Correlation Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of an miRNA Binding Site in the 3'UTR of and Risk of Cervical Cancer Among the Han Chinese.

To analyze the association between a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the phosphatase and tensin homolog ( gene, that is within a microRNA (miRNA) binding site, and the risk of Chinese Han cervical cancer. A case-control study was carried out to analyze the genotype of the rs34140758 locus in 210 surgically treated, Han Chinese, cervical cancer patients and 210 healthy controls. The levels of the miRNAs hsa-miR-586 and hsa-miR-622 and the mRNA were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the cancerous and adjacent normal tissues from all cases.

Association between antibiotic use and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis: A protocol for a systematic review.

Background: The potential association between antibiotic use and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has drawn significant attention from clinicians and researchers in recent years due to the wild usage of antibiotic. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to determine if antibiotic use is associated with an increased risk of RA, so as to provide an important reference for clinical decision-making.

Methods: Case-control and nest case-control studies of assessing whether antibiotic use is associated with the onset of RA will be identified in searches of 4 databases from their inception to August 2019.

Magnitude of benefit of the addition of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors to therapy for malignant tumor: A meta-analysis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the efficacy of PARP inhibitor on solid tumors.

Methods: For this study, the following databases were searched for articles published from its inception until July 2019: PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library, of which the main conclusion was the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

Results: We conducted a meta-analysis and the results showed that PARP inhibitor increased the patients' PFS (HR: 0.

Smokers or non-smokers: who benefits more from immune checkpoint inhibitors in treatment of malignancies? An up-to-date meta-analysis.

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors, which are a milestone in anti-cancer therapy, have been applied in the treatment of multiple malignancies. Real-world data have suggested that smoking status may be associated with the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Hereby, to evaluate "smoking benefit or not", we included numerous high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) without any restriction on category.

The relationship between the number of examined lymph nodes and the efficacy of chemotherapy for gastric cancer.

Background: The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship between the number of examined lymph nodes (eLNs) and the prognosis.

Methods: A retrospective examination of reports and studies carried out at two institutions was conducted. According to TNM stages, the relationship between the number of eLNs and the prognosis was analyzed.

Independent association of vitamin D and insulin resistance in obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Vitamin D insufficiency and/or high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) seem to be associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, which is frequent in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The purpose of this study was to investigate vitamin D and PTH concentrations in OSA, and to explore potential links between vitamin D, PTH and insulin resistance (IR).

Methods: A total of 112 subjects with suspected OSA were recruited consecutively, and evaluated by polysomnography (PSG) to determine the number of apnea and hypopnea episodes per hour of sleep (apnea/hypopnea index: AHI).

Histological responses of peginterferon alpha add-on therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B with advanced liver fibrosis after long-term nucleos(t)ide analog treatment.

Although long-term antiviral treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) can lead to histological improvement in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), a substantial proportion of patients still fail to achieve regression of fibrosis. Here, we investigated whether peginterferon alpha (Peg-IFNα） add-on therapy had benefits on fibrosis regression in patients with sustained severe fibrosis even after long-term NA treatment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 50 patients with CHB receiving 48 weeks of Peg-IFNα add-on therapy.

Histological response to combination therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogs and peginterferon alpha in treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B patients.

Although nucleos(t)ide analog (NA) monotherapy is effective in hepatitis B virus suppression and fibrosis regression, serological response rates are not satisfactory. Studies assessing the benefits of combination therapy with NAs and peginterferon alpha (PegIFNα) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) have produced conflicting results and mainly focused on serological outcomes. Histological changes in response to combination therapy have not been evaluated in real-world practice.

Overexpression of periostin is positively associated with gastric cancer metastasis through promoting tumor metastasis and invasion.

Background: Gastric tumors generally have a poor prognosis and molecular markers to improve early detection and predict outcomes are greatly needed. The present study reports that periostin (POSTN), a secretory protein that can alter the remodeling of the extracellular matrix, is highly expressed in gastric tumors.

Materials And Methods: Gastric tissues were collected from patients at the Department of Thoracic Surgery/Huiqiao Medical Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University.

High Mean Platelet Volume Is Associated with Worse Outcomes in Patients with HBV-Related Decompensated Cirrhosis.

