Increasing evidences suggest the important role of calcium homeostasis in hallmarks of cancer, but its function and regulatory network in metastasis remain unclear. A comprehensive investigation of key regulators in cancer metastasis is urgently needed. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) of primary esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and matched metastatic tissues and a series of gain/loss-of-function experiments identified potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 4 (KCTD4) as a driver of cancer metastasis. KCTD4 expression was found upregulated in metastatic ESCC. High KCTD4 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with ESCC and contributes to cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, KCTD4 binds to CLIC1 and disrupts its dimerization, thus increasing intracellular Ca²⁺ level to enhance NFATc1-dependent fibronectin transcription. KCTD4-induced fibronectin secretion activates fibroblasts in a paracrine manner, which in turn promotes cancer cell invasion via MMP24 signaling as positive feedback. Furthermore, a lead compound K279-0738 significantly suppresses cancer metastasis by targeting the KCTD4‒CLIC1 interaction, providing a potential therapeutic strategy. Taken together, our study not only uncovers KCTD4 as a regulator of calcium homeostasis, but also reveals KCTD4/CLIC1-Ca²⁺-NFATc1-fibronectin signaling as a novel mechanism of cancer metastasis. These findings validate KCTD4 as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ESCC.

Objective:To establish donor liver quality related risk factors for the loss of function of transplanted liver.Methods:The data of donors and recipients of liver transplantation at the Organ Donation and Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from Nov 2011 to Dec 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to evaluate and screen the data of donors and recipients, in order to balance the covariates.Results:Of the organ donation, there were 70 males and 20 females , aging (40.6±16.3) years. Of the liver transplantation recipients, there were 70 males and 20 females , aging (41.8±20.3) years. Liver dysfunction after transplantation was significantly correlated with the following variables: the donor's CPR time( t=0.429, P=0.000), 15-minute retention rate of indocyanine green ( χ2=67.151, P=0.000), liver function grading ( χ2=54.154, P=0.000), bullae fatty liver grading ( χ2=8.120, P=0.017), vesicular fatty liver grading ( χ2=16.000, P=0.001), ICU stay time ( χ2=14.900, P=0.001)and serum creatinine level ( χ2=44.685, P=0.000). The donor scoring system was established in our studying. For the 90 organ donation cases, the donated liver quality were classified into four levels,which were of good correspondence to the prognosis of the recipients. Conclusion:This donor scoring system and grading standards established by analyzing the high-risk factors of liver dysfunction after transplantation helps evaluate the quality of donor liver in China.

Liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. The preservation of donor liver before transplantation is important. But both traditional static cold storage and machine perfusion are limited by the preservation time, so that the allotment space of donor liver is limited, which inevitably leads to the abandonment of part of donor liver.At present, to find a preservation technology that not only guarantees the quality of donor liver but also has a longer effective preservation time is the direction of joint efforts of all clinicians. Supercooling liver preservation(SLP) to find a preservation technology that not only guarantees the quality of donor liver but also has a longer effective preservation time is the direction of joint efforts of all clinicians. SLP, a new method based on using cryoprotectants to keep donor liver under -6 ℃ and recovering the graft with subnormothermic machine perfusion that enables long-term transplantation survival following 4 days of liver preservation, made a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of liver preservation, carved out a new field for the research of liver preservation. This article reviews the latest experimental research progress of SLP in the field of liver transplantation.

Liver transplantation is currently the only effective treatment for end-stage liver disease. The preservation of donor liver before transplantation is important. But both traditional static cold storage and machine perfusion are limited by the preservation time, so that the allotment space of donor liver is limited, which inevitably leads to the abandonment of part of donor liver.At present, to find a preservation technology that not only guarantees the quality of donor liver but also has a longer effective preservation time is the direction of joint efforts of all clinicians. Supercooling liver preservation(SLP) to find a preservation technology that not only guarantees the quality of donor liver but also has a longer effective preservation time is the direction of joint efforts of all clinicians. SLP, a new method based on using cryoprotectants to keep donor liver under -6 ℃ and recovering the graft with subnormothermic machine perfusion that enables long-term transplantation survival following 4 days of liver preservation, made a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of liver preservation, carved out a new field for the research of liver preservation. This article reviews the latest experimental research progress of SLP in the field of liver transplantation.

Objective To study the expression of MREll-RAD50-NBS1 complex in normal gallbladder tissues,simple cholecystitis,calculous cholecystitis and gallbladder carcinoma.Methods The expression of MRN complex in different gallbladder lesion tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry.Western blot,Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the influence of apoptosis and proliferation induced by NBS1.Results The differences between the expression of MRE11,RAD50 and different gallbladder lesion tissues were not statistically significant (respectively x2 =2.724,1.697,all P ＞ 0.05).The expression of NBS1 in GBC tissues [15.3％ (9/59)] was prominently lower than that in the normal gallbladder tissues [84.7％ (50/59)],simple cholecystitis [87.8％ (36/41)],calculous cholecystitis [61.2％ (30/49)] (x2 =87.388,P ＜ 0.01).The Western blot results reveal that NBS1 can mediate apoptosis by up-regulate Bax and down-regulate Bcl-2.The MTT assay results showed that the relative absorbance of treatment and control group after 24,48,72 h were[(1.120 ± 0.006)vs.(1.350±0.009),(1.600±0.004)vs.(1.99±0.01),(1.83±0.01)vs.(2.260±0.003)(F=7.659,P ＜0.01).The apoptosis rate in treatment group(17.23％ ± 0.56％)was higher than that in the control group (4.13％ ± 0.67％) (t =9.133,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion NBS1 is closely related to gallbladder carcinoma.NBS1 can inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of GBC-SD cells.

