Proteomics of Tear in Inactive Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

BACKGROUND

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), one of the most common orbital diseases in adults, seriously reduces patients' quality of life. Although human tear proteomics identified many abnormal expressed proteins and proposed several pathogeneses of TAO, most of these studies focused on the active stage or mixed types in TAO. In this study we identified significantly changed proteins and preliminary revealed the potential signalling pathways and mechanisms of TAO with the late, inactive stage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Tears from TAO patients (n=6) with a CAS score < 3 and 6 control healthy subject were collected. The pooled tears were further fractionated using high pH reversed-phase chromatography, then submitted to LC-MS/MS and subsequent bioinformatic analysis.

RESULTS

Proteomic profiling identified 107 significantly changed proteins between the inactive stage of TAO patients and healthy cases. Among these proteins, 62 were upregulated, and 45 were downregulated in TAO cases compared to healthy individuals. Enrichment analysis revealed that the immune system, cell cycle, metabolism (carbohydrate metabolism and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins), protein synthesis and degradation might play a vital role in the progress of inactive TAO. The present investigation represents the first proteomic tear study of TAO patients in the inactive stage.

CONCLUSION

The results shed light on the differences between inactive TAO patients and healthy cases, thus enabling us to understand better the molecular mechanisms and potential targets for the treatment of inactive TAO.

FOXO3 Mediates Tooth Movement by Regulating Force-Induced Osteogenesis

The high prevalence of malocclusion and dentofacial malformations means that the demand for orthodontic treatments has been increasing rapidly. As the biological basis of orthodontic treatment, the mechanism of mechanical force-induced alveolar bone remodeling during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) has become the key scientific issue of orthodontics. It has been demonstrated that bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are crucial for bone remodeling and exhibit mechanical sensing properties. Mechanical force can promote osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs and osteogenesis, but the key factor that mediates mechanical force-induced osteogenesis during OTM remains unclear. In this study, by performing reverse-phase protein arrays on BMSCs exposed to mechanical force, we found that the expression level of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) was significantly upregulated during the mechanical force-induced osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs. The number of FOXO3-positive cells was consistently higher on the OTM side as compared with the control side and accompanied by the enhancement of osteogenesis. Remarkably, inhibiting FOXO3 with repaglinide delayed OTM by severely impairing mechanical force-induced bone formation in vivo. Moreover, knockdown of FOXO3 effectively inhibited the mechanical force-induced osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs, whereas the overexpression of FOXO3 enhanced this effect. Mechanistically, we revealed a novel regulatory model in which FOXO3 promoted osteocalcin transcription by activating its promoter in cooperation with runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). We collectively obtained the first evidence that FOXO3 is critical for OTM, where it responds to mechanical force and directly regulates downstream osteoblastic differentiation in an efficient manner.

Effects of phytosterol supplementation on growth performance, serum lipid, proinflammatory cytokines, intestinal morphology, and meat quality of white feather broilers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary phytosterol (PS) addition at different levels on growth performance, serum lipid, proinflammatory cytokines, intestinal morphology, and meat quality in broilers. A total of 600, 1-day-old male broilers were allocated into five groups with six replicates and were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 10, 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg PS for 42 days. Compared with the control group, the administration of PS at doses of 40 and 80 mg/kg significantly increased the average daily feed intake and average daily gain of broilers during the experimental period. Similarly, PS at a dosage of 20 and 40 mg/kg increased the concentrations of interleukin-1β, interferon-γ, interleukin-2, and interleukin-6 but decreased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol content of serum (P < 0.05). Dietary PS at less than or equal to 40 mg/kg level increased (P < 0.05) villus height, and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum and ileum. Supplementing PS increased the pH value at 45 min post-mortem and decreased drip loss and shear force of breast muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary PS administration at 20 and 40 mg/kg decreased malondialdehyde accumulation but increased total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity of breast muscle compared with the control group (P < 0.05). PS increased the concentrations of total amino acids and flavor amino acids as well as eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids but decreased saturated fatty acids in breast muscle (P < 0.05). It was concluded that dietary PS supplementation, especially at 40 mg/kg, could improve growth performance, serum lipid, proinflammatory cytokines, intestinal morphology, and meat quality in broilers, providing insights into its application as a potential feed additive in broiler production.

POS0817 A NOVEL MODEL TO ASSESS DISEASE ACTIVITY IN TAKAYASU ARTERITIS BASED ON 18F-FDG-PET/CT: A CHINESE COHORT STUDY

Background:

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a condition characterized by major large-vessel vasculitis (LVV), and is most commonly found in young women (age <40 years) of East Asia countries. 18F-FDG-PET/CT has been widely used in the diagnosis and follow-up of cancers to gather functional information based on metabolic activity. In the present study, we evaluated the value of different parameters in 18F-FDG-PET/CT for assessing active TA disease, and we establish a simple, quantifiable, and effective disease activity evaluation model based on 18F-FDG-PET/CT. A comparison in the ability to identify active disease was performed between the established Kerr score and the new 18F-FDG-PET/CT was also performed.

Objectives:

To investigate the utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) in assessing disease activity in TA.

Methods:

Ninety-one patients with TA, were recruited from a Chinese cohort from October 2017 to January 2019. Clinical data, acute-phase reactants (APRs), and 18F-FDG-PET/CT findings were simultaneously recorded. The Physician Global Assessment was used as the gold standard to assess TA disease activity. The value of using 18F-FDG-PET/CT to identify active disease was evaluated, using erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) as a reference. Disease activity assessment models were constructed and concordance index (C-index), net reclassification index (NRI), and integrated discrimination index (IDI) were evaluated to compare the benefits of the new modes with ESR and Kerr score.

Results:

In total, 64 (70.3%) cases showed active disease. Higher levels of ESR and CRP, and lower interleukin (IL)-2R levels, were observed in active cases. 18F-FDG-PET/CT parameters, including SUVmean, SUVratio1, SUVratio2, sum of SUVmean, and sum of SUVmax, were significantly higher in active disease groups. The C index threshold of ESR to indicate active disease was 0.78 (95% CI: 0.69-0.88). The new activity assessment model combining ESR, sum of SUVmean, and IL-2R showed significant improvement in C index over the ESR method (0.96 vs. 0.78, P < 0.01; NRI 1.63, P < 0.01; and IDI 0.48, P < 0.01). The new model also demonstrated modest superiority to Kerr score assessment (0.96 vs. 0.87, P = 0.03; NRI 1.19, P < 0.01; and IDI 0.33 P < 0.01).

Conclusion:

A novel 18F-FDG-PET/CT-based method that involves combining the sum of SUVmean with ESR score and IL-2R levels demonstrated superiority in identifying active TA compared to conventional methods.

References:

[1]Kerr GS, Hallahan CW, Giordano J, Leavitt RY, Fauci AS, Rottem M, et al. Takayasu arteritis. Ann Intern Med 1994;120:919-29.

[2]Hoffman GS, Ahmed AE. Surrogate markers of disease activity in patients with Takayasu arteritis. A preliminary report from The International Network for the Study of the Systemic Vasculitides (INSSYS). Int J Cardiol 1998;66 Suppl 1:S191-4; discussion S195.

[3]Misra R, Danda D, Rajappa SM, Ghosh A, Gupta R, Mahendranath KM, et al. Development and initial validation of the Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score (ITAS2010). Rheumatology (Oxford) 2013;52:1795-801.

[4]Bardi M, Diamantopoulos AP. EULAR recommendations for the use of imaging in large vessel vasculitis in clinical practice summary. Radiol Med 2019;124:965-972.

[5]Spick C, Herrmann K, Czernin J. 18F-FDG PET/CT and PET/MRI Perform Equally Well in Cancer: Evidence from Studies on More Than 2,300 Patients. J Nucl Med 2016;57:420-30.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0815 CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS, IMAGING PHENOTYPE, AND LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF TAKAYASU ARTERITIS PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION

Background:

Hypertension occurred in 30-80% of TAK patients around the world. The occurrence of hypertension might severely worsen TAK prognosis. Nevertheless, data describing the specific imaging features in hypertensive TAK patients and the associations between hypertensive severity, blood pressure control status and long-term outcome were still lacking.

Objectives:

To investigate the characteristics and associations of hypertensive characteristics with adverse events-free survival in Takayasu arteritis (TAK) patients with hypertension.

Methods:

This research was based on a prospectively on-going observational cohort-East China Takayasu Arteritis (ECTA) cohort. In all, 618 TAK patients, who registered in the ECTA cohort up to December 2019, were enrolled. The main outcome was the adverse-events-free survival among hypertensive TAK patients during the follow-up ended on August 2020.

