AB1104 ANALYSIS OF ANTINUCLEAR ANTIBODY TITERS AND PATTERNS USING HEP 2 INDIRECT IMMUNOFLUORESCENCE IN VARIOUS LIVER DISEASES

Background:

Abnormal liver function can be seen in not only hepatitis B virus infection (HBV), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV), hepatic carcinoma (HCC), but also in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD). Antinuclear antibody (ANA) testing using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) is a common and economical method which contributes to detect SARD and autoimmune liver diseases [1].

Objectives:

Our objective was to investigate ANA positivity, titers and their patterns in multiple liver diseases, including PBC, AIH, HBV, HCV, and HCC, compared to healthy controls (HC).

Methods:

2537 patients with SARD, 137 PBC cases, 57 AIH cases, 3420 HBV cases, 769 HCV cases, 268 HCC cases, and 1073 HC were retrospectively assessed. The titers and patterns of ANA were detected with the IIFA method.

Results:

ANA positivity rate was considerably discernible between these diseases, which is 90.1% in SARD, 93.4% in PBC, 49.1% in AIH, 19.1% in HBV, 13.9% in HCV and 23.5% in HCC. Moreover, only 4.9% of HCC cases, 2.5% of HBV patients and 1.6% of HCV patients had an ANA titer ≥ 1:320. The mixed pattern which composed of at least two patterns majorly lied in PBC. AC-15 and AC-21 was frequently related to liver diseases; the former pattern was more frequently found in AIH (84.2%) and PBC (8.8%), and the latter pattern was easily seen in PBC (62.2%) and HCC (22.6%). The positive rate of ANA in HC was 12.2% and its major pattern was AC-2.

Conclusion:

There are differences in ANA positivity among patients with SARD and various liver diseases. Some mixed patterns may provide important evidence for the diagnosis of PBC. Clinicians should pay attention to ANA patterns and titer during the interpretation of this test.

References:

[1]Damoiseaux J, Andrade L, Carballo OG, Conrad K, Francescantonio P, Fritzler MJ, Garcia DLTI, Herold M, Klotz W, Cruvinel WM, Mimori T, von Muhlen C, Satoh M, Chan EK, (2019) Clinical relevance of HEp-2 indirect immunofluorescent patterns: the International Consensus on ANA patterns (ICAP) perspective. ANN RHEUM DIS 78: 879-889

Figure 1.

The Proportion of Each ANA Pattern Exhibited in Different Diseases and HCANA: antinuclear antibodies; HC: healthy controls; PBC: primary biliary cirrhosis; AIH: autoimmune hepatitis; SARD: systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases; HBV: hepatitis B virus infection: HCV: hepatitis C virus infection: HCC: hepatic carcinoma.

Acknowledgments:

None.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0132 ALTERATIONS IN PERIPHERAL T-CELLS AND B-CELLS SUBSETS IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS AND SJÖGREN’S SYNDROME UNDERGOING THERAPEUTIC PLASMA EXCHANGE OR IMMUNOADSORPTION

Background:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) are systemic autoimmune diseases characterized by a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations and disease course. Alternative therapies such as therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), immunoadsorption are recommended to the patients who lack a good response to standard therapy [1].

Objectives:

Our observational study was to explored whether abnormalities in T-cells, B-cells and their subtypes were present in the patients who had TPE or immunoadsorption in patients with SLE and SS compared with healthy controls (HC).

Methods:

Demographic, clinical variables and autoantibodies were recorded. Flow cytometry was used to establish the frequencies of lineage subsets. Monoclonal antibodies against 21 surface markers such as CD3, CD4, CD8, were used to distinguish and evaluate T-cells’ and B-cells’ subpopulation. SLE acvity was measured using systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI). Comparisons between subgroups were undertaken using paired T-test, Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA.

Figure 1.

