[HIV infection rate in people aged 50 years and older in China: a Meta-analysis]

Objective: The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in people aged ≥50 years is increasing in China, resulting in another focus for AIDS prevention and control. A Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the HIV infection, its area and time distributions in people aged ≥50 years in China to provide evidence for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. Methods: Information on HIV infection rate in people aged ≥50 years in China were collected from Wanfang digital database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), PubMed and Embase. The R Studio1.1.456 software was used to calculate the pooled infection rate, and assessed the publication bias. Results: A total of 30 studies which covered 13 provinces were selected. From 2010 to 2018, the pooled HIV infection rate in people aged ≥50 years was 1.68% (95%CI:1.00%-2.79%). The HIV infection rate (2.60%) was higher in eastern China than in central and western China (0.16%, 2.13%). Conclusion: The overall HIV infection rate in people aged ≥50 years is generally high in China. It is important to control the HIV infection in this population to facilitate the AIDS prevention and control in China.

Phenotypical and potential functional characteristics of different immune cells expressing CD28H/B7-H5 and their relationship with cancer prognosis

CD28H and B7-H5 have been identified as receptor-ligand pairs in the B7/CD28 family, and have co-stimulatory activity in immune cells. Here, we have systematically reviewed the research reports concerning the CD28H/B7-H5 pathway. It was found that CD28H is mainly expressed in T cells and natural killer (NK) cells with naive and poorly differentiated properties, and repeated antigen stimulation leads to permanent loss of CD28H. In tumors, CD28H is mainly expressed in tissue-resident memory (T_RM ) lymphocyte T cells, which is associated with improved tumor prognosis. B7-H5 is a ligand for CD28H and is widely expressed in tumor cells. B7-H5 expression is closely related to the prognosis of the tumor. Studies have shown that high expression of B7-H5 in tumor is related to a worse prognosis for lung cancer, osteosarcoma, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), breast carcinoma, human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) and colorectal cancer (CRC), but is associated with a better prognosis for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and glioma. Controversial views exist in studies on gastric cancer prognosis.

Gefitinib promotes CXCR4-dependent epithelial to mesenchymal transition via TGF-β1 signaling pathway in lung cancer cells harboring EGFR mutation

PURPOSE

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in acquired resistance to gefitinib in lung cancer. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of gefitinib-induced EMT in lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring EGFR mutation.

METHODS

CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) expression was determined through qRT-PCR, Western blot and flow cytometry assays in lung cancer cell line (PC9) bearing mutated EGFR. Functional role of CXCR4 was inhibited applying siRNAs as well as the specific antagonist AMD3100. The expression of EMT markers was determined, and the migration of PC9 cells was measured with transwell assay.

RESULTS

We found that gefitinib promoted the migratory capacity of PC9 cells in vitro, which correlated with EMT occurrence through upregulation of CXCR4. Blocking CXCR4 significantly suppressed gefitinib-induced enhancement of migration and EMT. Moreover, we determined that the upregulation of CXCR4 by gefitinib was dependent on TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested a potential mechanism by which gefitinib induced EMT in cells harboring EGFR mutation through a pathway involving TGF-β1 and CXCR4. Thus, the combination of CXCR4 antagonist and TGFβR inhibitors might provide an alternative strategy to overcome progression of lung cancer after gefitinib treatment.

Intrauterine Inflammation Damages Placental Angiogenesis via Wnt5a-Flt1 Activation

