[High expression of MYBL2 promotes progression and predicts a poor survival outcome of prostate cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the correlation of MYB proto-oncogene like 2 (MYBL2) with biological behaviors and clinical prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODS

We detected Mybl2 mRNA expression in 45 pairs of PCa and adjacent tissues using real-time quantitative PCR, and analyzed the correlation of high (23 cases) and low expression (22 cases) of Mybl2 with clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients using nonparametric test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and univariate and multivariate Cox regression. The results were verified by analysis of the data from Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) microarray database, and the molecular pathways were identified by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The CIBERPORT algorithm was used to identify the correlations between Mybl2 expression and tumor microenvironment of PCa. We also tested the effects of MYBL2 knockdown on proliferation and invasion of PCa cell lines using cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays and observed the growth of PC3 cell xenograft with MYBL2 knockdown in nude mice and the expression levels of Ki-67 in the xenograft using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Mybl2 expression was significantly elevated in PCa tissues in close correlation with Gleason score and clinical and pathological stage of the tumor (P < 0.01) but not with the patients' age. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated a significant negative correlation of high Mybl2 expression with recurrence-free survival (P < 0.05), but not with the overall survival of the patients. The data from TCGA suggested that clinical and pathological stages were independent prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival, and our data indicated that clinical stage and Gleason score were independent prognostic factors of PCa (P < 0.05). GSEA suggested that Mybl2 expression was related with the pathways involving immune function, cell adhesion, and cytokine secretion; CIBERPORT analysis suggested the involvement of Mybl2 expression with memory B cells and resting mast cells (P < 0.05). In LNCaP and PC-3 cells, MYBL2 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion (P < 0.05); in the tumor-bearing nude mice, the xenografts derived from PC-3 cells with MYBL2 knockdown exhibited a lowered mean tumor weight and positivity rate for Ki67 (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Mybl2 is an oncogene related with multiple pathological indicators of PCa and can serve as a potential prognostic marker as well as a therapeutic target for patients with PCa.

A phase III randomized, controlled trial of nedaplatin versus cisplatin concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the non-inferiority of nedaplatin-based and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients.

DESIGN

Patients aged 28-82 years with pathologically diagnosed cervical cancer (stage IB-IVA) were randomly chosen for the study. Patients in both the cisplatin and nedaplatin groups received radiotherapy and weekly intravenous nedaplatin 30 mg/m² or cisplatin 40 mg/m² concurrently.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty patients who received treatment between 10 May 2018 and 31 August 2020 were included. The 3-year overall survival in the nedaplatin group (median 30.5 months) was not significantly different from that in the cisplatin group (28.5 months; hazard ratio 0.131, 95% confidence interval 0.016-1.068; P = 0.058). No significant differences in hematological toxicity were observed between the two groups. Vomiting (40 versus 61), nausea (44 versus 67), and anorexia (52 versus 71) were more common in the cisplatin group whereas effects on liver function, including total bilirubin (7 versus 3), alanine aminotransferase (7 versus 2), and aspartate aminotransferase (6 versus 2), were more common in the nedaplatin group. Four patients in the cisplatin group had grade I creatinine elevation, whereas none in the nedaplatin group had abnormal creatinine levels. Two patients in the nedaplatin group discontinued concurrent chemotherapy because of infusion, and one patient in the cisplatin group discontinued treatment because of infusion-induced dizziness.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that nedaplatin has a milder gastrointestinal reaction but a more significant effect on liver function than cisplatin. In patients with cervical cancer, nedaplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy could serve as an alternative treatment to cisplatin.

Significance of initiating antiretroviral therapy in the early stage of HIV infection

A growing number of guidelines now recommend that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients should be given early antiretroviral therapy (ART), especially in acute HIV infection. ART during early infection can limit viral reservoirs and improve immune cell function. From a societal prospect, early-infected individuals who achieve a state of viral suppression through ART can reduce the chance of HIV transmission and reduce the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related disease burden. However, there are many problems in the early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection, including personal and social factors, which hinder the implementation and development of early treatment. It is recommended that initiating ART in the early stage of HIV infection, combined with other treatment strategies, so as to achieve functional cure.

