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Yan Lu,1 Wei Gou,1,2 Hai Feng Zhang,3 Yi Ying Li3 1Department of Clinical Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Metabolic Liver Disease, Qingdao Sixth People’s Hospital, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China; 3Medical Department, Qingdao Sixth People’s Hospital, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Wei Gou, Email gouwei@qdu.edu.cnBackground: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and cirrhosis often have impaired fasting glucose (IFG). This study sought to investigate the impact of liver fibrosis on islet function in individuals diagnosed with CHB and IFG.Material and Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were selected for this study. They were divided into low-risk (L-R), intermediate-risk (M-R), and high-risk (H-R) liver fibrosis groups based on the FIB-4 score. The study compared islet function among different risk groups of liver fibrosis and analyze the correlation between liver fibrosis and islet function. Additionally, the patients were divided into a diabetes mellitus (DM) group and a non-DM (NDM) group based on the development of DM. The cumulative risk of progression to DM in patients with L-R, M-R, and H-R liver fibrosis was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Hazard ratios (HRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for DM development through Cox regression analysis.Results: In this study of 228 individuals, higher FIB-4 scores were observed in the DM group compared to the NDM group. Patients with H-R liver fibrosis displayed lower islet function and had a significantly higher risk of developing DM. The FIB-4 score and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were identified as independent risk factors for DM progression in CHB patients with IFG.Conclusion: Among patients with CHB and IFG, the severity of liver fibrosis is associated with islet function, and the FIB-4 score is a significant risk factor for DM development.Keywords: chronic hepatitis B, FIB-4, impaired fasting glucose, islet function, diabetes mellitus

Xiao-Pei Hou,1 Yan-Yang Zhang,1 Hong-Feng Zhang,1 Shan Wang,1 Yun-Li Xing,1 Hong-Wei Li,2 Ying Sun1 1Department of Geriatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Cardiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ying Sun, Department of Geriatrics, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 95 of Yong’an Road, Xicheng District, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86-010-63137740, Email ysun15@163.comPurpose: Many older patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have impaired ability for activities of daily living (ADL). Impaired ADL leads to poor prognosis in elderly patients. The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score is widely used for risk stratification in AMI patients but does not consider physical performance, which is an important prognosis predictor for older adults. This study assessed whether the Barthel Index (BI) score combine the GRACE score would achieve improved one-year mortality prediction in older AMI patients.Patients and Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 688 AMI patients aged ≥ 65 years who were divided into an impaired ADL group (BI ≤ 60, n = 102) and a normal ADL group (BI > 60, n = 586) based on BI scores at discharge. The participants were followed up for one year. Cox survival models were constructed for BI score, GRACE score, and BI score combined GRACE score for one-year mortality prediction.Results: Patients had a mean age of 76.29 ± 7.42 years, and 399 were men (58%). A lower BI score was associated with more years of hypertension and diabetes, less revascularization, longer hospital stays, and higher one-year mortality after discharge. Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified BI as a significant risk factor for one-year mortality in older AMI patients (HR 0.977, 95% CI, 0.963– 0.992, P = 0.002). BI (0.774, 95% CI: 0.731– 0.818) and GRACE (0.758, 95% CI: 0.704– 0.812) scores had similar predictive power, but their combination outperformed either score alone (0.810, 95% CI: 0.770– 0.851).Conclusion: BI at discharge is a significant risk factor for one-year mortality in older AMI patients, which can be better predicted by the combination of BI and GRACE scores.Keywords: older adults, acute myocardial infarction, Barthel Index, GRACE, prognosis

Zheng RP, Ma DK, Li Z, Zhang HF. Cancer Manag Res. 2020;12:6165–6175. We, the Editors and Publisher of Cancer Management and Research, have retracted the following article. Since publication, concerns have been raised about the integrity of the data in the article. When approached for an explanation, the authors were cooperative but were unable to address the concerns raised and have not been able to provide sufficient supporting information. As verifying the validity of published work is core to the integrity of the scholarly record, we are therefore retracting the article and the authors were informed of this decision. We have been informed in our decision-making by our editorial policies and COPE guidelines. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as ‘Retracted’.

