Correction to: Large‑scale pathway specific polygenic risk and transcriptomic community network analysis identifies novel functional pathways in Parkinson disease

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-021-02309-z

SGN nerve filaments develop synapses with IHCs earlier than with OHCs in C57BL/6 mouse inner ear

OBJECTIVE

To explore the connections between hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) during the development of the C57BL/6 mouse inner ear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The specimens of C57BL/6 mouse inner ear, from E15 (embryo day 15) to adult mouse, were collected; immunohistochemistry was employed to explore the frozen sections of specimens.

RESULTS

The development of cochlea starts sequentially from the basal turn to the apex turn. Morphological development of SGNs occurs mainly from E16 to P12 (postnatal day 12). Hair cells appear from E18 to P12, and inner hair cells (IHCs) develop earlier than outer hair cells (OHCs). The connections between hair cells and SGNs begin to develop during E18-P1, morphologically resemble mature synapses during P8-P12, and completely mature in adult mice.

CONCLUSIONS

The genesis of auditory ribbon synapse occurs from E18 to P1. Synchronized with the development of SGNs and hair cells, the functional filaments remain connected to hair cells, while the spare ones get disconnected from the surface of hair cells. Connections between SGN nerve filaments and IHCs occur earlier than those between SGN nerve filaments and OHCs.

[Analysis of the clinical perinatal characteristics of 226 patients with Prader-Willi syndrome in China]

Objective: To enhance the early recognition of Prader-Willi syndrome by summarizing the clinical characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) during perinatal period. Methods: Through a nationwide cross-sectional study in the Department of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,226 children diagnosed as PWS by molecular genetics were recruited from September 2019 to March 2020. Clinical data including fetuses Age, birth weight, fetal movement, fetal position, amniotic fluid, mode of bith, crying, muscle tension, feeding, and cryptorchidism were collected to analyze the clinical characteristics of Chinese PWS patients in the perinatal period, and according to the mode of birty, birth weight and genotypes to perform subgroup analysis. The clinical manifestations of different subtypes were statistically analyzed by t test, χ² test or Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Among the 226 PWS patients, 120 were males, and 106 were females. Among them, 100 (44.2%) patients were small for gestational age. Decreased fetal movement was the most common manifestation 202 cases (89.4%) during pregnancy, and other manifestations included polyhydramnios 71 cases (31.4%) and abnormal fetal position 58 cases (25.7%). One hundred and eighty-five (81.9%) patients were delivered by cesarean section and the frequency of abnormal fetal position was significantly higher (30.8%(57/185) vs. 2.4%(1/41),χ²=14.161,P<0.01). As for abnormal manifestations after birth included hypotonia 221 cases (97.8%),220 cases (97.3%) showing weak crying, 116 cases among the total 120 males patients (96.7%) wanifested with cryptordnildism and 206 feeding difficulties (91.2%). In terms of genetic subtype, most of them (184/226, 81.4%) had a paternal deletion, while maternal age (35±5 vs. 29±5, t=-6.591, P<0.01) and the frequency of polyhydramnios (47.6% (20/42) vs. 27.7% (51/185), χ²=6.286, P=0.012) were significantly higher in the non-deletion group. Conclusions: The main manifestations of PWS patients during the perinatal period are hypotonia, weak crying, feeding difficulties, decreased fetal movement, cryptorchidism and those patients are more likely to be born by cesarean section. In newborns with these characteristics, pediatricians should be aware of the possibility of PWS. In terms of the relationship between genotypes and phenotypes, polyhydramnios is more frequently observed in the non-deletion group.

Examining if the relationship between BMI and incident type 2 diabetes among middle-older aged adults varies by race/ethnicity: evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)

AIMS

Disparities persist on the prevalence of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes in racial/ethnic minorities in the USA. This study evaluated the association between BMI and incident type 2 diabetes risk by racial/ethnic group, to determine whether BMI and presence of type 2 diabetes risk factors may help clinicians better target type 2 diabetes screening.

METHODS

This prospective cohort analysis included 5659 adults free of type 2 diabetes at baseline from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), a population-based cohort (2000-2011). BMI was measured at baseline and time-updated at subsequent visits. Incident type 2 diabetes was defined as fasting glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l, or use of any diabetes medications.

