Green light is similarly effective in promoting plant biomass as red/blue light - a meta-analysis.

Whether green light promotes or represses plant growth is an unresolved but important question, warranting a global meta-analysis of published data. We collected 136 datasets from 48 publications on 17 crop species, and calculated the green light effect for a range of plant traits. For each trait the effect was calculated as the ratio between the trait value attained under a red/blue background light plus green, divided by the value attained under the background light only, both having the same light intensity. Generally, green light strongly increased intrinsic water use efficiency (15%), the shoot-to-root ratio (13%), and decreased stomatal conductance (-15%). Moreover, green light increased fresh weight to a small extent (4%), but not plant dry weight, resulting in a reduced dry matter content (-2%). Hence, green light is similarly effective at increasing biomass as red and blue light. Green light also showed to increase leaf area (7%) and specific leaf area (4%; i.e., thinner leaves). Furthermore, effects of green light were species-dependent, with positive effects on biomass for lettuce and microgreens, and negative effects in basil and tomato. Our data suggest that future research should focus on the role of green light in modulating water loss, its putative role as a shade signal, and the causes for its species-specific effects on crop biomass.

Early detection and prognosis evaluation for hepatocellular carcinoma by circulating tumour DNA methylation: A multicentre cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can significantly improve patient survival. We aimed to develop a blood-based assay to aid in the diagnosis, detection and prognostic evaluation of HCC. METHODS: A three-phase multicentre study was conducted to screen, optimise and validate HCC-specific differentially methylated regions (DMRs) using next-generation sequencing and quantitative methylation-specific PCR (qMSP). RESULTS: Genome-wide methylation profiling was conducted to identify DMRs distinguishing HCC tumours from peritumoural tissues and healthy plasmas. The twenty most effective DMRs were verified and incorporated into a multilocus qMSP assay (HepaAiQ). The HepaAiQ model was trained to separate 293 HCC patients (Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A, 224) from 266 controls including chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or liver cirrhosis (LC) (CHB/LC, 96), benign hepatic lesions (BHL, 23), and healthy controls (HC, 147). The model achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.944 with a sensitivity of 86.0% in HCC and a specificity of 92.1% in controls. Blind validation of the HepaAiQ model in a cohort of 523 participants resulted in an AUC of 0.940 with a sensitivity of 84.4% in 205 HCC cases (BCLC stage 0/A, 167) and a specificity of 90.3% in 318 controls (CHB/LC, 100; BHL, 102; HC, 116). When evaluated in an independent test set, the HepaAiQ model exhibited a sensitivity of 70.8% in 65 HCC patients at BCLC stage 0/A and a specificity of 89.5% in 124 patients with CHB/LC. Moreover, HepaAiQ model was assessed in paired pre- and postoperative plasma samples from 103 HCC patients and correlated with 2-year patient outcomes. Patients with high postoperative HepaAiQ score showed a higher recurrence risk (Hazard ratio, 3.33, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: HepaAiQ, a noninvasive qMSP assay, was developed to accurately measure HCC-specific DMRs and shows great potential for the diagnosis, detection and prognosis of HCC, benefiting at-risk populations.

Nutrient Solution Flowing Environment Affects Metabolite Synthesis Inducing Root Thigmomorphogenesis of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in Hydroponics.

The principal difference between hydroponics and other substrate cultivation methods is the flowing liquid hydroponic cultivation substrate. Our previous studies have revealed that a suitable flowing environment of nutrient solution promoted root development and plant growth, while an excess flow environment was unfavorable for plants. To explain the thigmomorphogenetic response of excess flow-induced metabolic changes, six groups of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), including two flow conditions and three time periods, were grown. Compared with the plants without flow, the plants with flow showed decreased root fresh weight, total root length, root surface area, and root volume but increased average root diameter and root density. The roots with flow had more upregulated metabolites than those without flow, suggesting that the flow may trigger metabolic synthesis and activity. Seventy-nine common differential metabolites among six groups were screened, and enrichment analysis showed the most significant enrichment in the arginine biosynthesis pathway. Arginine was present in all the groups and exhibited greater concentrations in roots with flow than without flow. It can be speculated from the results that a high-flowing environment of nutrient solution promotes arginine synthesis, resulting in changes in root morphology. The findings provide insights on root thigmomorphogenesis affected by its growing conditions and help understand how plants respond to environmental mechanical forces.

