Prognostic Significance of Preoperative Serum Alpha-fetoprotein in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Correlation with Clinicopathological Factors: a Single-center Experience from China

An, Song-Lin,Xiao, Ting,Wang, Li-Ming,Rong, Wei-Qi,Wu, Fan,Feng, Li,Liu, Fa-Qiang,Tian, Fei,Wu, Jian-Xiong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.10

Objectives: To investigate the prognosis significance of preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and the correlation with clinicopathological factors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who underwent hepatectomy. Materials and Methods: Clinicopathological data of retrospective analysis were collected for 251 HCC patients undergoing hepatectomy in this study. According to preoperative AFP level, patients were categorized into AFP-negative (0-20ng/mL) and AFP-positive (>20 ng/mL) groups for Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression modeling. Results: The results demonstrated that increased AFP was associated with longer prothrombin time (PTs), liver capsule invasion, low grade differentiation, and late Barcelona Clinic Liver Center (BCLC) stage. Moreover, the female patients had a greater prevalence of increased preoperative AFP than male patients [284.8 (3.975-3167.5) vs (3.653-140.65); Z-2.895, p=0.004]. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 78.1, 57.5, and 40.6 % in the AFP-negative group and 61.8, 37.7, and 31.4 %, respectively, in the AFP-positive group (log-rank test 8.312, p=0.004). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 94.4, 83.8, and 62.3% in the AFP-negative group and 87.2, 60.0, and 36.7%, respectively, in the AFP-positive group. The difference was statistically significant (log-rank test, 16.884, p=0.000). Cox proportional-hazards model identified preoperative AFP to be an independent prognostic predictor of overall survival. Conclusions: Preoperative serum AFP is an independent predictor of prognosis among HCC patients following surgical resection. Female patients have a higher preoperative AFP than their male counterparts.

An STM Study of Na<SUB>x</SUB>CoO₂(x=0.84) Surface

Song-Hsin Huang,C. H. Lin,H. S. Hsue,Hsiang-Lin Liu,F. C. Chou,Woei Wu Pai 한국자기학회 2007 한국자기학회 학술연구발표회 논문개요집 Vol.- No.-

A New Application of Human Visual Simulated Images in Optometry Services

Lin-Song Chang,Bo-Wen Wu 한국광학회 2013 Current Optics and Photonics Vol.17 No.4

Due to the rapid advancement of auto-refractor technology, most optometry shops provide refraction services. Despite their speed and convenience, the measurement values provided by auto-refractors include a significant degree of error due to psychological and physical factors. Therefore, there is a need for repetitive testing to obtain a smaller mean error value. However, even repetitive testing itself might not be sufficient to ensure accurate measurements. Therefore, research on a method of measurement that can complement auto-refractor measurements and provide confirmation of refraction results needs to be conducted. The customized optometry model described herein can satisfy the above requirements. With existing technologies, using human eye measurement devices to obtain relevant individual optical feature parameters is no longer difficult, and these parameters allow us to construct an optometry model for individual eyeballs. They also allow us to compute visual images produced from the optometry model using the CODE V macro programming language before recognizing the diffraction effects visual images with the neural network algorithm to obtain the accurate refractive diopter. This study attempts to combine the optometry model with the back-propagation neural network and achieve a double check recognition effect by complementing the auto-refractor. Results show that the accuracy achieved was above 98% and that this application could significantly enhance the service quality of refraction.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Nephrotoma scalaris parvinotata (Brunetti 1918) (Diptera: Tipulidae) and insights into the phylogeny of Tipulomorpha

Song Nan,Wu Qiong,Lin Xingyu,Zhang Yang,Zhao Te 한국응용곤충학회 2023 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.26 No.4

