African swine fever virus MGF-360-10L is a novel and crucial virulence factor that mediates ubiquitination and degradation of JAK1 by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC5

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes acute hemorrhagic infectious disease in pigs. The ASFV genome encodes various proteins that enable the virus to escape innate immunity; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study found that ASFV MGF-360-10L significantly inhibits interferon (IFN)-β-triggered STAT1/2 promoter activation and the production of downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). ASFV MGF-360-10L deletion (ASFV-Δ10L) replication was impaired compared with the parental ASFV CN/GS/2018 strain, and more ISGs were induced by the ASFV-Δ10L in porcine alveolar macrophages in vitro. We found that MGF-360-10L mainly targets JAK1 and mediates its degradation in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, MGF-360-10L also mediates the K48-linked ubiquitination of JAK1 at lysine residues 245 and 269 by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC5 (HECT and RLD domain-containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 5). The virulence of ASFV-Δ10L was significantly lower than that of the parental strain in vivo, which indicates that MGF-360-10L is a novel virulence factor of ASFV. Our findings elaborate the novel mechanism of MGF-360-10L on the STAT1/2 signaling pathway, expanding our understanding of the inhibition of host innate immunity by ASFV-encoded proteins and providing novel insights that could contribute to the development of African swine fever vaccines. IMPORTANCE African swine fever outbreaks remain a concern in some areas. There is no effective drug or commercial vaccine to prevent African swine fever virus (ASFV) infection. In the present study, we found that overexpression of MGF-360-10L strongly inhibited the interferon (IFN)-β-induced STAT1/2 signaling pathway and the production of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Furthermore, we demonstrated that MGF-360-10L mediates the degradation and K48-linked ubiquitination of JAK1 by recruiting the E3 ubiquitin ligase HERC5. The virulence of ASFV with MGF-360-10L deletion was significantly less than parental ASFV CN/GS/2018. Our study identified a new virulence factor and revealed a novel mechanism by which MGF-360-10L inhibits the immune response, thus providing new insights into the vaccination strategies against ASFV.

Radiomic analysis of MRI for prediction of response to induction chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

AIM

To establish and validate radiomic models for response prediction to induction chemotherapy (IC) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) using the radiomic features from pretreatment MRI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective analysis included 184 consecutive NPC patients, 132 in the primary cohort and 52 in the validation cohort. Radiomic features were derived from contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging (CE-T1) and T2-weighted imaging (T2-WI) for each subject. The radiomic features were then selected and combined with clinical characteristics to build radiomic models. The potential of the radiomic models was evaluated based on its discrimination and calibration. To measure the performance of these radiomic models in predicting the treatment response to IC in NPC, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were used.

RESULTS

Four radiomic models were constructed in the present study including the radiomic signature of CE-T1, T2-WI, CE-T1 + T2-WI, and the radiomic nomogram of CE-T1. The radiomic signature of CE-T1 + T2-WI performed well in distinguishing response and non-response to IC in patients with NPC, which yielded an AUC of 0.940 (95% CI, 0.885-0.974), sensitivity of 83.1%, specificity of 91.8%, and accuracy of 87.1% in the primary cohort, and AUC of 0.952 (95% CI, 0.855-0.992), sensitivity of 74.2%, specificity of 95.2%, and accuracy of 82.7% in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

MRI-based radiomic models could be helpful for personalised risk stratification and treatment in NPC patients receiving IC.

Deletion of MGF-110-9L gene from African swine fever virus weakens autophagic degradation of TBK1 as a mechanism for enhancing type I interferon production

