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Immunotherapeutic strategies are recognized as promising treatment methods for colorectal cancer (CRC). αβT cell-mediated cytotoxicity is tolerated by cancer cells with low MHC class I expression; therefore, γδT cell-based cancer immunotherapy has generated increasing interest as a potential treatment option. To enhance the potency of γδT cell-based immunotherapy, the key factors involved in the regulation of γδT cells in CRC need to be identified along with devising ways to overcome potential hurdles. In this study, we observed that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), the serum level of which was highly increased in those with solid tumors, could specifically attenuate the cytotoxic function of peripheral γδT cells in patients with CRC. We observed that in patients with CRC, the expression levels of perforin and granzyme were significantly decreased in the recombinant human LIF (rhLIF)-treated peripheral γδT cells, whereas that of the LIF receptor (LIFR) was higher. The regulation of the cytotoxic function of the γδT cells by rhLIF was effected mainly through the STAT3 signaling pathway, which caused an increase in the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-17, COX-2, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Our results revealed that rhLIF could impair the function of γδT cells in CRC patients by reducing the cytotoxic function and increasing the expression of tumor-promoting molecules, such as IL-17, COX-2, and PGE2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the clinical features and outcomes of children with anti-N-methyl-D–aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis in Northwestern China. We retrospectively recruited 33 pediatric patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis in Northwestern China from December 2013 to April 2020. The demographics, clinical features, treatments, and outcomes were reviewed. 33 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis were enrolled in this study (a median age of 6.8 years, 20 females and 13 males). The initial symptoms included seizures (42.4%), psychiatric symptoms (39.4%), speech dysfunction (12.1%), and paralysis (6.1%). During the course of the disease, 31 patients (93.9%) presented with psychiatric symptoms, 29 patients (87.9%) presented with speech dysfunction, 25 patients (75.8%) presented with movement disorders and 24 patients (72.7%) presented with sleep disorders followed by seizures, consciousness disturbance, autonomic nervous dysfunction, paralysis, and hypoventilation. 12 patients (36.4%) had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, 10 patients (30.3%) exhibited abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results, and 29 patients (87.9%) showed abnormal Electroencephalography (EEG) findings. None of the patients had tumors. All patients received first-line immunotherapy and 8 patients both received first and second-line immunotherapy. 30 of the 33 patients achieved good outcomes (score on the modified Rankin Scale [mRS] of 0–2), whilst the other 3 patients had poor outcomes (mRS score of 3–6). Patients with higher CSF anti-NMDAR body titer were more likely to develop sleep disorders, consciousness disturbances and more severe disease states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effects of miR-193b on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and tumourigenicity of renal cell carcinoma, and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: The expression of miR-193b and IGF1R was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. The migration and invasion abilities were measured by transwell assay. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of IGF1R. Murine xenograft model was established using Caki-1cells transfected with miR193b. Results: The expression of miR-193b was significantly down-regulated in renal cell carcinoma tissues and cells while the expression of IGF1R was obvious increased in tissues. Overexpression miR-193b or knockdown of IGF1R significantly inhibited the abilities of cells proliferation, migration and invasion in renal cell carcinoma. MiR-193b directly targeted IGF1R and inhibited its expression in vitro and vivo. Up-regulation miR-193b inhibits cells proliferation, migration and invasion of renal cell carcinoma by targeting IGF1R. In addition, overexpression miR-193b significantly inhibited tumour growth in nude mice. Conclusion: miR-193b can inhibit the growth and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma by targeting decreasing IGF1R expression, which provides a new target for the prevention and treatment of renal cell carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:Our aim was to retrospectively investigate the data from our institute the response rate and outcome in patients with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL) who received the rituximab in combination with CHOP (RCHOP) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or RCHOP followed by involved field radiation therapy (IFRT). Methods:Sixty five patients with PMBL received RCHOP as first-line chemotherapy between January 2005 and December 2010. Forty of the 65 patients completed the planned subsequent IFRT after initial chemotherapy. Thirteen of the 65 patients received the front-line ASCT after RCHOP. Twelve patients received RCHOP alone. Results:Thirty two of the 40 patients who received the RCHOP followed by IFRT have complete remission (CR) or CRu (CR/unconfirmed). All patients have CR or CRu after the ASCT. The progression free survival (PFS) and the estimated overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years for 32 CR/CRu patients in the RCHOP followed by IFRT group were 57 and 65%, respectively, as compared to RCHOP/ASCT group who were 94 and 100%, respectively. Twelve patients who received RCHOP alone had the same PFS and OS rate as the 40 patients who received RCHOP/IFRT (5-year PFS:62 vs. 65%,p = 0.068; 5-year OS:57 vs. 67%,p = 0.058). For all 65 patients, the age-adjusted international prognostic index (aaIPI) score remained the only predictor of a worse outcome. Conclusion:The PFS and OS rate of RCHOP/IFRT were found to be unsatisfied. RCHOP/ASCT showed a satisfactory PFS and OS rate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Study design:Clinical trial for cervical screw insertion by using individualized 3-dimensional (3D) printing screw insertion templates device. Objective:The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety and accuracy of the individualized 3D printing screw insertion template in the cervical spine. Materials and methods:Ten patients who underwent posterior cervical fusion surgery with cervical pedicle