Craneflies (Tipuloidea or Tipulidae sensu lato) are one of the most diverse groups of true flies (Insecta, Diptera). The Tipuloidea and perhaps the Trichoceridae formed the infraorder Tipulomorpha, which is traditionally considered the most basal group of Diptera. Relationships among Tipulomorpha and the phylogenetic position of this infraorder within the whole Diptera remain to be settled. A mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) phylogeny of Diptera was produced to test the relationships within Tipulomorpha and its phylogenetic position. A complete mitogenome of Nephrotoma scalaris parvinotata (Tipuloidea, Tipulidae) was firstly sequenced with a nextgeneration sequencing approach. Compared with the published mitogenomes of Tipuloidea, the new mitoge nome had a larger genome size (17,862 nt), due to a longer non-coding control region. The gene order was identical to Drosophila yakuba. Phylogenetic reconstructions using different inference methods recovered Tipu lomorpha as monophyletic. And the Tipulomorpha was retrieved in a relatively basal position in Diptera. Within Tipulomorpha, the Tipuloidea and the Trichoceridae were strongly supported as reciprocally monophyletic. Relationships within Tipuloidea were resolved as (Pedicidae + (Limoniidae + (Cylindrotomidae + Tipulidae))). Well supported relationships include: Pedicidae was the sister group of (Limoniidae + (Tipulidae + Cylin drotomidae)); Limoniidae was paraphyletic with respect to (Tipulidae + Cylindrotomidae); Cylindrotomidae was the sister group of Tipulidae. The newly sequenced N. scalaris parvinotata clustered with other two Nephrotoma species at a derived position in Tipuloidea.

UHRF2 mRNA Expression is Low in Malignant Glioma but Silencing Inhibits the Growth of U251 Glioma Cells in vitro

Wu, Ting-Feng,Zhang, Wei,Su, Zuo-Peng,Chen, San-Song,Chen, Gui-Lin,Wei, Yong-Xin,Sun, Ting,Xie, Xue-Shun,Li, Bin,Zhou, You-Xin,Du, Zi-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.10

UHRF2 is a member of the ubiquitin plant homeo domain RING finger family, which has been proven to be frequently up-regulated in colorectal cancer cells and play a role as an oncogene in breast cancer cells. However, the role of UHRF2 in glioma cells remains unclear. In this study, we performed real-time quantitative PCR on 32 pathologically confirmed glioma samples (grade I, 4 cases; grade II, 11 cases; grade III, 10 cases; and grade IV, 7 cases; according to the 2007 WHO classification system) and four glioma cell lines (A172, U251, U373, and U87). The expression of UHRF2 mRNA was significantly lower in the grade III and grade IV groups compared with the noncancerous brain tissue group, whereas its expression was high in A172, U251, and U373 glioma cell lines. An in vitro assay was performed to investigate the functions of UHRF2. Using a lentivirus-based RNA interference (RNAi) approach, we down-regulated UHRF2 expression in the U251 glioma cell line. This down-regulation led to the inhibition of cell proliferation, an increase in cell apoptosis, and a change of cell cycle distribution, in which S stage cells decreased and G2/M stage cells increased. Our results suggest that UHRF2 may be closely related to tumorigenesis and the development of gliomas.

Metabolic Syndrome and Life Style in China

Wu Pei-Ying,Song Xiao-Min,Jin Qi-Lin,Wang Xin-Qiao,Wang Ai-Rong The Korean Society of Community Nutrition 2004 Journal of community nutrition Vol.6 No.3

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between life style and metabolic syndrome. The cross-sectional survey was conducted in Pingliang community in Shanghai in Jan 2003. The data was collected by questionnaire, and the results were analyzed by SPSS. It was found that the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) was $13.4\%$ in the community, and the body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol(TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and fast plasma glucose (FPG) in MS group were higher than that in non-MS group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that BMI and WHR were positively correlated to the prevalence of MS, and physical activity was negatively correlated to the prevalence of MS. People with higher education levels (${\geq}10y$) had lower BMI, SBP, DBP, LDL-C and FPG. The prevalence of MS in the higher education level group was significantly lower than that of the lower education level group. These results suggested that BMI, WHR and physical activity were important factors of MS, and education background played an important role in the occurrence of MS. Therefore, it is very important to build a healthy life style for preventing and controlling the incidence and developing of MS.

Is There a Correlation between the Presence of a Spiculated Mass on Mammogram and Luminal A Subtype Breast Cancer?