Intrauterine inflammation is the main reason for neonatal adverse outcomes and normal placenta perfusion plays an important role in fetal development. However, whether inflammation will affect placental angiogenesis and the underlying mechanism are still poorly understood. To investigate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intrauterine inflammation on placenta angiogenesis and Wnt5a-Flt1 expression. LPS-induced intrauterine inflammation rat model was established. Preterm rat outcomes were analyzed and angiogenesis of placenta villi was calculated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) of CD34 staining, and placenta Wnt5a-Flt1 expression was detected by western blot and IHC. Compared to control group, neonatal rats in LPS group showed higher death rate (1.4% vs 10.1%, p < 0.05) and lower birth weight (6.36 ± 0.48 vs 5.70 ± 0.67, p < 0.01); the villi vessel area and mean diameter in the placenta were significantly reduced in the LPS group (total area %, 16.7% ± 0.6% vs 8.7% ± 0.4%, p < 0.01, n = 9; mean diameter (pixel), 15.6 ± 0.5 vs 12.9 ± 0.3, p < 0.01, n = 9). Placenta Wnt5a-Flt1 expression was upregulated significantly (integrated optical density (IOD) in IHC: Wnt5a, 1667 ± 1204 vs 11,076 ± 4046, p < 0.05; Flt1, 2554 ± 466.2 vs 7998 ± 1613, p < 0.05; western blot: Wnt5a, 0.33 ± 0.05 vs 0.96 ± 0.06, p < 0.05; Flt1, 0.36 ± 0.15 vs 1.08 ± 0.08, p < 0.05). Intrauterine inflammation gave rise to offspring death rate and low birth weight; the mechanism might be disordered placental angiogenesis via Wnt5a-Flt1 activation triggered by inflammation.

miR-135a inhibits glioma cell proliferation and invasion by directly targeting FOXO1

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential function of miR-135a in glioma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 50 pairs of glioma tissue samples and para-carcinoma tissue samples were collected. Human glioma cell line (U251) and normal human astrocyte (NHA) were cultured. The expression of RNA and protein was detected by quantitative Real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation assay and transwell assay were used to detect the activities of proliferation and invasion. Luciferase reporter assays were carried out to determine the binding efficiency between forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) and miR-135a in U251 cells.

RESULTS

qRT-PCR results showed that miR-135a expression was significantly reduced while FOXO1 was up-regulated in glioma tissues. miR-135a overexpression in U251 cells could prominently inhibit proliferation and invasion according to the transwell assays. Moreover, FOXO1 was recognized as the target for miR-135a and may partially reverse the functions of miR-135a in U251 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that miR-135a inhibits glioma cell proliferation and invasion by down-regulating the target gene FOXO1.

IRF4-induced upregulation of lncRNA SOX2-OT promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in cholangiocarcinoma by regulating SOX2 and PI3K/AKT signaling

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of lncRNA SOX2-OT in the proliferation and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and its underlying mechanisms.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 82 patients with CCA underwent surgery in our hospital were enrolled in this study. Five CCA cell lines (HuH-28, QBC939, HuCCT1, CCLP1, RBE) were used. The ability of proliferation and metastasis of CCA cells were detected by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay, colony formation assay, and transwell assay, respectively. Additionally, in vivo tumor metastasis assay was done. Furthermore, the Kaplan Meier method was used to validate the prognostic importance of SOX2-OT for patients with cholangiocarcinoma. Besides, the protein and mRNA expression of CCA cells were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTS

The expression level of lncRNA SOX2-OT was significantly upregulated in cholangiocarcinoma tissues. Functional assays were further conducted to prove the oncogenic role of SOX2-OT on the proliferation and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, mechanism investigations manifested that transcription factor IRF4 upregulates SOX2-OT by promoting the transcriptional activity of SOX2-OT. SOX2-OT could positively regulate the nearby gene SOX2. SOX2-OT suppressed the nuclear transcription of PTEN, thereby activating PI3K/AKT signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

lncRNA SOX2-OT upregulated by IRF4 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in cholangiocarcinoma via upregulating SOX2 and activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

[Genotype and evolution of hantavirus in Tiantai of Zhejiang province, 2011-2018]

