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Background: Nutritional status and inflammation are closely associated with poor outcome in malignant tumors. However, the prognostic impact of postoperative in these variables on breast cancer (BC) remains inconclusive. We aimed to determine whether prognostic nutritional index (PNI), systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII), neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet–lymphocyte ratio (PLR) affect two long-term outcomes among patients after curative resection of BC. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 508 patients with BC treated with curative surgery between February 5, 2013 and May 26, 2020. All patients were divided into 3 groups based on tertiles (T1-T3) of PNI, SII, NLR, and PLR. The effects of four indexes on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) have been evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Compared with PNI-lowest cases, patients with highest PNI showed significantly longer DFS (multivariate adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37, 95% confident interval [CI] 0.19–0.70, P for trend = 0.002), whereas higher PLR seemed to be marginally associated with poorer DFS (P for trend = 0.086 and 0.074, respectively). Subgroup analyses indicate the potential modification effects of family history of BC and radiotherapy on the prognosis value of PNI to DFS in BC patients (P for interaction = 0.004 and 0.025, respectively). In addition, the levels of three inflammatory indices, namely SII, NLR, and PLR might be positively related with increased age at diagnosis (all P for trend < 0.001). Conclusions: A high PNI was associated with better DFS, supporting its roles as prognostic parameters for patients with BC. The nutritional status and systemic immune may exert great effects on patient prognosis. Further studies are warrant to explore the prognosis value of PLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutritional status and inflammation are closely associated with poor outcome in malignant tumors. However, the prognostic impact of postoperative in these variables on breast cancer (BC) remains inconclusive. We aimed to determine whether prognostic nutritional index (PNI), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) affect two long-term outcomes among patients after curative resection of BC.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 508 patients with BC treated with curative surgery between February 5, 2013 and May 26, 2020. All patients were divided into 3 groups based on tertiles (T1-T3) of PNI, SII, NLR, and PLR. The effects of four indexes on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) have been evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier method.Results: Compared with PNI-lowest cases, patients with highest PNI showed significantly longer DFS (multivariate adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37, 95% confident interval [CI] 0.19-0.70, P for trend = 0.002), whereas higher PLR seemed to be marginally associated with poorer DFS (P for trend = 0.086 and 0.074, respectively). Subgroup analyses indicate the potential modification effects of family history of BC and radiotherapy on the prognosis value of PNI to DFS in BC patients (P for interaction = 0.004 and 0.025, respectively). In addition, the levels of three inflammatory indices, namely SII, NLR, and PLR might be positively related with increased age at diagnosis (all P for trend < 0.001).Conclusions: A high PNI was associated with better DFS, supporting its roles as prognostic parameters for patients with BC. The nutritional status and systemic immune may exert great effects on patient prognosis. Further studies are warrant to explore the prognosis value of PLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although forkhead box protein M1 (FOXM1) is markedly upregulated in human premalignant and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) tissues and cultured cells, the association of FOXM1 expression with OSCC prognosis is not well understood. The present study investigated the possible association of FOXM1 expression in patients with OSCC with their clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes. The expression of FOXM1 protein in OSCC tissues from 119 patients was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the results demonstrated that FOXM1 overexpression in patients with OSCC was associated with tumour recurrence and poor prognosis. To study the in vitro effects of FOXM1, its expression was decreased by small interfering RNA (siRNA) in OSCC cell lines, and FOXM1 knockdown decreased the proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities of cells. FOXM1 inhibition by siRNA gave rise to reduced expression of vimentin and increased expression of E-cadherin. The present study reported FOXM1 as a novel predictor of tumour recurrence in patients with OSCC and its potential involvement in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in OSCC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) has been proven to be associated with drug and food craving. NAcc ablative neurosurgery has been suggested to modulate the balance of the brain reward system and thus alleviate drug dependence in patients. It has been hypothesized that it would also alleviate food craving in patients as well as altering their nutritional status. Aims: This study aimed to estimate the effect of NAcc neurosurgery on drug craving and nutritional status in patients with drug dependence at 5 years postoperatively. Methods: The study included 100 patients with NAcc surgery and 92 patients without surgery. Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BF%) were examined to assess nutritional status, and questionnaires were administered to assess drug craving. Results: Compared with the nonsurgery group and the relapse patients from the surgery group, the nonrelapse patients from the surgery group had higher BMI and BF% but lower drug craving. There were no significant differences between the nonsurgery group and the relapse patients in BMI, but the relapse patients had higher drug craving than the nonsurgery group. Conclusions: Long-term follow-up suggested that NAcc ablative neurosurgery would alleviate drug craving and yield a better nutritional status if individuals sustained abstinence. It would increase drug craving but would not ruin the nutritional status of patients even when individuals relapsed postoperatively. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant primary brain tumor and more resistant to radiotherapy. However, hetero-radiosensitivity occurs in different patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the initiation and progression of a multitude of tumors. The study aims to examine the different microRNAs expression profiles of postoperative radiotherapy sensitive and resistant patients with GBM, to make an inquiry about their potential role and discover a certain set of radio-sensitivity markers. Three paired samples from six GBM patients who had only been treated with postoperative radiotherapy were selected, and then, they were divided into radiotherapy sensitive group and resistant group according to their overall survivals, local recurrence rates, and Karnofsky Performance Scale scores. Expression profiles of miRNAs in these two groups were determined by the method of microarray assay. Comparing with resistant patients, 13 miRNAs were significantly upregulated and 10 miRNAs were greatly downregulated in sensitive group. Among them, four miRNAs were validated by quantitative RT-PCR. The differentially expressed miRNAs and their putative target genes were revealed by bioformatic analysis to play a role in cell signaling, proliferation, aging, and death. High-enrichment pathway analysis identified that some classical pathways participated in numerous metabolic processes, especially in cell cycle regulation, such as mTOR, MAPK, TGF-beta, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Our research will contribute to identifying clinical diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of GBM by postoperative radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is a cell membrane transporter of lactate. Recent studies have shown that MCT4 is over-expressed in various cancers; however, its role in cancer maintenance and aggressiveness has not been fully demonstrated. This study investigated the role of MCT4 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and found that it is highly expressed in OSCC patients by using immunohistochemistry. Moreover, this over-expression of MCT4 was closely associated with tumor size, TNM classification, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis and tumor recurrence, and also poor prognosis. To further study mechanisms of MCT4 in vitro, we used small-interfering RNA to silence its expression in OSCC cell lines. The results showed that knock-down of MCT4 decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The inhibition of proliferation was associated with down-regulation of p-AKT and p-ERK1/2, while decreased cell migration and invasion may be caused by down-regulation of integrin β4-SRC-FAK and MEK-ERK signaling. Together, these findings provide new insight into the critical role of MCT4 in cell proliferation and metastasis in OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol is widely used to evoke depression-like behaviors in the laboratory. Some animals exposed to CMS are resistant to the development of anhedonia, whereas the remaining are responsive, CMS-resilient and CMS-sensitive, respectively. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronic stress on oxidative parameters in the rat brain. The consumption of sweet food, protein and lipid oxidation levels and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the rat hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum were assessed. We found a significant increase in protein peroxidation (hippocampus and cortex), a significant increase in catalase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive group compared to the CMS-resilient group and normal controls as well as an increase in lipid peroxidation (cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive and CMS-resilient groups compared to normal controls. However, there was no significant difference in protein peroxidation (cerebellum) and lipid peroxidation (cortex and hippocampus) among the three groups. In conclusion, our results indicate that the segregation into CMS-sensitive and -resilient groups based on sucrose intake is paralleled by significant differences in oxidative parameters. CMS induces oxidative damage and alterations in the activity of antioxidants which may lead to increased oxidative damage, irrespective of the anhedonia-like status of the stressed animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]