APOC1 is a prognostic biomarker associated with M2 macrophages in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that APOC1 is associated with cancer progression, exerting cancer-promoting and immune infiltration-promoting effects. Nevertheless, there is currently no report on the presence of APOC1 in ovarian cancer (OV). METHOD: In this study, we conducted data analysis using the GEO and TCGA databases. We conducted a thorough bioinformatics analysis to investigate the function of APOC1 in OV, utilizing various platforms including cBioPortal, STRING, GeneMANIA, LinkedOmics, GSCALite, TIMER, and CellMarker. Additionally, we performed immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays and conducted in vitro cellular assays to validate our findings. RESULT: Our findings reveal that APOC1 expression is significantly upregulated in OV compared to normal tissues. Importantly, patients with high APOC1 levels show a significantly poorer prognosis. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that APOC1 exerted a crucial function in promoting the capacity of ovarian cancer cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade. Additionally, we have identified that genes co-expressed with APOC1 are primarily associated with adaptive immune responses. Notably, the levels of APOC1 in OV exhibit a correlation with the presence of M2 Tumor-associated Macrophages (TAMs). CONCLUSION: APOC1 emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker for OV and exhibits a significant association with M2 TAMs in OV.

MCT1 gene silencing enhances the immune effect of dendritic cells on cervical cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Dendritic cells (DCs) are a key class of immune cells that migrate to the draining lymph nodes and present processed antigenic peptides to lymphocytes after being activated by external stimuli, thereby establishing adaptive immunity. Moreover, DCs play an important role in tumor immunity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to investigate whether MCT1 gene silencing in DCs affects their ability to mount an immune response against cervical cancer cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We silenced the expression of MCT1 in DCs from mouse bone marrow (BM) by infection with adenovirus. The surface antigen profile of DCs was analyzed by flow cytometry and cytokine secretion was evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) following sodium lactate (sLA) exposure and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Then, various groups of DC-induced cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were prepared and their cytotoxicity against U14 was tested. RESULTS: Without sLA exposure, silencing MCT1 did not affect the expression of CD1a, CD80, CD83, CD86, and major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) in DCs after LPS challenge. Similar results were found for interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12 p70 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). After sLA exposure, silencing MCT1 significantly decreased the expression of CD1a, CD80, CD83, CD86, and MHCII in DCs after the LPS challenge, as well as the secretion of IL-6, IL-12 p70 and TNF-α. In addition, sLA exposure significantly reduced the toxicity and inhibited the proliferation of DC-induced CTLs compared to U14 cells in vitro and in vivo. However, silencing MCT1 significantly attenuated the changes caused by sLA exposure. At the same time, in the absence of sLA, silencing MCT1 did not affect the toxicity nor inhibit the proliferation of DC-induced CTLs on U14 cells. CONCLUSIONS: Lactate exposure reduces the immune effect of DCs on cervical cancer cells, but MCT1 gene silencing attenuates these alterations.

RNA 5-Methylcytosine regulators are associated with cell adhesion and predict prognosis of endometrial cancer.

Background: RNA methylation is a significant form of post-transcriptional modification that has been implicated in various diseases, including cancers. One prominent type of RNA methylation is 5-Methylcytosine (m5C), which primarily regulates RNA stability, transcription, and translation. However, the role of m5C-related gene regulation in cell adhesion within uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) remains unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between RNA m5C methylation and UCEC and develop a prognostic predictive model to forecast survival outcomes in UCEC patients. Methods: The RNA datasets were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The dataset was used to explore the interaction relationships of m5C regulators in UCEC. Unsupervised clustering analysis identified clusters with distinct m5C modification patterns. Different clusters underwent Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment level analysis to investigate the effects of pathways related to m5C methylation, which were further validated through in vitro cellular experiments. A prognostic predictive model was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate regression analysis. Results: Two clusters with distinct m5C modification patterns were identified using unsupervised cluster analysis. Furthermore, the prognosis of cluster 2 was found to be worse. Enrichment analysis showed alterations in cell adhesion-related pathways in both clusters, as well as differences between the clusters. Through this analysis, we identified 25 genes with significant prognostic value. Finally, a prognostic predictive model comprising NSUN2 and YBX1 was constructed. Conclusions: In conclusion, diverse m5C modification patterns display distinct cell adhesion properties in UCEC, which are correlated with prognosis and offer significant potential as prognostic markers for UCEC assessment. We developed a prognostic predictive model to accurately predict the prognosis of UCEC.

