Tissue-resident lymphocytes: from adaptive to innate immunity

Efficient immune responses against invading pathogens often involve coordination between cells from both the innate and adaptive immune systems. For multiple decades, it has been believed that CD8⁺ memory T cells and natural killer (NK) cells constantly and uniformly recirculate. Only recently was the existence of noncirculating memory T and NK cells that remain resident in the peripheral tissues, termed tissue-resident memory T (T_RM) cells and tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells, observed in various organs owing to improved techniques. T_RM cells populate a wide range of peripheral organs, including the skin, sensory ganglia, gut, lungs, brain, salivary glands, female reproductive tract, and others. Recent findings have demonstrated the existence of T_RM in the secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) as well, leading to revision of the classic theory that they exist only in peripheral organs. trNK cells have been identified in the uterus, skin, kidney, adipose tissue, and salivary glands. These tissue-resident lymphocytes do not recirculate in the blood or lymphatic system and often adopt a unique phenotype that is distinct from those of circulating immune cells. In this review, we will discuss the recent findings on the tissue residency of both innate and adaptive lymphocytes, with a particular focus on CD8⁺ memory T cells, and describe some advances regarding unconventional T cells (invariant NKT cells, mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAIT), and γδ T cells) and the emerging family of trNK cells. Specifically, we will focus on the phenotypes and functions of these subsets and discuss their implications in anti-viral and anti-tumor immunity.

The changing landscape of phase II/III metastatic sarcoma clinical trials-analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov

Background

Well-designed clinical trials are of great importance in validating novel treatments and ensuring an evidence-based approach for sarcoma. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive landscape of the characteristics of metastatic or advanced sarcoma clinical trials using the substantial resource of the ClincialTrials.gov database.

Methods

We identified 260,755 trials registered with ClinicalTrials.gov in the last 20 years, and 277 of them were eligible for inclusion. The baseline characteristics were ascertained for each trial. The trials were systematically reviewed to validate their classification into 96 trials registered before 2008 and 181 trials registered between 2008 and 2017.

Results

We found that in the last decade, metastatic and advanced sarcoma trials were predominantly phase II-III studies (p = 0.048), were more likely to be ≥2 arms (17.7% vs 35.3%, respectively; p = 0.007), and were more likely to use randomized (13.5% vs 30.4%; p = 0.002) and double-blinded (2.1% vs 9.4%; p = 0.024) assignment than trials registered before 2008. Furthermore, in the last 10-year period, metastatic sarcoma trials were more likely to be conducted in Asia. Treatment involving target therapy and immunotherapy were more common (71.8% vs 37.5%; p < 0.001) than in previous years.

Conclusions

Our data showed provocative changes in the sarcoma landscape and demonstrated that the incidence of clinical trials with target therapy and immunotherapy is increasing. These findings emphasize the desperate need for novel strategies, including target therapy and immunotherapy, to improve the outcomes for patients with advanced sarcoma.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-5163-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Low Wall Shear Stress Is Associated with Local Aneurysm Wall Enhancement on High-Resolution MR Vessel Wall Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Some retrospective studies have found that the aneurysm wall enhancement on high-resolution MR vessel wall postgadolinium T1WI has the potential to distinguish unstable aneurysms. This study aimed to identify hemodynamic characteristics that differ between the enhanced and nonenhanced areas of the aneurysm wall on high-resolution MR vessel wall postgadolinium T1WI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

TOF-MRA and high-resolution MR vessel wall T1WI of 25 patients were fused to localize the enhanced area of the aneurysm wall. Using computational fluid dynamics, we studied the aneurysm models. Mean static pressure, mean wall shear stress, and oscillatory shear index were compared between the enhanced and nonenhanced areas.

RESULTS

The aneurysmal enhanced area had lower wall shear stress (P < .05) and a lower oscillatory shear index (P = .021) than the nonenhanced area. In addition, the whole aneurysm had lower wall shear stress (P < .05) and a higher oscillatory shear index (P = .007) than the parent artery.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that there are hemodynamic differences between the enhanced and nonenhanced areas of the aneurysm wall on high-resolution MR vessel wall postgadolinium T1WI.

