Annexin A1: a key regulator of T cell function and bone marrow adiposity in aplastic anaemia

This study investigates the role of Annexin A1 (ANXA1) in regulating T cell function and its implications in bone marrow adiposity in aplastic anaemia (AA). Utilizing single-cell sequencing analysis, we compared bone marrow tissues from AA patients and healthy individuals, focusing on T cell subgroups and their impact on bone marrow pathology. Our findings reveal a significant activation of CD8+ T cells in AA, driven by reduced ANXA1 expression. This heightened T cell activity promotes adipogenesis in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells via IFN-γ secretion. Overexpression of ANXA1 was found to suppress this process, suggesting its therapeutic potential in AA treatment. The study highlights ANXA1 as a crucial regulator in the AA-associated immune microenvironment and bone marrow adiposity. KEY POINTS: This study found that ANXA1 is significantly downregulated in AA and provides detailed insights into its critical role in the disease. The study demonstrates the excessive activation of CD8+ T cells in the progression of AA. The research shows that the overexpression of ANXA1 can effectively inhibit the activation of CD8+ T cells. The study confirms that overexpression of ANXA1 reduces the secretion of the cytokine IFN-γ, decreases adipogenesis in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and may improve AA symptoms. This research provides new molecular targets for the treatment of AA.

Lactate dehydrogenase A is implicated in the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphoma through regulation of the FER signaling pathway

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is highly expressed in various tumors. However, the role of LDHA in the pathogenesis of B-cell lymphoma remains unclear. Analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases revealed an elevated LDHA expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBC) tissues compared with normal tissues. Similarly, our results demonstrated a significant increase in LDHA expression in tumor tissues from the patients with B-cell lymphoma compared with those with lymphadenitis. To further elucidate potential roles of LDHA in B-cell lymphoma pathogenesis, we silenced LDHA in the Raji cells (a B-cell lymphoma cell line) using shRNA techniques. Silencing LDHA led to reduced mitochondrial membrane integrity, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, glycolytic activity, cell viability and invasion. Notably, LDHA knockdown substantially suppressed in vivo growth of Raji cells and extended survival in mice bearing lymphoma (Raji cells). Moreover, proteomic analysis identified feline sarcoma-related protein (FER) as a differential protein positively associated with LDHA expression. Treatment with E260, a FER inhibitor, significantly reduced the metabolism, proliferation and invasion of Raji cells. In summary, our findings highlight that LDHA plays multiple roles in B-cell lymphoma pathogenesis via FER pathways, establishing LDHA/FER may as a potential therapeutic target.

PDCD4 interacting with PIK3CB and CTSZ promotes the apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells

The role of programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) in multiple myeloma (MM) development remains unknown. Here, we investigated its role and action mechanism in MM. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that patients with MM and high PDCD4 expression had higher overall survival than those with low PDCD4 expression. PDCD4 expression promoted MM cell apoptosis and inhibited their viability in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis showed that PDCD4 is bound to the 5' UTR of the apoptosis-related genes PIK3CB, Cathepsin Z (CTSZ), and X-chromosome-linked apoptosis inhibitor (XIAP). PDCD4 knockdown reduced the cell apoptosis rate, which was rescued by adding PIK3CB, CTSZ, or XIAP inhibitors. Dual luciferase reporter assays confirmed the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) activity of the 5' UTRs of PIK3CB and CTSZ. An RNA pull-down assay confirmed binding of the 5' UTR of PIK3CB and CTSZ to PDCD4, identifying the specific binding fragments. PDCD4 is expected to promote MM cell apoptosis by binding to the IRES domain in the 5' UTR of PIK3CB and CTSZ and inhibiting their translation. Our findings suggest that PDCD4 plays an important role in MM development by regulating the expression of PIK3CB, CTSZ, and XIAP, and highlight new potential molecular targets for MM treatment.

