Erratum: IGFBP7 remodels the tumor microenvironment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by activating the TGFß1/SMAD signaling pathway.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13371.].

Efficacy of relative dose intensity of nab-paclitaxel for the short-term outcomes, survival, and quality of life in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: a retrospective study.

Background: To optimize treatment, choosing the appropriate relative dose intensity (RDI) of nab-paclitaxel is an important way to improve patient tolerance, therapeutic efficacy, and survival. However, few studies have focused on the efficacy of the RDI of nab-paclitaxel in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, and whether the RDI of nab-paclitaxel could be employed as an index for treatment remains unknown. To explore the relationship between RDI of nab-paclitaxel and chemotherapy efficacy, survival, quality of life (QoL), and adverse effects in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 32 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, ECOG score of 0 to 2 were included from January 2017 to March 2020. The patients were treated with nab-paclitaxel combined with gemcitabine as a first-line treatment and divided into high and low RDI groups. Chemotherapy efficacy, survival, QoL, and adverse effects between two groups were compared. Results: The disease control rate (DCR) was 20.0% in the low RDI group, compared with 81.8% in the high RDI group (P=0.002). A good correlation between nab-paclitaxel RDI and short-term efficacy was observed in all 32 patients (r=0.728, P<0.01). Furthermore, the high RDI group had significantly better median overall survival (mOS: 12 vs. 8 months, P=0.034) and median progression-free survival (mPFS: 5.5 vs. 3 months, P=0.052) compared to that of low RDI patients. Univariate regression analysis showed that longer overall survival was associated with lower ECOG score [hazard ratio (HR): 10.88; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.54-46.5, P=0.001], tumors located in the body or tail of pancreases (HR: 3.82; 95% CI: 1.4-10.3, P=0.0081), and higher RDI (HR: 0.21; 95% CI: 0.071-0.6, P=0.004). The high RDI group had a significantly better physical function and emotional function improvement compared to the low RDI group (P<0.05). Moreover, high RDI did not increasing the severity and frequency of the adverse events. Conclusions: It is recommended to maintain a sufficient RDI of nab-paclitaxel to ensure that the balance between lerability, therapeutic efficacy, and survival benefits is satisfied in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Adjuvant Chemotherapy Benefit in Elderly Stage II/III Colon Cancer Patients.

Background: Studies providing more evidence to guide adjuvant chemotherapy decisions in elderly colon cancer patients are expected. Methods: We obtained data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database between 2004 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed to calculate the cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate, and comparisons of survival difference between different subgroups were performed using the log-rank test. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were carried out to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of different clinicopathological characteristics. Results: In stage II colon cancer patients aged 70 years or older, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 5-year CSS rates of no chemotherapy and chemotherapy groups were 82.0% and 72.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). In stage III colon cancer patients aged 70 years or older, the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 5-year CSS rates of no chemotherapy and chemotherapy groups were 50.7% and 61.3%, respectively (P < 0.001). Patients with chemotherapy receipt were independently associated with a 35.8% lower cancer-specific mortality rate (HR = 0.642, 95% CI: 0.620-0.665, P < 0.001) compared with those who did not receive chemotherapy. Conclusions: Adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered during the treatment of stage III colon cancer patients aged 70 years or older, but the chemotherapy benefit in elderly stage II colon cancer is suboptimal.