Reduced CD160 Expression Contributes to Impaired NK-cell Function and Poor Clinical Outcomes in Patients with HCC

: We previously reported that deficiencies in natural killer (NK)-cell number and function play an important role in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain obscure. In this study, we analyzed the expression of CD160 on intrahepatic NK cells by evaluating peritumoral and intratumoral tissues of 279 patients with HCC and 20 healthy livers. We observed reduced expression of CD160 on intratumoral NK cells, and patients with lower CD160 cell densities within tumors exhibited worse disease and a higher recurrence rate. High-resolution microarray and gene set enrichment analysis of flow cytometry-sorted primary intrahepatic CD160⁺ and CD160^- NK cells of healthy livers indicated that human CD160⁺ NK cells exhibited functional activation, high IFNγ production, and NK-mediated immunity. In addition, global transcriptomic analysis of sorted peritumoral and intratumoral CD160⁺ NK cells revealed that intratumoral CD160⁺ NK cells are more exhausted than peritumoral CD160⁺ NK cells and produce less IFNγ. High levels of TGFβ1 interfered with production of IFNγ by CD160⁺ NK cells, blocking of which specifically restored IFNγ production in CD160⁺ NK cells to normal levels. These findings indicate that reduced numbers of CD160⁺ NK cells, together with the functional impairment of CD160⁺ NK cells by TGFβ1, contribute to tumor immune escape. In addition, restoring the expression of CD160 and blocking TGFβ1 appear a promising therapeutic strategy against liver cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that reduced number and function of CD160⁺ NK cells in the tumor microenvironment contributes to immune escape of HCC; blocking TGFβ1 restores IFNγ production of CD160⁺ NK cells.Graphical Abstract: http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/canres/78/23/6581/F1.large.jpg.

A genome-wide association study of growth and fatness traits in two pig populations with different genetic backgrounds

Improvement in growth and fatness traits are the main objectives in pig all breeding programs. Tenth rib backfat thickness (10RIBBFT) and days to 100 kg (D100), which are good predictors of carcass lean content and growth rate, respectively, are economically important traits and also main breeding target traits in pigs. To investigate the genetic mechanisms of 10RIBBFT and D100 of pigs, we sampled 1,137 and 888 pigs from 2 Yorkshire populations of American and British origin, respectively, and conducted genome-wide association study (GWAS) through combined analysis and meta-analysis, to identify SNPs associated with 10RIBBFT and D100. A total of 11 and 7 significant SNPs were identified by combined analysis for 10RIBBFT and D100, respectively. And in meta-analysis, 8 and 7 significant SNPs were identified for 10RIBBFT and D100, respectively. Among them, 6 and 5 common significant SNPs in two analysis results were, respectively, identified associated with 10RIBBFT and D100, and correspondingly explained 2.09% and 0.52% of the additive genetic variance of 10RIBBFT and D100. Further bioinformatics analysis revealed 10 genes harboring or close to these common significant SNPs, 5 for 10RIBBFT and 5 for D100. In particular, Gene Ontology analysis highlighted 6 genes, PCK1, ANGPTL3, EEF1A2, TNFAIP8L3, PITX2, and PLA2G12, as promising candidate genes relevant with backfat thickness and growth. PCK1, ANGPTL3, EEF1A2, and TNFAIP8L3 could influence backfat thickness through phospholipid transport, regulation of lipid metabolic process through the glycerophospholipid biosynthesis and metabolism pathway, the metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins pathway. PITX2 has a crucial role in skeletal muscle tissue development and animal organ morphogenesis, and PLA2G12A plays a role in the lipid catabolic and phospholipid catabolic processes, which both are involved in the body weight pathway. All these candidate genes could directly or indirectly influence fat production and growth in Yorkshire pigs. Our findings provide novel insights into the genetic basis of growth and fatness traits in pigs. The candidate genes for D100 and 10RIBBFT are worthy of further investigation.

Challenges of NK cell-based immunotherapy in the new era

Natural killer cells (NKs) have a great potential for cancer immunotherapy because they can rapidly and directly kill transformed cells in the absence of antigen presensitization. Various cellular sources, including peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), stem cells, and NK cell lines, have been used for producing NK cells. In particular, NK cells that expanded from allogeneic PBMCs exhibit better efficacy than those that did not. However, considering the safety, activities, and reliability of the cell products, researchers must develop an optimal protocol for producing NK cells from PBMCs in the manufacture setting and clinical therapeutic regimen. In this review, the challenges on NK cell-based therapeutic approaches and clinical outcomes are discussed.

