Nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 versus nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: a multicenter, randomized, phase II study.

Background: Encouraging antitumor activity of nab-paclitaxel plus S-1 (AS) has been shown in several small-scale studies. This study compared the efficacy and safety of AS versus standard-of-care nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (AG) as a first-line treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer (PC).

Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, phase II trial, eligible patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic PC were recruited and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive AS (nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8; S-1 twice daily on days 1 through 14) or AG (nab-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8; gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8) for 6 cycles.

Epidemiological characteristics and temporal-spatial clustering analysis on human brucellosis in Jiangsu Province, 2006-2021.

The marked increase in the incidence rate of brucellosis is a serious public health concern in Jiangsu Province. However, its temporal and spatial distribution has not been studied in depth. The main purpose of this study is to depict the demographic, temporal and spatial distribution patterns and clustering characteristics of brucellosis cases in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2006 to 2021 to develop and implement effective scientific prevention and control strategies.

Meteorological factors and tick density affect the dynamics of SFTS in jiangsu province, China.

Background: This study aimed to explore whether the transmission routes of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) will be affected by tick density and meteorological factors, and to explore the factors that affect the transmission of SFTS. We used the transmission dynamics model to calculate the transmission rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS, and used the generalized additive model to uncover how meteorological factors and tick density affect the spread of SFTS.

Methods: In this study, the time-varying infection rate coefficients of different transmission routes of SFTS in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2020 were calculated based on the previous multi-population multi-route dynamic model (MMDM) of SFTS.

Transmissibility of hand, foot, and mouth disease in 97 counties of China.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a serious disease burden in the Asia-Pacific region, including China. This study calculated the transmissibility of HFMD at county levels in Jiangsu Province, China, analyzed the differences of transmissibility and explored the possible influencing factors of its transmissibility. We built a mathematical model for seasonal characteristics of HFMD, estimated the effective reproduction number (R), and compared the incidence rate and transmissibility in different counties using non-parametric tests, rapid cluster analysis and rank-sum ratio in 97 counties in Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2020.

Modelling the transmission dynamics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome in Jiangsu Province, China.

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that is regionally distributed in Asia, with high fatality. Constructing the transmission model of SFTS could help provide clues for disease control and fill the gap in research on SFTS models.

Methods: We built an SFTS transmission dynamics model based on the susceptible-exposed-infectious-asymptomatic-recovered (SEIAR) model and the epidemiological characteristics of SFTS in Jiangsu Province.

Double-edge Role of B Cells in Tumor Immunity: Potential Molecular Mechanism.

B cells are a heterogeneous population, which have distinct functions of antigen presentation, activating T cells, and secreting antibodies, cytokines as well as protease. It is supposed that the balance among these B cells subpopulation (resting B cells, activated B cells, Bregs, and other differentiated B cells) will determine the ultimate role of B cells in tumor immunity. There has been increasing evidence supporting opposite roles of B cells in tumor immunity, though there are no general acceptable phenotypes for them.

High Expression of Pseudogene Promotes an Aggressive Phenotype in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: Accumulating evidence suggests that pseudogenes play potential roles in the regulation of their cognate wild-type genes, oncogenes, and tumor suppressor genes. ANXA2P2 (annexin A2 pseudogene 2) is one of three pseudogenes of annexin A2 that have recently been shown to be aberrantly transcribed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, its clinical meaning and biological function in HCC have remained unclear.

Validation and Application of the Chinese Version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Gastrointestinal Cancer Module (MDASI-GI-C).

Objectives: To validate and use the Chinese Version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory Gastrointestinal Cancer Module (MDASI-GI-C) to assess the symptom burden of Chinese-speaking patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Analysis of the clinicopathological features and prognostic factors of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the gastrointestinal tract often spread to the liver, while primary hepatic NETs (PHNETs), first described by Edmondson in 1958, are very rare. The majority of existing reports regarding PHNETs have small sample sizes, and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors are still unclear. The aim of the present study was to analyze the clinicopathological features and explore the prognostic factors of PHNETs.

Peritumoral overexpression of ZBP-89 is associated with unfavorable disease-free survival rates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following hepatectomy.

Previous studies have revealed that the peritumoral environment has a profound influence on tumor initiation and progression. Zinc-binding protein-89 (ZBP-89) has been observed to be involved with tumor development, recurrence, and metastasis. High intratumoral expression of ZBP-89 has been associated with improved prognosis in several tumor types.

Research progress on circadian clock genes in common abdominal malignant tumors.

The circadian clock refers to the inherent biological rhythm of an organism, which, is accurately regulated by numerous clock genes. Studies in recent years have reported that the abnormal expression of clock genes is ubiquitous in common abdominal malignant tumors, including liver, colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer. In addition, the abnormal expression of certain clock genes is closely associated with clinical tumor parameters or patient prognosis.

Low heme oxygenase-1 expression promotes gastric cancer cell apoptosis, inhibits proliferation and invasion, and correlates with increased overall survival in gastric cancer patients.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays a key role in anti-oxidation, anti-apoptosis, and anti-proliferation in various types of cancers. However, the relationship between HO-1 expression and gastric cancer development remains largely unknown. In this study, the protein expression of HO-1 in human gastric cancer was measured by immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections of 89 paired gastric carcinoma tissues and adjacent non-cancer tissues.