Clinicopathological Features and Survival Trends of Non-Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database.

INTRODUCTION: Owing to their low incidence, no reliable statistics about prognostication derived from large sample sizes have been reported of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCTs) and sex cord-stromal tumors (SCSTs). The present study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological prognostic factors and the survival trends of MOGCTs and SCSTs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs were recorded in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database diagnosed between 2000 and 2019. Clinical, demographic, and treatment characteristics were compared between groups of MOGCTs and SCSTs. Cox risk regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) and to assess the prognostic factors. RESULTS: Information about 2,506 patients with MOGCTs and 1,556 patients with SCSTs was extracted from the SEER database, respectively. Aged <40 years and single were more common in patients with MOGCTs than in those with SCSTs. The vast majority of patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs underwent surgery (98.1% vs. 94.5%; p < 0.001), and women with MOGCTs were more likely to receive chemotherapy than women with SCSTs (56.1% vs. 32.2%; p < 0.001). For both patients before and after propensity-score matching, the 5-year OS rates of patients with SCSTs were lower than those of patients with MOGCTs (p < 0.05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, both age and surgery were independent predictors of OS in patients with MOGCTs and SCSTs. FIGO staging was an independent predictor of CSS in MOGCT patients. Tumor size and chemotherapy were also independent predictors of CSS in patients with SCSTs. CONCLUSION: Compared to patients with SCSTs, those with MOGCTs tended to be younger and had a higher OS and CSS. Adjuvant chemotherapy after surgery did not prolong OS and CSS in patients with SCSTs.

Function of m5C RNA methyltransferase NOP2 in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

RNA methyltransferase nucleolar protein p120 (NOP2), commonly referred to as NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase family member 1 (NSUN1), is involved in cell proliferation and is highly expressed in various cancers. However, its role in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) remains unclear. Our study investigated the expression of NOP2 in HGSOC tissues and normal fimbria tissues, and found that NOP2 was significantly upregulated in HGSOC tissues. Our experiments showed that NOP2 overexpression promoted cell proliferation in vivo and in vitro and increased the migration and invasion ability of HGSOC cells in vitro. Furthermore, we identified Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 4 (RAPGEF4) as a potential downstream target of NOP2 in HGSOC. Finally, our findings suggest that the regulation of NOP2 and RAPGEF4 may depend on m5C methylation levels.

Preparation and investigation of a novel antibacterial collagen-based material loaded with gentamicin following surface modification with citric acid for corneal tissue engineering.

Corneal disease is an important clinical problem that affects millions of blind people and keratoplasty is currently the most successful treatment for corneal blindness. Unfortunately, there is a very high risk of bacterial infection during corneal transplantation. In this study, we proposed a novel synthetic collagen-based film for corneal therapy, and we effectively incorporated aminoglycoside gentamicin molecules onto the surface of the collagen film. We anticipate that this collagen-based substance will be antimicrobial and repair corneal tissue damage. Three steps were used to create this gentamicin-modified carboxylated collagen film, including: (i) Cross-link the collagen molecules with 1-ethyl-3- (3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide and n-hydroxysuccinimide to create a collagen (Col) film. (ii) Citric acid was used to modify the Col film's surface in order to increase the number of carboxyl groups there (ColCA). (iii) Gentamicin molecules were grafted onto the surface of ColCA film by forming amide bonds (ColCA-GM). We discovered that this ColCA-GM film has good physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that treating collagen films with citric acid significantly improved the antibacterial properties of ColCA-GM film. The outcomes point to a variety of potential applications for this novel film in corneal tissue engineering.

