Urothelial carcinoembryonic antigen 1 score for early detection of prostate cancer and risk prediction.

UCA1 score appears useful in detecting nonhigh-risk (including very low-, low-, or intermediate-risk) prostate cancer. Combination of the PSA level and the UCA1 score may significantly reduce the burden of prostate biopsy.

Over-expression of vitronectin correlates with impaired survival in gastric cancers.

ABSTRACT: Over-expression of vitronectin (VN) is associated with tumorigenesis. The present study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of VN expression in gastric cancer.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis was performed to screen the hub gene from The Cancer Genome Atlas gastric cancer patients with complete follow-up data, and 347 patients were finally included. Moreover, 102 patients were enrolled from the Affiliated Fuzhou First Hospital of Fujian Medical University. VN expression in paired gastric cancer and adjacent gastric normal tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry, and the clinicopathological significance of VN expression was evaluated. The prognostic significance of VN expression in gastric cancer patients was evaluated using by Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis and confirmed using Oncomine.VN was the prognosis relative gene which screened by The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Moreover, we identified the VN expression in an external dataset by immunohistochemistry. The result demonstrated that VN expression was remarkedly elevated in gastric cancer tissues (P < .001). High VN expression correlated with higher pathological Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage, and poorer survival outcomes. Cox regression analysis showed that VN expression was independently predictive of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (P = .004, P < .001, respectively). A prognostic risk score for OS was built based on VN expression. A meta-analysis from Oncomine datasets revealed that significantly lower VN mRNA levels in gastric cancer correlated with poorer OS.VN expression could be a prognostic marker of gastric cancer.

Downregulation of miR-519a Predicts Poor Prognosis and Contributes to Tumor Progression in Gastric Cancer.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of various human cancers. However, the role of microRNA-519a (miR-519a) in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value and biological function of miR-519a in GC. METHODS: The expression of miR-519a in GC tissues and cell lines was estimated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Survival analysis for GC patients was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis was used to confirm the prognostic value of miR-519a. The biological function and potential targets of miR-519a in GC progression were assessed using cell experiments. RESULTS: In this study, we found that miR-519a was an important tumor suppressor with downregulated expression in GC tissues and cells compared with that in normal controls (all p < 0.05). MiR-519a expression was inversely correlated with differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and the TNM stage of patients. Decreased miR-519a expression was associated with the poor overall survival of GC patients (log-rank p = 0.002) and served as an independent prognostic biomarker for the patients. The in vitro analyses indicated that miR-519a overexpression in GC cells resulted in inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and IGFBP1 was determined to be a direct target of miR-519a. CONCLUSION: All the data in the present study revealed that the downregulated expression of miR-519a predicts the poor prognosis of GC and is involved in the regulation of GC progression. We consider that miR-519a may be a candidate therapeutic target for GC treatment.

Chromosome 15q13 microduplication in a fetus with cardiac rhabdomyoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Copy number variation (CNV) is a complex genomic rearrangement that has been linked to a large number of human diseases. Chromosome 15q13 microduplication is a rare form of CNV, which has been proved to be associated with multiple human disorders; however, the association between chromosome 15q13 microduplication and cardiac disorders has not been fully understood. CASE PRESENTATION: A fetus with fetal cardiac developmental defects was detected by Color Doppler ultrasound imaging; however, further chromosomal G-banding revealed no abnormal karyotype. Then, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) was performed and revealed a 1.8 Mb-duplication of the chromosome 15q13.2q13.3 region containing 7 genes (TRPM1, KLF13, OTUD7A, CHRNA7, FAN1, MIR211 and RAHGAP11A). Cardiac ultrasound follow-up displayed significant enlargement of the space-occupying lesion in the fetal heart with extension of the gestational age, and the space-occupying lesion was finally pathologically diagnosed as cardiac rhabdomyoma. Next-generation sequencing revealed no mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene in the fetus, the mother or the father. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report to demonstrate the potential association between chromosome 15q13 microduplication and fetal cardiac rhabdomyoma. It is recommended that CMA be employed in fetuses with abnormal cardiac development diagnosed by routine cardiac color Doppler ultrasound imaging for early detection of congenital genetic abnormality, which may provide valuable information for prenatal diagnostic consultation and the decision on pregnancy termination.

