Int J Med Sci
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A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 9 (ADAM9) functions as a membranous bridge, forming cell-cell and cell-matrix connections that regulate tumor aggressiveness in various cancer types, including prostate cancer (PCa). Elevated ADAM9 levels in PCa were identified as a prognostic marker for biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients who had undergone a radical prostatectomy (RP). However, impacts of genetic variants of ADAM9 on clinicopathological development and BCR remain unclear. ⋯ Clinical observations from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database showed increased ADAM9 expression in whole blood tissues among individuals carrying the polymorphic C allele of rs7006414 and the G allele of rs6474526. Additionally, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas indicated that elevated ADAM9 levels were observed in PCa tissues compared to corresponding matched normal tissues. Our findings suggest that the rs7006414 and rs6474526 genetic variants of ADAM9 may influence ADAM9 expression and are associated with BCR and clinicopathological development in PCa patients after an RP.
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CD44 genetic variants have been found to be related to various cancers. However, to date, no study has demonstrated the involvement of CD44 polymorphisms in uterine cervical cancer in Taiwanese women. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study, consecutively recruiting 113 patients with invasive cancer, 92 patients with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasias, and 302 control women to assess the relationships among CD44 polymorphisms, cervical carcinogenesis, and patient survival. ⋯ No significant association was found between CD44 genetic variants and clinicopathological parameters. Among the clinicopathological parameters, only positive pelvic lymph node metastasis (p=0.002; HR=8.57, 95% CI=2.14-34.38) and the AG/GG genotype compared to AA (p=0.014; HR=3.30, 95% CI=1.28-8.49) in CD44 polymorphism rs187115 predicted a higher risk of poor five-year survival, according to multivariate analysis. In conclusion, an important and novel finding revealed that Taiwanese women with the AG/GG genotype in CD44 polymorphism rs187115 exhibited a higher risk of poor five-year survival.
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Purpose: With advances in medical technology, the average lifespan has increased, leading to a growing significance of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH), particularly in the elderly population. Most patients with iNPH have been treated either with ventriculo-peritoneal shunts (VPS) or conservative measures. However, lumbo-peritoneal shunts (LPS) have emerged as an alternative treatment option for iNPH in recent decades, extensive research still lacks comparing outcomes with LPS to those with VPS or non-surgical treatment. ⋯ In addition, both VPS and LPS groups had significantly lower overall mortality rates than non-shunting group. Moreover, LPS had lower overall mortality but similar MACEs rates to VPS. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we propose that the LPS is preferable to the VPS, and surgical treatment should be considered the primary choice over conservative treatment unless contraindications are present.
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Purpose: To study the effects of prior pelvic radiotherapy on bone marrow suppression in recurrent cervical cancer patients during chemotherapy. Methods and materials: The cases of 129 patients with recurrent cervical cancer were reviewed, of which 77 patients had pelvic radiotherapy history and another 52 patients with no pelvic radiotherapy history were used as control group. All patients received a chemotherapy regimen of paclitaxel combined with carboplatin (TC) per 21 days for 5-6 times. ⋯ Reduction of white blood cell counts, absolute value of neutrophil cell and platelet counts composited majority type of grade III and IV bone marrow suppression. Conclusions: The prior pelvic radiotherapy significantly increased the incidence of bone marrow suppression during chemotherapy in recurrent cervical cancer patients. When treating recurrent cervical cancer patients with chemotherapy who had prior radiotherapy, especially for those experienced external beam radiation therapy, essential attention and timely intervention are recommended to ensure completion of chemotherapy and clinical efficacy.
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Background: To evaluate the predictive effect of transvaginal ultrasound measurement of cervical length and cervical elasticity examination on cervical insufficiency in twin pregnancies. Methods: Data from twin pregnant women in our hospital were collected retrospectively, including relevant vaginal ultrasound parameters (e.g., cervical length, cervical elasticity score, and the strain value of each part of the cervix). We assessed the risk factors using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis to evaluate the predictive effect of each factor on the occurrence of cervical insufficiency. ⋯ The area under the curve of cervical insufficiency predicted by the cervical elasticity score at 12-14 weeks of pregnancy was greater than that predicted by the cervical length at the same time, and the area under the curve of cervical insufficiency predicted by the elasticity score and pre-pregnancy body mass index during the same period was the largest. Conclusions: The cervical elasticity score at 12-14 weeks of gestation effectively predicted the occurrence of cervical insufficiency. The combination of the cervical elasticity score and pre-pregnancy body mass index predicted cervical insufficiency in women with twin pregnancies.