Song Liu,Xiao-Dong Wu,Wen-Jian Xu,Qing Lin,Xue-Jun Liu,Ying Li 대한영상의학회 2016 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.17 No.6

Objective: To determine whether the appearance of a spiculated mass on a mammogram is associated with luminal A subtype breast cancer and the factors that may influence the presence or absence of the spiculated mass. Materials and Methods: Three hundred seventeen (317) patients who underwent image-guided or surgical biopsy between December 2014 and April 2015 were included in the study. Radiologists conducted retrospective assessments of the presence of spiculated masses according to the criteria of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. We used combinations of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epithelial growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki67 as surrogate markers to identify molecular subtypes of breast cancer. Pearson chi-square test was employed to measure statistical significance of correlations. Furthermore, we built a bi-variate logistic regression model to quantify the relative contribution of the factors that may influence the presence or absence of the spiculated mass. Results: Seventy-one percent (71%) of the spiculated masses were classified as luminal A. Masses classified as luminal A were 10.3 times more likely to be presented as spiculated mass on a mammogram than all other subtypes. Patients with low Ki67 index (< 14%) and HER2 negative were most likely to present with a spiculated mass on their mammograms (p < 0.001) than others. The hormone receptor status (ER and PR), pathology grade, overall breast composition, were all associated with the presence of a spiculated mass, but with less weight in contribution than Ki67 and HER2. Conclusion: We observed an association between the luminal A subtype of invasive breast cancer and the presence of a spiculated mass on a mammogram. It is hypothesized that lower Ki67 index and HER2 negativity may be the most significant factors in the presence of a spiculated mass.

Prediction of Cognitive Progression in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Radiomics as an Improvement of the ATN System: A Five-Year Follow-Up Study

Song Rao,Wu Xiaojia,Liu Huan,Guo Dajing,Tang Lin,Zhang Wei,Feng Junbang,Li Chuanming 대한영상의학회 2022 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.23 No.1

Objective: To improve the N biomarker in the amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration system by radiomics and study its value for predicting cognitive progression in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Materials and Methods: A group of 147 healthy controls (HCs) (72 male; mean age ± standard deviation, 73.7 ± 6.3 years), 197 patients with MCI (114 male; 72.2 ± 7.1 years), and 128 patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (74 male; 73.7 ± 8.4 years) were included. Optimal A, T, and N biomarkers for discriminating HC and AD were selected using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A radiomics model containing comprehensive information of the whole cerebral cortex and deep nuclei was established to create a new N biomarker. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers were evaluated to determine the optimal A or T biomarkers. All MCI patients were followed up until AD conversion or for at least 60 months. The predictive value of A, T, and the radiomics-based N biomarker for cognitive progression of MCI to AD were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and the log-rank test. Results: The radiomics-based N biomarker showed an ROC curve area of 0.998 for discriminating between AD and HC. CSF Aβ42 and p-tau proteins were identified as the optimal A and T biomarkers, respectively. For MCI patients on the Alzheimer’s continuum, isolated A+ was an indicator of cognitive stability, while abnormalities of T and N, separately or simultaneously, indicated a high risk of progression. For MCI patients with suspected non-Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology, isolated T+ indicated cognitive stability, while the appearance of the radiomics-based N+ indicated a high risk of progression to AD. Conclusion: We proposed a new radiomics-based improved N biomarker that could help identify patients with MCI who are at a higher risk for cognitive progression. In addition, we clarified the value of a single A/T/N biomarker for predicting the cognitive progression of MCI.

