LncRNA-NEAT1 inhibits the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer through spongy miR-146b-5p/traf6.

To investigate the inhibitory effect of LNCNA-NEA1 on pancreatic cancer development and progression via spongiosa miR-146b-5p/TRAF6, 60 pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed from December 2017 to December 2019 were selected as a general source of information. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTFQ-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of NEAT1 in cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell were used to determine the effect of LNCNA-NEA1 on the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1). The results of dual luciferase reporter gene assay showed that nea 1 could target and regulate the expression of spongy miR-146b-5p/TRAF6, and reducing the expression of spongy miR-146b-5p/TRAF6 could reverse the inhibitory effects of nea 1-siRNA on proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Therefore, it was concluded that knockdown of nea 1 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells by upregulating the level of miR-146b-5p/TRAF6, and the expression of lnc RNA-nea 1 could be used as an indicator for preoperative diagnosis and postoperative prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients. .

Aspirin increases the efficacy of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer by modulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and reversing epithelial­mesenchymal transition.

Gemcitabine is regarded as a standard medication for patients with pancreatic cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of aspirin (ASA) on the efficacy of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer and the potential mechanism. The SW1990 and BxPC-3 human pancreatic cell lines were treated with 2 mmol/l ASA and/or 1 mg/l gemcitabine. The effects of the treatments were tested on the viability, migration and invasion of the cells using MTT, wound healing and Transwell invasion assays. In addition, cell apoptosis was evaluated via flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI and the western blotting of Bax and Bcl-2. The expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins and activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were also assessed using western blotting. The results reveal that ASA increased the efficacy of gemcitabine in reducing the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells and increasing their apoptosis. These effects are associated with inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the reversal of EMT. Thus, the combined use of ASA and gemcitabine is suggested to be a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with pancreatic cancer.

Differences in clinicopathology and prognosis between gastroesophageal junctional and gastric non-cardiac neuroendocrine carcinomas: a retrospective comparison study of consecutive 56 cases from a single institution in China.

Gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC), including mixed neuroendocrine-non-neuroendocrine neoplasm (MiNEN), is uncommon and differences in clinicopathological features and outcomes of NEC arising in various gastric regions remain elusive. We investigated 56 consecutive NECs identified among 3961 gastrectomies performed at our center between 2005 and 2021. We then compared clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between gastroesophageal junctional (GEJ) NECs (N=39) and gastric non-cardiac NECs (N=17). No significant difference was found between the two groups in age, gender, tumor size, mixed non-neuroendocrine carcinoma component, MiNEN, NEC type, metastatic NEC component in lymph nodes, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular or perineural invasion, intestinal metaplasia in adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa, and expression of P53, PD-L1, TTF-1, HER2, and Ki-67. However, compared to gastric non-cardiac NECs, GEJ NECs displayed a significantly higher frequency of prevalence (2.79% versus 0.66%), pT3-T4 (92.3% versus 64.7%), advanced pathological stage (IIb-IV) (76.9% versus 47.1%), and a significantly lower 5-year overall survival rate (46.1% versus 73.1%) (P<0.05). The GEJ location was the only independent risk factor for overall survival. In stage-stratified comparisons, patients with stage II GEJ NEC demonstrated a significantly lower 5-year survival rate than those with gastric non-cardiac NEC at the same stage. Compared to non-NECs matched for age, gender, tumor location, and pathological summary stage, GEJ NEC was associated with significantly worse prognosis. In conclusion, GEJ NEC showed deeper invasion, more advanced pathological stages, and worse prognosis than gastric non-cardiac NEC. The findings provide pathologic evidence for individualized management strategies for patients with GEJ NEC. Future studies with larger samples are needed.

High-grade Papillary Early Gastric Carcinoma With High Risk for Lymph Node Metastasis and Poor Prognosis: A Clinicopathologic Study of 96 Cases Among 1136 Consecutive Radical Gastrectomies.

