【Objective】  To study the effects of soil environment on the growth, yield, and quality of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) under different planting patterns. 【Methods】  Soil physical and chemical indices and enzyme activities in four periods including early flowering (March), full flowering (June), fruit ripening (September), and late fruit picking (December), were measured under three planting patterns including natural forest, greenhouse, and rubber forest in Xishuangbanna, China. The changes in soil indices during the growth periods of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) under different planting patterns were analyzed, and the differences in plant growth, yield, and quality under different planting patterns were explored. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between soil indices and Sharen (Amomi Fructus) growth, yield, and quality. Principal component analysis was used to investigate the effects of soil environment under different planting patterns on Sharen (Amomi Fructus) growth, yield, and quality. 【Results】  The soil moisture, available potassium content, and urease activity of the three planting patterns of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) increased initially and decreased afterwards throughout the year; pH and organic matter content showed little change in the whole year. Exchangeable manganese content and acid phosphatase activity gradually increased throughout the year. Hydrolyzed nitrogen content, exchangeable calcium content, available zinc content, protease activity, and sucrase activity decreased initially and increased afterwards throughout the year. Exchangeable magnesium content, available iron content, and catalase activity decreased annually. Total nitrogen content, total phosphorus content, and available phosphorus content fluctuated throughout the year. The total potassium content under natural forest and greenhouse planting decreased throughout the year, while the total potassium content under rubber forest showed an upward trend all year round. The organic matter content, total nitrogen content, total potassium content, available potassium content, available zinc content, urease activity, acid phosphatase activity, and catalase activity under greenhouse were significantly lower than those under natural and rubber forests (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that plant growth, yield, and quality of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) were significantly correlated with soil organic matter, total nitrogen, hydrolyzed nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, total potassium, available potassium, exchangeable manganese, exchangeable magnesium, exchangeable calcium, available zinc, urease, acid phosphatase, and invertase (P <  0.05). The results of the principal component analysis indicated that the soil environment of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) under natural forest was the best, followed by rubber forest and greenhouse. The order of its advantages and disadvantages is consistent with the growth index of Sharen (Amomi Fructus), but contrary to the yield of Sharen (Amomi Fructus), indicating that the soil environment directly affects the growth index and nutritional components of plants. 【Conclusion】  Different planting patterns of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) have different soil nutrient content, and the change rules in the growths period are not similar, with some differences. Soil indices have impacts on plant growth, yield, and quality of Sharen (Amomi Fructus). Soil ecological environment is positively correlated with the growth characteristics of Sharen (Amomi Fructus) plants, but has no direct correlation with yield and quality.

Objective:To study the safety and treatment outcomes of portal vein embolization (PVE) combined with lenvatinib plus an anti-programmed death-1(PD-1) antibody to treat patients with initially unreasectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC).Methods:This study retrospectively analyzed the data of six patients with uHCC who received first-line combined systemic therapy with lenvatinib plus an anti-PD-1 antibody, and then underwent pre-hepatectomy PVE at the Department of Liver Surgery at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from May 2019 to November 2020. All enrolled patients were males, aged (54.6±6.2) (ranged 46 to 63) years. Tumor response and liver volume were evaluated by medical imagings once every 2 months (±2 weeks) and evaluated using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (version 1.1). Patients were followed-up by outpatient interviews or by phone calls to record their survival and tumor outcome status.Results:Three of the six enrolled patients had Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage A and three had stage B disease. One patient achieved a partial response and five patients had stable diseases. The mean ± s. d. future liver remnant (FLR) percentage was (29.0±8.9) % before PVE and the combination therapy, and was (41.3±10.8) % before the last evaluation for liver surgery ( t=10.79, P<0.001). Hepatectomy was carried out in five patients, and one patient who failed to develop significant FLR hypertrophy did not undergo hepatectomy. Grade B post-hepatectomy liver failure and major postoperative complications (i.e. pleural effusion requiring additional percutaneous drainage) occurred in one patient. After a median post-operative follow-up of 4.5 (range: 1.0-12.3) months, all five patients were alive and were tumor free. Conclusion:PVE followed by hepatectomy is feasible in a uHCC patients receiving systemic therapy with lenvatinib and an anti-PD-1 antibody.

Cancer is an internal disorder, as cancer cells come from normal cells, unlike infectious diseases. Therefore, "War on Can-cer" should be renamed as "Cancer Control War". Cancer Control War would need to emphasize on six integrations: integration of elim-ination and transformation strategies, integration of individual combat and comprehensive treatment, integration of quick decision in battle and lasting strategy, integration of passive treatment and active participation, integration of advanced technology and effi-cient, economical results, and integration of foreign service and Chinese mindset.

In the recent years,our knowledge on cancer and metastasis has been renewed,and therefore new thoughts are needed for the study of cancer metastasis.Based on the fact that cancer is a systemic and dynamic disease which is caused by multiple factors,involves various genes,and has multiple stages,more studies should be conducted in the following aspects:(1) intervention of cancer metastasis;(2) systemic intervention focusing on the nervous system,immune status,endocrine,and metabolism;(3) studies on improving residual cancer and microenvironment;(4) studies on multimodality therapy,especially the combination of eradication and modification;(5) dynamic studies on cancer metastasis,especially the intervention leading to increased metastatic potential after tumor eradication.

China ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; prevention & control ; therapy

Mutations detection of circulating tumor DNA can be divided into quantitative and qualitative classifications:the forumer mainly detects the total amount of circulating DNA (serum or plasma),whereas the latter mainly detects the specific genetic variations in serum or plasma DNA,such as gene mutations,methylations of tumor suppressor genes,and microsatellite alterations,etc.Both of them may reflect the tumor presence and disease severity.In this paper,mutations detection and its clinical significance of circulating tumor DNA in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are reviewed.

The development and progression of tumors are closely related to the tumor microenvironment.As one of the most important com-ponents in tumor microenvironment,cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs)play an important role in carcinogenesis,angiogenesis,inva-sion,and metastasis of tumors.The role of CAFs in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)is reviewed by dis-cussing how CAFs are recruited and activated in the tumor microenvironment and how CAFs promote tumor angiogenesis and regulate tumor immunity.This review may provide new approaches for the treatment of HCC.

BACKGROUNDThe MAPK phosphatases (MKPs) are a family of dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) that can dephosphorylate both phosphothreonine and phosphotyrosine residues, thus inactivating MAPK signaling. DUSP6 is a cytoplasmic MKP that can inactivate ERK. DUSP6 has been implicated in the development of some tumors. The aim of this research was to investigate the expression of DUSP6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the correlation of DUSP6 with mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis.

METHODSTissues from 305 patients who had undergone hepatectomy for HCC was used in this study. The expression of DUSP6, p-ERK, p-JNK, and p-p38α was determined using tissue microarrays for immunohistochemical analysis. The prognostic value of DUSP6 and other clinicopathological factors were evaluated.

RESULTSThe expression of DUSP6 was significantly higher in the tumor tissue when compared to the peritumor or normal liver tissue (P < 0.001). Tumor DUSP6 expression was significantly associated with disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.013). Tumor DUSP6 expression was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (Hazard ratio = 1.635, P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONSDUSP6 is over expressed in tumor tissue compared to peritumor or normal liver tissue. Higher expression of DUSP6 in tumor tissue, than in peritumor tissue, is associated with the recurrence after curative resection of HCC, and the relative tumor DUSP6 expression has good power to predict the recurrence of HCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Dual Specificity Phosphatase 6 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; metabolism ; Tissue Array Analysis ; Young Adult

The 5-year survival rates of small liver cancer resection were no longer improved in the past 40 years,indicating the importance of studies on cancer metastasis.Several important issues of cancer metastasis will be delineated:(1)Changing concepts of cancer metastasis:Cancer metastasis is a systemic issue,metastatic potential of cancer originated from pri-mary tumor,cancer stem cell is the key component of cancer metastasis,metastatic potential also influenced by immuneinflammatory microenvironment,metastatic potential is an alterable event.(2) The pro-metastatic effect of cancer eradication:In Liver Cancer Institute of Fudan University,experimental studies using human hepatocellular carcinoma nude mice model with high metastatic potential indicated that palliative resection,radiotherapy,chemotherapy,hepatic artery ligation and molecular targeted therapies that target to VEGF (eg.Sorafenib) promoted the metastatic potential of residual cancer,mainly via hypoxia,inflammation and immuno-suppression with different molecular alterations.Interestingly,effective intervention that inhibits metastasis and prolongs survival has been found using clinical available drugs in experimental studies.Such as cytokine (interferon),anti-inflammatories (aspirin and zoledronic acid),herbal medicine (Songyou Yin) and Tanshinone Ⅱ A,a novel tripeptide-tyroserleutide,etc.(3) Systemic intervention,including nervous system,immunotherapy,endocrinal intervention,as well as metabolic intervention,etc.were briefly discussed.

Objective To evaluate the prognosis and management of recurrent primary clear cell carcinoma of liver (PCCCL).Methods 214 patients with PCCCL treated by curative resection from January 1996 to March 2006 were retrospectively studied.Tumour recurrences were classified into early (≤1 year) and late (＞1 year) recurrences.Results Of 99 patients who developed recurrences,28 developed early recurrence while 71 developed late recurrence.The patients with recurrences were treated with re-resection (n=33),percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI,n=7),radiofrequency ablation (RFA,n=10),transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE,n =27),systemic chemotherapy (n=1),Chinese medicine (n=1),and conservative management (n=20).The re-resection rate was higher in the late than in the early recurrence group (P=0.04).In this study,reresection,PEI,and RFA were considered as curative therapies.There was no significant difference in the overall survival (OS) for patients who received these different curative therapeutic procedures (P=0.68).The 1,3-,and 5-year OS of patients with recurrences who were treated with curative treatment were comparable to those patients who did not develop recurrences (100％,86.0％,63.5％ vs 85.2％,72.2％,64.3％,P=0.71).The 1-,3-,and 5-year OS of patients who received TACE for recurrences were 100％,66.7％,and 44.4％ respectively.The results were poorer than patients who received curative treatment for recurrences (P=0.03),but were better than those who received conservative management after recurrences (80.0 ％,25.0 ％,and 10.0 ％,P＜ 0.01).Conclusions Reresection,PEI and RFA are optimal curative methods for recurrent PCCCL.TACE plays an important role in the management of patients with recurrent PCCCL who cannot be treated with curative methods.