[The value of transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy in determining the response degree of rectal cancer following neoadjuvant therapy: a prospective multicenter study]

Objective: To verify the feasibility and accuracy of the transanal multipoint full-layer puncture biopsy (TMFP) technique in determining the residual status of cancer foci after neoadjuvant therapy (nCRT) in rectal cancer. Methods: Between April 2020 and November 2022, a total of 78 patients from the Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University, the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University with advanced rectal cancer received TMFP after nCRT participated in this prospective multicenter trial. There were 53 males and 25 females, aged (M(IQR)) 61 (13) years (range: 35 to 77 years). The tumor distance from the anal verge was 5 (3) cm (range: 2 to 10 cm). The waiting time between nCRT and TMFP was 73 (26) days (range: 33 to 330 days). 13-point transanal puncture was performed with a 16 G tissue biopsy needle with the residual lesion as the center. The specimens were submitted for independent examination and the complications of the puncture were recorded. The consistency of TMFP and radical operation specimen was compared. The consistency of TMPF with clinical remission rates for the diagnosis of complete pathological remission was compared by sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy. Statistical analysis between groups was performed using the χ2 analysis, and a paired χ2 test was used to compare diagnostic validity. Results: Before TMFP, clinical complete response (cCR) was evaluated in 27 cases. Thirty-six cases received in vivo puncture, the number of punctures in each patient was 13 (8) (range: 4 to 20), 24 cases of tumor residue were found in the puncture specimens. The sensitivity to judgment (100% vs. 60%, χ2=17.500, P<0.01) and accuracy (88.5% vs. 74.4%, χ2=5.125, P=0.024) of TMFP for the pathologic complete response (pCR) were significantly higher than those of cCR. Implement TMFP based on cCR judgment, the accuracy increased from 74.4% to 92.6% (χ2=4.026, P=0.045). The accuracy of the in vivo puncture was 94.4%, which was 83.3% of the in vitro puncture (χ2=1.382, P=0.240). Overall, the accuracy of TMFP improved gradually with an increasing number of cases (χ2=7.112, P=0.029). Conclusion: TMFP is safe and feasible, which improves the sensitivity and accuracy of rectal cancer pCR determination after nCRT, provides a pathological basis for cCR determination, and contributes to the safe development of the watch and wait policy.

Beneficial effects of pioglitazone and α-lipoic acid in patients with polycystic ovaries syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Changes in hormone levels, improper lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress all significantly contribute to the pathogenic process of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). According to earlier research, pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid are crucial in the emergence of PCOS. The beneficial effects of pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid on PCOS were examined in the current study.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The 120 patients with PCOS received three months of treatment in pioglitazone groups (n=40 case, 30 mg/time, 1 time/day), α-lipoic acid (n=40 case, 0.6 g/time, 1 time/day), and combination therapy (n=40 case, pioglitazone 30 mg/time, 1 time/day and α-lipoic acid, 0.6 g/time, 1 time/day). Before and after therapy, the following factors were evaluated: the hormonal profile, fasting serum insulin, body weight, body mass index (BMI), menstruation status, oxidative stress, and indications of lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

The combination of pioglitazone and α-lipoic acid has a significantly improving effect on BMI, body weight, oxidative stress levels, lipid metabolism, and menstrual status. A significant increase in body weight, BMI, and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were found in mice after being treated with α-lipoic acid alone. However, the use pioglitazone alone improves body weight, BMI, the calculation of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), Area under the curve (AUC)-insulin, fasting glucose/insulin (G/I) ratio, total testosterone, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in post-treatment than pre-treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that pioglitazone alone has a better effect than alpha-lipoic acid in improving oxidative stress levels, BMI, and menstrual cyclicity. Additionally, treatment with pioglitazone and alpha-lipoic acid did demonstrate a greater effect than monotherapy with each medication alone.