Altered expression of CD4+ T-cell subsets in the patients with SLE and SS after treated with plasma exchange or immunoadsorption

Results:

6 SS patients and 1 SLE patient underwent immune adsorption, while the other 5 SLE patients had plasma exchange all for three times. There was no significant difference among SLE, SS and HC in the proportion of T-cells and B-cells. The proportion of CD3-CD19+CD27+IgD+ B-cells were reduced in SLE, while CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127- T-cells were elevated in SS. The proportion of CD3+CD4+CD45RA+CCR7+T-cells were increased (p= 0.045), while CD3+CD4+CD25+CD127- T-cells were declined (p= 0.027) and CD3+CD4+CXCR5+PD-1+ T-cells went down after the therapies (p≤ 0.030). The proportion of CD3-CD19+IgD-IgM-CD27+CD38+ B-cells was also reduced after TPE or immunoadsorption (p= 0.032) with ANA titers and IgG decreasing dramatically. SLEDAI scores were reduced after the therapy in SLE patients.

Conclusion:

The T-cell and B-cell’s profiles were proved to have alteration after TPE or immunoadsorption which shed light on the complicated mechanisms of these relatively novel therapy in SLE and SS.

References:

[1]Bertsias GK, Tektonidou M, Amoura Z, et al. Joint European League Against Rheumatism and European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (EULAR/ERA-EDTA) recommendations for the management of adult and paediatric lupus nephritis. ANN RHEUM DIS 2012;71:1771-1782.

Acknowledgments:

None.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0727 WORK OUTCOMES AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS PATIENTS IN CHINA

Background:

Poorer work productivity due to pain and functional impairment is commonly seen in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, which may contribute to huge social economic burden. However, data about work outcomes and associated factors in Chinese AS patients were barely reported.

Objectives:

To assess work outcomes and identify factors associated with poor work productivity in patients with AS in China.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in China. Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) fulfilled the 1984 New York modified criteria of AS were enrolled from rheumatology center from Jan 2017 to Aug 2017. All participants completed questionnaires about socio-demographic characteristics, disease characteristics, quality of life and the Work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire in AS (WPAI:SpA) to accesses the impact of chronic health conditions on job performance and productivity. Factors associated with work outcomes were evaluated.

Results:

A total of 91 patients with AS were included: 87.8% males, 78.02% employed, mean age and disease duration of 30 and 10 years respectively. The mean (SD) activity impairment of all patients was 48.57% (22.02%). For patients with employed work, mean (SD) absenteeism, presenteeism and work productivity loss were 10.22% (19.44%), 43.86% (22.48%) and 47.92% (25.81%) respectively. In multivariable analysis, activity impairment was associated with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) (P<0.01) and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL) (P<0.01). Absenteeism was associated with disease duration (P=0.03). Presenteeism was associated with disease duration (P=0.04), BASFI (P<0.01) and ASQoL (P<0.01). Work productivity loss was associated with BASFI (P<0.01) and ASQoL (P<0.01).

Conclusion:

Longer disease duration, reduced physical function and poorer quality of life are associated with reduced work productivity in Chinese AS patients.

References:

[1]Boonen A, van der Heijde D, Landewe R, Spoorenberg A, Schouten H, Rutten-van Molken M, et al. Work status and productivity costs due to ankylosing spondylitis: comparison of three European countries. Annals of the rheumatic diseases. 2002;61(5):429-37.

[2]Martindale J, Shukla R, Goodacre J. The impact of ankylosing spondylitis/axial spondyloarthritis on work productivity. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2015;29(3):512-23.

[3]Castillo-Ortiz JD, Ramiro S, Landewe R, van der Heijde D, Dougados M, van den Bosch F, et al. Work Outcome in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Results From a 12-Year Followup of an International Study. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2016;68(4):544-52.

[4]Sag S, Nas K, Sag MS, Tekeoglu I, Kamanli A. Relationship of work disability between the disease activity, depression and quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2018;31(3):499-505.

[5]Goh Y, Kwan YH, Leung YY, Fong W, Cheung PP. A cross-sectional study on factors associated with poor work outcomes in patients with axial spondyloarthritis in Singapore. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019;22(11):2001-8.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

AB0049 IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS) AND THE POTENTIAL OF TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-Α (TNF-α) INHIBITOR ANBAINUO AS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT

Background:

Studies into ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its relationship with immune function are controversial, and the correlation between the efficacy of TNF-α inhibitor and changes in immune function is unclear.

Objectives:

We conducted a prospective study of T-cell and B-cell subset distribution and analyzed lymphocyte function in AS patients to further clarify changes to the immune system caused by AS and to explore resistance that could contribute to relapse after treatment.

