Iprodione induces hepatotoxicity in zebrafish by mediating ROS generation and upregulating p53 signalling pathway.

Iprodione is an effective and broad-spectrum fungicide commonly used for early disease control in fruit trees and vegetables. Due to rainfall, iprodione often finds its way into water bodies, posing toxicity risks to non-target organisms and potentially entering the human food chain. However, there is limited information available regarding the developmental toxicity of iprodione specifically on the liver in existing literature. In this study, we employed larval and adult zebrafish as models to investigate the toxicity of iprodione. Our findings revealed that iprodione exposure led to yolk sac edema and increased mortality in zebrafish. Notably, iprodione exhibited specific effects on zebrafish liver development. Additionally, zebrafish exposed to iprodione experienced an overload of reactive oxygen species, resulting in the upregulation of p53 gene expression. This, in turn, triggered hepatocyte apoptosis and disrupted carbohydrate/lipid metabolism as well as energy demand systems. These results demonstrated the substantial impact of iprodione on zebrafish liver development and function. Furthermore, the application of astaxanthin (an antioxidant) and p53 morpholino partially mitigated the liver toxicity caused by iprodione. To summarize, iprodione induces apoptosis through the upregulation of p53 mediated by oxidative stress signals, leading to liver toxicity in zebrafish. Our study highlights that exposure to iprodione can result in hepatotoxicity in zebrafish, and it may potentially pose toxicity risks to other aquatic organisms and even humans.

An Investigation into the Relationship between Density and Pulverization Ratio for Tannin-Furanic Foam.

Four types of classical tannin-based foam samples were prepared via different methods in the current study with an attempt to find out the impact of each one on the physico-mechanical properties. The results of performed tests showed similarity to the general trend of related research, with typical negative relation between the foam density and mechanical strength. A critical point was found for each type of foam samples, for example, for tannin-formaldehyde foams (TFF), they were in the range of 85-95 kg/m3, while for tannin-glutaraldehyde foams (TGF), mechanically-generated tannin foams (MTF) and steam-driven tannin furanic foams (STDF), they were about 52-62 kg/m3, 53-63 kg/m3, and 73-83 kg/m3, respectively. This implies a significant change for density and mechanical strength, has been dig out by intensive experimental results and analysis. In addition, a non-liner relationship between density and pulverization ratio was obtained by fitting the curves obtained by the experiment results. Finally, visualization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) together with evaluation of the compression strength presented a deeper insight to illustrate the different factors affecting foam density and pulverization ratio.

Research on care preferences for the elderly and influencing factors in Zhejiang Province: A statistical and geographical approach.

The aging of the population is becoming an increasingly severe issue. How can we develop caring services for the elderly and promote healthy aging? Investigating care preferences is an essential step in addressing this issue. A self-designed questionnaire was employed to collect data online. The impact of personal circumstances on care preferences was ascertained using the chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression. An optimal parameters-based geographical detector was introduced to examine the influence of spatially heterogeneous regional factors on care preferences. The online survey produced 1178 valid questionnaires. Home-based elderly care was the preference of 91.9% of respondents, followed by community-based care and medical-nursing care; institutional care was the least preferred alternative. Age, education, living style, and health states of the elderly significantly influenced the preferred care option. When compared to home-based elderly care, older respondents (odds ratio [OR] = 3.776) preferred institutional care, highly educated respondents preferred community-based care (higher education: OR = 5.206; secondary education: OR = 3.049) and medical-nursing care (higher education: OR = 4.484); the elderly living alone (OR = 0.101) excluded institutional care, and the elderly living with their children excluded non-family care method of institutional care (OR = 0.031) and medical-nursing care (OR = 0.391). Regional medical resources and old-age security significantly affect the preferences of the elderly (q-statistic [q] > 0.5); local economic development significantly affects community-based care (q > 0.6); the availability of financial subsidies significantly affects home-based care and medical-nursing care (q > 0.9); and the availability of institutional resources significantly affects the preference for institutional care (q > 0.8). We found that it is necessary to improve the level of medical care given by non-family members and care facilities, vigorously develop new methods of elderly care, promote humanistic care in non-family care settings, and increase available regional medical resources, financial subsidies, and social security. This study integrates economic and social perspectives to examine and analyze retirement willingness, thereby broadening the scope of social surveys and research methodologies, and offering valuable insights with potential directive implications.