RESULTS

The mean (sd) age was 62 (10) years and 42% of participants were white, 26% African American, 20% Hispanic and 12% Chinese American. During follow-up, 696 (12%) new type 2 diabetes cases were observed. In age- and sex-adjusted models, in the presence of one or more type 2 diabetes risk factors (the most common scenario), a 10% risk of incident type 2 diabetes was observed at a BMI of 21.7 kg/m² [95% confidence interval (CI) 20.1 to 22.8] in Chinese Americans, 23.8 kg/m² (22.7 to 24.9) in Hispanics, 24.7 kg/m² (23.7 to 25.6) in African Americans and 26.2 kg/m² (25.1 to 26.9) in white participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study supports including BMI and presence of type 2 diabetes risk factors as action points for clinicians to prioritize which adults aged ≥ 45 years should be screened. The application of race/ethnicity-specific BMI thresholds may reduce the disparity of undiagnosed type 2 diabetes observed in minority groups.

Acceleration of Brain TOF-MRA with Compressed Sensitivity Encoding: A Multicenter Clinical Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The clinical practice of three-dimensional TOF-MRA, despite its capability in brain artery assessment, has been hampered by the relatively long scan time, while recent developments in fast imaging techniques with random undersampling has shed light on an improved balance between image quality and imaging speed. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of TOF-MRA accelerated by compressed sensitivity encoding and to identify the optimal acceleration factors for routine clinical use.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

One hundred subjects, enrolled at 5 centers, underwent 8 brain TOF-MRA sequences: 5 sequences using compressed sensitivity encoding with acceleration factors of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 (CS2, CS4, CS6, CS8, and CS10), 2 using sensitivity encoding with factors of 2 and 4 (SF2 and SF4), and 1 without acceleration as a reference sequence (RS). Five large arteries, 6 medium arteries, and 6 small arteries were evaluated quantitatively (reconstructed signal intensity, structural similarity, contrast ratio) and qualitatively (scores on arteries, artifacts, overall image quality, and diagnostic confidence for aneurysm and stenosis). Comparisons were performed among the 8 sequences.

RESULTS

The quantitative measurements showed that the reconstructed signal intensities of the assessed arteries and the structural similarity consistently decreased as the compressed sensitivity encoding acceleration factor increased, and no significant difference was found for the contrast ratios in pair-wise comparisons among SF2, CS2, and CS4. Qualitative evaluations showed no significant difference in pair-wise comparisons among RS, SF2, and CS2 (P > .05). The visualization of all the assessed arteries was acceptable for CS2 and CS4, while 2 small arteries in images of CS6 were not reliably displayed, and the visualization of large arteries was acceptable in images of CS8 and CS10.

CONCLUSIONS

CS4 is recommended for routine brain TOF-MRA with balanced image quality and acquisition time; CS6, for examinations when small arteries are not evaluated; and CS10, for fast visualization of large arteries.

[A nested case-control study on relationship of traditional and combined lipid metabolism indexes with incidence of diabetes]