Preparation and Characterization of a Photo-Crosslinked Methacryloyl-Collagen Composite Film to Promote Corneal Nerve Regeneration via Surface Grafting of Taurine Molecules.

Blindness is frequently caused by corneal abnormalities, and corneal transplantation is the most effective treatment method. It is extremely important to develop high-quality artificial corneas because there are not enough donor corneas accessible for cornea transplantation. One of the most-often utilized materials is collagen, which is the primary component of natural cornea. Collagen-based corneal repair materials have good physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility, but how to promote the regeneration of the corneal nerve after keratoplasty is still a big challenge. In this research, in order to promote the growth of nerve cells on a collagen (Col) substrate, a novel collagen-based material was synthesized starting from the functionalization of collagen with unsaturated methacryloyl groups that three-dimensionally photopolymerize to a 3D network of chemically crosslinked collagen (ColMA), onto which taurine molecules were eventually grafted (ColMA-Tr). The physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of the Col, ColMA and ColMA-Tr films were evaluated. By analyzing the results, we found that all the three samples had good moisture retention and aq high covalent attachment of methacryloyl groups followed by their photopolymerization improved the mechanical properties of the ColMA and ColMA-Tr. Most importantly, compared with ColMA, the taurine-modified collagen-MA film significantly promoted the growth of nerve cells and corneal epithelial cells on its surface. Our preliminary results suggest that this novel ColMA-Tr film may have potential use in cornea tissue engineering in the future.

Identification and validation of m5c-related lncRNA risk model for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the common malignant tumors that seriously threaten women's health, and there is a lack of clinical prognostic predictors, while m5c and lncRNA have been shown to be predictive of multiple cancers, including OC. Therefore, our goal was to construct a risk model for OC based on m5c-related lncRNA.340 m5c-related lncRNA were identified and a novel risk model of OC ground on nine m5C-related lncRNA was constructed using LASSO-COX regression analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed there was a significant difference in prognosis between risk groups. We established a nomogram which was a good predictor of overall survival. In addition, GSEA was enriched in multiple pathways and immune function analysis suggested that immune infiltration varies depending on the risk group. In vitro experiments show that AC005562.1, a key lncRNA of the risk model, is highly expressed in OC cells and promotes OC cell proliferation. Finally, we further explored the potential biological markers of m5c-related lncRNA in OC with WGCNA analysis and established a ceRNA network. In conclusion,we have developed a reliable m5c-related prediction model and performed systematic validation and exploration of various aspects. These results can be used for the assessment of OC prognosis and the discovery of novel biomarkers.

Elevated expression of protein-L-isoaspartate O-methyltransferase-1 (PCMT1) in cervical cancer.

Background: Protein-L-isoaspartate O-methyltransferase-1 (PCMT1) is a protein carboxyl methyltransferase enzyme, which has been found to play roles in cancers. However, no clinical information about the correlation between cervical cancer and PCMT1 expression has been reported. Methods: We used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to characterize the protein level of PCMT1 in human cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer specimens. The mRNA expression profile of PCMT1 in cervical cancer was also analyzed by using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. The prognostic value of PCMT1 in patients with cervical cancer was evaluated by using the Kaplan-Meier plotter. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cervical cancer dataset. Results: The protein level of PCMT1 was increased in cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) (7.40±0.42) and cervical cancer tissues (10.70±0.54), compared to normal cervix (5.00±0.86) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) (6.22±0.57) (P<0.05). the immunoreactivity score (IRS) of PCMT1 was also higher in cervical cancer tissues than in paired adjacent non-cancerous cervical tissues (9.03±0.52 vs. 6.32±0.46) (P<0.05). High expression of PCMT1 was associated with decreased overall survival (OS) of patients with cervical cancer (P=0.0022). GSEA demonstrated that cervical cancer patients with high expression of PCMT1 were enriched in the various cancer-related signaling pathways. Conclusions: These results suggest that PCMT1 might be a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer, and further validation studies should be performed.

