Increased expression of the long non-coding RNA ANRIL promotes lung cancer cell metastasis and correlates with poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidences indicate that dysregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in cancer tumorigenesis and progression. LncRNA ANRIL has been shown to promote the progression of gastric cancer. However, the role of lncRNA ANRIL in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. METHODS: Expression of lncRNA ANRIL was analyzed in 87 NSCLC tissues and three lung cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The correlation of lncRNA ANRIL with clinicopathological features and prognosis was analyzed. Suppression of lncRNA ANRIL using siRNA treatment was performed in order to explore its role in tumor progression. RESULTS: The expression level of lncRNA ANRIL was higher in NSCLC tissues and lung cancer cells than in adjacent non-tumor tissues and normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Higher expression of lncRNA ANRIL in NSCLC tissues was associated with higher TNM stage and advanced lymph node metastasis. Patients with high lncRNA ANRIL expression had poorer overall survival compared with low lncRNA ANRIL group. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that high expression of lncRNA ANRIL was an independent poor prognostic indicator for NSCLC patients. Moreover, knockdown of lncRNA ANRIL expression could inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that lncRNA ANRIL was a potential biomarker for NSCLC prognosis, and the dysregulation of lncRNA ANRIL may play an important role in NSCLC progression. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1707061287149690 .

A systematic review and meta-analysis of herbal medicine on chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.

Herbal medicine (HM) as an adjunct therapy has been shown to be promising for the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the role of herbs in COPD remains largely unexplored. In this present study, we conducted the systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of herbs in COPD. 176 clinical studies with reporting pulmonary function were retrieved from English and Chinese database. Commonly used herbs for acute exacerbations stage (AECOPD) and stable COPD stage (SCOPD) were identified. A meta-analysis conducted from 15 high quality studies (18 publications) showed that HM as an adjunct therapy had no significant improvement in pulmonary function (FEV1, FEV%, FVC, and FEV1/FVC) compared to conventional medicine. The efficacy of the adjunct HM on improving the arterial blood gas (PaCO2 and PaO2) for AECOPD and SCOPD remains inconclusive due to the heterogeneity among the studies. However, HM as an adjunct therapy improved clinical symptoms and quality of life (total score, activity score, and impact score of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire). Studies with large-scale and double-blind randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the role of the adjunct HM in the management of COPD.

[Correlation analysis between imaging features and lymph node metastasis in T1a lung adenocarcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the data of patients with clinical stage T1a lung adenocarcinoma and find the predictive factors associated with lymph node metastasis. METHODS: From January to June 2012, 271 patients with small nodules of peripheral lung adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the retrospective review. There were 105 male and 112 female patients, with an average age of (61 ± 11)years (range 32-85 years). The data were collected including age, gender, smoking history, carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), imaging findings, surgical procedure, pleural involvement, symptoms, tumor size, pathological classification, pathologic stage, maximum standardized uptake value(SUVmax) and lymph node metastasis. The predictive factors of lymph node metastasis in clinical factors were detected by univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: By preoperative thin-section CT, 35 patients were categorized as pure ground-grass opacity(GGO), 11 cases of atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, 24 cases of adenocarcinoma in situ, with no lymph node metastasis. Categorized as mixed ground-glass opacities in 89 patients, 84 patients (94.4%) had no lymph node metastasis, only 5 patients (6.0%) with lymph node metastasis. Categorized as solid nodules in 93 patients, a total of 28 cases (30.1%) had lymph node metastasis. There were statistically significant difference between three groups (χ(2) = 23.41, P < 0.001) . By univariate analysis, we found that the predictive factors of lymph node metastasis were as follows: tumor size > 1 cm (χ(2) = 9.021, P < 0.003) , imaging performance with mixed GGO or solid nodules (χ(2) = 23.41, P < 0.000) , CEA > 5 µg/L (χ(2) = 15.541, P < 0.000) and PET-CT SUVmax > 5 (χ(2) = 0.644, P < 0.000). By multivariate analysis, we found that imaging performance (mixed GGO or solid nodules) was the independent predictor of lymph node metastasis in clinical factors (OR = 166.116, 95%CI:18.161-25.19, P < 0.001) . CONCLUSIONS: Patients of pure GGO generally do not have lymph node metastasis. Tumor diameter > 1 cm, imaging findings with the mixed GGO or solid nodules, carcinoembryonic antigen CEA > 5 µg/L, PET-CT SUVmax > 5 are predictive factors of lymph node metastasis in which imaging is independent predictor.

[Study on the effects of hematopoiesis of anemic mice after marrow-suppressed treated by tonifying kidney, invigorating spleen, and removing blood stasis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of tonifying kidney,tonifying spleen,invigorating the circulation of blood on the expression of hematopooietic cytokines of bone marrow suppression induced by chemotherapy. METHODS: Automated blood analyzer was used to detect the level of RBC and HGB, 14th and 28 days, while real time quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect EPO, EPOR mRNA expression. RESULTS: Liuwei Dihuang Tang, Buzhong Yiqi Tang and Compound Danshen Decoction group could increase the level of RBC and HGB significantly. Liuwei Dihuang Tang and Buzhong Yiqi Tang groups could increase the mRNA expression level of EPO and EPOR significantly. However, there was no significantly difference when Compound Danshen Decoction group compared with control group on EPO, EPOR mRNA expression level. CONCLUSION: The tonifying kidney, tonifying spleen, invigorate the circulation of blood are stable and reliable as to enhance the role of peripheral blood; tonifying kidney, tonifying spleen can improve EPO, EPOR mRNA expression levels, and promote the proliferation of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells, and promote the differentiation of erythroid blood cells to increase red blood cell line; And invigorate the circulation of blood promote hematopoietic mechanisms have to be further studied.