The downregulation of miR-519a predicts poor prognosis and contributes to tumor progression in gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to be involved in the pathogenesis of various human cancers. However, the role of microRNA-519a (miR-519a) in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value and biological function of miR-519a in GC. METHODS: The expression of miR-519a in GC tissues and cell lines was estimated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A survival analysis for GC patients was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox regression analysis was used to confirm the prognostic value of miR-519a. The biological function and potential targets of miR-519a in GC progression were assessed using cell experiments. RESULTS: In this study, we found that miR-519a was an important tumor suppressor with downregulated expression in GC tissues and cells compared with the normal controls (all P < 0.05). MiR-519a expression was inversely correlated with differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and patients' TNM stages. Decreased miR-519a expression was associated with the poor overall survival of GC patients (log-rank P = 0.002) and served as an independent prognostic biomarker for the patients. The in vitro analyses indicated that miR-519a overexpression in GC cells resulted in inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and IGFBP1 was determined to be a direct target of miR-519a. CONCLUSION: All the data in the present study revealed that the downregulated expression of miR-519a predicts the poor prognosis of GC and is involved in the regulation of GC progression. We consider that miR-519a may be a candidate therapeutic target for GC treatment.

Collagen Features of Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans Skin Base on Multiphoton Microscopy.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare, low-grade skin fibroblastic tumor which tends to recur locally due to its high misdiagnosis. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans usually spreads through the intracutaneous and subcutaneous layers into the deep dermis layer in which the main component is collagen. Therefore, alterations in collagen shape and content are important for accurate diagnosis of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. In this study, multiphoton microscopy was employed to observe normal human skin and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans skin. Then, a centerline based on an algorithm that skeletonizes a binary image of fibers was applied to analyze collagen shapes in 2 types of skin. Then, collagen content, including intensity and density, was quantitatively obtained to demonstrate differences between the 2 skin types. Results indicate that collagen shape and density can be considered as auxiliary diagnostic parameters to improve the accuracy of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans diagnosis.

Quantitative evaluation of redox ratio and collagen characteristics during breast cancer chemotherapy using two-photon intrinsic imaging.

Preoperative neoadjuvant treatment in locally advanced breast cancer is recognized as an effective adjuvant therapy, as it improves treatment outcomes. However, the potential complications remain a threat, so there is an urgent clinical need to assess both the tumor response and changes in its microenvironment using non-invasive and precise identification techniques. Here, two-photon microscopy was employed to detect morphological alterations in breast cancer progression and recession throughout chemotherapy. The changes in structure were analyzed based on the autofluorescence and collagen of differing statuses. Parameters, including optical redox ratio, the ratio of second harmonic generation and auto-fluorescence signal, collagen density, and collagen shape orientation, were studied. Results indicate that these parameters are potential indicators for evaluating breast tumors and their microenvironment changes during progression and chemotherapy. Combined analyses of these parameters could provide a quantitative, novel method for monitoring tumor therapy.

Quantitative analysis on collagen of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans skin by second harmonic generation microscopy.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a skin cancer usually mistaken as other benign tumors. Abnormal DFSP resection results in tumor recurrence. Quantitative characterization of collagen alteration on the skin tumor is essential for developing a diagnostic technique. In this study, second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy was performed to obtain images of the human DFSP skin and normal skin. Subsequently, structure and texture analysis methods were applied to determine the differences in skin texture characteristics between the two skin types, and the link between collagen alteration and tumor was established. Results suggest that combining SHG microscopy and texture analysis methods is a feasible and effective method to describe the characteristics of skin tumor like DFSP.

[Focal adhesion kinase expression and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast carcinoma tissues and its association with microvessel density (MVD), and explore the relationship between FAK-mediated cell signaling and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma. METHODS: FAK and CD34 expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry with SP method in 88 breast carcinoma tissues and 30 tissues of benign breast disease. The correlations of FAK protein expression with MVD marked with CD34 and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in breast carcinoma. RESULTS: In the 88 breast carcinomas, the positivity rate of FAK was 68.2% (60/88) with MVD of (34.52-/+13.11) /HPE, showing significant differences from those of the benign disease group (P<0.01). FAK expression and MVD in breast carcinoma tissues were positively related to tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P<0.05), but not to the patients' age or histopathological grade of the tumors (P>0.05). In breast carcinoma, the expression of FAK was positively related to MVD (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FAK protein expression and MVD are closely correlated with the invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma. FAK expression can promote angiogenesis of breast carcinoma.