[Research progress of brain MRI in comitant strabismus]

Comitant strabismus is a common type of strabismus, the etiology and pathogenesis of which remain unclear. It is currently believed to be associated with various factors, including anatomy, refractive errors, accommodation, genetics, and neural factors. In recent years, with the improvement of MRI technology and analysis methods, multidimensional presentations of structural and functional changes in different brain regions related to comitant strabismus have been achieved. Undoubtedly, the application of MRI has the potential to contribute to the etiology of strabismus, particularly the study of central mechanisms. This review article summarizes the research progress on cranial MRI in comitant strabismus, with a focus on summarizing the changes and patterns in brain structures, functions, and interconnections in patients with comitant strabismus reported in previous studies. The aim is to provide new insights into the etiology and pathogenesis of comitant strabismus.

[Pathological significance of plasma cell infiltration in diagnosing lymph node diseases]

Objective: To investigate the value of plasma cells for diagnosing lymph node diseases. Methods: Common lymphadenopathy (except plasma cell neoplasms) diagnosed from September 2012 to August 2022 were selected from the pathological records of Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China. Morphological and immunohistochemical features were analyzed to examine the infiltration pattern, clonality, and IgG and IgG4 expression of plasma cells in these lymphadenopathies, and to summarize the differential diagnoses of plasma cell infiltration in common lymphadenopathies. Results: A total of 236 cases of lymphadenopathies with various degrees of plasma cell infiltration were included in the study. There were 58 cases of Castleman's disease, 55 cases of IgG4-related lymphadenopathy, 14 cases of syphilitic lymphadenitis, 2 cases of rheumatoid lymphadenitis, 18 cases of Rosai-Dorfman disease, 23 cases of Kimura's disease, 13 cases of dermal lymphadenitis and 53 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL). The main features of these lymphadenopathies were lymph node enlargement with various degrees of plasm cell infiltration. A panel of immunohistochemical antibodies were used to examine the distribution of plasma cells and the expression of IgG and IgG4. The presence of lymph node architecture could help determine benign and malignant lesions. The preliminary classification of these lymphadenopathies was based on the infiltration features of plasma cells. The evaluation of IgG and IgG4 as a routine means could exclude the lymph nodes involvement of IgG4-related dieases (IgG4-RD), and whether it was accompanied by autoimmune diseases or multiple-organ diseases, which were of critical evidence for the differential diagnosis. For common lesions of lymphadenopathies, such as Castleman's disease, Kimura's disease, Rosai-Dorfman's disease and dermal lymphadenitis, the expression ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) as detected using immunhistochemistry and serum IgG4 levels should be considered as a standard for the possibility of IgG4-RD. The differential diagnosis of multicentric Castleman's diseases and IgG4-RD should be also considered. Conclusions: Infiltration of plasma cells and IgG4-positive plasma cells may be detected in some types of lymphadenopathies and lymphomas in clinicopathological daily practice, but not all of them are related to IgG4-RD. It should be emphasized that the characteristics of plasma cell infiltration and the ratio of IgG4/IgG (>40%) should be considered for further differential diagnosis and avoiding misclassification of lymphadenopathies.

Evaluation of CT angiography obstruction score and pulmonary perfusion defect score using the third-generation dual-source CT for pulmonary embolism

AIM

To investigate the application value of computed tomography (CT) angiography (CTA) obstruction score and pulmonary perfusion defect score on the third-generation dual-source CT for pulmonary embolism and the changes of the right ventricular function.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 52 patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) confirmed using the third-generation dual-source dual-energy CTPA were analysed retrospectively. These patients were divided into the severe group and non-severe group according to their clinical manifestations. The results of CTPA and dual-energy pulmonary perfusion imaging (DEPI) were recorded by two radiologists for index computation. The ratio of the maximum short-axis diameter of the right ventricle (RV) to that of the left ventricle (LV) was also recorded. The correlation analysis between RV/LV and the mean values of CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score was performed. Correlation analysis and agreement analysis were performed on the data measured by two radiologists, CTA obstruction score, and pulmonary perfusion defect score.