Li-Jun Chen,1,2 Wang Xu,1 Ya-Ping Li,3 Li-Ting Ma,1 Hui-Fang Zhang,1 Xiao-Bo Huang,1 Geng-Geng Yu,1 Xiu-Qin Ma,1 Chao Chen,1 Yan-Hong Liu,1 Jie Wu,4 Li-Jun Wang,4 Yuan Xu4 1Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Yinchuan City, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Weihai Municipal Hospital of Shandong Province, Weihai, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Clinical Institute, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Li-Jun ChenDepartment of Respiratory and Critical Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 2, Liqun West Street, Xingqing District, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750001, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-13895016600Fax +86-951-6192235Email ycchenlj@163.comBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying COPD remain largely unknown.Objective: The current study was designed to explore serum concentration of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in stable COPD patients and the potential effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) on HIF-1α protein expression.Methods: Serum HIF-1α was quantified by ELISA in 102 stable COPD patients before and after 2-week orally taken LBP (100 mL/time, twice daily, 5– 15 mg/mL). Correlation of serum LBP and lung function (FEV1%) or blood gas (PO2 and PCO2) was also analyzed. As a control, 105 healthy subjects were also enrolled into this study.Results: Serum concentration of HIF-1α was significantly higher in the stable COPD patients (37.34 ± 7.20 pg/mL) than that in the healthy subjects (29.55 ± 9.66 pg/mL, P< 0.001). Oral administration of LBP (5 mg/mL, 100 mL, twice daily for 2 weeks) not only relieved COPD symptoms but also significantly reduced serum HIF-1α concentration (36.94 ± 9.23 vs 30.49 ± 6.42 pg/mL, P< 0.05). In addition, level of serum HIF-1α concentration was significantly correlated with PCO2 (r = 0.283, P< 0.001), but negatively and significantly correlated with PO2 (r = − 0.490, P=0.005) or FEV1%(r = − 0.420, P=0.018).Conclusion: These findings suggested that activation of HIF-1 signaling pathway may be involved in the pathophysiology of COPD and that stabilization of serum HIF-1α concentration by LBP might benefit the stable COPD patients.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, hypoxia-induced factor 1, HIF-1, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, LBP

Jing-Jing Jin,1 Tian-Tian Xu,1 Yan-Fang Li,2 Hong-Yang Wang,1 Dan Zhang,1 Pan-Pan Zhang,1 Li-Xin Xu,1 Chun-Xiu Wang,1 Zhu Fan,1 Ling Wang,1 Chen Liu,1 Shuang Wang,1 Hao-Tian Shi,1 Cai-Hong Li,1 Hai-Fang Zhang,1 Yan Huang1 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital, Tangshan, Hebei 063000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pediatric Medicine, Hebei People’s Hospital Affiliated to North China University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yan HuangDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital, No. 73 of Jianshe Road, Lubei District, Tangshan, Hebei 063000, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 18713877946Email huangy95201@163.comObjective: This study investigates the effect of the standardized management of cancer pain on patients with bone metastasis of lung cancer in China.Patients and Methods: A total of 123 patients with bone metastasis of lung cancer were selected from the Respiratory Department of the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology. Among these patients, 62 patients who had not received standardized management of cancer pain from March 12, 2018, to September 11, 2018, were selected as the control group. In contrast, 61 patients who had received the standardized management of cancer pain from September 12, 2018, to March 11, 2019, were selected as the observation group. The former cohort accepted the conventional management of cancer pain, while the latter accepted the strict, standardized management of cancer pain. The demographic statistics, disease characteristics, and painkiller application of patients in these two groups were analyzed. Then, the analgesic effect and level of satisfaction were compared between these two groups.Results: No significant differences were noticed between these two groups in terms of age, gender, smoking status, type of pathology, education level, previous treatment, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score, as well as other demographic and disease characteristics. As for the use of painkillers, opioid analgesics accounted for a higher proportion in the observation group than in the control group. Compared with the control group, pain improvement and patient satisfaction after analgesic treatment were significantly higher in the observation group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The standardized management of cancer pain can considerably alleviate the pain of patients with bone metastasis of lung cancer and improve their quality of life. Furthermore, this type of management can increase satisfaction.Keywords: standard management, lung cancer, cancer pain, bone metastasis, analgesic effect

