Advances in tumor immune microenvironment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: A review of literature.

Squamous cell carcinoma is seen as principal malignancy of head and neck. Tumor immune microenvironment plays a vital role in the occurrence, development and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The effect of immunotherapy, in particular, is closely related to tumor immune microenvironment. This review searched for high-quality literature included within PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus using the keywords "head and neck cancers," "tumor microenvironment" and "immunotherapy," with the view to summarizing the characteristics of HNSCC immune microenvironment and how various subsets of immune cells promote tumorigenesis. At the same time, based on the favorable prospects of immunotherapy having been shown currently, the study is committed to pinpointing the latest progress of HNSCC immunotherapy, which is of great significance in not only further guiding the diagnosis and treatment of HNSCC, but also conducting its prognostic judgement.

miRNA-Mediated Low Expression of EPHX3 Is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Tumor Immune Infiltration in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

The aim of this study was to explore the regulatory role of epoxide hydrolase 3 (EPHX3) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and to analyze its bioinformatic function, as well as, to screen and predict the miRNAs that can regulate EPHX3 expression in HNSCC. We examined the expression profile and prognostic potential of EPHX3 in TCGA and GTEX databases and performed functional enrichment analysis of EPHX3 using string database. Subsequently, we analyzed the regulatory role of miRNAs on EPHX3, including expression analysis, correlation analysis, and survival analysis. In addition, we also used TIMER to investigate the relationship among EPHX3 expression level, immune checkpoints, and immune infiltration in HNSCC. The results of data analysis after TGCA showed that EPHX3 is a key regulator of tumorigenesis in 13 cancers and can be used as a marker of poor prognosis in HNSCC patients. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-4713-3p is a key miRNA of EPHX3 in HNSCC. Together, our findings indicate that EPHX3 exerts its anticancer effects by suppressing tumor immune checkpoint expression and immune cell infiltration. Overall, our data uncovered miRNA-mediated EPHX3 downregulation as a contributor to poor HNSCC prognosis and reduced tumor immune infiltration.

Prediction of the Active Components and Possible Targets of Xanthii Fructus Based on Network Pharmacology for Use in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a complex condition brought on for many reasons, and its prevalence is rising gradually around the world. Xanthii Fructus (XF) has been used in the treatment of CRS for decades and is effective. The chemical and pharmacological profiles of XF, on the other hand, are still unknown and need to be clarified. The potential mechanisms of XF in CRS treatment were investigated using a network pharmacology approach in this study. OB and DL were in charge of screening the bioactive components in XF and drug-likeness. TCMSP and PubChem databases were used to identify prospective XF proteins, whereas GeneCards and the DisGeNET database were used to identify potential CRS genes. An interactive network of XF and CRS is built using the STRING database based on common goals identified by the online tool Venny. Cytoscape was used to visualize the topological characteristics of nodes, while the biological function pathways were identified by GO Knowledge Base, KEGG. There were 26 bioactive components and 115 potential targets in XF that bind to CRS or are considered therapeutically relevant. Five significant signaling pathways have been found for CRS by the pathway analysis including the HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. We simultaneously confirmed that the PI3K-Akt pathway promotes the development of CRS. Finally, this study took a holistic approach to the pharmacological actions and molecular mechanisms of XF in the treatment of CRS. TNF, INS, CCL2, CXCL8, IL-10, VEGFA, and IL-6 have all been identified as potential targets for anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting effects. This network pharmacology prediction could be useful in manifesting the molecular mechanisms of the Chinese herbal compound XF for CRS.

A Pan-Cancer Analysis of Cystatin E/M Reveals Its Dual Functional Effects and Positive Regulation of Epithelial Cell in Human Tumors.

Cystatin E/M (CST6), a representative cysteine protease inhibitor, plays both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing functions and is pursued as an epigenetically therapeutic target in special cancer types. However, a comprehensive and systematic analysis for CST6 in pan-cancer level is still lacking. In the present study, we explored the expression pattern of CST6 in multiple cancer types across ∼10,000 samples from TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and ∼8,000 samples from MMDs (Merged Microarray-acquired Datasets). We found that the dynamic expression alteration of CST6 was consistent with dual function in different types of cancer. In addition, we observed that the expression of CST6 was globally regulated by the DNA methylation in its promoter region. CST6 expression was positively correlated with the epithelial cell infiltration involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proliferation. The relationship between CST6 and tumor microenvironment was also explored. In particular, we found that CST6 serves a protective function in the process of melanoma metastasis. Finally, the clinical association analysis further revealed the dual function of CST6 in cancer, and a combination of the epithelial cell infiltration and CST6 expression could predict the prognosis for SKCM patients. In summary, this first CST6 pan-cancer study improves the understanding of the dual functional effects on CST6 in different types of human cancer.

Effect of Yupingfeng granules on HA and Foxp3(+) Treg expression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Yupingfeng on hyaluronic acid (HA) and Foxp3(+) Treg in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 58 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were divided into two groups, 30 cases in the treatment group, 28 cases in the control group. Patients in two groups were treated with synchronous radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, the treatment group was treated with the Yupingfeng granules through oral administration, 10 g/time, tid for 2 courses. The serum Foxp3(+) Treg markers of each group were detected by flow cytometry assay before treatment and after treatment, and the level of HA in serum was detected by radio immunoassay. RESULTS: After radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the contents of Foxp3(+) Treg and HA were significantly decreased in two groups (P < 0.05), and the decrease of treatment group was more significantly (P < 0.01). Correlation analysis showed positive correlation between Foxp3(+) Treg and HA (P < 0.05). After treatment, the incidence of side effects in two groups was significantly decreased. And there was significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy with Yupingfeng treatment can decrease the levels of Foxp3(+) Treg and HA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Yupingfeng can also effectively reduce the side effect due to radiation and chemotherapy.