Results:

Totally, 204 (33.0%) patients suffered from hypertension, with 48 (23.5%), 62 (30.4%), and 94 (46.1%) mild, moderate, and severe hypertension, respectively. Cluster analysis indicated three imaging phenotypes for hypertensive TAK patients: Cluster 1: involvement of the abdominal aorta and/or renal artery (n=56, 27.5%); Cluster 2: involvement of the ascending aorta, thoracic aorta, and the aortic arch and its branches (n=38, 18.6%); Cluster 3: combined involvement of Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 (n=111, 54.4%). By the end of the follow-up, the blood pressure control rate was 50.8%, while the adverse-events-free survival was 67.9% in the entire hypertensive population. Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that well-controlled blood pressure (HR=2.13, 95%CI 1.32–3.78, p=0.047), co-existence of severe aortic valve regurgitation (HR=0.87, 95%CI 0.64–0.95, p=0.043), Cluster 1 (HR=0.69, 95%CI 0.48–0.92, p=0.017) and Cluster 3 (HR=0.72, 95%CI 0.43–0.94, p=0.048) imaging phenotype was associated with the adverse-events-free survival.

Conclusion:

Patients with controlled hypertension showed better adverse-events-free survival, while those with the Cluster 1 imaging phenotype were more likely to suffer from worse adverse-events-free survival. Hypertension occurred in 30-80% of TAK patients around the world. The occurrence of hypertension might severely worsen TAK prognosis.

References:

[1]Johnston SL, Lock RJ, Gompels MM. Takayasu arteritis: a review. J Clin Pathol 2002; 55:481–6.

[2]Watanabe Y, Miyata T, Tanemoto K. Current clinical features of new patients with Takayasu arteritis observed from a cross-country research in Japan: age and sex specificity. Circulation 2015; 132:1701–9.

[3]Yilmaz N, Can M, Oner FA, et al. Impaired quality of life, disability and mental health in Takayasu’s arteritis. Rheumatol. (Oxford) 2013; 52:1898–904.

[4]Laurent A, Julien H, Nicolas L, et al. Takayasu arteritis in France: a single-center retrospective study of 82 cases comparing white, North African, and black patients. Medicine 2010; 89:1–17.

[5]Mwipatayi BP, Jeffery PC, Beningfield SJ, et al. Takayasu arteritis: clinical features and management: report of 272 cases. ANZ J Surg 2005; 75:110–7.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0816 PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR AGGRAVATED VASCULAR DAMAGE IN TAKAYASU ARTERITIS

Background:

Takayasu arteritis is a rare disease characterized by inflammation in the aorta and its branches. Some patients were discovered to suffer the aggravated vascular damage (AVD), monitored by imaging techniques, even with the effective anti-inflammation treatment. But the general characteristics and the related prognostic factors of AVD in TA were unclear yet.

Objectives:

We aimed to describe the characteristics of the AVD and identify its prognostic factors in TA.

Methods:

From the living East China Takayasu arteritis cohort, patients who underwent at least two magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) examinations at Zhongshan Hospital from April 2009 to April 2019 were enrolled as the derivation cohort to explore the prognostic factors of AVD in MRA. An independent group of patients from May 2019 to July 2020 comprising the validation cohort were used to validate the nomogram formed by these prognostic factors.

Results:

Among 235 enrolled patients, 69 patients (29.3%) suffered AVD with the median follow-up of 14 months. The limb arteries were the most vulnerable and the aggravated vascular stenosis were the most commonly seen in AVD. Patients with AVD were younger, had higher complement 4 levels at baseline, and lower disease remission rate at 6 months. Multivariate cox regression analysis revealed that younger age (HR: 0.25-0.42, 95%CI: 0.09-0.91), higher CRP levels (HR = 2.57, 95%CI: 1.51–4.36) at baseline, and lower remission rate at 6 months (HR = 0.36, 95%CI: 0.21–0.64) were significant predictors. In the validation cohort of 65 patients, 19 cases had AVD. The predictive nomogram based on these factors achieved C-indices of 0.745 and 0.641 in the derivation and validation cohort respectively.

Conclusion:

Totally, 29.3% of patients suffered AVD, among which the aggravated vascular stenosis and limb arteries involvement were most commonly seen. Younger age, higher CRP at baseline, and lower disease remission rate at 6 months were prognostic factors for AVD.

References:

[1]M. Bredemeier, C.M. Rocha, M.V. Barbosa, E.H. Pitrez. One-year clinical and radiological evolution of a patient with refractory Takayasu’s arteritis under treatment with tocilizumab. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2012; 30 (Suppl. 70): S98-S100.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0187 THE PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN PREDICTING RELAPSE FOR IGG4-RELATED DISEASE: A LONG-TERM STUDY BASED ON THE CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PATIENTS

Background:

The relationship between the pathological findings and disease relapse has not been well established.

Objectives:

We aim to investigate the clinical and pathological manifestations in relation with disease relapse in IgG4-RD, as well as identify prognostic factors in predicting relapsed disease.

Methods:

This study enrolled 71 patients newly diagnosed with IgG4-RD between Jan 2011 and April 2020, all of whom had received pathological examinations. Their pathological manifestations and clinical data were collected. Multivariate Cox regression and AUC (area under curve) were used to identify predictors for relapsed disease and assess the predictive value of these predictors, respectively.

Results:

During a follow-up period of 26 (range, 6-123) months, 4.2% (3/71) patients died. The remaining 68 patients were all treated with glucocorticoids with or without immunosuppressor continuously. By the end of follow-up, 47 (69.1%) patients sustained clinical remission, and 21 (30.9%) patients suffered relapsed disease with a median relapse time at 10 (6-30) months. We found that IgG4 ≥ 6.5g/L (OR 1.52-11.06), IgG ≥ 20.8g/L (OR 1.11-7.23), IgG4-RD responder index (RI) ≥ 9 (OR 1.28-11.37), and more IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration (≥ 60 / HPF in visceral organs, or ≥ 200 / HPF in head and neck organs) (OR 1.79-22.41) were all independent predictive factors for disease relapse. A prognostic score was explored for predicting recurrence in IgG4-RD, including three predictive factors (IgG ≥ 20.8g/L, IgG4-RD RI ≥9, and more IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration). The three-year relapse rate for the patients with no, one, two, and three risk factors were 0%, 27.3%, 66.7%, and 100%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Patients’ earlier IgG4 ≥ 6.5g/L, IgG ≥ 20.8g/L, IgG4-RD RI ≥9, and more IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration independently predicted disease relapse. We explored a prognostic score for predicting recurrence in IgG4-RD include three predictive factors (IgG ≥ 20.8g/L, IgG4-RD RI ≥9, and more IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration), which might be used to evaluate the risk of recurrence in IgG4-RD.

References:

[1]DESHPANDE V, ZEN Y, CHAN J K, et al. Consensus statement on the pathology of IgG4-related disease[J]. Mod Pathol,2012,25(9): 1181-1192.

[2]JENNETTE J C, FALK R J, BACON P A, et al. 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Nomenclature of Vasculitides[J]. Arthritis Rheum,2013,65(1): 1-11.

[3]OKAZAKI K, UMEHARA H. Are Classification Criteria for IgG4-RD Now Possible? The Concept of IgG4-Related Disease and Proposal of Comprehensive Diagnostic Criteria in Japan[J]. Int J Rheumatol,2012,2012: 357071.

[4]SHIMOSEGAWA T, CHARI S T, FRULLONI L, et al. International consensus diagnostic criteria for autoimmune pancreatitis: guidelines of the International Association of Pancreatology[J]. Pancreas,2011,40(3): 352-358.

[5]OHARA H, OKAZAKI K, TSUBOUCHI H, et al. Clinical diagnostic criteria of IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis 2012[J]. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci,2012,19(5): 536-542.

[6]KAWANO M, SAEKI T, NAKASHIMA H, et al. Proposal for diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related kidney disease[J]. Clin Exp Nephrol,2011,15(5): 615-626.

[7]GOTO H, TAKAHIRA M, AZUMI A. Diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related ophthalmic disease[J]. Jpn J Ophthalmol,2015,59(1): 1-7.

[8]MATSUI S, YAMAMOTO H, MINAMOTO S, et al. Proposed diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related respiratory disease[J]. Respir Investig,2016,54(2): 130-132.

[9]WEN ZHANG J H S. Management of IgG4-related disease[J]. Lancet Rheumatol,2019,1: e55-e65.