African swine fever (ASF) caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a devastating disease for the global pig industry and economic benefit. The limited knowledge on the pathogenesis and infection mechanisms of ASF restricts progress toward vaccine development and ASF control. Previously, we illustrated that deletion of the MGF-110-9L gene from highly virulent ASFV CN/GS/2018 strains (ASFV∆9L) results in attenuated virulence in swine, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we found that the difference in virulence between wild-type ASFV (wt-ASFV) and ASFV∆9L strains was mainly caused by the difference in TANK Binding Kinase 1 (TBK1) reduction. TBK1 reduction was further identified to be mediated by the autophagy pathway and this degradative process requires the up-regulation of a positive autophagy regulation molecule- Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphate 3-Kinase Catalytic Subunit Type 2 Beta (PIK3C2B). Moreover, TBK1 over-expression was confirmed to inhibit ASFV replication in vitro. In summary, these results indicate that wt-ASFV counteracts type I interferon (IFN) production by degrading TBK1, while ASFVΔ9L enhanced type I IFN production by weakening TBK1 reduction, clarifying the mechanism that ASFVΔ9L present the attenuated virulence in vitro.

Competitive adsorption behavior of typical heavy metal ions from acid mine drainage by multigroup-functionalization cellulose: qualitative and quantitative mechanism

In response to Cd, Pb, and Cu pollution in acid mine drainage (AMD), a multigroup cellulose material (TCIS) containing thiol (-SH), carboxyl (-COOH), and imine (-C = N) groups was prepared through oxidation and grafting reactions. At pH 5, the maximum Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II) adsorption performances of TCIS were 53.60, 120.6, and 36.01 mg/g, respectively. In the binary system, the interaction between metal ions was mainly inhibited by competitive adsorption. Cu(II) exhibited the most fierce inhibitory effect and had a relatively stable adsorption performance. In the ternary system, the adsorption order was Cu(II) > Cd(II) > Pb(II). In density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we combined the molecular electrostatic potentials, binding energies, differential charges, and total potentials to illustrate the competitive behavior of metal ions at different binding sites. Moreover, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and DFT analysis revealed that the adsorption process of TCIS was dominated by the above functional groups, which caused competitive adsorption among Cd(II), Pb(II), and Cu(II).

Deletions of MGF110-9L and MGF360-9L from African swine fever virus are highly attenuated in swine and confer protection against homologous challenge

African swine fever, caused by a large icosahedral DNA virus (African swine fever virus, ASFV), is a highly contagious disease in domestic and feral swine, thus posing a significant economic threat to the global swine industry. Currently, there are no effective vaccines or the available methods to control ASFV infection. Attenuated live viruses with deleted virulence factors are considered to be the most promising vaccine candidates; however, the mechanism by which these attenuated viruses confer protection is unclear. Here, we used the Chinese ASFV CN/GS/2018 as a backbone and used homologous recombination to generate a virus in which MGF110-9L and MGF360-9L, two genes antagonize host innate antiviral immune response, were deleted (ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L). This genetically modified virus was highly attenuated in pigs and provided effective protection of pigs against parental ASFV challenge. Importantly, we found ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection induced higher expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA compared with parental ASFV as determined by RNA-Seq and RT-PCR analysis. Further immunoblotting results showed that parental ASFV and ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L infection inhibited Pam3CSK4-triggered activating phosphorylation of proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB subunit p65 and phosphorylation of NF-κB inhibitor IκBα levels, although NF-κB activation was higher in ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L-infected cells compared with parental ASFV-infected cells. Additionally, we show overexpression of TLR2 inhibited ASFV replication and the expression of ASFV p72 protein, whereas knockdown of TLR2 had the opposite effect. Our findings suggest that the attenuated virulence of ASFV-ΔMGF110/360-9L might be mediated by increased NF-κB and TLR2 signaling.

Improved Measurement of the Evolution of the Reactor Antineutrino Flux and Spectrum at Daya Bay

Reactor neutrino experiments play a crucial role in advancing our knowledge of neutrinos. In this Letter, the evolution of the flux and spectrum as a function of the reactor isotopic content is reported in terms of the inverse-beta-decay yield at Daya Bay with 1958 days of data and improved systematic uncertainties. These measurements are compared with two signature model predictions: the Huber-Mueller model based on the conversion method and the SM2018 model based on the summation method. The measured average flux and spectrum, as well as the flux evolution with the ^{239}Pu isotopic fraction, are inconsistent with the predictions of the Huber-Mueller model. In contrast, the SM2018 model is shown to agree with the average flux and its evolution but fails to describe the energy spectrum. Altering the predicted inverse-beta-decay spectrum from ^{239}Pu fission does not improve the agreement with the measurement for either model. The models can be brought into better agreement with the measurements if either the predicted spectrum due to ^{235}U fission is changed or the predicted ^{235}U, ^{238}U, ^{239}Pu, and ^{241}Pu spectra are changed in equal measure.

