Knockdown of long non‑coding RNA CCAT2 suppresses the progression of thyroid cancer by inhibiting the Wnt/β‑catenin pathway.

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most common malignancies with a high mortality rate. Long non‑coding RNA CCAT2 (CCAT2) participates in the occurrence and development of certain human cancers; however, whether it is involved in TC remains unclear. Thus, the present study investigated the role of CCAT2 in TC and the underlying mechanism.

The value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as complementary diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis: A multicenter retrospective study.

Background: The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) have drawn attention in recent years as novel non-specific inflammatory markers; however, only a few studies have been conducted to investigate their value in RA.

Objective: To investigate the value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as complementary diagnostic tools in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Method: This study included 1009 patients with RA, 170 patients with other rheumatic diseases, and 245 healthy individuals from four medical centers.

Echocardiographic evaluation of the elasticity of the ascending aorta in patients with essential hypertension.

Background: Hypertension is the most common chronic disease and the most important risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Atheroma and arteriosclerosis plays a key role in the occurrence and development of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the elasticity of ascending aorta wall in patients with essential hypertension (EH) using M-mode echocardiography.

Efficacy of tailored second-line therapy of eradication in patients with clarithromycin-based treatment failure: a multicenter prospective study.

Background: After the failure of clarithromycin- and bismuth-based quadruple therapy (CBQT), levofloxacin- and bismuth-based quadruple therapy (LBQT) is recommended for eradication. We compared the efficacies of second-line tailored bismuth-based quadruple therapy (TBQT) and empirical LBQT.

Methods: Patients with CBQT failure were randomly assigned to receive TBQT or LBQT for 14 days.

Circ_0000745 Promotes the Progression of Cervical Cancer by Regulating miR-409-3p/ATF1 Axis.

Cervical cancer (CC) is a common gynecological malignancy with a high risk of recurrence and death. Circular RNAs play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of tumors. This study aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of circ_0000745 in CC.

[The Local Alternative Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Coating of Surgery Steel Instruments for Laser Deposition Forming].

Aiming at the medical practice problems of the surgical steel medical instruments, such as the crevice corrosion, the poor mechanical compatibility and the Ni, Cr plasma exudation, the laser deposition of Ti-6Al-4V alloy cladding layer at the local functional area as alternative coating was proposed and realized as a new process method. The accurate element content and good formability Ti-6Al-4V cladding powder was chosen, the low power and high duty cycle optimized laser process was adopt, the alternative coating of good fusion and low dilution was prepared. Through the elemental line scanning, the interface microstructure analysis and the experiments of basic mechanical properties, the basic properties of the cladding were characterized and verified.

Electrospun Icariin-Loaded Core-Shell Collagen, Polycaprolactone, Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffolds for the Repair of Rabbit Tibia Bone Defects.

Background: Electrospinning is a widely used technology that can produce scaffolds with high porosity and surface area for bone regeneration. However, the small pore sizes in electrospun scaffolds constrain cell growth and tissue-ingrowth. In this study, novel drug-loading core-shell scaffolds were fabricated via electrospinning and freeze drying to facilitate the repair of tibia bone defects in rabbit models.

Correlation between Skip N2 Metastases and SUV, Long Diameter of Tumor, and Ki67 Expression in Patients with Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: We aim at investigating the correlation between skip N2 metastases (SN2) and SUV, long diameter of tumor mass after F-FDG PET/CT, and pathological Ki67 expression in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods And Results: We retrospectively analyzed the factors that might affect the pathogenesis of SN2 in these patients. The clinical SN2 symptoms in patients with squamous carcinoma or adenocarcinoma were investigated.

Role of miR-155-5p expression and its involvement in apoptosis-related factors in thyroid follicular carcinoma.

What Is Known And Objective: Thyroid follicular carcinoma is a malignant tumor from thyroid follicular epithelium, which is prone to involve capsular and vascular invasion. The present study was conducted in order to detect the expression of microRNA-155-5p (miR-155-5p) in thyroid follicular carcinoma with an attempt to analyze its involvement in apoptosis-related factors.

Methods: Forty-five patients with thyroid follicular carcinoma made up the observation group and 45 patients with thyroid follicular adenoma were included into the control group.

The PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitor GSK458 potently impedes ovarian cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis.

Purpose: The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is one of the most highly activated cellular signaling pathways in advanced ovarian cancer. Although several PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors have been developed to treat various types of cancer, the antitumor efficacy of many of these compounds against ovarian cancer has remained unclear.