Therapeutic strategies targeting AMPK-dependent autophagy in cancer cells.

Macroautophagy is a health-modifying process of engulfing misfolded or aggregated proteins or damaged organelles, coating these proteins or organelles into vesicles, fusion of vesicles with lysosomes to form autophagic lysosomes, and degradation of the encapsulated contents. It is also a self-rescue strategy in response to harsh environments and plays an essential role in cancer cells. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the central pathway that regulates autophagy initiation and autophagosome formation by phosphorylating targets such as mTORC1 and unc-51 like activating kinase 1 (ULK1). AMPK is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine protein kinase that acts as an energy sensor in cells and regulates various metabolic processes, including those involved in cancer. The regulatory network of AMPK is complicated and can be regulated by multiple upstream factors, such as LKB1, AKT, PPAR, SIRT1, or noncoding RNAs. Currently, AMPK is being investigated as a novel target for anticancer therapies based on its role in macroautophagy regulation. Herein, we review the effects of AMPK-dependent autophagy on tumor cell survival and treatment strategies targeting AMPK.

Identificaiton and characterization of a novel hemoglobin gene (Tgr-HbIII) from blood clam Tegillarca granosa.

Hemoglobin (Hb) is the major protein component of red blood cells (hemocytes) of the blood clam Tegillarca granosa. Three T. granosa hemoglobin genes have been mentioned in the literature, designated Tgr-HbI, Tgr-HbIIA and Tgr-HbIIB. Previously, our group identified another novel gene, Tgr-HbIII, in the Hb cluster of the chromosome-level genome but the issue of whether this Hb gene expresses functional protein remains unclear. In the current study, phylogenetic analysis revealed that Tgr-HbIII resembles an ancient Hb gene. Sequence alignment and three-dimensional structural modeling results showed that Tgr-HbIII does not bind heme due to the completely different structure at amino acid position 96-100 and replacement of the N100 residue in known Tgr-Hbs with Q100, what causes loss of a single hydrogen bond linking heme with the globin fold. Interface prediction data suggest that Tgr-HbIII forms a homodimer (ΔG = -5.6 kcal/mol) with a similar conformation to the Tgr-HbI homodimer (ΔG = -3.5 kcal/mol). In adult T. granosa, mRNA expression of Tgr-HbIII was lower than that of Tgr-HbIIA and Tgr-HbIIB (up to 100 × ), but comparable to that of Tgr-HbI. Notably, protein expression of Tgr-HbIII was extremely low. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of Hb expression showed that all adult hemocytes expressed Tgr-HbI, Tgr-HbIIA and Tgr-HbIIB, while only 43 % (3872 of 8978) expressed Tgr-HbIII. Based on the collective data, we speculate that Tgr-HbIII carried oxygen prior to mutation of N100 to Q100 and subsequently evolved into a known functional remnant of Hb with an adequate mRNA/low protein expression profile. The current study provides a foundation for further research on the origin, evolution and function of molluscan Hbs.

Functional Characterization, Antimicrobial Effects, and Potential Antibacterial Mechanisms of NpHM4, a Derived Peptide of Nautilus pompilius Hemocyanin.

Hemocyanins present in the hemolymph of invertebrates are multifunctional proteins that are responsible for oxygen transport and play crucial roles in the immune system. They have also been identified as a source of antimicrobial peptides during infection in mollusks. Hemocyanin has also been identified in the cephalopod ancestor Nautilus, but antimicrobial peptides derived from the hemocyanin of Nautilus pompilius have not been reported. Here, the bactericidal activity of six predicted peptides from N. pompilius hemocyanin and seven mutant peptides was analyzed. Among those peptides, a mutant peptide with 15 amino acids (1RVFAGFLRHGIKRSR15), NpHM4, showed relatively high antibacterial activity. NpHM4 was determined to have typical antimicrobial peptide characteristics, including a positive charge (+5.25) and a high hydrophobic residue ratio (40%), and it was predicted to form an alpha-helical structure. In addition, NpHM4 exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria (MBC = 30 µM for Vibrio alginolyticus), with no cytotoxicity to mammalian cells even at a high concentration of 180 µM. Upon contact with V. alginolyticus cells, we confirmed that the bactericidal activity of NpHM4 was coupled with membrane permeabilization, which was further confirmed via ultrastructural images using a scanning electron microscope. Therefore, our study provides a rationalization for the development and optimization of antimicrobial peptide from the cephalopod ancestor Nautilus, paving the way for future novel AMP development with broad applications.

