Objective:To investigate the association between the expression of long non-coding RNA genes and the HULC rs7763881 polymorphism, recurrence, and metastasis after radical resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:Paraffin tissue samples were selected from 426 cases diagnosed with HCC between January 2004 to January 2012. The expression of different genotypes of HULC gene locus rs7763881 in paraffin tissues was detected by PCR, and the association between different genotype expressions and clinical case characteristics of HCC [gender, age, TNM stage, alpha-fetoprotein, tumor maximum diameter (cm), vascular invasion, tumor capsule, tumor grade] was analyzed. Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the correlation between different genotypes and clinicopathological features, prognosis, and recurrence. Survival analysis between different genotypes was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method for a parallel log-rank test.Results:There were 27 (6.3%) cases in the whole group who lost to follow-up. A total of 399 (93.7%) specimens were included in the study, and 105 (26.3%), 211 (52.9%) and 83 (20.8%) were included in the rs77638881 AA, AC, and CC genotypes, respectively. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the postoperative overall survival and recurrence-free survival rate were significantly higher in patients with the AA than AC/CC genotype ( P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the AC/CC genotype was closely related to tumor vascular invasion and recurrence or metastasis of HCC ( P < 0.05). Cox multivariate analysis results showed that patients with the AA genotype were taken as references, and the results showed that the risk of recurrence and metastasis in patients with the CA/CC genotype increased to varying degrees, with statistical significance ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:The rs7763881 polymorphic loci located on the HULC gene are closely related to HCC recurrence and metastasis after radical resection. Thus, it may be an indicator for evaluating HCC recurrence and metastasis.

Background: Endoscopic screening is an effective approach for detecting early gastric cancer. The interval of endoscopic surveillance should be defined based on the risk stratification of gastric cancer, so as to improve the screening efficiency. Aims: To investigate whether gastric cancer risk could be stratified according to endoscopic atrophic gastritis grading. Methods: Subjects who underwent gastroscopy at least two times between Jan. 2015 and Dec. 2019 at the 900th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force, PLA were enrolled in a retrospective study. The demographic data and information on endoscopy were recorded. The extent and degree of gastric atrophy under endoscopy was graded using Kimura-Takemoto classification system. Then the subjects were allocated into mild group (none atrophy and C-1), moderate group (C-2 and C-3) and severe group (O-1, O-2 and O-3) based on the grading. The correlation of endoscopic grading of atrophy with the risk of gastric cancer was analyzed. Results: A total of 8 736 subjects were enrolled, 4 154 were in mild group (47.6%), 2 409 in moderate group (27.6%), and 2 173 in severe group (24.9%). The mean endoscopic follow-up time was (1 052±643) d, and the mean endoscopic surveillance interval was (518±271) d. The overall coincidence rate of endoscopic diagnosis and pathological diagnosis for atrophy was 88.9%. During the follow-up period, gastric cancer was detected in 41 cases; the detection rates of mild group, moderate group and severe group were 0.07%, 0.54% and 1.15%, respectively (P<0.001). Conclusions: The risk of gastric cancer can be stratified according to the endoscopic atrophic gastritis grading, which is helpful for the decision of individualized endoscopic surveillance interval.