International journal of clinical and experimental medicine
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The interleukin-6 (IL-6) C-572G gene polymorphism has been suggested to be associated with the increased coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, but the study results are still debatable. To explore the association between IL-6 C-572G gene polymorphism and CAD in the Asian population, the current meta-analysis involving 2511 subjects from 7 separate studies was conducted. ⋯ In the Asian population, the IL-6 C-572G gene polymorphism was indicated to be correlated with CAD susceptibility. The carriers of -572G allele might be predisposed to CAD risk.
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A growing body of evidence indicates that the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway was involved in neuropathic and inflammatory pain, however, the role of NF-κB in incisional pain is still unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated whether the activation of NF-κB in the spinal cord is involved in pain hypersensitivity after a plantar incision in the rat hind paw. After rats received a plantar incision surgery, mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were determined by von Frey filaments and radiant heat, respectively. ⋯ Furthermore, PDTC significantly reduced the expression level of c-Fos in the dorsal horn after plantar incision. Taken together, plantar incision-induced pain behaviors can be prevented by the NF-κB inhibitor. Our results suggest that the blockage of the NF-КB signaling pathway might represent a valuable alternative for treating postoperative pain.
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Locoregional staging and prognostic information play a critical role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treatment strategies. Although microRNA (miRNA) is a promising marker for cancer detection, the relationship between circulating plasma miRNAs and ESCC remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the association between circulating plasma miRNAs and tumor diagnosis or prognosis in ESCC patients. ⋯ Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high expression levels of miR-16 and miR-21 in the plasma correlated significantly with shortened progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0.031 and P = 0.038, respectively) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.022 and P = 0.041, respectively) in ESCC patients. Four plasma miRNAs were identified that could potentially serve as novel diagnostic biomarkers for ESCC. Moreover, specific miRNAs, such as miR-16 and miR-21, can predict poor survival in ESCC.
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The influence of bone marrow stem cells on regeneration of spinal cord in rats was investigated. Young adult male Wistar rats were used (n=22). Focal injury of spinal cord white matter at Th10 level was produced using our original non-laminectomy method by means of high-pressured air stream. ⋯ Number of brain stem and motor cortex FG-positive neurons in experimental group was significantly higher than in control. Obtained data showed that bone marrow stem cells are able to induce the repair of injured spinal cord white matter. The route of cells application via cisterna magna appeared to be useful for their delivery in spinal cord injury therapy.
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Only a few series have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and the benefits of this approach. This report describes the results of a pair-matched comparative study between minimally invasive and open esophagectomy (OE) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Patients were retrospectively matched in pairs for the following criteria: age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, clinical TNM stage, tumor location, and type of resection. ⋯ The overall survival rates in the MIE group were 54% at 5 years and 46% in the OE group (P = 0.631). The disease-free survival rates in the MIE group were 45% at 5 years, 41% in the OE group (P = 0.704). In summary, MIE for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma for selected patients gave a better postoperative outcome without oncologic consequences.