BackgroundWhether familial papillary thyroid cancer (FPTC) is more aggressive than sporadic counterpart remains elusive, and the optimal clinical approach for FPTC is yet to be established. In this study, we investigated familial occurrence of PTC in China and reviewed our experience of its surgical treatment.MethodsThe clinical records of 248 consecutive patients with an established diagnosis of PTC who were admitted to Nanfang Hospital for thyroidectomy between January 2011 and June 2013 were analyzed in this study. Patients included 66 males and 182 females, aged 11 to 76 years.ResultsTwenty-two patients (8.9%) with a positive family history were confirmed. Patients with FPTC had a predilection for female subjects and tended to be younger than other patients, but the difference was not significant (P = 0.0514 and P = 0.168). They were more likely to present large tumors (P = 0.0024), multifocality (familial vs. sporadic: 54.50% vs. 26.50%; P < 0.006), local invasion (81.8% vs. 23.9%; P < 0.001), and malignant lymph nodes (63.6% vs. 33.6%; P = 0.005). Univariate and multivariate analyses identified that a positive family history was an independent risk factor for local invasion (OR: 5.683; 95% CI: 2.056 to 15.707; P = 0.001), malignant lymph nodes (OR: 3.005; 95% CI: 1.046 to 8.630; P = 0.041) in FPTC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that an aggressive surgical strategy was associated with a better relapse-free survival than conventional one (P = 0.032).ConclusionsFPTC is more likely to possess aggressive features than sporadic counterparts. Thus, screening of at-risk families is essential to aid in earlier recognition. An aggressive surgical strategy appeared to be the more effective therapy. However, sufficient detailed interrogation and long-term follow-up of the patients and their family are necessary for providing individualized recommendations for clinical management.

Tap water (unfiltered), filtered tap water and processed bottled water (purified water, artificial mineralized water, or natural water) are now the five most widely consumed types of drinking water in China. However, the constituents (organic chemicals and inorganic ingredients) of the five waters differ, which may cause them to have different long-term health effects on those who drink them, especially sensitive children. In order to determine which type of water among the five waters is the most beneficial regarding reproductive outcomes and the developmental behaviors of offspring, two generations of Sprague–Dawley rats were given these five waters separately, and their reproductive outcomes and the developmental behaviors of their offspring were observed and compared. The results showed that the unfiltered tap water group had the lowest values for the maternal gestation index (MGI) and offspring's learning and memory abilities (OLMA); the lowest offspring survival rate was found in the purified water group; and the highest OLMA were found in the filtered tap water group. Thus, the best reproductive and offspring early developmental outcomes were found in the group that drank filtered tap water, which had the lowest levels of pollutants and the richest minerals. Therefore, thoroughly removing toxic contaminants and retaining the beneficial minerals in drinking water may be important for both pregnant women and children, and the best way to treat water may be with granular activated carbon and ion exchange by copper zinc alloy.

Phillyrin (PHN), one of the major active constituents of Forsythia suspensa and F. koreana, has been reported to produce antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory effects. However, no study has demonstrated the role of PHN in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). We aimed to investigate the effects of PHN on the proliferation and apoptosis of HEp-2 cells. In the present study, PHN alone showed little effect on HEp-2 cell proliferation and apoptosis. Subsequent tests showed that PHN could largely enhance the level of autophagy on HEp-2 cells. Combining use of PHN and autophagy blockers including 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (CQ) significantly inhibited HEp-2 cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induced apoptosis after 24 h in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, we found that the possible underlying molecular mechanism of PHN-induced autophagy might be through the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway. Taken together, our study indicates that combining use of PHN and autophagy blockers may serve as a novel strategy in LSCC treatment.