AaZFP3, a Novel CCCH-Type Zinc Finger Protein from Adonis amurensis, Promotes Early Flowering in Arabidopsis by Regulating the Expression of Flowering-Related Genes

CCCH-type zinc finger proteins (ZFP) are a large family of proteins that play various important roles in plant growth and development; however, the functions of most proteins in this family are uncharacterized. In this study, a CCCH-type ZFP, AaZFP3, was identified in the floral organ of Adonis amurensis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) analysis revealed that AaZFP3 was widely expressed in the flowers of A.amurensis. Subcellular localization analysis showed that the AaZFP3 protein was mainly localized to the cytoplasm in tobacco and Arabidopsis. Furthermore, the overexpression of AaZFP3 promoted early flowering in Arabidopsis under both normal and relatively low-temperature conditions. RNA-sequencing and qPCR analyses revealed that the expression of multiple key flowering-time genes was altered in transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AaZFP3 compared to wild-type. Of these genes, FLOWERING LOCUS T (AtFT) expression was most significantly up-regulated, whereas FLOWERING LOCUS C (AtFLC) was significantly down-regulated. These results suggest that the overexpression of AaZFP3 promotes early flowering in Arabidopsis by affecting the expression of flowering-time genes. Overall, our study indicates that AaZFP3 may be involved in flowering regulation in A.amurensis and may represent an important genetic resource for improving flowering-time control in other ornamental plants or crops.

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) colonisation is dynamic over time, whilst GBS capsular polysaccharides-specific antibody remains stable

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is a leading cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes due to invasive infection. This study investigated longitudinal variation in GBS rectovaginal colonization, serum and vaginal GBS capsular polysaccharide (CPS)-specific antibody levels. Non-pregnant women were recruited in the UK and were sampled every 2 weeks over a 12-week period. GBS isolates were taken from recto-vaginal swabs and serotyped by polymerase chain reaction. Serum and vaginal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and nasal immunoglobulin A (IgA) specific to CPS were measured by Luminex, and total IgG/A by ELISA. Seventy women were enrolled, of median age 26. Out of the 66 participants who completed at least three visits: 14/47 (29.8%) women that were GBS negative at screening became positive in follow-up visits and 16/19 (84.2%) women who were GBS positive at screening became negative. There was 50% probability of becoming negative 36 days after the first positive swab. The rate of detectable GBS carriage fluctuated over time, although serum, vaginal, and nasal CPS-specific antibody levels remained constant. Levels of CPS-specific antibodies were higher in the serum of individuals colonized with GBS than in non-colonized, but similar in the vaginal and nasal mucosa. We found correlations between antibody levels in serum and the vaginal and nasal mucosa. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of elution methods to retrieve vaginal and nasal antibodies, and the optimization of immunoassays to measure GBS-CPS-specific antibodies. The difference between the dynamics of colonization and antibody response is interesting and further investigation is required for vaccine development.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity of compacted steel slag-bentonite mixtures--A potential hydraulic barrier material of landfill cover

The feasibility of using steel slag and bentonite mixtures to construct the hydraulic barrier of a landfill cover was explored in the present study. Fine-grained steel slag (SS; particle diameter < 1 mm) and sodium-activated calcium bentonite (SACB) were used to prepare compacted specimens, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_s) was measured using a flexible-wall permeameter. Influential factors including SACB content (BC), SS gradation, water-washing treatment of SS and compaction water content (ω_comp) were investigated. The hydraulic conductivity results were interpreted in microscopic scale through mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It was found that when BC was below 10%, the k_s value of the specimens prepared with well graded SS was about one order of magnitude lower than that of the specimens prepared with poorly graded SS. This was due to less macropores caused by better SS gradation. Yet, the effects of SS gradation on k_s diminished as BC further increased to 15%, suggesting the dominant role of BC on k_s at high BC. Water-washing treatment of SS helped reduce k_s significantly to 1.2 × 10^-10 m/s at BC of 10%, owing to less multivalent cations and hence lower osmotic swelling reduction caused by cations. Controlling ω_comp 1-2% wetter than the optimum water content (ω_opt) also helped reduce k_s significantly, owing to the reduction of macropores. Accordingly, it is suggested to use well-graded SS mixed with 10% SACB and then compact at ω_comp slightly wetter than ω_opt to the degree of compaction greater than 90% in engineering practice.

TRIM22 inhibits osteosarcoma progression through destabilizing NRF2 and thus activation of ROS/AMPK/mTOR/autophagy signaling

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor that mainly occurs in adolescents. It is accompanied by a high rate of lung metastasis, and high mortality. Recent studies have suggested the important roles of tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) family proteins in regulating various substrates and signaling pathways in different tumors. However, the detailed functional role of TRIM family proteins in the progression of OS is still unknown and requires further investigations. In this study, we found that tripartite motif-containing 22 (TRIM22) was downregulated in OS tissues and was hence associated with better prognosis. In vitro and in vivo functional analysis demonstrated that TRIM22 inhibits proliferation and metastasis of OS cells. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a redox regulator, was identified as a novel target for TRIM22. TRIM22 interacts with and accelerates the degradation of NRF2 by inducing its ubiquitination dependent on its E3 ligase activity but independent of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). Further, a series of gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that knockdown or overexpression of NRF2 reversed the functions of knockdown or overexpression of TRIM22 in OS. Mechanistically, TRIM22 inhibited OS progression through NRF2-mediated intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance. ROS production was significantly promoted and mitochondrial potential was remarkably inhibited when overexpressing TRIM22, thus activating AMPK/mTOR signaling. Moreover, TRIM22 was also found to inhibit Warburg effect in OS cells. Autophagy activation was found in OS cells which were overexpressed TRIM22, thus leading to autophagic cell death. Treatment with N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger or the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) abolished the decreased malignant phenotypes in TRIM22 overexpressing OS cells. In conclusion, our study indicated that TRIM22 inhibits OS progression by promoting proteasomal degradation of NRF2 independent of KEAP1, thereby activating ROS/AMPK/mTOR/Autophagy signaling that leads to autophagic cell death in OS. Therefore, our findings indicated that targeting TRIM22/NRF2 could be a promising therapeutic target for treating OS.

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TRIM22 inhibits proliferation and metastasis of OS cells.

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TRIM22 interacts with and accelerates NRF2 degradation by inducing its ubiquitination dependent on E3 ligase activity.

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TRIM22 inhibited OS progression through NRF2-mediated intracellular ROS imbalance.

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TRIM22 inhibits OS progression by promoting NRF2 degradation, thereby activating ROS/AMPK/mTOR/Autophagy signaling.

Effects of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy Plus PD-1 Inhibitors for Patients With Transarterial Chemoembolization Refractory

Background and Aims

Patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are refractory to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have a poor prognosis. This study aimed to explore whether stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) combined with PD-1 inhibitors could improve the clinical outcomes of such patients.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included patients with intermediate-stage HCC who were diagnosed with TACE refractoriness between January 2019 and December 2020 in the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The patients were divided into two groups: (1) those who switched from TACE to receive stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined with PD-1 inhibitors; (2) those who continued TACE treatment and added PD-1 inhibitors. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and tumour response were assessed in both groups after becoming refractory to TACE treatment.