[10]EBBO M, DANIEL L, PAVIC M, et al. IgG4-related systemic disease: features and treatment response in a French cohort: results of a multicenter registry[J]. Medicine (Baltimore),2012,91(1): 49-56.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

POS0664 A MULTICENTER RANDOMIZED STUDY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TO COMPARE IGURATIMOD, METHOTREXATE, OR COMBINATION: 52 WEEK EFFICACY AND SAFETY RESULTS OF THE SMILE TRIAL

Background:

Iguratimod (IGU) has demonstrated efficacy and safety for active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in double-blind clinical trials in China and Japan as a new disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). There are no studies evaluating the radiographic progression of structural joint damage of IGU for the treatment of RA using the mTSS as the primary endpoint.

Objectives:

Our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IGU monotherapy and IGU combined methotrexate (MTX) compared with MTX monotherapy, including the inhibitory effects of joint destruction.

Methods:

This randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, multicenter study in patients with active RA who have not previously used MTX and biological DMARDs (bDMARDs) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01548001) was carried out in China. Patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive IGU 25 mg twice a day (bid), MTX 10mg once a week(qw) for the first 4 weeks and 15 mg once a week(qw) for week 5 to 52, or IGU combined MTX (IGU+MTX) for 52 weeks. The primary endpoints were to assess and compare American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20) response and the change of modified total Sharp scoring (mTSS) score over 52 weeks (Intention-to-treat, ITT analysis). The non-inferiority test was used to analyze the difference of ACR20 response at 52 weeks between the IGU monotherapy and the MTX monotherapy arms, and the non-inferiority limit value was 10%. The difference test was used for the comparison between the IGU+MTX and MTX monotherapy arms. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the difference of the changes of mTSS score of each arm compared with baseline value (0 week).

Results:

A total of 895 patients were randomized to IGU 25mg bid (n =297), MTX 10-15mg qw(n=293), and IGU+MTX (n=305). Baseline characteristics were comparable between the arms (Table 1).

Table 1.

Demographic and Other Baseline Characteristics (SAS)

IGUMTXIGU+MTXNumber of Subjects297293305Age, mean (SD) years46.87(10.67)47.63(10.70)48.37(10.69)Female/male, %77.44/22.5679.18/20.8278.03/21.97Duration of RA, mean(SD) years11.67±7.1611.60±7.9811.67±7.27CRP, mean(SD) mg/L222.32±35.4720.67±26.6119.74±31.38Tender joint count, mean (SD)14.59±9.1614.83±9.3014.93±9.88Swollen joint count, mean (SD)9.81±6.639.73±7.209.51±6.22DAS28-CRP, mean (SD)5.084±0.9945.102±0.9795.103±0.956HAQ score, mean (SD)15.82±11.2515.24±10.9316.06±10.92

SAS: Safety Analysis Set; CRP: C-reactive protein;

DAS28: disease activity score; HAQ: Health Assessment Questionnaire

The study met its primary endpoints. More concretely, IGU monotherapy and IGU+MTX were found to be superior to MTX at week 52 with a higher ACR20 response of 77.44%(230/297, P=0.0019) and 77.05%(235/305, P=0.0028) versus 65.87%(193/293) (fig 1). As shown in fig 1, the structural remission (ΔmTSS≤0.5) was statistically significant for IGU monotherapy (57.4%, P=0.0308) but not for IGU+MTX arm (55%) versus MTX monotherapy (47.8%).

Overall incidence of the adverse events (AEs) leading to study discontinuation were reported in 13.8% (41/297) in IGU monotherapy arm, 11.26% (33/293) in MTX monotherapy arm and 11.51% (35/305) patients in IGU+MTX arm. The incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADR) leading to study discontinuation were 11.45% (34/297), 8.53% (25/293) and 9.21% (28/305), respectively. There was no one death and no significant difference in all the safety indicators among the three arms.

Conclusion:

Iguratimod alone or in combination with MTX demonstrated superior efficacy with acceptable safety compared to MTX for patients with active RA who have not previously used MTX bDMARDs.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

[Effect of early-life antibiotic exposure on allergic symptoms in children aged 6-11 months and 18-23 months based a birth cohort study]

Objective: To analyze the associations between prenatal and 1-year-old exposure to antibiotics and allergic symptoms in children aged 6-11 months and 18-23 months. Methods: In this study, a prospective birth cohort study was adopted. A total of 2 122 pregnant women were enrolled in Maternal and Child Health Care Center of Ma'anshan from June 2015 to June 2016, and they were followed up from the beginning of pregnancy to children's 24 months of age. Excluding 564 pairs of mothers and children who were lost to follow-up or with incomplete information on the use of antibiotics and children's allergic symptoms, a total of 1 558 pairs of mothers and children were included in the analysis of this study. The parents and children's general demographic information, early-life antibiotic exposure and other data were collected, the information about allergic symptoms in children aged 6-11 months and 18-23 months were investigated by reference to the "International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)". The univariate and multivariate binary unconditional logistic regression model was used to was used to estimate associations between the effects of early-life antibiotic exposure on allergic symptoms in 2-year-old children. Results: The antibiotic usage rate of pregnant women during pregnancy was 3.4% (53), and the antibiotic usage rates of children between 0 to 2 months, 3 to 5 months, and 6 to 11 months were separately 15.2%(237), 15.5%(242) and 17.3%(269). The total prevalence of allergic diseases in children aged 6 to 11 months was 24.1% (375 children), and the total prevalence of allergic diseases in children aged 18 to 23 months was 22.0% (342 children). After adjust parental (maternal) education level, family monthly income per capita, parental (maternal) allergy history, parental (maternal) age at pregnancy, mother's Body Mass Index (BMI) before pregnancy, exposure to second-hand smoke during pregnancy, delivery method, child gender, birth weight, preterm birth, the use of antibiotics when children were 3-5 months old (RR=1.61,95%CI:1.19-2.17) and 6-11 months old (RR=1.43,95%CI:1.06-1.93) were the risk factors for allergic symptoms at 6-11 months of age; and the use of antibiotics when children were 0-2 months old (RR=1.41, 95%CI: 1.03-1.95), 3-5 months old (RR=1.54, 95%CI: 1.12-2.11) and 6-11 months old (RR=1.58, 95%CI: 1.17-2.14) were the risk factors for allergic symptoms at 18-23 months of age. Conclusion: Children's exposure to antibiotics within 1 year of age was a risk factor for allergic symptoms in children aged 6-11 months and 18-23 months, children should avoid unnecessary antibiotic use in infancy.

LncRNA TMPO-AS1 promotes proliferation and migration in bladder cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to uncover the in vitro influences of lncRNA TMPO-AS1 on the progression of bladder cancer (BLCA) and the underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expression levels of TMPO-AS1 in BLCA tissues and normal bladder tissues were analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differential expressions of TMPO-AS1 in BLCA tissues and normal bladder epithelial tissues were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Potential influence of TMPO-AS1 on prognosis of BLCA patients was assessed. In vitro influences of TMPO-AS1 on proliferative and migratory abilities in T24 and UMUC-3 cells were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell, and wound healing assay, respectively. Finally, the correlation between TMPO-AS1 and its sense RNA TMPO was assessed by analyzing TCGA database, clinical samples, and BLCA cell lines.

RESULTS

By analyzing TCGA database and clinical samples, it was found that TMPO-AS1 was upregulated in BLCA tissues compared with that in normal bladder tissues. Worse survival was observed in BLCA patients with high expression of TMPO-AS1. TMPO-AS1 level was correlated to muscle invasiveness and TNM stage of BLCA patients. In T24 and UMUC-3 cells, the knockdown of TMPO-AS1 suppressed proliferative and migratory abilities. TMPO-AS1 level was positively correlated to that of its sense RNA TMPO. Moreover, the knockdown of TMPO-AS1 downregulated mRNA and protein levels of TMPO in BLCA cells.

CONCLUSIONS

TMPO-AS1 is upregulated in BLCA tissue and closely linked to poor prognosis of BLCA patients.