Upregulation of the long non-coding RNA PVT1 promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by acting as a molecular sponge of miR-203 and LASP1.

Long non-coding RNAs are a group of non-coding RNAs longer than 200 nucleotides and possess diverse functions and exhibit exquisite cell-specific and developmental dynamic expression patterns. The role of the long non-coding RNA PVT1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma remains unsolved. Here, we showed that PVT1 expression is significantly up-regulated in ESCC tumor samples compared with their normal counterparts.

Colon cancer metastasis to the mandibular gingiva with partial occult squamous differentiation: A case report and literature review.

Metastasis is the primary cause of death among patients with colon cancer. However, the number of available studies regarding oral cavity metastases from colon cancer is currently limited. We herein report an unusual case of a 60-year-old male patient who developed an oral cavity metastasis from colon cancer.

The immunogenicity and safety of a Hib-MenAC vaccine: a non-inferiority randomized, observer-blind trial in infants aged 3-5 months.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the novel combined Haemophilus influenzae type b-Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (Hib-MenAC).

Methods: We conducted a non-inferiority, randomized, observer-blind, positive control clinical trial in 900 healthy infants aged between 3-5 months in Funing County, Jiangsu Province, China. Participants were randomly allocated, in a ratio of 2:1 (block = 6), to receive experimental combined Hib-MenAC vaccines co-administrated with placebo or the co-administration of licensed Hib vaccine and MenAC vaccine, according to a three-dose immunization schedule.

Hepatitis B virus X protein and hypoxia‑inducible factor-1α stimulate Notch gene expression in liver cancer cells.

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that Notch genes, including Notch1, Notch2, Notch3 and Notch4, are involved in carcinogenesis. However, the expression and regulation of Notch genes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues have not been fully investigated. In the present study, immunohistochemical and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analyses were performed to examine the expression of Notch genes in normal human liver, HBV-related HCC and paired peritumoral tissues.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha in lung cancer: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) plays a vital role in the initiation, evaluation and prognosis in lung cancer. The prognostic value of HIF-1α reported in diverse study remains disputable. Accordingly, a meta-analysis was implemented to further understand the prognostic role of HIF-1α in lung cancer.

Evaluation of HO-1 expression, cellular ROS production, cellular proliferation and cellular apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tumors and cell lines.

Patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have a poor prognosis. However, the related mechanisms are unclear, thus we investigated the expression of HO-1 in ESCC tissue and explored possible mechanisms of tumor progression. Expression of HO-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry in 143 ESCC tumors.

Hepatitis B virus induces hypoxia-inducible factor-2α expression through hepatitis B virus X protein.

A growing number of studies suggest that the hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) enhances the protein stability of the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). However, the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV), HBx and hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) has not yet been fully elucidated. Immunohistochemical analysis was employed to detect the expression of HIF-2α in normal liver, HBV-related chronic hepatitis, and HBV-related and non-HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.

Small hairpin RNA-mediated Krüppel-like factor 8 gene knockdown inhibits invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

The present study aimed to characterize the expression of Krüppel-like factor 8 (KLF8) in nasopahryngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines and determine its effect on tumor development and invasion following KLF8 gene knockdown by small hairpin RNA (shRNA). KLF8 expression in four NPC cell lines was examined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blotting. KLF8 was knocked down in the SUNE1-5-8F/Sh-KLF8 cell line using shRNA, and the resulting stable cell line SUNE1-5-8F-sh-KLF8 was transplanted into nude mice in order to observe tumor formation and invasion.

Safety and immunogenocity of a novel combined Haemophilus influenzae type b-Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A and C-tetanus-toxoid conjugate vaccine in healthy Chinese children aged 6 months to 5 years old.

A novel combined Haemophilus influenzae type b-Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A and C-tetanus-toxoid conjugate vaccine (Hib-MenAC vaccine) has been developed to protect children against diseases caused by Hib, MenA, and MenC. This study investigated the safety and immunogenicity of the Hib-MenAC vaccine administered in 2-dose series to children aged 6-23 months and in a single dose to children aged 2-5 y. A randomized, positive-controlled, non-inferiority clinical trial was conducted for 1200 healthy participants in each age group.

Identification of PAQR3 as a new candidate tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Progestin and adipoQ receptor family member III (PAQR3) is a regulator that negatively modulates the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade and the GPCR Gβγ subunit signaling pathway. The role of PAQR3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been elucidated. The present study investigated the expression of PAQR3 and its prognostic value in primary HCC patients.

Spatial distribution and risk factors of influenza in Jiangsu province, China, based on geographical information system.

Influenza poses a constant, heavy burden on society. Recent research has focused on ecological factors associated with influenza incidence and has also studied influenza with respect to its geographic spread at different scales. This research explores the temporal and spatial parameters of influenza and identifies factors influencing its transmission.

Spatial analyses of typhoid fever in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China.

An analysis of the geographical distribution of typhoid incidence rates, based on various statistical approaches such as trend surface, spatial autocorrelation, spatial correlation and spatial regression, was carried out at the county level in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Temperature, moisture content, proximity to water bodies and the normalized difference vegetation index in the autumn were the four underlying factors found to contribute the most to the development of the epidemic. Typhoid infection was most severe in the south-eastern region of Jiangsu and a significant hotspot with high positive autocorrelation was detected in Taicang county in the south-east of the province.