Papillary early gastric carcinoma (EGC) is believed to have a low risk of lymph node metastasis (LNM) and thus can be resected endoscopically. We observed anecdotally that some papillary EGC tumors showed conspicuous high-grade dysplastic features, but the significance of these observations is unknown. In this bicenter study we investigated papillary EGCs that were divided into high-grade (n=96) and low-grade (n=118) groups among 1136 consecutive EGC radical resection cases. Concurrent 464 well-moderately differentiated tubular EGCs were served as the control group. Compared with low-grade papillary and well-moderately differentiated tubular EGCs, high-grade papillary EGC displayed significantly larger sizes (mean 2.51 cm), higher frequencies of the elevated macroscopic type (51%), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (38.5%), and LNM (31.2%). Low-grade papillary EGCs exhibited a higher prevalence of the elevated macroscopic type, but not LVI nor LNM, compared with tubular EGC. Independent risk factors for LNM included high-grade histology, female sex, distal location, submucosal invasion, and LVI. The 5-year overall survival rate was significantly lower in high-grade (79.6%) papillary than in low-grade (88.9%) papillary or tubular (92.8%) EGCs, while no significant difference in prognosis was observed in the latter 2 groups. Age of 66 years or older and LNM were independent risk factors for overall survival. In conclusions, high-grade papillary EGC was associated with high frequencies of LVI, LNM, and poor prognosis, and thus unsuitable for endoscopic therapy, while low-grade papillary EGC showed clinicopathologic features and prognosis similar to well-moderately differentiated tubular EGC and may be treated endoscopically in appropriate clinical settings.

The value of miR-510 in the prognosis and development of colon cancer.

PURPOSE: Colon cancer is one of the malignant tumors that threatens human health. miR-510 was demonstrated to play roles in the progression of various cancers; its dysregulation was speculated to be associated with the development of colon cancer. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen colon cancer patients participated in this research. With the help of RT-qPCR, the expression of miR-510 in collected tissues and cultured cells was analyzed. The association between miR-510 expression level and clinical features and prognosis of patients was evaluated. Moreover, the effects of miR-510 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer were assessed by CCK8 and Transwell assay. RESULTS: miR-510 significantly upregulated in colon cancer tissues and cell lines relative to the adjacent normal tissues and colonic cells. The expression of miR-510 was significantly associated with the TNM stage and poor prognosis of patients, indicating miR-510 was involved in the disease progression and clinical prognosis of colon cancer. Additionally, the upregulation of miR-510 significantly promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer, while its knockdown significantly inhibited these cellular processes. SRCIN 1 was the direct target of miR-510 during its promoted effect on the development of colon cancer. CONCLUSION: The upregulation of miR-510 acts as an independent prognostic indicator and a tumor promoter by targeting SRCIN 1 in colon cancer, which provides novel therapeutic strategies for colon cancer.

Role of CT texture features for predicting outcome of pancreatic cancer patients with liver metastases.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of computed tomography (CT) texture features of pancreatic cancer with liver metastases. Methods: We included 39 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) with liver metastases and performed texture analysis on primary tumors and metastases. The correlations between texture parameters were assessed using Pearson's correlation. Univariate Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the correlations between clinicopathological characteristics, texture features and overall survival (OS). The univariate Cox regression model revealed four texture features potentially correlated with OS (P<0.1). A radiomics score (RS) was determined using a sequential combination of four texture features with potential prognostic value that were weighted according to their ß-coefficients. Furthermore, all variables with P<0.1 were included in the multivariate analysis. A nomogram,which was developed to predict OS according to independent prognostic factors, was internally validated using the C-index and calibration plots. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test were performed to stratify OS according to the RS and nomogram total points (NTP). Results: Few significant correlations were found between texture features of primary tumors and those of liver metastases. However, texture features within primary tumors or liver metastases were significantly associated. Multivariate analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS), chemotherapy, Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), and the RS were independent prognostic factors (P<0.05). The nomogram incorporating these factors showed good discriminative ability (C-index = 0.754). RS and NTP stratified patients into two potential risk groups (P<0.01). Conclusion: The RS derived from significant texture features of primary tumors and metastases shows promise as a prognostic biomarker of OS of patients with MPC. A nomogram based on the RS and other independent prognostic clinicopathological factors accurately predicts OS.

Clinical significance of site-specific metastases in pancreatic cancer: a study based on both clinical trial and real-world data.