Zhuyu Annao decoction promotes angiogenesis in mice with cerebral hemorrhage by inhibiting the activity of PHD3

Some traditional Chinese decoctions, such as Zhuyu Annao, exert favorable therapeutic effects on acute cerebral hemorrhage, hemorrhagic stroke, and other neurological diseases, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether Zhuyu Annao decoction (ZYAND) protects the injured brain by promoting angiogenesis following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and elucidate its specific mechanism. The effect of ZYAND on the nervous system of mice after ICH was explored through behavioral experiments, such as the Morris water maze and Rotarod tests, and its effects on oxidative stress were explored by detecting several oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and WB were used to detect the effects of ZYAND on the levels of prolyl hydroxylase domain 3 (PHD3), hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the brain tissues of mice. The effect of ZYAND on the NF-κB signaling pathway was detected using a luciferase reporter gene. A human umbilical cord vascular endothelial cell angiogenesis experiment was performed to determine whether ZYAND promotes angiogenesis. The Morris water maze test and other behavioral experiments verified that ZYAND improved the neurobehavior of mice after ICH. ZYAND activated the PHD3/HIF-1α signaling pathway, inhibiting the oxidative damage caused by ICH. In angiogenesis experiments, it was found that ZYAND promoted VEGF-induced angiogenesis by upregulating the expression of HIF-1α, and NF-κB signaling regulated the expression of HIF-1α by inhibiting PHD3. ZYAND exerts a reparative effect on brain tissue damaged after ICH through the NF-κB/ PHD3/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling axis.

Simvastatin relieves myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats through hedgehog signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of simvastatin (Sim) on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanism. Our findings might help to provide a certain reference for the clinical prevention and treatment of myocardial I/R injury.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 60 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into three groups using a random number table, including: Sham group (n=20), I/R group (n=20) and I/R + Sim group (n=20). The I/R injury model was successfully established in rats via ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD), followed by reperfusion. Before operation, the rats in I/R + Sim group were administered with Sim at 10 mg/kg/d through oral gavage for 7 d. Cardiac ejection fraction (EF) (%) and fractional shortening (FS) (%) of rats in each group were detected using echocardiography. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was performed to measure the myocardial infarction (MI) area in each group. Collagen deposition in myocardial tissues of rats in each group was detected by Masson's trichrome staining. The apoptosis level of myocardial cells and fibroblasts in myocardial tissues of rats in each group were evaluated via terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in myocardial tissues of rats in each group was determined using fluorescent probes. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted to measure the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in myocardial tissues of rats in each group. Furthermore, the effects of Sim on the hedgehog signaling pathway-associated proteins were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTS

Sim significantly alleviated I/R-induced cardiac dysfunction in rats and increased EF (%) and FS (%) (p<0.05). Meanwhile, it also evidently mitigated the MI caused by I/R and reduced the infarction area (p<0.05). According to the Masson's trichrome staining results, I/R + Sim group exhibited remarkably declined myocardial interstitial collagen deposition compared with I/R group (p<0.05). ROS-sensitive fluorescent staining showed that Sim notably reversed the increase of ROS expression and the decrease of myocardial oxidative stress induced by I/R (p<0.05). Finally, Western blotting results revealed that Sim dramatically restrained the protein expressions of sonic hedgehog (SHH), patched 1 (PTC1) and glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (GLI1) (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sim can significantly relieve myocardial I/R injury in rats. The possible underlying mechanism may be related to its inhibition on the hedgehog signaling pathway.

Prospects for beyond the Standard Model physics searches at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment: DUNE Collaboration

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) will be a powerful tool for a variety of physics topics. The high-intensity proton beams provide a large neutrino flux, sampled by a near detector system consisting of a combination of capable precision detectors, and by the massive far detector system located deep underground. This configuration sets up DUNE as a machine for discovery, as it enables opportunities not only to perform precision neutrino measurements that may uncover deviations from the present three-flavor mixing paradigm, but also to discover new particles and unveil new interactions and symmetries beyond those predicted in the Standard Model (SM). Of the many potential beyond the Standard Model (BSM) topics DUNE will probe, this paper presents a selection of studies quantifying DUNE's sensitivities to sterile neutrino mixing, heavy neutral leptons, non-standard interactions, CPT symmetry violation, Lorentz invariance violation, neutrino trident production, dark matter from both beam induced and cosmogenic sources, baryon number violation, and other new physics topics that complement those at high-energy colliders and significantly extend the present reach.

First Detection of sub-PeV Diffuse Gamma Rays from the Galactic Disk: Evidence for Ubiquitous Galactic Cosmic Rays beyond PeV Energies

We report, for the first time, the long-awaited detection of diffuse gamma rays with energies between 100 TeV and 1 PeV in the Galactic disk. Particularly, all gamma rays above 398 TeV are observed apart from known TeV gamma-ray sources and compatible with expectations from the hadronic emission scenario in which gamma rays originate from the decay of π^{0}'s produced through the interaction of protons with the interstellar medium in the Galaxy. This is strong evidence that cosmic rays are accelerated beyond PeV energies in our Galaxy and spread over the Galactic disk.

Simple and rapid detection Aspergillus fumigatus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow biosensor assay

AIMS

We have developed a new diagnostic technique, termed loop-mediated isothermal amplification coupled with lateral flow biosensor (LAMP-LFB), which has been successfully applied to the detection of Aspergillus fumigatus.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A set of six LAMP primers was designed according to the A. fumigatus-specific anxC4 gene, which specifically recognized eight different regions of the target sequence. The LFB was employed for reporting the A. fumigatus-LAMP results, and the visual readouts were obtained within 2 min. The strains of A. fumigatus species and non-A. fumigatus species were used to test the assay's sensitivity and examine the analytical specificity of the target assay. Optimal LAMP conditions were 66°C for 50 min. The limit of detection is 100 fg. No cross-reactions were obtained, and the specificity of LAMP-LFB assay was 100%. The whole process of the assay, including 20 min of DNA preparation, 50 min of constant temperature amplification, and 2 min of detection by the sensor strip, took a total of 72 min (less than 75 min). Among 89 sputum specimens for clinical evaluation, 10 (11·23%) samples were A. fumigatus-positive by LAMP-LFB and traditional culture method, 9 (10·11%) samples were A. fumigatus-positive by PCR method. Compared with culture method, the diagnostic accuracy of LAMP-LFB method was 100%.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel LAMP-LFB detection technology established in the current research is a rapid and reliable detection tool for A. fumigatus.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This novel LAMP-LFB assay can quickly, specifically and sensitively detect A. fumigatus, thereby speeding up the detection process and increasing the detection rate. In addition, it can also be used as a new molecular method for detection of A. fumigatus in clinical and laboratory areas.

[Multicenter clinical study on the diagnosis and treatment of childhood renal tumor]

Objective: To summarize the effect of Chinese Children's Cancer Group (CCCG) Wilms tumor (WT)-2015 protocol. Methods: This was a prospective study. CCCG-WT-2015 protocol was revised on the basis of the CCCG-WT-2009 protocol. Clinical data of 288 children diagnosed with newly diagnosed kidney neoplasms in fourteen pediatric centers between September 2015 to December 2018 were summarized. The age of onset, distribution of pathological subtypes, staging, curative effect and prognostic factors of these children were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival curve and Log-Rank method was used for univariate analysis. Results: Among 288 cases with kidney neoplasms, there were 261 cases of WT, including 254 cases (97.3%) with favorable histology (FH) WT and 7 cases (2.7%) with unfavorable histology WT (UFHWT). The 3 year events free survival (EFS) rate for FHWT and UFHWT were (88.9±2.1)% and (80.0±17.9)%, which were better than that in WT-2009 (81.2% and 71.7%). In the 96 cases of stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ FHWT with indications for radiotherapy, 76 cases received radiation, another 20 cases received M protocol chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, etoposide, gentamycin, vincristine and adriamycin) instead of radiation. The 3 year EFS rate for these two groups were (84.7±4.3)% and (84.7±8.1)%(χ²=0.015, P=0.902). There were 22 renal clear cell sarcoma and 5 malignant rhabdoid tumor, 3 year EFS rate of them was (94.4±5.4)% and (20.0±17.9)%. Univariate analysis was performed for age, gender, pathological type, stage, whether rupture occurred during operation, whether complete remission (CR) occurred at the end of treatment and radiotherapy. Pathological types (χ²=44.329,P<0.01) and failure to achieve CR at the end of the treatment (χ²=49.459,P<0.01) were independent factor for predicting survival. Conclusion: Compared with CCCG-WT-2009, treatment of renal tumors in CCCG-WT-2015 study yielded good survival outcome, which can be further applied.