Theoretical investigation of the strengthening mechanism and precipitation evolution in high strength Al-Zn-Mg alloys

Density-functional theory calculations have been performed to systematically investigate the behaviors of solute atoms in 7000 series Al-Zn-Mg based alloys. It is found that solute atoms Mg and Zn are likely to segregate to the Σ5(210)[001] tilt Al GB. The bonding environment and interface cohesion will be affected to different degrees. Also, for GPI(100) our calculations indicate that a Zn/Mg/Zn sandwich configuration in the Al matrix (100) planes is energetically favorable. However, for GPII(111) the disordered structure turns out to be the most stable one. It mainly results from strong 3d-3s hybridization interactions between Zn and Mg atoms. Furthermore, the properties of the metastable phase η' and the equilibrium phase η have also been addressed. The present study provides valuable insight for developing Al alloys with superior performance.

Effects of different pretreatments on compression molding of wheat straw and mechanism analysis

This study investigated effects of various pretreatments on characteristics of compression molded wheat straw and molding energy consumption. And correlative mechanism was explored. Pretreatments included natural air drying, vacuum sealing, 4% ammonium hydroxide + vacuum sealing. Hemicellulose and lignin contents and crystallinity decreased following pretreatments, while surface porosities increased. Cellulose and ash levels and lower heat value were not significantly affected (P > .05), while water resistance decreased and relax density and fall strength satisfied relevant standards. Ignition index and comprehensive combustibility index of samples treated with 4% ammonium hydroxide + vacuum sealing were the greatest, and molding energy consumption was also the lowest. Optimal pretreatment time was 21 days. Mechanism analysis indicated that crystallinity affected water resistance, lignin affected combustion characteristics and hemicellulose affected molding energy consumption to the greatest extent. Overall, 4% ammonium hydroxide + vacuum sealing pretreatment had the most beneficial effect on compression molding and resulted in the lowest energy consumption.

Genomic prediction for growth and reproduction traits in pig using an admixed reference population

This study investigated the efficiency of genomic prediction using an admixed reference population comprising 3 Yorkshire populations with different genetic backgrounds. In total, 2,084 and 1,388 individuals with growth and reproduction records, respectively, were genotyped with a PorcineSNP80 marker panel. The corrected phenotypic values derived from conventional EBV of each population were taken as response variables. Three approaches, that is, a linear genomic BLUP (GBLUP) model, a Bayesian mixture model (BayesR), and single-step GBLUP (ssGBLUP), were implemented to predict genomic breeding values. Our results indicated that the accuracy of genomic prediction was increased by enlarging the reference population by admixing different populations. However, the improvement was lower than expected, because the relationships among individuals of different populations were not strong enough. Among the 3 approaches, for reproduction and growth traits, ssGBLUP produced 30 to approximately 38% and 23 to 31%, respectively, higher accuracy than GBLUP. And the ssGBLUP produced 28 to approximately 38% and 18 to approximately 31% higher accuracy than BayesR. In addition, ssGBLUP also yielded lower bias. In most situations, BayesR performed comparably to GBLUP for most traits. Our results indicated ssGBLUP using an admixed reference population is also meaningful for national joint genetic evaluation of Chinese pig breeding.

Cellulose modification by recyclable swelling solvents

BACKGROUND

The invention of efficient systems for lignocellulose conversion is essential for economically feasible production of bio-based chemicals and biofuels. One limiting step is highly selective processes to quickly decrystallize the compact cellulose structure for efficient hydrolysis. We evaluated the impact of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and phosphorous acid (PA)-induced swelling of crystalline cellulose on enhancement of enzymatic digestion.

RESULTS

In this study, two swelling agents, TFA and PA, are compared and found to be highly efficient for cellulose decrystallization at low temperatures within 1 h. After treatment, the microfibril structure of swollen celluloses was observed to develop distinct microscopic morphology and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis resulted over 90% cellulose conversion within 24 h. The crystalline cellulose change was determined by reduction of loss of X-ray diffractability, and loss of resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. NMR results suggest that both TFA and PA efficiently converted most of the crystalline cellulose regions to amorphous regions through cellulose chain relocation that inhibits recrystallization. It was found that the swelling mechanism is different between TFA and PA. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time to compare and quantify the cellulose regions transformation by swelling agents.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the low-temperature swelling of different celluloses in TFA and PA reduces recalcitrance of crystalline cellulose to enzymatic hydrolysis. TFA and PA are both ideal candidate swelling agents for a closed system for ease of solvent recovery by either simple distillation or filtration. This study provides potentially useful agents in large-scale deconstruction of biomass.

