Objective To investigate the expression of CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane (CMTM)domain-containing family in clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC)and its significance.Methods Seventy-five samples of ccRCC were collected,including 50 males and 25 females,mean age (59 ± 10)years.There were 34 cases in clinical stage Ⅰ,23 cases in stage Ⅱ,14 cases in stage Ⅲ and 4 cases in stage Ⅳ.The pathological differentiation was 3 cases of grade Ⅰ,1 case of grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ,35 cases of grade Ⅱ,10 cases of grade Ⅱ-Ⅲ,18 cases of grade Ⅲ,3 cases of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ and 5 cases of grade Ⅳ.The expression of CMTM3 and CMTM5 proteins in 75 cases of ccRCC and corresponding adjacent normal kidney tissues was detected by tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry.Results The positive expression rate of CMTM3 and CMTM5 was 98.7％,97.3％ in the adjacent normal kidney tissues,and 44.0％,68.0％ in ccRCC tissues(P ＜ 0.05).The expression of CMTM3 and CMTM5 had no correlation with the gender,age,clinical staging and pathological differentiation(P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion CMTM3 and CMTM5 could be ccRCC suppressor genes,and their mutation or methylation might be an early event in the carcinogenesis of ccRCC,thus promise them to be potential biomarkers in early diagnosis.

Objective:To investigate the change of biological characteristics after stable knockdown of CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain containing 3 (CMTM3)expression in PC3 by lentivirus shRNA and to reveal new therapeutic targets.Methods:The research includes two groups:sh393 is the experimental group in which CMTM3 is knocked down in PC3 cell line;shN is the control group in which CMTM3 is negatively knocked down.The expression of CMTM3 was detected by Western blot.The mi-gration ability of PC3 after stable knockdown was detected by Transwell and Wound healing assay.The invasion ability of PC3 was detected by Matrigel assay.Results were obtained from at least three indivi-dual experiments.Results:The expression of CMTM3 in sh393 group is significant lower than shN group (0.004 0 ±0.000 4 vs.0.490 0 ±0.055 7,P <0.001)detected by Western blot.It also had statistical significance in Matrigel assays (248.6 ±4.5 vs.113.0 ±3.3),Transwell (203.6 ±1.9 vs.103.0 ± 1.2)and Wound healing assays (95.0 ±2.9 vs.33.0 ±1.5)that knockdown of CMTM3 promoted mi-gration,and invasion of PC3 cells in vitro (P <0.001).Conclusion:Negative correlation exists between the stable knockdown of CMTM3 and change of biological characteristics in PC3 cells,and knocking down CMTM3 affects migration,and invasion ability in PC3 cells.

Objective:To investigate the expression of MEK/ERK signaling pathways in renal cell car-cinoma with bone metastasis,and to analyze the differences of expressions of VEGFR-2,MEK,ERK on the primary and metastasis tissue and its mechanism.Methods:The tissue samples were obtained from 7 renal cell carcinoma patients kindly provided by Department of Urology,Peking University People’s Hos-pital from January 1,2009 to January 1,2010.The expression of MEK/ERK signaling pathways was de-tected in the 7 renal cell carcinoma patients`primary and matched metastatic tissues with ICH,The anti-body concentrations were 1 ∶200,1 ∶25,and 1 ∶250,respectively.The mutation of the twentieth exon of the PDGFRA gene,the second exon of the K-ras gene,the fifteenth exon of the Brafgene and the se-cond exon of the MEK1 gene were detected with PCR.Results:The expression intensities of VEGFR-2, MEK,and ERK were measured by H-score [intensity (1,2,3,or 4)multiplied by the distribution (%)].VEGFR-2,MEK,and ERK expressions were divided into 3 groups according to the positive dis-tribution of the tumor cells:1,0 -5%;2,6% -50%;and 3,>50%,To assess intratumor heteroge-neity,three distinct microscopic fields (×200)from each specimen were used to evaluate the expres-sions,Subsequently,the scores were averaged to obtain a single concatenated score for each tissue. VEGFR-2,MEK,and ERK expressions were assessed by 2 independent pathologists who were blinded to the clinicopathological data.The data were expressed as the mean value of the triplicate experiments.The expressions of MEK,and ERK were higher in the metastatic tissues than in the matched RCC tissues (6.10 ±4.10 vs.1.33 ±0.51,P =0.015;9.10 ±2.24 vs.4.43 ±2.84,P =0.021 )while the ex-pression of VEGFR-2 was not different between the primary and metastatic tissues (P =0.901).No mu-tation was detected on the twentieth exon of the PDGFRA gene,the second exon of the K-ras gene,the fifteenth exon of the Brafgene and the second exon of the MEK1 gene.Conclusion:MEK/ERK signa-ling pathways may play an important role in the metastasis and the resistance of sunitinib in RCC patients with bone metastasis.

