A novel predictive model using routinely clinical parameters to predict liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B A novel predictive model using routinely clinical parameters to predict liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Background: The oncological role of TMC5 in human cancers has only been revealed partially. We performed integrated bioinformatics analysis to provide a thorough and detailed insight of associations between TMC5 and tumorigenesis, cancer progression, and prognosis.Methods: With reference to the accessible online databases, the TMC5 expressions in tumor tissues and corresponding normal tissues, different pathological stages, and various cancer cells were analyzed, while the protein levels of TMC5 in different cancers were also inspected. Meanwhile, the prognostic value of TMC5 expression in multiple cancers as well as in advanced-stage patients was investigated. Furthermore, the mutational data of TMC5 and its correlation with cancer prognosis were assessed. Moreover, the association between the TMC5 level and immune cell infiltration was evaluated. Next, TMC5-related pathway alterations and drug responses were summarized. Finally, the TMC5 based protein network was generated, and relevant enrichment was performed.Results: In our study, the expression level of TMC5 was significantly higher in the tumor tissue than that of the normal tissues in most cancer types. Fluctuations of TMC5 levels were also observed among different pathological stages. In the meantime, the protein level elevated in the tumor tissue in the cancers enrolled. Moreover, the expression of TMC5 was not only prognostic for overall survival (OS) or recurrence free survival (RFS) in various types of cancers but also correlated to OS in patients with more advanced cancers. Additionally, the mutational status of TMC5 is also associated with prognosis in cancer patients. It is worth noting that the TMC5 level was closely related to immune cell infiltrations, especially in ESCA, TGCT, and USC. The TMC5 expression was also identified as an activator for pathways including PI3K/AKT, RAS/MAPK, and TSC/mTOR, proved to be associated with multiple drug responses and assessed to be interactive with the TMEM family.Conclusion: TMC5 might function as a potential marker for cancer survival and immune responses.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the survival situation of locally advanced gastric cancer (GC) patients with pathological complete response (pCR) following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).Methods: The clinical data of 13 patients with locally advanced GC who achieved a treated pCR with NAC following by surgical resection between January 2015 and December 2019 at Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were analyzed retrospectively.Results: Only 9.4% (13/138) can be classified as achieving pCR and these 13 cases of locally advanced GC patients are entered into the present study. The median follow‐up period of the survivors was 38 (range: 9‐68) months. As a whole, the overall survival (OS) rates at 1 and 3 years were 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 78‐100) and 84% (95% CI 65‐100), and the RFS rates at 1 and 3 years were 85% (95% CI 66‐100) and 76% (95% CI 53‐98).Conclusions: Although a pCR was a relatively rare event, locally advanced GC patients who achieved pCR with NAC have a good prognosis.

To offer a pilot view on the application of cfDNA in diagnosing early gastric cancer in patient with situs inversus totalis (SIT), accompanied by a literature review. Within this study, we assessed the feasibility of diagnosing early gastric cancer in a SIT patient by detecting cfDNA concentration and mutations. Meanwhile, a search through PubMed using key words of “situs inversus totalis and gastric cancer” covering English studies from 2008 to 2019 was carried out to provide an associated literature review. Of all the 24 publications we reviewed, 25 patients were diagnosed with SIT and GC. The majority of them (23/25) were from the eastern Asia area. More than 40% (11/25) of the patients were diagnosed at advanced tumor stages. In the case of an early staged GC in our center, when both radiographic and endoscopic exams failed to establish an accurate diagnose, we found that not only the concentration of cfDNA was above normal, the frequent genetic mutations for GC were also detected within preoperative cfDNA. The concomitance of SIT and GC is still a rare incident, only limited cases have been reported and were often diagnosed in late cancer stages. By measuring the concentration and mutations of cfDNA, early GC may be detected in SIT patients.

Cancers of the digestive tract are a series of diseases that seriously affects the health and life quality of the population worldwide, and the etiology is closely related to various daily habits. Drinking water is a daily human activity, but the intrinsic connection between water intake and gastrointestinal (GI) cancers is still unclear. We used the two‐sample mendelian randomization (TSMR) method to explore the potential causal relationship between water consumption and GI cancers. We obtained the integrated GWAS data of water intake (ukb‐b‐14 898), as well as the GWAS results of oral cavity cancer (ieu‐b‐4961), esophageal cancer (ebi‐a‐GCST90018841), gastric cancer (ebi‐a‐GCST90018849), liver cancer (ieu‐b‐4953), hepatic bile duct cancer (ebi‐a‐GCST90018803), pancreatic cancer (ebi‐a‐GCST90018893) and colorectal cancer (ebi‐a‐GCST90018588) through the online database “IEU OPEN GWAS PROJECT”. Using inverse variance weighting (IVW) method, weighted median method, MR Egger regression method, simple model method, and weighted model method to jointly study the causal relationship between water intake and GI cancers. Mendelian randomization analysis showed a negative correlation between water consumption and esophageal cancer (weighted media, OR = 0.215, p = .021; MR Egger, OR = 0.033, p = .040; weighted mode, OR = 0.162, p = .045), a positively association with pancreatic cancer (IVW, OR = 2.663, p = .033). There is a potential positive correlation between water intake and gastric cancer as well as colorectal cancer, but not statistically significant. The associations between water intake and oral cavity cancer, liver cancer and hepatic bile duct cancer remain uncertain. Therefore, Increased amount of drinking water may help to prevent the incidence of esophageal cancer, but might promote the development of pancreatic cancer.