MicroRNA-301b promotes cell proliferation and apoptosis resistance in triple-negative breast cancer by targeting CYLD

( Hongming Song ),( Dengfeng Li ),( Tianqi Wu ),( Dan Xie ),( Kaiyao Hua ),( Jiashu Hu ),( Xiaochong Deng ),( Changle Ji ),( Yijun Deng ),( Lin Fang ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2018 BMB Reports Vol.51 No.11

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays important roles in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, the expression and biological role of miR-301b in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. Here we aimed to evaluate the roles and mechanisms of miR-301b in TNBC cells. miR-301b expression was assessed in TNBC specimens and cell lines by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR). TNBC cells were transfected with miR-301b mimics, inhibitors or Cylindromatosis (CYLD) small interfering RNA (siRNA) using Lipofectamine 2000. The functional roles of miR-301b were determined by cell proliferation, colony formation, and apoptosis assays. Western blots and qRT-PCR were used to measure the expression of mRNAs and proteins in the cells. We found that miR-301b was upregulated in TNBC specimens and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-301b promoted cell proliferation in TNBC cells, while inhibited the apoptosis induced by 5-FU. CYLD was downregulated by miR-301b at both mRNA and protein levels in TNBC cells. Dual-luciferase report assay confirmed that miR-301b downregulated CYLD by direct interaction with the 3’-untranslated region(3’-UTR) of CYLD mRNA. NF-κB activation was mechanistically associated with miR-301b-mediated downregulation of CYLD. However, inhibition of miR-301b reversed all the effects of miR-301b. In conclusion, miR-301b plays an oncogenic role in TNBC possibly by downregulating CYLD and subsequently activating NF-κB p65, and this may provide a novel therapeutic approach for TNBC. [BMB Reports 2018; 51(11): 602-607]

Retrospective Evaluation of Discrepancies between Radiological and Pathological Size of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Masses

Tian, Fei,Wu, Jian-Xiong,Rong, Wei-Qi,Wang, Li-Ming,Wu, Fan,Yu, Wei-Bo,An, Song-Lin,Liu, Fa-Qiang,Feng, Li,Liu, Yun-He Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.21

Background: The size of a hepatic neoplasm is critical for staging, prognosis and selection of appropriate treatment. Our study aimed to compare the radiological size of solid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) masses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the pathological size in a Chinese population, and to elucidate discrepancies. Materials and Methods: A total of 178 consecutive patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent curative hepatic resection after enhanced MRI between July 2010 and October 2013 were retrospectively identified and analyzed. Pathological data of the whole removed tumors wereassessed and differences between radiological and pathological tumor size were identified. All patients were restaged using a modified Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system postoperatively according to the maximum diameter alteration. The lesions were classified as hypo-staged, iso-staged or hyper-staged for qualitative assessment. In the quantitative analysis, the relative pre and postoperative tumor size contrast ratio ($%{\Delta}size$) was also computed according to size intervals. In addition, the relationship between radiological and pathological tumor diameter variation and histologic grade was analyzed. Results: Pathological examination showed 85 (47.8%) patients were overestimated, 82 (46.1%) patients underestimated, while accurate measurement by MRI was found in 11 (6.2%) patients. Among the total subjects, 14 (7.9%) patients were hypo-staged and 15 (8.4%) were hyper-staged post-operatively. Accuracy of MRI for calculation and characterized staging was related to the lesion size, ranging from 83.1% to 87.4% (<2cm to ${\geq}5cm$, p=0.328) and from 62.5% to 89.1% (cT1 to cT4, p=0.006), respectively. Overall, MRI misjudged pathological size by 6.0 mm (p=0.588 ), and the greatest difference was observed in tumors <2cm (3.6 mm, $%{\Delta}size=16.9%$, p=0.028). No statistically significant difference was observed for moderately differentiated HCC (5.5mm, p=0.781). However, for well differentiated and poorly differentiated cases, radiographic tumor maximum diameter was significantly larger than the pathological maximum diameter by 3.15 mm and underestimated by 4.51 mm, respectively (p=0.034 and 0.020). Conclusions: A preoperative HCC tumor size measurement using MRI can provide relatively acceptable accuracy but may give rise to discrepancy in tumors in a certain size range or histologic grade. In pathological well differentiated subjects, the pathological tumor size was significantly overestimated, but underestimated in poorly differentiated HCC. The difference between radiological and pathological tumor size was greatest for tumors <2 cm. For some HCC patients, the size difference may have implications for the decision of resection, transplantation, ablation, or arterially directed therapy, and should be considered in staging or selecting the appropriate treatment tactics.