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Background: Cancer is mostly a disease of aging, and older patients with cancer are generally frailer. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and in‐hospital outcomes and explore factors associated with duration, cost, and mortality during first hospitalization, in older patients with cancer admitted to a top‐ranked hospital in China. Methods: Data on patients with solid cancer ≥65 years consecutively hospitalized in 2016–2020 were retrieved from the electronic medical records of Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, China. Baseline characteristics, duration, cost, and mortality during hospitalization were described. Factors associated with duration, cost, and mortality during first hospitalization were explored using multivariable‐adjusted logistic regression. Results: 20,650 eligible patients with male proportion of 59% and median age of 70 years were analyzed. 45% of the patients underwent resection in our hospital. Upon first admission, 49% of patients had hypertension, 19% diabetes, 22% weight loss, and 28% risks of malnutrition. The median duration and cost of first hospitalization were 9 days and 32,000 RMB, respectively. 118 (0.6%) and 228 (1.1%) deaths occurred during first and any hospitalization, respectively. For first hospitalization, longer duration and higher cost were positively associated with older ages, male gender, emergency admission, certain tumor locations and histology, histories of diabetes, cirrhosis, and anticoagulant intake, higher body mass index, weight loss, reduced food intake, risk of falling, and worse self‐care ability; in‐hospital mortality was positively associated with age ≥85 years, emergency admission, certain cancer types, histories of hypertension and psychotropic intake, reduced food intake, and worse self‐care ability. Conclusions: This study identified certain baseline patient and tumor characteristics, medical and medication histories, changes of weight and food intake, diet, and self‐care ability which were independently associated with in‐hospital outcomes among older patients with cancer admitted to our hospital and which should be paid special attention to. While the factors might not be easily modifiable, our study can help identify patients at higher risks of inferior in‐hospital outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the effect of recombinant Lactobacillus casei ( L.casei) expressing interleukin ( IL)-10 combined with 5-aminosalicylic acid (5- ASA) in dextran sulfate sodium ( DSS)-induced colitis mice. Methods Recombinant L. casei CECT 5276, which can secrete IL-10, was constructed. The length of colon tissue, disease activity index ( DAI) and histological score ( HS) of the mice were determined to evaluate the modeling and the effectiveness of L. casei. Real-time polymerase chain reaction ( PCR), Western blot and ELISA were used to determine the levels of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells ( NF-κ B), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ( PPAR)-γ, interferon ( IFN)-γ, transforming growth factor ( TGF)-β and IL-10. Results Recombinant L. casei expressing IL-10 combined with 5- ASA was more effective than L. casei with 5- ASA. Among the three different concentrations of the recombinant L. casei, the highest concentration group (2 × 109 colony-forming units/m L) had the best effectiveness. Conclusions Recombinant L. casei combined with 5- ASA is effective in the treatment of DSS-induced colitis. The possible mechanism might be the blocking of the excessive activation of NF-κ B pathway, thus suppressing the release of inflammation-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of millimeter wave (MMW) radiation on rat hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups, and the liver region of the rats was directly radiated by MMW (35.8 GHz, 100 mW/cm2 ) for 20 min twice per week. Rats in groups 1 to 3 were fed with diethlnitrosamine (DEN). Group 1 was a tumor control group with sham radiation. Group 2 was given radiation for 10 weeks starting from week 5 and group 3 was radiated for 5 weeks starting from week 10. Group 4 was a normal control group radiated for 5 weeks and given distilled water. At week 14, all rats were sacrificed. A serological test for γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) and immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), CDK4 and P16 in liver tissue were performed. RESULTS: The serum level of γ-GT in group 1 (18.44 ± 4.88 U/L) was higher than that in group 2 (13.75 ± 2.41 U/L, P < 0.05), and the level of γ-GT in group 3 (16.43 ± 2.12 U/L) was lower than that in group 1, but the difference was not significant. Based on histological examination of the livers, adenocarcinoma only developed in group 1. In the other DEN-induced tumor groups, only eosinophilic and basophilic nodules were formed in the liver; no carcinoma cells were found. Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and CDK4 staining in liver tissue in groups 2 and 3 were significantly lower than those in group 1, but the expression of P16 in the former was higher than that in the latter. CONCLUSIONS: Millimeter wave radiation partially inhibits cell proliferation and suppresses DEN-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]