RESULTS

CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score measured by the two radiologists had good correlation and agreement. CTA obstruction score, perfusion defect score, and RV/LV were significantly lower in the non-severe group than in the severe PE group. RV/LV had a significant positive correlation with CTA obstruction score and perfusion defect score (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT plays a positive role in assessing PE severity and RV function and can provide additional information for the clinical management and treatment of PE patients.

Wheat yellow mosaic virus NIb targets TaVTC2 to elicit broad-spectrum pathogen resistance in wheat

GDP-L-galactose phosphorylase (VTC2) catalyses the conversion of GDP-L-galactose to L-galactose-1-P, a vital step of ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis in plants. AsA is well known for its function in the amelioration of oxidative stress caused by most pathogen infection, but its function against viral infection remains unclear. Here, we have identified a VTC2 gene in wheat named as TaVTC2 and investigated its function in association with the wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) infection. Our results showed that overexpression of TaVTC2 significantly increased viral accumulation, whereas knocking down TaVTC2 inhibited the viral infection in wheat, suggesting a positive regulation on viral infection by TaVTC2. Moreover, less AsA was produced in TaVTC2 knocking down plants (TaVTC2-RNAi) which due to the reduction in TaVTC2 expression and subsequently in TaVTC2 activity, resulting in a reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst in leaves. Furthermore, the enhanced WYMV resistance in TaVTC2-RNAi plants was diminished by exogenously applied AsA. We further demonstrated that WYMV NIb directly bound to TaVTC2 and inhibited TaVTC2 enzymatic activity in vitro. The effect of TaVTC2 on ROS scavenge was suppressed by NIb in a dosage-dependent manner, indicating the ROS scavenging was highly regulated by the interaction of TaVTC2 with NIb. Furthermore, TaVTC2 RNAi plants conferred broad-spectrum disease resistance. Therefore, the data indicate that TaVTC2 recruits WYMV NIb to down-regulate its own enzymatic activity, reducing AsA accumulation to elicit a burst of ROS which confers the resistance to WYMV infection. Thus, a new mechanism of the formation of plant innate immunity was proposed.

[Diagnostic value of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 in OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition]

Objective: To study the diagnostic value of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2(LP-PL-A2) in occult pancreaticobiliary reflux(OPBR) combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition. Methods: This was a case-control study. Forty-six patients with OPBR who underwent gallbladder surgery at Shanghai East Hospital from December 2020 to October 2021, with gallbladder cholesterol deposition as the case group and the remainder as the control group, were included for analysis of their clinical data. Results: There were 21 cases in the case group, with 10 males and 11 females, and aged (57±12) years; 25 cases in the control group, with 11 males and 14 females, and aged (56±10) years. Serum LP-PL-A2 [(551.62±128.69) U/L] was significantly higher in the case group than in the control group [(436.70±135.88) U/L] (t=-2.80,P<0.01).Univariate analysis showed that LP-PL-A2 was a risk factor for OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition, OR(95%CI):1.007(1.002-1.012), P=0.011. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve was 0.742, P=0.005. Conclusion: LP-PL-A2 is of diagnostic value in OPBR combined with gallbladder cholesterol deposition.

[Clinical analysis of the correlation between gallbladder adenomyomatosis and occult pancreaticobiliary reflux]

