Bone marrow PD-1 positive T cells reflect tumor mass and prognosis in multiple myeloma.

Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) negatively regulates T cell effector mechanisms and contributes to tumor cell escape from immune surveillance. To evaluate potential clinical significance of PD-1 in multiple myeloma (MM), we quantified PD-1 expressing T cells in bone marrow (BM) of MM patients using flow cytometry. Our results showed that PD-1 positive T cells in BM from relapsed/refractory patients were significantly higher than those in the newly diagnosed, partial/complete remission MM, and controls, respectively.

DEC2 suppresses tumor proliferation and metastasis by regulating ERK/NF-κB pathway in gastric cancer.

Differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed gene 2 (DEC2; BHLHE41/Sharp1) is a helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, and its deregulation has been observed in several tumors. However, this gene's effects on tumor progression are controversial, and its roles in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. In the present study, we found that DEC2 expression level is lower in GC tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues, and negatively correlated with tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and poor survival of GC patients.

Association between CTLA-4 rs231775 polymorphism and hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility.

Aims: Our study aimed to investigate the association of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) rs231775 polymorphism with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility.

Methods: Genotypes distribution of the control was tested by Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). CTLA-4 rs231775 polymorphism was analyzed in 80 patients with HCC and 78 healthy controls by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method, and the expression level of CTLA-4 in the serum of all subjects was detected using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.

Effects of allicin on the proliferation and cell cycle of chondrocytes.

The present study demonstrates the effect of allicin on the proliferation and the cell cycle distribution of the chondrocytes. MTT assay and flow cytometry were used for the evaluation of the effect of allicin on cell proliferative and the cell cycle distribution, respectively of the chondrocytes. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis were respectively used for the analysis of mRNA and protein expression levels of cyclin D1, CDK4 and CDK6.

Progranulin promotes colorectal cancer proliferation and angiogenesis through TNFR2/Akt and ERK signaling pathways.

Progranulin (PGRN) has been shown to be involved in the process of inflammation, wound healing, and cartilage development; and its role in the progression of breast and ovarian cancer is also well established. However, the expression status of PGRN in colorectal cancers (CRCs) and its molecular mechanisms responsible for tumorigenesis have not been addressed so far. Herein, we demonstrated that PGRN was highly expressed and had clinical relevance with CRCs since its overexpression was associated with advanced stages of CRCs, poorer patients' prognosis, and increased expression of proliferation and angiogenesis markers.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mesenchymal-epithelial transition response during differentiation of growth-plate chondrocytes in endochondral ossification.

For linear longitudinal bone elongation, the stem-like progenitor chondrocytes distributed in resting zone (RZ) of growth plate have a capacity to differentiate towards the spindle chondrocytes in proliferative zone (PZ), then towards the columnar and tightly adjacent chondrocytes in hypertrophic zone (HZ). We hypothesized this process of endochondral ossification with cells morphological change was occurred along with the inter-conversion between epithelial to mesenchymal cell types. Consistent with this hypothesis, our study demonstrated the chondrocytes highly expressed mesenchymal-like biomarkers and loss of epithelial surface markers in PZ, while converse in RZ and HZ of the growth plate in mice distal tibia in vivo.

Imaging manifestations of intravascular leiomyoma involving the right atrium: a case report and literature review.

The aim of this study is to investigate the imaging features of intravascular leiomyoma (IVL) involving the heart and the imaging techniques in the diagnosis of this disease. The imaging features of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), the clinical data and the pathological data of a case of IVL involving the right atrium were retrospectively analyzed and the literatures were reviewed. A 42-year-old woman was admitted to Jinan Central Hospital with a 7-day history of lower extremity weakness, chest tightness and short breath.

Expression of miRNA-1233 in placenta from patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy and its role in disease pathogenesis.

Objective: This study is to investigate the expression of miRNA-1233 in placental tissue from patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) and its role in disease pathogenesis.

Methods: The expression levels of miRNA-1233 and HoxB3 in placental tissue from HDCP patients and normal control subjects, as well as in the in vitro trophoblast cells, were detected with real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The proliferation and invasion abilities of trophoblast cells were assessed by the cell counting kit (CCK)-8 and transwell chamber assays, respectively.

Effects of preventative application of metformin on bile acid metabolism in high fat-fed/streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the effects of metformin on bile acid in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: In this study, we constructed a model of T2DM by a combination of high-fat diet (HFD) and low dose of streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal injection. Blood samples by tail vein and eye angular vein were withdrawn before (time 0) and 30, 60, and 120 minutes after administration of glucose before STZ injection and once a week after diabetes induction, and were analyzed to evaluate the level of the fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin using glucometer.

Embolization of cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistula via inferior petrosal sinus: anatomical basis and management practicability.

The aim of this study is to explore anatomical basis and reevaluate the practicability of embolization of cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas (CSdAVFs) via the inferior petrosal sinus (IPS) with detachable coils and Onyx-18. In this study, retrospective studies were performed on 15 consecutive patients with CSdAVFs via the IPS treated by Onyx-18 and detachable coils in Qilu hospital between March 2009 and January 2013. One patient was treated with Onyx-18 only and others were treated by Onyx-18 combined with coils.

Alternative splicing in the variable domain of CaMKIIβ affects the level of F-actin association in developing neurons.

The Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) β has an essential function in dendritic spines via binding to and reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton during plasticity events not shared by CaMKIIα isoform. CaMKIIβ and CaMKIIα isoforms have remarkable structural differences within the variable region. Three exons (E1, E3, and E4) are present in CaMKIIβ but not in CaMKIIα gene.