Low vitamin D (VitD) status is becoming a global health issue. Previous heterogenous results are urging a meta-analysis to delineate a panorama of VitD conditions in the general population in Mainland of China. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang, and VIP databases up to June 4, 2021. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) original articles or dissertations focused on VitD status of people in Mainland of China; and (2) studies were population-based, cross-sectional, or longitudinal cohort with baseline data. The outcomes were serum 25(OH)D concentration and the prevalence of low VitD status. Low VitD status included VitD deficiency (< 30 nmol/L) and VitD inadequacy (< 50 nmol/L). Data were estimated by Hierarchical Bayesian methods. All included studies were cross-sectional or longitudinal cohort studies about VitD status of people in Mainland of China. (Registration: PROSPERO CRD42021226130). A total of 105 eligible studies including 234,519 subjects were included. In adults, the overall mean 25(OH)D concentration was 44.3 nmol/L (95% Credible Interval [CrI]: 39.8–48.7). The pooled prevalence of VitD deficiency and inadequacy was 20.7% (95% CrI: 11.9–32.9) and 63.2% (95% CrI: 53.5–72.3), respectively. In children and adolescents, the overall mean 25(OH)D concentration was 52.2 nmol/L (95% CrI: 46.7–57.5). The pooled prevalence of VitD deficiency and inadequacy was 23.0% (95% CrI: 8.9–44.3) and 46.8% (95% CrI: 37.2–56.6), respectively. Specially, we identified that the prevalence of VitD inadequacy increased with age in populations with age ≤ 18 years and ≥ 60 years. Low VitD status is prominent in general population of Mainland of China, especially for adults. National Major Scientific and Technological Special Project for “Significant New Drugs Development” (2017ZX09304022).

Detecting circulating tumour cells (CTCs) is considered as effective and minimally invasive technique to predict the prognosis of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC), but its clinical validity is still conflicting in patients without metastasis. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate whether detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood can be used as a prognostic marker for patients with non-metastatic CRC. We performed a comprehensive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases (up to September 2016). Meta-analyses were conducted using a random-effects model with the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) as the effect measures. Twenty studies including 3,687 patients were eligible for inclusion. Overall analyses demonstrated that the presence of CTCs was significantly associated with aggressive disease progression (HR = 2.57, 95% CI = 1.64–4.02, P _{heterogeneity} < 0.001, I ² = 81.0%) and reduced disease survival (HR = 2.41, 95% CI = 1.66–3.51, P _{heterogeneity} = 0.002, I ² = 59.7%). Subgroup analyses further supported the prognostic effect of CTCs based on different subsets, including sampling time, detection method and cancer type. Our findings suggest that detection of CTCs in the peripheral blood has the clinical utility to indicate poor prognosis in patients with non-metastatic CRC.

Immunogenic cell death (ICD) is a distinct type of stress-induced regulated cell death that can lead to adaptive immune responses and the establishment of immunological memory. ICD exhibits both similarities and differences when compared to apoptosis and other non-apoptotic forms of regulated cell death (RCD). The interplay between ICD-mediated immunosurveillance against cancer and the ability of cancer cells to evade ICD influences the host-tumor immunological interaction. Consequently, the restoration of ICD and the development of effective strategies to induce ICD have emerged as crucial considerations in the treatment of cancer within the context of immunotherapy. To enhance comprehension of ICD in the setting of cancer, this paper examines the interconnected responsive pathways associated with ICD, the corresponding biomarkers indicative of ICD, and the mechanisms through which tumors subvert ICD. Additionally, this review explores strategies for reinstating ICD and the therapeutic potential of harnessing ICD in cancer immunotherapy.

The significant prognostic value of circulating tumor cells in triple-negative breast cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a novel viral pneumonia (COVID-19), which is rapidly spreading throughout the world. The positive result of nucleic acid test is a golden criterion to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the detection features remain unclear. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis in 5630 high-risk individuals receiving SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid tests in Wuhan, China, and investigated their characteristics and diagnosis rates. RESULTS: The overall diagnosis rate was 34.7% (1952/5630). Male ( P = 0.025) and older populations ( P = 2.525 × 10 ^–39 ) were at significantly higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. People were generally susceptible, and most cases concentrated in people of 30–79 years. Furthermore, we investigated the association between diagnosis rate and the amount of testing in 501 subjects. Results revealed a 1.27-fold improvement (from 27.9% to 35.5%) of diagnosis rate from testing once to twice ( P = 5.847 × 10 ^–9 ) and a 1.43-fold improvement (from 27.9% to 39.9%) from testing once to 3 times ( P = 7.797 × 10 ^–14 ). More than 3 testing administrations was not helpful for further improvement. However, this improvement was not observed in subjects with pneumonia ( P = 0.097). CONCLUSION: All populations are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and male and older-aged populations are at significantly higher risk. Increasing the amount of testing could significantly improve diagnosis rates, except for subjects with pneumonia. It is recommended to test twice in those high-risk individuals whose results are negative the first time, and performing 3 tests is better, if possible. FUNDING: This work was supported by National Mega Project on Major Infectious Disease Prevention (no. 2017ZX10103005-007) and National Key Research and Development Program of China (no. 2018YFE0204500).