Genome-wide identification and characteristic analysis of PGRP gene family in Tegillarca granosa reveals distinct immune response of the invasive pathogen.

The peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are conserved innate immune molecular in invertebrates and vertebrates, which play important roles in immune system by recognize the peptidoglycans of bacterial cell walls. Although PGRPs have been extensively characterized in insects, a systematic analysis of PGRPs in bivalves is lacking. In the present study, the phylogenic relationships, gene structures and expression profiles of PGRPs in marine bivalves were analyzed. The results indicated that the most PGRPs of bivalves were predicted to degrade the peptidoglycans and prevent excessive immunostimulation of bacteria. In addition, the results of the present study showed that the protein diversity of PGRPs in most marine bivalves was mainly generated by the alternative splicing of genes, however the alternative splicing of PGRP gene family was absent in Tegillarca granosa. The differences of PGRPs might be related to the genetic and environmental differences of marine bivalves. Spatiotemporal expression profiling in T. granosa suggested that PGRPs play important roles in the immune response of invasive pathogens. The present study describes a comprehensive view of PGRPs in the blood clam T. granosa and provides a foundation for functional characterization of this gene family in innate immune of marine bivalves.

The complete chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Gentiana arethusae Burkill (Gentianaceae) from China.

Gentiana arethusae Burkill is a perennial herb classified in the Gentianaceae. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of G. arethusae was sequenced and analyzed. The chloroplast genome is 137,458 bp in length and encodes a total of 116 genes, including 71 protein-coding, 37 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. The genome has a low GC content of 38.0%. Phylogenetic analysis of the genome of G. arethusae resolved it in a clade with Gentiana obconica and Gentiana veitchiorum. The complete chloroplast genome of G. arethusae will be helpful to study the genetic diversity and phylogenetics of the Gentianaceae.

The complete chloroplast genome of Lilium rosthornii Diels (Liliopsida: Liliaceae) from Hunan, China.

Lilium rosthornii is the perennial herbaceous bulbous plant belonging to the Lily of the Liliaceae, with high ornamental value and medicinal values. In this present study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of Lilium rosthornii by Illumina Hiseq X Ten and PacBio RS technologies firstly. The genome size of L. rosthornii, was 152,242bp, with typical tetragonal structure: one large single-copy (LSC, 81,875 bp), one small single-copy (SSC, 17,553 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs, 26,407 bp). The overall GC content was 37.02%. The complete genome contained 131 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 38 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis placed L. rosthornii under the family Liliaceae.

Genomic Insights into the Origin and Evolution of Molluscan Red-Bloodedness in the Blood Clam Tegillarca granosa.

Blood clams differ from their molluscan kins by exhibiting a unique red-blood (RB) phenotype; however, the genetic basis and biochemical machinery subserving this evolutionary innovation remain unclear. As a fundamental step toward resolving this mystery, we presented the first chromosome-level genome and comprehensive transcriptomes of the blood clam Tegillarca granosa for an integrated genomic, evolutionary, and functional analyses of clam RB phenotype. We identified blood clam-specific and expanded gene families, as well as gene pathways that are of RB relevant. Clam-specific RB-related hemoglobins (Hbs) showed close phylogenetic relationships with myoglobins (Mbs) of blood clam and other molluscs without the RB phenotype, indicating that clam-specific Hbs were likely evolutionarily derived from the Mb lineage. Strikingly, similar to vertebrate Hbs, blood clam Hbs were present in a form of gene cluster. Despite the convergent evolution of Hb clusters in blood clam and vertebrates, their Hb clusters may have originated from a single ancestral Mb-like gene as evidenced by gene phylogeny and synteny analysis. A full suite of enzyme-encoding genes for heme synthesis was identified in blood clam, with prominent expression in hemolymph and resembling those in vertebrates, suggesting a convergence of both RB-related Hb and heme functions in vertebrates and blood clam. RNA interference experiments confirmed the functional roles of Hbs and key enzyme of heme synthesis in the maintenance of clam RB phenotype. The high-quality genome assembly and comprehensive transcriptomes presented herein serve new genomic resources for the super-diverse phylum Mollusca, and provide deep insights into the origin and evolution of invertebrate RB.

