Elevated pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio indicate low survival rate in apatinib-treated patients with non-small cell lung cancer: A STROBE-compliant article.

This study aimed to analyze the predictive value of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to better clarify which patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) would benefit most from apatinib after multiline treatment for drug resistance. This observational cohort study involved patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with apatinib between May 2016 to May 2018. The participants in this study had previously been treated with at least two treatment regimens. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional risk models were used to evaluate the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of the pretreatment NLR. A total of 125 patients were reviewed. The median age was 64 years (range, 33-92); and 32.8% of the patients were female. Only 0.8% of the patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS) score ≥ 2. In multivariate analysis, pretreatment NLR ≥ 5 had an independent correlation with inferior OS (median 2.07 vs 3.40 months; HR 1.493, 95% CI 1.022-2.182; P = .038) and inferior PFS (median 1.83 vs 2.76 months; HR 1.478, 95% CI 1.015-2.153; P = .042). Elevated pretreatment NLR is associated with shorter OS and PFS in patients with advanced NSCLC treated with apatinib after multiline treatment for drug resistance.

Correlation between expression of thymidylate synthase and clinical outcome of advanced gastric cancer treated with capecitabine alone chemotherapy.

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a prognostic marker in various tumors. However, the results of previous investigations in gastric cancer (GC) were controversial. The objective of this article is to investigate whether TS expression is associated with clinical outcome in advanced GC receiving capecitabine alone chemotherapy. The study reviewed 58 cases of advanced GC in patients aged ≥65 years between December 2008 and June 2012. All patients were treated with capecitabine alone chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining for TS protein expression was performed. The relationships between TS expression and clinicopathological characteristics (included age, gender, number of metastatic sites, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, differentiation, and lymph node metastatic status), chemotherapy response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. There was no association between TS expression and age, gender, number of metastatic sites, ECOG score, differentiation, and lymph node metastatic status (P > 0.05). The chemotherapy response rates among patients with low- and high-level expression of TS protein were 52.0 % (13/25) and 21.2 % (7/33), respectively (χ (2) = 5.968, P = 0.015). The median PFS and OS in patients with low-level TS expression were significantly longer than those with high-level TS expression (PFS 8.0 vs 2.8 m, P = 0.001; OS 13.3 vs 7.9 m, P = 0.002, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that TS expression was independent risk factor for OS (hazard ratio (HR) 0.237; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.108 to 0.520; P = 0.000). The present study demonstrates that TS expression is associated with chemotherapy response, PFS, and OS in advanced GC patients treated with capecitabine alone chemotherapy.

[Prospective study of the association between fasting glucose concentrations and liver cirrhosis risk].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between concentration levels of fasting serum glucose and liver cirrhosis. METHODS: A nested case-control study was carried out based on the sample cohort from the Nutrition Intervention Trials previously conducted in one country in Henan province. Using an automatic biochemical analysis system and enzyme-linked immunoassay, baseline serum samples from 310 liver cirrhosis patients and 620 healthy controls were tested for fasting glucose concentration, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), and hepatitis C virus antibody (anti-HCV). Baseline demographic information was collected by questionnaire. The serum glucose values were divided into quintiles and applied to a logistic regression model to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). RESULTS: The mean fasting blood glucose level was significantly higher in cases (4.5+/-1.8 mmol/L) than in controls (4.2+/-2.1 mmol/L) (t=-2.414, P=0.016). The individuals in the highest quintile had a significantly higher risk of disease than those in the lowest quintile [OR=1.672 (1.080, 2.588)]. Moreover, increase in glucose level was accompanied by increased risk, and the relation showed statistically significant linearity (P=0.002). The statistical significance of risk remained after adjustment for potential confounders, including sex, age, HBsAg, anti-HBc, and residence running water status [OR=1.96 (1.216, 3.157), P=0.001]. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum fasting glucose concentration was an independent risk factor of cirrhosis.

Life-style and genital human papillomavirus in a cross-sectional survey in Shanxi Province, China.