Methods:

A total of 40 immune cells were tested with flow cytometry, and the results of 105 HC (healthy control) subjects, 177 active-stage AS patients, and 23 AS cases before and after 12 weeks of Anbainuo therapy were analyzed.

Results:

Compared with the HC group, the proportion of immune cells, such as naïve and central memory CD4+T cells, in AS increased (p<0.0001), but effector memory and terminally differentiated CD4+T cells were decreased (p<0.01 and 0.0001, respectively). Naïve, central memory, and effector memory CD8+T cells were increased (p<0.0001, 0.001, and 0.01, respectively), but terminally differentiated CD8+T cells were decreased (p<0.0001). Th1 cells (helper T cells-1), Tfh1 cells (follicular helper T cells-1), Tc1 cells (cytotoxic T cells-1), and Tregs (regulatory T cells) were lower (p<0.01, 0.05, 0.0001, and 0.001, respectively), but Th17 cells, Tfh17 cells, and Tc cells were higher (p<0.001, 0.0001 and 0.001, respectively). The proportions of total B cells and class-switched B cells were increased (p<0.05), but non-switched B cells, plasma cells, memory B cells, and immature Bregs (regulatory B cells) were lower (p<0.01, 0.0001, 0.0001, and 0.0001, respectively). After Anbainuo therapy, the percentage of Tregs and B10 cells (IL-10-producing regulatory B cells) had increased (p<0.01and 0.05, respectively), and the increase in Tregs was positively correlated with the decrease in CRP (C-reactive protein) (r= 0.489, p=0.018).

Conclusion:

We found that, in terms of both innate and acquired immunity, active-stage AS patients have an immunity imbalance involving multiple types of immune cells, including CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, Th cells, Tfh cells, Tc cells, Tregs, Bregs, and B cells. Anbainuo can not only help to inhibit disease activity and partial immune function imbalance in AS but can also increase the number of negative regulatory cells in inflammation.

References:

[1]Long, S., et al., High frequency of circulating follicular helper T cells is correlated with B cell subtypes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Exp Ther Med, 2018. 15(5): p. 4578-4586.

[2]An, H., et al., The absolute counts of peripheral T lymphocyte subsets in patient with ankylosing spondylitis and the effect of low-dose interleukin-2. Medicine (Baltimore), 2019. 98(15): p. e15094.

Acknowledgments:

Thanks to Professor Zhinan Yin for his support and assistance with this study

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes predict cutaneous melanoma-specific survival

BACKGROUND

Folate metabolism plays an important role in DNA methylation and nucleic acid synthesis and thus may function as a regulatory factor in cancer development. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS), but no SNPs were found in genes involved in the folate metabolic pathway.

OBJECTIVES

To examine associations between SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes and CMSS.

METHODS

We comprehensively evaluated 2645 (422 genotyped and 2223 imputed) common SNPs in folate metabolic pathway genes from a published GWAS of 858 patients from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and performed the validation in another GWAS of 409 patients from the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, in which 95/858 (11·1%) and 48/409 (11·7%) patients died of cutaneous melanoma, respectively.

RESULTS

We identified two independent SNPs (MTHFD1 rs1950902 G>A and ALPL rs10917006 C>T) to be associated with CMSS in both datasets, and their meta-analysis yielded an allelic hazards ratio of 1·75 (95% confidence interval 1·32-2·32, P = 9·96 × 10^-5 ) and 2·05 (1·39-3·01, P = 2·84 × 10^-4 ), respectively. The genotype-phenotype correlation analyses provided additional support for the biological plausibility of these two variants' roles in tumour progression, suggesting that variation in SNP-related mRNA expression levels is likely to be the mechanism underlying the observed associations with CMSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Two possibly functional genetic variants, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, were likely to be independently or jointly associated with CMSS, which may add to personalized treatment in the future, once further validated. What is already known about this topic? Existing data show that survival rates vary among patients with melanoma with similar clinical characteristics; therefore, it is necessary to identify additional complementary biomarkers for melanoma-specific prognosis. A hypothesis-driven approach, by pooling the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a specific biological pathway as genetic risk scores, may provide a prognostic utility, and genetic variants of genes in folate metabolism have been reported to be associated with cancer risk. What does this study add? Two genetic variants in the folate metabolic pathway genes, MTHFD1 rs1950902 and ALPL rs10917006, are significantly associated with cutaneous melanoma-specific survival (CMSS). What is the translational message? The identification of genetic variants will make a risk-prediction model possible for CMSS. The SNPs in the folate metabolic pathway genes, once validated in larger studies, may be useful in the personalized management and treatment of patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Proanthocyanidin-crosslinked collagen/konjac glucomannan hydrogel with improved mechanical properties and MRI trackable biodegradation for potential tissue engineering scaffolds