Methods: Here, we tested and compared a panel of 16 PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors (XL765, Miltefosine, Rapamycin, CCI-779, RAD001, FK506, XL147, GSK2110183, IPI-145, GSK2141795, BYL719, GSK458, CAL-101, XL765 analogue SAR245409, Triciribine, and GDC0941) that have entered clinical trials for antitumor activity against ovarian cancer, as well as the front line drug, paclitaxel.

Clinical efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients aged ≥80 years.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of radiofrequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients aged ≥80 years.

Methods: A total of 333 AF patients aged ≥60 years were enrolled, who underwent contact force-guided radiofrequency catheter ablation with uninterrupted anticoagulation. All patients were followed-up for at least 12 months.

Association between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene rs1801131 A/C polymorphism and urinary tumors' susceptibility.

Background: The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801131 A/C variant results in a decrease in MTHFR enzymatic activity, which may play an important role in folate metabolism and is also an important source of DNA methylation and DNA synthesis. Several case-control studies have been conducted to assess the association of MTHFR rs1801131 polymorphism with the risk of urinary cancers, yet with conflicting conclusions. To derive a more precise estimation of above relationship, the association between the MTHFR rs1801131 A/C polymorphism and the risk of urinary cancer was performed.

Nanomedicine-mediated prevention of inflammatory monocytes infiltration ameliorate ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mouse model.

Th2 immune cells infiltration into nasal mucosa is one of the characters of allergic rhinitis (AR). We aimed to explore whether inhibition of Th2 immune cells infiltration would attenuate AR progression. AR mouse model was established by i.

No association between three polymorphisms (rs1800629, rs361525 and rs1799724) in the tumor necrosis factor-α gene and susceptibility to prostate cancer: a comprehensive meta-analysis.

Background: Inflammation is one of the factors associated with prostate cancer. The cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role in inflammation. Several studies have focused on the association between TNF-α polymorphisms and prostate cancer development.

Collagen, polycaprolactone and attapulgite composite scaffolds for in vivo bone repair in rabbit models.

Although numerous materials have been explored as bone scaffolds, many of them are limited by their low osteoconductivity and high biodegradability. Therefore, new materials are desired to induce bone cell proliferation and facilitate bone formation. Attapulgite (ATP) is a hydrated silicate that exists in nature as a fibrillar clay mineral and is well known for its large specific surface area, high viscosity, and high absorption capacity, and therefore has the potential to be a new type of bone repair material due to its unique physicochemical properties.

Risk Factors of Ketosis in Obese Ketosis-Prone Diabetic Patients: A Case-Control Study.

Introduction: Different types of ketosis-prone obese diabetic patients are seen in the clinic. At present, the mechanism responsible for ketosis onset in these patients remains unclear, and we do not know how these patients should be optimally treated to prevent recurrent ketosis. Therefore, this study aims to investigate risk factors of ketosis in obese ketosis-prone diabetic (OB-KPD) patients.

Regulation of KCNMA1 transcription by Nrf2 in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells.

The large conductance Ca-activated K (BK) channels, composed of the pore-forming α subunits (BK-α, encoded by KCNMA1 gene) and the regulatory β1 subunits (BK-β1, encoded by KCNMB1 gene), play a unique role in the regulation of coronary vascular tone and myocardial perfusion by linking intracellular Ca homeostasis with excitation-contraction coupling in coronary arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs). The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) belongs to a member of basic leucine zipper transcription factor family that regulates the expression of antioxidant and detoxification enzymes by binding to the antioxidant response elements (AREs) of these target genes. We have previously reported that vascular BK-β1 protein expression was tightly regulated by Nrf2.

First-line targ veted therapies of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A Bayesian network analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: A variety of targeted drug were developed and proved effective and safe in clinical trials. Our study aims to compare the efficacies and safety of different targeted drugs in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for first-line treatment using a Bayesian network meta-analysis approach.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of advanced HCC patients that treated with different targeted drugs.

Development of the psychosomatic symptom scale (PSSS) and assessment of its reliability and validity in general hospital patients in China.

Objectives: To develop and verify the Psychosomatic Symptom Scale (PSSS) among psychosomatic patients and the cut-off value of PSSS in distinguishing psychosomatic patients from health controls.

Methods: The PSSS was drafted by an expert workgroup. 996 patients and 366 controls from 14 general hospitals in China were recruited to complete PSSS, Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90).

[Analysis of ASXL1 gene variant in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome].

Objective: To detect ASXL1 gene variants among patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and explore their correlation with variants of other genes and clinical features of patients.

Methods: For 149 patients with MDS, genomic DNA was amplified by PCR and subject to direct sequencing to identify variants of ASXL1, U2AF1, SF3B1, DNMT3A, TET2, IDH1/2, NPM1, FLT3-ITD and C-KIT genes.

Results: ASXL1 variants were found among 37 patients (24.