Risk factors for infection in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We conducted a meta-analysis to determine the risk of infection following shoulder arthroscopy and to identify risk factors for infection. We systematically searched the PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases, as well as the reference lists of previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses; manual searches were also performed. A random-effects model was employed to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs), based on sample size, the P-value of Egger's test and heterogeneity among studies. Of the 29,342 articles screened, 16 retrospective studies comprising 74,759 patients were included. High-quality evidence showed that patients with diabetes (OR, 1.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-1.41) or hypertension (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.10-1.44) had a higher risk of infection, while moderate quality evidence showed that patients with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2) (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.28-1.57), those who were male (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.12-2.44), those who had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class ≥3 (OR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.02-3.99) and those who had a history of smoking (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.39-4.28) had a higher risk of infection. The meta-analysis revealed that there was no association between age, time of surgery, or alcohol consumption and infection. This meta-analysis identified six significant risk factors for infection following shoulder arthroscopy including diabetes, obesity, hypertension, male sex, ASA class, history of smoking. These patient-related risk factors may help identify postoperative patients at higher risk for infection following shoulder arthroscopy.

Uncovering the cellular and omics characteristics of natural killer cells in the bone marrow microenvironment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous hematologic malignancy and the most frequently acute leukemia of stem cell precursors and the myeloid derivatives in adult. Longitudinal studies have indicated the therapeutic landscape and drug resistance for patients with AML are still intractable, which largely attribute to the deficiency of detailed information upon the pathogenesis.

METHODS

In this study, we compared the cellular phenotype of resident NK cells (rAML-NKs, rHD-NKs) and expanded NK cells (eAML-NKs, eHD-NKs) from bone marrow of AML patients (AML) and healthy donors (HD). Then, we took advantage of the co-culture strategy for the evaluation of the in vitro cytotoxicity of NK cells upon diverse tumor cell lines (e.g., K562, Nalm6, U937). With the aid of RNA-sequencing (RNA-SEQ) and bioinformatics analyses (e.g., GOBP analysis, KEGG analysis, GSEA, volcano plot), we verified the similarities and differences of the omics features between eAML-NKs and eHD-NKs.

RESULTS

Herein, we verified the sharp decline in the content of total resident NK cells (CD3-CD56+) in rAML-NKs compared to rHD-NKs. Differ from the expanded eHD-NKs, eAML-NKs revealed decline in diverse NK cell subsets (NKG2D+, CD25+, NKp44+, NKp46+) and alterations in cellular vitality but conservations in cytotoxicity. According to transcriptomic analysis, AML-NKs and HD-NKs showed multifaceted distinctions in gene expression profiling and genetic variations.

CONCLUSIONS

Collectively, our data revealed the variations in the cytobiological and transcriptomic features between AML-NKs and HD-NKs in bone marrow environment. Our findings would benefit the further development of novel biomarkers for AML diagnosis and NK cell-based cytotherapy in future.

Risk Factors for Locoregional Recurrence and Distant Metastasis in 143 Patients with Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the External Auditory Canal

AIMS

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) grows slowly and is characterised by potential recurrence and metastasis to distant organs. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for locoregional recurrence (LRR) and distant metastasis in patients with ACC of the external auditory canal (EAC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Demographic, pathological, therapeutic and survival data of 143 patients with EAC ACC were reviewed in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were carried out to determine the risk factors for LRR and distant metastasis. Factors associated with overall survival after LRR and distant metastasis were also analysed.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 49 months, 31 of 143 patients were observed with LRR and 34 developed distant metastasis. Bone invasion and histological subtype were independent risk factors for locoregional recurrence-free survival. T stage and LRR were independent risk factors for distant metastasis-free survival. Salvage surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for LRR resulted in better survival, whereas extrapulmonary metastasis and LRR were associated with a higher risk of poor survival after distant metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Patients with distant metastases, especially those with LRR, are at significant risk of poor prognosis. Our findings emphasise the importance of long-term regular follow-up and recommend surgical intervention with radiotherapy for recurrent EAC ACC.

Irisin protected hemopoietic stem cells and improved outcome of severe bone marrow failure

Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is a bone marrow failure (BMF) disease, characterized by fatty bone marrow (BM) and BM hypocellularity resulted from auto-immune dysregulated T cells-mediated destruction of BM haemopoietic stem cells (HPSC). The objective of this study was to investigate potential therapeutic effect of irisin, a molecule involved in adipose tissue transition, on AA mouse model. Our results showed that the concentration of irisin in serum was lower in AA patients than in healthy controls, suggesting a role of irisin in the pathogenesis of AA. In the AA mice, irisin administration prolonged the survival rate, prevented or attenuated peripheral pancytopenia, and preserved HPSC in the BM. Moreover, irisin also markedly reduced BM adipogenesis. In vitro results showed that irisin increased both cell proliferation and colony numbers of HPSC. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that irisin upregulated the expression of mitochondrial ATPase Inhibitory Factor 1 (IF1) in HPSC, inhibited the activation of mitochondrial fission protein (DRP1) and enhanced aerobic glycolysis. Taken together, our findings indicate novel roles of irisin in the pathogenesis of AA, and in the protection of HPSC through stimulation of proliferation and regulation of mitochondria function, which provides a proof-of-concept for the application of irisin in AA therapy.

GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway plays crucial roles in the regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity against myeloma cells

The plasma cell malignancy, multiple myeloma (MM), has significantly improved by the application of new drugs and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, MM remains incurable. A number of studies have revealed an anti-MM effect of natural killer (NK) cells; however, their clinical efficacy is limited. Furthermore, glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β inhibitors show an antitumor function. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential roles of a GSK-3β inhibitor (TWS119) in the regulation of NK cell cytotoxicity against MM. Our results showed that, in the presence of TWS119, the NK cell line, NK-92, and in vitro-expanded primary NK cells exhibited a significantly higher degranulation activity, expression of activating receptors, cellular cytotoxicity, and cytokine secretion when they were exposed to MM cells. Mechanistic studies indicated that TWS119 treatment markedly upregulated RAB27A expression, a key molecule for NK cell degranulation, and induced the colocalization of β-catenin with NF-κB in the nucleus of NK cells. More importantly, GSK-3β inhibition combined with the adoptive transfer of TWS119-treated NK-92 cells significantly reduced tumor volume and prolonged the survival time of myeloma-bearing mice. In summary, our novel findings suggest that targeting GSK-3β through the activation of β-catenin/NF-κB pathway may be an important approach to improve therapeutic efficacy of NK cell transfusion for MM.

Rest-activity rhythms and tract specific white matter lesions in older adults at risk for cognitive decline

White matter lesions (WMLs) are common in older adults and represent an important predictor of negative long-term outcomes. Rest-activity rhythm disturbance is also common, however, few studies have investigated associations between these factors. We employed a novel AI-based automatic WML segmentation tool and diffusion-weighted tractography to investigate associations between tract specific WML volumes and non-parametric actigraphy measures in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. The primary non-parametric measures of interest were inter-daily stability (IS), intra-daily variability and relative amplitude, with the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) selected as tracts of interest. One hundred and eight participants at risk for cognitive decline (classified as experiencing subjective or objective cognitive decline) were included (mean age = 68.85 years, SD = 8.91). Of the primary non-parametric measures of interest, results showed that lower IS was associated with a greater likelihood of higher WML burden in the ATR (OR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.12,3.15]). Analysis of secondary non-parametric measures revealed later onset of the least active period to be associated with greater likelihood of high WML burden in the SLF (OR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.00,2.53]) and increased activity during the least active 5-h period to be associated with a greater likelihood of high whole-brain WML burden (OR = 1.83, 95% CI [1.06,3.47]). This study shows integrity of the ATR and SLF, and overall WML burden is linked to altered rest-activity rhythms in older adults at risk for cognitive decline, with those demonstrating altered rest-activity rhythms showing 50%-80% higher odds of having high WML burden.

