CircRNA circ-PDCD11 is highly expressed in lung large-cell carcinoma and predicts poor survival.

BACKGROUND: Circ-PDCD11 (hsa_circ_0019853, 461 bp) has been characterized as an oncogenic circRNA in breast cancer, while its function in other cancers is unclear. In this study, we explored the role of circ-PDCD11 in lung cancer. METHODS: Plasma samples were obtained from patients with lung large-cell carcinoma (LLCC, n = 40), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC, n = 40), lung adenocarcinoma (LA, n = 40) and small-cell lung cancer (SCLC, n = 40) as well as healthy controls (Control, n = 40). Paired tumor and nontumor tissue samples were obtained from all patients. Expression of circ-PDCD11 in these samples was determined by RT-qPCR. The role of plasma circ-PDCD11 in the diagnosis of LLCC was analyzed with ROC curve. A five-year follow-up was performed to analyze the role of plasma circ-PDCD11 in the prognosis of LLCC. RESULTS: Plasma circ-PDCD11 was specifically upregulated in LLCC but not in other lung cancer types, compared to the controls. Increased circ-PDCD11 expression in tumor tissues compared to nontumor tissues was only observed in LLCC patients but not in other lung cancer types. Increased plasma circ-PDCD11 levels effectively separated LLCC patients from patients with other types of cancers. High plasma circ-PDCD11 levels were closely correlated with poor survival of LLCC patients. Plasma circ-PDCD11 levels were closely correlated with tumor metastasis, but not tumor size of LLCC. CONCLUSION: CircRNA circ-PDCD11 is highly expressed specifically in LLCC and predicts poor survival.

[Effect of second-line treatment with capecitabine and thalidomide in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer].

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the efficacy and tolerability of capecitabine plus thalidomide in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer who previously underwent gemcitabine-based therapy. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with unresectable or metastatic PC who had progressed on single-agent Gem or a Gem-containing regimen were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group (31 patients) was treated with capecitabine alone, and another group was treated with capecitabine plus thalidomide. Capecitabine was administered orally twice a day at a dose of 1, 250 mg/m(2) for 14-day followed by 7-day rest and oral thalidomide 100 mg was given daily without interruption until disease progression or occurrence of unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: The PFS was 2.8 months (95%CI 2.4 - 3.2) vs. 3.1 months (95%CI 2.6-3.6, P < 0.05) and the OS was 6.1 months (95%CI 5.3 - 6.9) vs. 6.3 months (95%CI 5.2 - 7.4, P = 0.426). In the capecitabine alone group, one patient experienced a partial response (PR), 10 patients showed stable disease (SD) and 20 patients had progressive disease (PD). The another group, two patients experienced a partial response (PR), 11 patients SD, and 17 patients PD. The disease control rates were 35.5% and 43.3%, respectively. The major adverse reaction in the two groups was grade 3 diarrhea. CONCLUSION: Capecitabine plus thalidomide regimen is marginally effective and well tolerated in the second-line setting in patients with gemcitabine-refractory advanced pancreatic cancer.

Prognostic significance of metabolic parameters measured by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in patients with small cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of some metabolic parameters measured by (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ((18)F-FDG PET/CT) in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 98 patients with pathologically proven SCLC who underwent pre-treatment (18)F-FDG PET/CT. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV), integrated standardized uptake value (iSUV) and average SUV (SUV(mean)) of all malignant lesions, and maximum SUV (SUV(max)) of the primary tumor were measured by (18)F-FDG PET/CT. We determined the relationship between overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) and these PET metabolic parameters. RESULTS: The estimated median OS and PFS for the entire cohort were 16.7 months and 9.8 months. The patients with larger MTV had significantly shorter median OS (9.6 months vs 23.2 months, P<0.001) and PFS (6.9 months vs 15.5 months, P<0.001) than the patients with smaller MTV. On multivariate analysis, MTV, iSUV, tumor stage and LDH were the significantly prognostic factors with OS and PFS. SUV(max) did not show correlation with OS and PFS. In subgroup analysis, limited disease (LD) with larger MTV showed significantly shorter median OS and PFS than LD with smaller MTV. Extensive disease (ED) with larger MTV also had significantly shorter median OS and PFS than the same stage with smaller MTV. CONCLUSIONS: MTV and iSUV are important independent prognostic factors for survival in patients with SCLC. Either MTV or iSUV may identify subgroups of patients at higher risk of progression or death in both LD and ED SCLC.

Role of Cks1 amplification and overexpression in breast cancer.

Gain of chromosome 1q is a common event in many kinds of carcinomas. The Cks1 gene, located at 1q21, is required for p27 ubiquitination by the SCF(skp2) ubiquitinating machinery. In the present study, we found that Cks1 gene amplification was highly correlated with protein overexpression. Statistical analysis showed that amplification and overexpression of Cks1 were strongly associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. At the molecular level, knockdown of Cks1 expression by RNA interference inhibited the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells, damaged cell migration and invasion ability. Knockdown of Cks1 expression promoted apoptosis of breast cancer cells and a wobble mutant of Cks1 that was resistant to Cks1 siRNA can rescue this effect. Overexpression of Cks1 inhibited the apoptosis of breast cancer cells through the MEK-Erk pathway. These data suggest that Cks1 is an oncogene in the 1q21 amplicon and plays an important role for breast cancer development.

Immunization of mice with concentrated liquor from male zooid of Antheraea pernyi.

AIM: To study the effects of concentrated liquor from male zooid of Antheraea pernyi on immunological mice. METHODS: For each experiment, 40 mice were randomly divided into normal saline group (control group) and three tested groups that were administered different dosages of concentrated liquor from male zooid of A. pernyi and food for 15 d. The typical FSR and HC(50) value, monocyte-phagocytic exponent K and emendated monocyte-phagocytic exponent alpha were determined and calculated respectively. RESULTS: After 24 and 48 h, the FSR values of the three tested groups improved significantly in comparison to the control group by variance analysis. The HC(50) values showed a significant difference between the high dosage group and the control group, as well as between the high dosage group and other two tested groups. The monocyte-phagocytic exponent K and emendated exponent alpha showed rising tendencies, but no significant differences were found by variance analysis. CONCLUSION: The concentrated liquor from male zooid of A. pernyi can significantly enhance cellular and humoral immune function in mice, but has no distinct influence on the monocyte-phagocytic system in mice.