Joint analysis of three genome-wide association studies of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations

We conducted a joint (pooled) analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) 1-3 of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in ethnic Chinese (5,337 ESCC cases and 5,787 controls) with 9,654 ESCC cases and 10,058 controls for follow-up. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, study, and two eigenvectors, two new loci achieved genome-wide significance, marked by rs7447927 at 5q31.2 (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.88; P=7.72x10−20) and rs1642764 at 17p13.1 (per-allele OR= 0.88, 95% CI 0.85-0.91; P=3.10x10−13). rs7447927 is a synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in TMEM173 and rs1642764 is an intronic SNP in ATP1B2, near TP53. Furthermore, a locus in the HLA class II region at 6p21.32 (rs35597309) achieved genome-wide significance in the two populations at highest risk for ESSC (OR=1.33, 95% CI 1.22-1.46; P=1.99x10−10). Our joint analysis identified new ESCC susceptibility loci overall as well as a new locus unique to the ESCC high risk Taihang Mountain region

Biochar and Vermicompost Amendments Affect Substrate Properties and Plant Growth of Basil and Tomato

The suitability of biochar (BC) as a container substrate depends on the BC mix ratio and plant species. Mixes with mixed hardwood BC (20%, 40%, 60%, and 80%, by volume) and vermicompost (VC; 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, by volume) were evaluated as container substrates on basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. ‘Roma’) plants compared to a commercial peat-based substrate (CS). The CS made up the rest of the volume when BC and VC did not add up to 100%. The total porosity of all mixes with BC, VC, and CS (BC:VC:CS mixes) was similar to the control. Mixes with 80% BC had lower container capacity than the control. At 9 weeks after transplanting, the leachate pH of all the BC:VC:CS mixes was higher than that of the control, except for mixes of 20%BC and 5%VC with the rest (75%) being CS (20BC:5VC:75CS) and 20BC:10VC:70CS with tomato plants. The soil plant analysis development (SPAD) readings in BC:VC:CS mixes were similar to or higher than the control except for tomato plants in 80BC:5VC:15CS, 80BC:15VC:5CS, and 80BC:20VC:0CS mixes. Plants in BC:VC:CS mixes had similar growth indexes and total dry weight with respect to those in 100% CS, with the root DW of basil plants in 60BC:15VC:25CS being the highest among all treatments. Therefore, the BC (20%, 40%, 60%, or 80%, by volume) and VC (5%, 10%, 15%, or 20%, by volume) mixes had the potential to replace CS for container-grown plants, with the estimate wholesale price for 80BC:5VC:15CS was only 61.6% that of the control

Mutational Profiling of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Resistant to Osimertinib Using Next-Generation Sequencing in Chinese Patients

Purpose. To identify the somatic mutated genes for optimal targets of non-small-cell lung cancer after resistance to osimertinib treatment. Patients and Methods. Study patients all had advanced lung adenocarcinoma and acquired resistance to osimertinib as a second- or third-line treatment. These patients had harboring EGFR T790M mutation before osimertinib treatment, which was confirmed by Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS) PCR or Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). After resistance to osimertinib treatment, tumor tissue was collected by core needle biopsy. DNA was extracted from 15 × 5 um sliced section of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) material and NGS was done. The genetic changes were analyzed. Results. A total of 9 Chinese patients were studied, 5 females and 4 males, age 51–89 years. After progression with osimertinib treatment, core needle biopsy was performed and next-generation sequencing was performed. Nine patients had harboring 62 point mutations, 2 altered gene copies, 2 amplifications, and 1 EML4-ALK gene fusion. No MET or HER2 amplification was found in this cohort study. Nine patients still maintained initial EGFR 19 del or L858R activating mutations, while 7 of them kept EGFR T790M mutations. Among the 7 patients, 5 had secondary EGFR C797S and/or C797G mutations, which all happened in the same allele with T790M mutation. All patients were treated with targets therapies, chemotherapy, or best supportive care (BSC) in accordance with NGS genetic results and patients’ performance status; 7 of them are still alive and 2 of them died of disease progression at last follow-up. Conclusions. EGFR C797S/G mutation and the same one presented on the same allele with EGFR T790M mutation were the most common mutation feature and played a key role in resistance to osimertinib in Chinese patients with NSCLC. Tumor cells losing T790M mutation and maintaining EGFR activating mutation might benefit from first-generation EGFR-TKI treatment