Objective To establish computer assisted virtual ureteroscopy (VU) through data from computerized tomography urography (CTU) of patients with renal stones and make validation of effectiveness.Methods From June of 2015 to January of 2016,23 cases of renal stones cases was selected by 5 experts in 3 different centers.There were 21 unbilateral cases and 2 bilateral cases.The age ranged from 31 to 79(54.7 ± 12.5).Mean stone burden was (19.0 ± 6.2) mm.Stone number ranged from 1 to 5 (2.7 ± 1.2).VU generation was accomplished by specialized software (Crusher) with incorporating CTU data.After patientspecific VUs were presented to the experts,and the FURS surgeries were all finished successfully,face and content validations about VU using modified Likert questionnaire ordinal 10-point rating scales were made.20 trainee were selected to do the flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy with assistance of VU.After observation of CTU and VU,the numbers of renal calyces and stones found by the experts and trainees were recorded.The statistical analysis were made before and after observation of VU between the experts and trainees.Result Face and content validation of VU:overall usefulness 7.6 ± 0.5,graphics 7.6 ± 0.5,intrarenal collecting system 8.4 ± 0.5,stone details 8.4 ± 0.5,usefulness in surgical planning and training 8.0 ± 0.7.Significant improvement was found when the trainees doing the surgery with the help of VU.Compared with using CTU only,VU could help the trainees had better understanding of intrarenal structure and stone information [the number of calyces (16.7 ±3.7)vs.(24.6 ± 1.8),P ＜0.001;the number of stones (4.9 ± 1.4)vs.(8.2 ± 1.3),P ＜0.001].Before observation of VU,trainees found much fewer calyces and stones compared with experts (P =0.004 and P ＜ 0.001 respectively).However,this gap disappeared after VU observation (P =0.327 and 0.292 respectively).Conclusions Establishing computer assisted VU through CTU data from renal stone patients is feasible and rapid.VU can significantly improve trainee's view of intrarenal collecting system and stone information before practicing FURS.

At present, the diagnosis and recurrence monitoring of bladder cancer are mainly achieved by invasive cystoscopy, while non-invasive urine diagnostic techniques such as exfoliative cytology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and bladder tumor antigen (BTA) are not highly sensitive and/or specific, and are prone to missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. Therefore, the development of high-sensitivity non-invasive diagnostic techniques for bladder cancer can improve the current status of diagnosis and treatment while reducing the suffering of patients. Recently, the internationally renowned journal "Journal of Clinical Investigation" published the research results of Chinese scholars, Jian Huang/Tianxin Lin and their team who have developed a non-invasive technique for bladder cancer based on urine DNA methylation, which is significantly more sensitive than that clinically common-used technology such as exfoliative cytology and FISH. In particular, it has shown significant advantages in the diagnosis of early, minimal, residual or recurrent bladder cancer, which significantly improves the diagnosis rate of bladder cancer. This technique is expected to reduce the use of cystoscopy and provides new methods for precise diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer. This article elaborates the current status of non-invasive diagnosis technology for bladder cancer, the advantages of urine DNA methylation detection in the diagnosis of bladder cancer, as well as the trend of development for urine non-invasive diagnosis.

