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The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy and safety of fosfomycin combinational therapy with other antibiotics for the treatment of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). This retrospective cohort study examined 104 cases of sepsis caused by CRKP occurring between January 2012 and November 2014 in Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital. Three categories of patient outcome were assessed: Survival/mortality, duration of intensive care unit stays and duration of medical ventilation. Univariate ordinal analyses were adopted to evaluate the correlations between outcome and treatment. A total of 104 patients with physician-diagnosed CRKP were involved in the study. The overall mortality rate was 25.0%. The majority of the infections (84; 80.8%) were hospital acquired. Critical infections received more than one active antibiotic as therapy. Patients treated with fosfomycin combinational therapy were less likely to fail therapy (OR: 4.71, 95% CI: 1.03-21.65, P=0.034) and tended to have a shorter duration of mechanical ventilation. Gender (OR: 4.35, 95% CI: 1.08-3.60, P=0.037), history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR: 9.35, 95% CI: 0.06-0.19, P=0.007) and peripheral catheter use (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 0.07-0.19, P=0.002) are risk factors for clinical outcome. Therefore, the use of fosfomycin combinational therapy for treatment of infection due to CRKP appears to be associated with improved survival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuregulin receptor degradation protein-1 (Nrdp1) is involved in a plethora of cellular processes and plays an essential role in the development and progression of human cancers. However, its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the biological significance of Nrdp1 in RCC. Western blot analyses of tissue samples from 24 patients with primary RCC revealed lower Nrdp1 and higher baculovirus inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (BRUCE) protein levels in RCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. In addition, MTT and apoptosis assays demonstrated that Nrdp1 overexpression resulted in decreased cell viability and enhanced apoptosis in RCC 786-O cells; conversely, Nrdp1 knockdown increased 786-O cell viability and inhibited apoptosis. Further analysis showed that BRUCE downregulation partially attenuated the effects of Nrdp1 knockdown on RCC cell viability and apoptosis. Moreover, an inverse association was obtained between BRUCE and Nrdp1 protein levels. These findings suggest that Nrdp1-mediated degradation of BRUCE decreases cell viability and induces apoptosis in RCC cells, highlighting Nrdp1 as a potential target for RCC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anticancer properties of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) are documented in the treatment of several types of cancer; however, there is no relevant evidence for its efficacy in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In the present study, the therapeutic effects of EGCG in vitro were investigated, with particular attention to the metastatic behavior of human RCC cells. MTT assays and flow cytometry were performed to detect the effects of EGCG on the proliferation and apoptosis of RCC cells. The migration and invasion abilities of RCC cells following treatment with EGCG were assessed by wound-healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Gelatin zymography and western blot analysis were performed to analyze the effect of EGCG on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 expression levels. The results suggested that EGCG was able to inhibit the proliferation of RCC cells, induce apoptosis and effectively suppressed the migration and invasion of RCC cells. In addition, EGCG treatment resulted in the downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in RCC cells. We hypothesize that the anticancer effect associated with EGCG may involve the downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9. The present results suggest the potential of EGCG as a novel therapeutic agent against RCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]