Results

Of the seventy-six patients included in this study, the median PFS was 19.6 months in the SBRT-IO group (n=31) and 10.1 months in the TACE-IO group (n=45, p<0.05). The SBRT-IO group also had a significantly higher OS than the TACE-IO group (p<0.05). The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were also better in the SBRT-IO group (ORR, 71.0% vs. 15.6%, OR=8.483, 95% CI 3.319-21.680, P < 0.001; DCR, 80.6% vs. 31.1%, OR=9.226, 95% CI 3.096-27.493, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

SBRT combined with a PD-1 inhibitor improves PFS and OS in TACE-refractory patients with intermediate-stage HCC. Therefore, this therapy is a suitable option in cases of TACE treatment failure.

Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombus in China (2021 Edition)

Portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) is very common and it plays a major role in the prognosis and clinical staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We have published the first version of the guideline in 2016 and revised in 2018. Over the past several years, many new evidences for the treatment of PVTT become available, especially for the advent of new targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors which have further improved the prognosis of PVTT. So, the Chinese Association of Liver Cancer and Chinese Medical Doctor Association revised the 2018 version of the guideline to adapt to the development of PVTT treatment. Future treatment strategies for HCC with PVTT in China would depend on new evidences from more future clinical trials.

Short- and long-term effects of 3.5-23.0 Tesla ultra-high magnetic fields on mice behaviour

OBJECTIVES

Higher static magnetic field (SMF) enables higher imaging capability in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which encourages the development of ultra-high field MRIs above 20 T with a prerequisite for safety issues. However, animal tests of ≥ 20 T SMF exposure are very limited. The objective of the current study is to evaluate mice behaviour consequences of 3.5-23.0 T SMF exposure.

METHODS

We systematically examined 112 mice for their short- and long-term behaviour responses to a 2-h exposure of 3.5-23.0 T SMFs. Locomotor activity and cognitive functions were measured by five behaviour tests, including balance beam, open field, elevated plus maze, three-chamber social recognition, and Morris water maze tests.

RESULTS

Besides the transient short-term impairment of the sense of balance and locomotor activity, the 3.5-23.0 T SMFs did not have long-term negative effects on mice locomotion, anxiety level, social behaviour, or memory. In contrast, we observed anxiolytic effects and positive effects on social and spatial memory of SMFs, which is likely correlated with the significantly increased CaMKII level in the hippocampus region of high SMF-treated mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study showed that the short exposures to high-field SMFs up to 23.0 T have negligible side effects on healthy mice and may even have beneficial outcomes in mice mood and memory, which is pertinent to the future medical application of ultra-high field SMFs in MRIs and beyond.

KEY POINTS

• Short-term exposure to magnetic fields up to 23.0 T is safe for mice. • High-field static magnetic field exposure transiently reduced mice locomotion. • High-field static magnetic field enhances memory while reduces the anxiety level.

A minimally invasive strategy to evacuate hematoma by synergy of an improved ultrasonic horn with urokinase: an in-vitro study

OBJECTIVES

In this study, Ultrasound Needle-an improved minimally invasive ultrasonic horn device was used to explore its potential of synergizing with urokinase in enhancing clots lysis in an in-vitro intracranial hematoma model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

10 ml bovine blood was incubated for 3 h at 37 ℃, and coagulated into clot to mimic intracranial hematoma in-vitro. Ultrasound Needle was an improved ultrasonic horn with a fine tip (1.80 mm) and metallic sheath, and had a frequency of 29.62 kHz. 10000 IU urokinase was injected through the metallic sheath during the vibration of Ultrasound Needle tip to lyse the clots for 8 minutes under different working parameter settings (n = 8) to explore the influence of parameters Amplitude (%) and Duty (%) on clot lysis weight (W₀ ). The maximum temperatures were measured by an infrared thermometer during the treatment process. The W₀ of different treatment groups (US (Ultrasound Needle), US+NS (normal saline), UK (urokinase), US+UK, n = 8) were compared to verify the synergistic lysis effect of Ultrasound Needle combined with urokinase at optimal working parameters (40% Amplitude, 20% Duty; input power 4.20 W; axial tip-vibration amplitude 69.17 μm). Clots samples after treatment were fixed overnight for macroscopic examination. And fluorescent frozen sections and scanning electron microscopy examination were performed to show microscopic changes in clots and evaluate the cavitation effect of Ultrasound Needle on promoting drug diffusion within the clots.

RESULTS

The clot lysis weight W₀ increased with the parameters Amplitude (%) and Duty (%), reached a peak (2.435±0.137 g) at 40% Amplitude and 20% Duty (input power 4.20 W), and then decreased. Higher Amplitude (%) and Duty (%) led to higher maximum temperature, and W₀ was negatively correlated with the maximum temperature after the peak (r = -0.958). At the optimal parameter setting, the maximum temperature was 33.8±0.9 ℃, and the W₀ of the US+UK group was more than 4 times of UK alone group (2.435±0.137 g vs 0.607±0.185 g). Fluorescent frozen sections confirmed that the ultrasound energy of Ultrasound Needle could mechanically damage the clot tissues and promote the intra-clots drug diffusion. Macroscopic examination showed that US+UK group caused larger clots lysis area than UK alone group (2.08 cm² vs 0.65 cm² ). In addition, electron microscopy examination exhibited that the fibrin filaments of the clots in US+UK group were lysed more thoroughly compared to single treatment groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound Needle, an improved ultrasonic horn device, can mechanically damage the clot tissues and exhibit an excellent synergistic lysis effect with thrombolytic drugs. Therefore, Ultrasound Needle has great potential in providing a new minimally invasive strategy for rapid intracranial hematoma evacuation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Staphylococcus aureus lipoproteins play crucial roles in inducing inflammatory responses and bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells

Bovine mastitis is caused by bacterial infection and characterized by inflammatory and infectious processes. Staphylococcus aureus frequently causes subclinical mastitis in dairy cows. In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of S. aureus lipoproteins in inducing inflammatory responses and in mediating bacterial internalization into bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs). The results showed that TLR2 expression in bMECs infected with S. aureus isogenic mutant deficient in lipoprotein maturation was decreased compared to that in bMECs infected with wild-type S. aureus. Lipoproteins from S. aureus and the engagement of TLR2 were essential for inducing the activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling, and stimulating the secretion of the inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8). The production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and the expression of PTGS2 in S. aureus-infected bMECs were dependent on the presence of bacterial lipoproteins. Furthermore, bacterial lipoproteins contributed to S. aureus internalization into bMECs. These findings suggest the S. aureus lipoproteins are key immunobiologically active compounds that trigger inflammatory responses in bMECs and play an important role in S. aureus internalization into bMECs.

Hexagonal MBene (Hf2BO2): A Promising Platform for the Electrocatalysis of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Hexagonal MAB (h-MAB) phases and their two-dimensional (2-D) derivatives (h-MBenes) have emerged as promising materials since the discovery of Ti₂InB₂. Herein, we identified that a possible h-MBene, 2-D Hf₂BO₂, can be an excellent platform for the electrocatalysis of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by density functional theory calculations. We proposed two approaches of transition metal (TM) modifications by atom deposition and implanting to optimize the HER performance of 2-D Hf₂BO₂. It is revealed that a moderate charge reduction of surface O, which is induced by the introduction of TM atoms, is conductive to a higher catalytic performance. The synergistic effect between implanted TM atoms and Hf₂BO₂ matrix can efficiently activate the surface by broadening O-p orbitals and shifting up p-band center, especially for V, Cr, and Mo as dopants, which can reduce the Gibbs free energy (ΔG_H*) from 0.939 to -0.04, 0.05 and -0.04 eV, respectively. Interestingly, this effect works within a local region and the activity can also be evaluated by bond length of Hf-O, in addition to ΔG_H*. This work suggests that due to its excellent electrocatalysis properties, h-MBenes can open up a new area for 2-D materials and will stimulate researchers to explore the synthesis of h-MAB phases and the stripping of h-MBenes.