ORAOV1-B Promotes OSCC Metastasis via the NF-κB-TNFα Loop

Metastasis, a powerful prognostic indicator of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is chiefly responsible for poor cancer outcomes. Despite an increasing number of studies examining the mechanisms underlying poor outcomes, the development of potent strategies is hindered by insufficient characterization of the crucial regulators. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been gaining interest as significant modulators of OSCC metastasis; however, the detailed mechanisms underlying lncRNA-mediated OSCC metastasis remain relatively uncharacterized. Here, we identified a novel alternative splice variant of oral cancer overexpressed 1 (ORAOV1), named as ORAOV1-B, which was subsequently validated as an lncRNA and correlated with OSCC lymph node metastasis; significantly increased invasion and migration were observed in ORAOV1-B-overexpressing OSCC cells. RNA pulldown and mass spectrometry identified Hsp90 as a direct target of ORAOV1-B, and cDNA microarrays suggested TNFα as a potential downstream target of ORAOV1-B. ORAOV1-B was shown to directly bind to and stabilize Hsp90, which maintains the function of client proteins, receptor-interaction protein, and IκB kinase beta, thus activating the NF-κB pathway and inducing TNFα. Additionally, TNFα reciprocally enhanced p-NF-κB-p65 and the downstream epithelial-mesenchymal transition. ORAOV1-B effects were reversed by a TNFα inhibitor, demonstrating that TNFα is essential for ORAOV1-B-regulated metastatic ability. Consistent epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the ORAOV1-B group was demonstrated via an orthotopic model. In the metastatic model, ORAOV1-B significantly contributed to OSCC-related lung metastasis. In summary, the novel splice variant ORAOV1-B is an lncRNA, which significantly potentiates OSCC invasion and metastasis by binding to Hsp90 and activating the NF-κB-TNFα loop. These findings demonstrate the versatile role of ORAOV1 family members and the significance of genes located within 11q13 in promoting OSCC. ORAOV1-B might serve as an attractive OSCC metastasis intervention target.

Effect of miR-10a on sepsis-induced liver injury in rats through TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of the micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-10a on sepsis-induced liver injury in rats through the transforming growth factor-b1 (TGF-b1)/Smad signaling pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The rat model of sepsis was established via cecal ligation and puncture, in which miR-10a was overexpressed and silenced using liposome transfection. The rats were randomly divided into miR-10a mimics group (Mimics group, n=10) and miR-10a inhibitors group (Inhibitors group, n=10), and the sham operation group (Sham group, n=10) was also set up. The transfection efficiency of miR-10a in liver tissues in each group was detected via quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), the serum liver function indexes aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were determined. Moreover, the content of the serum reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The content of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in liver tissues was detected, and the pathological changes in liver tissues were observed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Finally, the expression levels of cytochrome P4502E1 (CYP2E1) and TGF-b1/Smad signaling pathway genes and proteins in liver tissues were detected via qRT-PCR and Western blotting.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-10a was significantly increased in Mimics group (p<0.05) and extremely low in the Inhibitors group (p<0.05). In Mimics group, the levels of serum AST, ALT, and LDH were significantly increased (p<0.05), the content of ROS, TNF-α, IL-6, and MPO was substantially increased (p<0.05), while that of GSH and GSH-Px notably declined (p<0.05). According to the HE staining results, the liver cells were orderly arranged in the Inhibitors group, and they were disorderly arranged with more inflammatory cells in the Mimics group. The results of the gene and protein assays showed that the expression levels of CYP2E1, TGF-b1, and Smad2 in Mimics group were markedly higher than those in the Sham group (p<0.05), while they displayed the opposite trends in the Inhibitors group (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Silencing miR-10a can inhibit the occurrence of sepsis-induced liver injury in rats by downregulating the TGF-β1/Smad pathway.

[Validation and analysis of Goldengate high-throughput deafness gene chip in detecting the patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome]

Objective: To verify the accuracy and effectiveness of Goldengate high-throughput deafness gene chip in detecting the patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome(EVAS), and to provide a reference for genetic detection strategy of EVAS. Methods: From August 2016 to February 2018, 15 patients with EVAS and 60 normal controls were detected by Goldengate high-throughput deafness detection chip developed by our team, and the results were verified by Sanger sequencing. SLC26A4 gene sequencing was carried out in all the patients with EVAS. Results: 12/15 of patients with EVAS were detected mutations of SLC26A4 gene. Nine mutations were detected by chip detection and SLC26A4 gene direct sequencing, seven of which were detected by both methods. The chip could detect 93.33%(28/30) of the allele information provided by SLC26A4 gene direct sequencing. In addition to SLC26A4 gene, mutations of GJB2, PCDH15, TMC1, MYO6 and mitochondrial genes were detected in 15 patients with EVAS. These results were verified by Sanger sequencing. Conclusion: Goldengate high-throughput deafness gene chip possesses the traits of wide coverage and high accuracy, which can be used as a preliminary detection method for patients with EVAS.

[Monitoring and analysis of trough concentration of vancomycin in hospitalized patients in a tertiary hospital from 2015 to 2016]

To investigate the plasma trough concentration of vancomycin in hospitalized patients from a single center. The general information, departments, first time of taking blood, first trough concentration and dose adjustment of vancomycin were collected from inpatients intravenously administrated with vancomycin in Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University from 2015 to 2016. During the investigation, the percentage of patients receiving concentration monitor was 43.1% (410/952). Finally 373 patients were included in the study. The rate of correct blood taking was 19.3%, and only 42.9% first trough concentration reached the standard range, with significant difference between departments. Among the 213 patients with lower or higher concentration, the proportion of vancomycin dose-adjustment was only recorded in 34.7% (74/213) patients, mainly in the over-dosing group. It is suggested that the concentration monitoring and the accuracy of blood sampling were inferior. Also, drug dose-adjustment according to concentration was inadequate, especially in the under dose group. In conclusion, monitoring trough concentration of vancomycin and standardizing test process are suggested.

[Application value of high-throughput gene copy number variation detection in the diagnosis of enlarged vestibular aqueduct]

Objective: To explore the application value of high-throughput gene detection method of copy number variations (CNV) in the diagnosis of enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Methods: A total of 46 nonsyndromic hearing loss patients with EVA were recruited between May 2014 and December 2016 from Department of Otolaryngology of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. A high-throughput multiplex analysis method based on double ligation and multiple fluorescent PCR was designed and performed to detect CNV in the three EVA-related genes (SLC26A4, FOXI1 and KCNJ10). The data were analyzed by GeneMapper v4.1. Healthy volunteers (n=100) were selected as normal controls. Results: A total of 46 EVA patients were detected (32 males, 14 females, aged 1 to 26 years). In 4 EVA patients, deletions of exons 1-3 of SLC26A4 gene (4/46, 8.7%) were detected, which were not reported in the database of genomic variants (DGV), and were absent in 100 normal controls. There was no CNV detected in FOXI1 and KCNJ10 in the study. Conclusions: In the current study, three known EVA-related genes were designed as the target area for CNV detection by high-throughput ligation-dependent probe amplification (HLPA) analysis. This method can be used as a supplementary analysis of point mutation detection of hearing loss, which helps achieve the accurate genetic diagnosis of EVA.

Circ-0001801 contributes to cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in glioblastoma by regulating miR-628-5p/HMGB3 axis

OBJECTIVE

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fast-growing type of central nervous system tumor with high invasiveness and recurrence. Circular RNA (circRNA) circ-0001801 (also named as circPCMTD1) was recognized as a novel biomarker in cancers. However, the pathological mechanism of circ-0001801 in GBM is still largely obscured. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to reveal the involvement of circ-0001801/miR-628-5p/HMGB3 axis in the progression of GBM cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expression of circ-0001801, microRNA (miR)-628-5p and high mobility group box 3 (HMGB3) in GBM tumors and cells was detected by quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Stability of circ-0001801 was determined by RNase R. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) was performed to analyze cell viability. Cell migration and invasion were assessed using transwell assay. The interaction between miR-628-5p and circ-0001801 or HMGB3 was confirmed by Dual-Luciferase reporter system. Protein expression of HMGB3, N-cadherin, E-cadherin and Vimentin was detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

The up-regulation of circ-0001801 and HMGB3 and the down-regulation of miR-628-5p were both observed in GBM tumors and cells compared with the normal ones. Depletion of circ-0001801 reduced GBM cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. In addition, we discovered that circ-0001801 was a sponge of miR-628-5p and HMGB3 was a target of miR-628-5p. Furthermore, miR-628-5p inhibitor abolished circ-0001801 silencing-mediated inhibition of cell progression in GBM. Similarly, HMGB3 restored circ-0001801 silencing-mediated repression on GBM cell progression. We also noticed that circ-0001801 could improve HMGB3 expression by sponging miR-628-5p in GBM.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of circ-00018 01 accelerates cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in GBM by absorbing miR-628-5p and facilitating HMGB3 expression, representing promising targeted therapy for GBM.

