Background: While liposomal cisplatin has shown enhanced drug tolerability and higher targeting property as compared with the conventional cisplatin, the doubt remains whether lipoplatin could improve its anticancer efficacy. What's more, there is still no systematic evaluation of the safety profiles of lipoplatin comparing with original cisplatin. Thus, we performed a systematic literature search for randomized clinical trials directly comparing efficacy and safety of liposomal cisplatin versus its conventional nonliposomal cisplatin. Methods: The electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to February 10, 2018. The pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of progressive disease (PD), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and adverse events (AEs) were obtained to assess the efficacy and safety. Heterogeneity was estimated using the I ² test (I ² > 50%, significant heterogeneity). Results: The search yielded 5 clinical trials that meet inclusion criteria, with a total of 523 patients. We found that the liposome encapsulated cisplatin was more clinical efficacious than cisplatin as assessed by PD rate (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28–0.74; P = .002), while subgroup analysis of the only nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients showed higher response rates in PR (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28–0.74; P = .002) and PD (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28–0.74; P = .002) simultaneously. In addition, the toxicity meta-analysis revealed lipoplatin was much less toxic than the original cisplatin, with respect to grade 3 to 4 neurotoxicity (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04–0.74; P = .02), grade 3 to 4 leukopenia (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26–0.85; P = .01), grade 3 to 4 neutropenia (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.09–0.71; P = .009), grade 1 and 2 nausea/vomiting (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.32–0.77; P = .002), and grade 3 and 4 asthenia (OR, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03–0.42; P = .001). Conclusions: This meta-analysis revealed that with both NSCLC and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) patients, liposomal cisplatin-based chemotherapy offers significant advantages regarding the PD and reduced toxicities relative to conventional cisplatin.

Objective: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common male malignancy globally. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is an important biomarker for PCa diagnosis. However, it is not accurate in the diagnostic gray zone of 4–10 ng/ml of PSA. In the current study, the performance of serum metabolomics profiling in discriminating PCa patients from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) individuals with a PSA concentration in the range of 4–10 ng/ml was explored.Methods: A total of 220 individuals, including patients diagnosed with PCa and BPH within PSA levels in the range of 4–10 ng/ml and healthy controls, were enrolled in the study. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based non-targeted metabolomics method was utilized to characterize serum metabolic profiles of participants. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) methods were used for multivariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to explore the diagnostic value of candidate metabolites in differentiating PCa from BPH. Correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between serum metabolites and common clinically used fasting lipid profiles.Results: Several differential metabolites were identified. The top enriched pathways in PCa subjects such as glycerophospholipid and glycerolipid metabolisms were associated with lipid metabolism. Lipids and lipid-like compounds were the predominant metabolites within the top 50 differential metabolites selected using fold-change threshold >1.5 or 1, and Student’s t-test threshold p < 0.05. Eighteen lipid or lipid-related metabolites were selected including 4-oxoretinol, anandamide, palmitic acid, glycerol 1-hexadecanoate, dl-dihydrosphingosine, 2-methoxy-6Z-hexadecenoic acid, 3-oxo-nonadecanoic acid, 2-hydroxy-nonadecanoic acid, N-palmitoyl glycine, 2-palmitoylglycerol, hexadecenal, d-erythro-sphingosine C-15, N-methyl arachidonoyl amine, 9-octadecenal, hexadecyl acetyl glycerol, 1-(9Z-pentadecenoyl)-2-eicosanoyl-glycero-3-phosphate, 3Z,6Z,9Z-octadecatriene, and glycidyl stearate. Selected metabolites effectively discriminated PCa from BPH when PSA levels were in the range of 4–10 ng/ml (area under the curve (AUC) > 0.80). Notably, the 18 identified metabolites were negatively corrected with total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and Apo-B levels in PCa patients; and some were negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and Apo-A levels. However, the metabolites were not correlated with triglycerides (TG).Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that metabolic reprogramming, mainly lipid metabolism, is a key signature of PCa. The 18 lipid or lipid-associated metabolites identified in this study are potential diagnostic markers for differential diagnosis of PCa patients and BPH individuals within a PSA level in the gray zone of 4–10 ng/ml.