Objective: By investigating the genotype and evolutionary variation of hantavirus (HV) in Tiantai county, a national surveillance site for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) was set in Zhejiang province, from 2011 to 2018, to reveal the molecular epidemiological characteristics of hantavirus (HV) in Tiantai. Methods: Total RNA was extracted from ultrasound treated HV antigen- positive rat lung samples in Tiantai from 2011 to 2018. After cDNA was prepared, nested PCR was used to amplify partial sequence of M fragments by using specific primers of HV. The sequences of HV in Tiantai from 2011 to 2018 were compared with other known HV sequences in order to identify the genotype and analyze the evolution and variation of the virus. Results: In 67 HV antigen-positive lung specimens, 31 were positive in nested PCR amplification with type-specific primers, including 30 Hantaan virus (HTNV) positive samples, 1 Seoul virus (SEOV) positive sample, and all the 31 samples were from Apodemus agrarius. The phylogenetic tree based on partial M segment was divided into monophyletic group, 30 strains were distributed in HTNV group and 1 was in SEOV group. The HTNV strain Tiantai T2018-130 was independently in one branch, sharing 84.8%-87.9% homology with other strains both at home and abroad, including 29 strains in HTNV group in Tiantai. The other 29 HTNV strains in Tiantai showed closer relationship. The SEOV strain T2016-31 from Apodemus agrarius showed closer relationship with previous strains of SEOV, Tiantai ZT71, ZT10 and Z37 strains of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. Conclusions: HTNV, the main genotype of HV in Tiantai of Zhejiang province, showed obvious geographic clustering, but the strain T2018-130 was distinct from the others in Tiantai. Meanwhile, by sequence analysis, we confirmed that The SEOV strain T2016-31 existed in in Apodemus agrarius, indicating there was a phenomenon of "spillover" between virus and host in SEOV evolution.

Genetic determination of sex and shell color in the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai revealed by an integrated linkage map

Integrated linkage maps for each sex have been constructed for the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai using three F₁ mapping families based on co-dominant markers. A total of 273 markers were placed on the female map, spanning 927.3 cM with an average interval of 3.64 cM, whereas 277 markers were mapped on the male map, covering 727.0 cM with an average spacing of 2.80 cM. Both female and male maps consisted of 18 linkage groups, corresponding well with the number of chromosomes. Furthermore, the sex-determining locus and the green/orange shell color controlling locus were mapped to the linkage group 3 (LG3) and LG9 respectively. A marker completely linked to phenotypic sex was identified, and the sex determination system was further concluded as paternal heterogametic (males XY and females XX). Based on the segregation ratio of the shell color in the progeny, a simple recessive model of epistasis was proposed to explain the distribution of different color morphs (green, orange and blue): the recessive allele determining orange type masks the effect of the locus controlling green and blue types, whereas the dominant allele at the green/orange locus permits the expression of green and blue types controlled by another locus. The current consensus map provides a useful framework for genetic studies in the Pacific abalone. Mapping of the sex-determining locus and the shell color-controlling locus leads to further understanding of the mechanisms underlying these important traits.

Mutation Analysis of Pre-mRNA Splicing Genes PRPF31, PRPF8, and SNRNP200 in Chinese Families with Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa

BACKGROUND

To screen variants in pre-mRNA Splicing genes in 95 Chinese autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP) families.

METHODS

Clinical examination and pedigree analysis were performed. Targeted exome sequencing (TES) and / or Sanger sequencing were performed to detect the variants in genes of Splicing factors and conduct intra-familiar segregation analysis with DNA available. In silico analysis was performed to predict pathogenicity of variants in protein level and in vitro splicing assays were performed to compare splicing variants with their corresponding wildtype about their splicing effect.

RESULTS

In this study, total nine different variants were identified in PRPF31, SNRNP200, and PRPF8 respectively, including six PRPF31 variants [five novel variants 322+1G>A, c.527+2T>G, c.590T>C(p.Leu197Pro), c.1035_1036insGC (p.Pro346Argfs X18), and c.1224dupG (p.Gln409AlafsX66) plus one reported variant c.1060C>T (p.Arg354X)], a recurrent PRPF8 variant c.6930G>T (p.Arg2310Ser), two SNRNP200 variants [one heterozygous and homozygous SNRNP200 recurrent variant c.3260G>A (p.Ser1087Leu), and a reported heterozygous c.2042G>A(p.Arg681His)]. In family 20009, incomplete penetrance was observed. A novel PRPF31 missense variant c.590T>C (p.Leu197Pro) was predicted to be pathogenic in protein level via in silico analysis and in vitro splicing assay demonstrated that two novel splicing PRPF31 variants c.322+1G>A and c.527+2T>G affect splicing compared with the wildtype.

