Background: The combination of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with sorafenib has demonstrated superior efficacy over sorafenib and TACE monotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Apatinib, a new targeted agent, has been recently reported to prolong the survival of HCC patients, either alone or in combination with TACE. However, the superior regimen between TACE-apatinib and TACEsorafenib in HCC patients has not been determined. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of TACE-apatinib versus TACE-sorafenib in advanced stage HCC patients.
Methods:The data of 201 HCC patients who had received TACE-sorafenib or TACE-apatinib between January 2016 and June 2018 in three hospitals were retrospectively reviewed. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse effects (AEs) between the two treatment groups were compared.A subgroup analysis based on the doses of targeted agents was also performed.Results: No significant differences in baseline clinicopathological features were found between the two groups except for dose reduction. The TACE-apatinib group had higher incidences of hypertension, oral or anal ulcer and proteinuria, while the TACE-sorafenib group had higher incidences of diarrhea and alopecia.Grade 3/4 AEs occurred more frequently in the TACE-apatinib group than in the TACE-sorafenib group (52.3% vs. 22.6%, P<0.001). The TACE-sorafenib group had better PFS than the TACE-apatinib group (median PFS: 5.0 vs. 6.0 months, P=0.002) while the two groups showed no difference in OS (median OS: 13.0 vs. 13.0 months, P=0.448). The TACE-apatinib group had a higher rate of targeted agent dose reduction than the TACE-sorafenib group (53.5% vs. 17.4%, P<0.001). When the patients were stratified into normal and reduced-dose subgroups, those who received TACE-sorafenib exhibited improved PFS but similar OS compared with the patients who received TACE-apatinib in the reduced-dose subgroup (median OS: 12.0
Introduction: Previous studies have reported that miR-520b exhibited inhibitory effects on various human tumors, whereas the effects of miR-520b on gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) have remained unclear. To investigate the effects of miR-520b on GBC progression and reveal the underlying mechanisms, this study was performed. Material and methods: MiR-520b and RAB22A mRNA levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). RAB22A protein level was analyzed via Western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. The proliferation, colony formation ability, migration and invasion of NOZ cells were measured via MTT, colony formation, wound healing and transwell invasion assay respectively. Results: MiR-520b expression level was lower in human GBC tissues than that in neighboring normal tissues. MiR-520b mimic repressed NOZ cell proliferation, colony formation ability, migration and invasion, whereas miR-520b inhibitor exhibited opposite effects. Dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-520b could bind to the 3′-untranslated regions of RAB22A mRNA. Moreover, RAB22A overexpression significantly abolished the anti-tumor effects of miR-520b in a NOZ cell model. Western blot, qPCR and IHC analysis proved that human GBC tissues showed a higher RAB22A expression level than neighboring normal tissues. Additionally, there was a negative association between miR-520b and RAB22A expression. Conclusions: MiR-520b had suppressive effects on GBC via targeting RAB22A in vitro.
Background
Vaccination is an important method for the prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) transmission. There is currently a lack of real‐world clinical data regarding the safety and efficacy of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccines with respect to plaque psoriasis treatment involving tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) inhibitors.
Methods
We longitudinally analyzed 152 patients with plaque psoriasis, 86 of whom received two doses of inactivated COVID‐19 vaccine (either BBIBP‐CorV or CoronaVac). Comparisons were made between patients undergoing treatment with biologics (TNF‐ α inhibitors or IL‐17A inhibitors) or acitretin. Routine blood tests were used to assess safety; the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were used to assess efficacy.
Results
After inactivated COVID‐19 vaccination, biologics retained considerable advantages in terms of improving skin lesions (measured by PASI) and quality of life (measured by DLQI), compared with conventional treatment (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Routine blood tests and hepatorenal function analyses suggested that inactivated SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines did not alter the safety of biologics treatment (p > 0.05).
Conclusions
Inactivated SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines do not have significant impacts on the safety and efficacy of biologics (TNF‐α inhibitors or IL‐17A inhibitors) in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
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