and devastating complication that usually requires emergent treatment. Here, we report a delayed complication of intradural leakage after percutaneous vertebroplasty. CASE SUMMARY: A 71-year-old female patient with an L1 osteoporotic compression fracture underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty in 2014. She was referred to our hospital 5 years later due to complaints of progressive weakness and numbness in both legs combined with urinary incontinence and constipation. Initially, she was suspected to have a spinal meningioma at the level of L1 according to imaging examinations. Postoperative pathological tests confirmed that cement had leaked into the dura during the first percutaneous vertebroplasty. CONCLUSION: Guideline adherence is essential to prevent cement from leaking into the spinal canal or even the dura. Once leakage occurs, urgent evaluation and decompression surgery are necessary to prevent further neurological damage.

Imaging Findings in Neonates With Congenital Pyriform Sinus Fistula: A Retrospective Study of 45 Cases.

Background: Congenital pyriform sinus fistula (CPSF) is a rare branchial cleft deformity. The characteristics and management of CPSF in neonates are different from those in children or adults, and a comprehensive understanding of the imaging features of neonatal CPSF can facilitate its preoperative diagnosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to summarize the ultrasonography (US) and CT imaging findings of CPSF in neonates. Methods: Forty-five full-term neonates with CPSF, confirmed by pathology after surgical resection from January 2012 to October 2020, were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent preoperative cervical US and contrast-enhanced CT examinations, and the imaging findings were analyzed. Results: Forty-six cervical cystic masses were found in 45 neonates, including one case with bilateral lesions, three cases with lesions on the right side, and 41 cases on the left side. Both US and CT detected neck abnormality among all cases, while the diagnostic accuracy of US (15/46, 32.6%) was lower than that of CT (42/46, 91.3%). Moreover, CT showed significantly higher detection rates of intralesional air bubbles, involvement of the ipsilateral thyroid, deviation of the airway, and expansion into the mediastinal and retropharyngeal space compared with the US. As the age increased, it was more likely to present some features including the absence of air-containing, thick cyst wall, and poorly defined border (ρ <0.05). Conclusion: CPSF in the neonates showed distinctive imaging findings on contrast-enhanced CT scan, which provides important supplementary information for the diagnosis of CPSF after the initial US examination.

[Chemical Components and Sources of PM2.5 and Their Evolutive Characteristics in Zhengzhou].

To explore the main sources of PM2.5 and the characteristics of seasonal differences in Zhengzhou, PM2.5 sampling was conducted in 2019 and the concentrations of inorganic water-soluble ions, carbon components, and various elements were analyzed. Results showed that the average mass concentration of PM2.5 in 2019 was (67.0±37.2) µg ·m-3 with the highest concentration in winter and the lowest in summer. The main components of PM2.5 were nitrate, ammonium, sulfate, organic matter, crustal matter, and elemental carbon. In spring and autumn, PM2.5 was greatly affected by crustal matter and elemental carbon, and In summer, concentrations were mainly affected by sulfate. In winter, the concentrations of organic matter and nitrate increased significantly, produced by photochemical reactions in summer and aqueous-phase reactions under high humidity in winter. Carbonaceous aerosols were greatly influenced by automobile exhaust emission, coal combustion, and biomass combustion. Source apportionment showed that secondary sources were the greatest contributors in all four seasons, particularly in in winter (56.5%). Among the primary sources, the proportion of dust in spring (15.2%) and autumn (11.4%) was slightly higher, and the contribution of motor vehicle pollution was the largest (12.3%) in summer. In winter, PM2.5was greatly affected by coal combustion (13.2%). From 2014 to 2019, PM2.5 in Zhengzhou increased annually under the influence of secondary sources. The contribution of industrial sources, biomass combustion sources, and coal combustion sources exhibited a downward trend over this period.

Dose preservation of ligament flavum really help prevent postoperative epidural fibrosis and improve outcome in microdiscectomy?