CONCLUSIONS

In our studies, RP-causing variants of pre-mRNA Splicing genes (PRPF31, PRPF8 and SNRNP200) were identified in nine of the ninety-five adRP families respectively, which extend the spectra of RP variant and phenotype. And we provide the first example that SNRNP200-related RP can be caused by both heterozygous and homozygous variants of this gene.

Erectile Dysfunction Is Highly Prevalent in Men With Newly Diagnosed Inflammatory Bowel Disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Cross-sectional studies on sexual function in men with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) yield mixed results. Using a prospective incidence cohort, we aimed to describe sexual function at baseline and over time and to identify factors associated with impaired sexual function in men with IBD.

METHODS

Men 18 years and older enrolled between April 2008 and January 2013 in the Ocean State Crohn's and Colitis Area Registry (OSCCAR) with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up were eligible for study. Male sexual function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), a self-administered questionnaire that assesses 5 dimensions of sexual function over the most recent 4 weeks. To assess changes in the IIEF per various demographic and clinical factors, linear mixed effects models were used.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine of 82 eligible men (84%) completed the questionnaire (41 Crohn's disease, 28 ulcerative colitis). The mean age (SD) of the cohort at diagnosis was 43.4 (19.2) years. At baseline, 39% of men had global sexual dysfunction, and 94% had erectile dysfunction. Independent factors associated with erectile dysfunction are older age and lower physical and mental component summary scores on the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36).

CONCLUSION

In an incident cohort of IBD patients, most men had erectile dysfunction. Physicians should be aware of the high prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its associated risk factors among men with newly diagnosed IBD to direct multidisciplinary treatment planning.

The Association between Physical Activity and Metabolic Syndrome in Older Adults with Obesity

BACKGROUND

Physical activity reduces the likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, the association between different physical activity levels and MetS remains unclear in older adults with obesity.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used four waves of data (2007-2008, 2009-2010, 2011-2012, 2013-2014) from two datasets: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and United Sates Department of Agriculture's Food Patterns Equivalents Database. The sample included adults 60+ years of age (n= 613) with obesity who had physical activity and MetS data. Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and categorized into three physical activity levels (low, medium, and high); and medium or high physical activity levels are aligned with or exceed current physical activity recommendations. Participants were classified as having MetS using a commonly agreed upon definition. Multiple logistic regression models examined the association between the three physical activity levels and MetS risk factors and MetS. All analyses adjusted for potential confounding variables and accounted for complex sampling.

RESULTS

Of 613 respondents, 72.1% (n=431) were classified as having MetS, and 44.3% (n = 263) had not met physical activity recommendations. Participants with high levels of physical activity had a lower risk of MetS (OR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.72) and more healthful levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (OR = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.84), blood pressure (OR = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.20, 0.77), fasting glucose (OR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.78) than participants categorized as having low physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity is associated with lower risk of MetS only for participants with the highest level of physical activity, which suggests that physical activity dosage is important to reduce MetS risk in older adults with obesity.

MicroRNA-30b inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cell growth by targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor

Lung cancer, especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the world. Both microRNAs and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are important factors in NSCLC. In our study, the expression of miR-30b in 47 tumor tissues and paired normal tissues of NSCLC were detected by RT-PCR, and we found that miR-30b was down-regulated in NSCLC tumor tissues and was associated with TNM stage, differentiation, and lymph node metastases. Then we investigated the ability of miR-30b to regulate EGFR in several NSCLC cell lines, and found that miR-30b inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion, induced apoptosis and enhanced sensitivity of the NSCLC cells to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) by targeting EGFR and repressing EGFR signaling pathways. Overall, these results indicate that miR-30b may be a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC patients.

