PLAU1 Facilitated Proliferation, Invasion, and Metastasis via Interaction With MMP1 in Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm; it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying its initiation and progression is critical for establishing the most appropriate treatment strategies. We found that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (PLAU1) was upregulated and associated with poor prognosis in HNSCC. Silencing of PLAU1 inhibited the proliferation, colony-formation, migration, and invasion abilities of HNSCC cells in vitro and reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), whereas PLAU1 overexpression significantly enhanced the growth, the colony-formation, migration, and invasion abilities, and the xenograft tumor growth of HNSCC cells in vivo and increased the expression of MMP1. The Co-IP assay verified that PLAU1 interacted with MMP1. A positive correlation between PLAU1 and MMP1 expression was observed in HNSCC samples. si-RNAs against MMP1 reversed the aggressive effects of PLAU1 overexpression in HNSCC. Taken together, our data revealed that PLAU1 facilitated HNSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis via interaction with MMP1.

ASPM is a predictor of overall survival and has therapeutic potential in endometrial cancer.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common cancers in women, and its pathogenesis is complex. Abnormal spindle microtubule assembly (ASPM) is highly expressed in a variety of cancers and is related to poor clinical prognosis and recurrence. However, the role of ASPM in EC is still unclear. Our study was conducted to investigate the association of ASPM with tumour progression and prognosis in EC. METHODS: The expression level of ASPM in EC patients was analysed by using the TCGA database and by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to analyse EC patient samples. The relationship between ASPM expression and clinicopathological variables was analysed by the chi-square test. Survival curves were analysed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to measure the prognosis of EC. The effects of ASPM on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of EC cells (HEC-1A and Ishikawa) were analysed by MTT and Transwell assays. The effect of ASPM on the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: ASPM was highly overexpressed in EC. Overexpression of ASPM was related to significantly worse overall survival (P<0.05) in EC patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses suggested that upregulation of ASPM was related to poor prognosis in EC. Knockdown of ASPM inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of EC cells. ASPM knockdown suppressed the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway, while ß-catenin overexpression reversed the effect of shASPM on cell activity. CONCLUSIONS: ASPM acts as an independent predictor of clinical prognosis and serves as a potential target gene for EC therapy.

Plasma osteopontin acts as a prognostic marker in acute intracerebral hemorrhage patients.

BACKGROUND: Osteopontin (OPN), a matricellular protein, is greatly generated from brain tissues after acute brain injury. We determine the relationship between plasma OPN concentrations and outcome after acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a clinical setting. METHODS: In this prospective, observational study enrolling 162 ICH patients and 162 healthy controls, hemorrhagic severity was assessed using National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and hematoma volumes, a poor outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale >2 at poststroke 90 days, and early neurologic deterioration (END) was defined as an increase of ≥4 points in the NIHSS score or death at 24 h from symptoms onset. RESULTS: Plasma OPN concentrations were significantly higher in patients than in controls (median value, 1287.6 vs. 405.7 pmol/l; P < 0.001). OPN concentrations were strongly correlated with admission NIHSS scores (r value = 0.520) and hematoma volumes (r value = 0.468). Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve for poor outcome and END were 0.811 and 0.753 respectively. Plasma OPN emerged as an independent predictor of functional outcome and END, with odds ratio values of 3.897 and 6.004 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma OPN could serve as a useful prognostic biomarker in ICH.

Electric bicycle-related injuries presenting to a provincial hospital in China: A retrospective study.

The use of electric bicycles (EBs) in China is growing. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the pattern and outcomes of EB-related injuries presenting to a major general hospital in China.This was a retrospective review of EB-related injuries presenting to Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from 2008 to 2011. Cases were identified from medical records according to diagnosis codes. Data captured included demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes.A total of 3156 cases were reviewed in the present study. There were 1460 cases of traffic accidents, of which 482 cases were EB-related (32.7%). In addition, most of EB-related cases (44.6%) belonged to the 41- to 60-year-old age group. Median injury severity score was 10. Moreover, 34.9% underwent surgery and 24.7% were admitted to intensive care unit. The median hospitalization cost was 14,269 USD. Fracture (56.5%) was the most frequently diagnosed injury type, and head was the most commonly injured body region (31.1%).EB-related injuries have become a major health concern, making up a sizeable proportion of injuries presenting to the emergency department. Therefore, it is necessary to establish injury prevention and strategies for EB road safety. Implementation of policy such as compulsory helmet use, as well as popularization of EB road safety education should be considered to improve the current situation of EB-related injuries in China.