Role of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer initiation and progression

Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide.Due to its intricate initiation and progression mechanisms,early detection and effective treatment of gastric cancer are difficult to achieve.The epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)is characterized as a fundamental process that is critical for embryonic development,wound healing and fibrotic disease.Recent evidence has established that aberrant EMT activation in the human stomach is closely associated with gastric carcinogenesis and tumor progression.EMT activation endows gastric epithelial cells with increased characteristics of mesenchymal cells and reduces their epithelial features.Moreover,mesenchymal cells tend to dedifferentiate and acquire stem cell or tumorigenic phenotypes such as invasion,metastasis and apoptosis resistance as well as drug resistance during EMT progression.There are a number of molecules that indicate the stage of EMT(e.g.,E-cadherin,an epithelial cell biomarker);therefore,certain transcriptional proteins,especially E-cadherin transcriptional repressors,may participate in the regulation of EMT.In addition,EMT regulation may be associated with certain epigenetic mechanisms.The aforementioned molecules can be used as early diagnostic markers for gastric cancer,and EMT regulation can provide potential targets for gastric cancer therapy.Here,we review the role of these aspects of EMT in gastric cancer initiation and development.

Topographic distribution features of the choroidal and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in Chinese school-aged children

AIM:To explore the topographic distribution features of choroidal thickness(CT)and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness(RNFLT),and determine the relationship between CT and ocular parameters in school-aged children.METHODS:The healthy school-aged children with low ametropia or emmetropia in Wenzhou were recruited for this cross-sectional study.With high-density optical coherence tomography(HD-OCT)combined with MATLAB software,the CT and RNFLT values in the macular area were measured at different locations and compared.Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between CT and ophthalmic parameters,such as spherical equivalent(SE)and the axial length(AL).RESULTS:A total of 279 school-aged children with8.00±1.35 years of mean age(range,6-10 y)were included.The mean AL was 23.66±0.86 mm.The mean CT in CT-C(264.31±48.93μm)was thicker than that in CT-N1(249.54±50.52μm),and the average CT in the parafoveal region was also thicker than that in CT-N2(235.65±50.63μm).The subfoveal CT also varied substantially across refractive errors(P<0.001),and those with myopia(250.59±47.01μm)exhibited a thinner choroid compared with those with emmetropia(278.74±48.06μm).CT negatively correlated with AL(y=-21.72 x+779.17;R^2=0.1458),and positively correlated with SE(y=15.76 x+271.9;R^2=0.0727.OD;y=18.31 x+269.8;R^2=0.1007.OS).The average RNFLT was thickest in the peripapillary region(236.35±19.03μm),the mean RNFLT-S(131.10±15.16μm)was thicker than the RNFLT-I(128.20±16.59μm),and the mean RNFLT-T(76.54±11.99μm)was thicker than the RNFLT-N(64.28±8.55μm).The variations in the RNFLT between quadrants did differ between those with myopia and emmetropia(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:We establish demographic information for the choroid and RNFLT.These findings provide information that should be considered in future analyses of the CT and RNFLT in OCT studies in school-aged children.

Topographic distribution features of the choroidal and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in Wenzhou schoolaged children

AIM:To explore the topographic distribution features of choroidal thickness(CT)and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness(RNFLT),and determine the relationship between CT and ocular parameters in school-aged children.METHODS:The healthy school-aged children with low myopia or emmetropia in Wenzhou were recruited for this cross-sectional study.With high-density optical coherence tomography(HD-OCT)combined with MATLAB software,the CT and RNFLT values in the macular area were measured at different locations and compared.Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the correlation between CT and ophthalmic parameters,such as spherical equivalent(SE)and the axial length(AL).RESULTS:A total of 279 school-aged children with 8.00±1.35 years of mean age(range,6-10 y)were included.The mean AL was 23.66±0.86 mm.The mean CT in CT-C(264.31±48.93μm)was thicker than that in CT-N1(249.54±50.52μm),and the average CT in the parafoveal region was also thicker than that in CT-N2(235.65±50.63μm).The subfoveal CT also varied substantially across refractive errors(P<0.001),and those with myopia(250.59±47.01μm)exhibited a thinner choroid compared with those with emmetropia(278.74±48.06μm).CT positively correlated with AL(y=11.12 x-4.15;R^2=0.18),and positively correlated with SE(y=90.07 x+17.916;R^2=14.2).The average RNFLT was thickest in the peripapillary region(236.35±19.03μm),the mean RNFLT-S(131.10±15.16μm)was thicker than the RNFLT-I(128.20±16.59μm),and the mean RNFLT-T(76.54±11.99μm)was thicker than the RNFLT-N(64.28±8.55μm).The variations in the RNFLT between quadrants did differ between those with myopia and emmetropia(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:We establish demographic information for the choroid and RNFLT.These findings provide information that should be considered in future analyses of the CT and RNFLT in OCT studies in school-aged children.

Effects of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction on enteroparalysis and serum inflammatory cytokines in patients with severe acute pancreatitis

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Da-Cheng-Qi decoction (DCQD) on enteroparalysis and levels of the serum inflammatory cytokines C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) in patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Methods: A total of 48 patients diagnosed with SAP who hospitalized in First Affiliated Hospital of Henan Traditional Chinese Medicine University from May 1, 2016 to May 30, 2018 were randomly assigned to the control or treatment groups. Patients in the control group (n = 22) received conventional treatment and those in the treatment group (n = 26) received conventional treatment as well as additional DCQD for 10 days. The duration of abdominal pain and distension, the time when bowel sounds returned to normal, changes in the levels of serum amylase, lipase, C-reactive protein (CRP), CCL2 and IL-8, as well as acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE)Ⅱ scores of patients on days 1 and 10 were recorded and compared. Results: The duration of abdominal pain and distension, the time when bowel sounds returned to normal, the levels of blood amylase, lipase and CRP, and APACHE Ⅱ scores of patients in the treatment group decreased significantly compared with those of patients in the control group. Though there were no statistical differences in serum CCL2 and IL-8 concentrations on day 1 between patients in these two groups, the levels of serum CCL2 and IL-8 in the treatment group were lower than those in the control group on day 10. Conclusion: DCQD may decrease the levels of CCL2, CRP, and IL-8 in patients with SAP, quickly relieve enteroparalysis, and shorten hospitalization duration.