Sex determining region Y box (SOX) 18 is a member of the SOX family of transcription factors.SOX18 is crucial for cardiogenesis,angiogenesis,and lymphangiogenesis during embryonic development.The mutation or aberrant expression of SOX18 is involved in many diseases.Recently,the abnormal expression of SOX18 has been confirmed to be related with the development and metastasis of various tumors.This article summarizes the functional characteristics of SOX18 and its roles in tumors.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. The development of omics technologies has provided new perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of UC. Genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have unveiled the molecular mechanisms and biological characteristics of UC, which are conducive to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Single-cell omics and spatial transcriptomics have further deepened the understanding of cellular heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment. These technologies show great potential in molecular typing, non-invasive diagnosis, early screening, and personalized treatment of UC. This article, in response to the national key strategy, will delve into how omics technologies can drive new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of UC, as well as the application and translation prospects of these technologies in UC.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of continuous saline bladder irrigation(CSBI)after a single immediate instillation of chemotherapy(SIIC)in patients with low-and immediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer(NMIBC)undergoing transurethral resection of bladder tumor(TURBT).Methods Clinical data of 211 patients with with low-and immediate-risk NMIBC,who underwent TURBT in our hospital during Jan.2004 and Dec.2019 were collected.The patients were divided into two groups according to whether CSBI was conducted after SIIC.The recurrence rate,progression rate,recurrence-free survival and progression-free survival of the two groups were compared.Cox univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to investigate whether CSBI was a risk factor for recurrence and progression.Results There were no significant differences in baseline data,recurrence rate and progression rate between the two groups(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in recurrence-free survival between the two groups,but the progression-free survival was shorter in CSBI group(x2=8.270,P=0.004).Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that diabetes(HR:2.240,95％CI:1.066-4.704,P=0.033)and multiple tumors(HR:3.060,95％CI:1.639-5.711,P＜0.001)were independent risk factors for recurrence and CSBI(HR:7.914,95％CI:1.710-36.632,P=0.008)was an independent risk factor for progression.Conclusion CSBI after SIIC may increase the risk of progression in patients with low-and immediate-risk NMIBC,but a larger sample size is needed for validation.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is one of the most common malignant tumors. The development of omics technologies has provided new perspectives for the diagnosis and treatment of UC. Genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics have unveiled the molecular mechanisms and biological characteristics of UC, which are conducive to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Single-cell omics and spatial transcriptomics have further deepened the understanding of cellular heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment. These technologies show great potential in molecular typing, non-invasive diagnosis, early screening, and personalized treatment of UC. This article, in response to the national key strategy, will delve into how omics technologies can drive new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of UC, as well as the application and translation prospects of these technologies in UC.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) with concurrent other histological variants.Methods:The clinical data of 566 UTUC patients admitted to Peking University People's Hospital from January 2007 to April 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 289 were males and 277 were females, with an average age of (67.3±10.0)years old. Among the patients, 97 had a history of smoking, 29 had undergone kidney transplantation, 120 had diabetes, 76 had coronary heart disease, 146 had hyperlipidemia, 271 had hypertension, and 50 had a history of chronic kidney disease. Among the UTUC cases, 366 had concurrent hydronephrosis, 55 had concurrent bladder cancer, and 43 had a history of previous bladder cancer. The distribution included 210 cases of renal pelvis carcinoma, 5 cases of carcinoma at the renal pelvis-ureter junction, 226 cases of ureteral carcinoma, and 125 cases of multifocal tumors. Patients were classified into the pure UTUC group and the UTUC with concurrent other histological variants group based on postoperative pathology, and their clinical and pathological features were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors for the occurrence of histological variations in UTUC. The log-rank test was employed to compare the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the two groups, while Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate prognostic factors.Results:Among the 566 cases, 511 were pure UTUC and 55 were UTUC with concurrent other histological variants. Among the latter, 30 cases had squamous differentiation, 6 had glandular differentiation, 5 had mucinous differentiation, 5 had sarcomatoid carcinoma, 2 had micropapillary carcinoma, 2 had neuroendocrine carcinoma, 1 had giant cell carcinoma, and 4 had other mixed histological variations. The proportion of patients with a history of kidney transplantation was higher in the UTUC with concurrent histological variants group than that in the pure UTUC group [14.5% (8/55) vs. 4.1% (21/511)], with statistically significant difference ( P=0.003). In the UTUC with concurrent histological variants group, the proportion of postoperative high-grade tumors [98.2% (54/55) vs. 80.2% (410/511)], muscle-invasive tumors [89.1% (49/55) vs. 68.1% (348/511)], lymph node metastasis tumors [10.9% (6/55) vs. 2.3% (12/511)], and maximum tumor diameter [(3.60±2.64) cm vs. (2.96±1.98) cm] were higher than those in the pure UTUC group ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a history of kidney transplantation ( OR=4.991, 95% CI 1.749-13.615, P=0.002) was an independent predictive factor for the occurrence of histological variants. Follow-up was conducted for 1 to 174 months, with a median follow-up time of 32.8 months. UTUC with concurrent histological variants was significantly associated with worse OS and CSS ( P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that histological variants were an independent risk factor for OS ( HR=1.860, 95% CI 1.228-2.816, P=0.003) and CSS ( HR=2.146, 95% CI 1.349-3.412, P=0.001). Conclusions:UTUC with concurrent other histological variants exhibited higher postoperative tumor grade and stage compared to pure UTUC, and UTUC with concurrent other histological variants was an independent risk factor for worse prognosis.