Function of mast cell and bile-cholangiocarcinoma interplay in cholangiocarcinoma microenvironment.

OBJECTIVE: The correlation between cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) progression and bile is rarely studied. Here, we aimed to identify differential metabolites in benign and malignant bile ducts and elucidate the generation, function and degradation of bile metabolites. DESIGN: Differential metabolites in the bile from CCA and benign biliary stenosis were identified by metabonomics. Biliary molecules able to induce mast cell (MC) degranulation were revealed by in vitro and in vivo experiments, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS)/MS and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays. Histamine (HA) receptor expression in CCA was mapped using a single-cell mRNA sequence. HA receptor functions were elucidated by patient-derived xenografts (PDX) in humanised mice and orthotopic models in MC-deficient mice. Genes involved in HA-induced proliferation were screened by CRISPR/Cas9. RESULTS: Bile HA was elevated in CCA and indicated poorer prognoses. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)-derived stem cell factor (SCF) recruited MCs, and bile N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (DMPD) stimulated MCs to release HA through G protein-coupled receptor subtype 2 (MRGPRX2)-Gαq signalling. Bile-induced MCs released platelet-derived growth factor subunit B (PDGF-B) and angiopoietin 1/2 (ANGPT1/2), which enhanced CCA angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. Histamine receptor H1 (HRH1) and HRH2 were predominantly expressed in CCA cells and CAFs, respectively. HA promoted CCA cell proliferation by activating HRH1-Gαq signalling and hastened CAFs to secrete hepatocyte growth factor by stimulating HRH2-Gαs signalling. Solute carrier family 22 member 3 (SLC22A3) inhibited HA-induced CCA proliferation by importing bile HA into cells for degradation, and SLC22A3 deletion resulted in HA accumulation. CONCLUSION: Bile HA is released from MCs through DMPD stimulation and degraded via SLC22A3 import. Different HA receptors exhibit a distinct expression profile in CCA and produce different oncogenic effects. MCs promote CCA progression in a CCA-bile interplay pattern.

Nomogram to predict severe retinopathy of prematurity in Southeast China.

AIM: To define the predictive factors of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and develop a nomogram for predicting severe ROP in southeast China. METHODS: Totally 554 infants diagnosed with ROP hospitalized in the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University and hospitalized in Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were included. Clinical data and 43 candidate predictive factors of ROP infants were collected retrospectively. Logistic regression model was used to identify predictive factors of severe ROP and to propose a nomogram for individual risk prediction, which was compared with WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model. RESULTS: Infants from the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (n=478) were randomly allocated into training (n=402) and internal validation group (n=76). Infants from Taizhou Women and Children's Hospital were set as external validation group (n=76). Severe ROP were found in 52 of 402 infants, 12 of 76 infants, and 7 of 76 infants in training group, internal validation group, and external validation group, respectively. Birth weight [odds ratio (OR), 0.997; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.996-0.999; P<0.001], multiple births (OR, 1.885; 95%CI, 1.013-3.506; P=0.045), and non-invasive ventilation (OR, 0.288; 95%CI, 0.146-0.570; P<0.001) were identified as predictive factors for the prediction of severe ROP, by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. For predicting severe ROP based on the internal validation group, the areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 78.1 (95%CI, 64.2-92.0) for the nomogram, 32.9 (95%CI, 15.3-50.5) for WINROP model, 70.2 (95%CI, 55.8-84.6) for Digirop-Birth model. In external validation group, AUC of the nomogram was also higher than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model (80.2 versus 51.1 and 63.4). The decision curve analysis of the nomogram demonstrated better clinical efficacy than that of WINROP model and Digirop-Birth model. The calibration curves demonstrated a good consistency between the actual severe ROP incidence and the predicted probability. CONCLUSION: Birth weight, multiple births, and non-invasive ventilation are independent predictors of severe ROP. The nomogram has a good ability to predict severe ROP and performed well on internal validation and external validation in southeast China.