Image_2_Research progress of spontaneous ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.png

BackgroundSpontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) with hemorrhage is characterized by rapid onset and progression. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the current studies on rHCC with hemorrhage and determine the optimum treatment strategy.MethodThe PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies reporting survival outcomes with comparison between emergency resection (ER) and transarterial embolization following staged hepatectomy (SH) were included by inclusion and exclusion criteria, the perioperative and survival data were statistically summarized using Review Manager 5.3 software.ResultA total of 8 retrospective studies were included, with a total sample size of 556, including 285 (51.3%) in the ER group and 271 (48.7%) in the SH group. The perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in the SH group were less than those in the ER group, and there were no significant differences in the operative time, incidence of complications, mortality and recurrence rate of tumors between the two groups. The 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival and 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival of the ER group were not significantly different from those of the SH group, and the 5-year overall survival rate of ER group was lower than that of the SH group (hazard ratios=1.52; 95% confidence intervals: 1.14-2.03, P=0.005).ConclusionThere was no significant difference in the short-term efficacy of ER or SH in the treatment of ruptured HCC, and SH was superior to ER in the long-term survival.</p

Image_6_Research progress of spontaneous ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.png

BackgroundSpontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) with hemorrhage is characterized by rapid onset and progression. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the current studies on rHCC with hemorrhage and determine the optimum treatment strategy.MethodThe PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies reporting survival outcomes with comparison between emergency resection (ER) and transarterial embolization following staged hepatectomy (SH) were included by inclusion and exclusion criteria, the perioperative and survival data were statistically summarized using Review Manager 5.3 software.ResultA total of 8 retrospective studies were included, with a total sample size of 556, including 285 (51.3%) in the ER group and 271 (48.7%) in the SH group. The perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in the SH group were less than those in the ER group, and there were no significant differences in the operative time, incidence of complications, mortality and recurrence rate of tumors between the two groups. The 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival and 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival of the ER group were not significantly different from those of the SH group, and the 5-year overall survival rate of ER group was lower than that of the SH group (hazard ratios=1.52; 95% confidence intervals: 1.14-2.03, P=0.005).ConclusionThere was no significant difference in the short-term efficacy of ER or SH in the treatment of ruptured HCC, and SH was superior to ER in the long-term survival.</p

Image_3_Research progress of spontaneous ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.png

BackgroundSpontaneously ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma (rHCC) with hemorrhage is characterized by rapid onset and progression. The aim of this systematic review was to explore the current studies on rHCC with hemorrhage and determine the optimum treatment strategy.MethodThe PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies reporting survival outcomes with comparison between emergency resection (ER) and transarterial embolization following staged hepatectomy (SH) were included by inclusion and exclusion criteria, the perioperative and survival data were statistically summarized using Review Manager 5.3 software.ResultA total of 8 retrospective studies were included, with a total sample size of 556, including 285 (51.3%) in the ER group and 271 (48.7%) in the SH group. The perioperative blood loss and blood transfusion volume in the SH group were less than those in the ER group, and there were no significant differences in the operative time, incidence of complications, mortality and recurrence rate of tumors between the two groups. The 1-, 2-, 3-year overall survival and 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-year disease-free survival of the ER group were not significantly different from those of the SH group, and the 5-year overall survival rate of ER group was lower than that of the SH group (hazard ratios=1.52; 95% confidence intervals: 1.14-2.03, P=0.005).ConclusionThere was no significant difference in the short-term efficacy of ER or SH in the treatment of ruptured HCC, and SH was superior to ER in the long-term survival.</p