BackgroundIn the present study, we investigated NF-κB p65 phosphorylated at Serine-536 (phosphor-Ser536-p65) in rectal cancer and its relationship to preoperative radiotherapy (RT), clinicopathological variables and biological factors.Patients and methodsExpression of phosphor-Ser536-p65 was examined by using immunohistochemistry in 141 primary rectal cancers, 149 normal mucosa specimens and 48 metastases in the lymph nodes, from rectal cancer patients who participated in a Swedish clinical trial of preoperative RT.ResultsThe expression of phosphor-Ser536-p65 in the cytoplasm increased from normal mucosa to primary tumour (p<0.0001, for both the group that did and the group that did not received RT). The expression did not further increase from primary tumour to metastasis in either group (p>0.05). Expression of phosphor-Ser536-p65 was positively related to, or tended to be related to, the expression of tumour endothelium marker 1 (TEM1, p=0.02), FXYD-3 (p=0.001), phosphatase of regenerating liver (PRL, p=0.02), p73 (p=0.048) and meningioma associated protein (MAC30, p=0.05) in the group that received RT but there were no such relationships in the group that did not received RT (p>0.05). The expression of phosphor-Ser536-p65 was not related to clinicopathological factors including survival (p>0.05).ConclusionsThe increased expression of phosphor-Ser536-p65 may be involved in rectal cancer development. After RT, phosphor-Ser536-p65 seems to be positively related to the biological factors, which associated with more malignant features of tumours. However, phosphor-Ser536-p65 was not directly related to the response of RT based on recurrence and survival.

The osteoarticular tuberculosis is a uncommon diease, which is accout for 0.1%-0.3% of Tuberculosis (TB). The involoment of foot and ankle is only 0.01%-0.03% of TB, particularly the bilateral feet and ankles are affected is extremely rare. Futhermore, its clinical manifestation is atypical and similar with autoimmune disorder, subacute or chronic pyogenic arthritis, osteochondrosis, benign bone tumors and so on, which conduce to the delay of its diagnose and therapy along with unfavourable prognosis. Here we present a case of a 52-year-old man with bilateral feet and ankles tuberculous arthritis, misdiagnosed successively Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Poncet’s diease. It is hope that can enhance the alertness about osteoarticular tuberculosis. Keywords: Osteoarticular tuberculosis; ankle; foot; misdignose.