The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Clinical and biological significance of stem-like CD133(+)CXCR4(+) cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most frequent malignant tumors. Cancer stem cells are considered to be responsible for tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence. Cluster of differentiation 133 (CD133) and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) are frequently applied markers for the identification and isolation of cancer stem cells. However, few studies have investigated the coexpression of CD133 and CXCR4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. This study aims to explore the clinical and biological role of stem-like CD133(+)CXCR4(+) cells in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. ⋯ Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells coexpressing CD133 and CXCR4 possess the characteristics of cancer stem cells. The concomitant high CD133-CXCR4 expression might be a novel marker for predicting the poor prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and CD133 and CXCR4 may serve as potential therapeutic targets.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Long-term outcomes after surgical repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect.
Survival after surgical repair for complete atrioventricular septal defect (CAVSD) has improved, but patients are at risk for reoperation to address left atrioventricular valve regurgitation and left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. We examined the long-term survival, need for reoperation, and associated risk factors after CAVSD repair at our institution. ⋯ Long-term survival after repair of CAVSD remains good. However, the need for reoperation is common and affects long-term survival after CAVSD repair.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
The role of Dickkopf-3 overexpression in esophageal adenocarcinoma.
Ninety percent of patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma ultimately die of their disease, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic targets. The goal of this study was to define the functional significance of overexpression of Dickkopf-3 (DKK3) in esophageal adenocarcinoma. ⋯ These findings suggest that DKK3 may be important in mediating invasion in esophageal adenocarcinoma and could be a novel target in the treatment and prevention of metastatic disease.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Aug 2015
Inhibition of micro-ribonucleic acid-320 attenuates neurologic injuries after spinal cord ischemia.
Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are involved in a wide range of biological functions, in multiple tissues, including the central nervous system. We investigated a novel neuroprotective strategy of down-regulation of miR-320 in the spinal cord under the condition of transient ischemia. ⋯ Inhibition of miR-320 induces neuroprotection in the spinal cord, against ischemia-reperfusion injury, possibly via up-regulation of phospho-Hsp20.