Replication protein A associates with nucleolar R loops and regulates rRNA transcription and nucleolar morphology

Here, Feng and Manley report novel functions of the DNA replication and repair factor replication protein A (RPA) in control of nucleolar homeostasis. Their findings both indicate new roles for RPA in nucleoli through pre-rRNA transcriptional control and also emphasize that RPA function in nucleolar homeostasis is linked to R-loop resolution under both physiological and pathological conditions.

The nucleolus is an important cellular compartment in which ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) are transcribed and where certain stress pathways that are crucial for cell growth are coordinated. Here we report novel functions of the DNA replication and repair factor replication protein A (RPA) in control of nucleolar homeostasis. We show that loss of the DNA:RNA helicase senataxin (SETX) promotes RPA nucleolar localization, and that this relocalization is dependent on the presence of R loops. Notably, this nucleolar RPA phenotype was also observed in the presence of camptothecin (CPT)-induced genotoxic stress, as well as in SETX-deficient AOA2 patient fibroblasts. Extending these results, we found that RPA is recruited to rDNA following CPT treatment, where RPA prevents R-loop-induced DNA double-strand breaks. Furthermore, we show that loss of RPA significantly decreased 47S pre-rRNA levels, which was accompanied by increased expression of both RNAP II-mediated “promoter and pre-rRNA antisense” RNA as well as RNAP I-transcribed intragenic spacer RNAs. Finally, and likely reflecting the above, we found that loss of RPA promoted nucleolar structural disorganization, characterized by the appearance of reduced size nucleoli. Our findings both indicate new roles for RPA in nucleoli through pre-rRNA transcriptional control and also emphasize that RPA function in nucleolar homeostasis is linked to R-loop resolution under both physiological and pathological conditions.

[Clinical and prognostic study of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis children with paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity syndrome]

The data of clinical characteristics, medical cost and prognosis of 22 anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis children from the Department of Neurology, Capital Institute of Pediatrics between May 2018 and January 2021 were analyzed, and 6 of them occurred paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity syndrome (PSH). It was found that the anti-NMDAR encephalitis children with PSH had severer consciousness disorder [median Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at admission: 7.5], longer duration of consciousness disorder (median time: 53 days), higher hospitalization cost (median cost: 230 000 RMB), severer neurological injury at onset [median modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at admission: 4], and longer recovery time of neurological function (median time of mRS score recovered to 0-2: 7 months), compared with those without PSH (all P<0.05). Therefore, more attention should be paid to sympathetic excited symptoms of anti NMDAR encephalitis, and thus identify and intervene early on PSH to reduce the neurological damage and economic burden.

Liver resection versus intensity-modulated radiation therapy for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatic vein tumor thrombus: a propensity score matching analysis

Background

The presence of hepatic vein tumor thrombus (HVTT) is a major determinant of survival outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study compared survival outcomes between liver resection (LR) and intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in HCC patients with HVTT.

Methods

Data from patients who underwent LR or IMRT for HCC with HVTT at the Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Their survival outcomes were compared before and after propensity score matching (PSM).

Results

Three hundred and seven HCC patients with HVTT who underwent either LR (n=140) or IMRT (n=167) were enrolled. PSM matched 82 pairs of patients. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly higher for patients in the LR group than those in the IMRT group. On subgroup analysis, significantly better survival outcomes were obtained after LR than IMRT in patients with peripheral type of HVTT (pHVTT) and major type of HVTT (mHVTT). However, similar survival outcomes were obtained after LR and IMRT when the HVTT had developed into inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT).

Conclusions

LR resulted in significantly better survival outcomes in HCC patients with HVTT when compared to IMRT. Once the HVTT had developed IVCTT, LR and IMRT resulted in similarly bad survival outcomes.

Proliferation of bovine endometrial epithelial cells is promoted by prostaglandin E2-PTGER2 signaling through cell cycle regulation

It is known that prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) induces proliferation of epithelia in bovine endometrial explants, however, the detailed mechanism of regulation of PGE₂ in inducing bovine endometrial epithelial cell (bEEC) proliferation is unclear. In this study, we determined whether proliferation of bEECs is promoted by PGE₂-prostaglandin E receptor 2 (PTGER2) signaling activation through cell cycle regulation. The results demonstrated that bEECs proliferation was induced by treatment of PGE₂ and PTGER2 agonist butaprost. These processes were down-regulated by PTGER2 antagonist AH6809 and CDK inhibitors (LEE011, CDK2 Inhibitor II and Ro 3306). PGE₂ and butaprost induced cyclins (A, B1, D1, D3 and E2), cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs, 1, 2, 4 and 6), and epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression were inhibited by AH6809 treatment in bEECs. Moreover, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and PTGER2 expression in bEECs were up-regulated by PGE₂ and butaprost treatment. Our data demonstrate that PGE₂-PTGER2 signaling activation has a direct molecular association with cell cycle regulation and cell proliferation in bEECs. Collectively, these findings will improve our understanding of the roles for PGE₂-PTGER2 signaling activation in the physiological and pharmacological processes of bovine endometrium.

Chemotherapy Augmentation Using Low-Intensity Ultrasound Combined with Microbubbles with Different Mechanical Indexes in a Pancreatic Cancer Model

The aim of the study was to explore the optimal mechanical indexes (MIs) for low-intensity ultrasound (LIUS) combined with microbubbles to enhance tumor blood perfusion and improve drug concentration in pancreatic cancer-bearing nude mice. Fifty-four nude mice bearing bilateral pancreatic tumors on the hind legs were randomly divided into three groups (the MI was set at 0.3, 0.7 and 1.1 in groups A, B and C, respectively). Five nude mice in each group were intravenously injected with the fluorescent dye DiR iodide (DiIC18(7),1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindotricarbocyanine iodide); for each mouse, one tumor was treated with LIUS combined with microbubbles, and the contralateral tumor was exposed to sham ultrasound. In vivo fluorescence imaging was performed to detect the enrichment of intratumoral DiR iodide. Twelve mice in each group were intravenously injected with doxorubicin (DOX) and underwent ultrasound therapy as described above. Tumor blood perfusion changes were quantitatively evaluated with pre- and post-treatment contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS, MI = 0.08). One hour after the post-treatment CEUS, nude mice were sacrificed to determine the DOX concentration in tumor tissue; one mouse in each group was sacrificed after ultrasound treatment for tumor hematoxylin-eosin staining examination. CEUS quantitative analysis and in vivo fluorescence images confirmed that LIUS at MI = 0.3 combined with microbubbles was able to enhance tumor blood flow and increase regional fluorescence dye DiR iodide concentration. The DOX concentration on the therapeutic side was significantly higher than that on the control side after ultrasound-stimulated (MI = 0.3) microbubble cavitation (USMC) treatment (1.45 ± 0.53 μg/g vs. 1.07 ± 0.46 μg/g, t = -5.163, p = 0.001). However, in groups B and C, there were no significant differences in DOX concentration between the therapeutic and control sides (Z = -0.297, -0.357, p = 0.766, 0.721). No hemorrhage or other tissue damage was observed in hematoxylin-eosin-stained tumor specimens of both sides in all groups. LIUS at MI = 0.3 combined with microbubbles was able to enhance tumor blood perfusion and improve local drug concentration in nude mice bearing pancreatic cancer.