Background: There is limited consensus on whether metastatic patterns are correlated with prognosis and treatment efficacy in pancreatic cancer. A better understanding of clinical implication of the metastatic patterns is pivotal for therapeutic decision-making and drug development. Methods: This study included 977 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) in three cohorts. The training cohort included 273 patients from clinical trial NCT00574275 and 367 patients from clinical trial NCT01124786. As the validation cohort, 337 patients from Changzhou No.2 People's Hospital and Shanghai General Hospital were enrolled. The correlations between different patterns of metastases and clinicopathological characteristics were investigated with the Pearson Chi-Square test. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank test were applied to analyze the survival outcomes among groups with different metastatic patterns. The prognostic value of the number of metastatic sites and other variables was evaluated using the Cox regression model. Results: MPC patients aged ≥65 years had a higher rate of lung metastasis and those with liver metastasis were prone to have a high level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9). Additionally, patients with isolated lung metastasis had much better overall survival (OS) than those with isolated liver or peritoneum metastasis. Cox regression analyses showed that the number of metastatic sites was an independent prognostic factor for OS in patients with MPC. Furthermore, for patients with one-site or two-site metastasis, there was a significant difference in OS among patients receiving no chemotherapy, monotherapy and combination therapy. However, for patients with more than two metastatic sites, receiving combination therapy or monotherapy showed limited superiority in OS over receiving no chemotherapy. Conclusion: MPC patients with isolated lung metastasis had better OS than those with isolated liver or peritoneum metastasis. Moreover, the number of metastatic sites showed prognostic and predictive value in patients with MPC.

Very low risk of lymph node metastasis in Epstein-Barr virus-associated early gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma.

BACKGROUND: Epstein-Barr virus-associated early gastric carcinoma with lymphoid stroma (EBV-GCLS) is a rare variant of early gastric carcinomas. Clinicopathological features of this variant remain obscure, especially in Chinese patients. Therefore, we collected EBV-GCLS cases and studied clinicopathology and prognosis. METHODS: By a retrospective review of 595 consecutive radical gastrectomies for early gastric carcinoma from 2006 to 2018, we identified 8 (1.3%, 8/595) EBV-GCLS cases. Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared between EBV-GCLSs and 109 conventional early gastric carcinomas, which were divided into intramucosal, SM1, and SM2 subgroups. The latter 2 subgroups were classified according to the submucosal invasion depth below or over 500 µm. RESULTS: All 8 EBV-GCLSs occurred in male patients and invaded deep submucosa (SM2) without lymph node metastasis (LNM), four (50%) of which had synchronous non-gastric malignant tumors (3 gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors and 1 primary clear cell renal cell carcinoma), and four (50%) arose in the proximal stomach. Compared to conventional early gastric carcinomas, EBV-GCLS was significantly more frequent with SM2 invasion, poor differentiation, and synchronous non-gastric carcinoma tumor, but not with age, gender, macroscopic type, location, size, perineural invasion, lymphovascular invasion, and pathologic stage. In invasion-depth stratified comparisons in the SM2 subgroup, the frequency of LNM in EBV-GCLS was significantly lower than that in conventional early gastric carcinomas (p < 0.05) and the 5-year survival rate of patients with EBV-GCLS was better than that with conventional early gastric carcinomas in 3 subgroups (100% vs 91.5, 85.7, 83.9%, respectively), although the differences did not reach a statistically significant level due to the small sample size. Significant differences among 4 subgroups were found in tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, LNM, pathological stage, and synchronous tumor, but not in age, gender, macroscopic type, tumor size, location, perineural invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Even with poor differentiation and SM2 invasion, EBV-GCLS showed very low risk of LNM and may be a candidate for endoscopic therapy such as endoscopic submucosal dissection.

Circ_0014130 Participates in the Proliferation and Apoptosis of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Cells via the miR-142-5p/IGF-1 Axis.