Objective: To explore the relationship between lipid indicators and the incidence of diabetes, and to compare the diabetes prediction and identification power of traditional lipid combined lipid indicators, in order to explore the best alternative indicators for identifying and predicting diabetes. Methods: Based on the Jinchang cohort, a nested case-control study was conducted in 1 025 new cases of diabetes after excluding patients with malignant tumor and related endocrine, circulatory system disease, then an age (±2 years), gender matched 1∶1 control group of 1 025 cases was set to analyze the relationship between the incidence of diabetes and lipid parameters. Results: Among the traditional lipid parameters, the fourth quartile of TG, TC, and LDL-C indicated higher risks of developing diabetes, which was 14.00 times (95%CI: 9.73-20.15), 2.15 times (95%CI: 1.65-2.79) and 1.66 times (95%CI: 1.29-2.14) than that of the first quartile, respectively. The risk of developing diabetes indicated by the fourth quartile of HDL-C was 0.21 times than that indicated by the first quartile (95%CI: 0.15-0.28). In the combined lipid parameters, the fourth quartile of TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C indicated higher risks of developing diabetes, which was 14.86 times (95%CI: 10.35-21.34), 8.12 times (95%CI: 5.94-11.01), 5.85 times (95%CI:4.34-7.88) and 5.20 times (95%CI: 3.85-7.03) than that indicated by the first quartile, respectively. The areas under the ROC curve of TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C were 0.76 (95%CI: 0.74-0.78), 0.59 (95%CI: 0.57-0.61), 0.67 (95%CI: 0.65-0.69), 0.57 (95%CI: 0.55-0.59), 0.77 (95%CI: 0.75-0.78), 0.73 (95%CI: 0.71-0.75), 0.69 (95%CI: 0.67-0.71) and 0.66 (95%CI: 0.64-0.68), respectively. The optimal diabetes predicting point cuts of TG, TC, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG/HDL-C, TC/HDL-C, LDL-C/HDL-C and non-HDL-C were 1.40, 4.70, 1.28, 3.25, 1.17, 3.43, 2.46, and 3.58 mmol/L, respectively. Conclusions: Lipid metabolic disorder is a risk factor for diabetes. TG and TG/HDL-C are the good lipid metabolism indicators for the prediction of diabetic.

Research progress of metabonomics of blood endogenous small molecules in depression

Introduction

Depression (MDD) is a serious mental illness, which greatly affects the quality of life of patients. Nowadays, the clinical diagnosis of MDD lacks sufficient objective basis, and the effect of drug treatment is unsatisfactory. Therefore, biomarkers are very important for the risk prediction, classification, diagnosis and prognosis of MDD.

Objectives

Research progress of metabonomics of blood endogenous small molecules in depression

Methods

Metabonomics is a newly developed discipline after genomics and proteomics, and is an important part of system biology. Metabonomics provides a new approach to explore the etiology, mechanism, prognosis and screening potential biomarkers of MDD. Blood contains almost all the small molecule metabolites in the body. The changes of metabolites in blood can represent the changes of metabolites in other body fluids. Moreover, this sample is easy to obtain and has less trauma, so it is the most common biological sample in clinical detection.

Results

At present, there are many studies on the metabonomics of endogenous small molecules in MDD blood, which provides the possibility for further screening of MDD related biomarkers.

Conclusions

In this paper, the research progress of related biomarkers in MDD blood is reviewed.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

[Effect of HBV infection pattern on prevalence of fatty liver disease in Jinchang cohort]

Objective: To investigate the influence of HBV infection on the prevalence of fatty liver disease in Jinchang cohort and provide theoretical evidence for the prevention and treatment of fatty liver disease. Methods: Epidemiological investigation, laboratory examination and abdominal ultrasound were conducted in the baseline population of Jinchang cohort to collect the basic data, the differences in the prevalence of fatty liver disease under different HBV infection patterns were described and compared and the influence of different HBV infection patterns on the prevalence of fatty liver disease were evaluated by using logistic regression analysis. Results: The baseline Jinchang cohort population totaled 45 605, including 27 917 males and 17 688 females. The male to female ratio was 1.6∶1. The mean age of the overall population was 46.49 years. Among the 8 common HBV infection modes in the Jinchang cohort, the prevalence of fatty liver was low in HBsAg, HBeAg and HBcAb positive, HBsAg and HBcAb positive, and HBsAg, HBeAb and HBcAb positive groups. For 4 serum markers of HBV infection, the prevalence of fatty liver disease in HBsAg and HBeAg positive groups was lower than that in HBsAg and HBeAg negative groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that being HBsAg and HBcAb positive (OR=0.61, 95%CI: 0.39-0.98) and HBsAg, HBeAg and HBcAb positive (OR=0.52, 95%CI: 0.30-0.89) could reduce the risk for fatty liver disease. Conclusion: Acute HBV infection reduces the prevalence of fatty liver disease, and the reason may be related to the disturbance of the body's fat metabolism by active HBV replication.

