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Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a fatal disease with a high mortality and poor prognosis. PC is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in America, and 80 % of PCs are diagnosed at an unresectable stage. Effective early detection assays are crucial since a successful operation at early stage is the best strategy for this disease. S100 calcium-binding protein P (S100P) has been reported as a predictive diagnostic index for PC and involves in the development of PC. However, the diagnostic accuracy of S100P in detecting PC has never been systematically assessed. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of S100P for PC. All relevant original articles about S100P in the diagnosis of PC published up to December 2013 were retrieved. The methodological quality of each study was assessed by QUADAS. The overall diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), with 95 % confidence interval (CI), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were pooled to evaluate the diagnostic value of S100P for PC using the Meta-DiSc1.4 statistical software. Eight studies met our criteria in the present meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and DOR calculated by the bivariate random effects model were 0.87 (95 % CI 0.83-0.90), 0.88 (95 % CI 0.82-0.93), and 38.32 (95 % CI 11.22-130.87), respectively. The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was located near the desirable left corner and the AUC was 0.9272. The current evidence suggests that S100P plays an important role in the diagnosis of PC with a high sensitivity and specificity. S100P may be regarded as a promising diagnostic marker to PC screening.

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SDF-1/CXCR4 chemotaxis signals play important roles in regulating the stem cell-based tissue regeneration. The aim of this research is to evaluate whether high expression of CXCR4 enhances the migration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and increases the efficiency of intervertebral disc (IVD) regeneration. MSCs overexpressing CXCR (CXCR4-MSC) were created by lentiviral-CXCR4-vect transfection, labeled with SPIO, and transplanted into rabbit degenerative IVD induced by annulus puncture. X-ray and T2-weighted MR images of the spine were obtained at 0, 8, and 16 weeks post-transplantation. The transplanted stem cells were traced by both MR imaging and Prussian blue staining. The stem cell-based IVD degeneration was evaluated by quantifying the expression of aggrecan and type II collagen. The in vitro chemotaxis test was performed to study the migration of CXCR4-MSCs to the supplement of SDF-1. The CXCR4-overexpressing MSCs stably elevated the expression of CXCR4 and increased the migration to SDF-1. The SPIO-labeled CXCR4-MSC could be detected within the IVD by MRI till 16 weeks post-transplantation. Prussian blue staining evidenced more SPIO-positive cells within the IVD transplanted with CXCR4-MSCs. Compared to the control group, loss of disc height was slowed while the mRNA expression of aggrecan and type II collagen was increased by MSC transplantation, especially in the IVD supplemented with CXCR4-MSCs. CXCR4 overexpression promoted MSC retention within the IVD and enhanced the stem cell-based IVD regeneration. The SDF-1/CXCR4 chemotaxis signals might help provide a new perspective to understand stem cell migration and infiltration within the degenerated IVD.

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