Dietary choline intake and colorectal cancer: a cross-sectional study of 2005-2018 NHANES cycles.

Background: It remains unclear if choline intake is associated with colorectal cancer. Therefore, we examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: This cross-sectional study included 32,222 U.S. adults in the 2005-2018 NHANE cycles, among whom 227 reported colorectal cancer. Dietary choline was derived from 24-h recalls. Logistic regression estimated odds of colorectal cancer across increasing intake levels, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, BMI, alcohol use, smoking status, comorbidities, and dietary factors (energy, fat, fiber, and cholesterol), the odds ratio (OR) for colorectal cancer was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.69-1.06, p = 0.162) per 100 mg higher choline intake. Across increasing quartiles of choline intake, a non-significant inverse trend was observed (Q4 vs. Q1 OR: 0.76, 95%CI: 0.37 ~ 1.55, P-trend = 0.23). Subgroup analyses revealed largely consistent associations, with a significant interaction by hypertension status (P-interaction =0.022). Conclusion: In this large, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, higher dietary choline intake was not significantly associated with colorectal cancer odds after adjusting for potential confounders. However, a non-significant inverse trend was observed. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

A qualitative study of the experiences of interdisciplinary nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak following the announcement of the "Ten new guidelines" in China.

BACKGROUND: On December 7, 2022, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of China's State Council released the "Ten New Guidelines" to optimize the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention policies further. This signaled a broader shift from "dynamic clearing" to "coexisting with the virus" nationwide. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the experiences and perspectives of interdisciplinary nurses during the COVID-19 outbreak in China after the implementation of the "Ten New Guidelines". The goal is to understand the challenges faced by this unique nursing group and inform organizational support to bolster their well-being and resilience. METHODS: Two tertiary hospitals in southeastern Zhejiang Province were selected, with interdisciplinary nurses chosen as subjects. A constructivist qualitative research approach was employed, using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Research data were collected through interviews and analyzed using content analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen interdisciplinary nurses were included in this study. The analysis revealed four main themes and nine sub-themes. The main themes were: (1) ineffective organizational support (inadequate organizational care, poor PPE, excessive workload), (2) physiological distress after contracting COVID-19 (extreme physical fatigue, leakage of urine due to severe coughing), (3) fear of being wrong (fear of being reprimanded in public, psychological anxiety), and (4) family responsibility anxiety (difficulty of loyalty and filial piety, obligations to their children). CONCLUSION: We provide new evidence that organizations must proactively address the support, training, and communication needs of staff, particularly interdisciplinary nurses, to supplement epidemic containment. This is also essential in helping mitigate the work-family conflicts such roles can create.

Association between friends' hesitancy and personal COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Chinese medical staff.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains problematic among healthcare workers. Social network influences may shape vaccine decision-making, but few studies have examined this in this critical workforce. We assessed the relationship between friends' COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and personal hesitancy among Chinese healthcare personnel. In December 2022-January 2023, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted at a tertiary hospital in China using WeChat. Of the 1832 healthcare personnel who were invited to answer the structured questionnaire, 613 (33.5%) samples had valid data for data analysis. Logistic regression examined the association between friends' hesitancy and participants' own hesitancy, adjusting for confounders. Of 613 healthcare workers included, 266 (43.4%) were hesitant. Those with hesitant friends had 6.34 times higher adjusted odds of hesitating themselves versus those without hesitant friends (95% CI 2.97-13.52). Strong associations persisted across subgroups. Chinese healthcare workers' COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was highly influenced by perceived friends' attitudes. Fostering pro-vaccine social norms through trusted peer networks could help promote vaccine acceptance in this critical workforce.

Understanding factors affecting Chinese medical staff's fear of receiving the fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine: A cross-sectional study in Taizhou.

The study was conducted to assess medical staffs' fear of receiving the fourth dose of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. From December 17, 2022, to January 31, 2023, an online survey was conducted to assess the fear among medical staffs regarding the administration of the fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The participants were exclusively drawn from a tertiary grade hospital in Taizhou. Out of the 1, 832 medical staffs invited to participate in the questionnaire, a total of 613 (33.5%) provided valid responses for subsequent analysis. Among them, 81 (13.8%) expressed fear of receiving the fourth dose of COVID-19. The fear was significantly influenced by these factors: the presence of serious food/drug allergic reactions (OR = 3.84, 95% CI: 1.40-10.52), received booster COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.11-0.35), opinion on vaccination requirement (OR = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.11-0.35), viewpoint (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.12-0.44) with scores ≥10, and positive attitude toward vaccination (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.13-0.35). Our study revealed that a subset of medical staffs still harbor apprehension toward receiving the fourth dose of the new COVID-19 vaccine. Factors influencing this fear encompass allergic reactions, booster COVID-19 vaccine, as well as opinion, viewpoint, and attitude toward vaccination. Educating medical staffs on these factors may help mitigate their fear.

The effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on survival in node negative colorectal cancer with or without perineural invasion: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: It was aimed at assessing the benefits of adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) for patients with node-negative colorectal cancer (CRC) either with or without perineural invasion (PNI). Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science from database inception through October 1, 2023. Survival outcomes were analyzed using hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Heterogeneity for the descriptive meta-analyses was quantified using the I2 statistic. Results: Ten studies included in this review. ACT improved overall survival (OS) (HR 0.52, 95% CI 0.40-0.69) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35-0.82) in PNI + patients but did not affect DFS (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.72-1.77) in PNI- patients. A disease-specific survival (DSS) benefit with chemotherapy was observed in PNI + (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.58-0.99) and PNI- patients (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.57-1.00). And PNI decreased DFS (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.52-2.47) and OS (HR 1.75, 95% CI 0.96-3.17) in node-negative CRC. Conclusions: In conclusion, chemotherapy appears most beneficial for survival outcomes in node-negative patients with PNI, but may also confer some advantage in those without PNI. Systematic Review Registration: Identifier INPLASY2021120103.

Higher dietary fiber intake associated with better survival in male but not female cancer patients: Evidence from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014.

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have found that dietary fiber improves prognosis in cancer patients. However, few subgroup analyses exist. Subgroups can differ greatly in terms of different factors such as dietary intake, lifestyle, and sex. It is unclear whether fiber benefits all of the subgroups equally. In this study, we examined differences in dietary fiber consumption and cancer mortality between subgroups, including sex. METHODS: This trial was conducted using eight consecutive National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANESs) cycles data between 1999 and 2014. Subgroup analyses were used to investigate the results and heterogeneity within subgroups. Survival analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariable Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline analysis were applied to examine the association between dietary fiber intake and mortality. RESULTS: In total, 3504 cases were included in this study. Among the participants, the mean age (SD) was 65.5 (15.7) y and 1657 (47.3%) of the participants were men. Subgroup analysis found that men differed significantly from women (P for interaction < 0.001). We found no significant differences in the other subgroups (all P for interaction > 0.05). During an average follow-up of 6.8 y, 342 cancer deaths were recorded. The Cox regression models found that fiber consumption was associated with a lower cancer mortality rate in men (model I: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.50-0.72; model II: HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.47-0.75; and model III: HR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.77). However, there was no relationship between fiber consumption and cancer mortality in women (model I: HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.88-1.28; model II: HR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84-1.26; and model III: HR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.87-1.50). The Kaplan-Meier curve illustrates that male patients who consumed higher levels of dietary fiber survived significantly longer than those who consumed lower levels of fiber (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of female patients (P = 0.84). A dose-response analysis found an L-shaped relationship between fiber intake and mortality among men. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that higher dietary fiber intake was only associated with better survival in male cancer patients, not in female cancer patients. Sex differences between dietary fiber intake and cancer mortality were observed.

WTAP regulates autophagy in colon cancer cells by inhibiting FLNA through N6-methyladenosine.

Our study investigated the role of WTAP in colon cancer. We employed experiments including m6A dot blot hybridization, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation, dual-luciferase, and RNA immunoprecipitation to investigate the regulatory mechanism of WTAP. Western blot was performed to analyze the expression of WTAP, FLNA and autophagy-related proteins in cells. Our results confirmed the up-regulation of WTAP in colon cancer and its promoting effect on proliferation and inhibiting effect on apoptosis. FLNA was the downstream gene of WTAP and WTAP-regulated m6A modification led to post-transcriptional repression of FLNA. The rescue experiments showed that WTAP/FLNA could inhibit autophagy. WTAP-mediated m6A modification was confirmed to be crucial in colon cancer development, providing new insights into colon cancer therapy.

