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Background: The detection of serum tumor marker becomes a common method for screening tumors. However, this method has not been widely used for routine gastric cancer screening. In this study we aimed to determine whether the combined use of tumor markers may increase the sensitivity for the diagnosis of gastric cancer.Methods: Serum AFP, CEA, CA125 and CA19-9 levels were measured in 149 patients with gastric cancer, 111 patients with benign gastric diseases and 124 healthy people, who visited the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from May 2011 to May 2012. Statistical analysis including receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the area under the curve (AUC), and logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value of these markers on gastric cancer.Results: Serum levels of CEA, CA125, and CA19-9 in gastric cancer group were higher than that in the benign gastric disease group and the healthy control group (P <0.005). The sensitivity of AFP, CEA, CA125 and CA19-9 in the diagnosis of gastric cancer was 4.7-20.8% individually, and increased to 40.3% in combination. By using optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity of CEA, CA125, and CA19-9 for the diagnosis of gastric cancer was improved. Especially, the sensitivity of CEA increased to 58.4% and the sensitivity of combined use of four markers increased to 69.1%. The age and gender had no effects on the diagnostic value of these markers.Conclusions: The determination and application of optimal cut-off values based on ROC curve and logistic regression analysis could improve the diagnosis of gastric cancer based on common tumor markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant tumors are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, imposing a substantial economic and social burden. Early detection is the key to improving cure rates and reducing mortality rates, which requires the development of sensitive early detection technologies. Signal amplification techniques play a crucial role in aptamer-based early detection of tumors and are increasingly garnering attention from researchers., Aim: To investigate the current research status, developmental trajectories, and hotspots in signal amplification for aptamer-based tumor detection through bibliometric analysis., Methods: English publications pertaining to signal amplification in aptamer-based tumor detection were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were employed to analyze various information within this field, including countries, institutions, authors, co-cited authors, journals, co-cited journals, cited references, and keywords., Results: A total of 757 publications were included in this study. China accounted for 85.47% of all publications, with Nanjing University (China) emerging as the institution with the highest publication output. The most influential authors and journals were Hasanzadeh M. from Iran and " Biosensors and Bioelectronics ", respectively. Exosomes and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) stood out as the most researched tumor-related molecules. Currently, the predominant signal amplification technique, nanomaterial, and signal transduction method were identified as hybridization chain reactions, gold nanoparticles, and electrochemical methods, respectively. Over the past 3 years, exosomes, CEA, electrochemical biosensors, and nanosheets have emerged as research hotspots, exhibiting a robust burst of intensity., Conclusion: This study is the first bibliometric analysis of literature on signal amplification in aptamer-based tumor detection and elucidates the current status, hotspots, and prospective research directions within this realm. Additionally, it provides an important reference for researchers., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective. Aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles for diagnosis have recently gained increasing attention. Here, we performed a bibliometric analysis to provide an overview of this field over the past two decades. Methods . The terms 'aptamer, nanoparticles and diagnosis' were used to search for relevant original articles published in English from 2003 to 2022 in the Web of Science database. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were employed to analyze the development process, knowledge structure, research hotspots, and potential trends in the field of aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles for diagnosis. Results . A total of 1076 original articles were retrieved, with a rapid increase in the annual output and citation. The journal 'Biosensors and Bioelectronics' has contributed the most in this field, and the most influential researcher, institution and country were Weihong Tan, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, respectively. Gold nanoparticles and quantum dots were the most used, but in the past three years, research hotspots focused on carbon dots and graphene quantum dots. Diagnostic directions primarily focused on cancer. The most used strategy was label-free electrochemical detection, but in the past two years, colorimetric analysis and fluorescence imaging emerged as hot topics. Conclusion. The bibliometric analysis reveals a rapid increase in the research on aptamer-conjugated nanoparticles for diagnosis, major contributors at the levels of journals, authors, institutions, and countries, and research preferences in diagnostic objects, nanoparticle types, and detection methods, as well as the evolution of research hotspots and future trends., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the establishment of a risk assessment system for peptic ulcer (PU) recurrence and implement an individualized intervention for PU patients with a moderate to high recurrence risk to reduce the recurrence of PU in patients with a moderate to high recurrence risk., Methods: The factors for PU recurrence were collected through consulting the literature, and a risk prediction model for PU recurrence was established using the univariate binary and multivariate multinomial Logistic stepwise regression analysis. According to the model, a total of 235 PU patients were divided into patients with high, moderate and low recurrence risks. A total of 71 PU patients with moderate to high recurrence risks were selected as the study subjects, and further divided into the control group (n=35) and the experimental group (n=36). The control group was not treated with intervention, while the experimental group was treated with individualized intervention. The PU recurrence, adverse emotions and changes of pain degree were assessed in the two groups at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after intervention., Results: The univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that drinking alcohol, smoking, chronic diseases, oral NSAIDS and depression were associated with the recurrence of PU. Individualized intervention improved the recurrence rate, anxiety, depression, pain degree and quality of life of patients with moderate to high PU recurrence risk., Conclusion: Drinking alcohol, smoking, chronic diseases, oral NSAIDS and depression were associated with the recurrence of PU. Individualized intervention can improve the quality of prognosis and the recurrence risk of PU in patients, which has positive clinical significance., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

The role of cytoskeleton-associated membrane protein 4 (CKAP4) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the association between tumor CKAP4 mRNA expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in patients with HCC. Data relating to CKAP4 mRNA expression in HCC tumor and normal adjacent liver tissues, and clinicopathological characteristics, were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases. The CKAP4 mRNA levels in tumor tissues were compared with those in normal adjacent liver tissues, their association with clinicopathological parameters was analyzed, and diagnostic and prognostic values were evaluated in patients with HCC. In all 4 datasets (total samples, n=693), CKAP4 mRNA levels were significantly higher in tumor tissues compared with adjacent tissues (all P<0.001), with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranging from 0.799-0.898 for HCC diagnosis. In patients with HCC with available clinical data (n=361), the low-level CKAP4 mRNA group exhibited a lower body mass index (P=0.005), higher α-fetoprotein level (P<0.001), more frequent adjacent liver tissue inflammation (P<0.001), poorer tumor histological grade (P<0.001), higher Ishak fibrosis score (P=0.035) and a more advanced tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P=0.014) compared with the high-level CKAP4 mRNA group. Patients stratified by all the above parameters, except for TNM stage, exhibited significantly different expression of tissue CKAP4 mRNA (P<0.05-0.001). Furthermore, higher CKAP4 mRNA levels were observed in patients who died within one year following diagnosis compared with those who survived >3 years (P=0.003). The high-level CKAP4 mRNA group also exhibited lower overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates compared with the low-level group [hazard ratio (HR)=1.494; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.044-2.138; P=0.028] for OS and (HR=1.616; 95% CI, 1.022-2.555; P=0.040) for DFS. The results of the present study suggest that CKAP4 mRNA is upregulated in HCC tumor tissues compared with normal adjacent tissues, and is associated with poor clinical prognosis, pathological features and survival in patients with HCC. Thus, CKAP4 is a potential biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis., (Copyright: © Chen et al.)