Serum cholesterol efflux capacity is associated with coronary plaque progression in patients with coronary heart disease

Background

Coronary plaque progression is a major risk factor of adverse cardiac events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Emerging evidence showed that attenuated high-density lipoprotein (HDL) function measured by cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) was associated with development of atherosclerosis independent of HDL cholesterol level. In this study, we sought to investigate whether CEC is a predictor for coronary plaque progression in CHD patients.

Methods

We consecutively enrolled CHD patients from January 2017 to August 2019 in our Hospital who underwent elective percutaneous coronary intervention and had at least one non-target coronary lesion. Follow-up coronary angiography were performed at around 12 months. Fluorescence-labeled cholesterol and J774 macrophages were used to measure the CEC of ApoB-depleted serum sample from all patients. Quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) was performed both at baseline and follow-up to analyze the plaque progression.

Results

A total of 430 CHD patients with 586 non-target coronary lesions were included in the final analysis. During a mean follow-up time of 381.04±59.52 days, patients with decreased CEC presented more severe plaque progression (net luminal loss in highest to lowest CEC quartile: 0.22±0.42mm vs 0.20±0.41mm vs 0.13±0.36mm vs 0.11±0.34mm, p=0.035). In multivariate analysis, baseline CEC was independently associated with coronary plaque progression after adjustment for traditional risk factors including HDL cholesterol and ApoA-I, no matter treated as categorical variable (OR: 0.382 [95% CI 0.180–0.781] for highest to lowest quartile) or continuous variable (OR: 0.522 [95% CI 0.373–0.714] for per SD increase]. Furthermore, CEC demonstrated a better power in predicting coronary plaque progression compared with HDL cholesterol concentration (AUC=0.644 vs 0.514).

Conclusions

This study suggests that HDL function reflected by serum CEC is an independent predictor for coronary plaque progression in CHD patients.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning

The underlying molecular conservation and diversification of dioecious flower and leaf buds provide insights into the development, dormancy breaking, flowering, and sex association of willows

As harbingers of bursting growth, flower buds and leaf buds generally show similar surface morphologies but different structural and functional changes. Dioecious plants further generate four types of Female/Male Flower/Leaf Buds (FFB, FLB, MFB, and MLB), showing a complex regulation. However, little is known about their underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, we exemplify the woody dioecious Salix linearistipularis to investigate their morphological characteristics and potential molecular mechanisms by combining cytological, physiological, phenological, and transcriptomic datasets. First, FFB and MFB have simultaneous development dynamics and so do FLB and MLB. Interestingly, FLB and MLB show very similar expression profiles preparing for photosynthesis and stress-tolerance, whereas FFB and MFB show great similarities but also striking sexual differences. Comparing flower buds and leaf buds after their revival from dormancy shows different cold- and vernalization-responsive genes (e.g. SliVRN1, SliAGL19, and SliAGL24), implying different programming processes for dormancy breaking between the buds. Moreover, except SliAP3, the expression of ABCDE model genes is consistent with their roles in the buds, suggesting a conserved mechanism of flower development between dioecious Salix and hermaphrodite Arabidopsis. Finally, considering sex-associated genes (e.g. SliCLE25, SliTPS21, and SliARR9) on Salix chromosomes and other reports, we hypothesize a dynamic model of sex determination on chromosomes 15 and 19 in the last ancestor of Salix and Populus but evolutionarily on 15 in Salix after their divergence. Together, our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of dioecious four-type buds by showing the genes involved in their development, dormancy breaking, flowering, and sexual association.

[An optimized protocol of meniscus cell extraction for single-cell RNA sequencing]

OBJECTIVE

To optimize the protocol of meniscus cell extraction to enhance the efficiency of cell suspension preparation and maintain a high cell viability for single-cell RNA sequencing.

METHODS

We compared the efficiency of the routine cell extraction methods (short-time digestion and long-time digestion) and the optimized protocol for obtaining meniscus cell suspensions by evaluating the cell number obtained and the cell viability. Single-cell RNA sequencing datasets were analyzed to evaluate the stability of the cell suspension prepared using the optimized protocol. The reliability of the optimized protocol was assessed by comparing the single-cell RNA sequencing dataset obtained by the optimized protocol with published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of the meniscus.

RESULTS

The optimized protocol harvested a greater number of cells (over 1×10⁵) than the routine protocols. The cell suspension prepared with the optimized protocol showed a cell viability higher than 80%, the highest among the 3 methods. Analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets showed that the ratio of the mitochondrial genes was below 20% in over 80% of the cells. CD34⁺ cells, MCAM⁺ cells and COL1A1⁺ cells were identified in the datasets. Comparison with the publish datasets showed that the optimized protocol was capable of harvesting COL3A1⁺, COL1A1⁺, MYLK⁺, BMP2⁺, CD93⁺ and CDK1⁺ cells.

CONCLUSION

Single-cell suspension prepared from the meniscus can be stably obtained using the optimized protocol for single-cell RNA sequencing using the 10× Genomics platform.

Identification and Characterization of MIKCc-Type MADS-Box Genes in the Flower Organs of Adonis amurensis

Adonis amurensis is a perennial herbaceous flower that blooms in early spring in northeast China, where the night temperature can drop to −15 °C. To understand flowering time regulation and floral organogenesis of A. amurensis, the MIKC^c-type MADS (Mcm1/Agamous/ Deficiens/Srf)-box genes were identified and characterized from the transcriptomes of the flower organs. In this study, 43 non-redundant MADS-box genes (38 MIKC^c, 3 MIKC*, and 2 Mα) were identified. Phylogenetic and conserved motif analysis divided the 38 MIKC^c-type genes into three major classes: ABCDE model (including AP1/FUL, AP3/PI, AG, STK, and SEPs/AGL6), suppressor of overexpression of constans1 (SOC1), and short vegetative phase (SVP). qPCR analysis showed that the ABCDE model genes were highly expressed mainly in flowers and differentially expressed in the different tissues of flower organs, suggesting that they may be involved in the flower organ identity of A. amurensis. Subcellular localization revealed that 17 full-length MADSs were mainly localized in the nucleus: in Arabidopsis, the heterologous expression of three full-length SOC1-type genes caused early flowering and altered the expression of endogenous flowering time genes. Our analyses provide an overall insight into MIKC^c genes in A. amurensis and their potential roles in floral organogenesis and flowering time regulation.

Effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against community acquired pneumonia among children in China, an observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

In China, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) has been available since 2017, but only via the private market with low uptake rate. We assessed the direct effectiveness of PCV13 against community acquired pneumonia (CAP) associated with PCV13 serotype carriage (VT-CAP).