Cell-Targeted Metal-Phenolic Nanoalgaecide in Hydroponic Cultivation to Enhance Food Sustainability.

The growing global population necessitates substantial increases in food production. Hydroponic cultivation systems afford a critical alternative for food sustainability and enable stable annual production regardless of the climatic and geographical variations. However, the overgrowth of harmful algal blooms significantly threatens the crop yield by competing with nutrition in the solution and producing contaminants. The conventional practice of algaecides fails to control algal proliferation due to the limited efficiency and food safety concerns. Nanopesticides can deliver active ingredients responsively to suppress crop diseases and offer solutions to current practical challenges and difficulties. Inspired by prospects of nanotechnology for agricultural applications, we have utilized natural polyphenols and copper ions (Cu2+ ions) to develop self-assembled nanoalgaecides referred to as CuBes. The nanoalgaecide attached to algal cells via phenolic surface interactions, enabling localized Cu2+ ion release. This cell-targeted delivery suppressed Chlorella vulgaris for over 30 days (99% inhibition). Transcriptomics revealed that the nanoalgaecide disrupted algal metabolism by downregulating photosynthesis and chlorophyll pathways. In a solar-illuminated plant factory, the nanoalgaecide showed higher algal inhibition and lettuce biosafety versus the commercial Kocide 3000. Notably, the use of nanoalgaecide can enhance the nutrient value of lettuces, which meets the daily supply of Cu for adults. By integrating smart nanotechnology design with selective delivery mechanisms, this metal-phenolic nanoalgaecide provides a nanoenabled solution for controlling harmful algal blooms in hydroponics to advance food production.

High-Proportion Blue Light Irradiation at the End-of-Production Stage Promotes the Biosynthesis and Recycling of Ascorbate in Lettuce.

Ascorbate (AsA), an essential antioxidant for both plants and the human body, plays a vital role in maintaining proper functionality. Light plays an important role in metabolism of AsA in horticultural plants. Our previous research has revealed that subjecting lettuce to high light irradiation (HLI) (500 µmol·m-2·s-1) at the end-of-production (EOP) stage effectively enhances AsA levels, while the optimal light quality for AsA accumulation is still unknown. In this study, four combinations of red (R) and blue (B) light spectra with the ratio of 1:1 (1R1B), 2:1 (2R1B), 3:1 (3R1B), and 4:1 (4R1B) were applied to investigate the biosynthesis and recycling of AsA in lettuce. The results demonstrated that the AsA/total-AsA content in lettuce leaves was notably augmented upon exposure to 1R1B and 2R1B. Interestingly, AsA levels across all treatments increased rapidly at the early stage (2-8 h) of irradiation, while they increased slowly at the late stage (8-16 h). The activity of L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase was augmented under 1R1B treatment, which is pivotal to AsA production. Additionally, the activities of enzymes key to AsA cycling were enhanced by 1R1B and 2R1B treatments, including ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, and monodehydroascorbate reductase. Notably, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde accumulation increased dramatically following 16 h of 1R1B and 2R1B treatments. In addition, although soluble sugar and starch contents were enhanced by EOP-HLI, this effect was comparatively subdued under the 1R1B treatment. Overall, these results indicated that AsA accumulation was improved by irradiation with a blue light proportion of over 50% in lettuce, aligning with the heightened activities of key enzymes responsible for AsA synthesis, as well as the accrual of hydrogen peroxide. The effective strategy holds the potential to enhance the nutritional quality of lettuce while bolstering its antioxidant defenses.