Pretreatment Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Biliary Tract Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Many reports have shown that the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is associated with the clinical outcomes of patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC), with the results being inconsistent. We therefore comprehensively evaluated the prognostic significance of the PNI in BTC by performing a meta-analysis. METHODS: We identified relevant studies by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and, the Cochrane Library. The combined hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to evaluate the association between PNI and overall survival (OS) and the clinical characteristics of BTC. RESULTS: We included seven studies with 1608 patients in this meta-analysis. The pretreatment low PNI correlated significantly with worse OS (HR = 1.65, 95%CI = 1.42-1.93, p < 0.001). In addition, the prognostic effect of PNI are reliable in different subgroups of ethnicity, sample size, histology, treatment, PNI cutoff, and cutoff determination. The low PNI was also related to poor differentiation (OR = 1.95, 95%CI = 1.34-2.85, p = 0.001) as well as higher T stage (OR = 2.51, 95%CI = 1.69-3.74, p < 0.001) in BTC. CONCLUSION: The low PNI is significantly associated with inferior prognosis of patients with BTC and aggressive clinical factors. The PNI could be applied as an independent prognostic marker for patients with BTC.

[Effect of recombinant adenovirus Ad-mir-22 on glucose uptake in HepG2 cells].

The recombinant adenoviruses expressing miR-22 (Ad-miR-22) was constructed and the effect of Ad-miR-22 on insulin signal pathway and glucose uptake in HepG2 cells was analyzed. MiR-22 gene was amplified by PCR from human hepatocytes and cloned into the pAdTrack-CMV vector to generate the shuttle plasmid pAdT-22. The positive colonies were confirmed by PCR and sequencing. The resultant shuttle plasmid was linearized with Pme I, followed by co-transformation into competent BJ5183 cells containing an adenoviral backbone plasmid (pAdEasy-1) to create the recombinant plasmid pAd-miR-22. After digested with Pac I, the linearized pAd-miR-22 was transfected into 293A packaging cell line to generate recombinant adenoviruses Ad-miR-22. HepG2 cells were infected with Ad-miR-22 or control Ad-GFP (adenoviruses expressing green fluorescent protein), and then the miR-22 expression levels were analyzed by qPCR. The result shows that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of miR-22 significantly decreased insulin-induced glucose uptake in HepG2 cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-22 markedly decreased insulin-induced phosphorylation of GSK-3ß. miR-22 also increased the mRNA levels of gluconeogenic genes in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, Western blotting results indicate that the protein expression of SIRT1 decreased in Ad-miR-22 infected HepG2 cells as compared with Ad-GFP infected HepG2 cells. In summary, overexpressing of miR-22 significantly increased gluconeogenesis while decreased glucose uptake in HepG2 cells. The effect of miR-22 on glucose metabolism may be mediated by SIRT1.

Mechanism of miR-210 involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia.