[Clinical value of a differentiation prediction model for invasive lung adenocarcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the value of predicting the degree of differentiation of pulmonary invasive adenocarcinoma (IAC) based on CT image radiomics model and the expression difference of immunohistochemical factors between different degrees of differentiation of lesions. Methods: The clinicopathological data of patients with pulmonary IAC confirmed by surgical pathology in the Affiliated Huai'an First People's Hospital to Nanjing Medical University from December 2017 to September 2018 were collected. High-throughput feature acquisition was performed for all outlined regions of interest, and prediction models were constructed after dimensionality reduction by the minimum absolute shrinkage operator. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to assess the predictive efficacy of clinical characteristic model, radiomics model and individualized prediction model combined with both to identify the degree of pulmonary IAC differentiation, and immunohistochemical expressions of Ki-67, NapsinA and TTF-1 were compared between groups with different degrees of IAC differentiation using rank sum test. Results: A total of 396 high-throughput features were extracted from all IAC lesions, and 10 features with high generalization ability and correlation with the degree of IAC differentiation were screened. The mean radiomics score of poorly differentiated IAC in the training group (1.206) was higher than that of patients with high and medium differentiation (0.969, P=0.001), and the mean radiomics score of poorly differentiated IAC in the test group (1.545) was higher than that of patients with high and medium differentiation (-0.815, P<0.001). The differences in gender (P<0.001), pleural stretch sign (P=0.005), and burr sign (P=0.033) were statistically significant between patients in the well and poorly differentiated IAC groups. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that gender and pleural stretch sign were related to the degree of IAC differentiation (P<0.05). The clinical feature model consisted of age, gender, pleural stretch sign, burr sign, tumor vessel sign, and vacuolar sign, and the individualized prediction model consisted of gender, pleural stretch sign, and radiomic score, and was represented by a nomogram. The Akaike information standard values of the radiomics model, clinical feature model and individualized prediction model were 54.756, 82.214 and 53.282, respectively. The individualized prediction model was most effective in identifying the degree of differentiation of pulmonary IAC, and the area under the curves (AUC) of the individualized prediction model in the training group and the test group were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86-0.99) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.74-1.00, respectively). The AUCs of the radiomics group model for predicting the degree of differentiation of pulmonary IAC in the training group and the test group were 0.91 (95% CI: 0.83-0.98) and 0.87 (95% CI: 0.72-1.00), respectively. The AUCs of the clinical characteristics model for predicting the degree of differentiation of pulmonary IACs in the training and test groups were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.86) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.59-0.94), respectively. The expression level of Ki-67 in poorly differentiated IAC was higher than that in well-differentiated IAC (P<0.001). The expression levels of NapsinA, TTF-1 in poorly differentiated IAC were higher than those in well-differentiated IAC (P<0.05). Conclusions: Individualized prediction model consisted of gender, pleural stretch sign and radiomics score can discriminate the differentiation degree of IAC with the best performance in comparison with clinical feature model and radiomics model. Ki-67, NapsinA and TTF-1 express differently in different degrees of differentiation of IAC.

Differentiated activities of decorin and biglycan in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To delineate the activities of decorin and biglycan in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA).

DESIGN

Three-month-old inducible biglycan (BgniKO) and decorin/biglycan compound (Dcn/BgniKO) knockout mice were subjected to the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) surgery to induce PTOA. The OA phenotype was evaluated by assessing joint structure and sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) staining via histology, surface collagen fibril nanostructure and calcium content via scanning electron microscopy, tissue modulus via atomic force microscopy-nanoindentation, as well as subchondral bone structure and meniscus ossification via micro-computed tomography. Outcomes were compared with previous findings in the inducible decorin (DcniKO) knockout mice.

RESULTS

In the DMM model, BgniKO mice developed similar degree of OA as the control (0.44 [-0.18 1.05] difference in modified Mankin score), different from the more severe OA phenotype observed in DcniKO mice (1.38 [0.91 1.85] difference). Dcn/BgniKO mice exhibited similar histological OA phenotype as DcniKO mice (1.51 [0.97 2.04] difference vs control), including aggravated loss of sGAGs, salient surface fibrillation and formation of osteophyte. Meanwhile, Dcn/BgniKO mice showed further cartilage thinning than DcniKO mice, resulting in the exposure of underlying calcified tissues and aberrantly high surface modulus. BgniKO and Dcn/BgniKO mice developed altered subchondral trabecular bone structure in both Sham and DMM groups, while DcniKO and control mice did not.

CONCLUSION

In PTOA, decorin plays a more crucial role than biglycan in regulating cartilage degeneration, while biglycan is more important in regulating subchondral bone structure. The two have distinct activities and modest synergy in the pathogenesis of PTOA.

PDCD4 Negatively Regulated Osteogenic Differentiation and Bone Defect Repair of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Through GSK-3β/β-Catenin Pathway

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to be involved in bone injury repair. Programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) is not only a tumor suppressor gene but also plays roles in the regulation of MSC function. The aim of the study was to uncover PDCD4 potential regulatory roles and mechanisms in the osteogenic differentiation and bone defect repair of MSCs. shRNA technique was used to knock down PDCD4 expression in umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (shPDCD4-UCMSCs). Their phenotype was characterized by flow cytometry and the differentiation potential was verified. We found that PDCD4 knockdown did not affect the surface molecule expression of UCMSCs, but significantly enhanced their osteogenic differentiation and osteogenesis-related molecule expression. Mechanistically, glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) phosphorylation and β-catenin expression were significantly increased in shPDCD4-UCMSCs during the osteogenic differentiation process. The β-catenin inhibitor PNU-74654 reversed shPDCD4-increased osteogenesis and osteogenesis-related molecule expression. The results of animal experiments showed that shPDCD4-UCMSCs markedly improved the defect healing in rabbits. Our findings suggest that PDCD4 acts as a negative regulator of MSC osteogenic differentiation through GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. Targeting PDCD4 may be a way to improve MSC-mediated therapeutic effects on bone injury.

Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of patients with COVID-19

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has catastrophically threatened public health worldwide and presented great challenges for clinicians. To date, no specific drugs are available against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) appear to be a promising cell therapy owing to their potent modulatory effects on reducing and healing inflammation-induced lung and other tissue injuries. The present pilot study aimed to explore the therapeutic potential and safety of MSCs isolated from healthy cord tissues in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.

METHODS

Twelve patients with COVID-19 treated with MSCs plus conventional therapy and 13 treated with conventional therapy alone (control) were included. The efficacy of MSC infusion was evaluated by changes in oxygenation index, clinical chemistry and hematology tests, immunoglobulin (Ig) levels, and pulmonary computerized tomography (CT) imaging. The safety of MSC infusion was evaluated based on the occurrence of allergic reactions and serious adverse events.

RESULTS

The MSC-treated group demonstrated significantly improved oxygenation index. The area of pulmonary inflammation decreased significantly, and the CT number in the inflammatory area tended to be restored. Decreased IgM levels were also observed after MSC therapy. Laboratory biomarker levels at baseline and after therapy showed no significant changes in either the MSC-treated or control group.

CONCLUSION

Intravenous infusion of MSCs in patients with COVID-19 was effective and well tolerated. Further studies involving a large cohort or randomized controlled trials are warranted.

Genetic polymorphisms and cardiovascular outcomes in Chinese patients undergoing PCI and treated with clopidogrel and aspirin

Background

Genetic polymorphisms of key proteins involved in clopidogrel absorption, metabolism, and action may contribute to variability in platelet inhibition in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), but their impacts on cardiovascular outcomes remain unclear.

Purpose

To examine the associations between genetic polymorphisms and cardiovascular outcomes in Chinese patients undergoing PCI and treated with clopidogrel and aspirin.

Methods

This prospective cohort study consecutively enrolled 2,453 post-PCI patients treated with clopidogrel and aspirin. Adenosine diphosphate-induced platelet aggregation was measured by light transmission aggregometry. A total of 40 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 18 genes selected according to published studies were investigated using an improved multiplex ligation detection reaction technique. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), the composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), and ischemic stroke within one year after PCI.

Results

We restricted the analyses to the first 1,452 patients who had finished one-year follow-up and complete data on genotyping and platelet aggregation. 44 (3.03%) patients suffered MACE. Among the 40 SNPs, only the A-allele carriers of CYP2C19*2 had a significant higher risk of MACE (adjusted HR 2.05; 95% CI, 1.01–4.19; p=0.048) and platelet aggregation than non-A-carriers after adjusting age, sex, MI presentation, and left ventricular ejection fraction. CYP2C19*3, CYP2B6 rs3745274, and PEAR1 rs12041331 variants were also significantly associated with platelet aggregation (all p&lt;0.05) but not with MACE at 1 year.

Conclusion

About 54.2% of Chinese patients with PCI were A-allele carriers of CYP2C19*2, who face a two-fold higher risk of MACE than non-A-allele carriers in Chinese patients after PCI. It would help identify low clopidogrel responders and optimize antiplatelet therapy before drug administration.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Funding of China

Mesenchymal stem cells significantly improved treatment effects of Linezolid on severe pneumonia in a rabbit model