Morusin Inhibits RANKL-induced Osteoclastogenesis and Ovariectomized Osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a classic type of osteoporosis that has gradually become a significant health problem worldwide. There is an urgent need for a safe alternative therapeutic agent considering the poor therapeutic strategies currently available for this disease. The roots and bark of the Morus australis tree (Moraceae) are used to make a traditional Chinese medicine known as "Morusin", and accumulating evidence has demonstrated its multiple activities, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aim to explore the effect of Morusin on mouse osteoclasts and its mechanism. METHODS: In this study, we explored the inhibitory effects of Morusin on murine osteoclasts in vitro and its mechanism, and the protective effect of Morusin on an ovariectomy (OVX)-induced osteoporosis model in vivo. RESULTS: The results showed that Morusin prevented OVX-induced bone loss and dramatically decreased RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Morusin interfered with RANKL-activated NF- κB, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. The expression of three master factors that control osteoclast differentiation, c-Fos, NFATc1, and c-Jun, was reduced by Morusin treatment. Collectively, in vitro results indicated that Morusin has a protective effect on OVX-induced bone loss in a mouse model. CONCLUSION: Our data provide encouraging evidence that Morusin may be an effective treatment for PMOP.

The Responses of Sucrose Metabolism and Carbon Translocation in Tomato Seedlings under Different Light Spectra.

Light plays a dominant role in the biosynthesis and accumulation of photosynthetic products. However, the metabolism and translocation of photosynthetic products in plants under different light spectra remain elusive. In this study, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings were treated with different light spectra delivered by light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with the same photosynthetic photon flux density at 300 µmol m-2 s-1, including monochromatic red (660 nm, R), blue (450 nm, B), sun-like white (W, 380-780 nm), or a combination of R and B lights (R:B = 1:1, RB). Compared with W, the biomass distribution ratio for leaves under R, B, and RB decreased by 5.01-9.53%, while the ratio for stems and roots increased by 3.71-6.92% and 0.14-2.81%, respectively. The photosynthetic carbon distribution expressed as 13C enrichment was higher in stems and roots under RB and R, while B led to more 13C transported from leaves and enriched in stems when compared with W. Meanwhile, RB led to significant increases in the activities of phosphate synthase (SPS), sucrose synthase (SS), vacuolar acid invertase (VI), and neutral invertase (NI). The R was more efficient in increasing the activity of SPS and SS, while B was more effective in promoting the activity of VI and NI. The transcript levels of SPS, SS3, NI6, and VI were upregulated under R, B, and RB. However, the transcript patterns of SPS, SS3, NI6, and VI were not consistent with the changes in their encoded enzymes, especially the transcript patterns of SPS and SS3. Our study suggests that the red- and blue-light-induced long-distance and short-distance transport of photosynthetic products in plants, respectively, might result from different regulation of sucrose-metabolizing enzymes from transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels.

Pre-harvest Nitrogen Limitation and Continuous Lighting Improve the Quality and Flavor of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) under Hydroponic Conditions in Greenhouse.

Short-term nitrogen limitation and continuous lighting (red/blue = 3:1) were applied individually and in combination to butterhead and red oak leaf lettuce for 1, 2, or 3 days before harvest to assess their effects on improving the nutritional value and sweet taste and reducing nitrate content and bitterness of lettuce. The results suggested that a 3-day nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting reduced the lettuce content of nitrate and sesquiterpene lactones and improved the quantities of soluble sugar, soluble protein, anthocyanins, and phenolic compounds without reducing the fresh weight of lettuce. In addition, in vitro simulated digestion results suggested that the 3-day nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting significantly improved the sweetness and reduced the bitterness of lettuce compared to the control. In conclusion, nitrogen limitation combined with continuous lighting for 3 days before harvest effectively enhanced the quality and taste of lettuce, showing great potential for its use in hydroponic lettuce production.

