ECRG4 as a novel tumor suppressor gene inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Esophageal cancer related gene 4 (ECRG4) as a tumor suppressor gene inhibits the growth and development of various tumors. Colorectal cancer (CRC), a common malignant tumor in the digestive tract worldwide, is a leading cause of death. The aim of our study was to assess the tumor-suppressing effect of ECRG4 on CRC and explore its related mechanisms in vitro and in vivo. The expression levels of ECRG4 were measured in colorectal cancer tissues and para-carcinoma tissues. ECRG4 gene was transfected into CRC cells to investigate its effect on cell proliferation by MTT, colony formation assay, and cell cycle analysis. Cell apoptosis was assessed by annexin-V/PI, Hoechst 33342 staining, and analysis of apoptosis-related protein expressions in vitro. The in vivo tumorigenesis assays were performed in nude mice. According to the results, there was a lower expression of ECRG4 in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues, which was strongly associated with histology differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, overexpression of ECRG4 had a significant inhibitory effect on proliferation and promoted apoptosis in Caco-2 and SW480 cells. Moreover, we found that the overexpression of ECRG4 inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo by diminishing the volume and weight of the tumors and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells. Our study indicates that ECRG4 may be a new potential target and prognostic factor for patients with CRC.

Lipomatous hemangiopericytoma (adipocytic variant of solitary fibrous tumor) of the parotid gland: A case report and review of the literature.

The current study presents the first case of a lipomatous hemangiopericytoma (LHPC) developing in the parotid gland in a 33-year-old male. The patient presented with a 4-year history of a progressively growing painless and fixed mass in the left paratid gland region. The patient underwent radical parotidectomy and was followed-up for 12 months without any evidence of metastasis or recurrence. LHPC, a controversial rare HPC variant, is histologically characterized by a varying admixture of hemangiopericytomatous vasculature and the presence of mature adipocytes. To date, 51 cases of LHPC have been documented in the literature. Although the boundary between HPC and solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) has become increasingly blurred, neither of these variant growth patterns has previously been recognized in the parotid gland.

The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and Ki67 in primary and relapse nasopharyngeal cancer: a micro-evidence for anti-EGFR targeted maintenance therapy.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was expressed widely in NPC. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference of expression of EGFR and Ki67 in primary and recurrence of NPC to supply a micro-evidence of anti-EGFR targeted maintenance therapy for NPC. A retrospective review of 40 patients with clinical stages I-IV b was performed. Chemoradiation was included chemotherapy with fluorouracil plus cisplatin and irradiation for primary and lymph draining regions. All patients were verified tumor locoregional relapse with/or without distant metastasis by CT or MRI after combined CRT by primary and recurrence biopsies. The correlation between EGFR and Ki67 expression inspected by immunohistochemistry was analyzed. The difference of time to recurrence grouped by different expressions of EGFR and Ki67 was compared by log-rank test. The median follow-up time was 20.0 months ± 2.70 (range 23-71). EGFR and Ki67 expression in primary was not significantly different with recurrent focus. A strong significant correlation between EGFR and Ki67 molecules expression was obtained in primary (r = 0.573; P = 0.001) and in recurrent focus (r = 0.698; P = 0.000). A significantly shorter time to locoregional relapse in patients with positive expression of EGFR than patients with negative EGFR expression in primary (P = 0.010) and in relapse (P = 0.022). There was no significant difference of EGFR and Ki67 expression in primary and recurrence tumor expression. The time to relapse was significantly shorter in high expression of EGFR, which might supply micro-evidence to anti-EGFR targeted maintenance therapy for those patients with EGFR overexpression in primary tumor.