[Knobloch syndrome: a case report]

A 5-year-old girl came to the Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in May 2021 because of her poor eyesight after birth. The physical examination showed that she had high myopia, esotropia, horizontal tremor, and high myopia retinopathy of both eyes. After inquiring about her medical history, we found that the baby's occipital cystic mass swelled after birth, and CT examination showed that the occipital skull plate defect with meningocele, but without treatment, at present, the occipital mass had subsided by itself. Considering the eye manifestations and skull changes of the child, it may be conformed to Knobloch syndrome, after the detection of V4 by full exon gene, it was found that the child had the compound heterozygous variation of pathogenic gene COL18A1, and Knobloch syndrome was definite, Knobloch syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease with typical features of high myopia, retinal detachment and occipital encephalocele. At present, there is no clear treatment plan, and gene therapy may be an effective treatment for Knobloch syndrome in the future.

Resveratrol modulates the gut microbiota of cholestasis in pregnant rats

This study aims to investigate the effect of resveratrol on intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and its effect on the gut microbiome profiles, thus contributing to the potential therapeutic strategies for ICP. ICP rat models were established by injecting 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE) subcutaneously from the thirteenth day of gestation for four days and then treated with EE (D group, n=5), resveratrol (R group, n=5), or ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA; U group, n=5) from the seventeenth to the twentieth day of gestation. Fecal samples were analyzed with 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing. In results: the gut microbiota of pregnant rats was characterized with reduced alpha diversity (Chao1 index), and significant variation in the microbiota structure (ANOSIM) was also observed after being treated with EE. The richness of four phyla and ten genera was upregulated, and five phyla and ten genera were downregulated by EE treatment. The dysbiosis of Bilophila, Ruminococcus, and Actinobacteria caused by EE treatment was reversed by resveratrol administration. There was a correlation between total bile acid and alanine aminotransferase in ICP rats. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis results suggested that the secondary bile acid biosynthesis was decreased, and the alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism was increased after being treated with EE in pregnant rats. In conclusion, EE treatment could lead to gut microbiome dysbiosis and bile acid metabolism dysregulation in pregnant rats. Resveratrol could partially rescue gut microbiota dysbiosis and improve the biochemical characteristics caused by EE treatment.

Long-term case-fatality rate of nontuberculous mycobacterial disease in people living with HIV

Background

Few data are available regarding the long-term case-fatality rate (CFR) among people living with HIV (PLWH) with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease. The aim of this study is to analyze the long-term CFR in patients with NTM disease and to identify risk factors for their death.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 379 cases of microbiologically confirmed NTM disease in PLWH was conducted from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2020, in Shanghai, China. We used Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and the log-rank test to compare the long-term CFR in patients with disseminated NTM (DNTM) and localized NTM disease. Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and a stepwise Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to estimate the predictors of long-term CFR.

Results

The cohort was followed up for a median of 26 months. The total CFR was 15.7% by one year and increased to 22.6% at 5 years after the diagnosis of NTM disease. The 5-year CFR of PLWH with DNTM was significantly higher than that of PLWH with localized NTM (26.7% vs 19.6% for DNTM and localized NTM disease, respectively). Older age [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02–1.06, P < 0.001], comorbidity (HR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.21–3.49, P < 0.01), DNTM (HR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.17–3.68, P < 0.05), and HIV viral load (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12–1.55, P < 0.001) were all independent risk factors for long-term CFR. In the subgroup analysis, time to culture positivity was negatively correlated with CFR in patients with DNTM (HR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82–0.98, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

NTM was associated with a high long-term CFR in PLWH. Further approaches to prevent NTM disease in PLWH are urgently needed.