[The anatomic zone localization based on biparametric MRI for the prediction of the risk degree of prostate cancer]

Objective: To investigate the anatomic zone localization based on biparametric magnetic resonance imaging (bpMRI) for the prediction of the risk degree in patients with prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 92 patients with prostate cancer confirmed by radical surgery in First Affiliated Hospital, Air Force Medical University, from January 2017 to December 2021 were collected. All patients underwent bpMRI (non-enhanced scan and DWI). According to ISUP grade, those patients were divided into low-risk group [≤grade 2, n=26, aged 71 (64.0, 5.2) years] and high-risk group[≥grade 3, n=66, aged 70.5 (63.0, 74.0) years]. The interobserver consistency test for ADC values was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). The differences in total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) between the two groups were compared and the χ² test was used to compare the differences in the risk of prostate cancer in the transitional and peripheral zone. Independent correlation factors for prostate cancer risk were analyzed by logistic regression using high and low risk of prostate cancer as dependent variables, including factors such as anatomical zone, tPSA, apparent diffusion coefficient mean (ADC_mean), apparent diffusion coefficient minimum (ADC_min) and age. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the efficacy of the combined models of anatomical zone, tPSA, and anatomical partitioning+tPSA for diagnosing prostate cancer risk. Results: The ICC values of the ADC_mean and ADC_min between the observers were 0.906 and 0.885, respectively, with good agreement. The tPSA in the low-risk group was lower than that in the high-risk group [19.64 (10.29, 35.18) ng/ml vs 72.42 (24.79, 187.98) ng/ml; P<0.001]; the risk of prostate cancer in the peripheral zone was higher than that in the transitional zone, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Multifactorial regression showed that anatomical zones (OR=0.120, 95%CI:0.029-0.501, P=0.004) and tPSA (OR=1.059, 95%CI:1.022-1.099, P=0.002) were risk factors for prostate cancer risk. The diagnostic efficacy of the combined model (AUC=0.895, 95%CI: 0.831-0.958) was better than the predictive efficacy of the single model for both anatomical partitioning (AUC=0.717, 95%CI:0.597-0.837) and tPSA (AUC=0.801, 95%CI: 0.714-0.887) (Z=3.91, 2.47; all P<0.05). Conclusions: The malignant degree of prostate cancer in peripheral zone was higher than that in transitional zone. Combination of anatomic zone located by bpMRI and tPSA can be used to predict the risk of prostate cancer before surgery, expected to provide support for patients to develop personalized treatment strategies.

Heart failure-related genes associated with oxidative stress and the immune landscape in lung cancer

Background

Lung cancer is a common comorbidity of heart failure (HF). The early identification of the risk factors for lung cancer in patients with HF is crucial to early diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, oxidative stress and immune responses are the two critical biological processes shared by HF and lung cancer. Therefore, our study aimed to select the core genes in HF and then investigate the potential mechanisms underlying HF and lung cancer, including oxidative stress and immune responses through the selected genes.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed for HF using datasets extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Functional enrichment analysis was subsequently performed. Next, weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to select the core gene modules. Support vector machine models, the random forest method, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were applied to construct a multigene signature. The diagnostic values of the signature genes were measured using receiver operating characteristic curves. Functional analysis of the signature genes and immune landscape was performed using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Finally, the oxidative stress-related genes in these signature genes were identified and validated in vitro in lung cancer cell lines.

