Expression of Rictor and mTOR in colorectal cancer and their clinical significance / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of Rictor and mTOR in the colorectal cancer and their clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression levels of Rictor and mTOR in HCT116, SW480, LoVo and HCoEpiC cells were detected by indirect immunofluorescence and Western blotting. Sixty-two paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of colorectal cancer tissue and adjacent tissues were examined for Rictor expression using immunohistochemistry. The association of the expression levels of Rictor protein with the clinicopathologic features and the overall survival of the patients was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression level of Rictor was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues than in the adjacent tissues (P<0.05). The expression levels of Rictor and mTOR in the colon cancer cell lines were higher than those in human normal colon epithelial cell line HCoEpiC. The expression of Rictor was correlated with Dukes stage and lymphatic metastasis of the tumors but not with other clinicopathological parameter (P>0.05). Patients with Rictor expression had a lower overall survival rate than those without Rictor expression.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rictor overexpression is associated with the carcinogenesis and progression of colorectal cancer and can be an independent indicator for evaluating the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.</p>

Clinical application of 64-slice computed tomographic angiography-based virtual colonoscopy in the diagnosis of colonic tumors / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical value of 64-slice computed tomographic angiography (CTA)-based virtual colonoscopy in the diagnosis of colonic tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Philips/Brilliance 64 CT volumetric scanning was performed in 8 patients with colonic cancer and 2 with colonic polypi identified by postoperative pathological examination. Mimics software was used for surface rendering of the intestine with the Marching Cubes algorithm for 3-dimensional (3D) virtual endoscope (VE) reconstruction and CTA-based 3D reconstruction of the large intestine and the surrounding structures. The location, volume and appearance of the lesions displayed by the virtual techniques were compared with the pathological results.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3D reconstruction was successfully completed in all the 10 cases, and the imaging diagnoses showed a total match with the pathological diagnoses. No significant differences were found between virtual endoscopy and CT virtual endoscopy. Virtual colonoscopy combined with digital model reconstruction provided valuable information for accurate identification of the position of the lesions and the complex adjacent anatomical structures.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Virtual colonoscopy based on 64-slice CTA, when combined with 3D reconstruction technique, allows accurate display of the colonic lesions and potential metastasis, which can be crucial for clinical staging and surgical planning of colonic cancer.</p>