The study was conducted to investigate the correlation between the ultrasonographic appearance of a thyroid nodule and the BRAF V600E mutation. Patients with thyroid nodules ( n = 186 ), for which BRAF V600E testing and cytopathology analysis were performed, and who underwent subsequent surgery for nodule resection were enrolled in this study. For each patient, color Doppler ultrasonography was performed to observe the variables of the nodules. The nodules were then characterized using the thyroid imaging reporting and data system classification TI-RADS. Furthermore, the ultrasonographic appearance of the control group, encompassing patients with nodular thyroid goiters, and the case group, encompassing patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC), was statically analyzed. Similarly, a statistical analysis of the ultrasonographic appearance of the BRAF V600E-positive and BRAF V600E-negative subgroups was also performed. The accuracy was significantly different for the corresponding values when color Doppler ultrasonography, BRAF V600E testing, or cytopathology alone was used for diagnosis. There were significant differences in the ultrasonographic appearance variables between the control and case groups. Comparing with the BRAF V600E-negative subgroup of the case group, the ultrasonographic appearances of the BRAF V600E-positive subgroup showed less circumscribed and more irregularly shaped nodules, with significantly different aspect ratios of >1. The combination of BRAF V600E testing and color Doppler ultrasonography or cytopathology improved the accuracy of the PTMC diagnose. We found that the ultrasonographic appearance of thyroid nodules was related to PTMC.

Purpose: To investigate the anticancer effects of sparteine against human cervical cancer. Methods: Cell viability was determined by CCK8 assay, while 4′, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining was used for determination of apoptosis. Cell cycle analysis was done with flow cytometry, while cell invasion was monitored using Transwell invasion assays. Protein expressions were determined using Western blotting. Results: The results revealed that sparteine inhibited the viability of cervical cancer cells with halfmaximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) ranging from 10 to 25 µM. Sparteine exerted more profound antiproliferative effects on DoTc2 cells, with IC50 of 10 µM. However, minimal cytotoxicity was observed in normal cervical cells, as evident from the IC50 of 80 µM. Sparteine triggered the generation of ROS and apoptotic cell death in DoTc2 cells. The induction of apoptosis was accompanied by upregulation of Bax expression and downregulation of Bcl-2 expression. Sparteine caused arrest of DoTc2 cells at the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, and suppressed the expressions of cyclin A and cyclin B1. Transwell assay data showed that sparteine decreased the invasion ability of DoTc2 cells. Sparteine also inhibited the phosphorylation of VGFR2 in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: Sparteine exhibits significant anticancer activity and may prove beneficial in cervical cancer chemotherapy.