Objective: The aim of this study was to address the association between the Ile462Val polymorphism in the gene encoding cytochrome P450 1A1 ( CYP1A1 ) and the risk of head and neck cancer (HNC). Materials and methods: The Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched. The strength of the association was evaluated by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Overall, we observed an increased risk of HNC in patients with the Ile/Val+Val/Val genotype compared to those with the Ile/Ile genotype among the 6,367 cases and 6,395 controls evaluated in the 34 eligible studies, with a pooled OR of 1.284 (95% CI: 1.119–1.473). In addition, we observed an increased risk of HNC in patients with the Ile/Val+Val/Val genotype compared to those with the Ile/Ile genotype in the subgroup analyses (OR =1.362, 95% CI: 1.102–1.685 for laryngeal cancer; OR =1.519, 95% CI: 1.253–1.843 for pharyngeal cancer; OR =1.371, 95% CI: 1.111–1.693 for Asians; and OR =1.329, 95% CI: 1.138–1.551 for patients in studies using hospital-based controls). Conclusion: This cumulative meta-analysis suggests that the CYP1A1 Ile462Val polymorphism might contribute to the risk of HNC, particularly for pharyngeal cancer and laryngeal cancer. Keywords: CYP1A1 , polymorphism, head and neck cancer, oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, pharyngeal cancer, risk
Semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) represent a new class of fluorescent nanoparticles for biological applications. In this study, we investigated their size-dependent fluorescence and cellular labeling properties. We demonstrate that the polymer conformation in solution phase largely affects the polymer folding and packing during the nanoparticle preparation process, resulting in solution-phase control over the fluorescence properties of semiconducting polymer nanoparticles. The resulting Pdots exhibit apparent size dependent absorption and emission, a characteristic feature of different chain packing behaviors due to the preparation conditions. Single-particle fluorescence imaging was employed to perform a side-by-side comparison on the Pdot brightness, indicating a quadratic dependence of single-particle brightness on particle size. Upon introducing a positively charged dye Nile blue, all the three type of Pdots were quenched very efficiently (Ksv > 1 × 107 M–1) in an applied quenching process at low dye concentrations, but exhibit apparent difference in quenching efficiency with increasing dye concentration. Furthermore, Pdots of different sizes were used for cell uptake and cellular labeling involving biotin–streptavidin interactions. Fluorescence imaging together with flow cytometry studies clearly showed size dependent labeling brightness. Small-sized Pdots appear to be more effective for immunolabeling of cell surface, whereas medium-sized Pdots exhibit the highest uptake efficiency. This study provides a concrete guidance for selecting appropriate particle size for biological imaging and sensing applications.
BackgroundMyocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI) can lead to impaired cardiac function. Quercetin (Que) has a positive effect and improves MI/RI. Sirtuin-3 (Sirt3) is a deacetylase that ameliorates oxidative stress and is associated with MI/RI. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which Que protects cardiac function against MI/RI through the Sirt3 signaling pathway.MethodsWe conducted experiments by constructing hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) cardiomyocytes and MI/RI rat models. H9C2 cells were transfected with siRNA-Sirt3. Cardiomyocyte apoptosis was examined by TUNEL and Western blotting. The oxidative stress index was also determined. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity assays, ATP assays and mitochondrial membrane potential assays were performed. Evans Blue/TTC staining was used to examine surviving myocardial tissue.ResultsIn the constructed H/R cells and MI/RI animal models, it was found that myocardial cell apoptosis increased (Bcl-2 expression was downregulated; Bax and cleaved caspase-3/8/9 expression were upregulated). In addition, oxidative stress levels increased (MDA levels increased; SOD, CAT, GSH-Px levels decreased), myocardial tissue was damaged (LDH, CK content increased), Sirt3 expression was downregulated, acetylation levels of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) increased (AC-SOD2), and mitochondrial ROS increased. Que treatment alleviated the effects of MI/RI on cardiomyocytes and rats. Sirt3 expression and activity were upregulated, SOD2 acetylation was decreased, and mitochondrial ROS production was reduced by Que treatment. After Sirt3 was knocked down, we found that AC-SOD2 expression was upregulated and mitochondrial ROS were increased in H/R cardiomyocytes, further increased the degree of injury, while Que treatment attenuated the effect of Sirt3 knockdown on H/R cardiomyocytes.ConclusionQue inhibits cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reduces oxidative stress levels, protects mitochondrial function and prevents the impairment of cardiac function during MI/RI via the Sirt3/SOD2/mitochondrial ROS pathway.
1]. Zhang et al. performed a meta-analysis to explore the association between X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) Arg194Trp polymorphism and lung cancer risk on the basis of 25 case-control studies with 8876 cases and 11, 210 controls.The authors found that XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism was not associated with lung cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 0.97 with 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI): 0.92-1.03for Trp vs. Arg; OR = 0.92 with 95 %CI: 0.85-0.98 for Arg/Trp vs. Arg/Arg; OR= 1.07 with 95 %CI: 0.92-1.23 for Trp/ Trp vs. Arg/Arg; OR = 0.93 with 95 %CI: 0.87-1.00for Trp/Trp+Arg/Trp vs. Arg/Arg; and OR =1.08 with 95 %CI: 0.94-1.25 for Trp/Trp vs. Arg/Trp+Arg/Arg].The cumulative meta-analysis showed that the results maintained the same, while the ORs with 95 % CI were
Abstract Previous studies have reported the association of glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) deletion polymorphism with genetic susceptibility of lung cancer in Chinese population. However, the results remained controversial. The aim of this study was to clarify the association of GSTM1 deletion polymorphism with lung cancer risk in Chinese population. Systematic searches were performed through the search engines of Medline/Pubmed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI and Wanfang Medical Online. The pooled effects were calculated by STATA 10.0 software package and Review Manager 5.0.24. Overall, we observed an association of GSTM1 deletion polymorphism with increased lung cancer risk in Chinese population (odds ratio (OR) = 1.46, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.32–1.66 for null genotype vs. present genotype) based on 53 studies including 7,833 cases and 10,353 controls. We also observed an increased risk of GSTM1 null genotype for lung cancer in stratified analyses by source of control, smoking status and histological type. The findings suggest that GSTM1 deletion polymorphism may contribute to lung cancer risk in Chinese population. Further, well-designed studies with larger sample sizes are required to verify the results.