Clinical characteristic and prognostic factors in high-grade endometrial neuroendocrine carcinoma.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to summarize the clinical characteristics and analyze the independent prognostic factors in patients with high-grade endometrial neuroendocrine carcinoma (ENC). METHODS: Patients diagnosed with ENC, endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC), endometrial clear-cell carcinoma (ECC), endometrial serous carcinoma (ESC), endometrioid carcinoma with mucinous features (EMC) from 1987 to 2016 were screened from the National Cancer Institute database (surveillance, epidemiology, and end results [SEER]). Kaplan-Meier were used to assess survival. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis were done to examine factors affecting survival. RESULTS: The median survival times of ENC were 11 months, shorter than that of EAC, ECC, ESC, and EMC (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in ages, survival rate, and median survival time between large-cell ENC (LCENC) and small-cell ENC (SCENC), which were all belong to ENC. In a multivariable model, the hazard ratio (HR) of death for women with Federation International of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I-II of ENC was 0.37 compared to FIGO stage III-IV (p < 0.01). The HR of patients who under the surgery was 0.39 compared to the patients who without surgery (p < 0.01), and the HR of patients who received chemotherapy was 0.51 compared to the patients who did not received chemotherapy (p < 0.01). Radiotherapy did not significantly reduce the mortality risk of patients. CONCLUSION: ENC was a kind of devastating endometrial cancers with the poorest prognosis. Surgical treatment and chemotherapy were necessary for improving prognosis of ENC. Early diagnosis favored better prognosis. There was no prognostic difference between with and without radiotherapy.

BMDCs induce the generation of the CD103+CD8+ tissue-resident memory T cell subtype, which amplifies local tumor control in the genital tract.

Tissue-resident memory T (Trm) cells can trigger a secondary immune response when they encounter the same antigen, playing an important role in antitumor immunity. However, whether Trm cells are protective against female genital tract tumors remainunknown. Here, we show that cervicovaginal vaccination with HPV16 E7aa43-62peptide/CPG-1826 can generate CD103+CD8+Trm cells in the genital tract. These Trm cells can result in subsequent CD8+ T cell expansion and cytokine production when they encounter the same antigen. Importantly, this secondary response can control rechallenge with tumor cells. In vitro,BMDCs can promote the production of TGF-ß, which induces CD103 expression in CD8+ T cells. In human cervical cancer samples, DCs were correlated with the Trm gene signature, which was positively associated with overall survival. Our results indicate that cervicovaginal Trm cells have the capacity tocontrol tumor growth and that BMDCs may induce Trm cell generation via the TGF-ß signaling pathway.

Dynamically Accumulating Homologous Recombination Deficiency Score Served as an Important Prognosis Factor in High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer.

Background: The homologous recombination (HR) pathway defects in cancers induced abrogation of cell cycle checkpoints, resulting in the accumulation of DNA damage, mitotic catastrophe, and cell death. Cancers with BRCA1/2 loss and other accumulation of similar genomic scars resulting in HRD displayed increased sensitivity to chemotherapy. Our study aimed to explore HRD score genetic mechanisms and subsequent clinical outcomes in human cancers, especially ovarian cancer. Methods: We analyzed TCGA data of HRD score in 33 cancer types and evaluated HRD score distribution and difference among tumor stages and between primary and recurrent tumor tissues. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify highly correlated genes representing essential modules contributing to the HRD score and distinguish the hub genes and significant pathways. We verified HRD status predicting roles in patients' overall survival (OS) with univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and built the predicting model for patient survival. Results: We found that the HRD score increased with the rise in tumor stage, except for stage IV. The HRD score tended to grow up higher in recurrent tumor tissue than in their primary counterparts (p = 0.083). We constructed 15 co-expression modules with WGCNA, identified co-expressed genes and pathways impacting the HRD score, and concluded that the HRD score was tightly associated with tumor cells replication and proliferation. A combined HRD score ≥42 was associated with shorter OS in 33 cancer types (HR = 1.010, 95% CI: 1.008-1.011, p < 0.001). However, in ovarian cancer, which ranked the highest HRD score among other cancers, HRD ≥42 cohort was significantly associated with longer OS (HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98-0.99, p < 0.0001). We also built a predicting model for 3 and 5 years survival in HGSC patients. Conclusion: A quantitative HRD score representing the accumulated genomic scars was dynamically increasing in proliferating tumor cells since the HRD score was tightly correlated to tumor cell division and replication. We highlighted HRD score biomarker role in prognosis prediction of ovarian cancer.

