Association of body mass and systemic immune-inflammation indices with endocrine therapy resistance in luminal breast cancers.

OBJECTIVE: To explore correlations between body mass index (BMI), preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and endocrine therapy resistance, and evaluate BMI and SII as predictors of resistance, in patients with luminal breast cancer. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with luminal breast cancer who underwent endocrine therapy at Hebei General Hospital. Relationships between BMI and SII subgroups, and clinicopathological parameters were analysed using χ2-tests. Disease-free survival was assessed using Log-rank statistics. Multivariate analysis of factors related to disease progression were analysed using Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Out of 161 patients, those with normal BMI and low SII had significantly lower endocrine resistance rates versus those with high BMI and SII, and BMI was significantly positively correlated with SII. High BMI or SII was associated with significantly lower disease-free survival rates. Hazard ratios for disease progression risk were 6.036, 3.508 and 1.733, for SII, BMI and TNM stage, respectively. CONCLUSION: In patients with luminal breast cancer, high BMI (>23 kg/m2) and SII (>518 × 109/L) levels may predict high endocrine resistance rates. BMI, SII and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for endocrine therapy resistance.

Tumor-associated macrophages correlate with the clinicopathological features and poor outcomes via inducing epithelial to mesenchymal transition in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Both tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells play key roles in promoting tumor progression. However, whether TAMs could induce EMT in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains undefined. RESULTS: Here we detected the expression of macrophages markers CD68 and CD163, epithelial marker E-cadherin and mesenchymal marker vimentin in 127 OSCC patients by using semi-quantitative immunohistochemistry. CD68 and CD163 expression was not confined to the infiltrating TAMs, but also detected in cancer cells. The high number of CD68-positive macrophages was correlated with poor overall survival. Meanwhile, the expression of CD163 both in macrophages and in cancer cells was associated with poor overall survival and had a significant prognostic impact in OSCC. Importantly, the expression of CD163 in cancer cells had a significant relationship with E-cadherin and vimentin. Furthermore, the incubation of TAMs conditioned medium resulted in a fibroblast-like appearance of cancer cells (HN4, HN6 and SCC9) together with the decreased/increased expression of E-cadherin/ vimentin, which were correlated with the enhanced ability of migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that TAMs could promote the EMT of cancer cells, thereby leading to the progression of oral cancer.

Upregulation of vimentin and aberrant expression of E-cadherin/beta-catenin complex in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with the clinicopathological features and patient outcome.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a challenging oncology problem. A reliable biomarker for metastasis or high-risk prognosis in oral cancer patients remains undefined. Using quantitative immunohistochemistry, we examined the expression of vimentin, E-cadherin, and beta-catenin in 83 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients, and the relationships between the expression of these markers and specific clinicopathological features were analysed. The high expression of vimentin was observed in 23 of 43 (53%) tumours from patients who eventually developed a recurrent tumour and was associated with recurrence and death (P<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). The decreased expression of E-cadherin was observed in 36 of 43 (84%) tumours from patients who eventually developed a recurrent tumour and was also associated with recurrence and death (P<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). Although no correlation between beta-catenin expression in whole-tumour sections and clinicopathological features was observed, decreased beta-catenin expression at the tumour invasive front was closely associated with recurrence and death (P=0.002 and 0.002, respectively). The expression of vimentin and that of E-cadherin were associated with survival and were independent prognostic factors in univariate and multivariate analyses. Our data show that the overexpression of vimentin was closely associated with recurrence and death in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients. The combination of the upregulation of vimentin and aberrant expression of E-cadherin/beta-catenin complexes at the tumour invasive front may provide a useful prognostic marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

[One-staged correction of alveolar cleft and lip and nasal deformities secondary to lip cleft].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate individualized one-staged correction of alveolar cleft and lip and nasal deformities secondary to lip cleft. METHODS: The alveolar cleft and lip and nasal deformities secondary to lip cleft were corrected in one stage. RESULTS: From 2004 to 2007, 37 cases were treated. 33 patients were treated successfully with primary healing in bony recipient area. Cancellous bone exposure happened in 3 cases. The wounds healed after debridement and drainage. The cosmetic results were satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: One-staged correction of alveolar cleft and the lip and nasal deformities secondary to lip cleft can achieve good results.