Investigating the Prognostic and Oncogenic Roles of Membrane-Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 9 in Colorectal Cancer.

Backgroundsand Aims. Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major global health challenge, necessitating comprehensive investigations into its underlying molecular mechanisms to enhance diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. This study focuses on elucidating the oncogenic role of Membrane-Associated Ring-CH-Type Finger 9 (MARCHF9), a RING-Type E3 ubiquitin transferase, in CRC. We aim to assess MARCHF9's clinical significance, functional impact on CRC progression, and its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Methods. We leveraged data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort to evaluate MARCHF9 expression profiles in CRC. In vitro experiments involved siRNA-mediated MARCHF9 knockdown in COAD cell lines (SW480 and LoVo). Cell proliferation and invasion assays were conducted to investigate MARCHF9's functional relevance. Survival analyses were performed to assess its prognostic role. Results. Our analysis revealed significantly elevated MARCHF9 expression in CRC tissues compared to normal colorectal tissues (P < 0.05). High MARCHF9 expression correlated with advanced clinical stages, distant metastases, and the presence of residual tumors in CRC patients. Survival analyses demonstrated that high MARCHF9 expression predicted unfavorable overall and disease-free survival outcomes (P < 0.05). In vitro experiments further supported its oncogenic potential, with MARCHF9 knockdown inhibiting COAD cell proliferation and invasion. Conclusions. This study unveils the oncogenic role of MARCHF9 in CRC, highlighting its clinical relevance as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. MARCHF9's association with adverse clinicopathological features and its functional impact on cancer cell behavior underscore its significance in CRC progression. Further research is essential to elucidate precise mechanisms by which MARCHF9 enhances tumorigenesis and to explore its therapeutic potential in CRC management.

Is technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy available for predicting vesicoureteral reflux in children with first febrile urinary tract infection under the age of 24 months?

OBJECTIVE: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a common complication after urinary tract infection (UTI) and can lead to irreversible renal scar. Voiding cystourethrogram is the most reliable technology to detect VUR and its severity, but it is restricted in children's examinations for various shortcomings. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficiency of Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy and conventional ultrasonography (USG) in predicting VUR with the gold standard of cystourethrogram results. METHODS: This retrospective study consisted of 285 first febrile UTI children under the age of 24 months who completed inflammatory indicator examinations, USG, Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy and underwent cystourethrography after controlling infection with prophylactic antibiotics. The efficiency of Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy and USG in predicting VUR was calculated and compared. RESULTS: Abnormal USG (40.23% vs. 21.72%, P = 0.001) and Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy results (87.36% vs. 71.72%, P = 0.004) were more common in VUR children. The sensitivity of USG in predicting VUR was only 40.23%, whereas the sensitivity and negative predictive value of Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy reached 87.63 and 83.58%, respectively. Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy had a higher efficacy than USG in predicting high-grade reflux kidneys (73.87% vs. 33.33%; P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in predicting low-grade reflux kidneys ( P = 0.703). CONCLUSION: Tc-99m DMSA renal scintigraphy had a significant higher efficiency in predicting VUR (a common cause of renal scarring, detected on DMSA) in first febrile urinary tract infection children under the age of 24 months as compared with USG, especially in high-grade reflux.