Overexpression of RIPK4 Predicts Poor Prognosis and Promotes Metastasis in Ovarian Cancer.

This study was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of receptor-interacting protein kinase 4 (RIPK4) in ovarian cancer (OC) and its role in tumorigenesis. RNA expression and the corresponding clinical data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. The relationship between clinical-pathological characteristics and RIPK4 expression was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression. The Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method were used to evaluate the relationship between clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using Molecular Signatures Database. Scratch assay, transwell assay, and cell transfection were used to verify the function of RIPK4. Overexpression of RIPK4 was associated with the stage of OC and distant metastasis. Survival analysis revealed that patients with OC and higher expression of RIPK4 had a poorer prognosis. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that high expression of RIPK4 was associated with poor OS, as well as age and stage of OC. The areas under the curve (AUC) at 1, 4, and 8 years were 0.737, 0.634, and 0.669, respectively, according to the established OS prediction model. GSEA revealed that adherens junction, cadherin binding, and Wnt signaling pathway were enriched in the high RIPK4 expression group. Cell transfection confirmed RIPK4 was involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. RIPK4 can act as a potential prognostic molecular marker for poor survival in OC. Moreover, RIPK4 is associated with tumor metastasis and implicated in the regulation of the Wnt signaling pathway.

Inflammatory signals induce MUC16 expression in ovarian cancer cells via NF-κB activation.

Cancer antigen 125 (CA125), encoded by the mucin 16 cell surface associated (MUC16) gene, has been widely used as a biomarker for ovarian cancer (OC) screening. However, it has yet to be elucidated as to why its levels increase with tumor progression as well as with certain other non-malignant conditions. Based on our knowledge of the inflammatory microenvironment (IME) in OC, HEY cells were treated with several inflammation-associated factors as well as their antagonists, and it was observed that inflammation-associated factors upregulated MUC16 gene expression. Considering the role of nuclear factor (NF)-κB in the inflammatory signaling network and our previous research on OC, chromatin immunoprecipitation was performed, and it was observed that activated NF-κB bound to the MUC16 gene promoter and enhanced its expression, thereby elevating secreted CA125 levels. These findings demonstrated that IME and MUC16 gene expression were associated in OC, partly elucidating the role of IME in tumor progression, explaining the elevated serum CA125 levels in some non-malignant conditions, and confirming IME as a potential target for OC therapy.

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Promote Proliferation and Invasion in Cervical Cancer by Targeting the HGF/c-MET Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a serious female malignancy affecting women's health worldwide. The HGF/c-MET signaling pathway is activated in cervical cancer. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) with multipotential differentiation can carry out paracrine secretion of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Here, we investigated the effect and underlying mechanism of ADSCs on the promotion and invasion of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ADSCs were isolated, identified, and co-cultured with cervical cancer cells. HGF was detected using ELISA, and the HGF and c-MET signaling pathway was assessed with Western blot. The proliferation and invasion of human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and CaSki cells) were measured using CCK-8 and transwell assays. A HeLa xenograft mouse model was established to determine the effect of ADSCs on tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: ADSCs secreted a high level of HGF into the supernatant, while co-culture of ADSCs and cervical cancer cells increased the supernatant level of HGF. The HGF/c-MET pathway was activated in HeLa and CaSki cells co-cultured with ADSCs. Both co-culture with ADSCs and use of ADSC-derived conditioned medium (ADSCs-CM) significantly promoted the proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer cells in vitro, an effect that was reduced by inhibiting tumor cell c-MET expression. Furthermore, ADSCs-CM promoted HeLa cervical tumor growth in vivo, which could be suppressed by intratumoral c-MET siRNA injection. CONCLUSION: ADSCs promote cervical cancer growth and invasion through paracrine secretion of HGF and involvement of the HGF/c-MET signaling pathway.