Graphical Abstract

Real-world circulating tumor DNA analysis depicts resistance mechanism and clonal evolution in ALK inhibitor-treated lung adenocarcinoma patients

Background

Sequential treatment with different generations of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors have been widely applied to ALK-positive lung cancer; however, resistance mutations inevitably developed. Further characterization of ALK resistance mutations may provide key guidance to subsequent therapies. Here we explored the emergence of secondary ALK mutations during sequential ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in a real-world study of Chinese lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) patients.

Methods

A clinical-genomic database was queried for lung ADC patients with at least one ALK inhibitor treatment and at least one plasma sample collected following ALK inhibitor treatment. Targeted genome profiling was performed with a 139-gene panel in baseline tumor tissue and serial plasma samples of patients.

Results

A total of 116 patients met inclusion criteria. ALK G1202R was more common in patients with echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK v3 fusion, whereas ALK L1196M was more common in v1. TP53 mutant patients were significantly associated with harboring multiple ALK resistance mutations (P = 0.03) and v3+/TP53 mutant patients had the highest rate of multiple ALK resistance mutations. The sequential use of ALK TKI led to an increased incidence of concurrent ALK mutations along the lines of therapies. Alectinib had a lower rate (9%) harboring ALK resistance mutation as first-line ALK TKI compared with crizotinib (36%). ALK compound mutations identified included ALK D1203N/L1196M, ALK G1202R/L1196M, and ALK G1202R/F1174C, which may be lorlatinib resistant. Using paired pretreatment and post-treatment samples, we identified several ALK-independent resistance-related genetic alterations, including PTPRD and CNKN2A/B loss, MYC, MYCN and KRAS amplification, and EGFR^19del.

Conclusions

Sequential postprogression plasma profiling revealed that increased lines of ALK inhibitors can accelerate the accumulation of ALK resistance mutations and may lead to treatment-refractory compound ALK mutations. The selection for optimal first-line TKI is very important to achieve a more efficacious long-term strategy and prevent the emergence of on-target resistance, which may provide guidance for clinical decision making.

•

ALK resistance mutations were differentially enriched in the setting of EML4-ALK v1/v3 and TP53 status.

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Serial liquid biopsies NGS depicted accumulation of multiple ALK secondary mutations during sequential ALK treatments.

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Several lorlatinib-resistant ALK compound mutations and ALK-independent resistance genetic alterations were identified.

Utilizing phenotypic characteristics of metastatic brain tumors to improve the probability of detecting circulating tumor DNA from cerebrospinal fluid in non-small-cell lung cancer patients: development and validation of a prediction model in a prospective cohort study

Background

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has become a promising surrogate for genomic profiling of central nervous system tumors. However, suboptimal ctDNA detection rates from CSF limit its clinical utility. Thus precise screening of suitable patients is needed to maximize the clinical benefit.

Patients and methods

Between February 2017 and December 2020, 66 newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain parenchymal metastases were prospectively enrolled as a training cohort and 30 additional patients were enrolled as an external validation cohort. CSF samples and matched primary tumor tissues were collected before treatment and subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS). The imageological characteristics of patients’ brain tumors were evaluated by radiologists using enhanced magnetic resonance imaging images. The clinical and imageological characteristics were evaluated by complete subsets regression, Akaike information criteria, and Bayesian information criteria methods to establish the prediction model. A nomogram was then built for CSF ctDNA detection prediction.

Results

The somatic mutation detection rate of genes covered by our targeted NGS panel was significantly lower in CSF ctDNA (59.09%) than tumor tissue (91.84%). The T_size (diameter of the largest intracranial lesion) and LVD_min (minimum lesion–ventricle distance for all intracranial lesions) were significantly associated with positive CSF ctDNA detection, and thus, were selected to establish the prediction model, which achieved an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.819 and an accuracy of 0.800. The model’s predictive ability was further validated in the independent external cohort (AUC of 0.772, accuracy of 0.767) and by internal cross-validation. The CSF ctDNA detection rate was significantly improved from 58.18% (32/55) to 81.81% (27/33) in patients after model selection (P = 0.022).

