A Cross-Sectional Study of the Association between Arterial Stiffness and Sarcopenia in Chinese Community-Dwelling Elderly Using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia Criteria.

BACKGROUND: Several previous researches had found artery stiffness associated skeletal muscle mass, but not considering muscle strength and physical performance, which also were compositions of sarcopenia. This study aims to reveal the relationship of artery stiffness and sarcopenia using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. METHODS: Study was performed on 1002 Chinese community dwelling participants aged ≥65 years from November 2016 to March 2017. Body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) considering as artery stiffness index were measured. RESULTS: In multiple regression analysis, baPWV was associated with handgrip (ß=-0.13, P=0.04) and Relative skeletal muscle mass index (ASM/Ht2) (ß=-0.02, P<0.01), but not with 4-meter velocity (P=0.21). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 1-SD (3.50m/s) increased in baPWV was still associated with a 11% (CI, 4%-20%; P<0.01) higher odds of being sarcopenia. In the gender subgroup analysis, the relationship of baPWV and sarcopenia remain significant in men (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42, P<0.01), but not in women (P=0.07). CONCLUSIONS: High brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is associated with sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling elderly, with gender differences.

Correlation of CT indicators of NSCLC and pathological features and the expression level of p53 and c-myc.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlations of the computed tomography (CT) signs of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with pathological features and the expression levels of phosphoprotein 53 (p53) and c-Myc in patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 87 patients with NSCLC admitted to the Department of Oncology in our hospital from July 2014 to March 2017 were randomly selected. Morphologies of NSCLC and cancer-adjacent tissues were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining; messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels of p53 and c-Myc in cancer and cancer-adjacent tissues were detected using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC); spiral CT (SCT) was conducted for exploring imaging signs of patients with NSCLC; the correlation of CT signs with pathology and the expressions of p53 and c-Myc was analyzed. RESULTS: H&E staining showed that NSCLC tissues had a larger nucleus, a larger nucleus-cytoplasm ratio, and a more evident histopathological atypia, with no clear histological structure compared with cancer-adjacent normal tissues; RT-PCR and IHC results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of p53 and c-Myc in NSCLC tissues were significantly higher than those in cancer-adjacent tissues, in which differences in mRNA levels were 1.75 folds and 1.84 folds, respectively (p<0.05). SCT signs indicated that swollen lymph nodes and spiculation, spinous process and deep lobulation signs often occurred in the chest of NSCLC patients, and pleural indentation appeared in the majority of patients; the chi-square test results showed that the positive rates of p53 and c-Myc proteins were not related to pathological types of NSCLC, but significantly correlated with tumor differentiation (p<0.05); the positive rates of p53 and c-Myc proteins were correlated with tumor diameter, spiculation and deep lobulation signs and lymph node metastasis (p<0.05), but not associated with spinous process, vacuole and pleural indentation signs (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CT scan combined with the detection of p53 and c-Myc expressions can improve the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis and clinical staging for patients with NSCLC, which is conducive to the clinical treatment and prognosis analysis of NSCLC.

Expression and clinical significance of miR-181a and miR-203 in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

OBJECTIVE: MiR-181a plays a critical role in modulating T cell and B cell differentiation, as well as immune response. Its abnormal expression probably participates in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). MiR-203 is involved in regulating Toll-like receptor and inducing immune tolerance. Abnormal expression or function of miR-203 is related to multiple auto-immune diseases but its role in SLE remains unclear. This study, thus, investigated the serum level of miR-181a and miR-203, to analyze their roles in diagnosing and evaluating SLE. PATIENTS AND METHODS: SLE patients were recruited from our hospital, and divided into non-active and active SLE based on disease activity index, along with healthy individuals. qRT-PCR was used to quantify the serum miR-181a and miR-203 expression, and their correlation with clinical features. ROC was used to evaluate the diagnostic value on SLE, while survival curves were compared to show progression-free survival (PFS) between populations with high and low expression. RESULTS: SLE patients had significantly higher serum levels of miR-181a and lower miR-203, both of which were correlated with SLE activity. Expression levels of miR-181a and miR-203 were correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C reactive protein, anti-dsDNA antibody, complements, and SLEDAI score. Their expression levels had certain values in the differential diagnosis for active SLE (AUC=0.885 and 0.843). PFS in miR-181a high-expression individuals was lower than that in the low-miR-181 group (χ2=7.474, p=0.029). Whilst, miR-203 high-expression SLE patients had higher PFS than low-expression group (χ2=4.367, p=0.037). CONCLUSIONS: SLE patients had higher miR-181a and lower miR-203 expression, which thus may have critical implications in disease diagnosis and evaluation.

Interleukin-27 augments the inhibitory effects of sorafenib on bladder cancer cells

Both sorafenib and interleukin-27 (IL-27) are antineoplastic drugs. This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of these two drugs on bladder cancer cells. HTB-9 and T24 cells were stimulated with IL-27 (50 ng/mL), sorafenib (2 μM) or the synergistic action of these two drugs. The cells without treatment acted as control. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion were measured by bromodeoxyuridine assay, flow cytometry and modified Boyden chamber, respectively. Simultaneously, both modified Boyden chamber and scratch assay were used to assess cell migration. Finally, the phosphorylation levels of key kinases in the Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were detected by western blot analysis. Stimulation with IL-27 or sorafenib repressed proliferation, migration and invasion but promoted apoptosis, and the effects were all enhanced by the combination of these two drugs in HTB-9 cells. The effect of the combined treatment on bladder cancer cells was verified in T24 cells. Additionally, the phosphorylation levels of AKT, mTOR and MAPK as well as the expression levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were all decreased by a single treatment of IL-27 or sorafenib, and further decreased by the combined treatment of these two drugs. The combination of IL-27 and sorafenib inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion and promoted apoptosis of bladder cancer cells compared with mono-drug treatment. Additionally, the AKT/mTOR/MAPK pathway might be implicated in the functional effects by down-regulations of MMP-2 and MMP-9.

Phase I study of concurrent selective lymph node late course accelerated hyper-fractionated radiotherapy and pemetrexed, cisplatin for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The optimized concurrent chemoradiotherapy has not been established for patients with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of concurrent chemotherapy and selective lymph node (SLN) late course accelerated hyperfractionated (LCAF) intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for the patients with thoracic SCC. Twelve patients with T3-4N0-1M0-1a thoracic esophageal SCC were included. The total dose of SLN LCAF IMRT was 59.6 Gy/34 fractions in 5.4 weeks. The concurrent chemotherapy protocol was as following: cisplatin 10 mg/m(2) on days 1-5 and 22-26, pemetrexed in escalating doses, from the base level of 500 mg/m(2) once every 21 days. The primary objectives were to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), recommended dose (RD), and dose limiting toxicities (DLTs). Secondary end point included determination of preliminary radiographic response rates. As a result, three patients were enrolled in dose level 1 with pemetrexed 500 mg/m(2) and nine patients in dose level 0 with 400 mg/m(2) , respectively. At dose level 1, DLTs occurred in two of three patients. However, only two of nine patients in Level 0 developed DLTs. The complete response and partial response were observed in eight and four patients, respectively. Furthermore, no patient experienced cancer progression with a median follow-up of 9 months. In conclusion, the concurrent SLN LCAF IMRT and chemotherapy is feasible. The MTD of pemetrexed in this regimen was 500 mg/m(2) and RD was 400 mg/m(2) . Although toxicities were common, the protocol was safe, well tolerated, and achieved an encouraging outcome.