Highlights d Periostin deficiency inhibits colorectal tumor formation in mice d Periostin is mainly secreted by fibroblasts to promote tumor cell proliferation d Periostin promotes YAP/TAZ nuclear localization and IL-6 expression in tumor cells d IL-6 promotes fibroblast activation and periostin expression during tumorigenesis

Pancreatic cancer remains the fourth deathliest cancer worldwide with a 5-year survival rate of only 4%. The present study tested the hypothesis that dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression by pancreatic cancer endothelial cells (CECs) may regulate angiogenesis. Primary EC cultures were established from the pancreatic tumor and adjacent normal tissues of three pancreatic cancer patients. A miRNA microarray was used to identify miRNAs that were differentially expressed. The expression patterns of four highly expressed miRNAs in CECs were confirmed by qPCR analysis. The effects of dysregulated miRNA expression on CEC proliferation, migration and tube formation were determined after transfection with specific miRNA inhibitors. The expression of 14 miRNAs was increased by >20-fold in the the CECs of all three pancreatic patients; the increased expression of miR-200c and miR-139 in CECs was confirmed. miR-1, mir-139 and miR-200c inhibitors significantly reduced CEC migration (all P<0.05), yet not proliferation. The average tube length and total loop number were also significantly decreased upon miR-139 and miR-200c inhibition in all three CEC cultures (all P<0.05). Upregulation of miR-139 and miR-200c expression may increase CEC migration and tube formation, which suggests that these miRNAs may regulate pancreatic tumor angiogenesis.

Inconsistent results regarding the association between abdominal obesity and the risk of colorectal adenoma (CRA), the precursor of colorectal cancer (CRC), have been reported. To provide a quantitative assessment of this relationship, we summarized the evidence from observational studies in categorical, linear dose-response meta-analyses. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for studies of waist circumference (WC) and/or waist-hip ratio (WHR) and CRA risk published until the end of October 2011. Summary relative risks (SRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were summarized using a random-effects model. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using the Cochran's Q and I statistics. A total of 21 studies (four case-control studies, 12 cross-sectional studies, and five cohort studies) were included in this meta-analysis. Overall, the SRRs of CRA were 1.39 (95% CI: 1.24-1.56) for the highest versus the lowest level of WC and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.10-1.35) for WHR (P-value for heterogeneity 0.013 and 0.458, respectively). In linear dose-response analysis, a 10-cm increase in WC was related to an increased risk of CRA (SRR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.26) and a 0.1-unit increment in WHR gave 1.16 (95% CI: 1.06-1.26). Subgroup analyses revealed that the increased risk of CRA in abdominally obese individuals was independent of geographic location, design, sex, and confounders: alcohol use, smoking status, and family history of colorectal cancer. However, BMI may be a confounder for the association between WC and CRA risk. These results suggest that abdominally obese individuals, both men and women, may have an increased risk of CRA.

The prevalence of HBV infection in IBD patients in China was higher than that in Europe, USA, and the general population in China, but the prevalence of HCV infection in IBD patients was similar to that in the general population in this study. The frequency of nonimmune status against HBV was high, especially in young Crohn's disease patients, and HBV vaccination should be intensified and have a targeted coverage.