Conclusions

This study developed a regression model to predict the probability of detecting CSF ctDNA using the phenotypic characteristics of metastatic brain lesions in NSCLC patients, thus, maximizing the benefits of CSF liquid biopsies.

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Intracranial tumor size and distance to nearest ventricle were significantly correlated with positive CSF ctDNA detection.

•

A prediction model incorporating T_size and LVD_min was developed and validated to evaluate the odds of CSF ctDNA positivity.

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The CSF ctDNA detection rate was significantly improved in patients after model selection.

[Treatment strategy of proliferative membranes in proliferative diabetic retinopathy based on the recognition of morphology characteristics]

Diabetic retinopathy is one of the three major microvascular complications of diabetes. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) is an important ocular complication that affects the vision and quality of life of patients. Vitrectomy is the most effective treatment option. The characteristic of fibrovascular membranes in PDR varies at different stages of the disease, which requires specific treatment strategy and techniques. In order to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of PDR, this article proposes that different treatment methods should be correctly adopted for different types of proliferative membranes on the basis of fully understanding the tissue morphology of these membranes, and more attention should be paid to the treatment of the vitreous body to achieve more effective therapeutic effects. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 881-885).

Mortality in patients with isolated congenital complete atrioventricular block in Sweden: a register-based, nationwide cohort study

Purpose

The congenital heart block is a rare but potentially serious heart conduction disease and associated with high mortality during the fetal or neonatal periods. Earlier reports are based on relatively small number of patients and there are limited data about long-term outcomes.

Methods

Data were collected from the Swedish Patient and Cause of Death register to identify all patients who were born and diagnosed with isolated congenital complete atrioventricular block (CCAVB) between 1970 and 2017. Each patient with isolated CCAVB was matched with 10 control individuals, by birth year and sex from the Total Population Register.

Results

Totally 506 patients with CCAVB and 5,050 controls included in the study (55.3% males). The incidence rate of mortality in patients with isolated CCAVB was 166 per 10.000 person-years. The overall risk of mortality in patients with isolated CCAVB was 45.4 times (95% confidence interval (CI) 32.7–62.9) higher compared to matched controls. In a subgroup investigation, the highest risk of mortality was found in patients with isolated CCAVB from birth until the age of 17 (hazard ratio 80.8, 95% CI 51.6–126.4), compared to matched controls without CCAVB.

Conclusion

In this nationwide cohort study, patients with isolated CCAVB was associated with more than 40-fold risk for overall mortality compared to age and sex matched controls. The greatest risk was found during childhood. Regularly follow-up in tertiary centers and the aware of high risk of complications may be the key to prevention.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Swedish Government, the Swedish Research Council

Nanoscale lattice dynamics in hexagonal boron nitride moiré superlattices

Twisted two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures have unlocked a new means for manipulating the properties of quantum materials. The resulting mesoscopic moiré superlattices are accessible to a wide variety of scanning probes. To date, spatially-resolved techniques have prioritized electronic structure visualization, with lattice response experiments only in their infancy. Here, we therefore investigate lattice dynamics in twisted layers of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), formed by a minute twist angle between two hBN monolayers assembled on a graphite substrate. Nano-infrared (nano-IR) spectroscopy reveals systematic variations of the in-plane optical phonon frequencies amongst the triangular domains and domain walls in the hBN moiré superlattices. Our first-principles calculations unveil a local and stacking-dependent interaction with the underlying graphite, prompting symmetry-breaking between the otherwise identical neighboring moiré domains of twisted hBN.

Here, the authors investigate the lattice dynamics of twisted hexagonal boron nitride layers via nano-infrared spectroscopy, showing local and stacking-dependent variations of the optical phonon frequencies associated to the interaction with the graphite substrate.

[Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease increases the incidence rate of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cohort study based on a rural town elderly population of southern Jiangsu]

Objective: To investigate the impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in an elderly population. Methods: A rural elderly population of Kunshan city, Jiangsu Province were used as the research subject. Prior diabetes mellitus, heavy alcohol consumption and incomplete data were excluded from prospective cohort study analysis. Annual physical examination and follow-up were conducted from 2007 to 2016. T2DM onset, death and loss to follow-up visits were observed as the research subject end points. According to the baseline physical examination results, the study subjects were divided into NAFLD and control groups, and further baseline data of both groups were analyzed whether there were match. The cumulative incidence rate of T2DM were statistically analyzed and compared between the two groups. Simultaneously, the relationship between the two groups of various indexes and the newly developed T2DM were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier. The variables with P < 0.1 were selected and incorporated into the Cox proportional hazard regression model. The impact of NAFLD on the incidence of T2DM was analyzed in an elderly population. Results: At baseline, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of age, sex, waist circumference, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, direct bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen and triglycerides between NAFLD and non-NAFLD groups. However, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol had no statistically significant differences between the two groups. After nine years of follow-up, 207 newly developed T2DM cases, 52 NAFLD cases and 155 control group were selected as the study subjects. The cumulative incidence rates were 4.25%, 10.34%, and 3.55%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis result showed that there were statistically significant differences in the cumulative incidence rates between the two groups from five-year. NAFLD had increased the T2DM risk in an elderly population by approximately 2.14 times (2.14 CI: 1.132 ~ 4.047) at five-year, and then had increased year by year thereafter. Univariate analysis showed that T2DM risk was 2.76 times higher in NAFLD than non-NAFLD groups (95% CI: 2.015 ~ 3.777). After adjustment for gender, age, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, triglyceride, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, T2DM risk ratio was 1.68 times higher in NAFLD than control groups (95% CI: 1.163 ~ 2.425). Conclusion: NAFLD is an independent long-term risk factor for the T2DM onset in an elderly population.

[Endocervical adenocarcinomas classified by International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification: a clinicopathological and prognostic analysis of 286 cases]

Objectives: To investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of International Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Criteria and Classification (IECC) in classifying endocervical adenocarcinomas among Chinese women. Methods: A total of 286 endocervical adenocarcinomas diagnosed from January 2013 to December 2019 at the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine were identified and included. The cases were reviewed and reclassified based on IECC. The histological types were correlated with p16 immunostaining, human papilloma virus (HPV) mRNA status, the clinicopathological parameters including the International Federation of Gynecologic Oncology (FIGO) stage, and clinical follow-up data. Results: The patients aged from 19 to 77 (median 47) years. There were 223 patients at FIGO stage Ⅰ, 22 at stage Ⅱ, 38 at stage Ⅲ and 3 at stage Ⅳ. The IECC types included 213 (74.5%) HPV-related adenocarcinomas (HPVA), 60 (21%) non-HPV-related adenocarcinomas (NHPVA), and 13 (4.5%) adenocarcinomas, no other specified (NOS). The major histological subtypes in HPVA and NHPVA were common type (n=156, 54.5%) and gastric type (GAC, n=46, 15.9%), respectively. The p16 positive rates in HPVA, NHPVA and adenocarcinoma, NOS were 92% (173/188), 26.6% (17/64) and 61.5% (8/13), respectively, and those of HPV mRNA hybridization in situ were 89.4% (144/161), 0/18 and 7/13, respectively. Compared to HPVA, NHPVA was more frequently associated with older age, FIGO stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ, neural involvement, lymphovascular invasion and aberrant p53 expression (P<0.05). Univariate survival analysis showed that age (>47 years), NHPVA, GAC, FIGO stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ, neural involvement, lymphovascular invasion and aberrant p53 expression were indicators for a poorer overall survival and tumor recurrence (P<0.05). Mucinous HPVA showed worse clinical outcomes compared to usual-type HPVA (P<0.01). Multivariate survival analysis demonstrated that FIGO stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ, NHPVA and aberrant p53 expression were independent indicators for poor overall survival while FIGO stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ and GAC were independently associated with tumor recurrence (P<0.05). Conclusions: The two broad IECC categories, HPVA and NHPVA, not only provide morphological links to the etiology (HPV infection), but also have significant clinicopathological and prognostic relevance.

