Erratum: Meprin α combined with CEA and CA19-9 improves prognostic prediction for surgically treated colorectal cancer patients.

[This corrects the article on p. 10441 in vol. 10, PMID: 31966381.].

Meprin α combined with CEA and CA19-9 improves prognostic prediction for surgically treated colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) are generally used as tumour markers in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and meprin α might be an additional marker. METHODS: The preoperative expression of serum CEA and CA19-9 was evaluated using a C12 protein biochip system, and tissue meprin α expression in CRC cells was detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationships of these indexes with clinicopathological parameters and the survival of CRC patients were analysed. RESULTS: Of the 147 CRC patients, the preoperative seropositive rates for CEA and CA19-9 were 51.70% and 44.22%, respectively, and the tissue meprin α positive rate was 39.46%. Preoperative seropositivity for CEA was correlated with tumour size (P = 0.019), T stage (P = 0.005) and staging of CRC based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) guidelines (P = 0.032). The preoperative seropositive rate for CA19-9 was correlated with AJCC tumour stage (P = 0.031). High expression of meprin α was significantly correlated with distant CRC metastasis (P = 0.003), serum CEA (P = 0.002) and serum CA19-9 (P = 0.001). The combination of the three markers was an independent prognostic factor in patients with CRC (HR 3.985, 95% CI 1.106-14.361, P = 0.035 for overall survival). CONCLUSIONS: Tissue meprin α expression may be a useful predictor of metastasis and prognosis in CRC. The combined detection of the three markers may also be helpful to improve the accuracy of CRC prognosis monitoring.

Multiple ectopic calcification in subcutaneous tissues detected by bone scintigraphy in a patient with chronic renal failure.

A 56-year-old man presented with swelling bilateral shoulders for 2 months. Plain radiograph and CT demonstrated symmetric masses with plaque calcification in bilateral shoulders. A Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy revealed intense radiotracer uptake not only in the masses of bilateral shoulders but also in the masses of the right buttock and the left thigh. The masses in bilateral shoulders were resected, and the pathological examination confirmed the ectopic calcification. This is a rare case of multiple ectopic calcification in subcutaneous tissues in a patient with chronic renal failure.

[Effects of Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1(EBV-LMP1) on related factors of metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE1].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: It has been proved that Epstein- Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (EBV-LMP1) can induce the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). This study was designed to investigate the effect of EBV-LMP1 on related factors of metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE1. METHODS: Expression of MMP-9 was studied in human NPC cell lines cultured in vitro: CNE1 (well differentiated cell line of NPC) and CNE1-GL (CNE1 cell line transfected with an eukaryotic LMP1-expression plasmid) by SP immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Cell-matrix adhesion assay was used to study the adhesive ability of CNE1-GL cells. The effects of LMP1 on the invasion and migration of CNE1 cells were investigated by transwell methods. RESULTS: MMP-9 was expressed in both cell lines but the intensity of the staining was different. The positive rates of expression of MMP-9 in CNE1 and CNE1-GL cells were 30.2% and 98.2%, respectively (P< 0.05). The increased expression of MMP-9 was also shown in CNE1-GL cells by Western blot analysis. Cell-matrix adhesion assay showed that the adhesive ability of CNE1-GL with the matrix (mean A value: 1.2508+/-0.0711) was higher than that of CNE1 cell (mean A value: 0.9519+/-0.068) (P< 0.001). Invasion assay and migration assay showed that the invasion and migration of CNE1-GL cell were higher than those of CNE1 cells (P< 0.01). CONCLUSION: The transfection of LMP1 can increase the expression of MMP-9 in CNE1 cells. Abilities of adhesion, migration, and invasion of CNE1 cell were induced by LMP1. It is suggested that MMP-9 may have a role in the LMP1-induced acceleration of invasion and metastasis of NPC cells.