Objective: Vitamin D is critical for calcium and bone metabolism. Vitamin D insufficiency impairs skeletal mineralization and bone growth rate during childhood, thus affecting height and health. Vitamin D status in children with short stature is sparsely reported. The purpose of the current study was to investigate various vitamin D components by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to better explore vitamin D storage of short-stature childrenin vivo.Methods: Serum circulating levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 [25(OH)D2], 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], and 3-epi-25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [3-epi-25(OH)D3, C3-epi] were accurately computed using the LC-MS/MS method. Total 25(OH)D [t-25(OH)D] and ratios of 25(OH)D2/25(OH)D3 and C3-epi/25(OH)D3 were then respectively calculated. Free 25(OH)D [f-25(OH)D] was also measured.Results: 25(OH)D3 and f-25(OH)D levels in short-stature subgroups 2 (school age: 7~12 years old) and 3 (adolescence: 13~18 years old) were significantly lower compared with those of healthy controls. By contrast, C3-epi levels and C3-epi/25(OH)D3 ratios in all the three short-stature subgroups were markedly higher than the corresponding healthy cases. Based on cutoff values developed by Endocrine Society Recommendation (but not suitable for methods 2 and 3), sufficient storage capacities of vitamin D in short-stature subgroups 1, 2, and 3 were 42.8%, 23.8%, and 9.0% as determined by Method 3 [25(OH)D2/3+25(OH)D3], which were lower than those of 57.1%, 28.6%, and 18.2% as determined by Method 1 [25(OH)D2+25(OH)D3+C3-epi] and 45.7%, 28.5%, and 13.6% as determined by Method 2 [25(OH)D2/3+25(OH)D3+C3-epi]. Levels of 25(OH)D2 were found to be weakly negatively correlated with those of 25(OH)D3, and higher 25(OH)D3 levels were positively correlated with higher levels of C3-epi in both short-stature and healthy control cohorts. Furthermore, f-25(OH)D levels were positively associated with 25(OH)D3 and C3-epi levels in children.Conclusions: The current LC-MS/MS technique can not only separate 25(OH)D2 from 25(OH)D3 but also distinguish C3-epi from 25(OH)D3. Measurement of t-25(OH)D [25(OH)D2+25(OH)D3] alone may overestimate vitamin D storage in children, and short-stature children had lower vitamin D levels compared with healthy subjects. Ratios of C3-epi/25(OH)D3 and 25(OH)D2/25(OH)D3 might be alternative markers for vitamin D catabolism/storage in short-stature children. Further studies are needed to explore the relationships and physiological roles of various vitamin D metabolites.

Background: Tibial cortex transverse transport (TTT) surgery has become an ideal treatment for patients with type 2 severe diabetic foot ulcerations (DFUs), while conventional treatments are ineffective. Based on our clinical practice experience, the protective immune response from TTT surgery may play a role against infections to promote wound healing in patients with DFUs. Therefore, this research aimed to systematically study the specific clinical efficacy and the mechanism of TTT surgery. Materials and methods: Between June 2022 and September 2023, 68 patients with type 2 severe DFUs were enrolled and therapized by TTT surgery in this cross-sectional and experimental study. Major clinical outcomes, including limb salvage rate and antibiotics usage rate, were investigated. Ten clinical characteristics and laboratory features of glucose metabolism and kidney function were statistically analyzed. Blood samples from six key time points of TTT surgery were collected for label-free proteomics and clinical immune biomarker analysis. Besides, tissue samples from three key time points were used for spatially resolved metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis, as well as applied to validate the key TTT-regulated molecules by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Results: Notably, 64.7% of patients did not use antibiotics during the entire TTT surgery. TTT surgery can achieve a high limb salvage rate of 92.6% in patients with unilateral or bilateral DFUs. Pathway analysis of a total of 252 differentially expressed proteins from the proteomic revealed that the immune response induced by TTT surgery at different stages was first comprehensively verified through multiomics combined with immune biomarker analysis. The function of upward transport was activating the systemic immune response, and wound healing occurs with downward transport. The spatial metabolic characteristics of skin tissue from patients with DFUs indicated downregulated levels of stearoylcarnitine and the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway in skin tissue from patients with severe DFUs. Finally, the expressions of PRNP (prion protein) to activate the immune response, PLCB3 (phospholipase C beta 3) and VE-cadherin play roles in neovascularization, and PPDPF (pancreatic progenitor cell differentiation and proliferation factor), LAMC2 (laminin subunit gamma 2), and SPRR2G (small proline-rich protein 2G) to facilitate the developmental process mainly keratinocyte differentiation were statistically significant in skin tissues through transcriptomic and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR analysis. Conclusion: TTT surgery demonstrates favorable outcomes for patients with severe type 2 DFUs by activating a systemic immune response, contributing to anti-infection, ulcer recurrence, and the limb salvage for unilateral or bilateral DFUs. The specific clinical immune responses, candidate proteins, genes, and metabolic characteristics provide directions for in-depth mechanistic research on TTT surgery. Further research and public awareness are needed to optimize TTT surgery in patients with severe type 2 DFUs.

Few studies were reported on trace elements’ alterations in uremic patients undergoing long-term (>24 months) hemodialysis (HD), especially by using the whole blood as the biological fluid for the measuring purpose. Our objective was to develop an improved micro-sampling inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method to determine the levels of Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se and Pb in uremic patients receiving long-term HD. A ICP-MS method with a modified whole blood sample preparation procedure with small volumes was established and applied for the simultaneous quantification of the various elements in uremic patients undergoing long-term HD. 124 eligible uremic patients receiving long-term HD (75 males and 49 females) and 77 healthy subjects (54 males and 23 females) were recruited and Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Se and Pb levels were further determined. Our results revealed that uremic patients with HD had significantly higher blood levels of Ca, Mg, Zn and Pb and lower Cu, Fe, Se and Mn concentrations than healthy controls. In conclusion, a reproducible and reliable ICP-MS method using minimal whole blood sample volume (50 μL) with a simple dilution-based preparation procedure was successfully improved, validated and applied. Uremic patients undergoing long-term HD might be at increased risk of some essential trace elements deficiency (especially for Cu, Fe and Se) or toxic trace element excess (Pb) in respect to healthy subjects. Monitoring of blood levels and supplementation of some trace elements may be indicated in uremic patients undergoing long-term HD.