Background: Interleukin‐1 promotes tumor angiogenesis through VEGF production. The interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist can suppress tumors by blocking this effect.Methods: Immunohistochemistry, WB, and gene sequencing were used to analyze the expression of IL‐1RA in esophageal cancer patients. WB was used to detect the expression of IL‐1RA and interleukin‐1α in esophageal cancer cells. Stable ESCC cell models overexpressing the IL‐1RA were constructed. Their cell functions were tested, and their effects on VEGF were examined.Results: IL‐1RA is downregulated in primary EC tumors, and this downregulation of IL‐1RA is closely related to TNM staging and survival prognosis. The overexpression of IL‐1RA increased the proliferation of KYSE410 EC cells, which have a high level of IL‐1α expression. Overexpression of IL‐1RA in KYSE410 cells promotes a decrease in the expression of VEGF‐A. However, IL‐1RA expression did not cause any changes in EC9706 cells with low IL‐1α expression.Conclusion: IL‐1RA acts as a tumor suppressor, and its deletion promotes tumor progression by increasing VEGF‐A expression in ESCC.

Application of imaging technique in thoracic duct anatomy Ling Chen, Shaobin Yu, Shuchen Chen, Ziyang Han, Sui Chen, Mingduan Chen, Jihong Lin, Mingqiang Kang

Endoscopic resection is increasingly used to treat patients with pathological T1 (pT1) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) because of its small surgical trauma. However, reports of the risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) have been controversial. Therefore, we aim to build a nomogram to individually predict the risk of LNM in pT1 ESCC patients, to make an optimal balance between surgical trauma and surgical income. One hundred seventy patients with pT1 esophageal cancer in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Logistic proportional hazards models were conducted to find out the risk factor associated with LNM independently, and those were imported into R library “RMS” for analysis. A nomogram is generated based on the contribution weights of variables. Finally, decision analysis and clinical impact curve were used to determine the optimal decision point. Twenty-five (14.7%) of the 170 patients with pT1 ESCC exhibited LNM. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that smoking, carcinoembryonic antigen, vascular tumor thromboembolus, and tumor differentiation degree were independent risk factors for LNM. The nomogram had relatively high accuracy (C index of 0.869, 95% confidence interval: 0.794–0.914, P < .0001). The decision curve analysis provided the most significant clinical benefit for the entire included population, with scores falling just above the total score of 85 in the nomogram. Smoking, carcinoembryonic antigen, vascular tumor thromboembolus, and tumor differentiation degree may predict the risk of LNM in tumor 1 ESCC. The risk of LNM can be predicted by the nomogram.

Innovative operation concept and practice: preoperative precise planning is benefit for lung function protection of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by robotic surgical system

IL-1RA has been reported to function as tumor suppressor in a variety of tumors, but its function and mechanism in esophageal cancer remains largely unknown. Our previous studies have shown that IL-1RA is downregulated in primary esophageal cancer(EC), and this downregulation of IL-1RA is closely related to TNM staging and survival prognosis. In this study, we observed that over-expression of IL-1RA inhibits proliferation, migration, and tumor growth in esophageal cancer cells(ESCC), inhibits the expression and secretion of VEGF, and inhibits tumor angiogenesis. Further studies have shown the overexpression of IL-1RA inhibits the transmission of PI3K/NF-kappaB. Taken together, this study shows that IL-1RA can regulating the development of esophageal cancer by inhibiting VEGF expression and secretion via inhibiting PI3K/NF-kappaB signaling, and it may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for EC.