Association between niacin and mortality among patients with cancer in the NHANES retrospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: The vitamin niacin is used as a lipid-regulating supplement, but it is unknown whether niacin has a positive influence on cancer prognosis. In this study, we examine the relationship between niacin intake and mortality among patients with cancer. METHODS: Our study utilized all available continuous data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2014. Multivariable Cox regression models were applied in order to investigate dietary niacin intake's association with mortality. We compared the survival probability between groups of low and high niacin intake by plotting Kaplan-Meier curves. An analysis of subgroups was used to investigate heterogeneity sources. RESULTS: A total of 3504 participants were included in the cohort, with 1054 deaths. One thousand eight hundred forty-seven participants (52.3%) were female, 2548 participants (73.4%) were white, and the mean age (SE) was 65.38 years (0.32). According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, niacin intake was negatively associated with mortality outcomes in patients with cancer, with P values below 0.05 in all models. In subgroup analyses based on sex, age, and BMI, the association persisted. The Kaplan-Meier curves indicate that high niacin intake groups have better survival rates than low intake groups. Niacin supplementation improved cancer mortality but not all-cause mortality. CONCLUSION: According to our study, higher dietary niacin intake was associated with lower mortality in cancer patients. Niacin supplements improved cancer survival rates, but not all causes of mortality.

Efficacy of Laparoscopic Radical Resection Combined with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Its Impact on Long-Term Prognosis of Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the efficacy of laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its impact on the overall prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CC). Methods: A total of 80 CC patients hospitalized and treated at our hospital between November 2019 and June 2021 were selected at random as research subjects and divided equally into two groups: the surgical group (n = 40) and the combination group (n = 40). Patients in the surgical group were treated with laparoscopic radical resection, while patients in the combination group received laparoscopic radical resection combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The two groups were compared in terms of surgery-related indicators, tumor markers (serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), glycoprotein 199 (CA199), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9)), postoperative complications, and 1-3 years postoperative survival rate and recurrence rate. Results: The surgical duration of the combination group was significantly shorter than the surgical group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in intraoperative blood loss, time to get out of bed, exhaust time, or hospital stay between the two groups (P < 0.05). In the combination group, serum tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9)) were markedly lower than those in the surgical group (P < 0.05). The combination group exhibited fewer postoperative complications than those in the operation group (P < 0.05). In the combination group, the 1-3 years postoperative survival rate was higher, while the 1-3 years postoperative recurrence rate was considerably lower than that in the surgical group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: CC patients benefit well from laparoscopic radical resection coupled with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The approach is efficient in lowering blood tumor markers in patients and lowering the risk of surgery-related complications. It has the potential to enhance patients' long-term prognoses, allowing them to live longer and lower their chance of recurrence.

Examination of the effects of microRNA-145-5p and phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 in colon cancer.

Previous studies manifested that microRNA-145-5p is pivotal in the development of various cancers. Nevertheless, the potential function of microRNA-145-5p in colorectal cancer remains unclear. This study attempted to investigate the potential role and possible mechanism of microRNA-145-5p in colon cancer. MicroRNA-145-5p and phosphoserine aminotransferase 1 (PSAT1) levels in colon cancer cells were assayed via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation and cell cycle status were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry. The target binding relationship of microRNA-145-5p and PSAT1 was identified using bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The result of qRT-PCR disclosed that microRNA-145-5p was markedly down-regulated and PSAT1 level was up-regulated in colon cancer cell lines. Besides, enforced microRNA-145-5p level repressed proliferation of colon cancer cells, and cells were arrested in G0-G1 phase. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter genes confirmed that PSAT1 was a downstream target of microRNA-145-5p. Enforced PSAT1 level remarkably modulated cell cycle and fostered cell proliferation. Furthermore, rescue experiments displayed that microRNA-145-5p restrained cell cycle progression and cell proliferation and forced PSAT1 level could partially reverse this process. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that microRNA-145-5p repressed colon cancer cell cycle progression and cell proliferation via targeting PSAT1. Our findings identified microRNA-145-5p as an essential tumor repressor gene in colon cancer and may provide a novel biomarker for colon cancer.

Laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy improves postoperative inflammation and gastric function in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy on the inflammation and recovery of gastrointestinal function in elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Data of 80 elderly patients with advanced GC admitted to the Taizhou First people's Hospital from May 2014 to January 2019 were collected for this retrospective analysis. Among them, 34 patients underwent open D2 radical gastrectomy were regarded as control group. The other 46 patients underwent laparoscopic D2 radical gastrectomy were considered as observation group. Both groups underwent 2/3 or more mid-segment gastrectomy with D2 regional lymphatic dissection. The operative time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative ventilation time, length of stay (LOS) and perioperative complication rates were compared between the two groups. Peripheral blood was drawn before and after surgery to detect the inflammatory factors C-reactive protein (CRP), calcitoninogen (PCT), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), gastric function gastrin 17 (G-17), and pepsinogen (PG) I and II. Subsequently, patients were followed up for 3-year prognosis to document the survival of patients. RESULTS: The operative time and LOS were shorter and intraoperative bleeding was lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in treatment costs and incidence of perioperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05). After surgery, CRP, PCT and TNF-α were elevated in both groups but were lower in the observation group than that in the control group (P<0.05). PG I was dramatically higher (P<0.05), while PG II and G-17 were lower (P<0.05) in both groups after treatment. Also, the posttreatment PG I and G-17 were higher (P<0.05) and PG II was lower (P<0.05) in the observation group than those in the control group. Prognostic follow-up revealed no statistical difference between groups in terms of the 1-year and 3-year overall survival (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic D2 radical surgery is more effective in the treatment of advanced GC in the elderly, because it can effectively suppress the postoperative inflammation and improve recovery of gastric function. Hence, it has a high clinical application value.

