Int J Med Sci
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Our study investigated the expression of malic enzyme 2 (ME2) in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and associated pathological and clinical pattern. We demonstrated that human OSCC tissues expressed a high level of ME2, and the overexpression of ME2 is closely connected to a high pathological grade, lymphatic metastasis, large tumor size and human papillomavirus (HPV) (P < 0.001). ⋯ ME2 was shown to be overexpressed in OSCC tissue and indicated a poor prognosis for OSCC. ME2 may be correlated with several immune markers.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis. The neuroendocrine polypeptide VGF is localized in the central nervous system and peripheral endocrine neurons and is cleaved into several polypeptides with multiple functions. Previous studies revealed that VGF was decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of ALS model mice and sporadic ALS patients. ⋯ We revealed that VGF protein level was decreased in the anterior horn of ALS patients; however, the expression level of VGF protein was not changed in the posterior horn or white matter. Furthermore, the expression level of VGF protein was conserved in ALS patients with long-term survival. These results reveal that VGF is mainly supplied by human motor neurons, and suggest that VGF expression changes may be involved in ALS pathology.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in Han Chinese and is characterized by low rates of early diagnosis and poor survival rates. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), an endothelial tyrosine kinase, is involved in CRC progression, but little is known about the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and diagnosis or prognosis of CRC. ⋯ Moreover, carriers of the GT or GT+TT allele in rs12674822 were significantly more likely to have tumor involvement in both the colon and rectum compared with wild-type (GG) carriers, while 5-year progression-free survival was also significantly worse in those carrying the GT+TT allele in rs12674822 compared with wild-type carriers. Our study is the first to describe correlations between Angpt2 polymorphisms and CRC development and progression in people of Chinese Han ethnicity.
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Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy, which is still incurable and relapses inevitably, highlighting further understanding of the possible mechanisms. Side population (SP) cells are a group of enriched progenitor cells showing stem-like phenotypes with a distinct low-staining pattern with Hoechst 33342. Compared to main population (MP) cells, the underlying molecular characteristics of SP cells remain largely unclear. ⋯ Modules and corresponding GO enrichment analysis indicated that myeloma LC/SP cells were significantly associated with immune system, immune response and cell cycle. The predictive value of the prognostic model including TFF3, EPDR1, MACROD1, ARHGEF12, AMMECR1, NFATC2, HES6, PLEK2 and SNCA was identified, and validated in another external dataset (MMRF-CoMMpass cohort from TCGA). Conclusions: In conclusion, this study provides reliable molecular biomarkers for screening, prognosis, as well as novel therapeutic targets for myeloma LC/SP cells.
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Background: The aim of this study was to describe biochemical, virological features and Mother-to child-transmission (MTCT) rate in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) women who stopped antiviral therapy before or in the early pregnancy. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Forty-three CHB women who stopped treatment before or in the early pregnancy and 103 CHB women with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment throughout pregnancy were enrolled. ⋯ Thus, these pregnant women should be monitored closely. Cessation of treatment was not recommended although no hepatic failure was observed. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the safety of discontinuation before pregnancy.