Effect of different glucogenic to lipogenic nutrient ratios on rumen fermentation and bacterial community in vitro

Aims

This study was to investigate the effect of different ratios of glucogenic to lipogenic nutrients on rumen fermentation and the corresponding ruminal bacterial communities.

Methods and Results

Four diets, including glucogenic diet (G), lipogenic diet (L), two mixed diets: GL1 (G: L = 2 : 1) and GL2 (G:L = 1 : 2), served as substrates and were incubated with rumen fluid in vitro. The results revealed that the gas production, dry matter digestibility and propionate proportion were significantly increased by the G diet than others. The G diet increased the bacterial genera of Succinivibrionaceae_UCG_002, Succinivibrio, Selenomonas_1 and Ruminobacter but decreased some cellulolytic bacteria including the Eubacterium and several genera in family Ruminococcaceae than others.

Conclusions

When the glucogenic nutrient was above 1/3 of the dietary energy source among the four diets, the in vitro incubation had a higher feed digestibility and lower acetate to propionate ratio. Bacterial genera, including Selenomonas, Succinivibrio, Ruminobacter, certain genera in Ruminococcaceae, Christensenellaceae_R‐7_group and Eubacterium, were more sensitive to the glucogenic to lipogenic nutrients ratio.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The present study provides a new perspective about the effect of dietary glucogenic to lipogenic ingredient ratios on rumen metabolism by comparing end‐products, gas production and bacterial composition via an in vitro technique.

First Measurement of Differential Charged Current Quasielasticlike ν_{μ}-Argon Scattering Cross Sections with the MicroBooNE Detector

We report on the first measurement of flux-integrated single differential cross sections for charged-current (CC) muon neutrino (ν_{μ}) scattering on argon with a muon and a proton in the final state, ^{40}Ar (ν_{μ},μp)X. The measurement was carried out using the Booster Neutrino Beam at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber detector with an exposure of 4.59×10^{19} protons on target. Events are selected to enhance the contribution of CC quasielastic (CCQE) interactions. The data are reported in terms of a total cross section as well as single differential cross sections in final state muon and proton kinematics. We measure the integrated per-nucleus CCQE-like cross section (i.e., for interactions leading to a muon, one proton, and no pions above detection threshold) of (4.93±0.76_{stat}±1.29_{sys})×10^{-38}  cm^{2}, in good agreement with theoretical calculations. The single differential cross sections are also in overall good agreement with theoretical predictions, except at very forward muon scattering angles that correspond to low-momentum-transfer events.

Long non-coding RNA ANCR promotes progression of NSCLC by inhibiting E-Ca expression

The article "Long non-coding RNA ANCR promotes progression of NSCLC by inhibiting E-Ca expression, by T. Zhou, J.-J. Fang, Y.-X. Zhou, Z.-P. Li, L. Jiang, W.-W. Han, Z.-H. Zhu, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2020; 24 (3): 1250-1257-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202002_20178-PMID: 32096155" has been withdrawn from the authors. They stated that "during the last few months, new experimental data have been obtained and analyzed, so we want to rewrite the paper to further test the cell experiment and give more evidence to support our paper. It is difficult to repeat the part of the cell experiment, and the results need to be further improved. In addition, the internal reference pictures in the paper are wrong and need to be re experimented and modified. This needs more detailed studies and maybe a long time, so we want to withdraw our paper and resubmit it when it is ready". The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/20178.

[Investigation on the status of monotherapy for newly diagnosed tic disorders and its comorbidity in children]

Objective: To investigate the status of monotherapy for newly diagnosed tic disorders and its comorbidity in children, so as to provide a reference for clinical medication. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the application experience of monotherapy for newly diagnosed tic disorders and comorbidities in 110 pediatric neurologists and psychiatrists from Chinese Tic Disorders Study Consortium from February to August in 2019. Doctors were asked to rate treatment options based on a rank 5-point scale with "1" least appropriate and "5" most appropriate. The drug evaluation index was based on the comparison of the median score of a single drug with the overall scores of all drugs in this disease (M (Q₁, Q₃)), single drug M ≥ overall Q₃ was recommended as preferred drugs; overall Q₁≤ single drug M < overall Q₃ was considered as secondary drugs; single drug M < overall Q₁ was considered as unsuitable drugs. Results: Among 110 electronic questionnaires, 94 (86%) were availably responded, responding doctors included 37 (39%) males and 57 (61%) females, the age of responding doctors was (48±10) years, and their working year was (17±10) years. In the investigation of the first and second monotherapy for newly diagnosed tic disorders in children without comorbidities, there were no preferred drugs for mild transient tic disorders. The scores of clonidine, aripiprazole and tiapride were 4 (3, 4), 4 (3, 4), 4 (4, 5) scores respectively, and were greater than overall scores (3 (2, 4) scores), so they could be recommended as the preferred drugs for moderate chronic tic disorders, the recommendation for initial mild Tourette syndrome (TS) treatment was the same as preferred drugs for moderate chronic tic disorders. Similarly, clonidine, aripiprazole, tiapride and haloperidol could be recommended as the preferred drugs for other kinds of tic disorders. As for the second monotherapy, the preferred drugs for moderate transient tic disorders, mild chronic tic disorders and severe TS were all aripiprazole, tiapride, haloperidol, sulpiride, clonidine and topiramate. While clonidine, aripiprazole, tiapride could be considered as preferred drugs for severe transient tic disorders, moderate to severe chronic tic disorders and mild to moderate tic disorders. In the investigation of monotherapy for newly diagnosed tic disorders in children with comorbidities, for moderate chronic tic disorders and TS comorbid with obsessive-compulsive disorder, aripiprazole (4 (3, 5) scores) and sertraline (4 (3, 4) scores) were preferred drugs,the median scores of which were all greater than overall scores (3 (3, 4) scores), they were also the preferred treatment for severe transient tic disorders and mild chronic tic disorders. For mild and moderate transient tic disorders, severe chronic tic disorders and TS comorbid with obsessive-compulsive disorder, aripiprazole, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, haloperidol and sertraline were preferred drugs. When comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), severe transient tic disorders, moderate chronic tic disorders and TS, tomoxetine and clonidine were recommended as preferred drugs (both 4 (4, 5) scores), and tomoxetine and clonidine were also the preferred treatment for severe TS. For severe chronic tic disorders comorbid with ADHD, clonidine (5(4, 5) scores) was preferred drug, greater than overall scores (4 (3, 5) scores), while for mild and moderate transient tic disorders clonidine, tomoxetine, guanidine and methylphenidate were recommended as preferred drugs. For mild chronic tic disorders and TS comorbid with ADHD tomoxetine was preferred drug. When comorbid with sleep disorders, there were no preferred drugs for mild transient tic disorders; estazolam (3 (2, 3) scores) was the preferred drug for mild chronic tic disorders and TS comorbid with sleep disorders. For othe kind of tic disorders comorbid with sleep disorders, estazolam, melatonin and clonazepam were preferred drugs. When comorbid with anxiety and depressive disorders, for all kinds of tic disorders sertraline was recommended as preferred drugs, the median scores of sertraline were all (4 (3, 5) scores) in severe transient tic disorders, moderate to severe chronic tic disorders and moderate TS, and greater than overall scores (3 (3, 4) scores). While severe chronic tic disorders comorbid with anxiety and depressive disorders, fluvoxamine could also be chosen as preferred drugs. Conclusions: Drug therapy is not recommended for mild transient tic disorders, while tiapride, aripiprazole, clonidine, and haloperidol are mainly preferred drugs for the other kinds of tic disorders. Corresponding drugs should be selected when tic disorders are combined with obsessive-compulsive disorder, ADHD, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, etc.

Association of baseline hemoglobin A1c levels with bleeding in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome underwent percutaneous coronary intervention

Background

The association between baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels before the percutaneous coronary intervention and bleeding is unclear in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Purpose

To investigate the association between baseline HbA1c levels before the percutaneous coronary intervention and bleeding in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

Methods

This observational cohort study enrolled 6,283 consecutive patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014. Based on baseline HbA1c levels, the patients were divided into the HbA1c &lt;7% group (n=4,740) and the HbA1c ≥7% group (n=1,543). The primary outcomes are major bleeding events (BARC grades 3–5) and all-cause death during follow-up.

