[Research progress of SOX9 in the evolution of prostate cancer].

Sex-determining region Y-box transcription factor 9（SOX9）is essential for prostate development. The dysregulation of SOX9 not only affects the occurrence of Prostate cancer (PCa), but also plays a key role in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, the mechanism of SOX9 affecting the evolution of PCa is still unclear. This paper mainly reviews the molecular mechanism and signal pathway related to the occurrence and development of SOX9 and PCa. SOX9 gene may be an important new biomarker in the development of PCa,providing new ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

[Study on the length and quality of prostate biopsy tissue strips].

OBJECTIVE: To improve the diagnostic yield of prostate biopsy, which we can achieve by puncture more sites and number of cores, another way to obtain more tissue is to take longer tissue strips. In this study, we evaluated the effect of strip length on cancer diagnosis by needle biopsy and derived a cutoff value of strip length to improve cancer detection. METHODS: The pathological reports of 754 patients with suspected prostate cancer who underwent transperineal prostate biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. The age, serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), prostate volume, Gleason score and tissue strip length were analyzed. The length of the tissue strip was compared between the biopsy positive patients and the biopsy negative patients, and the patients were divided into group A（biopsy positive group）and group B（biopsy negative group）, respectively. Statistical analysis of tissue strip lengths was performed to determine cutoff values for biopsy length quality. RESULTS: A total of 10 556 tissue strips were obtained from 754 patients, and 45.1 % of the patients were pathologically diagnosed as prostate cancer. The median length of the tissue strip was 10.5 (9.5, 12.5) mm, the median age was 69 (64,75) years, the median PSA was 12.4 (8.6, 20.8) µg/L, and the median prostate volume was 44.8 (30.5, 64.4) ml. The median length of tissue strips in group A and group B was 11 (10,13) mm and 10 (9,12) mm, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on the length of tissue strips in all cases, and the cutoff value of quality assurance was 11.8mm, the area under curve (AUC) was 0.82, and the cut-off value of quality assurance was 11.8mm. Sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 73.8%(P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In transperineal prostate biopsy, the cancer detection rate of tissue strips may increase with length. The results of ROC analysis showed that 11.8 mm was used as the cut-off value for quality assurance.

[Mendelian randomization of diabetes and prostate cancer risk in East Asian population].

OBJECTIVE: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to explore the causal relationship between diabetes (type 1 and type 2) and prostate cancer (PCa) in East Asian population. METHODS: Mendelian randomization is a causal inference method based on genetic variation, which uses the influence of randomly assigned genotypes in nature on phenotype to infer the impact of biological factors on diseases. This study used genetic variation genes related to inflammatory biomarkers as instrumental variables to improve inference, and patient data was obtained from the GWAS database's aggregated association results. In the individual sample, we estimated the correlation between instrumental variables (SNPs) and type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and screened out strongly related SNPs, and excluded SNPs related to prostate cancer. After screening, further sensitivity analysis and visualization of research results were carried out to test the blood glucose level and the causal relationship between diabetes and prostate cancer. RESULTS: Our MR analysis found that there was a negative causal relationship between the risk of prostate cancer and type 2 diabetes.The ratio of type 2 diabetes to prostate cancer causal relationship (OR)=1.0039, 95% confidence interval (CI)=(1.0008, 1.0071), P=0.013, while type 1 diabetes had fewer SNPs screened, Failed to conduct relevant follow-up analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Under Mendel's randomization hypothesis, our research results show that in the East East Asian population, the gene predicted type 2 diabetes and the occurrence of prostate cancer have a negative causal relationship, while the causal relationship between type 1 diabetes and prostate cancer is unknown due to the limited number of instrumental variables.