Objective: To explore the association between gallbladder adenomyomatosis (GA) and occult pancreaticobiliary reflux (OPBR). Methods: A total of 81 patients with GA who underwent cholecystectomy in Shanghai East Hospital from December 2020 to January 2022 were enrolled, including 48 cases of fundal type, 28 cases of segmental type and 5 cases of diffuse type. Patient's intraoperative bile was coltected and tested for amylase. According to gallbladder bile amylase level, patients were divided into OPBR group (bile amylase>110 U/L) and the control group (bile amylase≤110 U/L). Results: Among 81 patients, 32 were male and 49 were female, and aged (49.1±13.2) years; there were 66 cases in control group, including 27 males and 39 females, and aged (50.0±12.9)years; there were 15 patients in the OPBR group, including 5 males and 10 females, and aged (45.1±14.2) years. In terms of the clinical features of the two groups, there was no significant difference (all P>0.05), except for a significant increase in biliary amylase in the OPBR group compared with the control group (P<0.001). However, the incidence of OPBR was significantly different in the three types of GA, with a lower incidence of OPBR in the fundal type (10.4%, 5/48) than in the segmental type (28.6%, 8/28) and diffuse type (2/5) (P=0.038). In addition, segmental GA was more likely to be combined with gallbladder stones (85.7%, 24/28) than fundal GA (58.3%, 28/48) and diffuse GA (3/5) (P=0.031). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed OPBR [OR (95%CI)=3.410 (1.010 to 11.513), P=0.048] and combined gallbladder stones [OR (95%CI)=2.974 (1.011 to 8.745), P=0.048] indepenclently correlated with segmental and diffuse GA. Conclusions: The incidence of OPBR is higher in segmental and diffuse GA, and gallstones and OPBR are independently associated with the occurrence of segmental and diffuse GA. These results suggest that OPBR may be the initiating factor for the occurrence and carcinogenesis of segmental and diffuse GA.

[Correlation between pelvic relapses of rectal cancer after radical and R0 resection: A regression model-based analysis]

Objective: To propose a new staging system for presacral recurrence of rectal cancer and explore the factors influencing radical resection of such recurrences based on this staging system. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 51 patients with presacral recurrence of rectal cancer who had undergone surgical treatment in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital between January 2008 and September 2022 were collected. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) primary rectal cancer without distant metastasis that had been radically resected; (2) pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer confirmed by multi-disciplinary team assessment based on CT, MRI, positron emission tomography, physical examination, surgical exploration, and pathological examination of biopsy tissue in some cases; and (3) complete inpatient, outpatient and follow-up data. The patients were allocated to radical resection and non-radical resection groups according to postoperative pathological findings. The study included: (1) classification of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer according to its anatomical characteristics as follows: Type I: no involvement of the sacrum; Type II: involvement of the low sacrum, but no other sites; Type III: involvement of the high sacrum, but no other sites; and Type IV: involvement of the sacrum and other sites. (2) Assessment of postoperative presacral recurrence, overall survival from surgery to recurrence, and duration of disease-free survival. (3) Analysis of factors affecting radical resection of pre-sacral recurrence of rectal cancer. Non-normally distributed measures are expressed as median (range). The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between groups. Results: The median follow-up was 25 (2-96) months with a 100% follow-up rate. The rate of metachronic distant metastasis was significantly lower in the radical resection than in the non-radical resection group (24.1% [7/29] vs. 54.5% [12/22], χ²=8.333, P=0.026). Postoperative disease-free survival was longer in the radical resection group (32.7 months [3.0-63.0] vs. 16.1 [1.0-41.0], Z=8.907, P=0.005). Overall survival was longer in the radical resection group (39.2 [3.0-66.0] months vs. 28.1 [1.0-52.0] months, Z=1.042, P=0.354). According to univariate analysis, age, sex, distance between the tumor and anal verge, primary tumor pT stage, and primary tumor grading were not associated with achieving R0 resection of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer (all P>0.05), whereas primary tumor pN stage, anatomic staging of presacral recurrence, and procedure for managing presacral recurrence were associated with rate of R0 resection (all P<0.05). According to multifactorial analysis, the pathological stage of the primary tumor pN1-2 (OR=3.506, 95% CI: 1.089-11.291, P=0.035), type of procedure (transabdominal resection: OR=29.250, 95% CI: 2.789 - 306.811, P=0.005; combined abdominal perineal resection: OR=26.000, 95% CI: 2.219-304.702, P=0.009), and anatomical stage of presacral recurrence (Type III: OR=16.000, 95% CI: 1.542 - 166.305, P = 0.020; type IV: OR= 36.667, 95% CI: 3.261 - 412.258, P = 0.004) were all independent risk factors for achieving radical resection of anterior sacral recurrence after rectal cancer surgery. Conclusion: Stage of presacral recurrences of rectal cancer is an independent predictor of achieving R0 resection. It is possible to predict whether radical resection can be achieved on the basis of the patient's medical history.

