Objective:To investigate the correlation of the expression of Ephrin A receptor 2(EphA2)and its promoter region DNA hypomethylation with the occurrence of pyroptosis in invasive breast cancer. Methods:The expression level of pyroptosis-related protein EphA2 in normal breast tissue,paracancerous tissues and cancer tissues from 42 breast cancer patients was examined by Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting.The expression level of pyroptosis related protein nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting.The expression levels of apoptosis related proteins Caspase 1 and inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β(IL-1 β)were studied by Western blotting.The DNA methylation level in the promoter region of EphA2 was investigated by nested methylation-specific PCR(nMS-PCR).The expression levels of DNA methyltransferase 1(DNMT1)and DNA methyltransferase 3a(DNMT3a)were examined by Western blotting.The correlation of the protein expression and methylation level of EphA2 in cancer tissues with the expression NLRP3,Caspase 1,IL-1 β,DNMT1 and DNMT3a was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient. Results:Compared with normal breast tissues and paracancerous tissues,the expression level of EphA2 protein was significantly increased(P＜0.01),while that of NLRP3,Caspasel and IL-1 βwas significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in breast cancer tissues.Meanwhile,compared with normal breast tissues and paracancerous tissues,the DNA methylation level of EphA2 promoter in breast cancer tissues was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),the expression level DNMT3a protein was significantly decreased(P＜0.01,P＜0.05),and the difference in the expression level of DNMT1 protein was not statistically significant.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression level of EphA2 protein is negatively correlated with that of NLRP3(r=-0.651 2,P＜0.05),Caspasel(r=-0.571 2,P＜0.05),IL-1β(r=-0.654 6,P＜0.05)or DNMT3a(r=-0.537 4,P＜0.05),while the methylation level of EphA2 was positively correlated with the protein expression level of NLRP3(r=0.634 1,P=0.026 8),Caspase1(r=0.672 8,P=0.01 6 5),IL-1 β(r=0.694 0,P=0.01 2 3)and DNMT3a(r=0.687 1,P=0.01 3 6). Conclusion:The expression of EphA2 protein is upregulated in breast cancer tissues is negatively correlated with pyroptosis.DNMT3a may be involved in the process of DNA hypomethylation in the promoter region of EphA2.

Objective:To report the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of 2 cases of X-linked acrogigantism(X-LAG).Methods:The clinical information of two patients were retrospectively reported, and peripheral blood DNA was collected for copy number variations detection.Results:Both patients had onset at age of two, with common clinical characteristics including linear growth acceleration, mild facial coarsening, enlargement of hands and feet, increased appetite, and snoring, etc. The heights Z scores of the two patients before treatment were + 6.86 and + 6.53, respectively. Growth hormone(GH) glucose inhibition test showed that GH nadir values were over 1 ng/mL and insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ) were 586.0 ng/mL and 1 042.0 ng/mL, respectively. Patient 1 received three cycles of octreotide microspheres therapy followed by surgery, and achieved clinical and biochemical remission. Patient 2 had lanreotide for 5.5 years but failed biochemical remission. Microduplication of Xq26.3, which contained pathogenic gene G-protein coupled receptor 101(GPR101), was found in germline DNA of two patients through copy number variation detection, leading to the diagnosis of X-LAG.Conclusion:It should be cautious of X-LAG when children below 2 years old presents symptoms such as overgrowth and so on. Medication combined with surgery is effective.

Objective:Cushing′s disease(CD) is caused by the pituitary adrenocorticotroph hormone(ACTH) secreting adenomas, leading to increased serum cortisol levels and various abnormal metabolic processes. Untreated CD is linked to high mortality, thus it is critical to elucidate its pathogenesis. This study aims to explore the pathogenesis of pituitary ACTH adenomas using whole-genome sequencing analysis.Methods:Fresh tumor tissues and peripheral blood samples were collected in 9 confirmed cases of pituitary ACTH adenomas who underwent surgery. Whole genome sequencing was then performed, followed by analysis and verification of single nucleotide mutations, copy number variation(CNV) and chromosome structure variations.Results:Somatic USP8 mutations(p.Ser718del, p. Ser718Pro, p. Pro720Arg, p. Pro720Gln) were found in 5 patients, with a rate of 55.6%; CNV of USP8 was detected in 1 patient; TP53(p.Cys135Tyr), NF1(p.Val1049Glufs*11) and KMT2C(c.3323+ 1G>A) mutations were identified in 1 patient harboring wild-type USP8. CNV analysis showed a loss of heterozygosity in multiple chromosomes in a wild-type USP8 patient. Structural variations were found in 2 with unknown significance. No germline gene mutations were detected in this study.Conclusion:Somatic USP8 mutations, increased copy number of USP8, variations of tumor-related genes such as TP53 and extensive somatic CNV all contribute to pathogenesis of CD. Chromosomal structure variations may suggest high-risk pituitary ACTH adenomas, and call for frequent follow-up and aggressive treatment.

