Clinicopathological features associated with lymph node metastasis in early gastric cancer: Analysis of a single-institution experience in China

BACKGROUND: An accurate assessment of potential lymph node metastasis is an important issue for the appropriate treatment of early gastric cancer. Minimizing the number of invasive procedures used in cancer therapy is critical for improving the patient’s quality of life

Incidence of microscopically positive proximal margins in adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction.

AIM: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of microscopically positive proximal margins in Chinese patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. METHODS: The medical records of 483 patients, who underwent surgical treatment with curative intent for adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction in a single high-volume tertiary medical center, were reviewed. Demographic, radiographic, endoscopic, pathologic, and treatment-related variables were evaluated. All proximal margins were re-evaluated by two experienced pathologists, and a positive proximal margin was defined as the microscopic presence of invasive tumor cells seen at the esophageal transaction margin submitted en face on final paraffin sections. RESULTS: The incidence of positive proximal margins was 23.81% in this series. Siewert type, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node involvement, presence of vascular or lymphatic invasion, and presence of perineural invasion were significantly associated with positive proximal margins. On multivariate analysis, the presence of vascular or lymphatic invasion and advanced-stage disease were independent risk factors for positive proximal margins in patients with adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction. CONCLUSION: Residual cancer at proximal resection margins remains a major issue for the surgical treatment of adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction in China

Involvement of Aquaporin 3 in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric diseases.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most common and lethal malignant cancers worldwide, and numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated that Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection plays a key role in the development of gastric carcinomas. Our previous studies showed that aquaporin 3 (AQP3) is overexpressed in gastric carcinoma and promotes the migration and proliferation of human gastric carcinoma cells, suggesting that AQP3 may be a potentially important determinant of gastric carcinoma. However, the role of AQP3 in H. pylori carcinogenesis is unknown. METHODS: The AQP3 protein and H. pylori were detected in human gastric tissues by immunohistochemistry and modified Giemsa staining respectively. AQP3 knockdown was obtained by small interfering (si) RNA. Western blot assays and RT-PCR were used to evaluate the change of AQP3 in the human gastric cancer AGS and SGC7901 cell lines after co-culture with H. pylori. Sprague Dawley rats were orally inoculated with H. pylori to establish a rat model colonized by H. pylori. RESULTS: The present study found that AQP3 expression correlated with H. pylori infection status in gastric cancer tissues and corresponding normal mucosa, and H. pylori co-culture upregulated AQP3 expression in human gastric adenocarcinoma cells in vitro via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway. H. pylori infection also increased AQP3 expression in gastric mucosa colonized by H. pylori in a Sprague Dawley rat model. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide further information to understand the mechanism of H. pylori carcinogenesis and a potential strategy for the treatment of H. pylori-associated gastric carcinoma

Self-Assembly Behavior and pH-Stimuli-Responsive Property of POSS-Based Amphiphilic Block Copolymers in Solution

Stimuli-responsive polymeric systems containing special responsive moieties can undergo alteration of chemical structures and physical properties in response to external stimulus. We synthesized a hybrid amphiphilic block copolymer containing methoxy polyethylene glycol (MePEG), methacrylate isobutyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MAPOSS) and 2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DPA) named MePEG-b-P(MAPOSS-co-DPA) via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Spherical micelles with a core-shell structure were obtained by a self-assembly process based on MePEG-b-P(MAPOSS-co-DPA), which showed a pH-responsive property. The influence of hydrophobic chain length on the self-assembly behavior was also studied. The pyrene release properties of micelles and their ability of antifouling were further studied

Comparison of the positive proximal mucosal margin between positive proximal submucosal group and negative proximal submucosal group.

<p>Comparison of the positive proximal mucosal margin between positive proximal submucosal group and negative proximal submucosal group.</p

Multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors for a positive proximal margin.

<p>Multivariate logistic regression analysis of risk factors for a positive proximal margin.</p

Incidence of positive proximal margin between transthoracic group and transabdominal group in terms of Type II and III tumors.

<p>Incidence of positive proximal margin between transthoracic group and transabdominal group in terms of Type II and III tumors.</p

Comparison of demographic and pathologic factors between patients with positive and negative proximal margins.

<p>Comparison of demographic and pathologic factors between patients with positive and negative proximal margins.</p

Incidence of positive proximal margin between laparoscopic group and open group among patients undergoing transabdominal procedures in terms of Type II and III tumors.

<p>Incidence of positive proximal margin between laparoscopic group and open group among patients undergoing transabdominal procedures in terms of Type II and III tumors.</p