Background:This meta-analysis aimed to assess efficacy and safety of combination of Kushen and chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone among postoperative patients with breast cancer receiving.Methods:A systematic literature search was conducted for relevant randomized controlled trials from 2000 to July 2017. Primary outcomes were clinical response rate (CRR) and performance status improvement by Karnofsky performance scale score (KPSS); secondary outcomes were adverse drug reactions (ADRs) rate and tumor marker decrease rate. Quality assessment and data analysis were performed with Review Manager 5.3.Results:A total of 16 studies with 1315 participants were included in the analysis. Compared with chemotherapy alone, compound Kushen injection (CKI or KI) combined with chemotherapy did not significant increase CRR. However, performance status improvement rate was significantly higher among patients given Kushen injection combined with chemotherapy (relative risk 1.25, 95% confidence interval 1.09–1.42, P = .001). In the analysis of ADRs, combination of Kushen and chemotherapy was indicated to significantly reduce the rate liver dysfunction, kidney dysfunction, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, platelet decrease, and oral mucositis.Conclusion:Using CKI on the basis of chemotherapy might improve performance status and reduce ADRs among postoperative patients with breast cancer.

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Aims. This study is aimed at investigating the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by identifying key biomarkers, associated immune infiltration, and small-molecule compounds using bioinformatic analysis. Methods. Six datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and the batch effect was adjusted. Functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used to analyse differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, candidate small-molecule drugs associated with RA were selected from the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, support vector machine recursive feature elimination, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on DEGs to screen for RA diagnostic markers. The receiver operating characteristic curve, concordance index, and GiViTi calibration band were the metrics used to assess the diagnostic markers of RA identified in this analysis. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was performed to calculate the scores of infiltrating immune cells and evaluate the activities of immune-related pathways. Finally, the correlation between screening markers and RA diagnosis was determined. Results. A total of 227 DEGs were identified. Functional enrichment analysis and KEGG revealed that DEGs were enriched by the immune response. CMap analysis identified 11 small-molecule compounds with therapeutic potential for RA. In gene expression, the activities of 13 immune cells and 12 immune-related pathways significantly differed between patients with RA and healthy controls. DPYSL3 and SPP1 had the potential to diagnose RA. SPP1 expression was positively correlated with DPYSL3 in 11 immune cells and 10 immune-related pathways. Conclusion. This study comprehensively analysed DEGs and immune infiltration and screened for potential diagnostic markers and small-molecule compounds of RA.

In the present study, we successfully developed a docetaxel (DTX) and thalidomide (TDD) co-delivery system based on low density lipoprotein (LDL) modified silica nanoparticles (LDL/SLN/DTX/TDD). By employing the tumor homing property of LDL and the drug-loading capability of silica nanoparticles, the prepared LDL/SLN/DTX/TDD was expected to locate and specifically deliver the loaded drugs (DTX and TDD) to achieve effective chemotherapy of liver cancer. In vitro analysis revealed that nano-sized LDL/SLN/DTX/TDD with decent drug loading capabilities was able to increase the delivery efficiency by targeting the low density lipoprotein receptors, which were overexpressed on HepG2 human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line, which exerted better cytotoxicity than unmodified silica nanoparticles and free drugs. In vivo imaging and anti-cancer assays also confirmed the preferable tumor-homing and synergetic anti-cancer effects of LDL/SLN/DTX/TDD.

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