Genome-wide association study and functional annotation analyses for nitrogen efficiency index and its composition traits in dairy cattle

The aims of this study were (1) to identify genomic regions associated with a N efficiency index (NEI) and its composition traits and (2) to analyze the functional annotation of identified genomic regions. The NEI included N intake (NINT1), milk true protein N (MTPN1), milk urea N yield (MUNY1) in primiparous cattle, and N intake (NINT2+), milk true protein N (MTPN2+), and milk urea N yield (MUNY2+) in multiparous cattle (2 to 5 parities). The edited data included 1,043,171 records on 342,847 cows distributed in 1,931 herds. The pedigree consisted of 505,125 animals (17,797 males). Data of 565,049 SNPs were available for 6,998 animals included in the pedigree (5,251 females and 1,747 males). The SNP effects were estimated using a single-step genomic BLUP approach. The proportion of the total additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average size of about 240 kb) was calculated. The top 3 genomic regions explaining the largest rate of the total additive genetic variance of the NEI and its composition traits were selected for candidate gene identification and quantitative trait loci (QTL) annotation. The selected genomic regions explained from 0.17% (MTPN2+) to 0.58% (NEI) of the total additive genetic variance. The largest explanatory genomic regions of NEI, NINT1, NINT2+, MTPN1, MTPN2+, MUNY1, and MUNY2+ were Bos taurus autosome 14 (1.52-2.09 Mb), 26 (9.24-9.66 Mb), 16 (75.41-75.51 Mb), 6 (8.73-88.92 Mb), 6 (8.73-88.92 Mb), 11 (103.26-103.41 Mb), 11 (103.26-103.41 Mb). Based on the literature, gene ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein-protein interaction, 16 key candidate genes were identified for NEI and its composition traits, which are mainly expressed in the milk cell, mammary, and liver tissues. The number of enriched QTL related to NEI, NINT1, NINT2+, MTPN1, and MTPN2+ were 41, 6, 4, 11, 36, 32, and 32, respectively, and most of them were related to the milk, health, and production classes. In conclusion, this study identified genomic regions associated with NEI and its composition traits, and identified key candidate genes describing the genetic mechanisms of N use efficiency-related traits. Furthermore, the NEI reflects not only its composition traits but also the interactions among them.

Ultrasound Fusion-Guided Core Needle Biopsy for Deep Head and Neck Space Lesions: Technical Feasibility, Histopathologic Yield, and Safety

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Ultrasound is generally considered to have a minor role in guiding biopsies for deep head and neck space lesions. However, the ultrasound fusion technique may have the potential to change this opinion. This study evaluated the feasibility, histopathologic yield, and safety of ultrasound fusion-guided core needle biopsies for deep head and neck space lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From March 2021 to April 2022, patients with primary deep head and neck space lesions were prospectively included in this study. Ultrasound fusion was performed with contemporaneous CT, MR imaging, or PET/CT studies, and ultrasound fusion-guided core needle biopsy was performed by using a Micro-Convex probe via 4 different needle approaches. Feasibility, histopathologic results, and biopsy-related complications were observed. Descriptive statistics were applied.

RESULTS

Ultrasound-guided biopsy was feasible in all 16 patients (11 women and 5 men; mean age 46 [SD, 16] years; range, 16-76 years). The lesions were located in the parapharyngeal space, infratemporal fossa, and skull base, with a median diameter of 3.8 cm (range, 2.2-6.5 cm). An adequate and definite histopathologic yield was obtained in 15/16 (93.8%) patients; among them, 4/15 lesions (26.7%) were malignant, and 11/15 (73.6%) were benign. No major complications occurred. Minor complications were noted in 2 of the 16 (12.5%) patients (self-limiting inflammation in 1 and bleeding in 1).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that ultrasound fusion-guided biopsy of deep head and neck space lesions is feasible and safe, with a high histopathologic yield.