Collagen (Col) has been intensively exploited as a biomaterial for its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradation and bioactivity. However, the poor mechanical properties and rapid biodegradation of reconstituted collagen hydrogels have always been the bottlenecks for their further development especially for vascular tissue engineering. Herein, based on the self-assembly characteristics of collagen, a ternary hydrogel scaffold, comprising rigid collagen molecules, flexible konjac glucomannan (KGM) chains and biocompatible crosslinkers of proanthocyanidin (PA), has been designed to achieve a synergistic interaction for essentially optimizing the mechanical properties of the so-obtained Col/KGM/PA hydrogel, which possesses not only substantially improved strength but also good elasticity. PA endows these scaffolds with controllable biodegradation and anti-calcification and antioxidant activities. TEM discovered the co-existence of two types of fibrils with distinctly different arrangement patterns, explaining the contribution of KGM macromolecules to elasticity generation. The in vivo variations of Col/KGM/PA implants are visualized in real-time by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Moreover, a quantitative technique of MRI T₂-mapping combined with histology is designed to visualize the in vivo biodegradation mechanism of layer-by-layer erosion for these hydrogels. Simultaneously, three different relationships between the respective processes of in vivo degradation and in vivo dehydration of these controlled hydrogel implants were clearly revealed by this technique. Such a designed Col/KGM/PA composite hydrogel realizes the essential integration of good biocompatibility, controllable biodegradation and improved mechanical properties for developing a desired scaffold material for tissue engineering applications.

Upregulation of long non-coding RNA HNF1A-AS1 is associated with poor prognosis in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

OBJECTIVE

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer. A recent study reported that lncRNA HNF1A-AS1 (HNF1A-AS1) was upregulated in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) and served as a tumor promoter. However, the clinical significance of HNF1A-AS1 in the prognosis of patients with UCB was poorly understood. This work was designed to investigate the relationship between HNF1A-AS1 expression level and the prognosis of UCB.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Relative expression levels of HNF1A-AS1 in UCB tissues were determined by qRT-PCR. Then, the associations between HNF1A-AS1 expression and clinical pathological parameters were further evaluated. Survival and Cox proportional-hazards regression analyses were performed to determine the correlation between HNF1A-AS1 expression levels and prognosis in the patients.

RESULTS

Data showed that the majority of UCB tissues showed higher HNF1A-AS1 levels than the corresponding normal tissues controls (p < 0.01). Statistical assay revealed that high HNF1A-AS1 expression was significantly correlated with histological grade (p = 0.008), tumor stage T (p = 0.003) and lymph nodes metastasis (p = 0.007). In addition, the overall survival time of patients with high HNF1A-AS1 expression was significantly shorter compared to those with low HNF1A-AS1 expression. Furthermore, multivariate analysis confirmed that relative HNF1A-AS1 expression was an independent predictor of overall survival in patients with UCB.

CONCLUSIONS

HNF1A-AS1 expression was upregulated in UCB, and it may be a useful prognostic biomarker for patients with UCB.