Objective:To explore the value of octreotide suppression test(OST) in predicting the efficacy of somatostatin receptor ligands(SRLs) in the treatment of active acromegaly.Methods:The clinical data of 76 patients with active acromegaly from 2011 to 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. OST was carried out as follows: After an overnight fasting and baseline sampling of growth hormone(GH), 100 μg octreotide was subcutaneously injected, and sampling for GH was obtained every 2 hours for 8 hours. All patients were treated with SRLs for at least 3 months. A good GH response is defined as a post-treatment random GH<1 μg/L or >80% fall compared with the baseline GH. A good insulin-like growth factor Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ) response is defined as IGF-Ⅰ<1.3 upper limit of normal(ULN) or >50% reduction compared with the baseline. If both GH and IGF-Ⅰ fulfill the criteria of a good response, it is defined as a good GH and IGF-Ⅰ response.Results:The baseline level of GH during OST was 15.00(6.38, 34.20) μg/L, the median time to reach the nadir GH was(3.65±1.65) hours, and the nadir GH level was 1.47(0.50, 4.19) μg/L. The median GH suppression rate was 89.12%(72.71%, 95.09%). When the cutoff value of GH suppression rate in predicting a good GH response was 89.32%, the area under the curve(AUC) was 0.74, with a sensitivity of 81.80% and specificity of 66.00%. When the cutoff value of GH suppression rate in predicting a good IGF-Ⅰ response was 93.14%, the AUC was 0.64, with a sensitivity of 50.00% and specificity of 75.60%. When the GH suppression rate was 90.71%, the AUC was 0.78, with the sensitivity of 83.30% and specificity of 70.00% in predicting a good GH and IGF-Ⅰ response. Compared with GH/IGF-Ⅰ non-responders, GH/IGF-Ⅰ responders displayed lower nadir GH during OST, higher GH suppression rate and IGF-Ⅰ reduction rate, and lower ratio of IGF-1 to ULN( P<0.05). Conclusion:GH suppression rate during the OST is a valuable predictor to evaluate the efficacy of SRLs in patients with acromegaly, with the highest sensitivity and specificity when the cutoff value is 90.71%.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) co-existent with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).Methods:Seven cases of MTC co-existent with HT were collected from Fujian Cancer Hospital between Jan 2007 and May 2021. Its clinicopathological features were analyzed.Results:All patients were adult female with a median age of 49 years, and 6 of them were unilateral MTC. The tumor diameter ranged from 0.4 to 7.0 cm. The thyroid tissue surrounding the tumor showed HT. The follow-up time was 16 to 152 months, with a median time of 61 months, 5 patients (tumor diameter <1 cm) were biochemically cured, 1 patient (tumor diameter >1 cm) was anatomically cured. The another patient died due to tumor progression 30 months after surgery, the tumor cells in which were highly atypia and more mitoses (5~8/10HPF) necrosis and vascular invasion were also observed.Conclusion:MTC with HT are mostly sporadic cases, and most of them have a fair prognosis.

Rutin,a flavonoid found in fruits and vegetables,is a potential anticancer compound with strong anti-cancer activity.Therefore,electrochemical sensor was developed for the detection of rutin.In this study,CoWO4 nanosheets were synthesized via a hydrothermal method,and porous carbon(PC)was prepared via high-temperature pyrolysis.Successful preparation of the materials was confirmed,and character-ization was performed by transmission electron microscopy,scanning electron microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.A mixture of PC and CoWO4 nanosheets was used as an electrode modifier to fabricate the electrochemical sensor for the electrochemical determination of rutin.The 3D CoWO4 nanosheets exhibited high electrocatalytic activity and good stability.PC has a high surface-to-volume ratio and superior conductivity.Moreover,the hydrophobicity of PC allows large amounts of rutin to be adsorbed,thereby increasing the concentration of rutin at the electrode surface.Owing to the syn-ergistic effect of the 3D CoWO4 nanosheets and PC,the developed electrochemical sensor was employed to quantitively determine rutin with high stability and sensitivity.The sensor showed a good linear range(5-5000 ng/mL)with a detection limit of O.45 ng/mL.The developed sensor was successfully applied to the determination of rutin in crushed tablets and human serum samples.