[Analysis on influencing factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Jinchang cohort]

Objective: To explore the influencing factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Jinchang cohort, and provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of NAFLD. Methods: A total of 20 051 patients without fatty liver at baseline survey and met the inclusion criteria in Jinchang cohort were selected as study subjects. Prospective cohort study and Cox regression analysis were used to investigate the influencing factors for NAFLD, and the dose-response relationship between related biochemical indicators and NAFLD risk was studied by restricted cubic spline method. Results: The incidence of NAFLD was 42.37/1 000 person years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that being worker and technical personnel (being worker:HR=0.84,95%CI:0.70-0.99;being technical personnel:HR=0.73,95%CI:0.56-0.95), tea drinking (current drinking:HR=0.86,95%CI:0.78-0.94;previous drinking: HR=0.52,95%CI: 0.31-0.86), exercise (occasionally: HR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.68-0.91;frequently:HR=0.60,95%CI:0.52-0.69), low body weight (HR=0.10, 95%CI: 0.05-0.22), daily intake of dairy products >300 ml/day (HR=0.78, 95%CI: 0.71-0.87) and HBV infection (HR=0.77, 95%CI: 0.60-0.99) were the protective factors for NAFLD, while being internal or office workers (HR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.46-2.31), income ≥2 000 yuan (2 000- yuan: HR=1.32, 95%CI: 1.04-1.66; ≥5 000 yuan: HR=1.72, 95%CI:1.11-2.66), bachelor degree or above (HR=1.35,95%CI:1.03-1.76), overweight (HR=2.31, 95%CI:2.08-2.55), obesity (HR=3.95, 95%CI: 3.42-4.56), impaired fasting blood glucose (HR=1.31, 95%CI:1.17-1.47), diabetes (HR=1.53, 95%CI: 1.30-1.80), increased TC (HR=1.37,95%CI:1.24-1.52), increased TG (HR=1.79,95%CI: 1.62-1.98), decreased HDL-C (HR=1.29, 95%CI: 1.14-1.45), increased ALT (HR=1.13, 95%CI: 1.01-1.26) and high-fat diet (HR=1.24, 95%CI: 1.11-1.40) were the risk factors for NAFLD. Moreover, TC, TG, HDL-C, ALT and FPG all showed good dose-response relationship with the incidence of NAFLD. Conclusion: Occupation, education level, income level, tea drinking, exercise, BMI, FPG, blood lipid, ALT, HBV infection and diet were related to the incidence of NAFLD.

Curcumin suppresses tumor growth of gemcitabine-resistant non-small cell lung cancer by regulating lncRNA-MEG3 and PTEN signaling

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive malignancies and the efficacy of chemotherapy or concurrent chemoradiation is limited in clinical application. Curcumin has been reported to block cancer development by modulating multiple signaling pathways. However, whether curcumin can inhibit gemcitabine-resistant non-small cell lung cancer through regulation of lncRNA and the involved molecular mechanisms are rarely reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MTT assay, clonogenic assay, apoptosis assay, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, xenograft experiment were carried out in the present study.

RESULTS

The results showed that curcumin suppressed gemcitabine-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. Curcumin upregulated the expression of lncRNA-MEG3 and PTEN, and MEG3 overexpression could increase the level of PTEN expression, while MEG3 knockdown decreased the level of PTEN expression in gemcitabine-resistant non-small cell lung cancer cells. Curcumin treatment failed to inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis in MEG3 knockdown or PTEN knockdown cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show the antitumor activity of curcumin for potential clinical application in gemcitabine-resistant non-small cell lung cancer treatment.

Repair of facial scars using free and pedicle-expanded deltopectoral flaps

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and long-term outcomes of free and pedicled, expanded deltopectoral flaps with perforation of the internal thoracic artery to repair facial scars. This retrospective review was of 37 patients who presented between June 2013 and June 2019 with various types of facial scar. Ten patients received a free expanded deltopectoral flap and 27 a pedicled, expanded deltopectoral flap. During the stage-one operation, the expander was implanted into the deltopectoral area and fully expanded by normal saline injection. In stage two, the facial lesions were incised, and the free or pedicled flap transferred to reconstruct the defect. Flap necrosis did not occur in the 10 patients treated with free flaps. Two patients need to have the pedicle trimmed three months after surgery because it had become bloated. Distal necrosis occurred in five of 27 patients who received a pedicled, expanded deltopectoral flap. Healing by conservative treatment was noted in two cases and healing after skin grafting was documented in the other three. All 37 patients achieved satisfactory results. A pedicled, expanded deltopectoral flap appears to be a reliable and safe option for the treatment of facial scars.

