Animal Models of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma–Past,Present, and Future

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is the fastest rising cancer in the United States. It develops from long‐standing gastroesophageal reflux disease which affects >20% of the general population. It carries a very poor prognosis with 5‐year survival <20%. The disease is known to sequentially progress from reflux esophagitis to a metaplastic precursor, Barrett''s esophagus and then onto dysplasia and esophageal adenocarcinoma. However, only few patients with reflux develop Barrett''s esophagus and only a minority of these turn malignant. The reason for this heterogeneity in clinical progression is unknown. To improve patient management, molecular changes which facilitate disease progression must be identified. Animal models can provide a comprehensive functional and anatomic platform for such a study. Rats and mice have been the most widely studied but disease homology with humans has been questioned. No animal model naturally simulates the inflammation to adenocarcinoma progression as in humans, with all models requiring surgical bypass or destruction of existing antireflux mechanisms. Valuable properties of individual models could be utilized to holistically evaluate disease progression. In this review paper, we critically examined the current animal models of Barrett''s esophagus, their differences and homologies with human disease and how they have shaped our current understanding of Barrett''s carcinogenesis.     

Neutralization of Mitochondrial Superoxide by Superoxide Dismutase 2 Promotes Bacterial Clearance and Regulates Phagocyte Numbers in Zebrafish

Mitochondria are known primarily as the location of the electron transport chain and energy production in cells. More recently, mitochondria have been shown to be signaling centers for apoptosis and inflammation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated as by-products of the electron transport chain within mitochondria significantly impact cellular signaling pathways. Because of the toxic nature of ROS, mitochondria possess an antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), to neutralize ROS. If mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes are overwhelmed during severe infections, mitochondrial dysfunction can occur and lead to multiorgan failure or death. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that can infect immunocompromised patients. Infochemicals and exotoxins associated with P. aeruginosa are capable of causing mitochondrial dysfunction. In this work, we describe the roles of SOD2 and mitochondrial ROS regulation in the zebrafish innate immune response to P. aeruginosa infection. sod2 is upregulated in mammalian macrophages and neutrophils in response to lipopolysaccharide in vitro, and sod2 knockdown in zebrafish results in an increased bacterial burden. Further investigation revealed that phagocyte numbers are compromised in Sod2-deficient zebrafish. Addition of the mitochondrion-targeted ROS-scavenging chemical MitoTEMPO rescues neutrophil numbers and reduces the bacterial burden in Sod2-deficient zebrafish. Our work highlights the importance of mitochondrial ROS regulation by SOD2 in the context of innate immunity and supports the use of mitochondrion-targeted ROS scavengers as potential adjuvant therapies during severe infections.     

Molecular profiling of ctDNA in pancreatic cancer: Opportunities and challenges for clinical application

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality within the next decade, with limited effective treatment options and a dismal long-term prognosis for patients. Genomic profiling has not yet manifested clinical benefits for diagnosis, treatment or prognosis in PDAC, due to the lack of available tissues for sequencing and the confounding effects of low tumour cellularity in many biopsy specimens. Increasing focus is now turning to the use of minimally invasive liquid biopsies to enhance the characterisation of actionable PDAC tumour genomes. Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) is the most comprehensively studied liquid biopsy analyte in blood and can provide insight into the molecular profile and biological characteristics of individual PDAC tumours, in real-time and in advance of traditional imaging modalities. This can pave the way for identification of new therapeutic targets, novel risk variants and markers of tumour response, to supplement diagnostic screening and provide enhanced scrutiny in treatment stratification. In the roadmap towards the application of precision medicine for clinical management in PDAC, ctDNA analyses may serve a leading role in streamlining candidate biomarkers for clinical integration. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the use of ctDNA-based liquid biopsies for PDAC and provide new insights into the technical, analytical and biological challenges that must be overcome for this potential to be realised.     

宣威地区与非宣威地区肺癌患者临床流行病学特征及病理类型特点分析

目的:分析宣威地区与非宣威地区的肺癌临床流行病学与病理特征。方法:以云南省肿瘤医院（昆明医科大学第三附属医院）2015年3月至2015年5月手术治疗的肺癌患者为研究对象，共295例，收集患者相关信息。将其分为宣威地区、非宣威地区进行统计。对患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析，包含病理类型、年龄、性别、吸烟史等。结果:宣威地区、非宣威地区肺癌患者男女比例为1.19∶1和1.69∶1。宣威地区患者平均年龄为［53.41±8.74(34~85)］岁，中位年龄53岁。非宣威地区肺癌患者平均年龄为［58.68±8.63(38~78)］岁，中位年龄59岁。宣威地区肺癌高发年龄为40~59岁段。宣威地区I期肺癌患者占比、T1期肺癌患者占比、N0期肺癌患者占比均高于非宣威地区。宣威地区男性腺癌鳞癌比远高于非宣威地区，差异有显著统计学意义。结论:宣威地区女性肺癌发病率更高，发病年龄更趋年轻化，腺癌比例高，吸烟与宣威地区男性腺癌高发关系不密切。     

弯刀综合征14例外科治疗结果分析

目的 探讨小儿弯刀综合征的诊断、外科治疗方法及治疗后的近、中期结果。方法 回顾性分析2010年1月到2017年12月手术治疗的14例弯刀综合征的临床资料。其中,男7例,女7例;年龄(18.23±28.55)个月,范围在23 d至9岁。合并其他心血管畸形10例,中位心8例,右肺发育不良7例,有侧支循环8例,合并肺动脉高压10例。用SPSS 16.0软件的寿命表(Life Table)做出本组患儿术后生存曲线,评估其近、中期生存状况。结果 9例异常肺静脉(scimitar vein,SV)从下腔静脉切下,端-侧吻合于左心房;SV分成2支2例,1例采用2支SV连同部分下腔静脉壁切下,另1例2支SV从下腔静脉从根部切下侧-侧吻合形成单根SV,均吻合于左心房;SV离左心房距离过大3例,2例将SV吻合在右心房右侧壁,再重建心房间隔,1例SV与自体心包卷管道连接再吻合于左心房。其他心血管畸形同期手术矫治。8例有侧支循环,3例心导管检查时被封堵,5例手术时切断缝合。本组14例手术死亡2例(14.29%),另有1例于术后1年2个月因肺炎、呼吸衰竭死亡。本组术后1、3、5年累积生存率分别为86%、73%和73%。术后出院时有1例移植的SV开口狭窄,血流速度为1.9 m/s;有3例随访期间发现移植SV狭窄,血流速度超过1.6 m/s。结论 弯刀综合征可合并其他心血管畸形、中位心、右肺发育不良等。一般将SV与左心房吻合;SV离左心房距离大或多条SV时,可采用个性化办法将SV吻合于左心房。侧支循环心导管检查时可封堵,或术中切断缝合。