METHODS

We conducted an observational cohort study of children born during 12-Dec-2016 to 30-Nov-2018 identified in the Suzhou Centers for Disease Control vaccine registry database, and who had at least one inpatient or outpatient record at the Suzhou University Affiliated Children's hospital (SCH) health-information-system (HIS) database. The vaccine registry cohort was followed through the HIS database through 30-Jun-2019 to identify hospitalized VT-CAP. Pneumococci were isolated from deep upper respiratory aspirates and serotyped with Quellung reactions.

RESULTS

We included 139,127 children of whom 9024 (6.5%) received 1 + PCV13 doses (95.8% received 2 + doses). Within the total cohort, we identified 548 children hospitalized at SCH for VT-CAP, of whom 10 had received 2 + PCV13 doses. Adjusted for demographics, receipt of other childhood vaccines, and underlying medical conditions, the first visit vaccine effectiveness among children who had received 2 + PCV13 doses was 60.9% (95% CI: 25.8% to 79.4%) for VT-CAP and 17.9% (95% CI: 5.5% to 28.6%) for clinical CAP. Incidence rate reductions per 100,000 child-years of observation for all visits were 208 (95% CI: 118 to 298) for VT-CAP and 720 (95% CI: 304 to 1135) for clinical CAP.

CONCLUSIONS

PCV13 was protective against hospitalized VT-CAP and clinical CAP with large associated incidence rate reductions among children living in Suzhou, China.

Atmospheric Carbon and Transport - America (ACT-America) Data Sets: Description, Management, and Delivery

The ACT-America project is a NASA Earth Venture Suborbital-2 mission designed to study the transport and fluxes of greenhouse gases. The open and freely available ACT-America data sets provide airborne in situ measurements of atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, trace gases, aerosols, clouds, and meteorological properties, airborne remote sensing measurements of aerosol backscatter, atmospheric boundary layer height and columnar content of atmospheric carbon dioxide, tower-based measurements, and modeled atmospheric mole fractions and regional carbon fluxes of greenhouse gases over the Central and Eastern United States. We conducted 121 research flights during five campaigns in four seasons during 2016-2019 over three regions of the US (Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South) using two NASA research aircraft (B-200 and C-130). We performed three flight patterns (fair weather, frontal crossings, and OCO-2 underflights) and collected more than 1,140 h of airborne measurements via level-leg flights in the atmospheric boundary layer, lower, and upper free troposphere and vertical profiles spanning these altitudes. We also merged various airborne in situ measurements onto a common standard sampling interval, which brings coherence to the data, creates geolocated data products, and makes it much easier for the users to perform holistic analysis of the ACT-America data products. Here, we report on detailed information of data sets collected, the workflow for data sets including storage and processing of the quality controlled and quality assured harmonized observations, and their archival and formatting for users. Finally, we provide some important information on the dissemination of data products including metadata and highlights of applications of ACT-America data sets.

Hospitalization for Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases in Young Children before Use of 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Suzhou, China

A 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) was introduced in China in April 2017. We describe 105 children <5 years of age who were hospitalized for IPD at Soochow University Affiliated Children’s Hospital in Suzhou, China, during January 2010–December 2017. We calculated the incidence of hospitalization for IPD as 14.55/100,000 children in Suzhou. We identified 8 different capsular serotypes: 6B (28.4% of cases), 14 (18.9% of cases), 19A (18.9% of cases), 19F (12.2% of cases), 23F (10.8% of cases), 20 (4.1% of cases), 9V (4.1% of cases), and 15B/C (2.7% of cases). These results provide baseline data of IPD before the introduction of this vaccine in China, enabling researchers to better understand its effects on IPD incidence.

[Study on clinical symptoms and influencing factors of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness in children younger than 5 years old in Suzhou of China, 2011-2017]

Objective: To study the influencing factors of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) in children younger than 5 years of old in Suzhou, and to provide evidence to support the improvement of prevention and control strategies for influenza in children. Methods: We conducted a prospective influenza surveillance for hospitalized SARI and outpatient influenza-like illness (ILI) at Children's Hospital of Soochow University from April 2011 to March 2017. We compared the clinical and other characteristics of influenza-positive patients with SARI to those with ILI to find the differences and to identify influencing factors of influenza-associated SARI, using χ² test and unconditional logistic regression. Results: We found 786 cases of influenza-associated ILI and 413 cases of influenza-associated SARI during the study period. Cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, asthma or wheezing were more common in influenza-associated SARI than in influenza-associated ILI (P<0.01). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression showed that the influencing factors which significantly associated with increased risk of influenza-associated SARI were as follows: younger age (<6 months OR=3.6, 6-23 months aOR=2.5), respiratory infection history within 3 months (aOR=4.5), chronic lung disease history (OR=3.4), fever above 39.0 ℃ (39.0-39.9 ℃ aOR=2.4, ≥40.0 ℃ aOR=6.0), and the presence of A/H1N1 (aOR=2.3), A/H3N2 (aOR=1.9). Conclusion: Children younger than 2 years old, with a history of chronic lung disease, a history of respiratory infection within 3 months, or with a fever peak above 39.0 ℃ should seek medical advice as soon as possible or receive annual influenza vaccination to reduce the incidence of influenza-associated serious outcomes.

POS0851 IDENTIFICATION OF HUB GENES AND PATHWAYS IN DERMATOMYOSITIS BY BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS

Background:

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by inflammatory infiltrates in the skin and muscle1. The genes and pathways in the inflamed myopathies in patients with DM are poorly understood2.

Objectives:

To identify the key genes and pathways associated with DM and further discover its pathogenesis.

Methods:

Muscle tissue gene expression profile (GSE143323) were acquired from the GEO database, which included 39 DM samples and 20 normal samples. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in DM muscle tissue were screened by adopting the R software. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed by Metascape online analysis tool. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was then constructed by STRING software using the genes in significantly different pathways. Network of DEGs was analyzed by Cytoscape software. And degree of nodes was used to screen key genes.

Results:

Totally, 126 DEGs were obtained, which contained 122 up-regulated and 4 down-regulated. GO analysis revealed that most of the DEGs were significantly enriched in type I interferon signaling pathway, response to interferon-gamma, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, response to interferon-alpha and bacterium, positive regulation of cell death, leukocyte chemotaxis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that upregulated DEGs enhanced pathways associated with the hepatitis C, complement and coagulation cascades, p53 signaling pathway, RIG-I-like receptor signaling, Osteoclast differentiation, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Ten hub genes were identified in DM, they were ISG15, IRF7, STAT1, MX1, OASL, OAS2, OAS1, OAS3, GBP1, and IRF9 according to the Cytoscape software and cytoHubba plugin.

Conclusion:

The findings from this bioinformatics network analysis study identified the key hub genes that might provide new molecular markers for its diagnosis and treatment.

References:

[1]Olazagasti JM, Niewold TB, Reed AM. Immunological biomarkers in dermatomyositis. Curr Rheumatol Rep 2015;17(11):68. doi: 10.1007/s11926-015-0543-y [published Online First: 2015/09/26].

[2]Chen LY, Cui ZL, Hua FC, et al. Bioinformatics analysis of gene expression profiles of dermatomyositis. Mol Med Rep 2016;14(4):3785-90. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5703 [published Online First: 2016/09/08].

[3]Zhou Y, Zhou B, Pache L, et al. Metascape provides a biologist-oriented resource for the analysis of systems-level datasets. Nat Commun 2019;10(1):1523. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09234-6 [published Online First: 2019/04/05].