OBJECTIVE: A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted with surgery performed by the same surgeon. The aim was to present a new technique for preserving the ligament flavum during lumbar microdiscectomy, and to evaluate whether this helps prevent postoperative fibrosis and improve outcome. METHODS: From January to December 2017, 251 patients with indication for microdiscectomy were randomly divided into test group using ligament flavum preservation technique and control group using conventional procedures. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were assessed before the surgery, and 3 days, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years after the operation respectively. The grade of epidural fibrosis on MRI after 6 months was evaluated by two radiologists independently and double-blindly. RESULTS: Both groups' VAS and ODI were significantly improved after surgery, but there was no significant difference between two groups at 3d and 1 month after operation. The grade of epidural fibrosis in test group was significantly lower than that in control group at 6 months postoperative. The VAS and ODI were significantly lower in test group than that in control group at 6 months,1 year and 2 years after operation. CONCLUSION: Preservation of more ligament flavum is practicable during the procedure of microdiscectomy. It can prevent postoperative epidural fibrosis, and is helpful to achieve a better clinical outcome.

LncRNA SNHG3 promotes cell proliferation and invasion through the miR-384/hepatoma-derived growth factor axis in breast cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be abnormally expressed in cancer, and lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs) play critical roles in tumour progression. SNHG3 has been identified as an oncogene in multiple tumour types. However, the role of SNHG3 in breast cancer has not been reported. In this study, we found that SNHG3 was upregulated and associated with tumour malignancy in patients with breast cancer. SNHG3 knockdown inhibited the growth and metastatic capabilities of breast cancer cells in vitro and vivo. We used bioinformatics prediction and functional assay validation to determine that SNHG3 upregulation inhibited miR-384 activity and led to hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) overexpression in breast cancer cells. The findings of this study show that SNHG3 functions as an oncogene in breast cancer and promotes breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion by regulating the miR-384/HDGF axis. The present study might provide a new target for the treatment of breast cancer.

TIPE1 suppresses the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells and inhibits epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition primarily via the ERK signaling pathway.

Tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8-like-1 (TIPE1) functions as an activator or a repressor in a tumor cell type-specific manner. However, the role of TIPE1 in breast cancer, especially regarding metastasis, is unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the TIPE1 expression in breast cancer tissues, the biological functions, and the underlying mechanisms of TIPE1 regarding the metastatic properties of breast cancer cells. The results of immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis indicated that TIPE1 expression was associated with tumor size and lymph node metastasis, and the expression of TIPE1 was downregulated in the tissues of patients with lymph node metastasis. Transwell and wound healing assay results showed that TIPE1 inhibited the invasive and migratory capacities of breast cancer cells. Moreover, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was suppressed in TIPE1-overexpressing cells, as demonstrated by western blot analysis. In addition, western blot analysis also showed that TIPE1 reduced the expression levels of MMP2 and MMP9 and decreased the phosphorylation level of ERK. These results suggested that TIPE1 might suppress the invasion and migration of breast cancer cells and inhibit EMT primarily via the ERK signaling pathway. Our findings revealed the anti-tumor metastasis role of TIPE1 in breast cancer and TIPE1 might be a new candidate prognostic indicator and a potential molecular target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Using side-opening injection cannulas to prevent cement leakage in percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, does it really work?

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous vertebroplasty has been widely applied in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures over the past two decades. However as one of the major complications, the rate of cement leakage seems not to be decreased significantly. In this study, the rate of cement leakage was compared between two groups using two different cement injection cannulas. The purpose was to determine the efficacy of side-opening cannula on preventing cement leakage in vertebroplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2013 to December 2015. Totally 225 patients who received bilateral vertebroplasty due to osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures were included in the study. The patients were divided into test group who received vertebroplasty with side-opening cannulas and control group who received vertebroplasty with front-opening cannulas. The patients' medical records were reviewed to determine the bone marrow density, preoperative vertebral compression ratio, preoperative and postoperative VAS, operation time, volume of injected bone cement, rate of cement leakage. Post-operative X-rays and CT scans were utilized to assess the degree of Cement leakage. Comparisons between groups and clinical results on VAS in each group were analyzed with appropriate test. RESULTS: All the patients were performed successfully without symptomatic complications. The back pain was significantly relieved after operation in both groups (P < 0.05). At 6 days and 6 months follow-up, there was no significant difference in the mean VAS score between the two groups (P > 0.05). The rate of cement leakage in the test group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous vertebroplasty with side-opening cannula is a safe and effective minimally invasive method in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, the rate of cement leakage can be significantly reduced by redirecting the cement flow.

Functional roles of glycogene and N-glycan in multidrug resistance of human breast cancer cells.