The Role of Sarcopenia in Overactive Bladder in Adults in the United States: Retrospective Analysis of NHANES 2011-2018

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between sarcopenia and overactive bladder (OAB) in a United States adult population from 2011 to 2018, and whether sarcopenia can predict the risk of OAB.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2011-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in a cross-sectional study(NHANES) of 8746 participants, of whom 1213 were diagnosed with OAB, we analyzed correlations by sex, age, race, education level, marital status, household income-to-poverty ratio, hypertension, diabetes, strenuous work activity, moderate work activity, strenuous recreational activity, moderate recreational activity, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and uric acid levels using restricted cubic spline plots of dose-response curves, univariate and multivariate Logistic regression. Models based on sex, age, education, household income to poverty ratio, hypertension, diabetes, sarcopenia index, and cotinine were developed and evaluated using Nomogram, calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic curves, and clinical decision curves.

RESULTS

Of the 1213 OAB patients, 388 (32.0%) were male and 825 (68.0%) were female. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia index was negatively correlated with the prevalence of OAB (OR=0.084, 95% CI, 0.056 - 0.130, P <0.001;OR=0.456, 95%CI, 0.215-0.968, P= 0.0041). Dose curve analysis of the sarcopenia index and prevalence of OAB showed that the prevalence of OAB decreased significantly with increasing sarcopenia index. Sarcopenia was positively correlated with OAB (OR=2.400, 95%CI, 2.000 - 2.800, P <0.001;OR=1.46, 95%CI, 1.096 -1.953, P = 0.010). In addition, our model shows that sarcopenia can predict the prevalence of OAB (AUC = 0.750) and has some clinical decision-making implications.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia is positively associated with the risk of OAB in United States adults and can be used as a predictor of OAB prevalence.

Associations of Body-Roundness Index and Sarcopenia with Cardiovascular Disease among Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Findings from CHARLS

OBJECTIVES

Sarcopenia and obesity may contribute to chronic disease. However, little is known about the association between sarcopenia, body roundness index (BRI), and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of sarcopenia and BRI with CVD in middle-aged and older Chinese population.

DESIGN

Cohort study with an 8-year follow-up.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Data were derived from 4 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, and 6152 participants aged 45 or above were included in the study.

METHODS

Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. CVD was defined as the presence of physician-diagnosed heart disease, diabetes and/or stroke. The associations of BRI and sarcopenia with CVD risk were explored using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 58.3 (8.9) years, and 2936 (47.7%) were males. During the 8 years follow-up, 2385 cases (38.8%) with incident CVD were identified. Longitudinal results demonstrated that compared to neither sarcopenia or high BRI, both sarcopenia and high BRI (HR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.07) were associated with higher risk of CVD. In the subgroup analysis, individuals with both sarcopenia and high BRI were more likely to have new onset stroke (HR: 1.93, 95%CI: 1.12, 3.32) and increased risk of multimorbidity (HR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.14, 4.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Coexistence of sarcopenia and high BRI was associated with higher risk of CVD. Early identification and intervention for sarcopenia and BRI not only allows the implementation of therapeutic strategies, but also provides an opportunity to mitigate the risk of developing CVD.

[Clinical and endoscopic characteristics of gastrointestinal mantle cell lymphoma]