[NRD assisted Ilizarov technique in the treatment of infected bone and soft tissue defect of tibia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effect of NRD assisted Ilizarov technique in the treatment of infected bone and soft tissue defect of tibia. METHODS: All 48 patients with infected bone and soft tissue defect of tibia were randomly divided into study group and control group from March 2013 to December 2020. There were 34 males and 14 females, aged from 24 to 55 years old with an average of (40.54±11.64) years old. There were 25 patients in the study group, including 17 males and 8 females, aged from 31 to 55 years old with an average of (41.36±9.69) years old. The study group were treated with NRD assisted with Ilizarov bone transport technique. There were 23 patients in control group, including 17 males and 6 females, aged from 24 to 53 years old with an average of(38.61±8.76) years old. The control group were treated with traditional bone transport technique. The curative rate, recurrence rate, incidence rate of pin track infection, time of using antibiotics, time of wound healing, time of carrying external fixation, time of bone transport, time of bone healing and postoperative function were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect of the two groups. RESULTS: The follow-up period was from 12 to 62 months with an average of (33.0±7.2) months. At the final follow-up, there was no significant difference in the curative rate between the two groups (P>0.05). The recurrence rate in the study group was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05). The incidence of pin track infection in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The time of using antibiotics and wound healing in the study group was shorter than that in the control group(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the time of bone transport and carrying of external fixation between the two groups(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in bone healing and postoperative function between the two groups(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: NRD assisted Ilizarov technique can achieve satisfactory results in the treatment of infected bone and soft tissue defect of tibia and shorten the treatment period and the time of using antibiotics. It is worthy of development in clinic.

The Interaction Between Nitrogen Supply and Light Quality Modulates Plant Growth and Resource Allocation.

Nitrogen availability and light quality affect plant resource allocation, but their interaction is poorly understood. Herein, we analyzed the growth and allocation of dry matter and nitrogen using lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as a plant model in a factorial experiment combining three light regimes (100% red light, R; 50% red light + 50% blue light, RB; 100% blue light, B) and two nitrogen rates (low, 0.1 mM N; high, 10 mM N). Red light increased shoot dry weight in relation to both B and RB irrespective of nitrogen supply. Blue light favored root growth under low nitrogen. Allometric analysis showed lower allocation to leaf in response to blue light under low nitrogen and similar leaf allocation under high nitrogen. A difference in allometric slopes between low nitrogen and high nitrogen in treatments with blue light reflected a strong interaction effect on root-to-shoot biomass allocation. Shoot nitrate concentration increased with light exposure up to 14 h in both nitrogen treatments, was higher under blue light with high nitrogen, and varied little with light quality under low nitrogen. Shoot nitrogen concentration, nitrogen nutrition index, and shoot NR activity increased in response to blue light. We conclude that the interaction between blue light and nitrogen supply modulates dry mass and nitrogen allocation between the shoot and root.

Responses of butter leaf lettuce to mixed red and blue light with extended light/dark cycle period.

To investigate the effects of extended light/dark (L/D) cycle period (relative to the diurnal L/D cycle) on lettuce and explore potential advantages of abnormal L/D cycles, butter leaf lettuce were grown in a plant factory with artificial light (PFAL) and exposed to mixed red (R) and blue (B) LED light with different L/D cycles that were respectively 16 h light/8 h dark (L16/D8, as control), L24/D12, L48/D24, L96/D48 and L120/D60. The results showed that, all the abnormal L/D cycles increased shoot dry weight (DW) of lettuce (by 34-83%) compared with the control, and lettuce DW increased with the L/D cycle period prolonged. The contents of soluble sugar and crude fiber in lettuce showed an overall upward trend with the length of L/D cycle extended, and the highest vitamin C content as well as low nitrate content were both detected in lettuce treated with L120/D60. The light use efficiency (LUE) and electric use efficiency (EUE) of lettuce reached the maximum (respectively 5.37% and 1.76%) under L120/D60 treatment and so were DW, Assimilation rate (A), RC/CS, ABS/CS, TRo/CS and DIo/CS, indicating that longer L/D cycle period was beneficial for the assimilation efficiency and dry matter accumulation in lettuce leaves. The highest shoot fresh weight (FW) and nitrate content detected in lettuce subjected to L24/D12 may be related to the vigorous growth of root, specific L/D cycle seemed to strengthen root growth and water absorption of lettuce. The openness level of RC in PSII (Ψo), ETo/CS, and PIabs were all the highest in lettuce treated with L24/D12, implying that slightly extending the L/D cycle period might promote the energy flowing to the final electron transfer chain. In general, irradiation modes with extended L/D cycle period had the potential to improve energy use efficiency and biomass of lettuce in PFAL. No obvious stress or injury was detected in lettuce subjected to prolonged L/D cycles in terms of plant growth and production. From the perspective of shoot FW, the optimal treatment in this study was L24/D12, while L120/D60 was the recommended treatment as regards of the energy use efficiency and nutritional quality.