Objective To study the expressions of Nodal in normal gallbladder,and gallbladders with cholelithiasis,cholecystitis and carcinoma;and to study the impact of inhibiting or promoting Nodal expressions in gallbladder carcinoma on the Smad2/4 pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions and distributions of Nodal protein in 30 normal gallbladders,96 simple cholecystitis/calculous cholecystitis specimens and 42 gallbladder carcinoma specimens.The mRNA and protein expressions of Nodal in normal and malignant gallbladdcr mucosal epithelium cells and breast cancer cells were detected by RT-PCR,western blotting and wound healing tests.The impact of activating agents and inhibitors on the expression levels of Nodal and its signaling pathway Smad2/4 and EMT-related proteins were analyzed.Results Immunohistochemistry showed that the positive rates of Nodal in the gallbladder cancer group was significantly higher than that in the gallbladder stone group and the normal gallbladder group.The results were 83.3％ (35/42),44.8％ (43/96),6.7％ (2/30) respectively (P＜ 0.01).RT-PCR and Western blotting showed the expressions of Nodal in gallbladder carcinoma cells were higher than normal gallbladder cells (P＜0.05).After using rhNodal to up regulate the Nodal expression,the Smad2 protein phosphorylation was promoted and the EMT associated proteins were up-regulated.After using the inhibitor SB431542 to suppress the Nodal expression,the Smad2 protein phosphorylation decreased and the EMT associated proteins were down-regulated.Conclusions The expression of Nodal was closely related to cell proliferation and metastasis in gallbladder carcinoma.Tumor progression was promoted via the smad2/4 pathway through epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Objective To investigate the expressions of Yes-associated protein-1 (YAP1) in gallbladder mucosal epithelium of normal persons,in patients with simple/calculous cholecystitis,and in patients with gallbladder carcinoma;and to study the mechanism of YAP1 in gallbladder carcinoma development.Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression and distribution of YAP1 protein in 50 persons with normal gallbladder,101 patients with simple cholecystitis/calculous cholecystitis and 100 patients with gallbladder carcinoma.RT-PCR and western-blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels of YAP1 in normal and malignant gallbladder mucosal epithelium cells.siRNA was used to shut down the expression of YAP1 in SGC996 cells.MTT was used to test cell vitality.Flow cytometry was used to measure cell cycle.Results Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression rates of YAP1 in the gallbladder carcinoma group,the cholecystitis/gallstone group and the control group to be 87.0％ (87/100),56.4％ (57/101) and 5.0％ (1/20),respectively (P ＜ 0.01).The YAP1 protein levels were higher in gallbladder carcinoma tissues and cells when compared to normal tissues and cells.RT-PCR showed the mRNA levels of gallbladder carcinoma cells to be 12.5 ± 1.2 times of normal gallbladder mucosal epithelial cells (P ＜ 0.05).After using siRNA to shut down the YAP1 expression,EMT associated proteins were down-regulated,cell vitality was decreased,and cell cycle was arrested in the S-phase.Conclusions YAP1 is closely related to cell proliferation and metastasis of gallbladder carcinoma.It may promote tumor progression through epithelial-mesenchymal transition.transition;Tumor progress

Objective To analyze the incidence of BK virus (BKV) infection after kidney transplantation in our center and to evaluate the efficacy and safety of conversion treatment with Mizoribine (MZR) on BKV infection after kidney transplantation.Methods The information of recipients who received BK virus screening in hospital or outpatient during 2015-02 to 2016-12 in our center was retrospectively analyzed.The recipients positive for BKV were divided into experiment group (given conversion treatment with MZR) and control group (not given MZR conversion) according to the inclusion criteria.The negative rate of BKV,AR,hyperuricemia and the function of renal allograft during the conversion treatment with MZR were observed.Results 182 recipients accepted BKV screening during 2015-02 to 2016-12 and 68 cases were positive.The positive rate of BKV was 38.5 ％.The positive rate of peripheral blood specimens and midstream urine specimens was 7.1％ and 36.8％ respectively.Twelve recipients were positive for BKV in both peripheral blood specimens and midstream urine specimens.There were 27 recipients in experiment group and 36 cases in control group.Fourteen recipients positive for BKV became negative after MZR conversion in experiment group and the negative rate was up to 51.9％.The mean time of negative rate was 3.2 ± 2.7 (1-10) months after MZR conversion.During the conversion treatment with MZR,AR occurred in 1 case and was reversed by the impact therapy with Thymoglobulin in experiment group.The value of serum uric acid was maintained stable before and after MZR conversion under the action of uric-acidlowering drug.The renal function was kept stable in both experiment group and control group after renal transplantation.No deaths and renal allograft failure cases occurred in both groups during the research period.The 2-year survival rate for patients and kidneys was both 100％.Conclusion The incidence of BKV infection after kidney transplantation was high and the treatment scheme of MZR conversion was safe and effective.

Myeloid derived suppressor cell (MDSC) is a kind of myogenic stem cells that are induced by tumor-derived cytokines.MDSCs not only have their own immunosuppressive effects,but also can mediate the immunosuppressive effects of T lymphocytes through different mechanisms.Recent studies have shown that MDSCs involved in tumor immune escape,immune tolerance as well as other pathological processes,and played an important role in promoting the generation and development of tumors.The advances of the generation,immunosuppressive effects of MDSCs and their relation with digestive system tumors were summarized in this paper,which would provide evidences for the clinical use of MDSCs in treating digestive system tumors.

Acute Disease ; Glucocorticoids ; Graft Rejection ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Coma ; Liver Transplantation