SOX30 Overexpression Reflects Tumor Invasive Degree, Lymph Node Metastasis and Predicts Better Survival in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Long-Term Follow-Up Cohort Study.

Aims: Sex-determining region Y-box containing gene 30 (SOX30) takes part in the progression of several cancers, while its clinical engagement in colorectal cancer (CRC) is obscure. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of SOX30 with clinicopathological features and prognosis in CRC patients. Methods: Tumor and adjacent noncancerous specimens of 195 CRC patients who received resection were acquired. Furthermore, an immunohistochemistry assay was performed to detect SOX30 protein expression in these specimens; meanwhile, SOX30 mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay in 95 out of 195 specimens. Moreover, clinical characteristics and survival data (follow-up duration median (range): 71.0 (7.0-95.0) months) of CRC patients were gathered. Results: SOX30 protein and mRNA expressions were both decreased in CRC tumor tissue compared to adjacent tissue (both P < 0.001). Furthermore, a negative correlation was found in tumor SOX30 protein expression with tumor size (P = 0.049), lymph node (LYN) metastasis (P = 0.018), T stage (P = 0.001), N stage (P = 0.034), and TNM stage (P = 0.001); tumor SOX30 mRNA expression was also negatively correlated with LYN metastasis (P = 0.001), T stage (P = 0.019), N stage (P = 0.004), and TNM stage (P < 0.001). Furthermore, tumor SOX30 protein expression was positively correlated with overall survival (OS) (P = 0.017), while tumor SOX30 mRNA expression was not correlated with OS (P = 0.070). Multivariate Cox's regression analysis illustrated that tumor SOX30 protein high expression was an independent factor for favorable OS (hazard ratio: 0.525, P = 0.034). Conclusions: SOX30 has potential as a biomarker for the progression and prognostication of CRC, which might improve the management of CRC.

An immune-related gene signature predicts prognosis of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Although the outcome of patients with gastric cancer (GC) has improved significantly with the recent implementation of annual screening programs. Reliable prognostic biomarkers are still needed due to the disease heterogeneity. Increasing pieces of evidence revealed an association between immune signature and GC prognosis. Thus, we aim to build an immune-related signature that can estimate prognosis for GC. METHODS: For identification of a prognostic immune-related gene signature (IRGS), gene expression profiles and clinical information of patients with GC were collected from 3 public cohorts, divided into training cohort (n = 300) and 2 independent validation cohorts (n = 277 and 433 respectively). RESULTS: Within 1811 immune genes, a prognostic IRGS consisting of 16 unique genes was constructed which was significantly associated with survival (hazard ratio [HR], 3.9 [2.78-5.47]; P < 1.0 × 10). In the validation cohorts, the IRGS significantly stratified patients into high- vs low-risk groups in terms of prognosis across (HR, 1.84 [1.47-2.30]; P = 6.59 × 10) and within subpopulations with stage I&II disease (HR, 1.96 [1.34-2.89]; P = 4.73 × 10) and was prognostic in univariate and multivariate analyses. Several biological processes, including TGF-ß and EMT signaling pathways, were enriched in the high-risk group. T cells CD4 memory resting and Macrophage M2 were significantly higher in the high-risk risk group compared with the low-risk group. CONCLUSION: In short, we developed a prognostic IRGS for estimating prognosis in GC, including stage I&II disease, providing new insights into the identification of patients with GC with a high risk of mortality.

[Use of postoperative enteral immunonutrition in malnutrition patients with gastrointestinal malignant tumor].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of postoperative enteral immunonutrition on inflammatory response and immunologic function in patients with gastrointestinal tumor. METHODS: Clinical data of 106 gastrointestinal malignant tumor patients with malnutrition who were treated in the Department of General Surgery, the People's Hospital of Cangzhou in Hebei province from January 2008 to June 2010 were prospectively collected. Patients were randomized into two groups, including enteral immunonutrition group(n=53) and common enteral nutrition group(n=53). Related immunological indices and C-reaction protein were measured on preoperative day 5 and postoperative day 1 and 9. RESULTS: The general information and preoperative immunological indices were comparable between the two groups(P>0.05). On postoperative day 9, levels of CD4, CD4/CD8, IgG, lymphocyte, NK cells, and complement C3, C4, and CH50 in the enteral immunonutrition group were higher than those in common enteral nutrition group. Serum C-reaction protein level was lower than that in control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Postoperative infection rate was 3.8%(2/53) in enteral immunonutrition group, significantly lower than that in control group with an infection rate of 15.1%(8/53)(P<0.05). The mean postoperative hospital stay of the two groups were (8.1±1.1) d and (9.2±2.1) d, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: For gastrointestinal malignant tumor patients with malnutrition, the use of enteral immunonutrition can alleviate the postoperative trauma and inflammatory response, improve the immune function, thus can reduce the occurrence of postoperative infection, and accelerate patient recovery.