Impact of perioperative blood transfusion on prognosis after nephrectomy in patients with renal cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative blood transfusion (PBT) has been associated with worse prognosis in several malignancies. For renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the effect of PBT is still debated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of PBT on prognosis after nephrectomy in patients with RCC. METHODS: This study is A systematic review and meta-analysis of published article data (PRISMA protocol) for literature related to PBT and RCC through extensive search of EMBASE, Medline via PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, language limited to English, with no time constraint until May 20, 2022. We pooled the results of multivariable cox regression analyses from each study, with subgroup analyses by dose and timing of transfusion. All analyses were done using Stata14. RESULTS: A total of 12 studies involving 27,683 participants were included. Our meta-analysis pooled the results of multivariable cox regression analysis in each study, showing that PBT is associated with higher overall Mortality (OM; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.34, 1.23-1.44), cancer-specific mortality (CSM; HR = 1.35, 1.20-1.51), and disease recurrence (HR = 1.54, 1.18-1.89). when only patients with nonmetastatic RCC were included, PBT was still associated with higher OM (HR = 1.29, 1.11-1.47) and disease recurrence (HR = 1.58, 1.18-1.98), but the association with CSM (HR = 1.26, 0.99-1.52) was not statistically significant. In subgroup analysis by transfusion dose, small (1-2) units of PBT were not associated with CSM (HR = 1.84, 0.95-2.73), but large (≥3) units were associated with higher CSM (HR = 2.98, 1.74-4.22) and disease recurrence (HR = 1.99, 1.31-2.67). Each additional unit of PBT resulted in a higher CSM (HR = 1.07, 1.04-1.10). In subgroup analysis by transfusion timing, intraoperative transfusion was associated with higher CSM and disease recurrence, but postoperative transfusion was not. CONCLUSIONS: PBT is associated with higher OM, CSM and disease recurrence. This adverse effect seems to be particularly significant in high-dose intraoperative transfusion. It is necessary to limit the overuse of PBT, especially high-dose intraoperative transfusion, in order to improve the prognosis of patients undergoing nephrectomy for RCC.

Circumstellar material ejected violently by a massive star immediately before its death.

Type II supernovae represent the most common stellar explosions in the Universe, for which the final stage evolution of their hydrogen-rich massive progenitors towards core-collapse explosion are elusive. The recent explosion of SN 2023ixf in a very nearby galaxy, Messier 101, provides a rare opportunity to explore this longstanding issue. With the timely high-cadence flash spectra taken within 1-5 days after the explosion, we can put stringent constraints on the properties of the surrounding circumstellar material around this supernova. Based on the rapid fading of the narrow emission lines and luminosity/profile of Hα emission at very early times, we estimate that the progenitor of SN 2023ixf lost material at a mass-loss rate M≈6×10-4M⊙a-1 over the last 2-3 years before explosion. This close-by material, moving at a velocity vw≈55kms-1, accumulates a compact CSM shell at the radius smaller than 7×1014 cm from the progenitor. Given the high mass-loss rate and relatively large wind velocity presented here, together with the pre-explosion observations made about two decades ago, the progenitor of SN 2023ixf could be a short-lived yellow hypergiant that evolved from a red supergiant shortly before the explosion.

A comprehensive analysis of immunogenic cell death and its key gene HSP90AA1 in bladder cancer

Background Bladder cancer (BLCA) is defined as a type of urinary cancer with high incidence and lack of specific biomarkers and drug targets. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) has been classified as a regulated type of cell death. Growing evidence suggested that ICD can reshape the tumor immune microenvironment, which may contribute to the development of immunotherapy strategies. The aim of this study was to reveal the specific mechanism of ICD in bladder cancer and to further predict the prognostic immunotherapy outcomes. Methods By consensus clustering analysis, bladder cancer patients in TCGA database were divided into different ICD subtypes. Additionally, we developed an ICD-scoring system and constructed the ICD score-based risk signature and nomogram to better characterize patients. Furthermore, we carried out a series of experiments to verify the relevant findings. Results Based on the transcriptome expression levels of ICD-related genes, a total of 403 BLCA patients in the TCGA database were divided into two subgroups with different ICD molecular patterns by consensus cluster analysis. These subgroups showed different clinicopathological features, survival outcomes, tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics, immune-related scores, and treatment response. Moreover, the established prediction model and ICD score can effectively distinguish high risk/score patients from low risk/score patients, which has excellent predictive value. Finally, we found that the key gene HSP90AA1 was highly expressed in the high-ICD score group and in bladder cancer tissues, and was confirmed to be associated with the proliferation of bladder cancer cells (AU)

