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Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in dermatology, and its incidence is increasing year by year. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in the processes of various malignant tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of long non-coding RNA PICSAR and investigate whether serum PICSAR could serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of cSCC. The expression level of PICSAR was measured using quantitative Real-Time PCR. The diagnostic value of PICSAR was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Survival curves were established using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the log-rank test was used to compare differences between the two curves. Prognostic value of PICSAR was confirmed by Cox regression analysis. The expression of PICSAR was upregulated in serum of cSCC patients and tumor tissues of patients. Additionally, serum PICSAR expression had relatively high diagnostic accuracy for the screening of cSCC. Moreover, PICSAR expression was correlated with tumor size, grade of differentiation and TNM stages, and significantly increased in cSCC patients with poor tumor differentiation and cSCC patients with III–IV TNM stage. Furthermore, patients with high PICSAR expression had lower overall survival than the patients with low PICSAR expression, and PICSAR expression was an independent prognostic factors for cSCC patients. The results of this study indicated that PICSAR was upregulated in cSCC patients and tumor tissues and might serve as a non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of cSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the clinical significance of miR-372 and miR-495 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Eighty-one AML patients (research group) admitted to the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from March 2012 to January 2014 were selected, and 60 healthy persons (control group) were selected. The expression levels of miR-372 and miR-495 in the peripheral blood of the subjects were detected by reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR, and their diagnostic and prognostic values in AML were analyzed. The miR-372 expression level in the peripheral blood of patients in the research group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the miR-495 level was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of miR-372 combined with miR-495 in the diagnosis of AML were 0.925, 86.43, and 93.33% respectively. The 5-year survival rate of patients with high expression of miR-372 was lower than that of those with low expression of miR-372 (P<0.05), and the 5-year survival rate of patients with high expression of miR-495 was higher than that of those with low expression of miR-495 (P<0.05). miR-372 and miR-495 were independent risk factors for the prognosis and survival of AML patients. miR-372 expression increased in AML, while miR-495 decreased. miR-372 and miR-495 are effective indicators for the early diagnosis and prognosis of AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a painful and fatal disease that undoubtedly remains a health care priority and offers significant therapeutic challenges. The significance of epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation in tumor development, has gained the attention of researchers. Identifying DNA methylation-driven genes and investigating the mechanisms underlying the tumorigenesis of PAAD are of substantial importance for developing methods of physiological evaluation, treatment planning and prognostic prediction for PAAD. In the present study, a comprehensive analysis of DNA methylation and gene expression data from 188 clinical samples was performed to identify DNA methylation-driven genes in PAAD. In addition, the diagnostic and prognostic value of DNA methylation-driven genes was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve, survival and recurrence analyses. A total of 7 DNA methylation-driven genes, namely zinc finger protein 208 (ZNF208), eomesodermin (EOMES), prostaglandin D2 receptor (PTGDR), chromosome 12 open reading frame 42 (C12orf42), integrin subunit α 4 (ITGA4), dedicator of cytokinesis 8 and protein phosphatase 1 regulatory inhibitor subunit 14D (PPP1R14D), were identified. All of them may be used to diagnose PAAD with excellent specificity and sensitivity (area under curve, >0.8). Of the 7 DNA methylation-driven genes, 6 were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) P<0.05). Among them, ZNF208, EOMES, PTGDR, C12orf42 and ITGA4 were significantly negatively associated with the OS rate and positively associated with the recurrence rate, while PPP1R14D was significantly positively associated with the OS rate and negatively associated with the recurrence rate. The present study provides novel insight into the epigenetic alterations associated with the occurrence and progression of PAAD, thereby increasing the mechanistic understanding of this disease, offering potential novel molecular biomarkers and contributing to the development of therapeutic targets for PAAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circulating extracelluar vesicles (EVs) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients emanate from multiple cells. These EVs are emerging as a new type of biomarker as they can be obtained by non-invasive approaches. The aim of this study was to investigate circulating EVs from EOC patients and healthy women to evaluate their biological function and potential as diagnostic biomarkers.Methods: A quantitative