[The prognostic value of the international prognostic index, the national comprehensive cancer network IPI and the age-adjusted IPI in diffuse large B cell lymphoma]

Objective: To explore the prognostic value of the international prognostic index (IPI), the national comprehensive cancer network IPI(NCCN-IPI)and the age-adjusted IPI (aa-IPI) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma. Methods: A total of 311 patients with de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) diagnosed from 2003 to 2012 in Nanfang hospital were included. All patients were divided into CHOP (cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and prednisone) and R-CHOP (rituximab, CHOP) groups. Survival analysis was compared among IPI, NCCN-IPI and aa-IPI models. Discrimination of three different prognostic models was assessed using the Harrell's C statistic. Results: A total of 311 patients were analyzed. Among them, 128 patients were treated with CHOP regimen and other 183 patients were treated with R-CHOP regimen. In CHOP groups, both NCCN-IPI (5-year OS: 59.7% vs 26.8%, P<0.001) and aa-IPI (5-year OS: 71.0% vs 25.0%, P<0.001) showed better risk stratification for low-intermediate and high-intermediate group than the IPI (5-year OS: 47.6% vs 36.6%, P=0.003). However, in the patients treated with R-CHOP, NCCN-IPI showed better risk stratification in low, low-intermediate, high-intermediate groups (5-year OS: 96.0% vs 83.0% vs 66.5%, P=0.009). According to the Harrell's C statistic, C-index of IPI, NCCN-IPI and aa-IPI for overall survival (OS) were 0.546, 0.667, 0.698 in CHOP group and 0.611,0.654, 0.695 in R-CHOP group respectively. In patients younger than 60 years old, C-index of IPI, NCCN-IPI and aa-IPI for OS were 0.534, 0.675, 0.698 in CHOP group and 0.584, 0.648, 0.695 in R-CHOP respectively. Conclusion: The NCCN-IPI is more powerful than IPI and aa-IPI in DLBCL patients receiving R-CHOP. aa-IPI is a preferable model in predicting prognosis than IPI and NCCN-IPI in anthracycline-based chemotherapy without rituximab.

[Detection of promoter and 3' UTR mutation in A20 gene of a case with T cell lymphoma cell leukemia]

Objective: To clarify the characteristics of the A20 regulatory changes by analyzing mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene in patients with T-cell lymphoma leukemia (T-LCL) . Methods: PCR and nucleotide sequence analysis were used to detect mutations in the non-coding region of the A20 gene, and DNA samples from PBMCs of 52 cases of T-LCL and 99 healthy controls. Results: A missense mutation (c.-672T>G) was detected in the A20 gene promoter from one T-LCL patient, which has been registered as a SNP (rs139054966) in gene bank. Meanwhile, a new mutation was detected in the 3' UTR mRNA (3916 (C>G) ) . These two mutations were absent in other T-LCL samples and controls. Conclusion: The rs139054966 (c.-672T>G) and 3916 (C>G) mutations in the A20 gene were detected in T-LCL patients for the first time. There was also rs139054966 located on the binding region of the transcription factor P53, and its significance remained to be further clarified.

Temperature Rise Associated with Adiabatic Shear Band: Causality Clarified

One of the most important issues related to adiabatic shear failure is the correlation among temperature elevation, adiabatic shear band (ASB) formation and the loss of load capacity of the material. Our experimental results show direct evidence that ASB forms several microseconds after stress collapse and temperature rise reaches its maximum about 30  μs after ASB formation. This observation indicates that temperature rise cannot be the cause of ASB. Rather, it might be the result of adiabatic shear localization. As such, the traditional well-accepted thermal-softening mechanism of ASB needs to be reconsidered.

Smartphone-based clinical diagnostics: towards democratization of evidence-based health care

Recent advancements in bioanalytical techniques have led to the development of novel and robust diagnostic approaches that hold promise for providing optimal patient treatment, guiding prevention programs and widening the scope of personalized medicine. However, these advanced diagnostic techniques are still complex, expensive and limited to centralized healthcare facilities or research laboratories. This significantly hinders the use of evidence-based diagnostics for resource-limited settings and the primary care, thus creating a gap between healthcare providers and patients, leaving these populations without access to precision and quality medicine. Smartphone-based imaging and sensing platforms are emerging as promising alternatives for bridging this gap and decentralizing diagnostic tests offering practical features such as portability, cost-effectiveness and connectivity. Moreover, towards simplifying and automating bioanalytical techniques, biosensors and lab-on-a-chip technologies have become essential to interface and integrate these assays, bringing together the high precision and sensitivity of diagnostic techniques with the connectivity and computational power of smartphones. Here, we provide an overview of the emerging field of clinical smartphone diagnostics and its contributing technologies, as well as their wide range of areas of application, which span from haematology to digital pathology and rapid infectious disease diagnostics.