Results

The DEGs in the GSE57338 dataset were screened, and this dataset was then clustered into six modules using weighted gene co-expression network analysis; MEblue was significantly associated with HF (cor = -0.72, p < 0.001). Signature genes including extracellular matrix protein 2 (ECM2), methyltransferase-like 7B (METTL7B), meiosis-specific nuclear structural 1 (MNS1), and secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) were selected using support vector machine models, the LASSO algorithm, and the random forest method. The respective areas under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curves of ECM2, METTL7B, MNS1, and SFRP4 were 0.939, 0.854, 0.941, and 0.926, respectively. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis revealed significant differences in the immune landscape of the patients with HF and healthy subjects. Functional analysis also suggested that these signature genes may be involved in oxidative stress. In particular, METTL7B was highly expressed in lung cancer cell lines. Meanwhile, the correlation between METTL7B and oxidative stress was further verified using flow cytometry.

Conclusion

We identified that ECM2, METTL7B, MNS1, and SFRP4 exhibit remarkable diagnostic performance in patients with HF. Of note, METTL7B may be involved in the co-occurrence of HF and lung cancer by affecting the oxidative stress immune responses.

Combinational Deletions of MGF110-9L and MGF505-7R Genes from the African Swine Fever Virus Inhibit TBK1 Degradation by an Autophagy Activator PIK3C2B To Promote Type I Interferon Production

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), is a transboundary infectious disease of domestic pigs and wild boars, resulting in significant swine production losses. Currently, no effective commercial ASF vaccines or therapeutic options are available. A previous study has shown that deletions of ASFV MGF110-9L and MGF505-7R genes (ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R) attenuated virulence in pigs and provided complete protection against parental lethal ASFV CN/GS/2018 (wild-type ASFV [ASFV-WT]) challenge, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study found that ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R weakened TBK1 degradation compared with ASFV-WT through RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and Western blotting analyses. Furthermore, we confirmed that ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R blocked the degradation of TBK1 through the autophagy pathway. We also identified that the downregulation of an autophagy-related protein PIK3C2B was involved in the inhibition of TBK1 degradation induced by ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R. Additionally, we also confirmed that PIK3C2B promoted ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R replication in vitro. Together, this study elucidated a novel mechanism of virulence change of ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R, revealing a new mechanism of ASF live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) and providing theoretical guidance for the development of ASF vaccines. IMPORTANCE African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious and lethal hemorrhagic disease of pigs caused by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), leading to significant economic consequences for the global pig industry. The development of an effective and safe ASF vaccine has been unsuccessful. Previous studies have shown that live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) of ASFV are the most effective vaccine candidates to prevent ASF. Understanding the host responses caused by LAVs of ASFV is important in optimizing vaccine design and diversifying the resources available to control ASF. Recently, our laboratory found that the live attenuated ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R provided complete protection against parental ASFV-WT challenge. This study further demonstrated that ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R inhibits TBK1 degradation mediated by an autophagy activator PIK3C2B to increase type I interferon production. These results revealed an important mechanism for candidate vaccine ASFV-Δ110-9L/505-7R, providing strategies for exploring the virulence of multigene-deleted live attenuated ASFV strains and the development of vaccines.

The association between GLIM criteria defined malnutrition and 2-year unplanned hospital admission in outpatients with unintentional weight loss: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess malnutrition using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) at baseline and determine the GLIM criteria that best predicted unplanned hospitalization in unintentional weight loss (UWL) outpatients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of 257 adult outpatients with UWL. The GLIM criteria and SGA agreement were reported using Cohen's kappa coefficient. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and adjusted Cox regression analyses were used for survival data. Logistic regression was used for the other correlation analysis.

RESULTS

This study collected data from 257 patients for 2 years. Based on the GLIM criteria and SGA, malnutrition prevalence was 79.0% and 72.0%, respectively (k = 0.728, P < 0.001). Using SGA as a standard, GLIM had a sensitivity of 97.8%, a specificity of 69.4%, a positive predictive value of 89.2%, and a negative predictive value of 92.6%. Malnutrition was associated with higher rates of unplanned hospital admission independent of other prognostic factors (GLIM: hazard ratio (HR) 2.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22 to 6.68; SGA: HR 2.07, 95% CI: 1.13 to 3.79). Of the five GLIM criteria-related diagnostic combinations, disease burden or inflammation was the most important to predict unplanned hospital admission in multivariable analysis (HR 3.27, 95% CI: 2.03 to 5.28).