With great interest, we read the recent article entitled “Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphisms and breast cancer risk in Chinese population: a meta-analysis of 22 case-control studies” published online in Tumor Biology, 2014, 35: 1695–1701. This article suggests that methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T polymorphism was significantly associated with breast cancer risk in Chinese population. The result is encouraging. Nevertheless, three key issues in this meta-analysis are worth noticing.
Highlights•We validated the excellent performance of the Baveno VII algorithm for ruling out HRV in those with HBV-related cirrhosis.•Compared with Baveno VI, LSPS, PSR and RESIST, Baveno VII performed best in avoiding unnecessary EGDs.•When applying the Baveno VII algorithm in HBV-related cirrhosis, SSM@100 Hz probe performed better than SSM@50 Hz.AbstractBackground & AimsThe Baveno VII consensus recommends that spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) ≤40 kPa is safe for ruling out high-risk varices (HRVs) and avoiding endoscopic screening in patients who do not meet the Baveno VI criteria. This study aimed to validate the performance of the Baveno VII algorithm in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis.MethodsConsecutive individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis who underwent liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and SSM – using a 50 Hz shear wave frequency, spleen diameter measurement, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) were prospectively enrolled from June 2020. A 100 Hz probe has been adopted for additional SSM assessment since July 2021.ResultsFrom June 2020 to January 2022, 996 patients were screened and 504 were enrolled for analysis. Among the 504 patients in whom SSM was assessed using a 50 Hz probe, the Baveno VII algorithm avoided more EGDs (56.7% vs. 39.1%, p <0.001) than Baveno VI criteria, with a comparable missed HRV rate (3.8% vs. 2.5%). Missed HRV rates were >5% for all other measures: 11.3% for LSM-longitudinal spleen diameter to platelet ratio score, 20.0% for platelet count/longitudinal spleen diameter ratio, and 8.8% for Rete Sicilia Selezione Terapia-hepatitis. SSM@100 Hz was assessed in 232 patients, and the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@100 Hz spared more EGDs (75.4% vs. 59.5%, p <0.001) than that with SSM@50 Hz, both with a missed HRV rate of 3.0% (1/33).ConclusionsWe validated the Baveno VII algorithm, demonstrating the excellent performance of SSM@50 Hz and SSM@100 Hz in ruling out HRV in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis. Furthermore, the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@100 Hz could safely rule out more EGDs than that with SSM@50 Hz.Clinical trial numberNCT04890730.Impact and implicationsThe Baveno VII guideline proposed that for patients who do not meet the Baveno VI criteria, SSM ≤40 kPa could avoid further unnecessary endoscopic screening. The current study validated the Baveno VII algorithm using 50 Hz and 100 Hz probes, which both exhibited excellent performance in ruling out HRVs in individuals with HBV-related cirrhosis. Compared with the Baveno VII algorithm with SSM@50 Hz, SSM@100 Hz had a better capability to safely rule out unnecessary EGDs. Baveno VII algorithm will be a practical tool to triage individuals with cirrhosis in future clinical practice.Graphical abstract
Gastric cancer is a major cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. The aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is involved in tumorigenesis. Ras proteins transfer information from the extracellular environment to internal cellular compartments and are essential in numerous signal transduction pathways. To investigate the regulation, function and clinical significance of the miRNA377/Ras association domain family (RASSF) 8 signaling axis in gastric cancer, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, cell counting kit-8, western blotting, and Transwell assays were used. The results revealed that expression of RASSF8 was significantly upregulated in normal gastric tissues compared with gastric cancer, which was further confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis, and its expression level was increased in normal gastric cells compared with gastric cancer cell lines. However, the expression of miR-377 was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer compared with normal gastric tissues. In addition, RASSF8 overexpression in BGC-823 gastric cancer cells significantly inhibited the proliferation, apoptosis and invasive abilities of cells. Whereas miR-377 attenuated these effects due to downregulated RASSF8 expression by directly targeting its 3'-untranslated region. Furthermore, in the current study, miR-377 was not able to reverse the effects of RASSF8 overexpression on gastric cancer cells. Collectively, the RASSF8 gene may represent a novel molecular target involved in gastric cancer development and may be useful in targeted therapy of patients with gastric cancer.
Tripartite motif 31(TRIM31) is a new member of the E3 ubiquitin ligase family, which plays a role in many biological processes. It has been indicated that TRIM31 is strongly correlated with tumorigenesis. However, the impact of TRIM31 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we found an increase in TRIM31 expression in CRC cells and a positive correlation between TRIM31 and CRC malignancy. Applying genetic interventions and cellular function tests, our results showed that TRIM31 acted as an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inducer to promote CRC invasion and metastasis. Mechanical exploration revealed that TRIM31 mediated the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines TNF, IL-1β, and IL-6 through the NF-κB pathway, thus contributing to EMT in CRC progression. Collectively, we concluded that TRIM31 mediated chronic inflammation via the NF-κB pathway to promote invasion and metastasis in CRC. Therefore, we can infer that TRIM31 may be a valuable detective marker in primary CRC, and therapeutic intervention related to EMT suppression via TRIM31 can be a viable option for patients with advanced CRC.