No abstract

Epigenetic modifications are important mechanisms responsible for cancer progression. Accumulating data suggest that (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin of green tea, may hamper carcinogenesis by targeting epigenetic alterations. We found that signal peptide-CUB (complement protein C1r/C1s, Uegf, and Bmp1)-EGF (epidermal growth factor) domain-containing protein 2 (SCUBE2), a tumor suppressor gene, was hypermethylated in breast tumors. However, it is unknown whether EGCG regulates SCUBE2 methylation, and the mechanisms remain undefined. This study was designed to investigate the effect of EGCG on SCUBE2 methylation in breast cancer cells. We reveal that EGCG possesses a significantly inhibitory effect on cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner and presents more effects than other catechins. EGCG treatment resulted in enhancement of the SCUBE2 gene, along with elevated E-cadherin and decreased vimentin expression, leading to significant suppression of cell migration and invasion. The inhibitory effect of EGCG on SCUBE2 knock-down cells was remarkably alleviated. Further study demonstrated that EGCG significantly decreased the SCUBE2 methylation status by reducing DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) expression and activity. In summary, this study reported for the first time that SCUBE2 methylation can be reversed by EGCG treatment, finally resulting in the inhibition of breast cancer progression. These results suggest the epigenetic role of EGCG and its potential implication in breast cancer therapy.

Evaluation of the different surgical approaches for endoscopic thyroidectomy shows that the incidence of hemorrhage and seroma are higher in the extra-cervical group, but the rate of conversion to conventional open surgery is significantly higher in the cervical group. Furthermore, patients who undergo extra-cervical endoscopic thyroidectomy are associated with longer operating time and hospital stays; however, these studies suggest that the extra-cervical surgical approach for endoscopic thyroidectomy is preferable for dealing with more kinds of thyroid tumor and leaving no scars on neck.

The kinetics of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) during the natural history of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been studied, but the factors affecting them remain unclear. We aimed to investigate the factors affecting HBsAg titres, using data from multicentre, large-sized clinical trials in China. The baseline data of 1795 patients in 3 multicentre trials were studied, and the patients were classified into 3 groups: hepatitis B early antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic HBV infection (n = 588), HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (n = 596), and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (n = 611). HBsAg titres in the different phases were compared, and multiple linear progression analyses were performed to investigate the implicated factors. HBsAg titres varied significantly in different phases (P = .000), with the highest (4.60 log10 IU/mL [10%-90% confidence interval: 3.52 log10 IU/mL-4.99 log10 IU/mL]) in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection. In all phases, age and HBV DNA were correlated with serum HBsAg level. In HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients, a negative correlation between HBsAg titres and fibrosis stage was observed. Alanine amonitransferase or necroinflammatory activity was also correlated with HBsAg titres in HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B patients. In conclusion, decreased HBsAg titres may be associated with advancing fibrosis in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients or increased necroinflammation in those with HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B. Our findings may help clinicians better understand the kinetics of HBsAg and provide useful insights into the management of this disease.