Theoretical studies on glycolysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) in ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) present superior catalytic performance in the glycolysis of ethylene terephthalate (PET). To investigate the microscopic degradation mechanism of PET, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been carried out for the interaction between ILs and dimer, which is considered to symbolize PET. We found that hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) play a critical role in the glycolysis process. In this study, 24 kinds of imidazolium-based and tertiary ammonium-based ILs were used to study the effect of different anions and cations on the interaction with PET. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, atoms in molecules (AIM) and reduced density gradient (RDG) approaches were employed to make in-depth study of the nature of the interactions. It is concluded that the interaction of cations with dimer is weaker than that of anions and when the alkyl chain in the cations is replaced by an unsaturated hydrocarbon, the interaction will become stronger. Furthermore, anions play more important roles than cations in the actual interactions with dimer. When the hydrogen of methyl is replaced by hydroxyl or carboxyl, the interaction becomes weak for the amino acid anions and dimer. This work also investigates the interaction between dimer and ion pairs, with the results showing that anions play a key role in forming H-bonds, while cations mainly attack the oxygen of carbonyl and have a π-stacking interaction with dimer. The comprehensive mechanistic study will help researchers in the future to design an efficient ionic liquid catalyst and offer a better understanding of the mechanism of the degradation of PET.

Co-interaction lead to glycolysis of ethylene terephthalate (PET) in ionic liquids (ILs): H-bonds and π-stacking.

Changes in inflammatory and oxidative stress factors and the protein synthesis pathway in injured skeletal muscle after contusion

Injury of skeletal muscle, and particularly mechanically-induced damage, including contusion injury, frequently occurs in contact sports as well as in sports with accidental contact. Although the mechanisms of skeletal muscle regeneration are well understood, those involved in muscle contusion are not. A total of 40 male mice were randomly divided into control (n=8) and muscle contusion (n=32) groups. A muscle contusion model was established by weight-drop injury. Subsequently, the gastrocnemius muscles in the two groups were harvested at different times (1, 3, 7 and 14 days) post-injury. The changes in skeletal muscle morphology were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. Furthermore, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to analyze inflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress factors and the Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. The results revealed that pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)] increased significantly at day 1 and 3 and still exhibited high levels of expression at days 7 and 14 (except IL-6) post-injury. Additionally, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased significantly at 1, 3 and 7 days and reached its peak levels at 7 days post-injury. It was revealed that gp91phox mRNA increased significantly at all time points and gp91phox protein increased significantly at day 3 post-injury. Furthermore, it was observed that p-Akt/Akt increased significantly at 1 day post-injury. P-mTOR/mTOR increased significantly at day 1 and 7, and p-p70s6k/p70s6k and P-4EBP1/4EBP1 increased significantly at 1, 3, 7 and 14 days post-injury. These results indicate that inflammatory and oxidative stress factors and the Akt/mTOR pathway may serve important roles in the regeneration of muscle contusion. In addition, certain inflammatory factors and oxidative stress factors maintained high levels of expression at 14 days after injury, indicating that the healing process of muscle was still not fully achieved at this time.

Anti-atherosclerotic effect of Longxuetongluo Capsule in high cholesterol diet induced atherosclerosis model rats

Chinese dragon's blood, the red resin of Dracaena cochinchinensis, one of the famous traditional medicines, has been used to promote blood circulation, disperse blood stasis, stop bleeding, relieve pain and muscle regeneration for thousands of years. The aims of this study were to evaluate the anti-atherosclerotic effect of Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC), which made by total phenolic compounds of Chinese dragon's blood, in high cholesterol diet (HCD)-induced atherosclerosis model rats and explore the possible mechanism. Atherosclerosis rats were induced by administration of HCD for 4 weeks and treated with atorvastatin (2.08mg/kg/d) or various concentrations of LTC (81, 162 and 324mg/kg/d) for additional 4 weeks. Body weight (BW), lipid profiles, serum VCAM-1, ICAM-1, MCP-1, AST and ALT were then tested. Histopathological evaluation of aorta and liver were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. NF-κB expression in aorta was detected by Immunohistochemical staining. Meanwhile, the inhibition effects of LTC on the migration and proliferation and Intracellular Ca²⁺ levels induced by PDGF-BB were also evaluated in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (A7r5). The results demonstrated that LTC produced a significant anti-atherosclerotic activity in terms of reduction in serum lipids and lipoprotein profile, VCAM-1, ICAM-1, MCP-1, AST, ALT levels, and increase in HDL-c level compared to atherosclerotic group. Rats treated with LTC not only attenuated the pathological region and atheroma formation, but also reduced hepatic steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical analysis showed LTC reduced NF-κB expression in aorta. Furthermore, PDGF-BB induced proliferation and migration of A7r5 and intracellular calcium rise were also abrogated by LTC. The results indicate that LTC prevents atherosclerosis and fatty liver by controlling lipid metabolism, the underlying mechanism may attributed to its anti-inflammation activity, regulation of the vascular smooth muscle function and intracellular calcium signaling.