CONCLUSION

There was good agreement between the GLIM criteria and SGA. GLIM-defined malnutrition, as well as all five GLIM criteria-related diagnosis combinations, had the potential to predict unplanned hospital admissions in UWL outpatients within 2 years. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Precision Measurement of Reactor Antineutrino Oscillation at Kilometer-Scale Baselines by Daya Bay

We present a new determination of the smallest neutrino mixing angle θ_{13} and the mass-squared difference Δm_{32}^{2} using a final sample of 5.55×10^{6} inverse beta-decay (IBD) candidates with the final-state neutron captured on gadolinium. This sample is selected from the complete dataset obtained by the Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment in 3158 days of operation. Compared to the previous Daya Bay results, selection of IBD candidates has been optimized, energy calibration refined, and treatment of backgrounds further improved. The resulting oscillation parameters are sin^{2}2θ_{13}=0.0851±0.0024, Δm_{32}^{2}=(2.466±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the normal mass ordering or Δm_{32}^{2}=-(2.571±0.060)×10^{-3}  eV^{2} for the inverted mass ordering.

Integrated analysis for treatment scheme of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in patients with diabetic kidney disease: a real-world study

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are recommended for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with impaired renal function, but the actual situation of SGLT2i using is unclear. Therefore, in this real-world study, we analyzed the treatment scheme and clinical characteristics of SGLT2i in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD). We included DKD patients hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2017 to March 2020. The Apriori algorithm of association rules was used to analysis treatment scheme prescribing SGLT2i and other different combinations of hypoglycemic drugs. SGLT2i was used in 781 (12.3%) of 6336 DKD patients, both number and proportion of patients using SGLT2i increased from 2017 to 2020 (1.9% to 33%). Nighty-eight percent of all DKD patients using SGLT2i were combined with other glucose-lowering agents, and insulin, metformin and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are most commonly used in combination with hypoglycemic drugs. Multivariate analysis showed that compared with non-SGLT2i group, patients using SGLT2i were associated with younger age, higher BMI, higher HbA1c, preserved kidney function, dyslipidemia and combined with ACEI/ARB and statins. In this real-world study, use of SGLT2i in DKD patients is still low. Most patients performed younger age and in the early stages of chronic kidney disease with poor glycemic control. Clinical inertia should be overcome to fully exert the cardiorenal protective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors, with attention to rational drug use.

Follow-up survey of general practitioners in Zhejiang Province post-completion of position transition training in 2017-2020

BACKGROUND

Position transition training for general practitioners in Zhejiang Province started in 2017 and has since been held once a year. By the beginning of 2022, four training sessions were completed. The purpose of this survey was to establish the current situation of trainees after their graduation and provide reference for the evaluation of the training effect.

METHODS

Of the 738 trainees who completed the training, 253 were contacted and followed up. A self-designed questionnaire was used to conduct the survey through online filling in. The content included questions to elucidate the following information: whereabouts after the training, registration as a general practitioner, undertaken general practice teaching and scientific research work, current occupational environment, improvement of post competence after receiving position transition training, willingness to complete survey, willingness to participate in future training programs, etc. RESULTS: A number of 253 valid questionnaires were collected with a recovery rate of 100%. Notably, 93.68% of the participants successfully completed their training and obtained the Training Certificate of General Practitioners. Further, 83.4% were registered as general practitioners, 82.94% of which added on the basis of the original registered scope of practice. Currently, most of them work in primary health care institutions, primarily occupied with medical treatment, chronic disease management, COVID-19 prevention and control, health education, and prevention and health care. Of them, 27.01% were currently undertaking teaching work, and only 3.32% of them were conducting scientific research work related to general practice. The overall satisfaction of the trainees in the three theoretical training bases was above 90%, with no statistically significant difference among them (P > 0.05). Importantly, 84.11% of the followed-up personnel hoped to continue to participate in similar training in the future to improve their general practitioner core competences.

