Serum and glucocorticoid-induced protein kinase 1 (SGK1) is a member of the “AGC” subfamily of protein kinases, which shares structural and functional similarities with the AKT family of kinases and displays serine/threonine kinase activity. Aberrant expression of SGK1 has profound cellular consequences and is closely correlated with human cancer. SGK1 is considered a canonical factor affecting the expression and signal transduction of multiple genes involved in the genesis and development of many human cancers. Abnormal expression of SGK1 has been found in tissue and may hopefully become a useful indicator of cancer progression. In addition, SGK1 acts as a prognostic factor for cancer patient survival. This review systematically summarizes and discusses the role of SGK1 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of diverse cancer types; focuses on its essential roles and functions in tumorigenesis, cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, autophagy, metabolism, and therapy resistance and in the tumor microenvironment; and finally summarizes the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of SGK1 at the molecular level. Taken together, this evidence highlights the crucial role of SGK1 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression, revealing why it has emerged as a potential target for cancer therapy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that maintain the precise balance of various physiological processes through regulating the function of target mRNAs. Dysregulation of miRNAs is closely associated with various types of human cancer. miR-222-3p is considered a canonical factor affecting the expression and signal transduction of multiple genes involved in tumor occurrence and progression. miR-222-3p in human biofluids, such as urine and plasma, may be a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis of tumors. In addition, miR-222-3p acts as a prognostic factor for the survival of patients with cancer. The present review first summarizes and discusses the role of miR-222-3p as a biomarker for diverse types of cancers, and then focuses on its essential roles in tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis and chemoresistance. Finally, the current understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of miR-222-3p at the molecular level are summarized. Overall, the current evidence highlights the crucial role of miR-222-3p in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of malignancy-associated mortality worldwide. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of GC are unclear and the prognosis of GC is poor. Therefore, it is important and urgent to explore the underlying mechanisms and screen for novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets. In the current study, scale-free gene co-expression networks were constructed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, the potential associations between gene sets and clinical features were investigated, and the hub genes were identified. The gene expression profiles of GSE38749 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. RNA-seq and clinical data for GC from The Cancer Genome Atlas were utilized for verification. Furthermore, the expression of candidate biomarkers in gastric tissues was investigated. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test. The predictive role of candidate biomarkers in GC was evaluated using a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Gene Ontology, gene set enrichment analysis and gene set variation analysis methods were used to interpret the function of candidate biomarkers in GC. A total of 29 modules were identified via the average linkage hierarchical clustering. A significant module consisting of 48 genes associated with clinical traits was found; three genes with high connectivity in the clinical significant module were identified as hub genes. Among them, SLC5A6 and microfibril-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) were negatively associated with the overall survival, and their expression was elevated in GC compared with non-tumor tissues. Additionally, ROC curves indicated that SLC5A6 and MFAP2 showed a good diagnostic power in discriminating cancerous from normal tissues. SLC5A6 and MFAP2 were identified as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in GC patients; both of these genes were first reported here in connection with GC and deserved further research.

Background Infection is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among burn patients, and bloodstream infection (BSI) is the most serious. This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and clinical outcomes of BSI in severe burn patients. Methods Clinical variables of all patients admitted with severe burns (≥ 20% total body surface area, %TBSA) were analyzed retrospectively from January 2013 to December 2018 at a teaching hospital. The Kaplan–Meier method was utilized for plotting survival curves. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression model were also performed. Results A total of 495 patients were evaluated, of whom 136 (27.5%) had a BSI. The median time from the patients being burned to BSI was 8 days. For BSI onset in these patients, 47.8% (65/136) occurred in the first week. The most frequently isolated causative organism was A. baumannii (22.7%), followed by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (18.7%) and K. pneumoniae (18.2%), in patients with BSI. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that %TBSA (p = 0.023), mechanical ventilation (p = 0.019), central venous catheter (CVC) (p < 0.001) and hospital length of stay (27d vs 50d, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors associated with BSI. Cox regression model showed that acute kidney injury (HR, 12.26; 95% CI 2.31–64.98; p = 0.003) and septic shock (HR, 4.36; 95% CI 1.16–16.34; p = 0.031) were identified as independent predictors of 30-day mortality of BSI in burn patients. Conclusions Multidrug resistant gram-negative bacteria were the main pathogens of BSI in severe burn patients. Accurate evaluation of risk factors for BSI and the mortality of BSI in severe burn patients may improve early appropriate management.

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