Nitrogen-to-Protein Conversion Factors for Crop Residues and Animal Manure Common in China

Accurately determining protein content is essential in exploiting biomass as feed and fuel. A survey of biomass samples in China indicated protein contents from 2.65 to 3.98% for crop residues and from 6.07 to 10.24% for animal manure of dry basis. Conversion factors based on amino acid nitrogen (k_A) ranged from 5.42 to 6.00 for the former and from 4.78 to 5.36 for the latter, indicating that the traditional factor of 6.25 is not suitable for biomass samples. On the other hand, conversion factors from Kjeldahl nitrogen (k_P) ranged from 3.97 to 4.57 and from 2.76 to 4.31 for crop residues and animal manure, respectively. Of note, conversion factors were strongly affected by amino acid composition and levels of nonprotein nitrogen. Thus, k_P values of 4.23 for crop residues, 4.11 for livestock manure, and 3.11 for poultry manure are recommended to better estimate protein content from total nitrogen.

Regularity and mechanism of wheat straw properties change in ball milling process at cellular scale

To investigate the change of structure and physicochemical properties of wheat straw in ball milling process at cellular scale, a series of wheat straws samples with different milling time were produced using an ultrafine vibration ball mill. A multitechnique approach was used to analyze the variation of wheat straw properties. The results showed that the characteristics of wheat straw powder displayed regular changes as a function of the milling time, i.e., the powder underwent the inversion of breakage to agglomerative regime during wheat straw ball milling process. The crystallinity index, bulk density and water retention capacity of wheat straw were exponential relation with ball milling time. Moreover, ball milling continually converted macromolecules of wheat straw cell wall into water-soluble substances resulting in the water extractives proportional to milling time.

Quantitative approaches for illustrating correlations among the mechanical fragmentation scales, crystallinity and enzymatic hydrolysis glucose yield of rice straw

Mechanical fragmentation is an important pretreatment in the biomass biotransformation process. Mechanical fragmentation at the tissue scale significantly reduced the particle size of rice straw but did not significantly change its crystalline properties; the increase in the glucose yield was limited from 28.75% (95.55mg/g substrate) to 35.29% (115.28mg/g substrate). Mechanical fragmentation at the cellular scale destroyed the cell wall structure and reduced its crystalline properties. Thus, the glucose yield also showed a significant increase from 35.29% (115.28mg/g substrate) to 81.71% (287.07mg/g of substrate). The quantitative equations among the particle size, crystalline properties and glucose yield (mg/g substrate) are as follows: CrI=44.14×[1-exp(-0.03658×D₅₀)] and CP=(8.403×logD₅₀-24.1836)/(1-4.225/D₅₀^0.5); GY=-5.636CrI+343.7 and GY=-14.62CP+512.1; and GY=97.218+247.5×exp(-0.03824×D₅₀). The quantitative correlations among the mechanical fragmentation scales and crystalline properties can determine the effect and mechanism of mechanical fragmentation on biomass and can further promote the construction of a cost-competitive biotransformation process for biomass.

