(2015) The RET fusion gene and its correlation with demographic and clinicopathological features of non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis, Cancer Biology & Therapy, 16:7, 1019-1028, DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2015 Purpose. The RET fusion gene is a novel oncogene observed in a subset of NSCLC in recent years. Nevertheless, the results of epidemiological studies concerning the gene remain unclear. Thus, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation of RET fusion gene with demographic and clinicopathological features of NSCLC. Methods. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched to identify eligible studies. The association of RET fusion gene occurrence with gender, age, smoking status, histology type and tumor stage were analyzed in metaanalysis. Subgroup analysis according to patients' location (Asian and non-Asian) was also conducted. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated to assess the correlation. Results. Nine studies with a total of 6,899 NSCLC patients met the inclusion criteria. A total of 84 patients with RET fusion gene were detected. The RET fusion gene was identified at significantly higher frequencies in female (OR D 0.55, 95%CI D 0.35-0.85) than male patients and in young (<60 ) patients (OR D 0.43, 95%CI D 0.19-0.99) than old patients ( 60 ), particularly in patients from Asian. A significant higher frequency was also identified in non-smokers (OR D 0.28, 95% CI D 0.16-0.49), and in patients with lung adenocarcinomas (OR D 3.59, 95%CI D 1.50-8.56). Additionally, no association between RET fusion gene and the TNM stage of tumor was observed. Conclusion. RET fusion gene occurred predominantly in Asian females with younger age, in non-smokers, and in lung adenocarcinomas patients. This subset of NSCLC patients might be good candidates for personalized diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important role in cancer development and progression by regulating gene expression. The present study aimed to investigate the function of circRNA_100859 in colon cancer. circRNA expression profiles from a human circRNAs chip were analyzed. The effects of circRNA_100859 on cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed in vitro and interactions between circRNA_100859 and its micro (mi)RNA and target genes were analyzed. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of circRNA_100859 was also investigated. It was identified that circRNA_100859 was overexpressed in colon cancer tissues and promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis. Additionally, bioinformatics and a dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that circRNA_100859 acted as a miR-217 sponge, and miR-217 directly targeted hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. Rescue assays demonstrated that HIF-1α protein and mRNA expression levels and cell proliferation were regulated by the circRNA_100859/miR-217 axis ( P <0.05). Furthermore, statistical analysis showed that the circRNA_100859-miR-217-HIF-1α axis was associated with Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage, histological grade, and KRAS mutations, and also showed high diagnostic and prognostic value for patients with colon cancer ( P <0.05). Therefore, it was concluded that circRNA_100859 functions as an oncogene in colon cancer by sponging the miR-217-HIF-1α pathway. In addition, the circRNA_100859-miR-217-HIF-1α axis may serve as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for patients with colon cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and copeptin, in addition to the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) scores, in patients with acute organophosphorus pesticide poisoning (AOPP). A total of 100 patients with AOPP were included and divided into mild, moderate and severe groups according to AOPP diagnosis and classification standards. Blood samples were collected from all patients on days 1, 3 and 7 following AOPP. The concentrations of CRP and copeptin in the plasma were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All AOPP patients underwent APACHE II scoring and the diagnostic value of these scores was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROCs). On days 1, 3 and 7 after AOPP, the levels of CRP and copeptin were increased in correlation with the increase in AOPP severity, and were significantly higher compared with the control groups. Furthermore, elevated CRP and copeptin plasma levels were detected in patients with severe AOPP on day 7, whereas these levels were reduced in patients with mild or moderate AOPP. APACHE II scores, blood lactate level, acetylcholine esterase level, twitch disappearance time, reactivating agent dose and inability to raise the head were the high-risk factors that affected the prognosis of AOPP. Patients with plasma CRP and copeptin levels higher than median values had worse prognoses. The areas under curve for ROCs were 0.89, 0.75 and 0.72 for CRP levels, copeptin levels and APACHE II scores, respectively. In addition, the plasma contents of CRP and copeptin are increased according to the severity of AOPP. Therefore, the results of the present study suggest that CRP and copeptin levels and APACHE II scores may be used for the determination of AOPP severity and the prediction of AOPP prognosis.

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MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small, non‑coding RNA molecules that are highly conserved across species and function as regulators of gene expression. In the present study, we revealed that miR-138 expression was at a low level while sirtuin type 1 (Sirt1) mRNA expression was at high level in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cell lines by using real-time PCR and western blot assays, and the functions of miR-138 were achieved via targeting of Sirt1 using luciferase reporter gene vector and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Overexpression of miR-138 attenuated Sirt1 expression and inhibited cell proliferation by using CCK-8 and BrdU assays. The inhibitory effect of miR-138 could be partially restored by forced expression of Sirt1 in cells. Our data revealed a crucial role and mechanism of miR-138 in the regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth via the miR-138/Sirt1 axis, and miR-138 could be an important potential target for the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma in the future.

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Microcapsule based self-healing concrete can automatically repair damage and improve the durability of concrete structures, the performance of which depends on the binding behavior between the microcapsule wall and cement matrix. However, conventional experimental methods could not provide detailed information on a microscopic level. In this paper, through molecular dynamics simulation, three composite models of Tobermorite (Tobermorite 9 Å, Tobermorite 11 Å, Tobermorite 14 Å), a mineral similar to Calcium-Silicate–Hydrate (C–S–H) gel, with the linear urea–formaldehyde (UF), the shell of the microcapsule, were established to investigate the mechanical properties and interface binding behaviour of the Tobermorite/UF composite. The results showed that the Young’s modulus, shear modulus and bulk modulus of Tobermorite/UF were lower than that of ‘pure’ Tobermorite, whereas the tensile strength and failure strain of Tobermorite/UF were higher than that of ‘pure’ Tobermorite. Moreover, through radial distribution function (RDF) analysis, the connection between Tobermorite and UF found a strong interaction between Ca, N, and O, whereas Si from Tobermorite and N from UF did not contribute to the interface binding strength. Finally, high binding energy between the Tobermorite and UF was observed. The research results should provide insights into the interface behavior between the microcapsule wall and the cement matrix.