Clinical course of patients on maintenance hemodialysis and COVID-19: a retrospective longitudinal study.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerges as a global pandemic and there is a lack of evidence about the clinical course and outcome of patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Here we conducted a retrospective longitudinal study aimed to analyze the clinical features and outcome of MHD patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Of 3126 inpatients with COVID-19 at 3 Branches of Wuhan Tongji Hospital from Jan 18th to Mar 9th, 2020, 19 patients were undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.

Association of liver abnormalities with in-hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19.

Background & Aims: The evolution and clinical significance of abnormal liver chemistries and the impact of hepatitis B infection on outcome in patients with COVID-19 is not well characterized. This study aimed to explore these issues.

Methods: This large retrospective cohort study included 2,073 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and definite outcomes in Wuhan, China.

Expression of HIF-1α is a predictive marker of the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Platinum-based, arterial infusion chemotherapy as a neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by hysterectomy may be efficient for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer and improve prognosis. It is important to predict whether the NACT would be effective before it is launched. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is the master transcriptional regulator of the cellular response to altered oxygen concentration.

Detection of metastatic cancer cells in mesentery of colorectal cancer patients.

Aim: To detect the existence of isolated cancer cells in the mesentery of colorectum (named as Metastasis V), and investigate its clinical significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods: Sixty-three CRC patients who received radical excision between January 2012 and September 2015 were included. All the patients underwent laparoscopy-assisted radical colorectomy or proctectomy [with complete mesocolic excision (CME) or total mesorectal excision (TME)] with R0 dissections at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

miR-124 modulates gefitinib resistance through SNAI2 and STAT3 in non-small cell lung cancer.

Gefitinib is used as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, most NSCLC patients inevitably develop gefitinib resistance during treatment. In addition to EGFR mutation status, the mechanisms involved are largely unknown.

Efficacy of topical versus oral 5-aminosalicylate for treatment of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in rats.

5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) is drug of choice for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study, the efficacy of topical versus oral 5-ASA for the treatment of UC was examined as well as the action mechanism of this medication. A flexible tube was inserted into the rat cecum to establish a topical administration model of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced UC.

Effects of the 24 N-terminal amino acids of p55PIK on endotoxinstimulated release of inflammatory cytokines by HaCaT cells.

This study aimed to examine the effect of the 24 N-terminal amino acids (N24) of p55PIK, a regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), on the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated release of the cytokines (CKs) by HaCaT cells. The fusion protein, trans-acting activator of transcription (TAT)-N24 (an experimental peptide, EP) containing the N24 of PI3K-p55PIK, was constructed, and TAT-N24 fusion peptide was expressed and identified in BL21 E·coli. HaCaT cells (a human keratinocyte cell line) was cultured and stimulated by LPS at 100 ng/mL for 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 24 h, or by LPS at 10, 100 ng/mL, 1, 10 or 100 μg/mL of for 4 h.

Efficacy of gemcitabine plus platinum agents for biliary tract cancers: a meta-analysis.

The objective of this study was to carry out a meta-analysis of the efficacy of gemcitabine+platinum agent regimens in the treatment of advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC). PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the following combination of search terms: gemcitabine, oxaliplatin, cholangiocarcinoma, biliary, gallbladder, bile duct. Studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis if they were randomized trials on the use of gemcitabine plus a platinum agent for the treatment of advanced (unresectable or metastatic cancer) BTC.

Remarkably reduced expression of FoxO3a in metaplastic colorectum, primary colorectal cancer and liver metastasis.

The forkhead family members of transcription factors (FoxOs) are expected to be potential cancer-related drug targets and thus are being extremely studied recently. In the present study, FoxO3a, one major member of this family, was identified to be down-regulated in colorectal cancer through micro-array analysis, which was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blot in 28 patients. Moreover, immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed that the expression levels of FoxO3a were remarkably reduced in 99 cases of primary colorectal cancer, liver metastasis, and even in metaplastic colorectal tissue.

Expression of Cav-1 in tumour cells, rather than in stromal tissue, may promote cervical squamous cell carcinoma proliferation, and correlates with high-risk HPV infection.

Altered expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is observed in various types of cancers. However, little research has been reported regarding the correlation between the expression of Cav-1 and cervical cancer. Here, we investigated the clinical significance of Cav-1 expression using quantum dot (QD)-based immunofluorescence staining in cervical cancer and its correlation with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) infection detected by chromogenic in situ hybridization.

[Expression of human papillomavirus type 16/18 in human cervical carcinomas by the quantum dot fluorescent in-situ hybridization].

Objective: To investigate fluorescence in situ hybridization labeled with quantum dots (QDs) for the detection of human papillomavirus 16/18 (HPV16/18) infection in cervical carcinoma patients.