IGFBP7 remodels the tumor microenvironment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by activating the TGFß1/SMAD signaling pathway.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common type of esophageal cancer, and its development, growth, and invasiveness are regulated by the tumor microenvironment (TME). Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-7 (IGFBP7), which is closely related to various tumors, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGFß1), which is a key signal mediator in oncogenesis, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I are important components of the TME. IGFBP7 can upregulate the expression of TGFß1 and activate the TGFß1/SMAD signaling pathway, which leads to an increase in collagen I in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). However, the contribution of IGFBP7 to TGFß1 and the TME in the progression of ESCC remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated IGFBP7 expression and its effects on TGFß1 and the TME in ESCC. A total of 45 patients were divided into three groups: early-tumor group (n=15), advanced-tumor group (n=15), and paracancer control group (n=15). The EC109 cell line was cultured and treated with AdIGFBP7 and LvshTGFß1, and the expression levels of IGFBP7, TGFß1, α-SMA, collagen I, and p-SMAD2/3 were determined by immunohistochemical staining and western blotting analysis. IGFBP7, TGFß1, α-SMA, and collagen I were upregulated in the ESCC samples compared with the control samples (P<0.05), and the values peaked in the advanced-tumor group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the TGFß1, α-SMA, p-SMAD2/3, and collagen I proteins were gradually increased from 24 to 72 h in the EC109 cells treated with AdIGFBP7 (P<0.05). Inhibition of TGFß1 expression in the EC109 cells treated with AdIGFBP7 gradually reduced the expression of α-SMA, collagen I, and p-SMAD2/3 from 24 to 72 h (P<0.05). These findings suggest that increased IGFBP7 may accelerate the progression of ESCC by upregulating TGFß1, α-SMA, and collagen I via activating the TGFß1/SMAD signaling pathway, which could remodel the TME.

A prospective study concerning the relationship between metal allergy and post-operative pain following total hip and knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: A prospective study was conducted to detect whether a relationship exists between metal allergy and post-operative pain in total hip and knee arthroplasty patients. We postulated that to some extent a relationship does exist between them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who had undergone total hip and knee arthroplasty surgery because of hip and knee disease were included. The exclusion criteria were patients who were treated with immunosuppressor two weeks pre-operatively, skin conditions around the patch testing site, and other uncontrollable factors. Each patient agreed to patch testing for three days before surgery. Photographic images before patch testing, two and three days after patch testing were obtained to evaluate the final incidence of metal allergy. The patch tests contained 12 metal elements; chromium, cobalt, nickel, molybdenum, titanium, aluminium, vanadium, iron, manganese, tin, zirconium, and copper. Two independent observers evaluated the images. The results were divided into a non-metal allergy group and a metal allergy group. Pre-operative and postoperative VAS score, lymphocyte transforming test, and X-rays were collected to detect the relationship between metal allergy and post-operative pain following total hip and knee arthroplasty. RESULTS: There were 96 patients who underwent pre-operative patch testing. The overall metal allergy rate was 51.1% (49/96) in our study. Nickel, cobalt, manganese, and tin were the most common allergic metal elements in our study. Nine inappropriate cases were excluded, and 87 patients were finally included in our study. There were 36 metal allergy and 26 non-metal allergy patients in the THA group, while 11 metal allergy and 14 non-metal allergy patients were found in the TKA group. We found no relationship existed between metal allergy and post-surgery pain in total hip and knee arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: Pain caused by metal allergy usually presents as persistent and recurrent pain. The white cell count, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and postoperative radiographs were not affected. Currently, patch testing and lymphocyte transforming tests are used for metal allergy diagnosis. We deemed that a relationship between post-surgery pain and metal allergy in total hip and knee patients may exist to some extent. Larger samples and longer follow-up time are essential for further study.

[Experimental study on effect of xiaolong tongbi on nitric oxide synthase and epithelial cell apoptosis in prostate of rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of Xiaolong Tongbi (XLTB), a Chinese herbal preparation, on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) containing nerve and epithelial cell apoptosis. METHODS: NOS containing nerve level of various groups prostate was determined by NADPH histochemical staining and morphological quantitative analysis, and the cell apoptosis rate in rats prostatic epithelium was tested immunohistochemically with TUNEL method. RESULTS: After 3 weeks treatment with high dose XLTB, the length density of NOS contained nerves in prostate tissue of rats was 0.113 +/- 0.023, which was significantly different to that in the other 3 groups (low dose XLTB, Finasteride and testosterone) respectively (P < 0.01). Cell apoptosis reached its peak at the day 7 of experiment in XLTB treated groups (9.27%), and Finasteride treated group (5.65%), which lowered slightly at day 14 and got some recovery at day 21. Castration induced cell apoptosis began at day 7 and reached its peak at day 14, which was significantly different from that in the other groups. CONCLUSION: XLTB could increase the NOS contained nerve level and accelerate the apoptosis of epithelial cell in prostate tissue of simulating benign prostatic hyperplasia rats.