Purpose: To investigate the possible mechanism of miR-210 involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pancreatic cancer cells under hypoxia. Methods: In this study, we used the following approaches. Hypoxic microenvironment was stimulated in vitro, and the CCK-8 assay was used to analyze cell viability. The MiRNA expression level was measured by qRT-PCR. HOXA9, EMT-related proteins, and NF-κB activities were examined by immunoblotting assay. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to assess whether HOXA9 was a target of miR-210.Results: Under hypoxia condition, miR-210, HIF-1α and NF-κB were increased, and the HOXA9 was reduced in PANC-1 cells. When miR-210 was overexpressed in normoxic PANC-1 cells, EMT epithelial markers of E-cadherin and ß-catenin were down-regulated, and mesenchymal markers of vimentin and N-cadherin were up-regulated to promote cell migration/invasive ability, and the HOXA9 level was decreased. After HOXA9 level decreased, the sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug of gemcitabine was reduced, NF-κB expression level and cell migration/invasive ability was enhanced. Whereas, miR-210 antagonist into hypoxic PANC-1 cells, which up-regulated E-cadherin, ß-catenin level, and down-regulated vimentin and N-cadherin levels to decrease cell migration/invasive ability, and increase the HOXA9. Furthermore, increasing HOXA9 level decreased NF-κB expression level and cell migration/invasive ability, enhanced the sensitivity to gemcitabine. At last, miRDB and TargetScan predicted that HOXA9 was a target of miR-210, and dual luciferase reporter assay verified this hypothesis.Conclusion: MiR-210 inhibited the expression of HOXA9 to activate the NF-κB signaling pathway and mediated the occurrence of EMT of pancreatic cancer cells induced by HIF-1α under hypoxia.

Mass spectrometry identification of potential biomarker proteins in the 150-kD electrophoretic band in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosing schizophrenia is primarily based on the presentation of defined signs and symptoms, none of which is pathognomonic for this group of syndromes. However, few significant genome-wide associations between schizophrenia and individual have detected. Protein profiling of candidate serum biomarkers in schizophrenia is therefore an area of great interest. METHODS: In the present study, we used a combination of 7% polyethylene glycol (PEG) enrichment of immune complexes and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to separate abnormal band, then analyse the band with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). RESULTS: There is a special 150-kD electrophoretic band in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression relative to healthy controls (each 30 samples). Analysis of the band using LC-MS resulted in the identification of 11 serum proteins whose abundance was altered between patients and controls. Among them, 8 proteins (CFH, CFB, cDNA FLJ75416, zinc finger protein 729, isoform 2 of nidogen-1, diaphanous-1, cDNA FLJ77762, and cDNA FLJ58411) were up regulated, while one protein (isoform 1 of collagen alpha-1 (II) was down regulated in patients with schizophrenia, but only zinc finger protein 729 has statistics significance (P < .05). No differences were noted with regard to thrombospondin-1 or collagen alpha-2 (I) among the 3 groups. These proteins take part in several biological functions such as focal adhesion, complement cascades, ECM-receptor interaction, and Staphylococcus aureus infection. CONCLUSIONS: The 150-kD electrophoretic band or zinc finger protein 729 may become biomarkers in patients with schizophrenia. In the future increasing sample size and function research of zinc finger protein 729 should be executed continuously.

Clinical analysis of treatment strategies to cholecystocholedocholithiasis patients with previous subtotal or total gastrectomy: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous gastrectomy can lead to an increased incidence of cholecystocholedocholithiasis (CCL) and increased morbidity rate. However, the appropriate treatment strategy for patients with CCL and a history of gastrectomy remains unclear. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients with CCL and a history of gastrectomy who underwent either one-stage laparoscopic common bile duct (CBD) exploration with stone clearance and laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LCBDE+LC) or two-stage endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography followed by LC (ERCP+LC) from May 2010 to March 2018. RESULTS: The success rate of ERCP for CBD stone clearance was 81.2% in patients with a history of Billroth I gastrectomy and 23.7% in patients with a history of Billroth II or Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy [χ2 = 97.67, P < 0.001, risk ratio (RR) = 3.43]. The success rate of second-step LC after successful ERCP for removal of CBD stones and the success rate of LCBDE+LC after ERCP treatment failure were 96.8 and 87.7%, respectively, in patients with preoperative intra-abdominal adhesion evaluation scores of ≤3 points. These success rates were 28.6 and 27.6%, respectively, in patients with scores of > 3 points (χ2 = 59.70, P < 0.001, RR = 3.38 and χ2 = 53.41, P < 0.001, RR = 3.27, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of this study, ERCP+LC seems to be an attractive strategy for treatment of CCL in patients with a history of Billroth I gastrectomy, and LCBDE+LC appears to be suitable for patients with a history of Billroth II or Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy. Preoperative evaluation of intra-abdominal adhesions helps to reduce the conversion rate of laparoscopic surgery.

