Forkhead box J2 (FOXJ2) induces cell apoptosis and restrains epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung cancer, but its capability to serve as a prognostic biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Hence, this study intended to investigate the association of FOXJ2 with clinical characteristics, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients who received surgical resection. Totally, 182 NSCLC patients who received surgical resection were retrospectively enrolled. Their tumor FOXJ2 expression was quantified by immunohistochemistry (IHC). FOXJ2 IHC score = s taining intensity × density, with a total score of 12. FOXJ2 IHC score was 0 in 128 (70.3%) patients and > 0 in the remaining 54 (29.7%) patients; meanwhile, it was ≤ 3 in 157 (86.3%) patients and > 3 in 25 (13.7%) patients. FOXJ2 was negatively related to node (N) stage (P = 0.013) and tumor-nodes-metastasis (TNM) stage (P = 0.034). Intriguingly, FOXJ2 IHC score was reduced in patients with adjuvant chemotherapy than in patients without adjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.036). The median DFS and OS (95% confidence interval) were 35.0 (31.3-38.7) months and 48.8 (43.7-53.9) months, respectively. Notably, FOXJ2 IHC score > 0 (P = 0.006) and > 3 (P = 0.002) was correlated with prolonged DFS. Also, FOXJ2 IHC score > 0 (P = 0.027) and > 3 (P = 0.028) was associated with longer OS. After adjustment by backward stepwise multivariate model, FOXJ2 IHC score > 3 was independently associated with prolonged DFS (hazard ratio = 0.367, P = 0.009). In conclusion, tumor FOXJ2 negatively links with N stage and TNM stage; moreover, FOXJ2 IHC score > 3 estimates prolonged DFS and OS in NSCLC patients who received surgical resection.

Gastrointestinal cancer (GIC) patients with tumor resection may experience surgical complications, economic burden, and weakened social connection, which could lead to adverse psychological status. Thus, this study aimed to explore multidimensional psychological status of these patients, encompassing loneliness, spiritual well-being, anxiety, depression, and attitudes to death. Totally, 210 GIC patients with tumor resection and 50 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled to complete the University of California Los Angeles loneliness (UCLA-LS), functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-spiritual well-being (FACIT-Sp), hospital anxiety and depression scale-anxiety/depression (HADS-A/D), and death attitude profile-revised (DAP-R) scales. UCLA-LS score was increased (P < 0.001), while FACIT-Sp score was decreased (P < 0.001) in GIC patients than HCs. Additionally, HADS-A score (P < 0.001), anxiety rate (P < 0.001), moderate to severe anxiety rate (P < 0.001), HADS-D score (P < 0.001), depression rate (P < 0.001), and moderate to severe depression rate (P = 0.011) were all elevated in GIC patients versus HCs. Concerning attitude to death, DAP-R scores for fear of death (P < 0.001) and death avoidance (P < 0.001) were increased, and the scores for neutral (P < 0.001) and approach (P = 0.010) acceptance were declined in GIC patients than HCs. Notably, female sex, unmarried status, and drinking history were independently linked with increased UCLA-LS score, but gastric cancer was independently associated with decreased UCLA-LS score (all P < 0.050). Neoadjuvant therapy was independently related to anxiety (P = 0.012). Female sex was independently correlated with depression (P = 0.006). In conclusion, GIC patients with tumor resection experience loneliness, anxiety, depression, and reduced spiritual well-being. They tend to fear and avoid, rather than accept death.

The distribution characteristics of pathogenic bacteria and the related health risk of pulmonary infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were retrospectively analyzed to develop targeted measures to enhance patient prognosis. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 108 patients with COPD complicated with pulmonary infection and 108 patients without pulmonary infection. Analyze the distribution of pathogens in the lung infection group. Perform univariate analysis on the general data of two groups of patients and use multivariate logistic regression analysis to screen for independent risk factors affecting pulmonary infection in COPD patients. The results of univariate analysis showed that the ratio of patients aged ≥ 60 years, complicated with diabetes, duration of hospitalization ≥ 15 days, type of antimicrobial agents ≥ 2, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the pulmonary infection group were significantly greater than those in the group without pulmonary infection. Forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) were significantly lower than in the group without pulmonary infection (P < 0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that unrelated health risks for pulmonary infection in COPD patients were age ≥ 60 years, length of hospitalization ≥ 15 days, combination of diabetes mellitus, and use of ≥ 2 types of antibacterial drugs. Age ≥ 60 years old, hospital stay ≥ 15 days, diabetes patients, and antibacterial drugs ≥ 2 are the risk factors of COPD patients with pulmonary infection.