Objective: To study the clinical and endoscopic features of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Methods: The clinical data and endoscopic characteristics of 20 patients with gastrointestinal MCL treated in the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University and the Digestive Endoscopy Center of Guizhou Medical University from January 2011 to January 2021 were collected, and the histological and immunohistochemical characteristics of the tumor were observed. Meanwhile, 44 cases of non-gastrointestinal MCL in the above two hospitals in the same period were also enrolled. The clinical and endoscopic differences between the two groups were compared. Results: Among the 20 patients with gastrointestinal MCL, the male to female ratio was 4∶1 (16/4), the average age was (60.3±9.7) years, and 11 patients (55.0%, 11/20) were over 60 years old. The main clinical manifestations of 20 patients at the onset of the disease were bloody stool or black stool in 9 cases (45.0%), abdominal pain in 8 cases (40.0%). Moreover, 5.0% (1/20) had B symptoms (fever, night sweat and weight loss). The most frequently involved site was colorectum (50.0%). Endoscopic findings showed mucosal polypoid lesions in 13 cases (65.0%, 13/20), involving multiple intestinal segments, with polyp diameter of 0.2-3.5 cm. Two cases (10%) were in stage Ⅲ and 18 cases (90%) were in stage Ⅳ according to Ann Arbor staging. Seven cases (35.0%, 7/20) had the involvement of the peritoneal and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, 9 cases (45.0%, 9/20) had the involvement of the superficial lymph nodes in 45.0% (9/20), and 4 cases (20%, 4/20) had other extranodal invasion. Splenomegaly accounted for 35.0% (7/20). CD20, Bcl-2 and CD5 were positive or strongly positive in all gastrointestinal MCL tumor cells in 20 cases. Cyclin D1 was positive or strongly positive, accounting for 90.0% (18/20). The sex-determining region of Y chromosome-related high-mobility-group box 11 (SOX11) was positive or strongly positive, accounting for 65.0% (13/20). The positive index of Ki-67 was 5%-80%. Twenty cases (100%, 20/20) were followed up. The median follow-up was 41.2 months (1-74 months). There was no significant difference in the 3-year overall survival rate between the gastrointestinal MCL patients (70.0%) and non-gastrointestinal MCL patients (72.7%) (χ²=0.051, P=0.822). Conclusions: Abdominal discomfort is the main symptom of gastrointestinal MCL, which often occurs in the colorectum and often presents with multiple polypoid lesions. There are relatively few cases with B symptoms and extranodal invasion, and the prognosis is not different from that of patients with non-gastrointestinal MCL.

Association between insulin-like growth factor-1 and cardiovascular events: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) has increasingly been reported as linked to cardiovascular (CV) events; however, reported results have been inconsistent, and no meta-analysis has been undertaken to quantitatively assess this association.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for cohort articles published up to December 1, 2020. Fixed or random-effects models were used to estimate the summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CV events in relation to IGF-1. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose-response association.

RESULTS

We identified 11 articles (thirteen cohort studies) covering a total of 22,995 participants and 3040 CV events in this meta-analysis. The risk of overall CV events reduced by 16% from the highest to the lowest IGF-1 levels (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95), while the occurrence of CV events reduced by 28% (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.56-0.92), but not for CV deaths, however (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.65-1.55). We also found linear associations between IGF-1 levels and CV events. With each per 45 μg/mL IGF-1 increase, the pooled RRs were 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.96), 0.91 (95% CI 0.85-0.97) and 0.91 (95% CI 0.84-0.98) for overall CV events, for the occurrence of CV events, and for CV deaths, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings based on cohort studies support the contention that any increase in IGF-1 is helpful in reducing the overall risk of CV events. As an important biomarker for assessing the likelihood of CV events, IGF-1 appears to offer a promising prognostic approach for aiding prevention.

Potentiality of MWCNT on 3D-printed bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic core under quasi-static loading

Sandwich panel is increasingly used as lightweight energy absorbing components, which provides excellent crashworthiness performance with the three-dimensional periodic core. This paper investigates 3D-printed bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic cores with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and foam-filled cores under quasi-static loading. The proposed bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic cores with 1.5 mm wall thickness were manufactured using the fused filament fabrication process, which used 70% polylactic acid (PLA) and 30% carbon fiber filament. Moreover, four groups of 3D-printed bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic cores were compared and analyzed on compressive properties and failure behavior. Experimental results were shown that foam-filled double bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic core with MWCNT was the maximum Fpeak with 1.92 kN, which provided a much more stable plateau load and better energy-absorbing characteristics. In addition, it is conducted that a double bio-inspired spherical-roof cubic core with four notches core is considered as the potential energy-absorbing core.