Protective effects on myelosuppression mice treated by three different classic Chinese medicine formulae.

BACKGROUND: In order to observe the protective therapeutic action and mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Decoction, Buzhong Yiqi Decoction, and Compound Danshen Decoction on Myelosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The mice model was established by intraperitoneal injected with 100 mg/kg cyclophosphamide by human and mice dose conversion on the 9(th), 11(th), 13(th) days during the experiment. Flow cytometry (FCM) was used for detecting the number of cells and investigating bone marrow cell cycles. Spleen was taken out and the mRNA expression level of thrombopoietin (TPO) and c-Mpl were detected by Q-PCR, and c-Mpl in spleen in order to discuss the mechanism of myelosuppression and the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine. RESULTS: Both Liuwei Dihuang Decoction Group and Buzhong Yiqi Decoction Group can accelerate bone marrow hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) in marrow-suppressed mice and enhance cell proliferation by promoting cell cycles from G0/G1 phase to access into S, G2/M phase. And at the same time these Chinese decoctions can increase the mRNA expression level of TPO and c-Mpl in spleen. CONCLUSION: Researched showed that Chinese formula take effect by affecting these genes on myelosuppressed mice.

An evidence-based validation of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes.

OBJECTIVES: A standard description regarding the diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes based on validated evidence is needed for education, practice and evaluation of TCM syndrome-specific treatments. We studied whether an evidence-based four-step approach proposed for the validation of TCM syndromes could validate Kidney-Yin deficiency syndrome (KDS-Yin) and Kidney-Yang deficiency syndrome (KDS-Yang) in middle-aged women with menopausal symptoms. METHODS: TCM classic and contemporary literature were reviewed for the symptoms and the domain changes of KDS-Yin and KDS-Yang. Factor analysis was used to explore whether these symptoms could be grouped according to their mutual relationships in a sample of women. Latent tree models were constructed based on the factor loadings and justifiability by the theory, and were tested by structural equation modelling on another sample of women. RESULTS: The symptoms and domain changes were reviewed from the TCM literature. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified symptom patterns on a sample of 236 women. Based on the findings and the TCM literature, latent tree models of KDS-Yin and KDS-Yang, showing their domain changes and domain symptoms, were constructed and could be confirmed by structural equation modelling on a sample of 323 women. CONCLUSION: KDS-Yin and KDS-Yang in middle-aged women with menopausal symptoms were validated and the four-step approach may be used to validate TCM syndromes.

[Immunosuppressive therapy after human lung transplantation].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of acute rejection after lung transplantation and to discuss optimized immunosuppressive therapy. METHODS: Between November 2002 and June 2006, 16 patients underwent operations on lung transplantation, 7 cases on single-lung transplantation and 9 cases on bilateral-lung transplantation. Immunosuppressive therapy was new triple drug maintenance regimen including tacrolimus (Tac), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids, and (or) daclizumab. RESULTS: Eight cases in new triple drug maintenance regimen with daclizumab. There is no acute rejection in 6 months. Except 2 of the 8 cases died of early post-lung transplantation sever pulmonary edema and dysfunction, 3 of the rest 6 cases underwent acute rejection incident about 21.4% (3/14). CONCLUSION: In this group the new triple drug maintenance regimen including tacrolimus (Tac), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and steroids, and (or) daclizumab acquired beneficial effect in preventing acute rejection after lung transplantation.

[Causes and prevention of anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy and reconstruction through different routes for esophageal cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the anastomotic leakage rates after esophagectomy and reconstruction through different routes for esophageal cancer and analyze the causes for higher anastomotic leakage rate after esophagectomy, systemic lymph node dissection and reconstruction through retrosternal route and its prevention. METHODS: Data of 1105 cases of esophagectomy were reviewed retrospectively. Patients in group A (n=229) underwent esophagectomy through left thoracotomy and intrathoracic anastomosis, patients in group B (n=716), esophagectomy through right anterio-lateral thoracotomy and cervical reconstruction through posterior mediastinal route, patients in group C (n=160) esophagectomy, systemic lymph node dissection and cervical anastomosis through the retrosternal route. RESULTS: The leakage rate was significantly higher (19.4%) in group C than that in group B (11.9%, P< 0.05) and much significantly higher than that in group A (2.2%, P< 0.01). In group C, there was no significant difference in leakage rate between the patients with hand-sewn or mechanical anastomosis (22.2% vs.11.6%, P=0.133), between the patients who had whole stomach or tube-typed gastric reconstruction (25% vs.15.6%, P=0.146). The leakage rate was significantly decreased from 23.3% to 9.1% after prolonged nasal-gastric drainage for seven days (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The high anastomotic leakage rate after retrosternal reconstruction is mainly due to compression of the stomach in the anterior mediastinum. Prolonged nasogastric drainage is an effective way to decrease the leakage rate after systemic lymphadenectomy.