[The renal protective effect and mechanism of liraglutide in diabetic mice induced by high-fat diet]

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of liraglutide on kidney of diabetic mice induced by high-fat diet and its possible mechanisms. Methods: C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into normal chow diet (NC) group and high-fat diet (HFD) group, which were fed with normal chow diet and HFD for 12 weeks respectively. After diet challenge, the mice were randomly divided into normal control group, normal chow diet with liraglutide treatment (NC+Lira) group, HFD group and high-fat diet with liraglutide treatment (HFD+Lira) group. The mice in NC+Lira and HFD+Lira groups were given intraperitoneal injection of liraglutide (400 μg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) for 8 weeks, while mice in NC and HFD groups were given intraperitoneal injection of same amount of normal saline. Urinary albumin and creatinine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Renal morphology was observed by HE staining. The expression levels of silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) and thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) were determined by Western blot. Results: Compared with HFD group, liraglutide significantly lowered the body weight [(30.98±1.29) g vs (39.43±2.58) g], fasting blood glucose (FBG) [(7.21±0.15) mmol/L vs (9.55±0.29) mmol/L] and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) [(205.48±17.14) μg/mg vs (319.86±34.14) μg/mg] in HFD+Lira group (all P<0.05). HE staining showed that glomerular hypertrophy of HFD group alleviated after liraglutide treatment. The expression level of TXNIP in the kidney of HFD mice significantly decreased after liraglutide treatment (0.41±0.10 vs 3.50±0.70), while expression level of SIRT1 significantly increased (0.75±0.15 vs 0.32±0.04) (both P<0.05). Conclusion: Liraglutide could improve diabetic nephropathy by up-regulation of SIRT1 expression and down-regulation of TXNIP expression in diabetic mice induced by HFD.

MicroRNA-199 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in children with acute myeloid leukemia by mediating caspase-3

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to detect the expression level of microRNA-199 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Meanwhile, we also investigated whether microRNA-199 could inhibit the proliferation and promote apoptosis of AML cells by regulating caspase-3.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression level of microRNA-199 in peripheral blood samples of AML patients and healthy controls was determined using Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR). Similarly, microRNA-199 expression was also detected in AML cells and human medullary cells. The overexpression plasmid of microRNA-199 was constructed and transfected into cells. Subsequently, the regulatory effects of microRNA-199 on the proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion and migration were accessed. The relationship between microRNA-199 and caspase-3 expression was further elucidated by Western blot and RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

MicroRNA-199 was lowly expressed in peripheral blood of AML patients and AML cell lines than normal controls. The overexpression of microRNA-199 significantly decreased proliferative, invasive and migratory capacities of AML cells, whereas markedly increased apoptotic rate. Western blot results showed that microRNA-199 increased caspase-3 expression in AML cells. Rescue experiments demonstrated that microRNA-199 inhibited malignant progression of AML by targeting caspase-3.

CONCLUSIONS

MicroRNA-199 is lowly expressed in AML patients. Furthermore, it inhibits the malignant progression of AML by targeting caspase-3.

[Research advances in the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway and its inhibitors in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma]

Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine protein kinase in the downstream of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K) family. This kinase plays an important role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Preclinical data demonstrate that 40%-50% of HCC patients have dysregulated expression of the effectors of the mTOR signaling pathway, and the activation of the mTOR pathway is associated with poorly differentiated tumors, early tumor recurrence, and poor survival/prognosis. This article reviews the research advances in the potential role of the mTOR signaling pathway and its inhibitors in the treatment of HCC.

[Diagnosis and treatment of hypertension in the Republic of China]

Hypertension and its cardiovascular complications can produce many serious problems for the health of Chinese residents, therefore, affect quality of the population. About a century ago, the research and treatment of hypertension were still in primary stage. Despite the material and cultural resources were extremely limited, modern Chinese medical scientists performed blood pressure surveys of different populations in China. Besides, they carried out researches on epidemiology and mechanisms of hypertension, as well as clinical trials. At the same time, substantive pioneering work was done in medical education and the spread of popular science. A large number of textbooks on physiology or internal medicine were translated, and popular science books such as the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension were published. These works opened the prelude to the research, prevention and treatment of hypertension in China.