Microbes translocation from oral cavity to nasopharyngeal carcinoma in patients.

The presence of oral microbes in extra-oral sites is linked to gastrointestinal cancers. However, their potential ectopically colonization in the nasopharynx and impact on local cancer development remains uncertain. Our study involving paired nasopharyngeal-oral microbial samples from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and controls unveils an aberrant oral-to-nasopharyngeal microbial translocation associated with increased NPC risk (OR = 4.51, P = 0.012). Thirteen species are classified as oral-translocated and enriched in NPC patients. Among these, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Prevotella intermedia are validated through culturomics and clonal strain identification. Nasopharyngeal biopsy meta-transcriptomes confirm these microbes within tumors, influencing local microenvironment and cytokine response. These microbes correlate significantly with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) loads in the nasopharynx, exhibiting an increased dose-response relationship. Collectively, our study identifies oral microbes migrating to the nasopharynx, infiltrating tumors, impacting microenvironments and linking with EBV infection. These results enhance our understanding of abnormal microbial communication and their roles in carcinogenesis.

The Oral Microbiome as Mediator between Oral Hygiene and Its Impact on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Oral hygiene and the alteration of the oral microbiome have been linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to investigate whether the oral microbiome plays a mediating role in the relationship between oral hygiene and NPC, and identify differential microbial taxonomies that potentially mediated this association. We conducted a case-control study that involved 218 NPC patients and 192 healthy controls. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the V4 region was performed to evaluate the composition of the oral microbiome. Mediation analysis was applied to explore the relationship among oral hygiene, the oral microbiome and NPC. We found that dental fillings and poor oral hygiene score were associated with increased risks of NPC (OR = 2.51 (1.52-4.25) and OR = 1.54 (1.02-2.33)). Mediation analysis indicated that dental fillings increased the risk of NPC by altering the abundance of Erysipelotrichales, Erysipelotrichaceae, Solobacterium and Leptotrichia wadei. In addition, Leptotrichia wadei also mediated the association between oral hygiene score and the risk of NPC. Our study confirmed that poor oral hygiene increased the risk of NPC, which was partly mediated by the oral microbiome. These findings might help us to understand the potential mechanism of oral hygiene influencing the risk of NPC via the microbiome.

The Effects of Alcohol Drinking on Oral Microbiota in the Chinese Population.

The dysbiosis of oral microbiota is linked to numerous diseases and is associated with personal lifestyles, such as alcohol drinking. However, there is inadequate data to study the effect of alcohol drinking on oral microbiota from the Chinese population. Here, we profiled the oral microbiota of 150 healthy subjects in the Chinese population by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that drinkers had significantly higher alpha diversity than non-drinkers. A significant difference in overall microbiota composition was observed between non-drinkers and drinkers. Additionally, using DESeq analysis, we found genus Prevotella and Moryella, and species Prevotella melaninogenica and Prevotella tannerae were significantly enriched in drinkers; meanwhile, the genus Lautropia, Haemophilus and Porphyromonas, and species Haemophilus parainfluenzae were significantly depleted in drinkers. PICRUSt analysis showed that significantly different genera were mainly related to metabolism pathways. The oxygen-independent pathways, including galactose, fructose and mannose metabolism pathways, were enriched in drinkers and positively associated with genera enriched in drinkers; while the pyruvate metabolism pathway, an aerobic metabolism pathway, was decreased in drinkers and negatively associated with genera enriched in drinkers. Our results suggested that alcohol drinking may affect health by altering oral microbial composition and potentially affecting microbial functional pathways. These findings may have implications for better understanding the potential role those oral bacteria play in alcohol-related diseases.

Outcomes and prognostic factors for patients with cervical esophageal cancer undergoing definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy.

Cervical esophageal cancer (CEC) is uncommon, accounting for less than 5% of all esophageal cancers. The management of CEC is controversial. This study investigated treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of survival in CEC patients undergoing definitive radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). Ninety-one CEC patients were treated by intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT) between July 2007 and September 2017. The mean prescription dose was 64 Gy (range 54-70 Gy) delivered as 1.8-2.2 Gy per fraction per day, 5 days a week. Out of 91 patients, 34 received concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy (CT) including 18 patients who also received neoadjuvant CT. Overall survival (OS), locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors of survival were determined in univariate (log-rank test) and multivariate (Cox proportional hazard model) analysis. Treatment-related toxicity was also assessed. Median follow-up time for all patients was 19 months. Two-year OS, LRFFS and PFS of all patients were 58.2%, 52.5% and 48.1%, respectively. Clinical stage was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.03-5.37, p = 0.042), LRFFS (HR = 3.84, 95% CI: 1.38-10.69, p = 0.011), and PFS (HR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.11-6.45, p = 0.028). Hoarseness was an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.05-4.19, p = 0.036). CCRT was independently associated with better LRFFS (HR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14-0.79, p = 0.012). 3DCRT and IMRT with concurrent CT is well-tolerated and may improve local tumor control in CEC patients. Advanced clinical stage and hoarseness are adverse prognostic factors for OS, LRFFS, and PFS in CEC.

Hydride, hydrogen, proton, and electron affinities of imines and their reaction intermediates in acetonitrile and construction of thermodynamic characteristic graphs (TCGs) of imines as a "molecule ID card".

A series of 61 imines with various typical structures were synthesized, and the thermodynamic affinities (defined as enthalpy changes or redox potentials in this work) of the imines to abstract hydride anions, hydrogen atoms, and electrons, the thermodynamic affinities of the radical anions of the imines to abstract hydrogen atoms and protons, and the thermodynamic affinities of the hydrogen adducts of the imines to abstract electrons in acetonitrile were determined by using titration calorimetry and electrochemical methods. The pure heterolytic and homolytic dissociation energies of the C=N pi-bond in the imines were estimated. The polarity of the C=N double bond in the imines was examined using a linear free-energy relationship. The idea of a thermodynamic characteristic graph (TCG) of imines as an efficient "Molecule ID Card" was introduced. The TCG can be used to quantitatively diagnose and predict the characteristic chemical properties of imines and their various reaction intermediates as well as the reduction mechanism of the imines. The information disclosed in this work could not only supply a gap of thermodynamics for the chemistry of imines but also strongly promote the fast development of the applications of imines.