Rui-Peng Zheng,1 Dong-Kai Ma,2 Zhuo Li,3 Hai-Feng Zhang1 1Department of Interventional Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130021, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Qian Wei Hospital of Jilin Province, Changchun, Jilin Province 130012, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130021, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hai-Feng ZhangDepartment of Interventional Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province 130021, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 13756696677Email HaifengZhang159@outlook.comBackground: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a common drug for hepatic carcinoma (HCC), but the drug resistance of clinical chemotherapy restricts its use. Studies have demonstrated that miRNA molecules can act as a chemoresistance regulator in drug resistance of tumors, whereas the role of miR-145 in the 5-FU-resistant HCC remains unclear.Objective: To explore the prognostic value of miR-145 in HCC and its molecular mechanism in 5-FU-resistant HCC cells.Methods: A qRT-PCR assay was conducted to quantify miR-145 in HCC tissues and 5-FU-resistant HCC cells. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry were adopted to analyze the proliferation and apoptosis of 5-FU-resistant HCC cells. The Western blot was adopted to quantify toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and apoptosis-related proteins. Moreover, an in vivo tumor xenotransplantation of nude mice was conducted to determine the effect of miR-145 on 5-FU-resistant HCC cells.Results: MiR-145 was expressed lowly in HCC tissues and cells, and linked to high TNM staging and lymph node metastasis of HCC patients. Down-regulation of miR-145 indicated a poorer prognosis and it promoted drug resistance of HCC cells and inhibited cell apoptosis. In contrast, miR-145 overexpression improved the sensitivity of HCC cells to 5-FU and enhanced the inhibition of 5-FU on tumor growth. The luciferase reporter gene assay showed that TLR4 was the direct target of miR-145, and the Western blot assay revealed that overexpression of TLR4 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-145 overexpression on TLR4 and MyD88 protein and the effects of it on apoptosis-related proteins.Conclusion: MiR-145 is an inhibiting factor in HCC and can target TLR4 to mediate the chemoresistance of HCC, which may provide novel ideas for treating HCC.Keywords: hepatic carcinoma, miR-145, toll-like receptor 4, TLR4, 5-fluorouracil, drug resistance

Zheng RP, Ma DK, Li Z, Zhang HF. Cancer Manag Res. 2020;12:6165–6175. The Editor and Publisher of Cancer Management and Research wish to issue an Expression of Concern for the published article. Following publication, concerns were raised about the scientific integrity of the articles content. We reached out to the authors requesting they supply information that would confirm the integrity of the data. However, the authors did not provide the requested files and could not satisfy our requirements to confirm the authenticity of some types of data. Therefore, as we continue to work through the issues raised, we advise readers to interpret the information presented in the article with due caution. The authors have been notified about this Expression of Concern. Read the original article

Hua-feng Zhang,1 Chen-guang Wang,1 Hui Li,1 Yu-ting Huang,2 Zhi-jun Li1 1Department of Orthopaedics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, People’s Republic of China; 2Cancer & Immunology Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Medical Center, Washington DC, USA Purpose: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and hyaluronic acid (HA) have been increasingly used in recent years to treat knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, whether PRP is superior to HA is controversial.Methods: We conducted an electronic search of PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane library. The pooled data were analyzed using RevMan 5.1.Results: Three prospective and ten randomized trials were identified. PRP injections reduced pain more effectively than HA injections in OA of the knee at 6 months (mean difference [MD]=-14.18; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -26.12 to -2.23; P=0.02; I2=95%) and 12 months (MD=-15.25; 95% CI: -22.17 to -8.32; P

