Background: The variation and correlation among adiponectin, nesfatin-1, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6), which may be involved in the development of the decline of health into prediabetes and diabetes, have not been elucidated. This study aims to investigate the roles of these cytokines in this process.Methods: Seventy-two type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, 75 prediabetics, and 72 healthy individuals were enrolled in our case control study. Serum adiponectin, nesfatin-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 were tested with appropriate kits, and primary data were analyzed with correct methods.Results: Serum levels of each cytokine in patients with prediabetes were between T2DM and the healthy, and significant differences were found among them. TNF-α and nesfatin-1 levels in T2DM were obviously different compared to prediabetes or the healthy; IL-6 and adiponectin levels in the healthy group were significantly changed in contrast to prediabetes or T2DM. Correlation analysis found that in prediabetics, adiponectin was positively correlated with TNF-α (R = 0.2939, P = 0.0105) and IL-6 (R = 0.3918, P = 0.0005), and their relationship was greatly strengthened in prediabetes accompanied by insulin resistance (TNF-α: R = 0.7732, P < 0.0001, IL-6: R = 0.6663, P = 0.0005). We also demonstrated that declined adiponectin (OR = 6.238, P = 0.019) and nesfatin-1 (OR = 2.812, P = 0.01) and elevated TNF-α (OR = 5.541, P = 0.001) were risk factors for prediabetes toward diabetes.Conclusions: This research proved significant variations of adiponectin, nesfatin-1, IL-6, and TNF-α levels in the healthy, prediabetics, and T2DM, suggesting a slow and gradual change during the progression from a healthy condition toward diabetes via prediabetes.

Recent studies have identified methylated SDC2 and NDRG4 in colorectal cancer (CRC), however, the diagnostic value of the combined two genes remains undefined. This study aims to investigate the methylation of SDC2 and NDRG4 in stool samples and their application in diagnosis of CRC. Five groups were enrolled in our study which consisted of CRC (n = 138), advanced adenomas (n = 27), polyp (n = 35), intestinal disease control (n = 150), and healthy individuals (n = 28). Methylation status of SDC2 and NDRG4 in fecal samples were tested with appropriate commercial kits. Primary data were collected and statistical analyses were performed. The positive rates of both SDC2 and NDRG4 methylation in stool samples of CRC group were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than those of either group of advanced adenomas, or polyp, or intestinal disease or the healthy control. It was suggested that both methylated SDC2,NDRG4, SDC2/NDRG4 and age were independent risk factors for CRC. The sensitivity of SDC2 and NDRG4 for CRC diagnosis were 73.9 % and 63.0 %, respectively, while SDC2 combined with NDRG4 had a higher sensitivity of 85.5 %. The specificity of SDC2, NDRG4 and SDC2 combined with NDRG4 achieved 91.6 %, 88.3 % and 84.6 %, respectively. The AUC for methylated SDC2 and NDRG4 were 0.828 (95 % CI: 0.780-0.876) and 0.757 (95 % CI: 0.703-0.811), respectively. In contrast, SDC2 combined with NDRG4 improved the AUC to 0.850 (95 % CI: 0.807-0.893). This research confirmed the significance of detection of SDC2 and NDRG4 methylation by using noninvasive samples of stool. More importantly, attributing to their high level and frequency of methylation in stool, SDC2 and NDRG4 could be promising biomarkers for stool-based method for screening and early diagnosis of CRC, especially when combined.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly prevalent disease in Southeast Asia. The disease is typically diagnosed in the later stages, and chemotherapy resistance often causes treatment failure. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of drug resistance, we searched for chemoresistant-associated proteins in NPC and drug-resistant NPC cell lines using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation combined with nano liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The chemoresistant NPC cell lines CNE1DDP and CNE2DDP were resistant to 1 mg/L cisplatin, had resistant indexes of 4.58 and 2.63, respectively, and clearly grew more slowly than the NPC cell lines CNE1 and CNE2. Using three technical replicates, we identified 690 nonredundant proteins, 56 of which were differentially expressed in both groups of cell lines (CNE1 vs. CNE1DDP and CNE2 vs. CNE2DDP). Gene Ontology, KEGG pathway, and miRNA analyses and protein-protein interactions of differentially expressed proteins showed that proteins TRIM29, HSPB1, CLIC1, ANXA1, and STMN1, among others, may play a role in the mechanisms of chemoresistance in clinical therapy. The chemotherapy-resistant proteomic profiles obtained may allow the identification of novel biomarkers for early detection of chemoresistance in NPC and other cancers.

Exosomes are nanoscale membrane vesicles, which carry biologically active substances of their cell of origin and play an important role in signal transduction and intercellular communication. At present, exosomes have been identified as a promising non-invasive liquid biopsy biomarker in the tissues and circulating blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and found to participate in regulating pathophysiological process of the tumor. We here review recent insights gained into the molecular mechanisms of exosome-induced cell growth, angiogenesis, metastasis, immunosuppression, radiation resistance and chemotherapy resistance in the development and progression of NPC, as well as the clinical application of exosomes as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic agents. We also discuss the limitations and challenges in exosome application. We hope this review may provide some references for the use of exosomes in clinical intervention.

Aims: This meta-analysis evaluated the value of using Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) DNA titers as a predictive factor in assessing the clinical course of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients in Southeast Asia. Methods: A systematic search was performed using PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase online databases. Eligible studies with complete baseline information and extractable hazard ratios (HRs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and other details were included in this analysis. All pooled statistics were calculated using RevMan 5.3 software with inverse variance methods, forest plots, or funnel plots directly; the results were analyzed both in toto and by subgroups using meta-regression and sensitivity analyses. Results: Forty studies involving 27,235 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. With the recommended cutoff values of 2,000, 0, and 0 copies/mL, respectively, were used higher levels of EBV DNA in the pretreatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment groups were all associated with at least a 2.5-fold increased risk of death compared with patients with lower levels of EBV DNA (HRs and 95% CIs were 2.47 [2.10–2.89], 2.67 [1.50–4.75], and 5.25 [3.58–7.71], respectively, p < 0.05). This finding could also explain heterogeneities among the studies. Conclusion: Higher pretreatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment EBV DNA levels were all significantly correlated with poor outcomes for patients afflicted with NPCs. Further investigations of EBV DNA levels, combined with addressing TNM stages, are needed to determine whether they can be used as clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.