screws, laminar screws or lateral mass screws between December 2014 and December 2015 were involved in this study. The patients were examined by CT scan before operation. The individualized 3D printing templates were made with photosensitive resin by a 3D printing system to ensure the screw shafts entered the vertebral body without breaking the pedicle or lamina cortex. The templates were sterilized by a plasma sterilizer and used during the operation. The accuracy and the safety of the templates were evaluated by CT scans at the screw insertion levels after operation. Results:The accuracy of this patient-specific template technique was demonstrated. Only one screw axis greatly deviated from the planned track and breached the cortex of the pedicle because the template was split by rough handling and then we inserted the screws under the fluoroscopy. The remaining screws were inserted in the track as preoperative design and the screw axis deviated by less than 2 mm. Vascular or neurologic complications or injuries did not happen. And no infection, broken nails, fracture of bone structure, or screw pullout occurred. Conclusion:This study verified the safety and the accuracy of the individualized 3D printing screw insertion templates in the cervical spine as a kind of intraoperative screw navigation. This individualized 3D printing screw insertion template was user-friendly, moderate cost, and enabled a radiation-free cervical screw insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Cancer patients frequently present with activated coagulation pathways and thrombocytosis, which are potentially associated with tumor progression and prognosis. However, the prognostic value of abnormal plasma fibrinogen and platelet levels for the treatment of pancreatic cancer is unclear. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the prognostic value of plasma fibrinogen and platelet levels in pancreatic cancer, and to devise a prognostic model to identify the patients with greatest risk for a poor overall survival. One hundred and twenty-five patients diagnosed with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in our hospital between May 2000 and June 2005 were included in this study. The plasma fibrinogen and platelet levels were examined before treatment and analyzed along with patient clinicopathological parameters and overall survival. The foundation of prognostic model was based on the risk factors according to the Cox proportional hazard model. The incidence of hyperfibrinogenemia and thrombocytosis was 24.8% (31/125) and 15.2% (19/125), respectively. The mean fibrinogen concentration differed significantly between the early (I/II) and late (III/IV) stage patients (3.19 ± 0.70 vs. 3.65 ± 0.90 g/l, p = 0.008). Patients with a higher concentration of plasma fibrinogen and platelets had a worse prognosis ( p < 0.05). There also existed a significant correlation between higher fibrinogen/platelet levels and distant organ metastasis ( p < 0.05, respectively). Bivariate correlation analysis showed that plasma fibrinogen levels correlated significantly with platelet levels ( p = 0.000). Multivariate analysis revealed that pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels ( p = 0.027), tumor stage ( p = 0.026) and distant metastasis ( p = 0.027) were independent prognostic factors. The median survival time for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups was 9.6 months (95% CI 6.2-13.0), 3.8 months (95% CI 2.3-5.3), and 2.3 months (95% CI 0.9-3.7), respectively ( p = 0.000). Pretreatment plasma fibrinogen and platelet levels closely correlated with tumor progression, metastasis and overall survival in pancreatic cancer. The foundation of prognostic model may help us identify the greatest risk populations with pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group testing is a method of pooling a number of units together and performing a single test on the resulting group. Group testing is an appealing option when few individual units are thought to be infected and the cost of the testing is non-negligible. Overdispersion is the phenomenon of having greater variability than predicted by the random component of the model; this is common in the modeling of binomial distribution for group testing. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comparison of several established methods of constructing confidence intervals after adjusting for overdispersion. We evaluate and investigate each method in six different cases of group testing. A method based on the score statistic with correction for skewness is recommended. We illustrate the methods using two data sets, one from the detection of seed transmission and the other from serological testing for malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attribute reduction problem (ARP) in rough set theory (RST) is an NPhard one, which is difficult to be solved via traditionally analytical methods. In this paper, we propose an improved approach to ARP based on ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm, named the improved ant colony optimization (IACO). In IACO, a new state transition probability formula and a new pheromone traps updating formula are developed in view of the differences between a traveling salesman problem and ARP. The experimental results demonstrate that IACO outperforms classical ACO as well as particle swarm optimization used for attribute reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), the major protein component of high-density lipoprotein, is instrumental in promoting efflux of cholesterol from extrahepatic tissues to the liver. It has been proposed that upregulation of apoA-I gene expression could have anti-atherosclerosis effects. For the purpose of screening human apoA-I expression upregulators, we established a cell-based drug screening model in vitro to identifying the effects of natural derived upregulators of apoA-I. In the work, human apoA-I promoter gene was cloned into pGL3B-neo vector containing luciferase gene and neomycin resistance gene. The recombinant reporter gene vector pGL3B-neo/apo was transfected into HepG2 cells, and therefore the stable cell line SApoA-I was obtained. These cells were treated with extracts from traditional Chinese herbs. The luciferase activities were detected to identify which ones can activate apoA-I promoter. Baicalein extracted from dried roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Labiatae, Scutellaria) showed significant dose-dependent upregulatory activity in cell model, which might become an effective basic compound for developing novel HDL-raising drugs because of its effects on proteins involved in reverse cholesterol transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]