BACKGROUND: To determine the age-stratified HPV prevalence rate and the risk factors of life-style associated with HPV infection among women in rural China. METHODS: An age-stratified, cross-sectional survey of 941 women between 16-59 years old was conducted in rural China. Carcinogenic HPV infection was determined using Digene's Hybrid Capture II HPV DNA test and interviews of life-style were conducted. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) from the logistic regression models were used to determine the risk factors associated with HPV. RESULTS: Among 941 women, 745 who had sexual intercourse underwent a cervical examination. The prevalence rate of 13 carcinogenic HPV infections among women 20-59 years old was 15.97%. the rate of HPV prevalence in the 25-34 age group was statistically lower than that in 20-24 and 35-59 age groups (X²=13.3, P=0.0013). The OR of bathing every 7-19 days, 20-180 days, less than once every 180 days vs. bathing at least once a week were 1.19, 1.83 and 2.29 respectively and they had a dose-response relationship (Trend Test: P=0.003). The OR of women aged 25-34 age group vs. 20-24 age group was 0.40 (0.16 - 0.97) and the OR of bathing once every 180 days or less vs. at least once weekly was 2.22 (1.14 - 4.33) adjusted for the other confounding factors,. CONCLUSIONS: The HPV prevalence rate was lowest among child bearing women aged 25-34 year. Also, personal hygiene is significantly associated with the HPV infection in this area, regardless of age.

[Human papillomavirus genotype distribution in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in Mongolian women in inner Mongolia autonomy region].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV genotype distribution in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in the Mongolian women in Inner Mongolia autonomy region. METHODS: The prevalence data of HPV in our department were retrospectively reviewed. INNO-LiPA genotyping technique was used to detect HPV genotypes in the reserved carcinoma tissue specimens. RESULTS: Totally 63 tissue specimens were collected and detected. The prevalence of HPV was 93.7%. The positive rates of HPV among different clinical staging and different pathological grading were not significantly different (P >0.05). The prevalence of HPV16 was not significantly different among different age groups (P>0.05). HPV16 (69.8%), HPV18 (4.8%), HPV31 (4.8%), HPV39 (4.8%), and HPV52 (3.2%) were the 5 dominating HPV genotypes in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: HPV infection is closely correlated with invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix in Mongolia women. HPV16 is the most important genotype in invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix, followed by HPV18, 31, and 39. HPV infection dose not affect the progression and differentiation of invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

[Human papillomaviruses infections among village women in Henan province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) among village women in Henan and to determine its relevant risk factors. METHODS: A population based cross-sectional study on cervical cancer was conducted among village women in Xinmi, Henan. Women aged 20 - 54 who had sexual intercourse experiences were enrolled in this study. Self-sampling and direct-sampling were used in collecting women's vaginal discharge. 13 high-risk HPVs were tested with HC2 for all of the specimens. Then women with abnormal results did colposcopy and biopsy. The biopsy results were regarded as the golden standard. RESULTS: There were 881 women enrolled in this paper and 881 self-sampling and 880 direct-sampling specimens were collected. The HPVs prevalence rates for the self-sampling and direct-sampling were 13.05% and 12.27%, respectively. Age-specific prevalence rates were 10.57% (20-), 9.60% (25-), 12.00% (30-), 9.52% (35-), 17.60% (40-), 13.74% (45-) and 12.80% (50 - 54). HPV prevalence rates were increased with progression of cervical disease (chi(2) = 200.69, P = 0.00). And HPV prevalence rates were higher in women with more advanced education background (chi(2) = 11.05, P = 0.01). HPV infection rate in women whose husbands have more than one sexual partner was 18.02% and whose husbands have only one sexual partner was 10.88% (chi(2) = 6.37, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The infection rate of high-risk HPVs in this area is high. The relationship of HPV infection with age has not been observed in this study, but the the sexual activity is the major risk factor for cervical cancer.

[Present state of studies on anatomical anomalies in cryptorchidism].

Cryptorchidism is a clinically common congenital deformity of the genital organ, the etiological factors of which are still not clarified up to now. Undescended testis is frequently accompanied with the anomalies of the spermatic cord, gubernaculum testis, processus vaginalis, and epididymis. Because these anatomical anomalies act as terminal factors or the ending in the links of the cause of cryptorchidism, it is of important directive significance for the clinical treatment of the problem to seek evidence of anatomical anomalies at orchiopexy to demonstrate the etiological factors of cryptorchidism.