Helicobacter pylori infection and Parkinson's Disease: etiology, pathogenesis and levodopa bioavailability.

Parkinson's disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder with an unknown etiology, is primarily characterized by the degeneration of dopamine (DA) neurons. The prevalence of PD has experienced a significant surge in recent years. The unidentified etiology poses limitations to the development of effective therapeutic interventions for this condition.

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy enhances cortical plasticity in a rat model of traumatic brain injury: a resting-state functional MRI study.

Modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) has shown beneficial effects on motor function improvement after brain injury, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. In this study, amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) metrics measured by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was obtained to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of mCIMT in a control cortical impact (CCI) rat model simulating traumatic brain injury. At 3 days after control cortical impact model establishment, we found that the mean ALFF (mALFF) signals were decreased in the left motor cortex, somatosensory cortex, insula cortex and the right motor cortex, and were increased in the right corpus callosum.

CircRNA-0008717 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating miR-203/Slug in esophageal cancer cells.

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in the regulation of multiple human diseases, including cancer. In particular, the dysregulation of circRNA-0008717 has been linked to multiple types of cancer.

LINC00657/miR-26a-5p/CKS2 ceRNA network promotes the growth of esophageal cancer cells via the MDM2/p53/Bcl2/Bax pathway.

LncRNA LINC00657 has oncogenic or anti-carcinoma roles in different cancers, and yet its detailed molecular mechanism in esophageal cancer (EC) remains unclear. In addition, competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks are critical for tumorigenesis and progression. Hence, the present study explored the roles of LINC00657 in EC and identified its relevant ceRNA network.

The Number of Negative Lymph Nodes is Positively Associated with Survival in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients in China.

Background: There is a controversial relationship between the negative lymph nodes (NLNs) and survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study investigates the implications of total number of NLNs on thoracic ESCC patient prognosis.

Methods: 579 thoracic ESCC patients were categorized into four groups (0-9, 10-14, 15-19 and ≥20 NLNs).

Meta-analysis on the association between xeroderma pigmentosum Group A A23G polymorphism and esophageal cancer in a Chinese population.

Aim Of The Study: Several studies have evaluated the correlation between xeroderma pigmentosum Group A (XPA) A23G polymorphism (rs 1800975) and esophageal cancer in Chinese people. However, the results are inconsistent. To assess the effects of XPA A23G variants on the risk for development of esophageal cancer in the Chinese population, a meta-analysis was performed.

Low expression of BEX1 predicts poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer.

The brain expressed x‑linked gene 1 (BEX1) is a member of the BEX family and is aberrantly expressed in many cancers. However, the clinical significance of BEX1 expression level and its role in the pathology of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remain unknown. In the present study, we determined BEX1 expression in the tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 118 ESCC patients by immunohistochemistry and determined the proliferation and growth of ESCC cells following ectopic overexpression of BEX1 in cultured cells and in mouse‑ESCC xenografts.

Structural Characterization and Immunostimulatory Activity of Polysaccharides from Brassica rapa L. .

Two neutral polysaccharides (BRNP-1, 6.9 kDa; BRNP-2, 4.8 kDa) were purified from the common edible plant Brassica rapa L.

Role of Nrf2 signaling pathway in the radiation tolerance of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: an in vivo and in vitro study.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway and the radiation tolerance of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). From January 2015 to January 2016, 117 patients with HNSCC were enrolled in our study and assigned into the sensitive and tolerance groups based on curative effect. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted to measure protein expressions of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO1), NADPH quinine oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and glutathione -transferase (GST).

Living donor liver transplantation with body-weight more or less than 10 kilograms.

Aim: To compare the outcomes of pediatric patients weighing less than or more than 10 kg who underwent liver transplantation.

Methods: Data for 196 pediatric patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation between June 1994 and February 2011 were reviewed retrospectively. The information for each patient was anonymized and de-identified before analysis.

Radiation dose is associated with prognosis of small cell lung cancer with superior vena cava syndrome.

Approximately 10% of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cases develop superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS). Many SCLC patients with SVCS have relatively limited disease, requiring curative rather than palliative treatment. Besides chemotherapy, radiotherapy is important for treating SCLC with SVCS.

Prognostic role of hepatoma-derived growth factor in solid tumors of Eastern Asia: a systematic review and meta- analysis.

Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a novel jack-of-all-trades in cancer. Here we quantify the prognostic impact of this biomarker and assess how consistent is its expression in solid tumors. A comprehensive search strategy was used to search relevant literature updated on October 3, 2014 in PubMed, EMBASE and WEB of Science.

Irradiated fibroblasts promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition and HDGF expression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Recent evidence suggested that nonirradiated cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promoted aggressive phenotypes of cancer cells through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a radiosensitive gene of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study aimed to investigate the effect of irradiated fibroblasts on EMT and HDGF expression of ESCC.

The tumor-stroma ratio is an independent predictor for survival in nasopharyngeal cancer.

Background: The tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) has been identified as a new and practicable prognostic histological characteristic of solid tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of the TSR in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).

Patients And Methods: A total of 93 patients who presented with NPC from 2004 to 2007 were studied.

BIIB021, a novel Hsp90 inhibitor, sensitizes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma to radiation.

BIIB021 is a novel, orally available inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) that is currently in phase I/II clinical trials. BIIB021 induces the apoptosis of various types of tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of BIIB021 on the radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

High level of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 predicts poor prognosis in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) is a key mediator bridging autophagy, apoptosis and differentiation. However, its role and clinical significance in resectable esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still scanty. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of LC3 by immunohistochemistry in a group of patients with ESCC treated with surgical resection.

Lack of any prognostic value of body mass index for patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: The relationship between body mass index(BMI) and outcomes after chemoradiotherapy(CRT) has not been systematically addressed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of BMI on survival in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Materials And Methods: Sixty ESCC cases were retrospectively reviewed in this study.

Overexpression of nuclear β-catenin in rectal adenocarcinoma is associated with radioresistance.

Aim: To investigate the association between nuclear β-catenin overexpression in rectal adenocarcinoma and radioresistance.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted. The analysis involved 136 patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent short-course preoperative radiotherapy and radical resection.