Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. At present, CRC can often be treated upon diagnosis at stage I or II, or when dysplasia is detected; however, 60‑70% of cases are not diagnosed until they have developed into late stages of the disease or until the malignancy is identified. Diagnosis of CRC at an early stage remains a challenge due to the absence of early‑stage‑specific biomarkers. To identify potential targets of early stage CRC, label‑free proteomics analysis was applied to paired tumor‑benign tissue samples from patients with stage II CRC (n=21). A total of 2,968 proteins were identified; corresponding RNA‑Sequencing data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas‑colon adenocarcinoma. Numerous bioinformatics methods, including differential expression analysis, weighted correlation network analysis, Gene Ontology and protein‑protein interaction analyses, were applied to the proteomics and transcriptomics data. A total of 111 key proteins, which appeared as both differentially expressed proteins and mRNAs in the hub module, were identified as key candidates. Among these, three potential targets [protein‑arginine deiminase type‑2 (PADI2), Fc fragment of IgG binding protein (FCGBP) and phosphoserine aminotransferase 1] were identified from the pathological data. Furthermore, the survival analysis indicated that PADI2 and FCGBP were associated with the prognosis of CRC. The findings of the present study suggested potential targets for the identification of early stage CRC, and may improve understanding of the mechanism underlying the occurrence of CRC.

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a serious threat to the life of people all over the world. Finding an effective way to manage ALF is important. Human liver stem cells (HLSCs) are early undifferentiated cells that have been implicated in the regeneration and functional reconstruction of the liver. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the protective effects of the HLSC line HYX1 against concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver injury. HYX1 cells were characterized by microscopy, functional assays, gene expression, and western blot analyses. We showed that HYX1 cells can differentiate into hepatocytes. We intraperitoneally injected HYX1 cells in mice and administered ConA via caudal vein injection 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h later. The effects of HYX1 cell transplantation were evaluated through blood tests, histology, and flow cytometry. HYX1 cells reduced the levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and total bilirubin (TBIL) in serum and dramatically decreased the severity of liver injuries. Mechanistically, HYX1 cells promoted myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) migration into the spleen and liver, while reducing CD4+ T cell levels in both tissues. In addition, HYX1 cells suppressed the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), but led to increased interleukin-10 (IL-10) production. These results confirm the efficacy of HLSCs in the prevention of the ConA-induced acute liver injury through modulation of MDSCs and CD4+ T cell migration and cytokine secretion.

Background: Tailgut cysts arise from the remnants of the tailgut during the embryonic period. Although malignant transition of tailgut cysts is very rarely observed in the clinic, this congenital condition should be carefully monitored for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, especially when the tailgut cysts are malignant.Case presentation: Here, we report the case of a 33-year-old man with retrorectal adenocarcinoma originating from the tailgut cysts. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed many cystic masses in the posterior rectal space, the largest of which was approximately 100 mm × 59 mm × 53 mm in size and compressed the rectum. The patient underwent surgical resection of the masses located in the retrorectal and anterior sacral spaces. Histological and immunohistological examinations confirmed adenocarcinoma transition of the tailgut cysts. The patient recovered well and was discharged 10 days after surgery.Conclusions: We have reported a rare case of retrorectal adenocarcinoma originating from tailgut cysts. MRI, histological, and immunohistological examinations are vital for the diagnosis of tailgut cysts. Complete surgical resection of the tumor should be better performed.

Ectopic pancreas, which is a kind of rare congenital disease, forms during embryonic development. It can occur throughout the whole gastrointestinal tract, but has a low tendency to develop in the wall of the small intestine. It is easy for patients with ectopic pancreases to be misdiagnosed because the symptoms are untypical and can vary. In the present study, we reported two rare cases of ectopic pancreatic tissue in the wall of the small intestine, which presented with obvious abdominal pain and distention. The laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT) scans didn’t reveal any evidence of ectopic pancreas. The two patients received small intestine masses resection and intestinal anastomosis. During surgery, an intestinal mass with a diameter of 4.0 cm was found in the first patient. An intestinal mass with a diameter of 0.8 cm, jejunum perforation, and diffuse peritonitis were found in the second patient. Histological analyses of the dissected intestinal masses confirmed them as ectopic pancreatic tissue. Interestingly, for the second patient, the intestinal perforation and diffuse peritonitis were not induced by the ectopic pancreas, but by a jujube pit that was found in the perforated site of the intestine. Our study demonstrated that an ectopic pancreas should be considered in cases of untypical abdominal symptoms with intestinal masses.