Results

Of the patients who were enrolled, 4,705 (74.9%) were male and 2,143 (34.1%) had a history of diabetes mellitus, with a mean (SD) age of 64.13 (10.32) years. Median follow-up duration was 3.21 years. Compared with HbA1c &lt;7% patients, the risk of major bleeding events and all-cause was both higher in HbA1c ≥7% patients (major bleeding: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–2.53; P=0.032; all-cause death: adjusted hazard ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.55; P=0.027). The result of the subgroups analyses was consistent with the primary analyses.

Conclusions

Higher baseline HbA1c levels before percutaneous coronary intervention was associated with an increase in bleeding risk in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome patients. This study suggests that the HbA1c levels should be taken into account for the prolonged antithrombotic strategies of non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome patients.

Figure 1. Kaplan-Meier Analysis for Outcomes

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Other. Main funding source(s): Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City (201707010002)

Trimetazidine combined with exercise improves anti-stress capacity through enhancing autophagy and apoptosis of myocardium in mice

Aims

To observe the effects of trimetazidine, aerobic exercise alone or combined on the anti-stress capacity of mice, and further explore its potential mechanism.

Methods

Forty-four C57/BL male mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into four groups: control group (group C, n=11), exercise group (group E, n=11), trimetazidine (TMZ)group (group T, n=11),exercise combined with TMZ group (group TE, n=11). Saline intragastric administration, medium intensity swimming training, TMZ (10mg/kg) intragastric administration, medium intensity swimming training combined with TMZ intragastric administration were given respectively. Swimming for 6 days a week, 1 hour a day lasting for 4 weeks. After the intervention, each group was randomly subdivided into the rest and the exhaustive exercise (EE) subgroups. The mice in the EE-subgroup (n=6) underwent exhaustive exercise. The myocardial ultrastructure was observed under electron microscope to measure the anti-stress ability of mice. The expression of key autophagy proteins LC3-II, P62 and BNIP3 were detected and the number of myocardial autophagosomes were observed under electron microscope. The protein of apoptosis related, Bcl-2 and the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were also being detected.

Results

Exhaustive exercise induced the cardiac muscle damage successfully. TMZ and exercise alone or combined alleviated the cardiac damage significantly with improved autophagy (P&lt;0.05) at the basal state and after exhaustive exercise. The level of apoptosis (P&lt;0.05) and the expression of HSP70 was upregulated after the exhaustive exercise.

Conclusions

TMZ and exercise alone improved the anti-stress capacity of mice effectively and the combination has a synergistic effect. The mechanism may be related to the promotion of autophagy, apoptosis and HSP70 expression of myocardium.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): China natual science founding

The effect of in-hospital high-dose vs. low-dose intensive statin in patients with non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome

Background

Statins remain a standard treatment for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. We aimed to determine the association between different dosages of in-hospital statins and the prognoses among patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods

NSTE-ACS patients were retrospectively enrolled from January 2010 to December 2014 from five centres in China. Patients receiving either atorvastatin or rosuvastatin during their hospitalizations were included. All the patients were categorized into high-dose statin group (40mg atorvastatin or 20mg rosuvastatin) or low-dose statin group (20mg atorvastatin or 10mg rosuvastatin). In-hospital events and long-term all-cause death was recorded.

Results

Of the 7,008 patients included in the study, 5,248 received low-dose intensive statin (mean age: 64.28±10.39; female: 25.2%), and 1,760 received high-dose intensive statin (mean age: 63.68±10.59; female: 23.1%). There was no significant difference in in-hospital all-cause death between the two groups (adjusted OR, 1.27; P=0.665). All-cause death was similar between the two groups during the long-term follow-up period (30-day: adjusted HR, 1.28; P=0.571; 3-year: adjusted HR, 0.83; P=0.082). However, there was a robust association between the high-dose statin and the reduction in in-hospital dialysis (adjusted OR, 0.11; P=0.030).

Conclusions

The in-hospital high-dose intensive statin is not associated with lower risks of in-hospital or follow-up all-cause death in NSTE-ACS patients undergoing PCI. Considering the robust beneficial effect of in-hospital dialysis, an individualized high-dose intensive statin can be rational in specified populations.

Univariate and multivariate analyses

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangzhou City athe China Youth Research Funding

Modified staging system for gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma based on American Joint Committee on Cancer and European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society systems

BACKGROUND

The prognostic values of the AJCC staging system for gastric cancer (GC-AJCC), the AJCC staging system for gastric neuroendocrine tumours (NET-AJCC) and the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) system for gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma and mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MA)NEC remain controversial.

METHODS

Data on patients with (MA)NEC from 21 centres in China were analysed. Different staging systems were evaluated by performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and calculating the concordance index (C-index) and Akaike information criterion (AIC). Based on three existing systems, a modified staging system (mTNM) was developed.

RESULTS

A total of 871 patients were included. In the GC-AJCC system, an overlap was noticed for pT2 and pT3 categories. Patients with stage IIIC disease had a similar prognosis to those with stage IV disease. The pT categories of the NET-AJCC system had a lower C-index and higher AIC than those of the other systems. In the ENETS system, there was a low proportion (0·2 per cent) of patients with stage IIIA and a high proportion (67·6 per cent) of stage IIIB disease. The mTNM system adopted the NET-AJCC pT and GC-AJCC pN and pM definitions, and was developed based on the ENETS stage definitions. The proportion of patients in each stage was better distributed and the mTNM system showed improved prognostic performance in predicting overall and disease-free survival.

CONCLUSION

The mTNM system offers more accurate prognostic value for gastric (MA)NEC than the AJCC or ENETS staging systems.

Granzyme B PET Imaging of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Combinations in Colon Cancer Phenotypes

PURPOSE

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy and combination regimens are being actively pursued as strategies to improve durable response rates in cancer patients. However, the biology surrounding combination therapies is not well understood and may increase the likelihood of immune-mediated adverse events. Accurate stratification of ICI response by non-invasive PET imaging may help ensure safe therapy management across a wide number of cancer phenotypes.

PROCEDURES

We have assessed the ability of a fluorine-labelled peptide, [18F]AlF-mNOTA-GZP, targeting granzyme B, to stratify ICI response in two syngeneic models of colon cancer, CT26 and MC38. In vivo tumour uptake of [18F]AlF-mNOTA-GZP following ICI monotherapy, or in combination with PD-1 was characterised and correlated with changes in tumour-associated immune cell populations.

RESULTS

[18F]AlF-mNOTA-GZP showed good predictive ability and correlated well with changes in tumour-associated T cells, especially CD8+ T cells; however, overall uptake and response to monotherapy or combination therapies was very different in the CT26 and MC38 tumours, likely due to the immunostimulatory environment imbued by the MSI-high phenotype in MC38 tumours.

CONCLUSIONS

[18F]AlF-mNOTA-GZP uptake correlates well with changes in CD8+ T cell populations and is able to stratify tumour response to a range of ICIs administered as monotherapies or in combination. However, tracer uptake can be significantly affected by preexisting phenotypic abnormalities potentially confusing data interpretation.

Anxiety boosts progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes: findings from the prospective Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg F4 and FF4 studies

AIM

To investigate the association between anxiety symptoms and the progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

A sample of 1708 participants aged 31-82 years from the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg F4 and the follow-up Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg FF4 studies was included. Prediabetes was defined as impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance, and anxiety status was measured by the generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire. Newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes cases were identified after 6.5 years (11 102 person-years) and confirmed by medical records. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to estimate the effect of prediabetes and anxiety on the incidence of type 2 diabetes with different levels of adjustments for potential confounders. The population attributable risk of type 2 diabetes in participants with prediabetes and anxiety was estimated.

RESULTS

Prediabetes at baseline was prevalent in 247 participants, of whom 77 developed diabetes after follow-up, accounting for a progression rate of 31%. In participants with prediabetes, high anxiety was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of progression to type 2 diabetes in comparison with low anxiety, even after accounting for socio-demographic, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors (OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 0.95-8.37, P = 0.06). A significant proportion of incident type 2 diabetes was attributed to having anxiety in addition to prediabetes (attributable risk proportion: 0.52; 95% CI = 0.004-1.04, P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety symptoms independently increase the progression risk of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes and should be routinely considered alongside the traditional risk factors in people with prediabetes.

Correlation between endometrial receptivity with expressions of IL-1 and VEGF in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation between endometrial receptivity with expressions of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 24 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) 21 days old were randomly divided into control group (n=12) and PCOS group (n=12). Rats in the control group were normally raised, and PCOS model was established in rats of the PCOS group. All the rats were sacrificed when they grew to 80 days old. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the expressions of IL-1 and VEGF. Western blotting was performed to measure the relative expressions of IL-1 and VEGF proteins. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was utilized to determine the relative messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of IL-1 and VEGF. Data related to endometrial receptivity were detected.

