MicroRNA-224 inhibition prevents progression of cervical carcinoma by targeting PTX3.

Cervical carcinoma is known as one of the most lethal and common conditions in women worldwide. Increasing evidence shows that microRNAs (miRs) may be involved in the pathogenesis of cervical carcinoma. This study investigates the correlation between expression of miR-224 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and both diagnosis and prognosis of cervical carcinoma to clarify the effect miR-224 has on the biological behaviors of the subjected cervical carcinoma cells. Initially, 132 patients diagnosed with cervical carcinoma and 120 healthy subjects were recruited. Peripheral blood expression of miR-224 and PTX3 was detected. A telephone follow-up was performed every 3 months after treatment. The diagnostic value of miR-224 in cervical carcinoma was analyzed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. The effects of both miR-224 and PTX3 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated with an intervention of miR-224 ectopic expression or depletion and PTX3 silencing. The bioinformatics prediction website and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed PTX3 to be a target gene for miR-224. Moreover, miR-224 was detected as over-expressed, but PTX3 was under-expressed in cervical carcinoma. Additionally, as a diagnostic biomarker, a high miR-224 expression was closely linked with the progression of cervical carcinoma. Both miR-224 overexpression and PTX3 silencing promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas, the aforementioned properties were depressed when miR-224 was inhibited. Altogether, the miR-224 overexpression may be a biological indicator in predicting the progression of cervical carcinoma. Thus, miR-224 inhibition may significantly prevent cervical carcinoma progression by targeting the PTX3 gene.

Primary clear cell adenocarcinoma of the colon presenting as a huge extracolic mass: A case report.

A primary clear cell adenocarcinoma of the colon is a rare oncologic entity. The current study presents a case of such a tumor in the transverse colon of a 26-year-old male, and describes the computed tomography features of the neoplasm. The tumor appeared as an extensive extracolic mass, which displaced the loop of the small bowel and pancreas, and invaded the spleen. A laparotomy was performed and a huge mass measuring 12 cm maximally was revealed, arising from the transverse colon close to the left colonic flexure, with invasion of the spleen. The tumor and the spleen were resected concurrently. Histopathological examination of the excised mass revealed features of clear cell adenocarcinoma. A primary clear cell adenocarcinoma of the colon is a rare tumor, with only 13 cases reported in the English literature at present. The present case is reported here due to its rarity.