Extracellular vesicles carrying miR-193a derived from mesenchymal stem cells impede cell proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer by downregulating FAK.

MicroRNA (miR) deregulation is frequently seen in colon cancer. In this study, we sought to investigate biological effects of miR-193a on colon cancer and its underlying mechanism. Microarray analysis was conducted to obtain the differentially expressed miRs and their target genes in colon cancer. Bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) were obtained. The functional roles of miR-193a and FAK in colon cancer were determined using loss- and gain-function experiments. The cell proliferation, and migration and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8 and Transwell assay respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to confirm the targeting relationship between miR-193a and FAK. Furthermore, in vivo experiment was conducted to test the roles of EV miR-193a in colon cancer growth, followed by determination of PCNA, MMP-2, and MMP-9 protein expression using Western blot analysis. MiR-193a was downregulated, whereas FAK was upregulated in colon cancer. MiR-193a upregulation or FAK downregulation inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells. miR-193a could downregulate FAK. Upregulation of EV miR-193a was observed to impede proliferation, migration and invasion of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, accompanied by decreased PCNA, MMP-2, and MMP-9 expression. In summary, EV miR-193a derived from MSCs impeded colon cancer progression by targeting FAK, thus suggesting a new potential strategy for colon cancer treatment.

lncRNA LINC00460 Silencing Represses EMT in Colon Cancer through Downregulation of ANXA2 via Upregulating miR-433-3p.

Colon cancer (CC), one of the major causes of tumor-associated death, is often presented with a heterogenic pool of cells with unique differentiation patterns. This study explored the functions that LINC00460 displayed in CC by regulating microRNA-433-3p (miR-433-3p) and Annexin A2 (ANXA2). LINC00460 expression was either silenced or overexpressed in HCT-116 and LOVO cells to explore the functional roles of LINC00460 in CC. The relationship between miR-433-3p and LINC00460/ANXA2 was analyzed using dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA-pull down, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, and apoptosis were examined in vitro, and tumorigenicity was evaluated in vivo following LINC00460 silencing. Additionally, the regulatory mechanisms were investigated using LINC00460 and ANXA2 gain- or loss-of-function experiments. We found that LINC00460 was expressed highly in CC. Downregulation of LINC00460 inhibited cell invasion and proliferation in vitro and restrained tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, LINC00460 was able to specifically bind to miR-433-3p to increase the expression of ANXA2. Furthermore, LINC00460 downregulated the E-cadherin expression and upregulated the vimentin and N-cadherin expression by upregulating ANXA2, therefore inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings suggested that LINC00460 might function as an oncogenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in CC development and could be explored as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for CC.

Decrease expression of microRNA-744 promotes cell proliferation by targeting c-Myc in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large group of post-transcriptional gene regulators that potentially play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Increasing evidences indicate that miR-744 deregulated in numerous human cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its role in HCC carcinogenesis remains poorly defined. In this study, we investigated the roles of miR-744 in tumor growth of HCC. METHODS: Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was conducted to detect the expression of miR-744 and Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect expression of c-Myc in HCC specimens and adjacent normal tissues. The biological functions of miR-744 were determined by cell proliferation and cell cycle assay. Furthermore, cell lines transfected with miR-744 mimics were analyzed in vitro. Luciferase reporter assays was performed to confirm whether miR-744 regulated the expression of c-Myc. RESULTS: Our results showed that the expression of miR-744 was frequently down-regulated in both HCC tissues and cells. Furthermore, restoration of miR-744 in HCC cells was statistically correlated with decrease of cell growth and restored G1 accumulation. Luciferase assay and Western blot analysis revealed that c-Myc is a direct target of miR-744. Down-regulation of miR-744 and up-regulation of c-Myc were detected in HCC specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, restoration of miR-744 rescues c-Myc induced HCC proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that miR-744 exerts its tumor suppressor function by targeting c-Myc, leading to the inhibition of HCC cell growth. miR-744 may serve as a potentially useful target for the miRNA-based therapies of HCC in the future.