Molecular characterization, expression pattern and metabolic activity of flavin-dependent monooxygenases in Spodoptera exigua

Enhanced detoxification is one of the important mechanisms for insecticide resistance. Most research in this field to date has focused on the role of cytochrome P450s. Our previous work revealed that flavin-dependent monooxygenases (FMOs) were involved in metabolic resistance of Spodoptera exigua. In the present study we investigated the molecular characteristics, expression patterns and oxidative activities of SeFMO on insecticides. Three FMO genes, which encode proteins with the typical FMO motifs, were cloned from S. exigua. The oxidative activities of eukaryotically expressed SeFMO enzymes were verified with the model substrate of FMO. Importantly, the SeFMOs had significantly higher oxidative activities on metaflumizone and lambda-cyhalothrin than on model substrates and other insecticides tested. The three SeFMOs were mainly expressed in the midgut, fat body and Malpighian tubules. The tissues responsible for xenobiotic metabolism and their expression characteristics were similar to those of P450s acting as detoxification genes. The study also revealed that the expression of SeFMOs could be induced by insecticide exposure, and that SeFMOs were over-expressed in a metaflumizone-resistant strain of S. exigua. These results suggest that SeFMOs are important insecticide detoxifying enzymes, and that over-expression of FMO genes may be one of the mechanisms for metabolic resistance in S. exigua.

Circ-ITCH regulates triple-negative breast cancer progression through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Recent studies indicate that circular RNA (circRNA) is involved in tumorigenesis, but its role in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains largely unknown. In this study, we characterized the role of circ-ITCH in TNBC and found that circ-ITCH was significantly down-regulated in TNBC tissues and cell lines and closely associated with poor prognosis. We therefore constructed the MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 TNBC cell lines stably expressing circ-ITCH by lentiviral vectors to determine its underlying mechanisms in TNBC progression. Most importantly, over-expression of circ-ITCH remarkably inhibited TNBC proliferation, invasion and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that circ-ITCH acts as a sponge for miR-214 and miR-17 to increase expression of its ITCH linear isoform, thereby inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our combined results show for the first time that circ-ITCH is a tumor suppressor, a promising prognostic biomarker in TNBC and that its restoration could well be a successful strategy in TNBC.

Problematic effects of antibiotics on anaerobic treatment of swine wastewater

Swine wastewaters with high levels of organic pollutants and antibiotics have become serious environmental concerns. Anaerobic technology is a feasible option for swine wastewater treatment due to its advantage in low costs and bioenergy production. However, antibiotics in swine wastewater have problematic effects on micro-organisms, and the stability and performance of anaerobic processes. Thus, this paper critically reviews impacts of antibiotics on pH, COD removal efficiencies, biogas and methane productions as well as the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the anaerobic processes. Meanwhile, impacts on the structure of bacteria and methanogens in anaerobic processes are also discussed comprehensively. Furthermore, to better understand the effect of antibiotics on anaerobic processes, detailed information about antimicrobial mechanisms of antibiotics and microbial functions in anaerobic processes is also summarized. Future research on deeper knowledge of the effect of antibiotics on anaerobic processes are suggested to reduce their adverse environmental impacts.

Increased serum periostin concentrations are associated with the presence of diabetic retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

PURPOSE

To determine the association between serum periostin and the presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

Serum periostin was detected in 114 healthy subjects, 122 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 159 patients with DR and compared among groups. Clinical data and other laboratory measurements such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profiles, serum creatinine (Cr) and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) were also collected and compared among groups. For subgroup analysis, patients with DR were divided into a non-proliferated diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) group and a proliferated diabetic retinopathy (PDR) group. Multivariate analysis was performed using logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The serum periostin level was significantly higher in patients with diabetic retinopathy compared with healthy subjects and patients with T2DM (both P < 0.001, respectively). Also, the periostin level was significantly higher in the PDR group compared to the NPDR group (P = 0.044). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that serum periostin was independently associated with the presence of DR in patients with T2DM (P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for DR development using serum periostin showed that the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) was 0.838 (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study demonstrated that serum periostin is significantly associated with the presence of DR in patients with T2DM and is an independent risk factor of DR.