Hufei Zhang,1,* Xinhe Liu,2,* Hongye Jiang,3 Zimeng Liu,4 Xu-Yu Zhang,1 Hong-Zhe Xie,3 1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 2Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 4Surgical Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Objectives: Postlaparoscopic shoulder pain (PLSP) remains a common problem after laparoscopies. The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pressure pain threshold (PPT) of different muscles and PLSP after gynecologic laparoscopy, and to explore the effect of parecoxib, a cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, on the changes of PPT.Materials and methods: The patients were randomly allocated into two groups; group P and group C. In group P, parecoxib 40 mg was intravenously infused at 30 minutes before surgery and 8 and 20 hours after surgery. In group C, normal saline was infused at the corresponding time point. PPT assessment was performed 1 day before surgery and at postoperative 24 hours by using a pressure algometer at bilateral shoulder muscles (levator scapulae and supraspinatus) and forearm (flexor carpi ulnaris). Meanwhile, bilateral shoulder pain was evaluated through visual analog scale score at 24 hours after surgery. Results: Preoperative PPT level of the shoulder, but not of the forearm, was significantly and negatively correlated with the intensity of ipsilateral PLSP. In group C, PPT levels of shoulder muscles, but not of forearm muscles, decreased after laparoscopy at postoperative 24 hours. The use of parecoxib significantly improved the decline of PPT levels of bilateral shoulder muscles (all P

Yang-Yang He,1,2,* Yu Yan,1,3,* Hui-Fang Zhang,1,3 Yi-Huang Lin,3 Yu-Cai Chen,1,3 Yi Yan,4 Ping Wu,1,3 Jian-Song Fang,5 Shu-Hui Yang,2 Guan-Hua Du1,3 1Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Target Identification and Drug Screening, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 2State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 3State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 4Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 5Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with a high incidence rate and insufficient therapy worldwide, is a complex disease involving multiple organs characterized primarily by inflammation due to deposition of immunocomplexes formed by production of autoantibodies. The mechanism of SLE remains unclear, and the disease still cannot be cured. We used pristane to induce SLE in female BALB/c mice. Methyl salicylate 2-O-β-D-lactoside (MSL; 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) was orally administered 45 days after pristane injection for 4.5 months. The results showed that MSL antagonized the increasing levels of multiple types of antibodies and cytokines in lupus mice. MSL was found to suppress joint swelling and have potent inhibitory effect on arthritis-like symptoms. MSL also significantly decreased the spleen index and expression of inflammatory markers in the lupus mice. MSL protected the kidneys of lupus mice from injury through inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines and reducing the IgG and C3 immunocomplex deposits. Further Western blot assays revealed that the downregulation of the intracellular inflammatory signals of NFκB and JAK/STAT3 might be the potential molecular mechanisms of the pharmacological activity of MSL against SLE in vivo. These findings may demonstrate that MSL has the potential to be a useful and highly effective treatment for SLE. Keywords: methyl salicylate 2-O-β-D-lactoside, systemic lupus erythematosus, inflammatory response, lupus nephritis, signal transduction

Background: De novo malignancies are serious complications in the late postoperative period after liver transplantation. The most common de novo tumors are skin malignancies, posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder, tumors of the head and neck, and Kaposi's sarcoma. Such posttransplant de novo malignancies are apparently rarely found in bone.Case Description: We describe a patient with a low-grade, aggressive fibrous histiocytoma of the scapula. The patient had undergone liver transplantation 6 years earlier. En bloc resection of the tumor and limb salvage was performed. At the 2-year followup the patient had no signs of local recurrence or metastatic spread; the patient had a Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score of 87.Literature Review: A literature review suggests the main predisposing factors to such malignancies are immunosuppression and its length of use. According to the literature, tumors apparently are rare in bone after liver transplantation, with no clearly documented cases. However, in the presence of such a finding, our study might be the first clearly documented case study of this kind of bone tumor.Clinical Relevance: We describe a patient with a bone tumor after liver transplantation. Our literature review suggests liver transplantation and long-term immunosuppression played a role in this patient's tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]