Association between IL-1B gene polymorphisms and Helicobacter pylori infection: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To clarify the impact of IL-1B gene polymorphisms (IL-1B-511C/T, IL-1B-31C/T, IL-1B+3954C/T) in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection by mean of a meta-analysis. METHODS: The relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases until September 9, 2018. Odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the associations. Statistical analyses of this meta-analysis were conducted by using STATA 12 software. RESULTS: Totally, 45 articles including 9606 cases and 5654 controls were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Our results indicated that IL-1B-511C/T polymorphism was significantly related to an increased the risk of H. pylori infection under recessive model (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00-1.27, P = 0.048). However, no significant associations were obtained between H. pylori infection and IL-1B-31C/T as well as IL-1B+3954C/T polymorphisms under all models. In addition, subgroup analyses were also performed by country, study design, and detection methods of H. pylori. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis suggested that IL-1B-511C/T polymorphism was related to the risk of H. pylori infection. Further larger studies with high quality are needed to conform these findings.

Correlation Between Tumor Vasculogenic Mimicry and Poor Prognosis of Human Digestive Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a new pattern of blood supplement independent of endothelial vessels, which is related with tumor invasion, metastasis and prognosis. However, the role of VM in the prognosis of cancer patients is controversial. This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis of the published data to attempt to clarify the prognostic value of VM in the digestive cancer. Relevant studies were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and VIP databases published before March 29, 2018. Studies were included if they detected VM in the digestive cancer and analyzed the overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS) according to VM status. Two independent reviewers screened the studies, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of included studies with the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 12.0 software. A total of 22 studies with 2411 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that VM was related with the poor OS (HR = 2.30, 95% CI: 2.06-2.56, P < 0.001) and DFS (HR = 2.60, 95% CI: 2.07-3.27, P < 0.001) of patients with digestive cancer. Subgroup analysis showed VM was related with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Moreover, the present meta-analysis was reliable, and there was no obvious publication bias. This meta-analysis suggested that VM was a poor prognosis of digestive cancer patients. Further large and well-designed studies are required.

Expression and clinical significance of retinoid X receptor α in esophageal carcinoma.

PURPOSE: Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is one of the most aggressive type cancers and dysregulation of retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) involves various tumors. However, the relationship of RXRα with the clinicopathological factors of EC, particularly prognostic characteristics, remains unclear. This present study was to evaluate the effect of RXRα expression in the development of EC. METHODS: The mRNA and protein expression level of RXRα in EC and normal esophageal tissues using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The subcellular localization was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The clinicopathological parameters were included age, sex, tumor size, differentiation, TNM stages and lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox's regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognosis of 60 patients with EC. RESULTS: RXRα was elevated in EC tissues comparing with normal esophageal tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. The overexpression level of RXRα was closely associated to the tumor differentiation, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of patients with EC. In addition, EC patients with RXRα high expression had significantly lower disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis showed RXRα expression as an independent predictor for the DFS and OS rate of patients with EC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that overexpression of RXRα was correlated with unfavorable prognosis, suggesting that RXRα may serve as a potential targeted therapeutic marker in the treatment of EC.

TFF3 and survivin expressions associate with a lower survival rate in gastric cancer.

Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) and survivin with functions of inhibiting apoptosis are involved in the gastric cancer by overexpression. The purpose of this study is to examine the expression of TFF3 and survivin in patients' tissue samples with gastric cancer and analyze the relationship between the protein expression and the different clinical records. By studying the expressions of TFF3 and survivin in gastric cancer through immunohistochemical staining and examining the survival rate via Kaplan-Meier analysis for gastric cancer patients, we found that the TFF3 and survivin positive expressions have a significant relationship with the lower survival rate comparing to that of negative expressions in the analyzed patients (P < 0.05). And moreover, patients with double positive TFF3 and survivin expressions have the lowest survival rate. TFF3 or survivin positive expression correlates with the lymph node metastasis, metastasis, and TNM stages of gastric cancer. Survival analysis indicates that survival rate has a close relationship with the age, tumor histology, tumor differentiation, degree of infiltration, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stages (P < 0.01). Our data suggest that TFF3 and survivin expressions play a vital role in gastric cancer development, and these two proteins are important markers for prognosis in gastric cancer. Patients with gastric cancer can increase the survival rate through an earlier diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Changes of serum biochemical parameters and liver pathology in 18 patients with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane-induced hepatotoxicity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes of serum biochemical parameters and liver pathology in patients with 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane (TTCE)-induced hepatotoxicity. METHODS: A total of 18 patients were diagnosed as TTCE-induced hepatotoxicity with an incubation period of 11-56 days. Blood samples were obtained from all patients and liver biopsy was performed in 16. RESULTS: All patients had fatigue, poor appetite and dark urine, 15 of whom suffered nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension and other gastrointestinal disorders. All patients had various degrees of liver function damage, and one died from liver failure. The prothrombin time was significantly prolonged in 6 patients. Histological findings showed varying degrees of necrosis, fatty degeneration and fibrosis in portal areas without cirrhosis. Patients with more severe jaundice had more severe pathologic changes, including piecemeal and bridge necrosis, and cholestasis. CONCLUSIONS: TTCE-induced hepatotoxicity may cause the changes in serum biochemical parameters and liver pathology. Most patients might recover with regular treatment. Prevention and early diagnosis of TTCE-induced hepatotoxicity are necessary.

[Correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and three anthropometric indices].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and three anthropometric indices, namely waist to hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI) and waist to height ratio (WHtR). METHODS: This retrospective case-control study involved 77 NAFLD patients and 50 patients without such disease, and their data of the 3 anthropometric indices were collected. Risk correlation analysis and Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test were used for correlation analysis. RESULTS: NAFLD was significantly correlated to WHR (chi(2)(MH)=59.609, P<0.001; odds ratio=30.522, 95% CI 12.815-72.695), WHtR (chi(2)(MH)=45.316, P<0.001; odds ratio=21.037, 95% CI 8.665-51.072) and showed a dose-response relationship with BMI (chi(2)=25.017, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: These results support a close correlation between NAFLD and the 3 anthropometric indices, indicating that BMI, WHR and WHtR can be significant predictors of NAFLD and have potential value for evaluating and predicting NAFLD.

[Effects of interferon on hepatic intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression in patients with chronic hepatitis B].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of interferon -alpha1b (IFN-alpha1b) on hepatic intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and serum HBV DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: Before and 6 months after IFN-alpha1b treatment, liver biopsy was performed in patients with chronic hepatitis B to detect the expression of ICAM-1 in the liver tissues using immunohistochemistry. Serum HBV load was detected with real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction. RESULT: CAM-1 expression in the liver tissue was significantly down-regulated after IFN treatment in patients with severe and moderate chronic hepatitis B (P<0.05). No significant variation was noted in the expression of ICAM-1 in the livers of patients with mild chronic hepatitis B after the treatment (P>0.05). In the patients weakly positive for ICAM-1 expression (+), serum HBV DNA varied scarcely after the treatment (P>0.05), while in the patients with strong ICAM-1 positivity (++, +++, or ++++), significant variation of serum HBV DNA occurred after the treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of IFN-alpha1b is associated with the expression of ICAM-1 in the hepatocytes, and its expression might enhance the effects of IFN on HBV DNA in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

[A clinical and pathological study of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].

OBJECTIVE: To study the pathological and clinical features of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: Grades and stages of liver lesions in 41 patients with NAFLD were analyzed. The relationships between pathohistological features of the livers, serum biochemical parameters, ultrasound examination and other clinical data of the patients were studied. RESULTS: Among the 41 patients with NAFLD (there were 21 with their liver fatty degeneration in grade 1, 15 in grade 2, and 5 in grade 3). There were 2 of grade 0, grade 1 had 25, grade 2 had 10, grade 3 had 3, and grade 4 had 1. Stage 0 of fibrosis was 20, stage 1 was 14, stage 2 was 4, stage 3 was 2, and stage 4 was 1. Degree of fatty degeneration was not positively associated with the body mass index (BMI) of the patients and the ultrasound findings in their livers. Grading of the inflammation was positively related to the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in the blood and ultrasound findings in their livers, but negatively to the platelet counts. Staging of fibrosis of the livers was positively related to the blood ALT, AST, GGT, and ALP, and negatively to triglyceride levels and platelet counts. CONCLUSIONS: Degree of liver fatty degeneration was not associated with grades of inflammation and staging of fibrosis of the liver. BMI, ALT and AST level, platelet counts, and ultrasound grades of fatty liver were associated with the liver histopathological changes of NAFLD patients. Liver biopsy is the essential way to make a diagnosis of NAFLD.

[Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a clinicopathological analysis of liver biopsy in 32 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinicopathological features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and elucidate its diagnosis and differential diagnosis. METHODS: Liver biopsy tissues and clinical data of 32 patients with NASH were collected and the clinicopathological findings by HE and Masson staining were evaluated for NASH grading. RESULTS: Ballooning degeneration of the liver cells and fibrosis around hepatic sinusoid was scarce in mild NASH cases and increased in moderate to severe cases. Steatotic and inflammatory cells in the liver lobes decrease in liver cirrhosis related to seatohepatitis. CONCLUSION: Ballooning degeneration of the liver cells and fibrosis around the hepatic sinusoid have important value in differential diagnosis of mild from moderate to severe NASH, and correct histological grading benefits clinical intervention and prognostic evaluation of NASH.