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by National Science Foundation of China (82001740), Open Fund from the Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University) (KLCP2019) and Innovation Plan for Postgraduate Education in Shanxi Province (2020BY078).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0458 IDENTIFICATION OF HUB GENES AND MOLECULAR PATHWAYS IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS BY BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS

Background:

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, inflammatory synovitis based systemic disease of unknown etiology1. The genes and pathways in the inflamed synovium of RA patients are poorly understood.

Objectives:

This study aims to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the progression of synovitis in RA using bioinformatics analysis and explore its pathogenesis2.

Methods:

RA expression profile microarray data GSE89408 were acquired from the public gene chip database (GEO), including 152 synovial tissue samples from RA and 28 healthy synovial tissue samples. The DEGs of RA synovial tissues were screened by adopting the R software. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were assembled with Cytoscape software.

Results:

A total of 654 DEGs (268 up-regulated genes and 386 down-regulated genes) were obtained by the differential analysis. The GO enrichment results showed that the up-regulated genes were significantly enriched in the biological processes of myeloid leukocyte activation, cellular response to interferon-gamma and immune response-regulating signaling pathway, and the down-regulated genes were significantly enriched in the biological processes of extracellular matrix, retinoid metabolic process and regulation of lipid metabolic process. The KEGG annotation showed the up-regulated genes mainly participated in the staphylococcus aureus infection, chemokine signaling pathway, lysosome signaling pathway and the down-regulated genes mainly participated in the PPAR signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, ECM-receptor interaction and so on. The 9 hub genes (PTPRC, TLR2, tyrobp, CTSS, CCL2, CCR5, B2M, fcgr1a and PPBP) were obtained based on the String database model by using the Cytoscape software and cytoHubba plugin3.

Conclusion:

The findings identified the molecular mechanisms and the key hub genes of pathogenesis and progression of RA.

References:

[1]Xiong Y, Mi BB, Liu MF, et al. Bioinformatics Analysis and Identification of Genes and Molecular Pathways Involved in Synovial Inflammation in Rheumatoid Arthritis. Med Sci Monit 2019;25:2246-56. doi: 10.12659/MSM.915451 [published Online First: 2019/03/28]

[2]Mun S, Lee J, Park A, et al. Proteomics Approach for the Discovery of Rheumatoid Arthritis Biomarkers Using Mass Spectrometry. Int J Mol Sci 2019;20(18) doi: 10.3390/ijms20184368 [published Online First: 2019/09/08]

[3]Zhu N, Hou J, Wu Y, et al. Identification of key genes in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis based on bioinformatics analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2018;97(22):e10997. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000010997 [published Online First: 2018/06/01]

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by National Science Foundation of China (82001740), Open Fund from the Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University) (KLCP2019) and Innovation Plan for Postgraduate Education in Shanxi Province (2020BY078).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0005 IDENTIFICATION OF KEY GENES AND PATHWAYS FOR PSORIASIS BASED ON GEO DATABASES BY BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS

Background:

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease manifesting in the skin or joints or both, and also has a strong genetic predisposition and autoimmune pathogenic traits1. The hallmark of psoriasis is sustained inflammation that leads to uncontrolled keratinocyte proliferation and dysfunctional differentiation. And it’s also a chronic relapsing disease, which often necessitates a long-term therapy2.

Objectives:

To investigate the molecular mechanisms of psoriasis and find the potential gene targets for diagnosis and treating psoriasis.

Methods:

Total 334 gene expression data of patients with psoriasis research (GSE13355 GSE14905 and GSE30999) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. After data preprocessing and screening of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by R software. Online toll Metascape3 was used to analyze Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs. Interactions of proteins encoded by DEGs were discovered by Protein-protein interaction network (PPI) using STRING online software. Cytoscape software was utilized to visualize PPI and the degree of each DEGs was obtained by analyzing the topological structure of the PPI network.

Results:

A total of 611 DEGs were found to be differentially expressed in psoriasis. GO analysis revealed that up-regulated DEGs were mostly associated with defense and response to external stimulus while down-regulated DEGs were mostly associated with metabolism and synthesis of lipids. KEGG enrichment analysis suggested they were mainly enriched in IL-17 signaling, Toll-like receptor signaling and PPAR signaling pathways, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and lipid metabolism. In addition, top 9 key genes (CXCL10, OASL, IFIT1, IFIT3, RSAD2, MX1, OAS1, IFI44 and OAS2) were identified through Cytoscape.

Conclusion:

DEGs of psoriasis may play an essential role in disease development and may be potential pathogeneses of psoriasis.

References:

[1]Boehncke WH, Schon MP. Psoriasis. Lancet 2015;386(9997):983-94. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61909-7 [published Online First: 2015/05/31].

[2]Zhang YJ, Sun YZ, Gao XH, et al. Integrated bioinformatic analysis of differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways in plaque psoriasis. Mol Med Rep 2019;20(1):225-35. doi: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10241 [published Online First: 2019/05/23].

[3]Zhou Y, Zhou B, Pache L, et al. Metascape provides a biologist-oriented resource for the analysis of systems-level datasets. Nat Commun 2019;10(1):1523. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09234-6 [published Online First: 2019/04/05].

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by National Science Foundation of China (82001740), Open Fund from the Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University) (KLCP2019) and Innovation Plan for Postgraduate Education in Shanxi Province (2020BY078).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0742 SCREENING AND BIOINFORMATICS ANALYSIS OF HUB GENES AND PATHWAYS FOR PRIMARY SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME BASED ON GEO DATABASE

Background:

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS) is an autoimmune disease that featured as lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of the exocrine glands leading to sicca symptoms1. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

Objectives:

This study aims to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and pathways associated with the progression of pSS using bioinformatics analysis and explore its pathogenesis.

Methods:

The pSS-associated gene chip data set GSE66795 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which included 131 cases of fully-phenotyped pSS patients’ whole blood samples and 29 cases of control samples. DEGs were screened Using R software. Online tool Metascape2 was used to make Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment. The PPI network was performed using String database. Hub genes were identified by Cytoscape.

Results:

A total of 108 DEGs were captured, including 101 up-regulated genes and 7 down-regulated genes. GO enrichment showed that these DEGs were primarily enriched in defense response to virus, response to interferon-gamma, regulation of innate immune response, response to interferon-beta, double-stranded RNA binding, response to interferon-alpha. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed these DEGs were principally enriched in Influenza A, RIG-I-like receptor signaling pathway, necroptosis, Staphylococcus aureus infection. Finally, 9 hub genes (STAT1, IRF7, OAS2, GBP1, OAS1, IFIT3, IFIH1, OAS3, DDX60) had highest degree value.

Conclusion:

The findings identified molecular mechanisms and the key hub genes that may involve in the occurrence and development of pSS.

References:

[1]Francois H, Mariette X. Renal involvement in primary Sjogren syndrome. Nat Rev Nephrol 2016;12(2):82-93. doi: 10.1038/nrneph.2015.174 [published Online First: 2015/11/17].

[2]Zhou Y, Zhou B, Pache L, et al. Metascape provides a biologist-oriented resource for the analysis of systems-level datasets. Nat Commun 2019;10(1):1523. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09234-6 [published Online First: 2019/04/05].