LINC01133 contribute to epithelial ovarian cancer metastasis by regulating miR-495-3p/TPD52 axis.

Currently, there is increasing evidence that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) initiate and promote the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In this study, we revealed the roles and the potential mechanisms of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1133 (LINC01133) in EOC, which remains not well understood. We found that LINC01133 was upregulated in EOC tissues and cell lines. Besides, it was associated with the clinicopathological feature of metastasis. Functional experiments demonstrated that LINC01133 could facilitate cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. Further molecular mechanisms studies indicated that LINC01133 and miR-495-3p reciprocally repressed expression of each other. We also realized that LINC01133 shared the same binding sites for miR-495-3p with tumor protein D52 (TPD52). We confirmed that TPD52 functioned as a direct target of miR-495-3p and mediated the enhancing effect of LINC01133 on cancer metastasis. Generally, our study showed that LINC01133 interacted with miR-495-3p to promote metastasis in EOC by regulating TPD52. LINC01133 also provided a potential therapeutic perspective for future clinical treatment.

Expression of immune cell markers and tumor markers in patients with cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and immune function may impact disease progression. Serum markers may also be associated with diagnosis and progression. The aim of this study was to explore the clinical usefulness of determining the levels of peripheral blood immune cells and serum tumor markers in predicting diagnosis and prognosis of patients with cervical cancer. METHODS: 82 patients with cervical cancer (early stage group: IA-IB1 and IIA1; locally advanced group: IB2 and IIA2), 54 patients with cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 54 healthy women (control group) were recruited. Inclusion criteria were: (1) patients whose cervical lesions were determined based on biopsy; and (2) patients who had not undergone immunotherapy, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients with a history of other malignant tumors; (2) patients with heart, kidney, and other organ failure; (3) patients with immune diseases; and (4) pregnant or lactating women. The levels of immunocytes and tumor markers were assayed. The relationships among histopathologic factors were analyzed. The correlation between the levels of immunocytes and tumor markers in patients with different degrees of cervical lesions (pre-invasive or cancer) and healthy women was evaluated. RESULTS: The squamous cell carcinoma antigen and carcinoembryonic antigen levels in the control group and the CIN group were significantly lower than those in the cervical cancer groups (p<0.01). The incidence of lymph node metastasis in the early stage and locally advanced groups were 22.9% (11/48) and 46.2% (12/26), respectively, and 58.8% (20/34) and 7.5% (3/37) in the positive and negative lymphovascular invasion groups, respectively (p<0.05). The levels of CD8+ and CD8+ CD28+ T cells in the early stage group were markedly lower than those in the CIN group and the control group (p=0.014, p=0.008, respectively). The ratio of CD4+CD25+/CD4+ in the cervical cancer groups was significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.01). The increased serum squamous cell carcinoma and carcinoembryonic antigen levels and CD4+CD25+/CD4+ ratio were risk factors for cervical cancer by logistic regression analysis (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cervical cancer, immune function was impaired compared with that in healthy women and patients with CIN, while squamous cell carcinoma and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were increased. Combined detection of the levels of peripheral blood immune cells and serum tumor markers may be helpful for early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis evaluation of patients with cervical cancer.

Biocompatible supramolecular pseudorotaxane hydrogels for controllable release of doxorubicin in ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells.

