Objective: To investigate the expression of transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) in colon cancer and the clinical significance.
Methods: Surgical specimens from 141 patients with colon cancer were collected. The TAK1 expression in colon cancer tissues and their adjacent normal tissues were determined by immunohistochemical staining, and the relations of TAK1 expression with clinicopathologic factors as well as prognosis of the patients were analyzed. Meanwhile, the K-ras gene mutation in the colon cancer tissues was detected, and the relationship between TAK1 expression and K-ras gene mutation was examined. 
Results: The positive expression rate of TAK1 in colon cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (68.8% vs. 16.3%, P<0.05). The positive TAK1 expression was significantly associated with Dukes stage, degree of tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), and the 5-year survival rate in patients with TAK1 positive tumor was significantly lower than in those with its low expression(P<0.05). The incidence of K-ras gene mutation in TAK1 positive colon cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in those with TAK1 negative expression (52.6% vs. 13.6%, P<0.05).
Conclusion: TAK1 may be involved in malignant progression of colon cancer, and its expression is probably related to K-ras gene mutation.

Objective: To compare the clinical effects between preventive transverse colostomy and terminal ileostomy in low anterior rectal cancer resection. Methods: The clinical data of 79 patients with low rectal cancer undergoing low anus-preserving operation with preventive enterostomy were retrospectively analyzed. Of the patients, 33 cases received preventive transverse colostomy, and 46 cases received preventive terminal ileostomy. Between the two groups of patients, the incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage and stoma-related complications as well as the serum levels of inflammatory factors were compared. Results: The preoperative data of the two groups of patients were comparable. Anastomotic leakage occurred in 2 cases (6.06%) in transverse colostomy group, and in 4 cases (8.70%) in terminal ileostomy group, and the difference between the two groups had no statistical significance (P>0.05). The incidence of wound infection in in transverse colostomy group was higher than that in terminal ileostomy group (P<0.05), but the incidences of all other stoma-related complications showed no significant difference between the two groups (all P>0.05). The serum levels C-RP and IL-6 levels in transverse colostomy group at 24, 48 and 72 h after operation were all higher than those in terminal ileostomy group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Preventive transverse colostomy has similar effect as preventive terminal ileostomy in avoiding postoperative anastomotic leakage in low anterior rectal cancer resection, but terminal ileostomy is superior to transverse colostomy in terms of reducing postoperative trauma and stress responses, and complications.

Gastric intestinal metaplasia (IM) is generally believed an intermediate stage in the multistep process of gastric adenocarcinoma, and considered as precancerous lesion. IM has multiple pathogenic factors, and many molecules have been found involved in the mechanisms for its occurrence. Epidemiological evidence showed the possibility of reversibility in IM, but it is still controversial at present. The authors address, in this paper, the research progress in respects of causes, molecular mechanism and reversibility of IM.