Prognostic nomogram on clinicopathologic features and serum indicators for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with anti-PD-1 inhibitors.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have appeared as a promising therapy regimen for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but with an unsatisfying therapeutic response and inefficiency of a single predictive biomarker in patients' selection. METHODS: Central data of clinicopathologic features, peripheral blood indicators, and treatment records were collected in advanced NSCLC patients accepting PD-1 inhibitors in Changhai Hospital from July 2016 to September 2019. The OS probability nomogram was developed according to Akaike Information Criterion (stepAIC) selected factors. The predictive accuracy of the nomogram was assessed by discrimination and calibration. C-index and decision curve analysis were used to compare with the previously reported model (Botticelli Model). Computers resampling 500 times (Bootstrap 500 times) were performed to validate the model internally. According to the nomogram-based total point scores (TPS), we divided patients into different risk groups. RESULTS: A total of 110 patients were enrolled in this study. Six predictors, including liver metastasis, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS), second- or third-line immunotherapy, baseline levels of CRP, cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), were selected to set up the nomogram. The C-index of the current nomogram was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.72-0.80), keeping the same accuracy as the earlier one. Calibration plots showed slight underestimation in patients with predictive mortality <44% at 12 months and overestimation in patients with predictive mortality >44%. Decision curve analysis showed that the current nomogram was with a higher net benefit rate than the earlier model. According to the cut-off points of TPS, patients were divided into three subgroups: low risk (TPS ≤118), intermediate-risk (118< TPS ≤189), and high risk (TPS >189). A significant OS difference was observed among subgroups. Median OS was 6.6, 4.5, 1.3 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed a novel nomogram model on easily available and inexpensive clinicopathologic features, peripheral blood indicators which is beneficial in individual risk assessment for advanced NSCLC patients before receiving PD-1 inhibitors, and assisting clinicians in accurately determining therapeutic decisions.

Upregulation of miR-330-5p is associated with carotid plaque's stability by targeting Talin-1 in symptomatic carotid stenosis patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Talin-1 and stability of carotid atherosclerosis plaque and also find out the role of miRNA, as an upstream regulator, in regulating the expression level of Talin-1. METHODS: Human carotid plaques were obtained from 20 symptomatic carotid stenosis patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in our hospital between October 2014 and August 2017. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry was carried out to detect the distribution and expression level of Talin-1 in each plaque sample. The content of miRNAs in carotid plaque was decected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the relative expression levels were calculated by 2-△△Ct method after the (cycle threshold) Ct value (power amplification knee point) was obtained. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied to verify the successful transfections. Finally, we compared all the groups with independent-samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS: Talin-1 was significantly downregulated in human unstable carotid plaque samples compared with stable carotid plaques (P < 0.05), and the distribution of Talin-1 was mainly found in the fibrous cap of carotid plaque. The overexpression of miRNA-330-5p was found in unstable carotid plaque, which significantly induced the inhibition of expression level of Talin-1. CONCLUSION: Upregulated miR-330-5p may lead to unstable carotid plaques by targeting Talin-1 in symptomatic carotid stenosis patients. This might be a new target for the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases through future studies.

Decreased miR-124-3p promoted breast cancer proliferation and metastasis by targeting MGAT5.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been shown to regulate gene expression involved in tumor progression of multiple malignancies. Numerous studies have indicated that N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (MGAT5), is an important tumorigenesis and metastasis-associated enzyme in breast cancer (BC). But, the underlying molecular mechanisms by which ncRNAs modulate MGAT5 expression in BC remain undetermined. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-124 expression at a low level in BC tissue was associated with poor prognosis of BC patients. Meanwhile, miR-124 reduced BC cell proliferation and metastasis. MGAT5 was confirmed as a direct target of miR-124. MGAT5 restoration attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-124 on BC proliferation and metastasis in vitro and vivo. Overall, we provide new insight into the mechanisms by which miR-124 inhibits BC progression, suggesting the potential of miR-124 and MGAT5 as biomarkers for early diagnosis of breast cancer to provide innovative ideas and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of BC.

Correlation between Ki-67 and PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer tissues and its effect on patients’prognosis / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@# Objective:To investigate the relationship between Ki-67 and PD-L1 in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their effects on prognosis. Methods: A total of 401patients, who were pathologically diagnosed as NSCLC in Changhai Hospital from January 2012 toAugust 2018, were enrolled as study subjects; and the patients were immunohistochemically tested for PD-L1 and Ki-67. The clinical and pathological data were collected, and the follow-up was performed regularly. The correlation between Ki-67 and PD-L1 and their effects on postoperative DFS and post-chemotherapy PFS were statistically analyzed. Results: Positive rates of PD-L1 and Ki-67 in NSCLC tissues were 37.9% (152/401) and 96.3% (386/401), respectively. Univariate analysis showed that Ki-67 was an influencing factor for PD-L1 expression (OR=0.33, 95%CI=0.28-0.39, P<0.0001); Curve Fitting analysis showed a positive correlation between Ki-67 and PD-L1; threshold effect analysis, segmentation multivariate logistic and ROC curve analysis showed 14% is a relatively suitable threshold for Ki-67 to be combined with PD-L1. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients in Ki-67 high expression group had a significantly shorter post-operative DFS than those in Ki-67 low expression group ([21.88±11.25] vs [41.22±16.25]m, P< 0.0001), patients in PD-L1 positive group had a significantly shorter DFS than those in PD-L1 negative group ([24.75±14.59] vs [38.27± 16.75]m, P<0.0001)], and patients in Ki-67 high/PD-L1 positive group had the shortest DFS as compared to the other three groups ([20.57±11.33] vs [24.11±10.79], [36.00±16.79], [42.91±15.77]m, P<0.0001).As for post-chemotherapy PFS, patients in Ki-67 high expression group was significantly longer than those in Ki-67 low expression group [(7.70±3.01) vs (5.80±2.99)m, P=0.016), but there was no significant difference between PD-L1 positive group and PD-L1 negative group [(7.04±3.21) vs (6.33±3.06)m, P=0.22); for combined evaluation with Ki-67 and PD-L1, the PFS of two Ki-67 high expression groups was significantly longer than the other two Ki-67 low expression groups [(7.74±3.25) vs (7.43±2.38) vs (4.91±1.97) vs (6.02±3.19)m, P=0.041). Conclusion: Ki-67 is positively correlated with PD-L1 in NSCLC patients, and Ki-67 14% is a suitable threshold for combined use with PD-L1. Both Ki-67 and PD-L1 are predictors of poor prognosis. The combination of the two has an "additive effect" on the prediction of poor prognosis, and patients with high Ki-67 expression are more sensitive to chemotherapy.