The present study aimed to investigate whether co-administration of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) and linezolid (LZD) into a rabbit model of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-infected pneumonia would bring a synergistic therapeutic effect. Human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (hUMSCs) were isolated and characterized. A rabbit model of pneumonia was constructed by delivering 1 × 1010 CFU MRSA via a bronchoscope into the basal segment of lower lobe of right lung. Through analyzing vital sign, pulmonary auscultation, SpO2, chest imaging, bronchoscopic manifestations, pathology, neutrophil percentage, and inflammatory factors, we verified that a rabbit model of MRSA-induced pneumonia was successfully constructed. Individual treatment with LZD (50 mg/kg for two times/day) resulted in improvement of body weight, chest imaging, bronchoscopic manifestations, histological parameters, and IL-10 concentration in plasma (P<0.01), decreasing pulmonary auscultation, and reduction of IL-8, IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α concentrations in plasma (P<0.01) compared with the pneumonia model group at 48 and 168 h. Compared with LZD group, co-administration of hUMSCs (1 × 106/kg for two times at 6 and 72 h after MRSA instillation) and LZD further increased the body weight (P<0.05). The changes we observed from chest imaging, bronchoscopic manifestations and pathology revealed that co-administration of hUMSCs and LZD reduced lung inflammation more significantly than that of LZD group. The plasma levels of IL-8, IL-6, CRP, and TNF-α in combined group decreased dramatically compared with the LZD group (P<0.05). In conclusion, hUMSCs administration significantly improved therapeutic effects of LZD on pneumonia resulted from MRSA infection in a rabbit model.

Serum Interleukin-9 Concentration Is Associated with the Hemoglobin Level and Renal Function in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

BACKGROUND

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the most common types of hematological malignancies, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. Interleukin-9 (IL-9) is a growth factor, mainly produced by helper T cells. A series of observations suggested that IL-9 might act as a factor promoting oncogenesis. This study was aimed at detecting the serum concentrations of IL-9 in patients with MM, and to investigate its potential clinical significance.

METHODS

The serum IL-9 levels in 34 patients with MM and 15 normal controls were quantified by using the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Our results showed that the serum IL-9 concentration in MM patients was significantly higher than that in the controls (p<0.0001). Interestingly, the IL-9 level in serum was found to be negatively associated with the hemoglobin concentration among the newly diagnosed MM patients (p=0.0108, r=-0.5850). Moreover, MM patients with renal dysfunction showed a significant increase in serum IL-9 concentration over those with normal renal function (p=0.0395).

CONCLUSION

These findings may imply a novel role of IL-9 in anemia and/or renal dysfunction development in MM.

Effect of activated carbon nanoparticles on lymph node harvest in patients with colorectal cancer

AIM

The aim was to examine the effect of activated carbon nanoparticles (ACNs) on lymph node retrieval in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODS

This prospective randomized study of 80 subjects was performed between March 2016 and December 2016. Eighty patients with CRC were randomly divided into two groups, the ACN group and a control group. The patients in the ACN group were subjected to 1 ml of ACN injection in the subserosa around the tumour before colectomy and D3 lymphadenectomy. The patients in the control group received the same procedure without the injection of ACNs. After surgery, lymph nodes were isolated, and the greatest dimensions were measured by the same pathologist.

RESULTS

The average number of lymph nodes harvested from each patient was markedly more in the ACN group (31.3 ± 8.1) than in the control group (21.9 ± 5.3; P < 0.001), and the average number of lymph nodes less than 5 mm in greatest dimension was significantly more in the ACN group (11.9 ± 4.9) than in the control group (4.1 ± 2.4; P < 0.001). The ACN group (15/40) had a higher rate of Stage III patients compared to the control group (6/39; P = 0.026). Besides, the greatest dimension of 32.8% metastatic lymph nodes was less than 5 mm.

CONCLUSION

There is significant upstaging following the use of ACNs, which could find more involved nodes. Therefore, ACNs can be used as a tracer to harvest more lymph nodes in CRC patients, with improvement in the accuracy of pathological staging.

A study on molecular mechanisms of adiposis induced by long-term treatment of high-fat and high-sucrose in C57BL/6J mice

Adiposis is reputed as a twin disease of type 2 diabetes and greatly harmful to human health. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of adiposis, the changes of physiological, pathological, epigenetic and correlative gene expression were investigated during the adiposis development of C57BL/6J mice induced by long time (9 months) high-fat and high-sucrose diet (HFSD) sustainably. The results showed that mRNA transcription level of the Leptin, Glut4 and Glut2 genes have been obviously changed, which exhibit a negative correlation with methylation on their promoter DNA. The results also revealed that HFSD induced higher level of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in fat tissue might play important role in regulating the changes of methylation pattern on Glut4 and Leptin genes, and which might be one of the molecular mechanisms for the adiposis development.