CONCLUSION

The position transition training in Zhejiang Province has achieved good results, but the details of training and the implementation of policies in individual regions need to be improved. Most of the graduates were willing to continue their education, especially in general practitioners with special interests.

Deaths and disability-adjusted life years of hypertension in China, South Korea, and Japan: A trend over the past 29 years

Background

Hypertension has been confirmed as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and death. Few data were analyzed on deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) caused by hypertension in East Asia. We aimed to provide an overview of burden attributable to high blood pressure in China in the past 29 years, compared with those in Japan and South Korea.

Methods

Data were collected from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease study on diseases due to high systolic blood pressure (SBP). We retrieved the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and DALYs rate (ASDR) by gender, age, location, and sociodemographic index. The death and DALY trends were evaluated by estimated annual percentage change, with 95% confidence interval.

Findings

Considerable differences were detected in the diseases attributable to high SBP in China, Japan, and South Korea. In 2019, the ASMR and ASDR of diseases due to high SBP in China were 153.34 (126.19, 182.49) per 100,000 population and 2,844.27 (2,391.91, 3,321.12) per 100,000 population, respectively, which was about 3.50-fold of those in another two countries. The elders and males had higher ASMR and ASDR in the three countries. Between 1990 and 2019, the declining trends were less pronounced in China for both the deaths and DALYs.

Conclusions

The deaths and DALYs due to hypertension declined in China, Japan, and South Korea in the past 29 years, with China having the greatest burden.

Predictive prognostic value of glomerular C3 deposition in IgA nephropathy

BACKGROUND

IgAN is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. However, the pathogenesis of IgAN remains unknown. Currently, there is evidence that C3 deposition plays a role in disease development. This study aimed to investigate clinical, pathological features, and prognosis of adult IgAN patients with C3 deposition, as well as explore the role of complement activation in disease progression.

METHODS

A total of 821 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN were included in this study. Patients were divided into three different groups according to their C3 deposition intensity. Clinical and pathological characteristics were compared between groups. Logistic analysis was used to estimate the relationship between C3 deposition and the Oxford scoring system. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the effect of the presence of C3 deposits on the prognosis of patients with IgA nephropathy. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the cumulative incidence of renal progression between groups.

RESULTS

Patients with C3 deposition exhibited more severe clinical and pathological features and had a higher score according to the Oxford scoring system. With the increasing intensity of C3 deposition, patients present more hematuria, crescents, heavier interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration and a higher score on segmental sclerosis lesions. Logistic regression identified a positive relationship between C3 deposition and histopathology. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression indicated that C3 deposition was an independent risk factor for IgAN severity. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that patients with positive C3 deposition had a worse prognosis compared to those without C3 deposition.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with positive glomerular C3 deposition presented with more severe clinical and histopathological characteristics and a higher score on the Oxford scoring system. With the increasing intensity of C3 deposition, IgAN patients were more likely to present with high level of microscopic hematuria, fibrous crescents, interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration, and a higher score on segmental sclerosis lesions. C3 deposition at the time of renal biopsy is likely an independent risk factor for IgA nephropathy severity and progression.

Integrated transcriptome and trajectory analysis of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma identifies putative precancer populations

The incidence of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) increases with age, and blood involvement portends a worse prognosis. To advance our understanding of the development of CTCL and identify potential therapeutic targets, we performed integrative analyses of paired single-cell RNA and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing of peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from patients with CTCL to reveal disease-unifying features. The malignant CD4+ T cells of CTCL showed highly diverse transcriptomic profiles across patients, with most displaying a mature Th2 differentiation and T-cell exhaustion phenotype. TCR-CDR3 peptide prediction analysis suggested limited diversity between CTCL samples, consistent with a role for a common antigenic stimulus. Potential of heat diffusion for affinity-based trajectory embedding transition analysis identified putative precancerous circulating populations characterized by an intermediate stage of gene expression and mutation level between the normal CD4+ T cells and malignant CTCL cells. We further revealed the therapeutic potential of targeting CD82 and JAK that endow the malignant CTCL cells with survival and proliferation advantages.

