Role of tumor-associated macrophages in common digestive system malignant tumors

Many digestive system malignant tumors are characterized by high incidence and mortality rate.Increasing evidence has revealed that the tumor microenvironment(TME)is involved in cancer initiation and tumor progression.Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)are a predominant constituent of the TME,and participate in the regulation of various biological behaviors and influence the prognosis of digestive system cancer.TAMs can be mainly classified into the antitumor M1 phenotype and protumor M2 phenotype.The latter especially are crucial drivers of tumor invasion,growth,angiogenesis,metastasis,immunosuppression,and resistance to therapy.TAMs are of importance in the occurrence,development,diagnosis,prognosis,and treatment of common digestive system malignant tumors.In this review,we summarize the role of TAMs in common digestive system malignant tumors,including esophageal,gastric,colorectal,pancreatic and liver cancers.How TAMs promote the development of tumors,and how they act as potential therapeutic targets and their clinical applications are also described.

Prevention of malignant digestive system tumors should focus on the control of chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation,through a variety of mechanisms,plays a key role in the occurrence and development of digestive system malignant tumors(DSMTs).In this study,we feature and provide a comprehensive understanding of DSMT prevention strategies based on preventing or controlling chronic inflammation.The development and evaluation of cancer prevention strategies is a longstanding process.Cancer prevention,especially in the early stage of life,should be emphasized throughout the whole life course.Issues such as the time interval for colon cancer screening,the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs for liver cancer,and the Helicobacter pylori vaccine all need to be explored in long-term,large-scale experiments in the future.

Clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of claudin10 expression in primary malignant tumors of digestive system:A metaanalysis

Objective:To investigate the correlation between claudin10 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of primary malignant tumors of digestive system.Methods:We searched the PubMed,Web of Science,Ovid MEDLINE,CNKI,CQVIP,and WanFang Data databases.The data between claudin10 expression and clinical characteristics as well as survival outcome were extracted.RevMan 5.3 and Stata 15.1 software were employed for metaanalysis.Results:A total of 6 studies containing 512 patients with primary malignant tumors of digestive system were analyzed.The analysis showed that high expression of claudin10 was more common in cancer tissue than in normal tissue[OR=3.22,95%CI(2.26,4.60),P<0.01],and was associated with increasing tumor size[OR=6.21,95%CI(2.44,15.83),P<0.01],high differentiation[OR=0.56,95%CI(0.32,0.99),P=0.05],positive lymph node metastasis[OR=3.41,95%CI(1.09,10.65),P=0.03].The expression of claudin10 was not associated with sex[OR=1.62,95%CI(0.91,2.90),P=0.10],age[OR=1.72,95%CI(0.97,3.07),P=0.06],distant metastasis[OR=4.51,95%CI(0.55,36.70),P=0.16],or prognosis[HR=1.99,95%CI(0.93,4.23),P=0.08].Conclusion:The expression of claudin10 is correlated with the clinicopathological features of primary malignant tumors of digestive system and is a potential tumor marker.

Analysis of sleep quality,disease uncertainty,and psychological tolerance in patients undergoing chemotherapy for digestive tract malignancies

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among digestive tract malignancies,following gastric cancer.Sleep is of great significance for maintaining human health.The incidence of sleep disorders in patients with cancer is approximately twice that observed in the general population.Lack of sleep can prolong hospital stays,increase the likelihood of infection,and increase mortality rates.Therefore,studying the factors related to sleep quality is significant for improving the quality of life of patients with malignant tumors of the digestive tract.AIM To investigate the relationships among sleep quality,disease uncertainty,and psychological resilience in patients undergoing chemotherapy for digestive tract malignancies.METHODS A total of 131 patients with malignant digestive tract tumors who were treated at Hefei BOE Hospital between April 2021 and September 2022 were selected as research participants.Based on their Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores,participants were divided into either the sleep disorder group(PSQI score>7)or the normal sleep group(PSQI score≤7).The clinical data—together with the Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale for Adults(MUIS-A)and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC)scores—were compared.RESULTS In this study,78(59.54%)patients with digestive tract malignancies developed sleep disorders after chemotherapy.Sleep disorder incidence was higher in patients with colorectal cancer than in those with gastric and esophageal cancers(P<0.05).The total MUIS-A score and those for each item in the sleep disorder group were higher than those in the normal sleep group.The total CD-RISC score and those for each item in the sleep disorder group were lower than those in the normal sleep group(P<0.05).The PSQI scores of patients with malignant digestive tract tumors were positively correlated with the scores for lack of disease information,disease uncertainty,and unpredictability in the MUIS-A and negatively correlated with the scores for tenacity,self-improvement,and optimism in the CD-RISC(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Patients undergoing chemotherapy for digestive tract malignancies are prone to sleep problems related to disease uncertainty and psychological resilience.Therefore,interventions can be implemented to improve their sleep quality.

Progress in Research on Applying Sijunzi Decoction (四君子汤) in Treating Digestive Malignant Tumor

Patients with digestive malignant tumor always have their immune function, especially the cellular immunity, suppressed to a certain extent. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） holds that Pi （脾 ）-Wei （胃） is the essence of postnatal life, and the genesis and development of digestive tumor are chiefly due to the insufficiency of vital-qi, which makes the body open to the invasion of evil pathogens. Starting from regulating the immune function of organisms, researchers recently obtained some therapeutic effects by applying the Chinese recipe, Sijunzi Decoction （四君子汤）, in the treatment of digestive malignant tumors. In this paper, the related studies on the concerned basic theory and clinical application were reviewed.