Objective To investigate the expression of ITGBL1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its role in promoting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cell lines. Methods RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry were used in investigating ITGBL1 expression in 12 pairs of fresh HCC and adjacent normal liver tissue samples and 160 paraffin HCC specimens. The relationships of ITGBL1 expression level with clinicopathological parameters and prognosis were analyzed. HUH7 cell line with the stable overexpression of ITGBL1 and LM3 cell line with stable downregulated expression of ITGBL1 were constructed. The effects of ITGBL1 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were examined by CCK8 assay, wound-healing assay, and Transwell invasion assay. Results The expression levels of ITGBL1 gene and protein in tumor tissues were higher than those in surrounding liver tissues. The high expression of ITGBL1 was correlated with serum AFP level, tumor capsular invasion, vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, and clinical stage (P < 0.05). The results of Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high expression of ITGBL1 had shorter DFS. In vitro, increased ITGBL1 expression promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas ITGBL1 knockdown inhibited these processes. Conclusion ITGBL1 expression is highly expressed in HCC tissues, and ITGBL1 can increase the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. However, the mechanism needs further study.

To compare changes in platelet related parameters in obese patients before and after sleeve gastrectomy (SG), we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 31 obese patients who underwent SG in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2012 to September 2020. Results showed that compared with those before surgery, platelet count (PLT) decreased significantly at 2-12 weeks of follow-up ( P=0.009), while platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and large platelet ratio (P-LCR) increased significantly at the same periods of follow-up after operation ( P<0.001). However, the levels of PDW, MPV, and P-LCR began to decrease at 16-55 weeks when compared with those at 2-12 weeks of follow-up ( P<0.01). PLT was positively correlated with white blood cells and neutrophils at 2-12 weeks of follow-up and positively correlated with high sensitivity C-reactive protein at 16-55 weeks of follow-up after operation ( P<0.05).

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of orlistat or metformin treatment on lipid and glucose metabolism, and gonadal function in obese/overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). A total of 39 patients diagnosed with PCOS were randomly (digital table method) divided into orlistat treatment group (20 cases) and metformin treatment group (19 cases). Compared with those before, treatment with either orlistat or metformin significantly reduced body weight, body mass index (BMI), hip circumferences, and serum insulin levels of the PCOS patients both at the end of 3 months and 6 months ( P<0.05). No significant differences could be viewed between orlistat and metformin treated subjects. Moreover, orlistat treatment significantly lowered the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) ( P<0.05), while there were no significant changes in above parameters with metformin treatment. The improvement of menstrual cycle was observed after 6-month treatment in both groups ( P<0.05). However, changes in polycystic ovarian morphology by ultrasound were only observed in orlistat treated group. In conclusion, orlistat is comparable with metformin in weight loss and improvement of insulin resistance and menstrual cycle, and is superior to metformin in improvement of lipid metabolism in overweight/obese PCOS patients.

Objective: This article reported the clinical characteristics and gene mutations of two pseudoachondroplasia cases, and made a literature review in order to improve clinicians′ understanding of the disease. Methods: Clinical features of two patients who were short stature accompanied with skeletal deformities were summarized, and they accepted whole exome sequencing. We also reviewed literature to summarize the clinical characteristics and known gene research progress of all reported Chinese pseudoachondroplasia cases. Results: The two patients′ clinical characteristics were short limbdwarfism with skeletal deformity. Genetic results showed that there were two heterozygous mutations in the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) gene of the two patients, c. 1417_1419delGAC and c. 1552G>A, respectively. Up to March 2019, a total of 58 cases of pseudoachondroplasia have been reported in China. The median height of these patients is -5.03 SDS. The clinical features include abnormal gait, short limbs, short fingers/toes, scoliosis, bracelet sign, ankle sign and other skeletal deformities. COMP is the pathogenic gene and mutations mainly located in calmodulin-like domains. The hotspot mutation is c. 1417_1419delGAC. Conclusions Pseudoachondroplasia is a kind of rare genetic disease characterized by short stature and skeletal deformities. The clinical and genetic characteristics of the disease were summarized, which may improve the early diagnosis rate.