Update: Drug treatment options for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) continues to rage as a global pandemic. A number of potential therapeutic agents have been explored over the past year or two. However, numerous drugs that were expected to prove highly effective, such as lopinavir/ritonavir and remdesivir, have been found to have little benefit in large clinical trials. Interleukin-6 receptor antagonists, glucocorticoids, Janus kinase inhibitors, and some antivirals have been found to provide significant benefits in terms of reducing viral load, reducing the time of nucleic acid conversion, or improving survival. For example, bamlanivimab and etesevimab, which are newly designed monoclonal antibodies against the surface spike protein S1 subunit receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, have a significant effect on reducing the viral load and the hospitalization rate of patients with mild COVID-19. Several vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been widely administered worldwide and have provided good protection. Nevertheless, the increasingly hardy variants of the virus have raised the requirements for vaccine design. Perhaps RBD-based vaccines are a viable way to defend against variants, but this still needs to be verified in a large sample. Therefore, this paper provides an update on the treatment options for COVID-19 based on three previously proposed dimensions of drug screening: standard assays of existing broad-spectrum antivirals, screening of chemical libraries, and redevelopment of new, specific drugs.

[Mechanism of blunt spleen injury: a finite element analysis]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the biomechanical mechanism of blunt spleen injury based on finite element analysis.

OBJECTIVE

A fist finite element model was used to simulate the impact at 4-8 m/s in the spleen area of THUMS4.0 human body model from the front of the left costal area, the left anterior axillary line and the rear scapular line. The strain distribution and damage of the spleen under different conditions were observed. The simulation results were compared with the clinical cases of spleen rupture to analyze the mechanism of spleen injury.

OBJECTIVE

The damage location and strain distribution of the spleen could vary under different conditions. Due to the special anatomical location of the spleen, a blunt impact at the speed of 4-8 m/s on the front side did not easily cause spleen injury, and the strain was distributed mainly in the front of the spleen and the spleen hilum; a similar blunt impact on the left side was likely to cause spleen diaphragmatic surface injury, the splenic visceral surface could be injured by the compression of the medial tissue and organs and the traction of the splenic pedicle, and the strain was distributed in the spleen diaphragmatic and visceral surfaces; an impact on the back side was likely to cause injuries in the posterior portion and hilum of the spleen, and the strain was mainly concentrated in the injured area.

OBJECTIVE

Blunt spleen injuries caused by punches on the abdomen are mostly caused by direct impact on the ribs, the compression by the surrounding tissues and organs and the traction by the spleen pedicle.

Evaluation of the probiotic and functional potential of Lactobacillus agilis 32 isolated from pig manure

Escherichia coli is a symbiotic bacterium in humans and animals and an important pathogen of humans and animals. Prevention and suppression of E. coli infection is of great concern. In this study, we isolated a strain of Lactobacillus agilis 32 from pig manure and evaluated its biological characteristics, and found that its bacterial survival rate was 25% after 4 h of treatment at pH 2, and under the condition of 0·5% bile concentration, its survival rate exceeds 30%. In addition, L. agilis 32 has a cell surface hydrophobicity of 77·8%, and exhibits 67·1% auto-aggregation and 63·2% aggregation with Enterotoxigenic E. coli 10 (ETEC 10). FITC fluorescence labelling showed that the fluorescence intensity of cecum was significantly higher than that of duodenum, jejunum or colon (P < 0·05), but no significant difference from ileum. Lactobacillus agilis 32 bacterial culture and CFS showed average inhibition zone diameters of 14·2 and 15·4 mm respectively. Lactobacillus agilis 32 CFS treatment can significantly reduce the pathogenicity of ETEC 10. These results show that L. agilis 32 is an active and potential probiotic, and it has a good antibacterial effect on ETEC10, which provides basic research for probiotics to prevent and treat intestinal diarrhoea pathogen infection.