Bile exosomal miR-182/183-5p increases cholangiocarcinoma stemness and progression by targeting HPGD and increasing PGE2 generation.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly lethal malignancy originating from the biliary ducts. Current CCA diagnostic and prognostic assessments cannot satisfy the clinical requirement. Bile detection is rarely performed, and herein, we aim to estimate the clinical significance of bile liquid biopsy by assessing bile exosomal concentrations and components. APPROACH RESULTS: Exosomes in bile and sera from CCA, pancreatic cancer, and common bile duct stone were identified and quantified by transmission electronmicroscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, and nanoFCM. Exosomal components were assessed by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry and microRNA sequencing (miRNA-seq). Bile exosomal concentration in different diseases had no significant difference, but miR-182-5p and miR-183-5p were ectopically upregulated in CCA bile exosomes. High miR-182/183-5p in both CCA tissues and bile indicates a poor prognosis. Bile exosomal miR-182/183-5p is secreted by CCA cells and can be absorbed by biliary epithelium or CCA cells. With xenografts in humanized mice, we showed that bile exosomal miR-182/183-5p promotes CCA proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by targeting hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase in CCA cells and mast cells (MCs), and increasing prostaglandin E2 generation, which stimulates PTGER1 and increases CCA stemness. In single-cell mRNA-seq, hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase is predominantly expressed in MCs. miR-182/183-5p prompts MC to release VEGF-A release from MC by increasing VEGF-A expression, which facilitates angiogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: CCA cells secret exosomal miR-182/183-5p into bile, which targets hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase in CCA cells and MCs and increases prostaglandin E2 and VEGF-A release. Prostaglandin E2 promotes stemness by activating PTGER1. Our results reveal a type of CCA self-driven progression dependent on bile exosomal miR-182/183-5p and MCs, which is a new interplay pattern of CCA and bile.

Two-dimensional displacement (bending) sensor based on cascaded Fabry-Perot interferometers fabricated in a seven-core fiber.

We demonstrated a two-dimensional vector displacement (bending) sensor with high angular resolution based on Vernier effect generated by two cascaded Fabry-Perot interferometers (FPI) in a seven-core fiber (SCF). To form the FPI, plane-shaped refractive index modulations are fabricated as the reflection mirrors in the SCF using slit-beam shaping and femtosecond laser direct writing. Three pairs of cascaded FPIs are fabricated in the center core and the two non-diagonal edge cores of the SCF and applied to the vector displacement measurement. The proposed sensor exhibits high displacement sensitivity with significant direction dependence. The magnitude and direction of the fiber displacement can be obtained via monitoring the wavelength shifts. Moreover, the source fluctuations and the temperature cross-sensitivity can be referenced out by monitoring the bending-insensitive FPI of the center core.

HOXA-AS2 may be a potential prognostic biomarker in human cancers: A meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Dysregulation of long non-coding (lncRNA) has been reported in various solid tumors. HOXA cluster antisense RNA 2 (HOXA-AS2) is a newly identified lncRNA with abnormal expression in several human malignancies. However, its prognostic value remains controversial. This meta-analysis synthesized available data to clarify the association between HOXA-AS2 expression levels and clinical prognosis in multiple cancers. Methods: Four public databases (Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library) were used to identify eligible studies. Hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were combined to assess the correlation of HOXA-AS2 expression with survival outcomes and clinicopathological features of cancer patients. Publication bias was measured using Begg's funnel plot and Egger's regression test, and the stability of the combined results was measured using sensitivity analysis. Additionally, multiple public databases were screened and extracted to validate the results of this meta-analysis. Results: The study included 20 studies, containing 1331 patients. The meta-analysis showed that the overexpression of HOXA-AS2 was associated with poor overall survival (HR = 2.06, 95% CI 1.58-2.69, p < 0.001). In addition, the high expression of HOXA-AS2 could forecast advanced tumor stage (OR = 3.89, 95% CI 2.90-5.21, p < 0.001), earlier lymph node metastasis (OR = 3.48, 95% CI 2.29-5.29, p < 0.001), larger tumor size (OR = 2.36, 95% CI 1.52-3.66, p < 0.001) and earlier distant metastasis (OR = 3.54, 95% CI 2.00-6.28, p < 0.001). However, other clinicopathological features, including age (OR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.86-1.38, p = 0.467), gender (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.72-1.18, p = 0.496), depth of invasion (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 0.77-5.90, p = 0.146) and differentiation (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 0.65-1.59, p = 0.945) were not significantly different from HOXA-AS2 expression. Conclusion: Our study showed that the overexpression of HOXA-AS2 was related to poor overall survival and clinicopathological features. HOXA-AS2 may serve as a potential prognostic indicator and therapeutic target for tumor treatment.

Research progress of bile biomarkers and their immunoregulatory role in biliary tract cancers.

Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), including cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma, originate from the biliary epithelium and have a poor prognosis. Surgery is the only choice for cure in the early stage of disease. However, most patients are diagnosed in the advanced stage and lose the chance for surgery. Early diagnosis could significantly improve the prognosis of patients. Bile has complex components and is in direct contact with biliary tract tumors. Bile components are closely related to the occurrence and development of biliary tract tumors and may be applied as biomarkers for BTCs. Meanwhile, arising evidence has confirmed the immunoregulatory role of bile components. In this review, we aim to summarize and discuss the relationship between bile components and biliary tract cancers and their ability as biomarkers for BTCs, highlighting the role of bile components in regulating immune response, and their promising application prospects.