N6-methyladenosine RNA modification promotes viral genomic RNA stability and infection

Molecular manipulation of susceptibility (S) genes that are antipodes to resistance (R) genes has been adopted as an alternative strategy for controlling crop diseases. Here, we show the S gene encoding Triticum aestivum m⁶A methyltransferase B (TaMTB) is identified by a genome-wide association study and subsequently shown to be a positive regulator for wheat yellow mosaic virus (WYMV) infection. TaMTB is localized in the nucleus, is translocated into the cytoplasmic aggregates by binding to WYMV NIb to upregulate the m⁶A level of WYMV RNA1 and stabilize the viral RNA, thus promoting viral infection. A natural mutant allele TaMTB-SNP176C is found to confer an enhanced susceptibility to WYMV infection through genetic variation analysis on 243 wheat varieties. Our discovery highlights this allele can be a useful target for the molecular wheat breeding in the future.

Changes in soil fungal communities after onset of wheat yellow mosaic virus disease

Rhizosphere-associated microbes have important implications for plant health, but knowledge of the association between the pathological conditions of soil-borne virus-infected wheat and soil microbial communities, especially changes in fungal communities, remains limited. We investigated the succession of fungal communities from bulk soil to wheat rhizosphere soil in both infected and healthy plants using amplicon sequencing methods, and assessed their potential role in plant health. The results showed that the diversity of fungi in wheat rhizosphere and bulk soils significantly differed post wheat yellow mosaic virus disease onset. The structure differences in fungal community at the two wheat health states or two compartment niches were evident, soil physicochemical properties (i.e., NH4 +) contribute to differences in fungal community structure and alpha diversity. Comparison analysis showed Mortierellomycetes and Dothideomycetes as dominant communities in healthy wheat soils at class level. The genus Pyronemataceae and Solicoccozyma were significantly are significantly enriched in rhizosphere soil of diseased plant, the genus Cystofilobasidium, Cladosporium, Mortierella, and Stephanonectria are significantly enriched in bulk soil of healthy plant. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that the fungi in healthy wheat soil has higher mutual benefit and connectivity compared with diseased wheat. The results of this study demonstrated that the occurrence of wheat yellow mosaic virus diseases altered both fungal community diversity and composition, and that NH4 + is the most important soil physicochemical factor influencing fungal diversity and community composition.

Regulatory role of phosphoproteins in the development of bovine small intestine during early life

The small intestine is the primary site of nutrient digestion and absorption, which plays a key role in the survival of neonatal calves. A comprehensive assessment of the phosphoproteomic changes in the small intestine of neonatal calves is unavailable; therefore, we used phosphopeptide enrichment coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the changes in the phosphoproteome profile in the bovine small intestine during the first 36 h of life. Twelve neonatal male calves were assigned to one of the following groups: (1) calves not fed colostrum and slaughtered approximately 2 h postpartum (n = 3), (2) calves fed colostrum at 1 to 2 h and slaughtered 8 h postpartum (n = 3), (3) calves fed 2 colostrum meals (at 1-2 and 10-12 h) and slaughtered 24 h postpartum (n = 3), (4) calves fed 3 colostrum meals (at 1-2, 10-12, and 22-24 h) and slaughtered 36 h postpartum (n = 3). Mid-duodenal, jejunal, and ileal samples of the calves were collected after slaughter. We identified 1,678 phosphoproteins with approximately 3,080 phosphosites, which were mainly Ser (89.9%), Thr (9.8%), and Tyr (0.3%) residues; they belonged to the prodirected (52.9%), basic (20.4%), acidic (16.6%), and Tyr-directed (1.7%) motif categories. The regional differentially expressed phosphoproteins included zonula occludens 2, sorting nexin 12, and protein kinase C, which are mainly associated with developmental processes, intracellular transport, vesicle-mediated transport, and immune system process. They are enriched in the endocytosis, tight junction, insulin signaling, and focal adhesion pathways. The temporal differentially expressed phosphoproteins included occludin, epsin 1, and bridging integrator 1, which were mainly associated with macromolecule metabolic process, cell adhesion, and growth. They were enriched in the spliceosomes, adherens junctions, and tight junctions. The observed changes in the phosphoproteins in the tissues of small intestine suggest the protein phosphorylation plays an important role in nutrient transport and immune response of calves during early life, which needs to be confirmed in a larger study.