Integrated analysis of RNA methylation regulators crosstalk and immune infiltration for predictive and personalized therapy of diabetic nephropathy

BACKGROUND

RNA methylation is a widely known post-transcriptional regulation which exists in many cancer and immune system diseases. However, the potential role and crosstalk of five types RNA methylation regulators in diabetic nephropathy (DN) and immune microenvironment remain unclear.

METHODS

The mRNA expression of 37 RNA modification regulators and RNA modification regulators related genes were identified in 112 samples from 5 Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Nonnegative Matrix Factorization clustering method was performed to determine RNA modification patterns. The ssGSEA algorithms and the expression of human leukocyte antigen were employed to assess the immune microenvironment characteristics. Risk model based on differentially expression genes responsible for the modification regulators was constructed to evaluate its predictive capability in DN patients. Furthermore, the results were validated by using immunofluorescence co-localizations and protein experiments in vitro.

RESULTS

We found 24 RNA methylation regulators were significant differently expressed in glomeruli in DN group compared with control group. Four methylation-related genes and six RNA regulators were introduced into riskScore model using univariate Logistic regression and integrated LASSO regression, which could precisely distinguish the DN and healthy individuals. Group with high-risk score was associated with high immune infiltration. Three distinct RNA modification patterns were identified, which has significant differences in immune microenvironment, biological pathway and eGFR. Validation analyses showed the METTL3, ADAR1, DNMT1 were upregulated whereas YTHDC1 was downregulated in DN podocyte cell lines comparing with cells cultured by the normal glucose.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals that RNA methylation regulators and immune infiltration regulation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DN. The bioinformatic analyses combine with verification in vitro could provide robust evidence for identification of predictive RNA methylation regulators in DN.

[Different rapid maxillary expansion methods in the treatment of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome]

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is a common sleep respiratory disorder characterized by upper respiratory collapse during sleep, with a high prevalence and potentially fatal complications. Currently, maxillary transverse deficiency are considered to be an important pathogenic factor of OSAHS. For patients with poor compliance with positive airway pressure therapy, rapid maxillary expansion can increase the volume and ventilation of the upper respiratory tract, which is an alternative treatment. This paper reviewed the current research on surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion, miniscrew assisted rapid palatal expansion, and distraction osteogenesis maxillary expansion in the treatment of adult OSAHS. By comparing the indications, contraindications, complications, efficacy and long-term stability of the three treatment methods, it provided reference for treatment of patients with OSAHS.

IL-37 alleviates intervertebral disc degeneration via the IL-1R8/NF-κB pathway

OBJECTIVE

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) has been reported to be a major cause of low back pain (LBP). Interleukin (IL)-37 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine of the interleukin-1 family, which exerts salutary physiological effects. In this study, we assessed the protective effect of IL-37 on IDD progression and its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

Immunofluorescence (IF) was conducted to measure IL-37 expression in nucleus pulposus tissues. CCK-8 assay and Edu staining were used to examine the vitality of IL-37-treated nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). Western blot, qPCR, ELISA as well as immunohistochemistry were used to assess senescence associated secreted phenotype (SASP) factors expression; and NF-κB pathway was evaluated by western blot and IF; while IL-1R8 knock-down by siRNAs was performed to ascertain its significance in the senescence phenotype modulated by IL-37. The therapeutic effect of IL-37 on IDD were evaluated in puncture-induced rat model using X-ray, Hematoxylin-Eosin, Safranin O-Fast Green (SO), and alcian blue staining.

RESULTS

We found IL-37 expression decreased in the IDD process. In vitro, IL-37 suppressed SASP factors level and senescence phenotype in IL-1β treated NPCs. In vivo, IL-37 alleviated the IDD progression in the puncture-induced rat model. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that IL-37 inhibited IDD progression by downregulating NF-κB pathway activation in NPCs by activating IL-1R8.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that IL-37 delays the IDD development through the IL-1R8/NF-κB pathway, which suggests IL-37 as a promising novel target for IDD therapy.