BMI1 promotes cholangiocarcinoma progression and correlates with antitumor immunity in an exosome-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a class of malignant tumors originating from bile duct epithelial cells. Due to difficult early diagnosis and limited treatment, the prognosis of CCA is extremely poor. BMI1 is dysregulated in many human malignancies. However, the prognostic significance and oncogenic role of BMI1 in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are not well elucidated. METHODS: In the present study, we investigated its clinical importance and the potential mechanisms in the progression of CCA. We detected BMI1 expression in a large CCA cohort. We demonstrated that BMI1 was substantially upregulated in CCA tissues and was identified as an independent prognostic biomarker of CCA. Moreover, overexpression of BMI1 promoted CCA proliferation, migration, and invasion. And BMI1 knockdown could inhibit proliferation and metastases of CCA in vitro and in vitro/vivo validation. Interestingly, we found that CCA-derived exosomes contain BMI1 proteins, which can transfer BMI1 between CCA cells. The unique BMI1-containing exosomes promote CCA proliferation and metastasis through autocrine/paracrine mechanisms. In addition, we demonstrated that BMI1 inhibits CD8+T cell-recruiting chemokines by promoting repressive H2A ubiquitination in CCA cells. CONCLUSIONS: BMI1 is an unfavorable prognostic biomarker of CCA. Our data depict a novel function of BMI1 in CCA tumorigenesis and metastasis mediated by exosomes. Besides, BMI1 inhibition may augment immune checkpoint blockade to inhibit tumor progression by activating cell-intrinsic immunity of CCA.

Bragg grating in a flexible and stretchable coreless polymer optical fiber.

In this Letter, we propose and experimentally demonstrate fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fabrication in a flexible and stretchable coreless polymer optical fiber. The flexible polymer optical fiber is prepared with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Femtosecond laser direct writing and slit beam shaping are used to form periodic grating structures in the fiber. The fabricated FBG exhibits a large strain measurement range and a blueshift response to temperature. Moreover, it offers low humidity sensitivity due to its low permeability toward water vapor. Taking advantage of the unique sensing performances of the PDMS fiber, the proposed FBG has considerable advantages over the traditional silica FBG devices for strain and temperature sensing.

Femtosecond laser plane-by-plane inscribed ultrahigh-order fiber Bragg grating and its application in multi-wavelength fiber lasers.

We propose an ultrahigh-order fiber Bragg grating (UHO-FBG) containing dense resonants and its application as a novel filtering device in multi-wavelength lasers. The UHO-FBG is fabricated by femtosecond laser plane-by-plane direct inscription. Thanks to the plane-by-plane inscription, high-order Bragg resonances can be formed with multiple reflectance peaks of comparable reflectance in the range of the fiber operating bandwidth and without the transmission depression of long-period gratings in the transmission spectrum. We also experimentally demonstrate the use of UHO-FBG pairs in a distributed Bragg reflector laser, enabling the excitation of multi-wavelength lasers.

Wnt-TCF7-SOX9 axis promotes cholangiocarcinoma proliferation and pemigatinib resistance in a FGF7-FGFR2 autocrine pathway.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a type of highly malignant tumor originating from bile ducts. The prognosis of CCA is poor and the treatment options are limited. The biomarker study of CCA has made little progresses in recent years because of the difficulty to obtain CCA specimens. SOX9 is an important regulator of cholangiocyte proliferation and differentiation. We performed mRNA sequencing of CCA, retrieved TCGA data, and detected SOX9 expression in a large CCA cohort. With WNT3A stimulation, SOX9 expression and transcription was elevated by TCF7. Moreover, SOX9 was substantially up-regulated in CCA tissues and was identified as a prognostic biomarker of CCA. With mRNA sequencing and in vitro/vivo validation, we demonstrated that SOX9 enhanced the transcription and expression of FGF7 and FGFR2. FGF7 was significantly up-regulated in the bile and serum of CCA patients, and may promote CCA proliferation by activating FGFR2 in an autocrine pathway. co-expression of FGF7 and FGFR2 was a more sensitive marker for poor prognosis. SOX9-induced overexpression of FGF7 and FGFR2 was the key reason of SOX9-involved pemigatinib resistance. In conclusion, SOX9 and FGF7 were prognostic biomarkers of CCA. WNT3A-TCF7-SOX9 axis could induce pemigatinib resistance in two independent pathways: (1)SOX9 directly promotes FGFR2 transcription and expression; (2)SOX9 elevates FGF7 expression, which could be secreted from CCA cells and activates FGFR2 phosphorylation in an autocrine pathway.

