Clinical Significance and Biological Function of miR-1274a in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Since the discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) as a class of important regulatory molecules, miRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of tumors. In this paper, we aimed to identify the role of miR-1274a in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The miR-1274a expression levels in four NSCLC cells and tissues from 125 patients were determined by qRT-PCR assays.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with/without induction chemotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: Long-term results of phase 3 randomized controlled trial.

To report long-term results of a randomized controlled trial that compared cisplatin/fluorouracil/docetaxel (TPF) induction chemotherapy (IC) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with CCRT alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Patients with stage III-IVB (except T3-4 N0) NPC were randomly assigned to receive IC plus CCRT (n = 241) or CCRT alone (n = 239). IC included three cycles of docetaxel (60 mg/m d1), cisplatin (60 mg/m d1), and fluorouracil (600 mg/m /d civ d1-5) every 3 weeks.

Detection and Prognostic Significance of Circulating Tumor Cells in Patients With Metastatic Thyroid Cancer.

Context: Individual patient prognostication for advanced thyroid cancer (TC) is challenging. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have been shown to be a valuable prognostic marker for other solid cancers.

Objective: We hypothesized that CTCs are present in the blood of patients with advanced TC and their number can predict overall survival (OS).

Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Associated with Germline RET Mutation.

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 is an autosomal dominant inherited syndrome caused by activating mutations in the RET proto-oncogene. The RET DNA variant was previously reported in two isolated medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cases, but no family studies are available, and its oncogenic significance remains unknown.

Methods: The clinical features, genetic data, and family information of eight index MTC patients with a germline RET variant were assessed.

Induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a phase 3, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

Background: The value of adding cisplatin, fluorouracil, and docetaxel (TPF) induction chemotherapy to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma is unclear. We aimed to compare TPF induction chemotherapy plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy with concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in a suitably powered trial.

Methods: We did an open-label, phase 3, multicentre, randomised controlled trial at ten institutions in China.

Bone Metastases and Skeletal-Related Events in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma.

Context: Bone metastases (BM) can lead to devastating skeletal-related events (SREs) in cancer patients. Data regarding medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with BM are lacking.

Objective: We evaluated the natural history of BM and SREs in MTC patients identified by a cancer center tumor registry.

Prognostic significance of nuclear or cytoplasmic nucleolin expression in human non-small cell lung cancer and its relationship with DNA-PKcs.

This study investigated the expression of nucleolin in tissue samples in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nucleolin was studied to determine whether it has a prognostic value and if its levels correlate with various clinicopathologic parameters. The relationship between nucleolin and expression of DNA-PKcs was also evaluated.

Knocking Down Nucleolin Expression Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Influencing DNA-PKcs Activity.

Nucleolin (C23) is an important anti-apoptotic protein that is ubiquitously expressed in exponentially growing eukaryotic cells. In order to understand the impact of C23 in radiation therapy, we attempted to investigate the relationship of C23 expression with the radiosensitivity of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. We investigated the role of C23 in activating the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA- PKcs), which is a critical protein for DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair.

Application of biomonitoring and support vector machine in water quality assessment.

The behavior of schools of zebrafish (Danio rerio) was studied in acute toxicity environments. Behavioral features were extracted and a method for water quality assessment using support vector machine (SVM) was developed. The behavioral parameters of fish were recorded and analyzed during one hour in an environment of a 24-h half-lethal concentration (LC(50)) of a pollutant.

Resistin gene polymorphisms and progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese: a 5-year prospective study.

Objective: Human resistin gene (RETN) polymorphisms have been found to be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), insulin resistance and/or obesity. We evaluated, in a 5-year prospective study, whether RETN polymorphisms could predict the progression of glycaemia in southern Chinese.

Design And Patients: We conducted a systematic search for variants in RETN in 70 southern Chinese subjects.

Lipocalin-2 is an inflammatory marker closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperglycemia in humans.

Background: Lipocalin-2, a 25-kDa secreted glycoprotein, is a useful biomarker for early detection of various renal injuries. Because lipocalin-2 is abundantly expressed in adipose tissue and liver, we investigated its relevance to obesity-related pathologies.

Methods: We used real-time PCR and in-house immunoassays to quantify the mRNA and serum concentrations of lipocalin-2 in C57BL/KsJ db/db obese mice and their age- and sex-matched lean littermates.

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein is a plasma biomarker closely associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Background: Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP) is traditionally thought to be a cytosolic fatty acid chaperone expressed in adipocytes. Mice with targeted disruption of the A-FABP gene exhibit a striking phenotype with strong protection from insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and atherosclerosis. The clinical relevance of these findings remains to be confirmed.

Behavioral response of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to acute ammonia stress monitored by computer vision.

The behavioral responses of a tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) school to low (0.13 mg/L), moderate (0.79 mg/L) and high (2.

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 decreases blood glucose and improves glucose tolerance but induces hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis in mice.

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) is a circulating protein predominantly expressed in adipose tissue and liver. Several recent studies demonstrated that ANGPTL4 is the target gene of peroxisome proliferation activators, the agonists of which are widely used as the antidiabetic and lipid-lowering drugs. Here we provide evidence that ANGPTL4 is a blood-borne hormone directly involved in regulating glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and insulin sensitivity.

Adiponectin inhibits cell proliferation by interacting with several growth factors in an oligomerization-dependent manner.

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-specific secretory protein, is present in serum as three oligomeric complexes. Apart from its roles as an anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic hormone, adiponectin has been implicated as an important regulator of cell growth and tissue remodeling. Here we show that some of these functions might be mediated by the specific interactions of adiponectin with several important growth factors.

Genetic and clinical characteristics of maturity-onset diabetes of the young in Chinese patients.

In Caucasians, maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is mostly caused by mutations in the hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF)-1alpha (MODY3) and glucokinase (MODY2) genes. Most Japanese MODY patients, however, are not linked to known MODY genes. In this study, we examined the genetic and clinical characteristics of Chinese subjects with MODY.

Chronic treatment with growth hormone stimulates adiponectin gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Growth hormone (GH) is an important regulator of adiposity and systemic energy metabolism. Here, we have investigated the effects of GH on production of adiponectin, an anti-diabetic and anti-atherogenic hormone secreted exclusively from adipocytes. Analysis using real time quantitative PCR revealed that GH significantly increased adiponectin gene expression in a dose-dependent manner.