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by National Science Foundation of China (82001740), Open Fund from the Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University) (KLCP2019) and Innovation Plan for Postgraduate Education in Shanxi Province (2020BY078).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0848 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL CRUCIAL GENES AND KEY PATHWAYS IN PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION WITH SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS BY BIOINFORMATIC ANALYSIS

Background:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension with systemic sclerosis (SSc-PAH) is the main cause of death in patients with SSc. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are very important to reduce the mortality of patients with SSc-PAH1. At present, there are not many sensitive markers for the diagnosis of SSc-PAH. Therefore, it is necessary to mine more sensitive markers as more accurate and practical predictors, which is of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of SSc-PAH.

Objectives:

To discover the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and activated signaling pathways in SSc-PAH.

Methods:

Fifty-five samples (27 SSc-PAH v.s 28 normal controls) in GSE33463 chip data obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were included in this study. DEGs in SSc-PAH patients were screened by R, key pathways and hub genes were discoved by Metascape2, STRING3 and Cytoscape.

Results:

Total 431 genes with large differences were identified, including 238 up-regulated genes and 193 down-regulated genes, after standardizing the data (|logFC| > 1; P < 0.05). GO analysis showed that the upregulated genes were mainly involved in defense response to virus, hemoglobin complex, platelet alpha granule membrane and cytokine binding. The downregulated genes were mainly characterized by positive regulation of cell death, regulation of MAPK cascade, regulation of DNA-binding transcription factor activity and transcription factor AP-1 complex. Several significant enriched pathways obtained in the KEGG pathway analysis were Influenza A, Hepatitis C, IL-17 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Finally, after the selected differential genes were introduced into STRING online software, the data information of protein interaction network was derived, and 12 core genes in the network were identified, they were CXCL8, PPBP, LPAR1, FPR2, GNG11, CXCL10, LPAR5, JUN, C3AR1, CCR2, CCR3, IRF2.

Conclusion:

The genes and signal pathways related to SSc-PAH discovered by bioinformatics methods could not only provided new molecular markers for its diagnosis and treatment, but also provided new ideas for its related biological research.

References:

[1]Zheng JN, Li Y, Yan YM, et al. Identification and Validation of Key Genes Associated With Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Hypertension. Front Genet 2020;11:816. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00816 [published Online First: 2020/08/15].

[2]Zhou Y, Zhou B, Pache L, et al. Metascape provides a biologist-oriented resource for the analysis of systems-level datasets. Nat Commun 2019;10(1):1523. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09234-6 [published Online First: 2019/04/05].

[3]Szklarczyk D, Gable AL, Lyon D, et al. STRING v11: protein-protein association networks with increased coverage, supporting functional discovery in genome-wide experimental datasets. Nucleic Acids Res 2019;47(D1):D607-D13. doi: 10.1093/nar/gky1131 [published Online First: 2018/11/27].

Acknowledgements:

This project was supported by National Science Foundation of China (82001740), Open Fund from the Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology (Shanxi Medical University) (KLCP2019) and Innovation Plan for Postgraduate Education in Shanxi Province (2020BY078).

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Prediction of spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension during elective cesarean section: a systematic review of prospective observational studies

BACKGROUND

Spinal anesthesia is the standard for elective cesarean section but spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension remains an important problem. Accurate prediction of hypotension could enhance clinical decision-making, alter management, and facilitate early intervention. We performed a systematic review of predictors of spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension and their predictive value during cesarean section.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Web of Science databases were searched for prospective observational studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of predictors of spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in elective cesarean section. The quality of studies was assessed and predictors were grouped in domains based on the type of predictor.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies (n=3086 patients) were included. In most studies, patients received 500-1000 mL crystalloid preload or 500-2000 mL crystalloid coload. Vasopressors for post-spinal hypotension were boluses of ephedrine 5-15 mg and/or phenylephrine 25-100 µg in most studies. The hypotension rate varied from 29% to 80% based on the definition. For analysis, >30 predictors were classified into seven domains: demographic characteristics, baseline hemodynamic variables, baseline sympathovagal balance, postural stress testing, peripheral perfusion indices, blood volume and fluid responsiveness indices, and genetic polymorphism.

CONCLUSIONS

Environmental and individual factors increased outcome variability, which restricted the value of the autonomic nervous system and peripheral perfusion indices for prediction of spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension. Supine stress tests may reflect parturients' cardiovascular tolerance during hemodynamic fluctuations and may optimize the predictive value of static state predictors. Future research for predicting spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension should focus on composite and dynamic parameters during the supine stress tests.

Mining immune-related genes with prognostic value in the tumor microenvironment of breast invasive ductal carcinoma

ABSTRACT

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in the development of breast cancer. Due to limitations in experimental conditions, the molecular mechanism of TME in breast cancer has not yet been elucidated. With the development of bioinformatics, the study of TME has become convenient and reliable.Gene expression and clinical feature data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium database. Immune scores and stromal scores were calculated using the Estimation of Stromal and Immune Cells in Malignant Tumor Tissues Using Expression Data algorithm. The interaction of genes was examined with protein-protein interaction and co-expression analysis. The function of genes was analyzed by gene ontology enrichment analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis and gene set enrichment analysis. The clinical significance of genes was assessed with Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate/multivariate Cox regression analysis.Our results showed that the immune scores and stromal scores of breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) were significantly lower than those of invasive lobular carcinoma. The immune scores were significantly related to overall survival of breast IDC patients and both the immune and stromal scores were significantly related to clinical features of these patients. According to the level of immune/stromal scores, 179 common differentially expressed genes and 5 hub genes with prognostic value were identified. In addition, the clinical significance of the hub genes was validated with data from the molecular taxonomy of breast cancer international consortium database, and gene set enrichment analysis analysis showed that these hub genes were mainly enriched in signaling pathways of the immune system and breast cancer.We identified five immune-related hub genes with prognostic value in the TME of breast IDC, which may partly determine the prognosis of breast cancer and provide some direction for development of targeted treatments in the future.

The Effects of P75NTR on Learning Memory Mediated by Hippocampal Apoptosis and Synaptic Plasticity

Neurological diseases bring great mental and physical torture to the patients, and have long-term and sustained negative effects on families and society. The attention to neurological diseases is increasing, and the improvement of the material level is accompanied by an increase in the demand for mental level. The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is a low-affinity neurotrophin receptor and involved in diverse and pleiotropic effects in the developmental and adult central nervous system (CNS). Since neurological diseases are usually accompanied by the regression of memory, the pathogenesis of p75NTR also activates and inhibits other signaling pathways, which has a serious impact on the learning and memory of patients. The results of studies shown that p75NTR is associated with LTP/LTD-induced synaptic enhancement and inhibition, suggest that p75NTR may be involved in the progression of synaptic plasticity. And its proapoptotic effect is associated with activation of proBDNF and inhibition of proNGF, and TrkA/p75NTR imbalance leads to pro-survival or proapoptotic phenomena. It can be inferred that p75NTR mediates apoptosis in the hippocampus and amygdale, which may affect learning and memory behavior. This article mainly discusses the relationship between p75NTR and learning memory and associated mechanisms, which may provide some new ideas for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Construction of an MnO2 nanosheet array 3D integrated electrode for sensitive enzyme-free glucose sensing

MnO₂ based electrochemical enzyme-free glucose sensors remain significantly limited by their low electronic conductivity and associated complex preparation. In this paper, an MnO₂ nanosheet array supported on nickel foam (MnO₂ NS/NF) was prepared using a simple hydrothermal synthesis and employed as a 3D integrated electrode for enzyme-free glucose detection. It was found that MnO₂ NS/NF shows high performance with a wide linear range from 1 μM to 1.13 mM, a high sensitivity of 6.45 mA mM^-1 cm^-2, and a low detection limit of 0.5 μM (S/N = 3). Besides, MnO₂ NS/NF shows high selectivity against common interferences and good reliability for glucose detection in human serum. This work demonstrates the promising role of MnO₂ NS/NF as an efficient integrated electrode in enzyme-free glucose detection with high performance.