A comprehensive analysis of immunogenic cell death and its key gene HSP90AA1 in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BLCA) is defined as a type of urinary cancer with high incidence and lack of specific biomarkers and drug targets. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) has been classified as a regulated type of cell death. Growing evidence suggested that ICD can reshape the tumor immune microenvironment, which may contribute to the development of immunotherapy strategies. The aim of this study was to reveal the specific mechanism of ICD in bladder cancer and to further predict the prognostic immunotherapy outcomes. METHODS: By consensus clustering analysis, bladder cancer patients in TCGA database were divided into different ICD subtypes. Additionally, we developed an ICD-scoring system and constructed the ICD score-based risk signature and nomogram to better characterize patients. Furthermore, we carried out a series of experiments to verify the relevant findings. RESULTS: Based on the transcriptome expression levels of ICD-related genes, a total of 403 BLCA patients in the TCGA database were divided into two subgroups with different ICD molecular patterns by consensus cluster analysis. These subgroups showed different clinicopathological features, survival outcomes, tumor microenvironment (TME) characteristics, immune-related scores, and treatment response. Moreover, the established prediction model and ICD score can effectively distinguish high risk/score patients from low risk/score patients, which has excellent predictive value. Finally, we found that the key gene HSP90AA1 was highly expressed in the high-ICD score group and in bladder cancer tissues, and was confirmed to be associated with the proliferation of bladder cancer cells. CONCLUSION: To sum up, we established a new classification system for BLCA based on ICD-related genes. This stratification has significant predictive power for clinical outcomes and can effectively evaluate the prognosis and immunotherapy of BLCA patients. Finally, it was proved that HSP90AA1 was highly expressed in BLCA and would be a promising therapeutic target for BLCA.

The ginger-shaped asteroid 4179 Toutatis: new observations from a successful flyby of Chang'e-2.

On 13 December 2012, Chang'e-2 conducted a successful flyby of the near-Earth asteroid 4179 Toutatis at a closest distance of 770 ± 120 meters from the asteroid's surface. The highest-resolution image, with a resolution of better than 3 meters, reveals new discoveries on the asteroid, e.g., a giant basin at the big end, a sharply perpendicular silhouette near the neck region, and direct evidence of boulders and regolith, which suggests that Toutatis may bear a rubble-pile structure. Toutatis' maximum physical length and width are (4.75 × 1.95 km) ±10%, respectively, and the direction of the +z axis is estimated to be (250 ± 5°, 63 ± 5°) with respect to the J2000 ecliptic coordinate system. The bifurcated configuration is indicative of a contact binary origin for Toutatis, which is composed of two lobes (head and body). Chang'e-2 observations have significantly improved our understanding of the characteristics, formation, and evolution of asteroids in general.

CYP17 T27C polymorphism and prostate cancer risk: a meta-analysis based on 31 studies.

OBJECTIVE: The cytochrome P450 17α-hydroxylase (CYP17) plays a vital role in androgen biosynthesis. A T-to-C polymorphism in the 5' promoter region of CYP17 has been implicated as a risk factor for prostate cancer, but the results of individual studies are inconclusive or controversial. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed an updated meta-analysis from 31 studies based on 27 publications. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted to examine all the eligible studies of CYP17 polymorphism and prostate cancer risk. We used odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the strength of the association. RESULTS: Overall, individuals with CC/CT genotype were not associated with prostate cancer risk (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.86-1.24, P = 0.72, P heterogeneity < 0.0001; CT vs. TT: OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.87-1.12, P = 0.88, P heterogeneity = 0.0006). In the stratified analysis by ethnicity, there was a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer among individuals of African descent under the recessive model (OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.39, P = 0.04, P heterogeneity = 0.65). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis suggested that CYP17 polymorphism might be associated with prostate cancer risk among individuals of African descent.

TGFbeta1 T29C polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis based on 40 case-control studies.

Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGFbeta1) plays a significant role in regulating cellular proliferation and apoptosis. The TGFbeta1 T29C polymorphism reportedly affects cancer risk, but pertinent studies offer conflicting results. We therefore performed a meta-analysis based on 40 studies from 32 publications, assessing the strength of the association using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Overall, no evidence has indicated that individuals carrying CC or CT genotypes had significantly increased cancer risks, compared with TT genotype carriers [CC vs. TT: odds ratio (OR)=1.10, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.00-1.21, P=0.06; CT vs. TT: OR=1.07, 95% CI=0.99-1.16, P=0.09). However, stratified analysis by cancer type and ethnicity indicated a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer (CT vs. TT: OR=1.28, 95% CI=1.01-1.61, P=0.04) and cancer in those of Asian descent (CC vs. TT: OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.03-1.53, P=0.02; CT vs. TT: OR=1.20, 95% CI=1.01-1.43, P=0.04). This association was also observed in the dominant model for prostate cancer. Although not all bias could be eliminated, this meta-analysis suggested that TGFbeta1 29C was a low-penetrant risk factor for prostate cancer and cancer in Asians. A larger single study is still required to evaluate any association with other types of cancer or in other populations.