Background: Abnormal expression of circular RNA (circRNA) has been shown to play an important role in the progression of cancer. However, the role of circRNAs on nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains largely unknown. This study aims to reveal the effects and potential mechanisms of circRNA on NSCLC cell proliferation and apoptosis. Materials and Methods: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of circ_0014130 in NSCLC tissues and cells. After silencing circ_0014130 in NSCLC cells H1299 and A549, MTT assay or flow cytometry was performed to analyze the proliferation or the apoptosis of cells, respectively. The relationships between circ_0014130, miR-142-5p, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA pull-down. Western blot was used to detect the protein level of IGF-1 after the interference with circ_0014130 in NSCLC cells. Results: Circ_0014130 was abnormally highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells. After shRNA interfering circ_0014130 of NSCLC cells H1299 and A549, the NSCLC cell proliferation was inhibited and the cell apoptosis was promoted. By dual-luciferase reporter system and RNA pull-down assays, circ_0014130, miR-142-5p, and IGF-1 were confirmed to interact directly. After the transfection with si-circ_0014130 in NSCLC cells, the protein level of IGF-1 was reduced, and the cell proliferation was inhibited and the cell apoptosis was promoted, whereas these effects were reversed after cotransfection with miR-142-5p inhibitor. Conclusion: Our results indicated that the silencing circ_0014130 inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis by upregulating miR-142-5p and downregulating IGF-1 expression. This might provide new strategies for future diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC.

Diagnostic value of combined detection of multiple serum cytokines for gastric adenocarcinoma / 中国肿瘤生物治疗杂志

@#[Abstract] Objective:To explore the clinical significance of multiple serumcytokines in early diagnosis and progression assessment of gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods: Peripheral blood samples of 85 healthy subjects (healthy control group) and 81 patients with pathologically confirmed gastric adenocarcinoma (gastric cancer group) were collected from November 2017 to February 2018 at Shanxi Cancer Hospital. Serum levels of 17 cytokines (including IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-15, IL-17A, TNF-α, TNF-β, GM-CSF, G-CSF, IFN-γ, IP-10, MCP-1 andVEGF-A) were measured byAimPlex multiplex assay technology.Their diagnostic values were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Serum levels of IL-10, IL-8, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, VEGF-Aand IL-12p70 were significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than those in healthy controls (all P<0.01). There were significantly increasedlevelsofIL-8,IL-6and VEGF-Ain advanced-stage gastriccancer(stageI/II)groupoverearly-stage gastric cancer (stage III/IV) group (all P<0.01).AUC (areas under the curve) of IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, IP-10, MCP-1, IL-12p70 and VEGF-Afor distinguishing early-stage gastric cancer patientsfromhealthy controls was0.98,0.92,0.89,0.84,0.76,0.74 and 0.58, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of IL-8, IL-6 and IL-10 was 97.4%, 89.5% and 97.4%, respectively, and the specificity was 87.1%, 85.9%and 77.6%, respectively.TheAUCof IL-8, IL-6 andVEGF-Afor distinguishing advanced-stage gastric cancer patients from early-stage gastric cancer patients was 0.82, 0.72 and 0.69, respectively. Thediagnosticsensitivity of IL-8, IL-6 and VEGF-A was 83.7%, 60.5% and 41.9%, respectively, and the specificity was71.1%,76.3%and 92.1%, respectively. Conclusion: ThecombineddetectionofserumIL-8,IL-6andIL-10 may be a potential approach for early screening of gastric adenocarcinoma, which canalsobeusedtoassessthe progression of gastric adenocarcinoma.

A Systematic Inflammation-based Model in Advanced Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Emerging evidence revealed the critical role of systematic inflammation in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In the present study, we reviewed the records of 279 patients with advanced PDAC. Among them, 147 cases were used as the training cohort and another 132 as the validation cohort. In the training cohort, distant metastasis, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) were independent prognostic factors in Cox regression. A nomogram based on these factors was generated to predict median survival time and survival probabilities at 6, 12, and 18 months. The nomogram showed a better discriminatory ability than the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging (C-index: 0.727 vs. 0.610). In the validation cohort, a nomogram composed of the same variables also showed a high discriminatory ability (C-index: 0.784). In the low-risk group with a nomogram total point (NTP) value of more than 175, patients receiving combination therapy showed better prognosis than those receiving monotherapy (P=0.015). In conclusion, the nomogram based on inflammatory biomarkers can serve as useful prognostic tool for advanced PDAC. In addition, patients with high NTP can greater benefit from combination chemotherapy than monotherapy.