Forecasting hand-foot-and-mouth disease cases using wavelet-based SARIMA-NNAR hybrid model

BACKGROUND

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease_(HFMD) is one of the most typical diseases in children that is associated with high morbidity. Reliable forecasting is crucial for prevention and control. Recently, hybrid models have become popular, and wavelet analysis has been widely performed. Better prediction accuracy may be achieved using wavelet-based hybrid models. Thus, our aim is to forecast number of HFMD cases with wavelet-based hybrid models.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We fitted a wavelet-based seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA)-neural network nonlinear autoregressive (NNAR) hybrid model with HFMD weekly cases from 2009 to 2016 in Zhengzhou, China. Additionally, a single SARIMA model, simplex NNAR model, and pure SARIMA-NNAR hybrid model were established for comparison and estimation.

RESULTS

The wavelet-based SARIMA-NNAR hybrid model demonstrates excellent performance whether in fitting or forecasting compared with other models. Its fitted and forecasting time series are similar to the actual observed time series.

CONCLUSIONS

The wavelet-based SARIMA-NNAR hybrid model fitted in this study is suitable for forecasting the number of HFMD cases. Hence, it will facilitate the prevention and control of HFMD.

A Candidate Prognostic Biomarker Complement Factor I Promotes Malignant Progression in Glioma

Objectives: Glioma is the most common and aggressive type of primary central nervous system (CNS) tumor in adults and is associated with substantial mortality rates. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic significance and function of the complement factor I (CFI) in glioma.

Materials and Methods: The expression levels of CFI in glioma tissues and the survival of the CFI^high and CFI^low patient groups were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). The correlation between CFI expression and clinicopathological features of glioma was determined by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database. The functional role of CFI in glioma was established through routine in vitro and in vivo assays.

Results: CFI is overexpressed in glioma and its high levels correlated with poor outcomes in both TCGA and CGGA datasets. Furthermore, CFI was identified as an independent prognostic factor of glioma in the CGGA database. CFI knockdown in glioma cell lines inhibited growth in vitro and in vivo, whereas its ectopic expression increased glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. CFI protein levels were also significantly higher in the glioma tissues resected from patients and correlated to worse prognosis.

Conclusions: CFI is a potential prognostic biomarker in glioma and drives malignant progression.

The Role of Nanoparticles-Mediated Ligustrazine in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis and Its Effect on Matrix Metalloproteinases and Upstream NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a joint degenerative arthropathy, characterized by cartilage degeneration of knee joint. Ligustrazine is an effective component of traditional Chinese medicine chuanqiong. It is reported that ligustrazine is used as a kind of anti-inflammatory medicine in folk prescription, especially in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The study is aimed to study the therapeutic effect of ligustrazine mediated by nanoparticle on knee osteoarthritis and its impact on MMPs and upstream NF-_κB signaling pathway in synovial fluid. Nanoparticle-mediated system is a kind of nano traditional Chinese medicine preparation, which is made by taking nanoparticle and combining with the effective components, effective parts, raw materials, and their compounds in a certain way. We found that the combination of nanoparticle and ligustrazine can improve its bioavailability and targeting, reduce the adverse reactions in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. The ligustrazine mediated by nanoparticle can effectively alleviate knee osteoarthritis by reducing the level of MMPs in synovial fluid and the expression of NF-_κB in upstream NF-_κB signaling pathway.

Au/CdS Core-Shell Sensitized Actinomorphic Flower-Like ZnO Nanorods for Enhanced Photocatalytic Water Splitting Performance

Herein, a novel actinomorphic flower-like ZnO/Au/CdS nanorods ternary composite photocatalyst is prepared to extend the light-responsive range, reduce the photogenerated charge carriers recombination, and ultimately improve the water splitting performance. Flower-like ZnO nanorods are synthesized by a chemical bath method and the CdS nanoparticles are sensitized by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction method. Then the Au nanoparticles as co-catalysts are introduced by the photodeposition method to modify the interface of ZnO/CdS for reducing the photogenerated electron recombination rate and further improving the performance of water splitting. Detailed characterizations and measurements are employed to analyse the crystallinity, morphology, composition, and optical properties of the flower-like ZnO/Au/CdS nanorods samples. As a result, the flower-like ZnO/Au/CdS nanorod samples present significantly enhanced water splitting performance with a high gas evolution rate of 502.2 μmol/g/h, which is about 22.5 and 1.5 times higher than that of the pure ZnO sample and ZnO/CdS sample. The results demonstrate that the flower-like ZnO/Au/CdS nanorods ternary composite materials have great application potential in photocatalytic water splitting for the hydrogen evolution field.

Chlorogenic Acid Improves PTSD-like Symptoms and Associated Mechanisms

Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, abundant in honeysuckle and eucommia, and has a wide range of biological activities, and pharmacological effects. Previous studies have shown that CGA can regulate learning, memory, cognitive ability, coupled with improvement to anxiety, depression, and other post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms. This article explores the protective effects of CGA on neurons through its anti-apoptotic effect, inhibition of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, which may be the mechanisms of its improvement of PTSD-like symptoms. It may provide a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PTSD and its comorbidities.

Assessment of Health-Related Quality of Life Using EuroQoL-5 Dimension in Populations With Prediabetes, Diabetes, and Normal Glycemic Levels in Southwest China

Objectives: This study aimed to describe and compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among populations with normal glycemic levels, prediabetes, and diabetes in southwest China and to offer baseline data that can be easily compared to other regions in China or across countries. Methods: A quality of life survey based on the EuroQoL-5 Dimension-5 level (EQ-5D-5L) scale was conducted through face-to-face or telephone interviews. A total of 403 respondents with diabetes, 404 with prediabetes, and 398 with normal blood glucose were enrolled in the survey. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to decrease the bias of three groups, conditioned on age and gender, body mass index (BMI), and household income. For the three groups, we matched two groups first and then matched the result with the third group. Differences among groups were compared by chi-square test one-way ANOVA after adjusting by PSM. Results: In general, the blood glucose of people with diabetes was generally well-controlled in southwest China, but they were often accompanied by the circulatory system and nutritional metabolic diseases. Ninety-nine individuals from each group were matched. The EuroQoL-5 Dimension index of the population with normal glycemic levels, prediabetes, and patients with diabetes was 0.901, 0.948, and 0.897. The EuroQol-visual analog scales (EQ-VAS) scores of each group above were 73.76, 77.45, and 68.34. HRQoL in males was higher than that of females in the three study groups. The results after PSM were consistent with that before matching. Conclusion: There was a general trend that patients were associated with a decline of HRQoL from the prediabetic population, population with normal glycemic levels to diabetic population. Pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression might not be specific for the population with or without diabetes.