Methods: A total of 80 biopsy samples of squamous carcinoma of cervix were assayed for HPV 16/18 infection by using quantum dot labeled fluorescent in situ hybridization (QD-FISH) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) techniques, respectively. The results obtained by using two different methods were statistically analyzed.

[Overexpression of hSav1 promotes Mst1-induced apoptosis in HeLa cells].

Objective: To elucidate the effect of hSav1 expression on Mst1-mediated apoptosis in HeLa cells.

Methods: Plasmids pCMV-HA-hSav1 and pcDNA/4TO-Flag-Mst1 were constructed and cotransfected into HeLa cells. Triple immunofluorescent labeling of hSav1, Mst1 and nucleus was performed to determine their subcellular localization.

[Inhibitory effect of N-terminal 24 amino acids of the p55 gamma, a regulatory subunit of phosphoinositide 3-kinase, on proliferation of colon carcinoma cell line HT29].

Background & Objective: p55 gamma is one of the regulatory subunits of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), which plays an important role in the regulation of PI3K activity. This study was to explore the inhibitory effect of the N-terminal 24 amino acids of the p55 gamma on proliferation of colon carcinoma cell line HT29.

Methods: Ad-N24p55-GFP, containing N-terminal 24 amino acids of the p55 gamma, and control vector Ad-GFP were constructed, and used to infect HT29 cells.

[Preparation of suspension of gastric mucous membrane single cell and expression of cyclins in cells].

Objective: To explore a method which can remove the gastric mucus in order to prepare mucous membrane single cell suspension for the research of cytomics.

Methods: Enzymology was used to remove the mucus gel and to separate mucous layer from the normal fresh gastric tissue. The mucous layer was broken to prepare single cell suspension with machine method.

[Correlations of GRIM-19 and its target gene product STAT3 to malignancy of human colorectal carcinoma].

Background & Objective: GRIM-19 (gene associated with retinoid-interferon-induced mortality-19) gene is a specific protein to inhibit signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). STAT3 and its pathway are involved in modulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and mediating malignant transformation of cells. This study was to investigate the expression of GRIM-19 and its target gene STAT3 in human colorectal carcinoma tissues, and explore their roles in the tumorigenesis of colorectal carcinoma.

[DNA damage and apoptosis of human airway epithelial cell lines caused by cigarette smoke extract].

Background & Objective: Cigarette smoke exposure has been reported to induce DNA damage in a variety of cell types. This study was to investigate DNA damage and apoptosis in normal human bronchial epithelial cell line NHBE and lung carcinoma cell line SPC-A1 caused by cigarette smoke extract.

Methods: NHBE and SPC-A1 cells were incubated with different concentrations of cigarette smoke extract.

[Inducement of tumor cell autophagy and cell cycle analysis].

Background & Objective: Autophagy is the main phenomenon of type II programmed cell death which is also named as autophagic cell death, and autophagy has a close relationship with autophagic cell death. The relationship of apoptosis and cell cycle has been explored deeply, but little is known about the relationship of autophagic cell death and cell cycle. This study was to observe the correlation of autophagy induced by different methods to cell cycle.

[Promotive effect of decreased cyclin E threshold on cell proliferation].

Background & Objective: Many studies showed that high expression of Cyclin E promotes cell proliferation, but contrary data was also reported that cell proliferation didn't decrease with low expression of Cyclin E. In addition, we observed that many tumor cells have strong capability of proliferation with low expression of Cyclins, including Cyclin E. This study was to analyze effect of reduced Cyclin E threshold on proliferation of acute lymphocyte leukemia cell line MOLT-4 to explain the above phenomena.

[Correlation of intra-cellular localization and variations of active caspase-3 to morphology changes in apoptotic MOLT-4 cells induced by X-ray].

Background & Objective: How pro-caspase-3 activation lead to serial morphology changes during progress of cell apoptosis is unclear. This study was to investigate the variations and intra-localization of active Caspase-3, determine cell morphology changes in apoptotic MOLT-4 cells induced by X-ray, and evaluate their relationship.

Methods: MOLT-4 cells were irradiated by 10 Gy X-ray.

[The relationship between ATM gene silence inducing apoptosis susceptibility and abnormal CDK activity].

Objective: To explore the molecular elements responsible for the enhanced apoptotic susceptibility in U937 cells mediated by silencing atactic telangiectasis mutation (ATM) gene.

Methods: Two U937 cell mutants, U937-ASPI3K (ATM gene negative) and U937-pZEOSV2 (+) (ATM gene positive) were used as a cell model system. Apoptosis was examined by measuring free nucleosome concentrations in U937 cells.