Polyetheretherketone/nano-fluorohydroxyapatite composite with antimicrobial activity and osseointegration properties.

Lack of antibacterial activity and binding ability to natural bone tissue has significantly limited polyetheretherketone (PEEK) for many challenging dental implant applications. Here, we have developed a polyetheretherketone/nano-fluorohydroxyapatite (PEEK/nano-FHA) biocomposite with enhanced antibacterial activity and osseointegration through blending method. Smooth and rough surfaces of PEEK/nano-FHA biocomposites were also prepared. Our results showed that in vitro initial cell adhesion and proliferation on the nano-FHA reinforced PEEK composite were improved. In addition, higher alkaline phosphatase activity and cell mineralization were also detected in cells cultured on PEEK/nano-FHA biocomposites, especially for rough PEEK/nano-FHA surfaces. More importantly, the as-prepared PEEK/nano-FHA biocomposite could effectively prevent the proliferation and biofilm formation of bacterial. For in vivo test, the newly formed bone volume of PEEK/nano-FHA group was higher than that of bare PEEK group based on 3D microcomputed tomography and 2D histomorphometric analysis. These reports demonstrate that the developed PEEK/nano-FHA biocomposite has increased biocompatibility and antibacterial activity in vitro, and promoted osseointegration in vivo, which suggests that it holds potential to be applied as dental implant material in dental tissue engineering applications.

Effect of calcium citrate on bone integration in a rabbit femur defect model.

OBJECTIVE: To explore effect of calcium citrate on bone integration in a rabbit femur defect model, and to compare the bone formation with different sizes by radiological and histological study. METHODS: Twenty-four male Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (Group A, B, C) in this study. Under anesthesia, defects of four sizes (1.2, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mm) were created in each of the rabbits. Commercially pure calcium citrate powder was placed inside the medullary compartment of the femur (Experimental), while in the contralateral femur (Control) nothing was implanted. The defects were analyzed using radiography and histological analysis by using Imagepro-Plus 6.0 software after animal was sacrificed at 4th(Group A), 6th(Group B) and 8th(Group C) weeks postoperatively. Four samples were analyzed for each size of defect and each healing period. RESULTS: The histological and the radiologic evaluation were performed after sacrification of all rabbits on postoperative 4th and 6th weeks, It showed significant difference between the experimental group and the control group when these defects were less than or equal to 2.0 mm. No statistical difference was observed when these defects were larger than 2.0 mm at all healing periods except at the 4th week. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium citrate affects the early periods of bone defects healing mechanism in Japanese white rabbits positively, especially when the defect is not too large. We suggest further studies on calcium citrate to determine the effects of various dosages, administration ways and the experimental time on the bone defects.

[Clinical features of 168 patients with vertigo].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and common etiology of vertigo. METHOD: The clinical data of 168 patients with vertigo in the department of otolaryngolology and neurology from December 2007 to March 2009 were retrospectively analyzed The patients were inquired and examined by pure tone average thresholds, videonystagmography, Dix-Hallpike test, cervical spine X-ray, skull CT and (or) MRI and transcranial Doppler. RESULT: One hundred and thirty-four patients with vertigo were of peripheral origin, with 66 cases benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, 30 cases Meniere's disease, 24 cases sudden deafness, 5 cases vestibular neuritis, 5 cases otitis media ,2 cases ear herpes zosters and 2 cases ototoxicity. Among 26 patients with vertigo of central, 20 patients were vertebrobasilar TIA. CONCLUSION: The most common etiology of the vestibular peripheral vertigo is the benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. Detailed history and the features of vertigo, particular about the duration of vertigo and hearing change, may provide the important evidences for the accurate diagnosis and differential diagnosis of vertigo.

[Clinical analysis of orbital apex syndrome caused by sinus diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characters and therapeutic methods of orbital apex syndrome caused by sinus diseases. METHOD: Six cases of orbital apex syndrome originated from sinus diseases were retrospective analyzed in our hospital from August 2003 to February 2009. Different therapeutic methods were taken according to different causes of disease. RESULT: Four cases of sinus infection,one cases of sphenoethmoidal mucocele, one cases of sinus squamous cell carcinoma. The results of patients with orbital apex syndrome included cure and effectiveness in 2 cases respectively, death from myocardial infarction in one case, and one case is still following up. CONCLUSION: Orbital apex syndrome originated from sinus diseases was rare, which was mainly caused by sinus infection. The key point is the correct etiology diagnosis in early phase. Treatment with endoscopic sinus surgery early is a good effective method for orbital apex syndrome caused by sinus diseases, in the same time with enough dosage of antibiotic and glucocorticoid therapy intravenously.

[Clinical application of multiplanar reconstruction of facial canal: preliminary report].

OBJECTIVE: To study clinical criterion of the anterior positior of mastoid segment and low position of tympanic segment in atresia of external auditory canal. METHOD: Facial canal of 80 cases was measured by multiplanar reconstruction. RESULT: A-B less than 0.4 mm was low position of tympanic segment and E-F less than 5 mm was anterior position of mastoid facial canal in atresia of external auditory canal, there was significant difference between the two subgroups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The first time, the multiplanar reconstruction measurement criterion of facial structures in established. Multiplanar reconstruction system is useful for microsurgery doctors to precisely recognize the mark of high dangerous area in and surroundings.