[Evaluation of the efficacy of Chinese Children's Asthma Action Plan on the long-term management of children with asthma at home]

Objective: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the electronic "questionnaire star" was employed to investigate the general situation, medication situation and pandemic impact of children diagnosed with asthma in our hospital and enrolled in the electronic platform of the Chinese Children's Asthma Action Plan (CCAAP). The internet technology and big data were used to grasp the trend and asthma control of children who had been at home for a long time due to the pandemic, so as to facilitate the management. Methods: By random cluster sampling survey method, according to the needs and medication adherence score, the electronic "questionnaire star" was designed to conduct a survey among children (0 to 14 years old) who diagnosed with asthma and joined the CCAAP on the basis of bronchial asthma medication adherence scale. Finally, the results of electronic questionnaire survey were analyzed. Results: A total of 423 questionnaires were sent out, 422 of which were valid, with an effective response rate of 99.7%. The results of questionnaire survey showed that 296 cases were male, accounting for 70.1%, and 126 cases were female, accounting for 29.9%, with an average age of (5.4±2.6) years old. The average age of males and females was (5.3±2.6) and (5.4±2.6) years old, respectively. There were more children aged ≥5 years than children who were younger than 5 years. Additionally, 13.95% of the parents thought that the pandemic had more than moderate impact on children with asthma, and 76.12% of the children were in the green zone and had no asthma attack. The proportion of green zone inhaled drugs (79.8%) was higher than yellow zone and red zone (49.8%). After using the CCAAP platform, the dissatisfaction rate was only 1.42%. Moreover, 71.87% of the children's medical expenses decreased, and the proportion of frequent use and intermittent use of antibiotics reduced, however, the proportion of occasional use and never use of antibiotics increased significantly (all P<0.05). The average score of drug compliance was 4.56, and the more frequently the platform was used, the higher the score of medication compliance was (P<0.05). Conclusions: After using CCAAP management with the aid of internet technology, children with asthma who had been isolated at home for a long time were less affected by COVID-19, with high medication compliance, generally lower medical expenses, significantly reduced use of antibiotics, and high satisfaction. This management mode provides a new idea for internet medicine.

FOXF2 aggravates the progression of non-small cell lung cancer through targeting lncRNA H19 to downregulate PTEN

OBJECTIVE

To illustrate the role of FOXF2 in the aggravation of the progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by targeting long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 to down-regulate the gene of phosphate and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The relative levels of FOXF2 and H19 in NSCLC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The correlation between the expression levels of FOXF2 and H19 was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier curves were depicted for uncovering the prognostic value of FOXF2 in NSCLC patients. The proliferative and migratory abilities of A549 cells influenced by FOXF2 were also assessed. The interaction between FOXF2 and H19 was evaluated through chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and Western blot, so did the association between H19 and PTEN. Finally, rescue experiments were conducted to explore the role of FOXF2/H19/PTEN axis in regulating the viability and migration of A549 cells.

RESULTS

FOXF2 and H19 were upregulated in NSCLC and a positive correlation was observed between the two genes. High level of FOXF2 indicated a worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. The knockdown of FOXF2 attenuated the proliferative and migratory abilities of A549 cells. FOXF2 could bind to the promoter region of H19 and accelerated its transcription. Moreover, H19 could recruit EZH2 to bind to PTEN. The overexpression of H19 could reverse the regulatory effects of FOXF2 on the viability and migration of A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

FOXF2 was upregulated in NSCLC. It accelerated the proliferative and migratory abilities of the NSCLC cells by targeting H19 to downregulate PTEN, thus aggravating the progression of NSCLC.