Seleno-Amino Acids in Vegetables: A Review of Their Forms and Metabolism.

Seleno-amino acids are safe, health-promoting compounds for humans. Numerous studies have focused on the forms and metabolism of seleno-amino acids in vegetables. Based on research progress on seleno-amino acids, we provide insights into the production of selenium-enriched vegetables with high seleno-amino acids contents. To ensure safe and effective intake of selenium, several issues need to be addressed, including (1) how to improve the accumulation of seleno-amino acids and (2) how to control the total selenium and seleno-amino acids contents in vegetables. The combined use of plant factories with artificial lighting and multiple analytical technologies may help to resolve these issues. Moreover, we propose a Precise Control of Selenium Content production system, which has the potential to produce vegetables with specified amounts of selenium and high proportions of seleno-amino acids.

Bioactive compounds in lettuce: Highlighting the benefits to human health and impacts of preharvest and postharvest practices.

Lettuce is one of the most commonly consumed leafy vegetables worldwide and is available throughout the entire year. Lettuce is also a significant source of natural phytochemicals. These compounds, including glycosylated flavonoids, phenolic acids, carotenoids, the vitamin B groups, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and sesquiterpene lactones, are essential nutritional bioactive compounds. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the composition of health-promoting compounds in different types of lettuce, the potential health benefits of lettuce in reducing the risks of chronic diseases, and the effect of preharvest and postharvest practices on the biosynthesis and accumulation of health-promoting compounds in lettuce.

Acclimating Cucumber Plants to Blue Supplemental Light Promotes Growth in Full Sunlight.

Raising young plants is important for modern greenhouse production. Upon transfer from the raising to the production environment, young plants should maximize light use efficiency while minimizing deleterious effects associated with exposure to high light (HL) intensity. The light spectrum may be used to establish desired traits, but how plants acclimated to a given spectrum respond to HL intensity exposure is less well explored. Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings were grown in a greenhouse in low-intensity sunlight (control; ∼2.7 mol photons m-2 day-1) and were treated with white, red, blue, or green supplemental light (4.3 mol photons m-2 day-1) for 10 days. Photosynthetic capacity was highest in leaves treated with blue light, followed by white, red, and green, and was positively correlated with leaf thickness, nitrogen, and chlorophyll concentration. Acclimation to different spectra did not affect the rate of photosynthetic induction, but leaves grown under blue light showed faster induction and relaxation of non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) under alternating HL and LL intensity. Blue-light-acclimated leaves showed reduced photoinhibition after HL intensity exposure, as indicated by a high maximum quantum yield of photosystem II photochemistry (F v /F m ). Although plants grown under different supplemental light spectra for 10 days had similar shoot biomass, blue-light-grown plants (B-grown plants) showed a more compact morphology with smaller leaf areas and shorter stems. However, after subsequent, week-long exposure to full sunlight (10.7 mol photons m-2 day-1), B-grown plants showed similar leaf area and 15% higher shoot biomass, compared to plants that had been acclimated to other spectra. The faster growth rate in blue-light-acclimated plants compared to other plants was mainly due to a higher photosynthetic capacity and highly regulated NPQ performance under intermittent high solar light. Acclimation to blue supplemental light can improve light use efficiency and diminish photoinhibition under high solar light exposure, which can benefit plant growth.

A Transcriptome Analysis Revealing the New Insight of Green Light on Tomato Plant Growth and Drought Stress Tolerance.

