ObjectiveTo study the effect of tumor associated neutrophil (TAN) releasing a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells in microenvironment.Methods① The expressions of APRIL in neutrophils (differentiated by HL-60 cell) and TAN cells were detected by use ELISA. ② The expressions of APRIL receptors B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) and trans-membrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI) in pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1 were confirmed by use Western blotting. ③ Pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells were co-cultured with TAN, and divided into a PANC-1 control group (referred to as the control group), a PANC-1+TAN treatment group (referred to as the PANC-1+TAN group), PANC-1+TAN+APRIL antibody treatment group (referred to as PANC-1+TAN+APRIL group), and PANC-1+rtificial recombinant APRIL protein (rAPRIL) treatment group (referred to as PANC-1+rAPRIL group). The CCK8 method was used to determine TAN release of APRIL on PANC-1 effect of cell proliferation activity.Results① The APRIL content in the culture medium of TAN cell group was higher than that of neutrophil group [(556.20±84.38) pg/mL vs. (377.17±57.07) pg/mL, P=0.038]. ② PANC-1 cells express the receptors BCMA and TACI of APRIL. ③ PANC-1 cell activity of PANC-1+TAN group and PANC-1+rAPRIL group [(126.80±1.42)%, (168.95±12.54)%] were significantly higher than the control group [(100 ± 0.00)%, P<0.05, P<0.001], the activity of PANC-1 cells in the PANC-1+TAN group was significantly higher than that in the PANC-1+TAN+APRIL group [(86.29 ± 12.20)%, P=0.003] and significantly lower than that of PANC-1+rAPRIL group (P=0.002), the activity of PANC-1 cells in PANC-1+rAPRIL group was significantly higher than that in PANC-1+TAN+APRIL antibody group (P<0.001).ConclusionIn the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, the release of APRIL from TAN increases, which promotes the proliferative activity of PANC-1 in pancreatic cancer cells, which provides a new idea for the mechanism research and treatment of pancreatic cancer progression.
ObjectiveTo explore the influencing factors of cancer-specific survival of patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma, and draw a nomogram to predict the cancer-specific survival rate of large hepatocellular carcinoma patients.MethodsThe clinicopathological data of patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma during the period from 1975 to 2017 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database were searched and randomly divided into training group and validation group at 1∶1. Using the training data, the Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to explore the influencing factors of cancer-specific survival and construct the nomogram; finally, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) and the calibration curve were drawn to verify the nomogram internally and externally.ResultsThe results of the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that the degree of liver cirrhosis, tumor differentiation, tumor diameter, T stage, M stage, surgery, and chemotherapy were independent influencing factors that affect the specific survival of patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma (P<0.05), and then these factors were enrolled into the nomogram of the prediction model. The areas under the 1, 3, and 5-year curves of the training group were 0.800, 0.827, and 0.814, respectively; the areas under the 1, 3, and 5-year curves of the validation group were 0.800, 0.824, and 0.801, respectively. The C index of the training group was 0.779, and the verification group was 0.777. The calibration curve of the training group and the verification group was close to the ideal curve of the actual situation.ConclusionThe nomogram of the prediction model drawn in this study can be used to predict the specific survival of patients with large hepatocellular carcinoma in the clinic.