[Transurethral columnar balloon dilation of the prostate for benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of transurethral columnar balloon dilation of the prostate (TUCBDP) in the treatment of BPH and introduce the experience with the surgical procedure. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 265 cases of BPH treated by TUCBDP from August 2016 to August 2019. RESULTS: Operations were successfully completed in all the cases, with the mean operation time of (24.67 ± 7.6) min and the average intraoperative blood loss of (26.5 ± 21.4) ml, and all the patients had urinary patency after removal of the catheter. Follow-up examinations every 3 months after surgery showed significant improvement over the baseline in IPSS, quality of life score (QOL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine (PVR) and other indicators (P < 0.05). Forty-five of the patients with sexual life exhibited no significant difference from the baseline in IIEF-5 and erectile hardness scale (EHS) scores (P > 0.05). Postoperative complications were observed in 53 cases (20%), including 28 cases of transient urinary incontinence (10.56%), 3 cases of hemorrhage (1.13%), 11 cases of urinary tract infection (4.15%), 1 case of urethral stricture (0.37%), and 8 cases of acute urinary retention (3.01%), which were all improved after regular treatment, with no occurrence of true urinary incontinence. Retrograde ejaculation occurred in 2 (4.45%) of the 45 patients with sexual life. CONCLUSIONS: Transurethral columnar balloon dilation of the prostate, with the advantages of short operation time and less intraoperative bleeding, has a significant short-term clinical effect in the treatment of BPH, particularly suitable for the elderly and those who want to retain the sexual function. Intraoperative localization of the protrusion may significantly influence the outcome of surgery, which deserves strengthened studies. Special attention should be paid to the incidence of postoperative transient urinary incontinence.

[Inhibitory effect of 3-bromopyruvate on the proliferation, migration and invasive ability of prostate cancer PC-3 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of the glycolysis inhibitor 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) on the proliferation, migration and invasive ability of prostate cancer PC-3 cells in vitro and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We cultured prostate cancer PC-3 cells in vitro and treated them with 3-BrPA at different concentrations for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Then we observed the morphological changes of the PC-3 cells under the inverted microscope. We also detected the effects of different concentrations of 3-BrPA on the proliferation, migration and invasive ability of the cells by MTT, wound-scratch and Transwell assays and determined the protein expressions of glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1), matrix metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14), MMP-9 and MMP-2 in the PC-3 cells by Western blot. RESULTS: More significant changes were observed in the morphology of the PC-3 cells with increased concentrations of 3-BrPA. MTT assay showed that the inhibition rate of the proliferation of the PC-3 cells was remarkably increased in a concentration- and time-dependent manner (P<0.01). Wound-scratch and Transwell assays exhibited significant decreases in the scratch healing rate and number of invasive cells after 24 hours of intervention with 3-BrPA at 25, 50 and 100 µmol/L, even more significant after treated for 48 hours at the concentrations of 50 and 100 µmol/L (P<0.01). The expressions of the GLUT1, MMP-14, MMP-9 and MMP-2 proteins were markedly down-regulated after 3-BrPA intervention in comparison with those in the control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The glycolysis inhibitor 3-BrPA reduces the proliferation, migration and invasive ability of prostate cancer PC-3 cells by down-regulating the expressions of the related proteins GLUT1, MMP-14, MMP-9 and MMP-2.

Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed proteins in prostate cancer based on proteomics data.

We mined the literature for proteomics data to examine the occurrence and metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) through a bioinformatics analysis. We divided the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) into two groups: the group consisting of PCa and benign tissues (P&b) and the group presenting both high and low PCa metastatic tendencies (H&L). In the P&b group, we found 320 DEPs, 20 of which were reported more than three times, and DES was the most commonly reported. Among these DEPs, the expression levels of FGG, GSN, SERPINC1, TPM1, and TUBB4B have not yet been correlated with PCa. In the H&L group, we identified 353 DEPs, 13 of which were reported more than three times. Among these DEPs, MDH2 and MYH9 have not yet been correlated with PCa metastasis. We further confirmed that DES was differentially expressed between 30 cancer and 30 benign tissues. In addition, DEPs associated with protein transport, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction pathway were prevalent in the H&L group and have not yet been studied in detail in this context. Proteins related to homeostasis, the wound-healing response, focal adhesions, and the complement and coagulation pathways were overrepresented in both groups. Our findings suggest that the repeatedly reported DEPs in the two groups may function as potential biomarkers for detecting PCa and predicting its aggressiveness. Furthermore, the implicated biological processes and signaling pathways may help elucidate the molecular mechanisms of PCa carcinogenesis and metastasis and provide new targets for clinical treatment.

