MicroRNA-24 attenuates vascular remodeling in diabetic rats through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The vascular remodeling plays a crucial role in pathogenesis of diabetic cardiovascular complications. In this study, we intended to explore the effects and potential mechanisms of microRNA-24 (miR-24) on vascular remodeling under diabetic conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MiR-24 recombinant adenovirus (Ad-miR-24-GFP) was used to induce miR-24 overexpression either in carotid arteries or high glucose (HG)-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Cell proliferation was analyzed using CCK-8 method. Cell migration was examined using wound-healing and transwell assay. mRNA and protein expressions of critical factors were, respectively, measured by real-time PCR and western blot as follows: qRT-PCR for the levels of miR-24, PIK3R1; western blot for the protein levels of PI3K (p85α), Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, p-mTOR, 4E-BP1, p-4E-BP1, p70s6k, p-p70s6k, MMP 2, MMP 9, collagen Ⅰ, as well as collagen Ⅲ. Carotid arteries in diabetic rats suffered balloon injury were harvested and examined by HE, immunohistochemical and Masson trichrome staining. The expression of miR-24 was decreased in HG-stimulated VSMCs and balloon-injured carotid arteries of diabetic rats, accompanied by increased mRNA expression of PIK3R1. The up-regulation of miR-24 suppressed VSMCs proliferation, migration, collagen deposition not only induced by HG in vitro, but also in balloon-injured diabetic rats, which were related to inactivation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

The up-regulation of miR-24 significantly attenuated vascular remodeling both in balloon-injured diabetic rats and HG-stimulated VSMCs via suppression of proliferation, migration and collagen deposition by acting on PIK3R1 gene that modulated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axes.

[Study on the status of low vision among students of Beijing in 2017]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the status quo and related factors on low vision (LV) among students of Beijing. Methods: All the students in Beijing were included as the subjects of interest, based on the reference of the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health. Results: The overall rate of LV among students in Beijing was 58.6% in 2017, with 61.6% in females, higher than 55.9% in males. LV also appeared higher in urban than in rural areas. The rates of LV appeared as 46.8%, 78.0%, 89.0%, 71.0%, in students from primary, middle, high or vocational high schools, respectively. Rates on light, moderate or severe LV were 8.4%, 17.8% and 32.5%, respectively. Conclusions: The overall rate of LV among students in Beijing was considered high. Students in preschool, in 4-6 grades and the 2(nd) grade of middle schools, were at the key stages of developing vision-related problems. Factors as heavy load on homework, lack of outdoor activities and 'limit of vision space' as well as incorrect reading behavior during puberty, need to be of concern.

[Impact of psoas muscle index on early postoperative mortality and complications after liver transplantation]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between psoas muscle index (PMI) and early postoperative survival rate and the incidence of complications after liver transplantation in adults. Methods: The clinical data of 225 patients (male, n=184; female, n=41) underwent liver transplantation at the Organ Transplantation Department of First Central Clinic Institute of Tianjin Medical University from January 2014 to December 2016 were analyzed, retrospectively.Original disease: hepatitis B liver cirrhosis(44 cases), hepatitis C cirrhosis(10 cases), autoimmune liver cirrhosis(29 cases), other benign liver diseases(24 cases), liver cirrhosis with liver cancer(116 cases), hilar cholangiocarcinoma(1 case) and hepatic vascular sarcoma(1 case). The area of bilateral psoas muscle on the lower edge level of the third lumbar vertebral body was measured through preoperative CT image.The PMI was calculated using this formula: bilateral psoas muscle area (mm(2))/the square of the body height (m(2)). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve and cut-off values, the male and female patients were divided into low PMI group and high PMI group respectively.The χ(2) test, Fisher exact test and t-test was used to compare the differences in perioperative data, survival rate and postoperative complications between the two groups, respectively. Results: There were 44 patients in the low PMI group, and 181 patients in the high PMI group. ICU time was longer (82.5(62.0-128.0) hours vs.69.1(56.0-104.0) hours; P=0.006) and preoperative blood urea nitrogen level (5.86(4.35-15.52) mmol/L vs. 4.94(4.05-7.06) mmol/L; P=0.012) was higher in the low PMI group than those in the high PMI group. Incidence rates of grade 5 complication (18.2%) and grade 4a complication (18.2%) were higher in the low PMI group, and 120-day cumulative survival rate was lower than that in high PMI group(81.8% vs. 95.6%, P=0.001). On the other hand, there were no significant differences in preoperative white blood cell count level, serum creatinine level, operative time, anhepatic period time, intraoperative blood loss, and incidence of postoperative grade 3 complications between the two groups(all P>0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant correlation between PMI and early postoperative survival rate and incidence of complications.Patients with lower PMI has poor prognosis after liver transplantation.