[Investigation of 603 medical staff occupational exposure with blood-borne pathogens]

Objective: To investigate the occupational exposure with blood-borne pathogens of medical staff, and explore the protective strategy. Methods: Using cluster sampling method, 603 medical staff with occupational exposure with blood-borne pathogens were analyzed, from July 2014 to July 2018 in a tertiary hospital. Results: In total of 603 occupational exposure incidents, 70.98% (428/603) were freshmen younger than 30 years old. 48.92% (295/603) nurses. The most cases of occupational exposure were in surgery (35.16%, 212/603) . Sharp injury was the major contact manner (86.90%, 524/603) . Hands were the main contact parts (90.38%, 545/603) . Ward (53.57%, 323/603) and the operating room (22.72%, 137/603) were the high-risk place. The most dangerous actions were needle injection (34.83%, 210/603) , surgery (20.89%, 126/603) and finishing/cleaning items (19.73%, 119/603) . The main items lead to injuries were scalp needles (34.73%, 182/524) . The most exposure source was hepatitis B virus (HBV) which occupied 39.30% (237/603) . Exposure source mainly comes from medical devices containing blood (81.92%, 494/603) . To compared the groups (χ(2)=19.940, P<0.01) and titer (t=-8.592, P<0.01) of hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) before and after used prophylactics, the differences were statistically significant. Conclusion: Comprehensive strategies of occupational exposure protection education, operation norms and monitoring management were effective methods to reduce the occupational exposure in the medical staff with blood-borne pathogens.

[Clinical value of extended radical resection for pT3 stage gallbladder cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of extended radical resection for stage pT3 gallbladder cancer (GBC). Methods: The clinical and pathological data of 323 patients with stage pT3 GBC who received regional radical resection or extended radical resection in 7 domestic hepatobiliary centers in China from January 2013 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The propensity score matching method was used to select 36 cases in each of the regional radical resection group (group A1) and the extended radical resection group (group B1). The surgical indicators and overall survival rates of the two groups were compared, and prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: The number of positive lymph nodes [2(0,3)] and the total number of lymph nodes removed [3(1,4)] in group B1 were both higher than those in group A1 [1(0,1), 4(2,7)] (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in other clinical and pathological factors between the two groups (all P>0.05). The 1, 3, and 5-year survival rates of group A1 were 75%, 44%, and 29%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of group B1 of 50%, 15%, and 11% (χ(2)=11.311, all P<0.001). Extensive radical resection (HR=2.161, 95%CI: 1.222-3.821), hepatic parenchymal invasion (HR=2.324, 95%CI: 1.305-4.139), positive lymph node rate ≥1/3 (HR=2.927, 95%CI: 1.641-5.220), and ⅢB/ⅣB staging (HR=3.325, 95%CI: 1.750-6.320) are risk factors for the prognosis of GBC patients (all P<0.05), of which extended radical resection (HR=1.969, 95%CI: 1.083-3.581) was an independent risk factor for prognosis (P<0.05). When the ratio of positive lymph nodes was<1/3 and the tumor invaded the hepatic parenchyma, the overall survival rate of group B1 was significantly lower than that of group A1 (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The overall survival rate in patients with stage pT3 GBC whose lymph node positive rate<1/3 and/or hepatic parenchymal invaded cannot be improved by extended radical resection. Extended radical resection is an independent risk factor for patient prognosis.

Design of super-strong and thermally stable nanotwinned Al alloys via solute synergy

Al alloys have widespread industrial applications. However, their mechanical strength is often much lower than steels. Here, we investigate the influence of solutes on achieving ultrahigh strength and thermal stability of nanotwinned Al alloys. In situ micropillar compression tests show the addition of a small amount of Ti can significantly increase the mechanical strength of Al-Ni alloys to 2 GPa. Deformation induced detwinning, Ni segregation and grain coarsening as discovered in binary Al-Ni alloys are mostly absent in the ternary Al-Ni-Ti alloys. Moreover, the ternary Al-Ni-Ti alloys have outstanding thermal stability. Density function theory calculations reveal the synergetic pinning effect of Ni-Ti solute pairs on incoherent twin boundaries. This study demonstrates that the proper selection of synergistic solute pairs is critical to improve the thermal stability and mechanical properties of nanotwinned Al alloys.

High expression of XRCC5 is associated with metastasis through Wnt signaling pathway and predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Metastasis is one of the main causes of leading recurrence and death in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). XRCC5 can affect several types of human cancers. The aim of the present study is to explore the metastasis correlation between the expression level of XRCC5 protein in HCC cell lines with different metastatic potentials and the prognosis of patients with HCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines used in this study include MHCC97-H, MHCC97-L, HepG2, and HL-7702.