proteomic analysis (iTRAQ) was applied and performed on 10 EOC patients with advanced stage (stage III-IV) and 10 controls. Twenty EOC patients and 20 controls were applied for validation. The candidate proteins were further validated in another 40-paired cohort to investigate their biomarker potential. Coagulation cascades activation was accessed by determining Factor X activity.Results: Compared with controls, 200 proteins were upregulated and 208 proteins were downregulated in the EOC group. The most significantly involved pathway is complement and coagulation cascades. ApoE multiplexed with EpCAM, plg, serpinC1 and C1q provide optimal diagnostic information for EOC with AUC = 0.913 (95% confidence interval (CI) =0.848-0.957, p < 0.0001). Level of activated Factor X was significantly higher in EOC group than control (5.35 ± 0.14 vs. 3.69 ± 0.29, p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Our study supports the concept of circulating EVs as a tool for non-invasive diagnosis of ovarian cancer. EVs also play pivotal roles in coagulation process, implying the inherent mechanism of generation of thrombus which often occurred in ovarian cancer patients at late stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) includes two different morphological subtypes. The differences of genetics and ultrastructure of the two subtypes have been rarely reported. Also, new biomarkers related to the diagnosis and prognosis of PRCC have still not been well elucidated. Immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and transmission electron microscopy were used systematically to determine the characteristics of 56 cases of PRCC and to reveal new diagnostic and prognostic information. Type 1 PRCC presented higher expression rates of EMA and CK7, whereas type 2 presented a higher expression rate of CD10. New immunohistochemical markers, including: p504s, PAX-2, PAX-8 and CA-IX showed extensive immunostaining in PRCC. We first revealed a distinct immunostaining pattern of CA-IX, which was located in multiple foci in PRCC. All tumors had at least one chromosomal aberration including loss of Y, gains of 7 or 17. Gain of chromosome 17 was common in type 1; losses of chromosome 18, 11 and 8 appeared in type 2. Ultrastructurally, glycogen granules and secondary lysosomes were seen in type 1, mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum were scattered in type 2. Tumor subtype, nuclear grade, TNM stage, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) component and sarcomatoid elements, metastasis, CAIX expression, losses of chromosome 18 and 8 were related to poor outcome of PRCC. We conclude that the two subtypes of PRCC originate from different renal cells, and arise from partially common genetic pathways. EMA, CK7, CD10, p504s, PAX-2, PAX-8 and CA-IX are helpful markers in the differential diagnosis of PRCC. CA-IX expression, losses of chromosome 18 and 8 are new prognostic factors of PRCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a case study of a 49-year-old man diagnosed with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M protein and skin changes (POEMS) syndromecaused by renal failure. The clinical examination of the patient shows his POEMS syndrome's poor prognosis. The safety and effectiveness of combined dexamethasone and bortezomib for the patients is also pointed out.

Background: Several serum lipid components have been implicated in the development of cancer. However, the prognostic significance of serum lipid components in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is unknown. Here, we investigated the predictive value of serum lipid profile at diagnosis and in the overall survival of the patients.Methods: The study population consists of 136 pathologically confirmed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cases diagnosed between years 2009 and 2014 at a tertiary medical center. Levels of preoperative serum lipid component's total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein (a) were compared between patients and normal controls matched for age and gender. Serum lipid profiles and their association with clinical parameters were analyzed. The effects of the serum lipid components on survival were examined using the proportional hazards regression model to estimate hazard ratio.Results: Significant lower levels of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A, and apolipoprotein B were found in patients with oral cancer (P < 0.0001). However, a significantly higher level of lipoprotein (a) was found in the cancer group (P < 0.0001). Patients with higher lipoprotein (a) had significantly shorter overall survival than those with lower lipoprotein (a) (P = 0.0042). Multivariate analysis showed that both higher lipoprotein (a) and lymph node metastasis are independent prognostic factors in the patient population (P < 0.01).Conclusion: A higher lipoprotein (a) was associated with poorer prognosis and might be a novel marker in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Early recognition and intervention of patients with the anti‐N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis are important to achieve a better prognosis. The study aims to summarize the real‐world perspectives of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis patients in China via electronic medical records (EMRs). Methods: Using EMRs of patients from 2013 to 2019 from West China Hospital in China, a retrospective research was conducted to demonstrate the temporary rank of clinical characteristics and disease prognosis of anti‐NMDAR encephalitis. