Identification of m6A-related lncRNAs-based signature for predicting the prognosis of patients with skin cutaneous melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is one of the fastest developing malignancies with strong aggressive ability and no proper curative treatments. Numerous studies illustrated the importance of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification to tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to identify novel prognostic signature by using m6A-related lncRNAs, thus to improve the survival for SKCM patients and guide SKCM therapy. METHODS: We downloaded the Presentational Matrix data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and analyzed all the expressed lncRNAs among 468 SKCM samples. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the correlations between lncRNAs and 29 m6A-related genes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to construct m6A-related lncRNAs prognostic signature (m6A-LPS). The accuracy and prognostic value of this signature were validated by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, Kaplan-Meier (K-M) survival analysis, univariate COX or multivariate COX analyses. After calculating risk scores, patients were divided into low- and high-risk subgroups by the median value of risk scores. RESULTS: A total of 2973 lncRNAs were found expressed among SKCM tissues. Prognostic analysis showed that 98 lncRNAs had a significant effect on the survival of SKCM patients. The m6A-LPS was validated using K-M and ROC analysis and the predictive accuracy of the risk score was also high according to the AUC of the ROC curve in training and testing sets. A nomogram based on tumor stage, gender and risk score that had a strong ability to forecast the 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-year OS of SKCM patients confirmed by calibrations. Enrichment analysis indicated that malignancy-associated biological processes and pathways were more common in the high-risk subgroup. CONCLUSION: Collectively, m6A-related lncRNAs exert as potential biomarkers for prognostic stratification of SKCM patients and may assist clinicians achieving individualized treatment for SKCM.

Exosomal circFAM63Bsuppresses bone regeneration of postmenopausal osteoporosis via regulating miR-578/HMGA2 axis.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) affects hundreds of millions of elderly women worldwide. The imbalance between osteoblast-mediated bone formation and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption is the key factor in the progression of PMOP. Recently, exosomal circular RNAs have been considered as critical regulators in physiological and pathological progress. However, their roles in PMOP still require further exploration. Herein, we identified that the expression of exosomal circFAM63B significantly increased in PMOP patients and is closely related to bone density. We further demonstrated that circFAM63B inhibits osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells and bone formation in ovariectomy mice by using a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiment strategies. Mechanistically, circFAM63B promotes HMGA2 expression by inhibiting miR-578, thereby suppressing bone repair. Our study proved that exosomal circFAM63B suppresses the bone regeneration of PMOP by regulating the miR-578/HMGA2 axis, which may provide new insights into the pathogenesis and development of PMOP. Knocking down exosomal circFAM63B could be regarded as a new strategy for the treatment of PMOP.

Surgery vs non-surgery in cutaneous melanoma based on SEER database: A cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT: This study was to assess the survival outcome of cutaneous melanoma (CM) patients with surgery vs non-surgery through inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using the propensity score. Patients diagnosed as CM were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database. The survival outcome was estimated and compared by IPTW using the propensity score. Totally 2203 CM patients were identified, in which 1921 cases received surgical treatment (surgery group), while 282 cases didn't (non-surgery group). The median survival time of surgery and non-surgery groups was respectively 150 months and 15 months (unmatched cohort), 70 months and 40 months (matched cohort) and 130 months vs. 75 months (IPTW-weighted cohort). Compared with the non-surgery group, the surgery group had a lower risk of death in unmatched [hazard ratio (HR): 0.647, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.509-0.821, P < .001] and matched (HR: 0.636, 95%CI: 0.459-0.882, P < .01) cohorts. In multivariate Cox model of IPTW-weighted cohort, the risk of death in the surgery group decreased notably than the non-surgery group (HR: 0.423, 95%CI: 0.383-0.468, P < .001). In conclusion, CM patients receiving surgical treatment are associated with a better survival outcome compared with those without surgical treatment through IPTW using the propensity score.

Recombinant human epidermal growth factor combined with vacuum sealing drainage for wound healing in Bama pigs.

BACKGROUND: Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) both play an important role in the treatment of wounds. This study aims to explore the effects of the combination of VSD and EGF on wound healing and the optimal concentration and time of EGF. METHODS: We tested the proliferation and migration capacity of HaCaT and L929 cells at different EGF concentrations (0, 1, 5, 10, and 100 ng/ml) and different EGF action times (2, 10, and 30 min). A full-thickness skin defect model was established using male, 30-week-old Bama pigs. The experiment included groups as follows: routine dressing change after covering with sterile auxiliary material (Control), continuous negative pressure drainage of the wound (VSD), continuous negative pressure drainage of the wound and injection of EGF 10 min followed by removal by continuous lavage (V + E 10 min), and continuous negative pressure drainage of the wound and injection of EGF 30 min followed by removal by continuous lavage (V + E 30 min). The wound healing rate, histological repair effect and collagen deposition were compared among the four groups. RESULTS: An EGF concentration of 10 ng/ml and an action time of 10 min had optimal effects on the proliferation and migration capacities of HaCaT and L929 cells. The drug dispersion effect was better than drug infusion after bolus injection effect, and the contact surface was wider. Compared with other groups, the V + E 10 min group promoted wound healing to the greatest extent and obtained the best histological score. CONCLUSIONS: A recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF) concentration of 10 ng/ml can promote the proliferation and migration of epithelial cells and fibroblasts to the greatest extent in vitro. VSD combined with rhEGF kept in place for 10 min and then washed, can promote wound healing better than the other treatments in vivo.

Functional pectoralis minor myocutaneous flap transplantation for reconstruction of thumb opposition: An anatomic study with clinical applications.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a myocutaneous flap for reconstruction of thumb opposition function in patients with loss of the thenar muscles and skin. METHODS: An anatomic experiment on the dimensions of the pectoralis minor muscle and its neurovascular supply in 10 adult human cadavers was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of microsurgical transplantation using part of the muscle for thumb opposition reconstruction. Based on these results, we performed surgical thenar reconstruction with a pectoralis minor myocutaneous flap in seven patients (34.7 ± 9.8 years of age) from December 2007 to October 2010. RESULTS: The transferred muscle was reinnervated with the third lumbrical branch of the ulnar nerve. Six to twelve months after the surgery, follow-up assessment showed that all patients had recovered functional opposition of the carpometacarpal joint with survival of the skin and a muscle power of M4 to M5. CONCLUSION: Our results support the use of this new technique for thenar and opposition reconstruction in patients with severe loss of the thenar muscles and skin and damage to the median nerve and who wish to improve the appearance of the thenar eminence.