Light plays a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and stress responses. Green light has been reported to enhance plant drought tolerance via stomatal regulation. However, the mechanisms of green light-induced drought tolerance in plants remain elusive. To uncover those mechanisms, we investigated the molecular responses of tomato plants under monochromatic red, blue, and green light spectrum with drought and well-water conditions using a comparative transcriptomic approach. The results showed that compared with monochromatic red and blue light treated plants, green light alleviated the drought-induced inhibition of plant growth and photosynthetic capacity, and induced lower stomatal aperture and higher ABA accumulation in tomato leaves after 9 days of drought stress. A total of 3,850 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was identified in tomato leaves through pairwise comparisons. Functional annotations revealed that those DEGs responses to green light under drought stress were enriched in plant hormone signal transduction, phototransduction, and calcium signaling pathway. The DEGs involved in ABA synthesis and ABA signal transduction both participated in the green light-induced drought tolerance of tomato plants. Compared with ABA signal transduction, more DEGs related to ABA synthesis were detected under different light spectral treatments. The bZIP transcription factor- HY5 was found to play a vital role in green light-induced drought responses. Furthermore, other transcription factors, including WRKY46 and WRKY81 might participate in the regulation of stomatal aperture and ABA accumulation under green light. Taken together, the results of this study might expand our understanding of green light-modulated tomato drought tolerance via regulating ABA accumulation and stomatal aperture.

Galangin attenuates IL-1ß-induced catabolism in mouse chondrocytes and ameliorates murine osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic diseases, which is characterized by cartilage degeneration, subchondral osteosclerosis, and synovitis. Accumulating evidence has shown that galangin, a flavonoid derived from medicinal herbs, exhibits numerous pharmacological activities in various diseases. This study aimed to investigate the effects of galangin on interleukin (IL)-1ß-induced inflammation in mouse chondrocytes and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the protective effects of galangin on IL-1ß-induced inflammatory response in vitro using the CCK-8 assay, RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. In addition, the therapeutic effects of galangin on the anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) mouse model were also explored in vivo. Results: Galangin treatment suppressed the expression of IL-1ß-induced inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, TNF-α, and IL-6. Furthermore, galangin attenuated hypertrophic conversion and the extracellular matrix degradation via inhibiting the expression of catabolic enzymes. Mechanistically, galangin inhibited the activation of the JNK and ERK MAPK pathways and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In addition, galangin treatment ameliorated cartilage degeneration in an OA model in vivo. Conclusion: Galangin suppressed the IL-ß-induced inflammatory response in vitro and ameliorated cartilage degeneration in vivo via inhibiting the NF-κB pathway and JNK and ERK pathways, suggesting its potential as an effective candidate for the treatment of OA.

Clinical value of serum and exhaled breath condensate inflammatory factor IL-11 levels in non-small cell lung cancer: Clinical value of IL-11 in non-small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to observe and evaluate the clinical value of interleukin (IL)-11 in the serum and exhaled breath condensate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: A total of 91 patients with NSCLC and 72 healthy volunteers were included in this study. IL-11 concentration was determined by ELISA, and the relationship between IL-11 expression in serum and exhaled breath condensate specimens, and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with NSCLC were analyzed. The relationship between serum IL-11 expression and traditional tumor markers and inflammation indicators of NSCLC was also analyzed. The correlation between serum IL-11 and exhaled breath condensate IL-11 level was determined. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic value of IL-11 and carcinoembryonic antigen single and combined detection for NSCLC. The published data from online databases were used to analyze the relationship between the expression of IL-11 and the prognosis of NSCLC. RESULTS: IL-11 concentration in serum and exhaled breath condensate specimens of patients with NSCLC were significantly increased. IL-11 expression was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, tumor node metastasis stage, and tumor differentiation degree of NSCLC. The expression of IL-11 in serum was positively correlated with that in exhaled breath condensate specimens. IL-11 expression was closely related to that of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and carcinoembryonic antigen. The combination of serum IL-11 with exhaled breath condensate IL-11 and carcinoembryonic antigen showed significantly higher diagnostic value than any one marker alone. Besides, the high IL-11 expression was closely related to the poor prognosis of NSCLC. CONCLUSION: IL-11 can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.