ObjectiveTo understand relationship between LIM kinase (LIMK) and colorectal cancer in order to provide research basis for metastasis, invasion, and targeted therapy of colorectal cancer.MethodThe relevant literatures about the research progress on the structural function of LIMK and its correlation with colorectal cancer in recent years were reviewed.ResultsThe LIMK and its factors in the ROCK/LIMK/cofilin and PAK/LIMK/cofilin pathways were involved in various cell biological behaviors such as the tumor cell cycle progression, tumor cell invasion, migration, and proliferation. For example, the p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) participated in the cytoskeletal dynamics to regulate cancer cell migration and invasion through the PAK4/LIMK1/cofilin signaling pathway. The cofilin affected the tumor cell movement and morphology through the Rho/ROCK/LIMK1/cofilin signaling pathway, thus then participated in the tumor cell invasion and migration. In addition, the studies had reported that two tumor metastasis-associated proteins, MYH9 and ACTN4, were the direct targets of LIMK1, and the three interactions could promote the colon cancer progression. Another member of the LIMK family: LIMK2, which inhibited the cell metastasis by limiting the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and the nuclear chain of β-catenin activated the Wnt signaling pathway, leading to the colon cancer progression and metastasis. Diallyl disulfide down-regulated the expression of LIMK1 in the colon cancer cells SW480, inhibited the LIMK1/cofilin signaling pathway, blocked angiogenesis and EMT, and inhibited the colon cancer migration and invasion, while others LIMK inhibitors had not been validated in the colorectal cancer.ConclusionsMolecular mechanism of colorectal cancer and its metastasis has not been fully elucidated. Through in-depth study of relationships between colorectal cancer and its metastasis mechanism and LIMK, it could provide a molecular targeted therapeutic breakthrough for colorectal cancer and its metastasis and more help for exploring of diagnosis, recurrence, prognosis and metastasis of colorectal cancer.
ObjectiveTo explore the predictive value of a simplified signs scoring system for the severity and prognosis of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods Clinical data of 1 605 confirmed patients with COVID-19 from January to May 2020 in 45 hospitals of Sichuan and Hubei Provinces were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into a mild group (n=1150, 508 males, average age of 51.32±16.26 years) and a severe group (n=455, 248 males, average age of 57.63±16.16 years). ResultsAge, male proportion, respiratory rate, systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure in the severe group were higher than those in the mild group (P<0.05). Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) were lower than those in the mild group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, respiratory rate, SpO2, and GCS were independent risk factors for severe patients with COVID-19. Based on the above indicators, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of the simplified signs scoring system for predicting severe patients was 0.822, which was higher than that of the quick sequential organ failure assessment (qSOFA) score and modified early warning score (MEWS, 0.629 and 0.631, P<0.001). The ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve of the simplified signs scoring system for predicting death was 0.796, higher than that of qSOFA score and MEWS score (0.710 and 0.706, P<0.001). ConclusionAge, respiratory rate, SpO2 and GCS are independent risk factors for severe patients with COVID-19. The simplified signs scoring system based on these four indicators may be used to predict patient's risk of severe illness or early death.