Construction and analysis of protein-protein interaction networks based on proteomics data of prostate cancer.

Currently, using human prostate cancer (PCa) tissue samples to conduct proteomics research has generated a large amount of data; however, only a very small amount has been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we manually carried out the mining of the full text of proteomics literature that involved comparisons between PCa and normal or benign tissue and identified 41 differentially expressed proteins verified or reported more than 2 times from different research studies. We regarded these proteins as seed proteins to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The extended network included one giant network, which consisted of 1,264 nodes connected via 1,744 edges, and 3 small separate components. The backbone network was then constructed, which was derived from key nodes and the subnetwork consisting of the shortest path between seed proteins. Topological analyses of these networks were conducted to identify proteins essential for the genesis of PCa. Solute carrier family 2 (facilitated glucose transporter), member 4 (SLC2A4) had the highest closeness centrality located in the center of each network, and the highest betweenness centrality and largest degree in the backbone network. Tubulin, beta 2C (TUBB2C) had the largest degree in the giant network and subnetwork. In addition, using module analysis of the whole PPI network, we obtained a densely connected region. Functional annotation indicated that the Ras protein signal transduction biological process, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), neurotrophin and the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) signaling pathway may play an important role in the genesis and development of PCa. Further investigation of the SLC2A4, TUBB2C proteins, and these biological processes and pathways may therefore provide a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of PCa.

[980 nm diode laser vaporization for benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy and safety of 980 nm diode laser vaporization in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: We treated 92 BPH patients by 980 nm diode laser vaporization. The patients were aged 65 - 89 years, with a mean prostate volume of (50.1 +/- 13.0) ml. We analyzed and compared the mean operation time, intra-operative blood loss, postoperative complications, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, maximum urine flow rate (Qmax), and post void residual (PVR) before and after surgery. RESULTS: Operations were successful in all the 92 cases, with an average operation time of (70.2 +/- 16.9) min, very little blood loss and no blood transfusion. The transurethral catheter indwelling time was 2 -5 (2.4 +/- 0.3) days. The patients were followed up for 1 to 3 months, which revealed a significant reduction in IPPS (P < 0.01) and improvement in Qmax and PVR (P < 0.01) as compared with preoperation. No severe complications were reported, including urinary incontinence and bladder irritation symptoms. None of the patients complained of impaired erectile function. CONCLUSION: Transurethral 980 nm diode laser vaporization is a safe and effective treatment for BPH.

[Analysis of the risk factors of upper urinary tract dilatation due to spinal cord injury].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the urodynamic risk factors of upper urinary tract dilatation (UUTD) secondary to spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Ninety-six SCI patients of Tangshan earthquake were divided into 2 groups by ultrasonography: 16 SCI patients (group A) with UUTD and 80 SCI patients (group B) without UUTD received urodynamic test. Responses were evaluated using single and multiple analysis after examination. RESULTS: The incidence of male was significantly higher than that of female. Residual urine volume, maximum cystometric capacity, detrusor leak point pressure and the incidence of bladder low compliance in group A were significantly higher than those in group B. There were no significant differences in age, the incidence of detrusor hyperreflexia, relative safe bladder capacity, the incidence of detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, maximum flow rate and maximum urethral closure pressure between 2 groups. Bladder low compliance was cardinal risk factors according to Logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: An early urodynamic examination and treatment for SCI patients are important to prevent from bladder low compliance and upper urinary tract damage.