[The Role of TSP-1-CD47 in ROS-mediated Pulmonary Fibrosis Induced by Paraquat]

Objective: Taking human A549 cells as the research object, to construct the paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis model in vitro, and to explore the role of TSP-1 (Thrombospondin-1, TSP-1) and its receptor CD47 in PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Human A549 cells were cultured in vitro, divided into normal control group, PQ group, Anti-TSP1 group (PQ with neutralizing anti-TSP1 antibody at a final concentration of 10 μg/ml) . A549 cells were stimulated with different concentrations (50, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1 000 μmol/L) for different time (12, 24, 48 h) , and then CCK8 method was used to detect the cell viability to screen out the concentration and time of half cell viability. The subsequent test will be performed at this concentration point.The morphology of the cells was observed under inverted microscope. The expression levels of Fibronectin (FN) and type I collagen were determined by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) . Immunocytochemistry (ICC) and Immunofluorescence (IF) were used to observe the expression of TSP-1 and CD47 protein and the co-expression.The mRNA expression of TSP-1 and CD47 was detected by Real Time PCR (RT-PCR) . The protien expression of TSP-1 and CD47 was detected by Western Blot (WB) . The levels of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) were measured by flow cytometry. Results: Before neutralizing anti-TSP1 antibody intervention: (1) When the time of PQ was constant, the cell viability decreased with the increase of PQ concentration. (2) The cells in the control group were closely connected, cobble-like, arranged neatly; with the increase of PQ concentration, the cell gap of PQ group gradually increased, spindle shape or long spindle shape. (3) With the increase of PQ concentration, the relative expression of FN and I collagen in PQ group was gradually increased compared with the control group in a concentration-dependent manner, and 200 μmol/L is the most obvious. (4) Compared with the control group, the mRNA level and the protein expression of TSP-1 and CD47 in PQ group was significantly increased, and 200 μmol/L is the most obvious, and Immunofluorescence showed they were co-expression in cytoplasm. (5) Compared with the normal group, the level of ROS in A549 cells was significantly increased at 24 h after PQ stimulation. (6) Compared with PQ group, the cell viability of Anti-TSP1 group was significantly increased, and the morphology changed to normal cell morphology, and the mRNA level and the protein expression of TSP-1 and CD47 decreased, and the overexpression of ROS was inhibited, and the relative expression of FN and I collagen decreased. Conclusion: PQ stimulation induced morphological changes of A549 cells, increased expression of TSP-1, CD47, FN and type I collagen, and increased production of ROS.Neutralizing anti-TSP1 antibodies against TSP-1 can partially improve the above lesions. TSP-1-CD47 may be associated with oxidative stress-mediated PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Abstract P3-01-18: In vivo isolation of circulating tumour cells using CellCollector and detection of gene mutations in different metastasis organ sites in breast cancer

Introduction: Metastasis is thought to result from tumour cell entry into the circulation and migration to distant organs, where the mutation landscape of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) may shift and vary. The genotypic features of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) typically differ from those of primary breast cancer (BC) cells. Gene mutation analysis of CTCs in MBC may benefit patients by identifying those amenable to specific therapies. Currently, CTCs are primarily isolated in vitro from small volumes of blood. The aim of this study was to isolate CTCs in vivo using CellCollector and screen for specific gene mutations in cells from different metastasis organ sites and molecular subtypes in MBC patients.

Methods: In this study, we used a novel technology, CellCollector, to collect peripheral CTCs. Thirty MBC patients were enrolled, and 17 were analysed with next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods. Clinical characteristics were analysed along with CTC enumeration and detection rates. Whole-genome amplification (WGA) was used to amplify the CTC genomic DNA of 127 genes.

Results: We isolated CTCs in vivo from 20 of 30 MBC patients (66.7%), with a median and mean (range) of 2 (0-15) CTCs. In non-cancer patients, no CTCs were detected. We analysed CTC enumeration and the detection rate in different clinical characteristic subgroups. We found that in their corresponding subgroups, patients younger than 45 years old, with brain metastasis, with three or more metastasis organ sites, or with HER2-positive subtypes had the highest CTC medians and means.As far as clinical characteristics were concerned, the number of CTCs seemed correlated with more advanced clinical characteristics. In the one metastasis organ, two metastasis organs and three or more metastasis organs subgroups, the CTC detection rates were 38.5% (5/13), 77.8% (7/9), and 100.0% (8/8), respectively. The CTC detection rate correlated with the number of metastasis organs; patients with more metastasis organ sites had higher CTC detection rates. We also found that different metastasis organs and molecular subtypes contain high-frequency mutation genes, and also contain unique gene mutations.

