Purpose: Colorectal carcinoma constitutes a predominant etiology of oncological mortality globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis elucidated the prognostic utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a predictive biomarker for postsurgical recurrence in colorectal cancer patients. Methods: Two independent investigators conducted systematic literature search across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and clinical trial registries. Studies investigating ctDNA prognostic significance for colorectal cancer recurrence were incorporated. Random-effects models were implemented utilizing restricted maximum likelihood methodology. The study quality was assessed using Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: Following screening of 2259 records, 11 studies were incorporated. ctDNA-positive patients exhibited significantly elevated recurrence risk as compared to ctDNA-negative counterparts (pooled HR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.90–2.79; p < 0.001). Moderate heterogeneity was observed ( I ² = 66.40%), attributable to patient stage distribution, sampling timing, detection platforms, and mutational panel variations. Stage I-III patients demonstrated exceptional consistency (HR: 2.04, I ² = 0.00%). Detection platforms showed robust performance: droplet digital PCR (HR: 3.63), next-generation sequencing (HR: 2.67), and Safe-SeqS (HR: 2.16), with no significant differences ( p = 0.10). Adjuvant chemotherapy analysis revealed differential performance: treated patients (HR: 2.50; 95% CI: 2.08–2.93) versus untreated (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.07–2.34; p = 0.04). Extended analysis confirmed prognostic utility for overall survival (HR: 2.24) and surveillance recurrence-free survival (HR: 3.54). Conclusions: ctDNA represents a robust prognostic biomarker for postsurgical colorectal cancer recurrence with consistent cross-platform performance. Enhanced prognostic value in adjuvant chemotherapy patients supports personalized surveillance implementation, though methodological standardization remains warranted.

This study aimed to compare the in vitro biological activities of aqueous leaf extracts from Spinacia oleracea and Basella rubra . Extraction was performed using the maceration method, yielding 25% and 14%, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed that S. oleracea had higher total phenolic content (6.2 ± 0.4 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid content (3.8 ± 0.3 mg CE/g) compared to B. rubra . Conversely, B. rubra exhibited stronger antioxidant activity with 79.6% DPPH inhibition versus 64.2% in S. oleracea . In the α‐amylase inhibition assay, B. rubra again showed higher enzyme inhibition (72.3%) compared to S. oleracea (51.1%), indicating greater antidiabetic potential. Both extracts displayed no antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus . Hemolysis assays indicated low cytotoxicity: 8.1% for S. oleracea and 5.4% for B. rubra . FTIR analysis identified bioactive functional groups, including phenols, carboxylic acids, glycosides, esters, and alkanes. These findings suggest that both plants possess antioxidant and enzyme‐inhibitory potential, warranting further in vivo and phytochemical investigations.

The progression of colon cancer from benign adenoma to malignant tumors that invade and spread underscores the critical need for accurate and less invasive biomarkers. The primary objective of this work was to assess the diagnostic potential of combining immunological biomarkers and optical polarimetric characteristics in colorectal cancer. We specifically aimed to evaluate serum cytokine profiles as potential diagnostic tools and to explore tissue optical signatures in a preliminary analysis. Secondary objectives included examining postoperative immune changes and exploring the involvement of immune checkpoints in cancer progression. Serum levels of IL-8, IL-17 A, IL-37, CTLA-4, and CCR7 were measured using ELISA in 75 colon cancer patients (37 preoperative and 38 postoperative) and 15 healthy controls, whereas tissue properties were analyzed through Mueller matrix polarimetry. Compared with healthy controls, preoperative patients had significantly higher levels of IL-8, IL-17 A, CTLA-4, and CCR7 and lower levels of IL-37 (all P < 0.001), and all five markers discriminated preoperative patients from controls in ROC analysis (AUC 0.939–1.000). Postoperative patients showed intermediate levels, consistent with partial normalization of these markers after surgery. In a preliminary polarimetric analysis of a limited number of tissue sections, cancerous tissue showed higher total depolarization than normal tissue, whereas total retardance and diattenuation varied widely and overlapped between the two tissue types. These findings support serum cytokine and immune-checkpoint profiling as a promising, less invasive approach for colorectal cancer detection and monitoring, whereas the diagnostic value of Mueller matrix polarimetry needs to be confirmed in a larger number of tissue samples with formal statistical evaluation.

This investigation examined the long‐term impact of stimulant use, assessing systematic dysfunction of the nervous system and how these changes were reflected in the gene expression of two addiction‐related genes, SLC6A3 (dopamine transporter) and CARTPT (cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript). Study subjects included 100 men over the age of 18 who have used stimulants (crystal and Captagon) as well as a group of 30 men of the same age who were healthy. Blood samples were taken from each subject, and plasma levels of dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and total protein were measured using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gene expression was analyzed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Relative expression of SLC6A3 and CARTPT was calculated using the 2 ^−ΔΔCt method with GAPDH serving as an internal control. Stimulant users had significantly higher concentrations of plasma dopamine and norepinephrine compared to non‐users, while also having much lower levels of both plasma serotonin and total protein compared to controls ( p < 0.0001). qRT‐PCR showed that the expression of SLC6A3 and CARTPT was significantly increased in the stimulant group (5–7‐fold increase). These findings, which reflect both biochemical and gene expression level changes, indicate increased dopaminergic activity, decreased serotonergic activity, and changes in the neuropeptide pathways related to stress and reward due to chronic use of stimulants. Overall, the combination of the biochemical and gene expression data indicates that chronic crystal and Captagon users demonstrate significant systemic dysfunction. The significant changes in the levels of monoamines and the activation of the SLC6A3 and CARTPT genes indicate that these two genes could serve as peripheral biomarkers in assessing stimulant use disorder. These data give a mechanistic basis for developing new diagnostic and treatment methods based on dopaminergic and neuropeptide signaling pathways involved in the use of stimulants.