Significance of MUC2 gene methylation detection in pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to explore the diagnostic value of MUC2 gene methylation in pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Methylation restriction enzyme digestion (Msp I/Hap II) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed to detect methylation of the MUC2 gene in fecal and blood specimens from seven study subjects with pancreatic cancer (PC), chronic pancreatitis (CP), or normal controls (CON). Simultaneously, blood CA 19-9 levels were detected as a positive indicator of PC. RESULTS: MUC2 methylation was detected in 50% of PC cell lines. In fecal samples, the MUC2 methylation rate in PC (n = 30) was 43.3%, which was significantly higher than those in CP (n = 8, 0%, P < 0.05) and CON (n = 20, 5.0%, P < 0.05). In blood samples, the MUC2 methylation rate in PC (n = 40) was 52.5%, which was significantly higher than those in CP (n = 15, 0%, P < 0.01) and CON (n = 25, 4.0%, P < 0.01). For PC diagnosis, MUC2 gene methylation in blood samples showed higher specificity and positive predictive value than CA 19-9. The combined detection in the feces and blood showed a 60% MUC2 methylation rate in PC (n = 10), which was higher than those in the CP (n = 5, 0%, P < 0.01) and CON (n = 12, 0%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The study can clearly indicate that combined detection of MUC2 gene methylation in the peripheral blood and feces could be used as a new screening and early diagnosis method for pancreatic cancer.

Esophageal lymphangioma: a case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Lymphangioma of the esophagus is an exceedingly rare benign tumor. Herein, we reported a case of lymphangioma in the thoracic esophagus. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 48-year-old woman who presented to our hospital with a one-month history of dysphagia. Upper endoscopy revealed an esophageal submucosal lesion that was completely removed by endoscopic submucosal dissection. Pathologic examination of the resected specimen secured the diagnosis of lymphangioma. A review of the PUBMED indexed literature in English with the key words of esophagus and lymphangioma was carried out and the results were discussed. CONCLUSION: Esophageal lymphangioma is a rare submucosal tumor and should be included in the differential diagnosis of esophageal submucosal tumors.

The clinical implication of CD45RA+ naïve T cells and CD45RO+ memory T cells in advanced pancreatic cancer: a proxy for tumor biology and outcome prediction.

Naïve and memory T cells play a pivotal role in solid tumor pathogenesis but their role in pancreatic cancer progression remains elusive. Thus, we aimed to investigate their clinical potential in advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the level of baseline peripheral naïve and memory T cells from 137 APC patients before receiving first-line chemotherapy. Interrelationships between naïve, memory T cells and clinicopathological variables were evaluated using Pearson's correlation. The prognostic impact of naïve and memory T cells were assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression. The correlation between naïve/memory T cells and tumor progression was investigated by Student's t test. CD4+ naïve/memory ratio showed close correlations with hemoglobin, red blood cell (RBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC) and platelet while CD8+ naïve/memory ratio was correlated with hemoglobin, RBC and CEA. Higher baseline lever of CD4+ CD45RO+ /CD4+ was correlated with better overall survival (OS) (P = 0.036). Patients with CD4+ naïve/memory ratio ≥0.36 had a poorer OS than those with CD4+ naïve/memory ratio <0.36 (P = 0.021). In addition, CD4+ naïve/memory ratio showed independent prognostic impact (HR 1.427, 95% CI 1.033-1.973, P = 0.031). Furthermore, poorer clinical response was correlated with higher level of CD8+ naïve/memory ratio after the third cycle of chemotherapy (P = 0.01). Besides, patients with a lower level of CD8+ naïve/memory ratio had longer progression-free survival (PFS) (P = 0.028). We propose CD4+ naïve/memory ratio as a novel prognostic biomarker for APC. In addition, CD8+ naïve/memory ratio can be a candidate marker for predicting PFS and the change of its level may reflect the progression of APC.

Prediction of overall survival for metastatic pancreatic cancer: Development and validation of a prognostic nomogram with data from open clinical trial and real-world study.