RESULTS

The expression levels of IL-1 and VEGF in the PCOS group declined markedly compared with those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). PCOS group had notably lower protein expressions of IL-1 and VEGF than the control group, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05). The mRNA expressions of IL-1 and VEGF in PCOS group were significantly lower than those in the control group, displaying statistically significant differences (p<0.05). Compared with that in the control group, the endometrial receptivity of rats in the PCOS group was reduced evidently, and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Both IL-1 and VEGF had positive correlations with the endometrial receptivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Both IL-1 and VEGF are positively correlated with the endometrial receptivity in the case of PCOS, which can serve as therapeutic targets for PCOS and improve endometrial receptivity in the future.

[Related factors and the long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary intervention of premature acute myocardial infarction]

Objective: To explore the related factors of premature acute myocardial infarction(AMI), and to compare the the long-term outcomes in patients with and without premature AMI after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study.From January 2013 to December 2013, 10 724 consecutive patients with coronary heart disease undergoing PCI in Fuwai Hospital were enrolled. Among them 1 920 patients with the diagnosis of AMI were divided into two groups: premature AMI (man≤50 years old, woman≤60 years old) and non-premature AMI. The baseline characteristics were collected, and multivariate logistic regression was uesed to analysis the related factors of premature AMI. The clinical outcomes, including the major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE) which was the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke and stent thrombosis, as well as bleeding events, during hospitalization, at 2 years and 5 years follow-up were analyzed. Results: A total of 1 920 AMI patiens were included(age was (56.5±11.3) years old)，with 1 612(84.0%) males. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender, body mass index, blood lipid, complications, inflammatory markers, etc (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed body mass index(OR=1.06, 95%CI 1.01-1.10, P<0.01), triglyceride(OR=1.47, 95%CI 1.14-1.90, P<0.01), serum uric acid level(OR=1.02, 95%CI 1.01-1.04, P<0.01), high density lipoprotein cholesterol level(OR=0.33, 95%CI 0.14-0.78, P=0.01) and history of hypertension(OR=0.72, 95%CI 0.56-0.93, P=0.01) were independent related factors of premature AMI. The incidence of all-cause death and cardiac death were lower during hospitalization, at 2 years and 5 years follow-up in the premature AMI group than in non-premature AMI group(all P<0.05). In the premature AMI group, the incidence of MACCE and stroke was lower, with more bleeding events in 5 years follow-up(all P<0.05). Conclusions: Metabolic abnormalities, including high BMI, high triglyceride level and high serum uric acid, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level are the related factor of premature AMI. The incidence of ischemic events in patients with premature AMI is lower, while the incidence of bleeding events is higher than non-premature AMI patients.

Maternal Anxiety and Depression during Late Pregnancy and Newborn Brain White Matter Development

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Anxiety and depression during pregnancy have been associated with an increased risk of adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in offspring. We aimed to study the in utero effects of maternal anxiety and depression on early brain development.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pregnant women were recruited at ∼36 weeks of gestation for this prospective study. They were assessed for anxiety symptoms by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and for depression symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory, 2nd Edition. After delivery, infant underwent an MR imaging examination of the brain without sedation, including DTI, for evaluation of white matter (WM) development. Infant fractional anisotropy values, a putative marker of WM integrity, were correlated with the mothers' State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory scores by using both tract-based spatial statistics and ROI methods.

RESULTS

Thirty-four infants were included in this study. Both maternal State-Anxiety and Trait-Anxiety scores negatively correlated (P < .05, corrected) with fractional anisotropy values in widespread brain WM regions; Beck Depression Inventory scores also negatively correlated (P < .05) with fractional anisotropy values in one cluster in the brain. Further ROI analyses confirmed significant negative correlations between average fractional anisotropy values in ROIs including left and right prefrontal WM, left and right middle frontal gyrus WM, and the fornix, and State-Anxiety (R values, -0.47 to -0.67; P values, .008 to <.001), Trait-Anxiety (R, -0.37 to -0.59; P, .04 to <.001), and Beck Depression Inventory (R values, -0.36 to -0.55; P, .05 to .002) scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher maternal anxiety and depression symptom scores during late pregnancy were associated with lower estimated infant brain WM development, which indicated in utero influences of maternal mental health during pregnancy on the developing brain.

Astrocytes induce proliferation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells via connexin 47-mediated activation of Chi3l1 expression

OBJECTIVE

Demyelinating neurodegenerative diseases are some of the most important neurological diseases that threaten the health of the elderly. Astrocytes (ASTs) play an important role in the regulation of the growth and development of oligodendrocytes (OLs) and oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which participate in remyelination. This study investigated the mechanism by which ASTs promote the proliferation of OPCs via connexin 47 (Cx47) in OPCs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Under direct-contact co-culture conditions, we performed Cx47 siRNA interference in ASTs and OPCs and tested the cell proliferation ability by flow cytometry and with 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine (EdU). We then detected Chi3l1 expression by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. Next, after the addition of exogenous Chi3l1 protein to OPCs under monoculture conditions, we tested the cell proliferation ability by flow cytometry and EdU.

RESULTS

After siRNA interference with Cx47, the expression of Chi3l1 decreased from 1.10±0.91 to 0.30±0.08, and the proportion of new OPCs decreased from 48.7±3.8% to 28.4±6.6%. Moreover, upon addition of exogenous Chi3l1 protein under OPCs mono-culture conditions, the expression of cyclin D1 increased from 0.68±0.09 to 1.16±0.14, leading to an increased number of OPCs in the S phase, from 7.37±1.38% to 13.55±1.60%.

CONCLUSIONS

Cx47/Chi3l1 plays an important role in the promotion of OPCs proliferation by ASTs. ASTs can promote the expression of Chi3l1 via Cx47 in OPCs, and then activate the expression of cyclin D1 and regulate the cell cycle of OPCs, thereby promoting cell proliferation. This study provides a new target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Effects of posthatch feed deprivation on residual yolk absorption, macronutrients synthesis, and organ development in broiler chicks

The aim of the research was to evaluate the dynamic changes of early posthatch starvation on residual yolk absorption, synthesis of macronutrients (protein, lipid, and glycogen), and organ development in broiler chicks. A total of 720 1-day-old chicks (Lingnan Yellow) were randomly assigned to 3 treatments: group A (nonfasted), group B (fasting for 24 h after placement), and group C (fasting for 48 h after placement). The trial lasted for 168 h, and water was provided ad libitum all the time. Sampling was performed at 0, 24, 48, 72, 120, and 168 h. Nonfasting (group A) promoted (P < 0.05) the absorption of amino acids, fatty acids, mineral elements, protein, and maternal antibody in the residual yolk of broiler chicks. The concentration of insulin-like growth factor 1 in plasma and the liver was higher (P < 0.05) in group A. Nonfasting enhanced (P < 0.05) the synthesis of protein and glycogen in the breast muscle and liver; the relative weights of the liver, pancreas, and spleen; and body weight, but retarded (P < 0.05) the synthesis of triglyceride in the liver. The results indicated that nonfasting (group A) after placement promoted the absorption of residual yolk and synthesis of protein and glycogen in the breast muscle and liver, whereas early feed deprivation promoted the synthesis of lipid in the liver. Thereby, nonfasting after placement promoted organ development and body growth of broiler chicks.

CRISPR-dCas9-mediated knockdown of prtR, an essential gene in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a widely distributed non-fermentative Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that is often responsible for nosocomial infections. Gene interference is a potentially valuable tool for investigating essential genes in P. aeruginosa. To establish a gene interference platform in P. aeruginosa, CRISPR system was used with an inactive Cas9 protein. The CRISPR-dCas9 system was cloned into pHERD20T, a shuttle vector with arabinose inducible promoter, and was further modified to target a regulatory gene prtR that is essential for the viability of P. aeruginosa. Cells expressing the prtR-targeting CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) showed growth defect in an arabinose dose-dependent manner. A high-throughput RNA sequencing analysis of bacterial cells with or without the CRISPRi-mediated prtR inhibition indicated that prtRis a global regulator affecting multiple biological processes. In conclusion, the CRISPR-dCas9-based gene knockdown system has been successfully implemented in P. aeruginosa and demonstrated to be an effective tool in the investigation of essential or difficult-to-inactivate genes in this species.