Femtosecond laser point-by-point inscription of helical-sampled fiber Bragg gratings.

In this Letter, a helical-sampled fiber Bragg gratings (HSFBGs) fabrication using a femtosecond laser point-by-point (PBP) technique is proposed. The unique helical structure generates sampled gratings owing to its periodicity. A simple, single-step method for inscription of the sampled gratings is described. The effects of geometrical parameters, including length of grating, helical diameter, helical pitch, and off-axis distance on the resonances are studied, and a series of comb-like spectra are obtained.

The Smad4-MYO18A-PP1A complex regulates ß-catenin phosphorylation and pemigatinib resistance by inhibiting PAK1 in cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), consisting of three subtypes-intrahepatic (iCCA), perihilar (pCCA), and distal (dCCA), is a highly aggressive cancer arising from the bile duct and has an extremely poor prognosis. Pemigatinib is the only FDA-approved targeted drug for CCA, and the CCA treatment options are substantially insufficient considering its poor prognosis and increasing morbidity. Here, we performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 15 pCCAs and 16 dCCAs and detected the expression of SMAD4, a frequently mutated gene, in 261 CCAs. By univariate and multivariate analyses, we identified Smad4 as a favorable prognostic biomarker in iCCA and pCCA. With in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrated that Smad4 suppressed CCA proliferation, migration and invasion by inhibiting ß-catenin-S675 phosphorylation and intranuclear translocation. We applied LC-MS/MS and multiple biochemical techniques and identified PP1A as the phosphatase in Smad4-mediated dephosphorylation of PAK1-T423, which is responsible for ß-catenin-S675 phosphorylation. Moreover, we demonstrated that MYO18A is the PP1-interacting protein of PP1A for substrate recognition in CCA. MYO18A interacts with PP1A via its RVFFR motif and interacts with Smad4 via CC domain. Patients with coexpression of MYO18A and Smad4 have a more favorable prognosis than other patients. Smad4 enhances Pemigatinib efficiency, and Smad4 knockdown results in Pemigatinib resistance. In conclusion, coexpression of Smad4 and MYO18A is a favorable prognostic indicator for iCCA and pCCA. The Smad4-MYO18A-PP1A complex dephosphorylates PAK1-T423 and thus inhibits ß-catenin-S675 phosphorylation and its intranuclear localization. Smad4 suppresses CCA proliferation, migration, invasion, and sensitivity to Pemigatinib by governing the phosphorylation and intracellular localization of ß-catenin.

Vector bending sensor based on an edge-core cladding-type fiber Bragg grating.

A two-dimensional vector bending sensor that is both compact and simple is proposed and demonstrated, based on an edge-core cladding-type fiber Bragg grating (ECLFBG) inscribed in an edge-core. The ECLFBG is written parallel to the edge-core using a femtosecond laser point-by-point technique. The reflection spectrum of this ECLFBG varies significantly depending on the magnitude and direction of the fiber's bend. Combining the trend and sensitivity of the wavelength shift and reflection intensity variations of the ECLFBG, the bending magnitude and direction can be measured simultaneously.

Orientation-dependent fiber-optic accelerometer based on eccentric fiber Bragg grating.

A highly localized eccentric fiber Bragg grating (EFBG) accelerometer was proposed, and its orientation-dependent measurement results were demonstrated experimentally. An EFBG was inscribed point-by-point (PbP) in a single-mode fiber (SMF) using a femtosecond laser, and the cladding mode was recoupled to excite the ghost mode through an abrupt taper. Owing to the asymmetry caused by the lateral offset of the EFBG, the ghost mode showed a significant directional response to acceleration. Furthermore, monitoring the fundamental core mode resonance can help calibrate accidental power perturbation or cross-sensitivity.

Direct femtosecond laser inscription of an IR fluorotellurite fiber Bragg grating.

This study proposes a novel, to the best of our knowledge, development of fluorotellurite glass fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). Shell-like morphology was achieved using a single femtosecond laser pulse illuminated through the fiber's polymer coating. Different FBG fabrication methods and parameters were systematically studied to optimize performance. The fluorotellurite FBG exhibited a high sensitivity to writing laser power and reflectivity saturation effect in repetitive writing. A low-insertion-loss fluorotellurite FBG with a reflectivity of over 99% and bandwidth of less than 1 nm was successfully inscribed. The flexible inscription methods can write an FBG at any wavelength in the fluorotellurite glass transparent window, and are applicable to infrared fiber lasers or sensors.