In-stent restenosis (ISR) still remains a leading cause of failure of interventional therapy in patients with lower extremity atherosclerotic disease (LEAD). Sensitive and reliable biomarkers to predict ISR should be identified. This study aims to investigate predictive values of two microRNAs, miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p for ISR following endovascular stenting treatment. A total of 128 LEAD patients receiving endovascular stenting treatment were included into the study and their restenotic status followed up by computed tomography angiography after 6 months to examine the incidence of ISR. The results of two-way ANOVAs showed a significant effect of ISR presence, time, and ISR × time interaction on the plasma level of miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p among LEAD patients, which reduced at the postoperative 14^th day. The following multiple comparisons test showed higher plasma level of miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p at the postoperative 14^th day in the ISR than the non-ISR (P < 0.0001). The plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p at 14 days after surgery used alone or combination as a test to predict ISR occurrence 6 months after surgery produced an AUC of 0.845, 0.839, and 0.906, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed the plasma levels of miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p at 14 days after surgery were risk factors for LEAD patients developing ISR at 6 months after surgery (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that plasma miR-21-5p and miR-93-5p levels at 14 days after surgery may serve as potential biomarkers for developing ISR following endovascular stenting treatment among LEAD patients.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP) poses a major threat to pediatric health. Our previous study suggested that GAS5 level was elevated in the peripheral blood of MPP children. However, the mechanism by which GAS5 regulates lung inflammation Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection-induced remains unknown. An MPP mouse model was constructed by MP intranasal injection to enrich for alveolar macrophage (AM). Mouse AM was stimulated using lipid-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) to mimic an in vitro pneumonia model, and transfection was used to achieve specific knockdown or overexpression of target genes. GAS5 level was significantly increased in AM of the MPP mouse model, and significantly and positively related with the mRNA level of HMGB1, but no physical binding between GAS5 and HMGB1 proteins. miR-29c level was significantly decreased in AM of the MPP mouse model and negatively related with the HMGB1. We found the specific binding of GAS5 to miR-29c, and the specific binding of miR-29c to the HMGB1 mRNA 3’UTR. miR-29c mimic and knockdown of HMGB1 both significantly impeded LAMPs-induced apoptosis, IL-6 and TNF-^α secretion, and the NF-^κB activation. Ectopic expression of GAS5 counteracted the effect of miR-29c mimic, and miR-29c inhibitor counteracted the effect of HMGB1 knockdown. Furthermore, silencing of GAS5 significantly alleviated MPP-induced inflammation and pathological lung injury in the MPP mouse model. GAS5/miR-29c/HMGB1 is highly involved in inflammation and lung histopathological injury in MPP disease progression by regulating the NF-^κB signaling pathway.

The pathological role of NLRP3 inflammasome in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the expression of its major components in PCa by immunohistochemistry and its clinicopathological significance. An immunohistochemical analysis of 184 prostate needle biopsy and 38 radical prostatectomy specimens from PCa revealed the expression status of NLRP3, PYCARD, and caspase-1, which form NLRP3 inflammasome. Furthermore, the association between the expression of these 3 proteins and the clinical parameters at diagnosis and operation was analyzed. In biopsy specimens, the Cochran-Armitage test demonstrated that the proportion of the high expression of NLRP3 (P < 0.001) and PYCARD (P < 0.001) in cancerous tissue tended to increase as the value of the Gleason Grade Group increased, and immunohistochemistry of NLRP3 and PYCARD helped to distinguish cancerous tissue from adjacent noncancerous tissue in some cases. Furthermore, a univariable logistic regression analysis revealed the high expression of NLRP3 to be associated with clinical T3–4 (P = 0.0056) and distant metastasis at diagnosis (P = 0.011), while the high expression of PYCARD was associated with clinical T3–4 (P < 0.001), regional lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), and distant metastasis at diagnosis (P < 0.001). However, a multivariable logistic regression analysis showed no significant association. In prostatectomy specimens, no significant association existed between the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome and the clinical parameters at operation, partly due to the influence of neoadjuvant chemohormonal or hormone therapy. In conclusion, these results suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome may promote disease progression and metastasis in PCa, therefore immunohistochemistry of NLRP3 and PYCARD could be useful for diagnosing PCa accurately.

We report the case of a 44-year-old male with advanced gastric cancer with distal lymph node metastasis who achieved a pathological complete response to chemotherapy combined with nivolumab. After five months of treatment, the patient underwent total gastrectomy with D2 lymph node dissection, and histological examination revealed the absence of malignant cells not only in the resected specimen but also in the harvested lymph nodes. At present, more than 1 year after the initial surgery, the patient is still alive without any recurrence. This case highlights the potential of chemotherapy combined with nivolumab to induce a complete response in advanced gastric cancer patients.