A series of injectable and biocompatible delivery DOX-loaded supramolecular hydrogels were fabricated by using presynthesized DOX-2N-ß-CD, Pluronic F-127 and α-CD through host-guest interactions and cooperative multivalent hydrogen bonding interactions. The compositions and morphologies of these hydrogels were confirmed by PXRD and SEM measurements. Moreover, the Rheological measurements of these hydrogels were studied and the studies found that they showed a unique thixotropic behavior, indicting a fast self-healing property after the continuous oscillatory shear stress. Using α-CD as a capping agent, slow and sustained DOX release was observed at different pH values after 72 h. The amount of DOX released at pH 7.4 was determined to be 49.0% for hydrogel 1, whereas the releasing amount of the DOX was increased to 66.3% for hydrogel 1 during the same period at pH 5.5 (P < 0.05), indicating a higher release rate of the drug under more acidic conditions. Taking hydrogel 1 as a representative material, the toxicities of DOX and hydrogel 1 on ovarian cancer cells (SKOV-3) at different exposure durations were examined. The results revealed that hydrogel 1 was less cytotoxic than free DOX to SKOV-3 cells (P < 0.05), suggesting sustained release by these hydrogels in the presence of ovarian cancer cells. It is anticipated that this exploration can provide a new strategy for preparing drug delivery systems.

RNA sequencing analysis reveals apoptosis induction by hydrogen treatment in endometrial cancer via TNF and NF-κB pathways.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the activity of hydrogen in endometrial cancer and elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: Ishikawa, HEC1A and AN3CA cells were incubated in DMEM medium with or without hydrogen. RNA sequencing was used to explore the association of hydrogen treatment with signaling pathways and functional genes in endometrial cancer cells. The apoptotic rates of the three endometrial cancer cells were evaluated by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) Annexin V and Annexin V-allophycocyanin (APC)/propidium iodide double staining. RESULTS: RNA sequencing analysis revealed that hydrogen induced TNF/NF-κB and apoptosis pathways in endometrial cancer cells. The gene sets between hydrogen treatment groups and non-treated groups were mapped in accordance with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Hydrogen treatment significantly increased the apoptotic rates of endometrial cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our data indicate that hydrogen can serve as a therapeutic target for endometrial cancer via TNF/NF-κB pathway and apoptosis induction.

Single embryo transfer improve the perinatal outcome in singleton pregnancy.

Background and objectives: Most of previous studies are comparing the perinatal outcome on singleton babies. There has been no study evaluating the possible effect of singleton embryo transfer on the perinatal outcomes in initial singleton pregnancy resulting from fresh embryo transfer. The purpose of our study is to access the effect of embryo transfer number on obstetric and perinatal risks in order to examine the role of single embryo transfer on perinatal outcomes on initial singleton pregnancy.Materials and methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study and analyzed 6439 fresh embryo transfer women. 1647 initial singleton pregnancy patients were divided into one of the following three groups according to the embryo transfer number: group A (n = 94): single embryo transfer (SET); group B (n = 1321): double embryo transfer (DET); group C (n = 262): triple embryo transfer (TET). The miscarriage rate and the ectopic pregnancy rate was compared between group A and group B, group C. 1273 live birth patients were divided into three groups too. The obstetrics outcomes and perinatal outcomes between group A and group B, group C.Results: There were 94 singleton pregnancy patients in unselective single embryo transfer. Comparing with double embryo transfer, the early miscarriage rate was higher, but late miscarriage rate, ectopic rate, and live birth rate were comparable between two groups. The obstetrics outcomes were comparable between single embryo transfer and other two groups. Although there was no significant difference between group A and other two groups, preterm birth rate, extremely preterm birth rate, low-birth weight rate and very low-birth weight rate increased with the increase of embryo transfer number. The mean delivery weight was highest in singleton babies in single embryo transfer group. It is higher in group A comparing with group B (3440.4 versus 3320.7 g) and comparing with group C (3440.4 versus 3277.4 g).Conclusions: Single embryo transfer was associated with a better perinatal outcome such as preterm birth and low-birth weight in a singleton pregnancy. The mean birth weight was significantly higher in single embryo transfer group too. Single embryo transfer is a reasonable option to reach the goal of in vitro-fertilization - a healthy singleton neonate.