Clinical efficacy of early postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy combined with Temozolomide chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with malignant glioma.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of early postoperative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) combined with temozolomide chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with malignant glioma. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study 80 patients with glioma surgery admitted to Chengde Central Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were selected and divided into two groups according to postoperative treatment: the experimental group and the control group, with 40 cases in each group. Patients in the experimental group received IMRT combined with temozolomide chemotherapy postoperatively, while those in the control group received IMRT alone. The clinical effects of patients were analyzed before treatment and three months after treatment, and the incidence of adverse reactions such as bone marrow suppression, gastrointestinal reactions, fever, and liver dysfunction were analyzed in the two groups within one month after treatment. Before treatment and two months after treatment, MMSE scale, QOL scale and KPS were used to compare the cognitive function and health status of the patients. All patients were followed up for one year after treatment, and the difference of disease progression-free survival and overall survival rate between the two groups was analyzed. Results: The effective rate of the experimental group was 70% after treatment, while that of the control group was 43.3%, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.04). The incidence of adverse reactions was 50% in the experimental group and 40% in the control group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.25). After treatment, MMSE score, QOL score and KPS score of the experimental group were significantly improved compared with those of the control group, with statistically significant differences between the two groups (MMSE score, QOL, P=0.00; KPS, P=0.01). Moreover, the two groups of patients were followed up for one year after treatment. The disease progression-free survival rate of the experimental group was 70% and that of the control group was 47.5%, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.04), and the overall survival rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group after treatment, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.03). Conclusion: Early postoperative IMRT combined with temozolomide chemotherapy is an effective treatment regimen for patients with malignant glioma, boasting a variety of advantages such as high efficiency, cognitive function, favorable recovery of health status, significantly improved progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate, and no significant increase in adverse reactions.

Association Between ESR1 XBAI and Breast Cancer Susceptibility: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE: Estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) XbaI polymorphisms may affect breast cancer susceptibility; however, the results of previously published studies are inconsistent. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between ESR1 XbaI polymorphism and breast cancer risk.  Methods: Articles from the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, WoS, Scopus, Wanfang Data, CNKI, CBM and CQVIP databases were systematically searched to determine the association between ESR1 XbaI polymorphism and breast cancer risk. The pooled results were assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), followed by subgroup analysis.  Results: Twenty-two studies involving 12,821 cases and 14,739 control subjects were analyzed. The pooled results indicated that ESR1 XbaI polymorphism may decrease risk of breast cancer in AG vs. AA (co-dominant model: OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79-0.97, P = 0.015) and AG + GG vs. AA models (dominant model: OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80-0.98, P = 0.022). Subgroup analysis indicated significant associations between the ESR1 XbaI polymorphism and breast cancer risk were observed in Asian subjects, non-Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium study, post-menopausal status and hospital-based subgroups under the AG vs. AA and AG + GG vs. AA models (all P < 0.05).  Conclusions: Our analysis of pooled data indicated that AG genotype in ESR1 XbaI may be a protective factor for breast cancer patients in some subgroups.

Effects of Recombinant Circularly Permuted Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) (Recombinant Mutant Human TRAIL) in Combination with 5-Fluorouracil in Human Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines HCT116 and SW480.

BACKGROUND Circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, a mutant form of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, is an effective antitumor cytokine. However, its antitumor effect in colorectal cancer is unclear. This study assessed the antitumor effect of circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand alone or with 5-fluorouracil in colorectal cancer cells in vitro and explored the underlying mechanisms. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used the (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium) (MTS) assay to analyze cell proliferation inhibition. The apoptotic effects of circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, 5-fluorouracil, or both in human colorectal cancer cells were evaluated using flow cytometry. Furthermore, the levels of apoptosis-related proteins were examined by Western blotting. RESULTS Compared to either agent alone, cotreatment with 5-fluorouracil and circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand showed obvious antitumor effects and induced significant apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. 5-Fluorouracil enhanced circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptosis by increasing death receptor 4 and 5 levels in HCT116 cells, but only of death receptor 4 in SW480 cells. Moreover, 5-fluorouracil plus circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand increased apoptosis-related protein levels such as cleaved caspase-3, caspase-8, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase and downregulated that of the survival protein B-cell lymphoma-extra-large. Pretreatment with the pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-FMK, attenuated the caspase-dependent apoptosis induced by circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand alone or combined with 5-fluorouracil. CONCLUSIONS Cotreatment with 5-fluorouracil and circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand showed enhanced antitumor effects on colorectal cancer cells.

Anti-angiogenic effect of total saponins of Rhizoma Dioscorea nipponica on collagen induced-arthritis in rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune and incurable disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of the total saponins of Rhizoma Dioscorea nipponica (TSRDN) in RA. A collagen induced-arthritis (CIA) rat model was established. CIA rats were randomly divided into three groups and lavaged with an equal volume of solvent (CIA group), TSRDN (25 mg/kg/day, RDN group) and tripterygium (TP; 12 mg/kg/day, TP group) for 21 days, respectively. Normal rats served as a control group. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the histopathological injury of synovial tissues. The level of CD31, which used for marking and counting, micro vessel density (MVD) and the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were detected by immunohistochemical analysis. Additionally, the DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was determined using an ELISA kit. HE staining showed obvious synovial hyperplasia, inflammatory cell infiltration, pannus formation, cartilage and bone erosion in the CIA group rats. In addition, compared with control group, the level of MVD, the expression of VEGF and STAT3, and the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB were all increased in CIA group rat synovial tissue (all P<0.01); however, TSRDN or tripterygium were able to inhibit these changes (all P<0.01). It was speculated that TSRDN may prevent angiogenesis by inhibiting the expression of STAT3 and the DNA-binding activity of NF-κB p65, thereby potentially improving CIA.