Background: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an inexpensive, routinely measured clinical parameter, and its elevation shows an increase in the size and activity of platelets. It has been shown that MPV can be used as a prognostic biomarker in certain chronic diseases. In the present study, MPV in patients with hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis (HBV-DeCi) was investigated to evaluate whether MPV may have utility as a new predictive marker for mortality in HBV-DeCi patients.

Natural history of serum HBV-RNA in chronic HBV infection.

Virus-like particles encapsulating HBV-RNA represent a serum biomarker for assessing viral replication activity in clinical practice. However, baseline levels of serum HBV-RNA and their associations with viral replicative intermediates and liver disease in phases of chronic hepatitis B remain unknown. In this cross-sectional study, 102 patients were categorized into immune-tolerant (IT), HBeAg-positive immune active (HBeAg+IA), inactive carrier (IC) and HBeAg-negative immune active (HBeAg-IA) phases.

Local thoracic therapy improve prognosis for stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients combined with chemotherapy: A Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database analysis.

Patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) comprise a heterogeneous group, and the optimal treatment for this group of patients is complex and debatable. We aimed to assess the effect of local thoracic therapy combined with chemotherapy on cancer specific survival (CSS). To evaluate the CSS of four subgroups of patients with stage IV NSCLC according to four different treatment modalities: combined modality of Chemotherapy, Surgery, and Radiation (Chem+Sur+RT), Chemotherapy and Radiation (Chem+RT), Chemotherapy and Surgery (Chem+Sur), and Chemotherapy only (Chem Only) by analyzing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-registered database.

Relationship between serum HBV-RNA levels and intrahepatic viral as well as histologic activity markers in entecavir-treated patients.

Background & Aims: In diagnostics, serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-RNA levels are valuable when the HBV-DNA load in circulation is effectively suppressed by nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) therapy. This study aimed to determine the intrahepatic viral replication activity reflected in serum HBV-RNA and whether HBV-RNA contributes to liver histological changes in patients treated with NUC.

Methods: A cross-sectional set of serum and liver biopsy samples was obtained from patients treated with entecavir, who had undetectable levels of serum HBV-DNA.

Higher level of circulating estradiol is associated with lower frequency of cognitive impairment in Southeast China.

Background: Estrogen has been proved to have positive effects on the brain cognitive function. However, many clinical studies investigating the associations between cognitive functions and circulating estrogen levels in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women demonstrated controversial results.

Method: Circulating estradiol and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were obtained from 199 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (mean age: 49.

Clinical features and surgical outcomes of primary canaliculitis with concretions.

The purpose of our study is to analyze the clinical, ultrasonic, microbiologic, and histopathologic characteristics, management, and outcomes in a series of primary canaliculitis with concretions patients who underwent canaliculotomy with curettage.Thirty-six patients were reviewed for age, sex, location and laterality, duration of symptoms, clinical symptoms, ultrasonic signs, result of microbiologic culture and histopathologic examination, treatment, and outcomes. Main outcomes were the clinical, ultrasonic, and microbiological characteristics of the canalicular concretions; the histopathologic profiles; and the treatment effect.

Bak Foong pills combined with metformin in the treatment of a polycystic ovarian syndrome rat model.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the treatment effects and associated mechanism of Bak Foong pills (BFPs) combined with metformin in the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). BFPs and/or metformin were administrated to treat the PCOS rats, and the weights and morphologies of the ovary, uterus and adrenal gland were measured. The levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum testosterone (T), luteinizing hormone, fasting insulin (FIN) and insulin-like growth factor-1 were also measured, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated.

Sequential combination therapy with pegylated interferon leads to loss of hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients receiving long-term entecavir treatment.

Nucleos(t)ide analogues rarely result in a durable off-treatment response in chronic hepatitis B infection, whereas pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) induces a long-lasting response only in a subset of patients. We assessed the effect of sequential combination therapy with Peg-IFN-α2a and entecavir in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients with prior long-term entecavir therapy and investigated the predictors of response to treatment. HBeAg-positive individuals who did not achieve HBeAg seroconversion during previous long-term entecavir therapy, receiving Peg-IFN-α2a added to ongoing entecavir therapy (sequential combination [S-C] therapy; n = 81) for 48 weeks or remaining on entecavir monotherapy (n = 116), were retrospectively included.