Asparaginyl endopeptidase enhances pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell invasion in an exosome-dependent manner and correlates with poor prognosis.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal types of cancer; owing to low early detection rates and high metastasis rates, it is associated with an extremely poor prognosis. Therefore, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie its metastasis and the identification of potential prognostic biomarkers are urgently required. Although high expression levels of asparaginyl endopeptidase (AEP) have been detected in various types of solid tumor, the expression and functions of AEP in pancreatic carcinomas have yet to be determined. The present study aimed to examine the putative functions of AEP in pancreatic carcinoma. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that AEP was highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Patients with high AEP expression exhibited a significantly shorter overall survival time. Results from multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that AEP was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that knockdown of AEP expression significantly reduced the invasive ability of pancreatic cancer cells, whereas overexpression of AEP increased the invasive ability. In addition, AEP was detected in exosomes that were derived from cultured pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (PDACs) and in the serum from patients with PDAC. The Matrigel-Transwell invasion assay revealed that exosomes enriched with AEP were able to enhance the invasive ability of PDAC cells, whereas exosomes lacking AEP decreased the invasive ability. Furthermore, results from the present study suggested that AEP may be crucial for activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/RAC­α serine/threonine-protein kinase signaling pathway in PDAC cells. The present study data indicated that high AEP expression may be important for pancreatic carcinoma progression in an exosome-dependent manner, and that AEP may be an independent indicator of poor prognosis in patients with PDAC and may be a novel prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target in pancreatic carcinoma.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy in Patients With History of Gastrectomy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients with previous gastrectomy have an increased incidence of gallstones and gallbladder morbidity requiring surgery. We investigated the possible risk factors that contribute to severe gallbladder disease in patients with previous gastrectomy and the role of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in the treatment of these patients. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed a database of patients who underwent LC in our hospital during the period January 1, 2010, through May 1, 2015. RESULTS: The average operation time in patients with previous gastrectomy was longer (P < .05), but the operation times of patients with a long interval (>5 years) between gastrectomy and LC showed no statistical difference from those of patients without a history of gastrectomy (P > .05). The conversion rate did not differ between the 2 groups (P > .05), but in patients with previous gastrectomy, the conversion rate was significantly reduced after we adopted a comprehensive preoperative evaluation procedure (P < .05). The frequency of cholecystitis attacks, rate of combination with gallbladder polyps, and rate of combination with pancreatitis were higher and gallstone formation time shorter, in the patients with malignant tumor, those undergoing Billroth II gastroenterostomy or esophagojejunostomy, and those with accompanying diabetes mellitus or hypercholesterolemia (P < .05). CONCLUSION: LC plays an important role in the treatment of benign gallbladder diseases in patients with a history of gastrectomy, and a comprehensive preoperative evaluation and accomplished surgical technique are necessary for successful outcomes. Previously identified clinical features may represent a risk factor for severe cholecystic morbidity in these patients.

Expression and Prognostic Role of FHIT, Fibronectin, and PTEN in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Fragile histidine triad (FHIT), fibronectin (FN), and phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) are widely reported as having abnormal expression in malignant tumors. The role of FHIT, fibronectin, PTEN expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been characterized. Our study aims to investigate the expression of FHIT, fibronectin, and PTEN in human HCC and their relationship with clinicopathological features and prognosis of HCC. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of FHIT, FN, and PTEN in tumor tissues from 138 HCC patients. The correlation between their expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis were analyzed. RESULTS: FHIT, fibronectin, and PTEN proteins have different expressions between HCC and adjacent nontumor tissue (χ2 = 5.968, 7.380, 4.962; p < 0.05), which are expressed differently in the groups of different tumor stage, grade, tumor size, tumor number, lymph node metastasis, HBV infection, and cirrhosis in the background of nontumor sections (p < 0.05). In the FHIT and fibronectin positive expression group, the cumulative survival times were shorter than those in the negative expression groups (χ2 = 4.443, 9.867; p < 0.05), and in the PTEN positive expression group the cumulative survival times were longer than in the negative expression group (χ2 = 4.199; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FHIT, fibronectin, and PTEN were abnormally expressed in HCC cells, which have stimulative or suppressive effects on HCC carcinogenesis and progression. FHIT and fibronectin can be used as negative makers for prognosis and PTEN as a positive one.