Objective To analyze the changes in angiopoietin-2(Ang-2)levels before and after microwave ablation(MWA)in patients with high-risk pulmonary nodule and its impact on postoperative recurrence.Method A total of 94 patients with high-risk pulmonary nodules admitted to Guizhou Aerospace Hospital from December 2019 to December 2021 were included and categorized into a recurrence group(n=30)and a non-recurrence group(n=64).Clinical data was compared between the two groups.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between pre-treatment angiopoietin-2(Ang-2)levels and CT parameters.Logistic regression model,restricted cubic splines,threshold effect analysis,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve were used to analyze the relationship between pre-treatment Ang-2 levels and postoperative recurrence.Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze the differences in overall survival among patients with different Ang-2 levels.Cox regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting patients'survival.Result Compared to pre-treatment levels within the same group,Ang-2 levels in both groups decreased significantly,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that pre-treatment Ang-2 levels were positively correlated with BF,BV,PS,and MTT.Ang-2 level was independently associated with postoperative recurrence.Results of ROC analysis indicated that pre-treatment Ang-2 had certain predictive value for postoperative recurrence(area under the curve=0.789).Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a nonlinear dose-response relationship between pre-treatment Ang-2 and postoperative recurrence(P<0.05).Threshold effect analysis identified that the inflection point of Ang-2 affecting recurrence as 1905.41 pg/mL.Survival analysis demonstrated that the median overall survival of patients in the Ang-2<1905.41 pg/mL group was longer than that in the Ang-2≥1905.41 pg/mL group(P=0.039).Furthermore,Ang-2≥1905.41 pg/mL was an independent factor affecting patients'survival time.Conclusion The levels of Ang-2 decreased significantly in patients with high-risk pulmonary nodules after MWA,and pre-treatment Ang-2 level has certain predictive value for postoperative recurrence.

Background Researches showed that transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) promotes the activity of human Tenon capsular fibroblasts (TFs),which plays a role in the scarring of filtering blebs after antiglaucoma surgery.However,its mechanism is not fully clear.Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) are important extracellular matrix proteases which can catalyze the cross-linking of collagen and elastin.Investigating the impact of TGF-β2 on the expression of LOXs has a great significance for the understanding of the pathogenesis of filtering bleb scarring and its prevention.Objective This study was to investigate the effect of TGF-β2 on the expression of LOXs in cultured human TFs.Methods The TFs at 4-8 generations were divided into normal control group and different concentrations of TGF-β2 treated-groups,and 100,200,400,800 μ1 of TGF-β2 with the final concentration of 2,4,8 and 16 ng/ml was added into the medium to treat human TFs respectively for 24 hours.The LOXs in the cells were detected by Western blot to determine the optimal dose of TGF-β2.The 4 ng/ml TGF-β2(200 μ1) was used to treat human TFs for 6,12,24 and 48 hours respectively,and the change of LOXs expression in the cells over time was assayed by Western blot.The expression and distribution of LOX protein in the normal cells and TGF-β2-treated cells was detected by using immunofluorescence technique.This study was approved by Daping Hospital of Third Military Medical University Ethic Commission.The guardians of the patients who offered the specimen knew the purpose of the study and signed informed consent.Results Western blot assay showed that the expressions of LOX,LOXL1,LOXL2,LOXL3 and LOXL4 in the cells were gradually elevated from the normal control group and 2,4,8,16 ng/ml TGF-β2-treated groups,showing significant differences among the groups (F =37.338,13.438,31.067,11.767,15.167,all at P＜0.01).The expression of LOXL2 protein in the cells was 0.68±0.07,1.09±0.10,1.32±0.07,1.50± 0.06 and 1.89±0.12 in the normal control group and 6-,12-,24-and 48-hour groups respectively after 4 ng/ml TGF-β2 treatment,with a significant increase over time (F =82.832,P=0.000).The expression of LOX was weak in the normal cultured TFs,while the fluorescence intensity of LOX expression was evidently enhanced in the cytoplasm of the cells in the TGF-β2-treated group.Conclusions TGF-β2 upregulates the expressions of LOXs in human TFs in a dose-and time-dependent manner,which probably offers a basis for the further study on the prevention of filtering bleb scarring after glaucoma surgery.