PURPOSE: Accumulating evidence has shown that dysregulation of microRNA-191 (miR-191) is closely associated with tumorigenesis and progression in a wide range of cancers. This study aimed to explore the potential role of miR-191 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: miR-191 expression was assessed in 93 ESCC tissue specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction, and survival analysis was performed via Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, plate colony-forming, BrdU, and Transwell assays were conducted to observe the effect of miR-191 on ESCC proliferation and invasion. Luciferase reporter and western blot assays were taken to identify target genes of miR-191. RESULTS: miR-191 was overexpressed in 93 cases of ESCC, compared with adjacent normal tissues, and miR-191 expression was significantly related to differentiation, depth of invasion, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis of tumor. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses demonstrated that overexpression of miR-191 was an independent and significant predictor of ESCC prognosis. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments showed that miR-191 promoted ESCC cell proliferation and invasion activities in vitro. Early growth response 1 (EGR1), a tumor suppressor, was predicted as a direct target of miR-191. Luciferase reporter and western blot assays proved that miR-191 reduced EGR1 expression by directly binding its 3' untranslated region. Moreover, EGR1 knockdown by siRNA enhanced ESCC cell growth and invasion. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide specific biological roles of miR-191 in ESCC survival and progression. Targeting the novel miR-191/EGR1 axis represents a potential new therapeutic way to block ESCC development.
3' Untranslated Regions ; Blotting, Western ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Carcinogenesis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; Cell Proliferation ; Epithelial Cells* ; In Vitro Techniques ; Luciferases ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Small Interfering

Objective To explore the application of various forms of anterolateral thigh flap in lower extremity and ankle amputation with extensive skin and soft tissue defect reconstruction.Methods From September 2011 to December 2015,26 cases of lower extremity and ankle amputation with extensive skin and soft tissue defect reconstruction (included 20 male patients and 6 female patients) were admitted,the age ranged from 22 to 61 years old (38.6 ± 4.5).Among these cases,10 cases received flow-through anterolateral thigh flap,16 cases used chimeric anterolateral thigh flap with vastus lateralis thigh muscle flap,15 flaps were thinned in one-staged,5 flaps were harvested in double-paddled form.The flap size ranged from 10 cm × 6 cm to 28 cm × 12 cm.The donor site was closed directly in all cases.Results All flaps and replanted extremities survived uneventfully.All patients were followed up for 8 to 30 months with satisfied esthetic and functional results in reconstructed foot and ankle,the texture of flaps was good,no bulky was noted and no second revision was needed.No local ulcer happened and regained protective sensation.Only linear scar left in the donor sites,no hernia occurred.Conclusions Various forms of anterolateral thigh flap is the effective choice in lower extremity and ankle amputation with extensive skin and soft tissue defect reconstruction.

Objective: To evaluate the value of MRI-T₂WI texture analysis in the differentiation of atypical medulloblastoma and ependymoma of the fourth ventricle. Methods: Preoperative MRI data of 36 cases of fourth ventricle tumor (19 cases of medulloblastoma and 17 cases of ependymoma) confirmed by the Central Theater General Hospital of the Chinese People′s Liberation Army were retrospectively analyzed. Manually sketch areas of interest (ROI) were made using texture analysis software to get histogram parameters, including mean, median, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis, maximum, minimum, heterogeneity, entropy, the 5th percentile (T₂WI_5th), the 10th percentile (T₂WI_10th), the 25th percentile (T₂WI_25th), the 50th percentile (T₂WI_50th), the 75th percentile(T₂WI_75th), the 95th percentile(T₂WI_95th). Independent sample t test or mann-whitney U test was used for statistical analysis of each parameter value between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to perform multiparameter joint analysis on meaningful parameters. The area under the curve (AUC) was obtained by using the subject operating characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the threshold and diagnostic efficacy for distinguishing the two group. Results: The mean, median, T₂WI_5th, T₂WI_10th, T₂WI_25th, T₂WI_50th, T₂WI₇5th values of the medulloblastoma group were smaller than those of the ependymoma group, and difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The T₂WI_5th had the best diagnostic performance. When the critical value was 1 343, the diagnostic specificity was 75.0% and the sensitivity was 92.9%. Logistic regression was used to predict the joint analysis of probability parameters. T₂WI_5th+T₂WI_10th had the best performance, and AUC was 0.928. When the critical value was 0.75, the diagnostic specificity was 75.0% and the sensitivity was 100.0%. Conclusions MRI-T₂WI texture analysis can provide quantitative information for preoperative diagnosis of atypical medulloblastoma and ependymoma and improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis, which has obvious clinical value.

Objective:To characterize the histopathological subtypes and their clinicopathological parameters of gender and onset age by common, rare and sparse primary esophageal malignant tumors (PEMT).Methods:A total of 272 437 patients with PEMT were enrolled in this study, and all of the patients were received radical surgery. The clinicopathological information of the patients was obtained from the database established by the State Key Laboratory of Esophageal Cancer Prevention & Treatment from September 1973 to December 2020, which included the clinical treatment, pathological diagnosis and follow-up information of esophagus and gastric cardia cancers. All patients were diagnosed and classified by the criteria of esophageal tumor histopathological diagnosis and classification (2019) of the World Health Organization (WHO). The esophageal tumors, which were not included in the WHO classification, were analyzed separately according to the postoperative pathological diagnosis. The χ 2 test was performed by the SPSS 25.0 software on count data, and the test standard α=0.05. Results:A total of 32 histopathological types were identified in the enrolled PEMT patients, of which 10 subtypes were not included in the WHO classification. According to the frequency, PEMT were divided into common (esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, ESCC, accounting for 97.1%), rare (esophageal adenocarcinoma, EAC, accounting for 2.3%) and sparse (mainly esophageal small cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, etc., accounting for 0.6%). All the common, rare, and sparse types occurred predominantly in male patients, and the gender difference of rare type was most significant (EAC, male∶ female, 2.67∶1), followed with common type (ESCC, male∶ female, 1.78∶1) and sparse type (male∶ female, 1.71∶1). The common type (ESCC) mainly occurred in the middle thoracic segment (65.2%), while the rare type (EAC) mainly occurred in the lower thoracic segment (56.8%). Among the sparse type, malignant melanoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma were both predominantly located in the lower thoracic segment (51.7%, 66.7%), and the others were mainly in the middle thoracic segment.Conclusion:ESCC is the most common type among the 32 histopathological types of PEMT, followed by EAC as the rare type, and esophageal small cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma as the major sparse type, and all of which are mainly occur in male patients. The common type of ESCC mainly occur in the middle thoracic segment, while the rare type of EAC mainly in the lower thoracic segment. The mainly sparse type of malignant melanoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma predominately occur in the lower thoracic segment, and the remaining sparse types mainly occur in the middle thoracic segment.