Identification of RNA methylation-related lncRNAs for prognostic assessment and immunotherapy in bladder cancer-based on single cell/Bulk RNA sequencing data.

Bladder cancer is a malignancy characterized by significant heterogeneity. RNA methylation has received an increasing amount of attention in recent years. RNA data were collected from the GEO database, and cell subsets were classified according to specific cell markers. Epithelial, immunological, and fibroblast cells were clustered individually to explore the tumor heterogeneity. To distinguish between malignant and benign cells, the InferCNV R package was employed. The monocle2 R package was used for pseudotime analysis. The Decouple R package was used for transcription factor analysis of each cell subgroup, and PROGENy was used to predict the activity of pathways related to tumors. The target lncRNA was screened for model construction. In addition, the qPCR experiment was used to detect the transcription level of lncRNA. Epithelial cells, fibroblasts, and T cells significantly differ in tumor and normal tissues. The lncRNAs related to m6A/m5C/m1A were intersected to construct the model. Finally, six model lncRNAs (PSMB8-AS1, THUMPD3-AS1, U47924.27, XXbac-B135H6.15, MIR99AHG, and C14orf132) were screened. High-risk individuals were shown to have a better prognosis. qPCR experiments showed that the model lncRNA was differentially expressed between normal and tumor cells. Immunotherapy will be more effective in treating individuals with lower risk than those with higher risk using 4 candidate drugs. The prognostic m6A/m5C/m1A-related lncRNA model was constructed for evaluating the clinical outcomes of bladder cancer patients and guiding clinical medication.

Association between radiotherapy and prognosis in patients with small cell carcinoma of the bladder undergoing bladder-sparing surgery.

Background: Small cell carcinoma of the bladder is rare and has a poor prognosis. This study aimed to investigate whether radiotherapy after bladder-sparing surgery could improve the survival benefits of patients. Methods: This population-based retrospective cohort study used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cohort in the United States to investigate small cell carcinoma of the bladder. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify significant risk factors influencing the clinical prognosis. A propensity score matching (PSM) algorithm was used to reduce the interference of confounding factors in each study group. The matched groups underwent Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to assess the potential survival benefits. Results: Univariate regression analysis demonstrated that age (P<0.001), tumour stage (T stage) (P=0.005), node stage (N stage) (P<0.001), chemotherapy (P<0.001), bone metastasis (P<0.001), liver metastasis (P<0.001), lung metastasis (P=0.005), tumour size (P=0.005), and radiotherapy (P<0.001) were related factors affecting survival. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age (P=0.001), T stage (P=0.054), N stage (P<0.001), radiotherapy (P=0.010), chemotherapy (P<0.001), bone metastasis (P=0.007), and liver metastasis (P<0.001) were independent factors affecting survival. Moreover, survival analysis was performed on the PSM-matched groups, leading to the following findings: (1) the radiotherapy group exhibited a superior survival prognosis compared with the non-radiotherapy group (P<0.001); (2) the survival prognosis of individuals who underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy was higher than that of those who underwent chemotherapy alone (P<0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that radiotherapy improves survival benefits for patients with small cell carcinoma of the bladder who undergo bladder-sparing surgery. Furthermore, radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy demonstrates a greater survival benefit compared with chemotherapy alone. The results underscore the importance of considering radiotherapy as a valuable treatment option for such patients, highlighting its potential benefits in improving their overall prognosis.

[Expressions of JNK and p-JNK in advanced prostate cancer and their clinical implications].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of JNK and p-JNK in advanced prostate cancer (PCa) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and their implications. METHODS: Using immunohistochemistry, we detected the expressions of JNK and p-JNK proteins in 40 cases of paraffin wax-embedded PCa and 21 cases of BPH tissues and analyzed their relationships with advanced PCa and BPH as well as with the pathologic features of advanced PCa. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were not found in the positive expression rate of the JNK protein between BPH and PCa (42.86% vs 52.50%, P>0.05), non-metastatic and metastatic PCa (53.85% vs 51.85%, P >0.05), Gleason ≤7 and Gleason >7 (58.82% vs 47.82%, P >0.05), PSA ≤20 µg/L and PSA >20 µg/L (57.14% vs 51.52%, P >0.05), or survival >5 yr and survival ≤5 yr (60.00% vs 45.00%, P >0.05), nor in the expression level of p-JNK between BPH and PCa (33.33% vs 35.00%, P >0.05), non-metastatic and metastatic PCa (30.77% vs 37.03%, P >0.05), Gleason ≤7 and Gleason >7 (35.29% vs 34.78%, P >0.05), or PSA ≤20 µg/L and PSA >20 µg/L (43.75% vs 10.93%, P >0.05). However, the expression of p-JNK was significantly higher in the survival >5 yr than in the survival ≤5 yr group of the PCa patients (50.00% vs 20.00%, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PCa patients with highly expressed p-JNK have a longer survival time and the high positive rate of p-JNK is associated with the prognosis of PCa.

[Expressions of ERK and p-ERK in advanced prostate cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p-ERK in benign and malignant prostate tissues, and whether it can be used as a marker for the prognosis of advanced prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: Using immunohistochemical Envision, we detected the expressions of ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 in 20 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 40 cases of advanced PCa and analyzed their correlation with PCa metastasis, Gleason score, PSA level, and prognosis. RESULTS: The expression of ERK1/2 was remarkably higher in the advanced PCa than in the BPH cases (82.5% vs 55%, P<0.05), which was not associated with cancer metastasis, Gleason score, PSA level, or survival time of the patients with advanced PCa, and so was that of p-ERK1/2 (75.0% vs 35%, P<0.05), which was not associated with the Gleason score or PSA level of the PCa patients, either. The expression rates of p-ERK in the metastasis, non-metastasis, survival >5 yr, and survival ≤ 5 yr groups were 61.9%, 89.5%, 57.9%, and 90.5%, respectively, with statistically significant differences among these groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 proteins are highly expressed in advanced PCa and p-ERK1/2 is associated with the metastasis and prognosis of advanced PCa.