[Long-term outcomes after cataract surgery in infants with congenital cataract]

Objective: To observe the long-term outcomes after congenital cataract surgery performed prior to 36 months of age. Methods: A retrospective case study was conducted. Thirty-two cases (57 eyes) of congenital cataract were included from January 2004 to January 2012. All patients received intraocular lens (IOL) implantation with posterior continuous curvilinear capsulorhexies and anterior vitrectomy after cataract extraction and were followed up. At the last visit, the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was determined and postoperative complications were evaluated during follow-up with a longest time of 13 years. Non-normal distribution showed in median M (minimum and maximum). Data were analyzed by Kruskal Wallis single factor variance analysis and multiple comparison. The independent Mann-Witney U test was used to analyze non-normal distribution data. Results: There were thirty-two cases (57 eyes) of congenital cataract including 7 unilateral cases and 25 bilateral cases. The median age at cataract extraction was 6.0months; the median IOL implantation age was 28.0 months and the median duration of follow-up after cataract extraction was 67.0 months. The median postoperative BCVA was (LogMAR) 0.52. Unilateral and bilateral cataract postoperative BCVA difference had no statistical significance (U=107, P>0.05). Patients received cataract surgery in 2 to 4 months, the postoperative BCVA was better than in 5 to 8 months. The difference was statistical significance (H=-15.33, P<0.05). BCVA after IOL implantation before 24 months were significantly better than after 30 months. The difference had statistical significance(H=-20.61,-20.78, P<0.05). Postoperative complications were posterior capsular opacity (5 eyes; 8.77%), glaucoma (2 eyes; 3.51%), strabismus (17 eyes; 29.82%) and nystagmus (30 eyes; 52.63%). Conclusions: Most infantile cataract surgeries performed prior to 36 mouths of life together with the implantation of IOL can achieve good visual acuity. No serious complications occurred. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 266-273).

[Characteristics of postviral olfactory disorder]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection. Methods: Through clinical specialist examination and imaging examination, 95 cases of patients with olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection were confirmed, 58 cases in anosmia group and 37 cases in hyposmia group. All were performed by a subjective olfactometry (Sniffin'Sticks test) and a subjective taste function tests. The results were statistically analyzed by SPSS 17.0 software. Results: In 58 cases of anosmia group, 21 cases of male, 37 cases of female; Twenty-six cases of youth, 23 cases of middle age, 9 cases of old age; Twenty-seven cases occurs in spring, 11 cases in summer, 12 in autumn and 8 in winter. Among 37 cases of hyposmia group, 12 cases of male, 25 cases of female; Eighteen cases of youth, 16 cases of middle age, 3 cases of old age; Fourteen cases occurs in spring, 8 cases in summer, 7 in autumn and 8 in winter. There was no statistically significant difference in gender, age and the onset season between the two groups(χ²=0.142, P>0.05; χ²=1.124, P>0.05; χ²=1.335, P>0.05). In anosmia group, with 4 cases of ageusia, 22 cases of hypogeusia, 32 cases of normal taste; in hyposmia group, with 0 cases of ageusia, 10 cases of hypogeusia, 27 cases of normal taste. There were significant differences between the two groups with different types of taste disorder(Pearson correlation coefficient r=0.210, P<0.05), it was positive correlation. Conclusions: It is suggested that after the upper respiratory tract infection, the olfactory dysfunction is often accompanied by the sense of taste dysfunction, the more severe the damage of olfactory function, the degree of damage to the taste function is also increased. Olfactory impairment degree exhibited no relationship with gender, age or onset seasons.

Association of decreased expression of the macrophage scavenger receptor MARCO with tumor progression and poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIM

The macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) belongs to the scavenger receptor family; however, few studies have assessed their potentials in modulating inflammatory signaling other than the typical function of pattern recognition and phagocytic clearance. Interestingly, RNA-Seq analyses of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have identified MARCO as one of the top 30 differentially expressed genes between cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues. However, no research has been performed to study MARCO in liver cancer.

METHODS

MARCO protein expression was evaluated by immunostaining liver tissue specimens collected from 88 HCC patients, 10 liver cirrhosis patients, 6 metastatic patients, and 5 healthy controls. All sections were reviewed by blinded observers followed by the interpretation of integral optical density per area as a measure of protein intensity.

RESULTS

We observed significantly decreased expression of MARCO in intratumoral tissues of HCC compared with expression in peritumoral tissues. The expression of MARCO declined progressively as the disease condition was aggravated, with the highest expression found in healthy controls and the lowest found in patients with HCC metastasis. Furthermore, MARCO expression decreased along with tumor progression. MARCO⁺ cells co-localized with CD68⁺ cells, indicating predominant expression on macrophages. The overall survival rate was significantly increased in patients with high intratumoral MARCO expression compared with that of patients with low intratumoral MARCO expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study is the first to demonstrate an association between MARCO expression and the progression and prognosis of HCC.