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were used to divide the anti‐NMDAR‐encephalitis into two groups (poor prognosis vs. good prognosis). Chi‐square test and logistic regression were used to analyze factors associated with prognosis. Results: Here, 78 patients were included. The most common clinical characteristics are cognitive dysfunction (86.0%) and thought disorder (86.0%). Cognitive dysfunction, thought disorder, and seizures tended to appear soon after prodrome symptoms. Logistics analysis results showed that cognitive dysfunction (OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 1.09–18.47), the score of (GCS ≤ 8) (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 1.18–17.32), positive antibodies in serum (OR = 4.89, 95% CI = 1.19–20.13) and delay immunotherapy (OR = 4.76, 95% CI = 1.79–12.60) were risk factors of poor clinical outcomes. Conclusions: There are two peaks in the development of autoimmune encephalitis (AE). The first peak is cognitive dysfunction, and the second peak is autonomic dysfunction. Cognitive dysfunction and GCS score ≤8 at admission, antibodies positive in serum, and delay immunotherapy were risk factors for a poor prognosis at discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer for women worldwide. Recently, a spectrum of cell-free circulating microRNAs (miR) has been recognized as promising biomarkers for BC diagnosis and prognosis, among which miR-103a-3p has been reported in several types of human cancer. However, the role of miR-103a-3p in BC remains unknown. A total of 112 patients with BC and 59 healthy controls were recruited into the present study. The expression level of serum miR-103a-3p was evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to calculate diagnostic accuracy. Survival curves were generated to analyze survival outcomes. It was found that circulating miR-103a-3p level was upregulated in patients with BC compared with that in healthy controls, and its expression was decreased following surgery. In addition, miR-103a-3p expression level was also associated with advanced clinicopathological features, including positive epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, metastasis and an advanced TNM stage. The circulating serum miR-103a-3p level could be used to discriminate between patients with BC and the healthy controls prior to surgery using an area under curve [(AUC), 0.697; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.615-0.778], and distinguish patients with BC and metastasis from those without metastasis (AUC, 0.936; 95% CI, 0.892-0.980). In addition, high expression level of miR-103a-3p was associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with BC. In conclusion, the present study suggests that miR-103a-3p could be a potential non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common types of malignancy and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates around the world. With poor clinical outcomes, potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis are important to investigate.Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the gene expression module of GC and to identify potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.Method: Microarray data (GSE13911, GSE29272, GSE54129, and GSE79973), including 293 stomach tumor tissues and 196 normal tissues, were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs were identified in four profiles by intersecting four overlapping subsets, including 90 downregulated and 45 upregulated DEGs in common. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses have been showed that extracellular matrix was the most enriched signal pathway. Furthermore, hub genes were analyzed by protein–protein interaction network and clinical outcomes were assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. Two independent datasets were used to validate the differential expression of two hub genes: Serpin Family E Member 1 (SERPINE1) and Secreted Protein Acidic and Cysteine Rich (SPARC).Results: Validation of independent datasets indicated that SERPINE1 and SPARC expression were drastically increased in gastric tumor tissues and associated with poor outcomes in GC patients. The expression of SERPINE1 was related to race (Asian and White) (P < 0.05).Conclusion: SERPINE1 and SPARC were significantly upregulated in gastric tissues and associated with poor outcomes. The investigations of SERPINE1 and SPARC may promote their predictive and prognostic value in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) is widely considered to be a distinct clinical entity, and now divided into two subgroups: stable UCTD and early UCTD. The most frequent onset symptoms of UCTD include arthralgias, arthritis, Raynaud's phenomenon, mucocutaneous involvement, and sicca symptoms. However, Neurologic involvement is rare, and intracranial lesion as onset symptom in a patient with early UCTD has not yet been reported.Case Presentation: A 51-year-old Chinese female experienced progressive left leg weakness for 14 days before hospitalizing in our department. The lesion on right parietal lobe was initially detected by brain magnetic resonance imaging. Although the patient declined a cerebral biopsy, the possibility of stroke, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, NMOSD, MS, autoimmune encephalitis, intracranial infections, and malignant tumors as cause of the lesion was excluded by intracranial angiogram, CSF study, MRI enhancement and MRS examination. Moreover, immunologic studies showed high titer of antinuclear antibody, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. These