It is necessary to develop prognostic tools of metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) for optimizing therapeutic strategies. Thus, we tried to develop and validate a prognostic nomogram of MPC. Data from 3 clinical trials (NCT00844649, NCT01124786, and NCT00574275) and 133 Chinese MPC patients were used for analysis. The former 2 trials were taken as the training cohort while NCT00574275 was used as the validation cohort. In addition, 133 MPC patients treated in China were taken as the testing cohort. Cox regression model was used to investigate prognostic factors in the training cohort. With these factors, we established a nomogram and verified it by Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and calibration plots. Furthermore, the nomogram was externally validated in the validation cohort and testing cohort. In the training cohort (n = 445), performance status, liver metastasis, Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) log-value, absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and albumin were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). A nomogram was established with these factors to predict OS and survival probabilities. The nomogram showed an acceptable discrimination ability (C-index: .683) and good calibration, and was further externally validated in the validation cohort (n = 273, C-index: .699) and testing cohort (n = 133, C-index: .653).The nomogram total points (NTP) had the potential to stratify patients into 3-risk groups with median OS of 11.7, 7.0 and 3.7 months (P < .001), respectively. In conclusion, the prognostic nomogram with NTP can predict OS for patients with MPC with considerable accuracy.

Association between physical activity and inflammatory bowel disease risk: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of an association between physical activity and inflammatory bowel disease have yielded conflicting results. AIM: This meta-analysis was conducted to clarify whether there is an association between physical activity and inflammatory bowel disease. METHODS: The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched for relevant studies published up to October 2015. Data were extracted and the summary relative risks (RRs) were calculated using a random effects or a fixed-effects model, according to heterogeneity. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the analysis. Relative to individuals with low physical activity, those who participated in high physical activity had an RR of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.50-0.79) for developing Crohn's disease. In stratified analyses, a significantly lower risk for Crohn's disease was associated with high physical activity in Europeans only (RR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43-0.91); population-based control studies (RR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.76); and case-control studies (RR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.75). The data of 6 studies were pooled to analyze the effect of physical activity on the risk of ulcerative colitis, and no significant association was found (RR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68-1.00). CONCLUSIONS: The pooled results of observational studies support that physical activity has a protective effect against Crohn's disease.

Significance of resistin expression in acute pancreatitis.

The aim of the present study was to detect the expression of resistin in rats with acute pancreatitis (AP) and investigate its significance in the pathogenesis of AP. In total, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=10), including the normal control, sham-operated, acute edematous pancreatitis (AEP) and acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) groups. Following the establishment of animal models, the levels of serum resistin, C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1ß were measured using ELISA. Resistin expression in the pancreatic tissues was detected using an immunohistochemical method. In addition, the mRNA expression of resistin in the pancreatic tissues was analyzed with quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The levels of serum amylase, serum resistin, TNF-α, IL-1ß and CRP were all significantly higher in the AEP and ANP groups when compared with the control and sham-operated groups (P<0.01), as were the pancreas/body weight ratios and pathological scores of the pancreas. These increases were more significant in the ANP group than in the AEP group (P<0.05). The mRNA expression levels of resistin in the pancreatic tissues were markedly higher in the AEP and ANP groups when compared with the control and sham-operated groups (P<0.01), particularly in the pancreatic tissues of the ANP group, which exhibited notably higher levels compared with the AEP group. The serum resistin level was found to positively correlate with the serum levels of CRP, TNF-α and IL-1ß, and the pathological scores of the pancreatic tissues. In conclusion, the results indicated that resistin may be associated with the occurrence and development of AP; thus, the protein may be a valuable indicator for assessing the severity of AP.

Associations between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and susceptibility to ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several polymorphisms have been identified in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene, while their roles in the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are conflicting. This meta-analysis was designed to clarify the impact of these polymorphisms on UC and CD risk. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched from February 1995 to August 2011 for studies on the four VDR polymorphisms: TaqI, BsmI, FokI, and ApaI. Data were extracted and pooled odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated. RESULTS: Nine studies were included. In Asians, the ff genotype of FokI was associated with increased UC risk (OR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.11- 2.45). The "a" allele carrier status of ApaI appeared to be a protective factor for CD (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.97). The tt genotype increased the risk of CD in Europeans (OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02-1.49). Moreover, the tt genotype of TaqI in males had a moderate elevated risk of UC (OR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.02-2.39) and CD (OR = 1.84; 95% CI, 1.19-2.83). CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis reveals a significant increase in CD risk for Europeans carrying TaqI tt genotype and a significant decrease in CD risk for all carriers of the Apal "a" allele. For Asians, the VDR FokI polymorphism appears to confer susceptibility to UC. For males, the TaqI tt genotype is associated with susceptibilities to both UC and CD. Our study explored the genetic risk prediction in UC and CD, and may provide valuable insights into IBD therapy.