RESULTS

XRCC5 was widely expressed in HCC cell lines analyzed by Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR and Western blotting. The levels of XRCC5 protein and mRNA were positively correlated with the migration and invasion capability of HCC cell lines. SiRNA-XRCC5 significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of HCC cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) results showed that high-expressed XRCC5 in patients with HCC was associated with advanced tumors, size, and microvascular invasion and lower overall survival time than the low-expressed. The expression levels of CTNNB1 and MMP9 decreased by knocked down XRCC5 which may promote the progression of HCC via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the high expression of XRCC5 predicts poor prognosis in patients with HCC, and XRCC5 may be a potential biomarker to inhibit the invasion and migration of HCC.

[Expression of SOX-11 and TFE3 in solid-pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas and its clinical significance]

Objective: To investigate the expression status and diagnostic value of SRY related high mobility group box 11 (SOX-11) and transcription factor E-3 (TFE3) in solid pseudopapillary tumors of pancreas (SPTPs). Methods: Thirty-eight cases of SPTPs, 36 cases of well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) and six cases of pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas (PACCs) were collected at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from 2012 to 2019. The expression of SOX-11, TFE3 and β-catenin was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the TFE3 gene status was detected by FISH in 18 cases of SPTPs. Results: Among the 38 SPTP patients, 29 were female and 9 were male, with a mean age of 50 years; among 36 PanNET patients, 32 were female and 4 were male, with a mean age of 39 years; for the six PACC patients, four were male and two were female, with a mean age of 60 years. β-catenin was positive in all 38 SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 5/6 PACCs. SOX-11 was positive in 35/38 (92.1%) of SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 6 PACCs. TFE3 was positive in 36/38 (94.7%) of SPTPs, but was negative in all 36 PanNETs and 6 PACCs. Among these three tumors, the specificity and sensitivity of β-catenin were 97.6% and 100.0%, the specificity and sensitivity of SOX-11 were 92.1% and 100.0%, the specificity and sensitivity of TFE3 were 94.7% and 100.0%, respectively. There was a significant difference of the expression status of all three markers in SPTPs compared with PanNETs and PACCs (P<0.01). The results of SOX-11 and TFE3 immunostaining showed high consistency (Kappa>0.6). No gene rearrangement (0/18) of TFE3 was found in SPTPs. Conclusion: SOX-11 and TFE3 are highly expressed in SPTPs, and their specificity in the differential diagnosis of SPTPs is better than that of β-catenin.

MiR-137-5p alleviates inflammation by upregulating IL-10R1 expression in rats with spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the potential functions of miR-137-5p and interleukin-10R1 (IL-10R1) in mediating the immune inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Firstly, primary microglia were isolated from the spinal cord of newborn rats. Expression levels of miR-137-5p and IL-10R1 in LPS-induced microglia were determined by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). In addition, mRNA expressions of Janus kinase (Jak1) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were also examined by qRT-PCR. SCI model in rats was established and randomly assigned to three different groups: Sham group, SCI group and miR-137-5p mimic group. Within one week of spinal injury, relative levels of miR-137-5p and IL-10R1 in rats of different groups were detected by qRT-PCR. The mRNA levels of JAK1, tyrosine kinase (Tyk2) and STAT3 in rats were also measured. Moreover, protein expression of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in rats was measured by Western blotting. Finally, the improvement of locomotor function in three groups of rats within 4 weeks via BBB rating scale.

RESULTS

Transfection of miR-137-5p mimics upregulated relative levels of IL-10R1, JAK1 and STAT3 in in vitro cultured microglia. Similarly, IL-10R1/JAK1/STAT3 pathway was activated in rats administrated with miR-137-5p mimics. Nevertheless, relative levels of classical inflammatory stimulators IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 were downregulated accordingly by miR-137-5p overexpression. Moreover, miR-137-5p effectively improved the locomotor function of rats after SCI.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-137-5p exerts an anti-inflammatory response by upregulating IL-10R1, thus improving locomotor function and alleviating spinal cord injury.