Surgical treatment of patients with aortic valve disease complicated with moderate functional mitral regurgitation and heart failure with midrange ejection fraction: a cohort study.

Background: Controversies exist on the treatment of moderate functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) in patients with severe aortic valve disease undergoing the aortic valve replacement (AVR). While a substantial proportion of these patients can be complicated with heart failure with midrange ejection fraction (HFmrEF), established studies show that the latter might compromise the patient outcome. This study was aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of concomitant mitral valve surgery during AVR in patients with severe aortic valve disease followed by moderate FMR and HFmrEF.

AZD3463, an IGF-1R inhibitor, suppresses breast cancer metastasis to bone via modulation of the PI3K-Akt pathway.

Background: The bone-derived insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-1) and its receptor IGF-1R play a crucial role in promoting the survival and proliferation of cancer cells, and have thus been considered as prime targets for the development of novel antitumor therapeutics.

Methods: By using the MDA-MB-231BO cell line, which is the osteotropic metastatic variant of the human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MDA-MB-231, and an model of breast cancer metastasis to bone, the current study evaluated the effect of AZD3463, an IGF-1R inhibitor, used alone or in combination with zoledronic acid (ZA), on the regulation of IGF-1R associated signal pathway and treatment of bone metastases (BM). Cell proliferation and invasion were measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and Transwell assay respectively.

MORC4 is a novel breast cancer oncogene regulated by miR-193b-3p.

A better understanding of breast cancer pathogenesis would contribute to improved diagnosis and therapy and potentially decreased mortality rates. Here, we found that the MORC family CW-type zinc finger 4 (MORC4) overexpression in breast cancer tissues is associated with poor survival, and the short-interfering RNA knockdown of MORC4 suppresses the growth of breast cancer cells by promoting apoptosis. To investigate the mechanisms associated with MORC4 upregulation, microRNAs potentially targeting MORC4 were analyzed, with miR-193b-3p identified as the regulator and a negative correlation between miR-193b-3p and MORC4 expression determined in both breast cancer cell lines and tissues.

Role of beta1-adrenoceptor in increased lipolysis in cancer cachexia.

Increased production of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) protein has been demonstrated to be the major cause behind enhanced lipolysis in cancer cachexia. The mechanism governing this alteration is unknown and was presently investigated. This study was conducted to detect the expression of relevant receptors in the adipocytes of cancer cachexia patients, and to elucidate their implication in the increased lipolysis.

Diagnostic methods for initial evaluation of primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Objective: To describe the imaging features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) at initial presentation with clinical, surgical, and pathologic correlation, and to evaluate values of various techniques in GISTs.

Methods: This retrospective study recruited 70 patients with histologically proved GISTs between December 2004, and May 2009 in the Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan Univeristy, Shanghai, China. Each patient underwent CT scanning, 39 patients underwent simultaneous endoscopy, 12 patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), and 36 patients underwent transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS) simultaneously.

Resting energy expenditure and body composition in patients with newly detected cancer.

Background & Aims: Elevated resting energy expenditure (REE) may be a major determinant in the development of cancer cachexia. The aim of the study was to evaluate REE and body composition in cancer patients and find out the relationship between energy expenditure and substrate utilization.

Methods: Measured resting energy expenditure (mREE), carbohydrate oxidation (C-O), and fat oxidation (F-O) were measured by indirect calorimetry in 714 cancer patients and 642 controls.