results led to a diagnosis of early UCTD with central nerve system (CNS) involvement. After low dose corticosteroid and azathioprine therapy, the patient's symptoms, abnormalities in immunologic tests and cerebral radiologic examinations were all greatly improved within a short duration.Conclusions: This is the first report of intracranial lesion as onset symptom in a patient with early UCTD. Our case suggested that central nerve system (CNS) involvement could be the onset symptom in early UCTD, and should be recognized quickly with exclusion of other causative factors in the differential diagnosis. Prompt and adequate treatment with low-dose steroid and immunosuppressive drugs could improve the prognosis of both early UCTD and CNS involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sort of PRCC with distinct eosinophilic cytoplasm named Oncocytic Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma (OPRCC) has been increasingly attracting the attention of researchers recently. However, owing to the rarity of OPRCC, the clinicopathological and genetic features of the tumor have still not been well elucidated and whether it should be regarded as an independent subtype of PRCC remains controversial. Herein, a cohort of 14 OPRCCs was studied with the aim of revealing the distinct clinicopathological features, facilitating the classification and correct diagnosis of OPRCC. Men and women each accounted for a half of the cohort with the median age of 64 years old. The majority of patients (9/14) were identified by medical examination and the remaining presented with macroscopic haematuria or lumbar pain. Grossly, tumors were well demarcated and varied from 1.5 to 9 cm in diameter. Microscopically, typical OPRCC possessed fine papillary structures with delicate fibrovascular cores, lined with a single layer cell with large, deeply eosinophilic granular cytoplasm and round or polygonal-shaped nucleus exhibiting low nuclear grade in 10 cases (WHO/ISUP grade I-II). Most cases (12/14) possessed hemosiderin-laden and foam-like cells. Focal necrosis presented in 5 cases. Furthermore, solid oncocytoma-like areas appeared in 5 cases and focal sarcomatoid differentiation was identified in 1 case. Immunohistochemically, the majority of tumors presented high expression rates of alpha-methylacylCoA racemase (AMACR), CD10 and vimentin, which were similar to type 2 PRCC. The immune markers including cytokeratin-7 (CK7), KSP-cadherin and EMA exhibited variable positive immunostaining. Genetically, FISH analysis demonstrated trisomy of chromosome 7 in 7 OPRCCs and trisomy of chromosome 17 in 6 OPRCCs. Among 7 male cases, loss of chromosome Y was revealed in 2 cases. Follow-up data was available in 13 patients and only 1 patient died of bone metastasis of the tumor. The other 12 patients were all alive uneventfully at a mean follow-up time of 37 months, indicating that OPRCC is a unique subtype of PRCC with indolent clinical behavior. In conclusion, OPRCCs show a single layer tumor cell of low nuclear grade similar to type 1 PRCC, and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm resembling type 2 PRCC. Furthermore, the tumor presents the same immunophynotype as type 2 PRCC but the same genetic features and prognosis as type 1 PRCC. OPRCC should be classified as an independent subtype of PRCC with different features from both type 1 and type 2 PRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of flaps in vulvar cancer-related reconstruction has been increasing, but few studies have evaluated the outcome and quality of life of patients after this surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of vulvar reconstruction using musculocutaneous/skin flaps in patients with advanced and recurrent vulvar malignancies.Methods: Patients with vulvar malignancies who underwent vulvar reconstruction using different types of flaps were retrospectively reviewed. Patient outcomes were evaluated with a focus on quality of life and prognosis.Results: Thirty-six patients were enrolled, 58.33% of them used anterolateral thigh flap (ALT), 16.67% of them used pudendal thigh flap (PTF), 11.11% of them used deep omferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) and gracilis myocutaneous flap were used in 2.78% of the patients, the other 11.11% patients used two types of flaps. Eleven patients (30.56%) developed complications, including 5 patients (13.89%) with partial necrosis, 5 (13.89%) with minimal wound dehiscence and 1 (2.78%) with flap cellulitis. All patients who developed partial necrosis (13.89%) underwent reoperation. The mean verbal rating scale score was 1.44 before reconstruction and 0.17 after surgery (P < 0.0001). The mean performance status was 1.67 before surgery and improved to 0.31 after surgery (P < 0.0001). The median overall follow-up time after vulvar reconstruction was 9 months. Twenty-one patients (58.3%) developed recurrence at a median interval of 5 months after vulvar reconstruction. After a median follow-up time of 14 months, 41.7 % of the patients were living and disease-free. The 5-year survival of the 36 patients was 53.8%.Conclusion: Soft tissue reconstruction in patients undergoing resection of advanced/recurrent vulvar malignances is associated with a low rate of postoperative complications, decreased pain, and improved functional status. Although the recurrence rate in this patient population is high, a reasonable proportion of patients who undergo resection for advanced/recurrent vulvar cancer and reconstructive surgery appear to benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]