Drug resistance is a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. Aberrant glycosylation has been known to be associated with cancer chemoresistance. Aim of this work is to investigate the alterations of glycogene and N-glycan involved in multidrug resistance (MDR) in human breast cancer cell lines. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for quantification of glycogenes, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-lectin binding for glycan profiling, and mass spectrometry for N-glycan composition, the expression of glycogenes, glycan profiling, and N-glycan composition differed between drug-resistant MCF/ADR cells and the parental MCF-7 line. Further analysis of the N-glycan regulation by tunicamycin (TM) application or PNGase F treatment in MCF/ADR cells showed partial inhibition of the N-glycan biosynthesis and increased sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs dramatically both in vitro and in vivo. Using an RNA interference strategy, we showed that the downregulation of MGAT5 in MCF/ADR cells could enhance the chemosensitivity to antitumor drugs both in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, a stable high expression of MGAT5 in MCF-7 cells could increase resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, the alterations of glycogene and N-glycan in human breast cancer cells correlate with tumor sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug and have significant implications for the development of new treatment strategies. © 2013 IUBMB Life, 65(5):409-422, 2013.

Axl glycosylation mediates tumor cell proliferation, invasion and lymphatic metastasis in murine hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM: To investigate the effects of Axl deglycosylation on tumor lymphatic metastases in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. METHODS: Western blotting was used to analyze the expression profile of Axl glycoprotein in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hca-F treated with tunicamycin and PNGase F 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiazol(-zyl)-3,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, extracellular matrix (ECM) invasion assay (in vitro) and tumor metastasis assay (in vivo) were utilized to evaluate the effect of Axl deglycosylation on the Hca-F cell proliferation, invasion and lymphatic metastasis. RESULTS: Tunicamycin and PNGase F treatment markedly inhibited Axl glycoprotein synthesis and expression, proliferation, invasion, and lymphatic metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. In the MTT assay, proliferation was apparent in untreated Hca-F cells compared with treated Hca-F cells. In the ECM invasion assay (in vitro), treated cells passed through the ECMatrix gel in significantly smaller numbers than untreated cells (tunicamycin 5 µg/mL: 68 ± 8 vs 80 ± 9, P = 0.0222; 10 µg/mL: 50 ± 6 vs 80 ± 9, P = 0.0003; 20 µg/mL: 41 ± 4 vs 80 ± 9, P = 0.0001); (PNGase F 8 h: 66 ± 7 vs 82 ± 8, P = 0.0098; 16 h: 49 ± 4 vs 82 ± 8, P = 0.0001; 24 h: 34 ± 3 vs 82 ± 8, P = 0.0001). In the tumor metastasis assay (in vivo), average lymph node weights of the untreated Hca-F group compared with treated Hca-F groups (tunicamycin 5 µg/mL: 0.84 ± 0.21 g vs 0.72 ± 0.19 g, P = 0.3237; 10 µg/mL: 0.84 ± 0.21 g vs 0.54 ± 0.11 g, P = 0.0113; 20 µg/mL: 0.84 ± 0.21 g vs 0.42 ± 0.06 g, P = 0.0008); (PNGase F 8 h: 0.79 ± 0.15 g vs 0.63 ± 0.13 g, P = 0.0766; 16 h: 0.79 ± 0.15 g vs 0.49 ± 0.10 g, P = 0.0022; 24 h: 0.79 ± 0.15 g vs 0.39 ± 0.05 g, P = 0.0001). Also, average lymph node volumes of the untreated Hca-F group compared with treated Hca-F groups (tunicamycin 5 µg/mL: 815 ± 61 mm³ vs 680 ± 59 mm³, P = 0.0613; 10 µg/mL: 815 ± 61 mm³ vs 580 ± 29 mm³, P = 0.0001; 20 µg/mL: 815 ± 61 mm³ vs 395 ± 12 mm³, P = 0.0001); (PNGase F 8 h: 670 ± 56 mm³ vs 581 ± 48 mm³, P = 0.0532; 16 h: 670 ± 56 mm³ vs 412 ± 22 mm³, P = 0.0001; 24 h: 670 ± 56 mm³ vs 323 ± 11 mm³, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Alteration of Axl glycosylation can attenuate neoplastic lymphatic metastasis. Axl N-glycans may be a universal target for chemotherapy.