Conclusions: In MBC, CellCollector can be used to collect intact CTCs, from which we can obtain gene mutation information. Different metastasis organs and molecular subtypes may have corresponding unique mutations, which may provide a basis for future gene therapy.

CTCs enumeration data and correlations to clinicopathologic characteristicsPatients' characteristics CTCs enumeration  RangemedianmeanTotal0-1522Age (years)   <450-422≥45 and <600-1512≥600-212Metastatic location   Brain0-1556Lung+liver0-712Bone+local recurrence0-411Number of metastatic locations   10-40120-15133-41-723Molecular subtypes   Luminal A000Luminal B0-511HER2 positive0-1523Triple negative0-712HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

Citation Format: Geng C, Li S, Yang S, Shi J, Ding Y, Gao W, Cheng M, Sun Y, Xie Y, Sang M. In vivo isolation of circulating tumour cells using CellCollector and detection of gene mutations in different metastasis organ sites in breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-01-18.

[Surgical management of petrous bone cholesteatoma and facial nerve protection]

Objective: To discuss the therapeutic scheme of petrous bone cholesteatoma(PBC) and the technique of facial nerve reconstruction. Method: The data of 28 patients who underwent surgery for PBC in our center were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were diagnosed radiologically with PBCs and reconfirmed pathologically after surgery. The surgical approach was discussed basing Sanna's classification of PBCs, and the facial nerve outcomes were analyzed moreover. Result: PBC cases 11 were supralabyrinthine, 4 infralabyrinthine, 3 infralabyrinthine-apical, 10 massive and none apical. The facial nerve was involved in 50% of the cases. The translabyrinthine approach were used in 3 cases. The transotic approach was used in 7 cases in this series.The transcochlear approach type was applied in 12 cases. The Infratemporal fossa type B approach and subtotal petrosectomy were employed in 2 cases and 4 cases respectively. Active management of the nerve(rerouting, anastomosis, or grafting) was required in 14 cases, postoperative facial nerve function were inproved in 10 cases(71.43%). Conclusion: The appropriate surgery approach was vitally important to radical disease clearance in PBCs. The facial nerve preservation was preceded hearing preservation. Active facial nerve management were beneficial to facial nerve recovery..

Method of interpreting Mueller matrix of anisotropic medium

The differential Mueller matrix is an important concept for analyzing the polarization properties of an optically homogeneous anisotropic sample, both nondepolarizing and depolarizing. In this work, we present a new method of interpreting Mueller matrix of anisotropic medium based on the relationships that exist between the components of a differential Mueller matrix and the polar components of the corresponding macroscopic Mueller matrix, and the necessary conditions are determined that guarantee the physical realizability of the generating matrices. Finally, a group of the experimental data of a sample from the literature with some known polarization properties was used to demonstrate the analysis. The work is helpful for obtaining new insights or new interpretations of the measured Mueller matrix of the medium.

Regulatory T cells are an important prognostic factor in breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The clinical relevance of regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration in breast cancer (BC) remains controversial, and no recent meta-analysis has been published on this subject. Our aim was to identify the precise relationship between Tregs and the prognosis and clinic-pathological features of BC. Eligible articles were identified with a MEDLINE database search over a period up to March 2015. Our meta-analysis was performed using STATA software 11.0 and Review Manager 5.3. The correlations between Treg infiltration and clinico-pathological features and BC prognosis were analyzed. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses, as well as meta-regression, were conducted. Eighteen published studies (including 8,562 patients) were eligible. Overall survival (OS) and disease-, recurrence-, and progression-free survival (DFS/RFS/PFS) were correlated with Treg infiltration (OR=2.03 (95% CI, 1.40-2.95; P=0.000) and 1.48 (95% CI, 1.00-2.19; P=0.050), respectively), including 3-, 5-, and 10-year mortality rates. In addition, low Treg infiltration was present in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive tumors (P=0.000), progesterone receptor (PR)-positive tumors (P=0.003), Her2-negative tumors (P=0.000) and histological grade I/II tumors (P=0.001). No publication bias was observed with the exception of OS. Subgroup analysis suggested that the mortality rate of the high Treg infiltration subgroup was increased compared with the low Treg infiltration subgroup among ER-positive patients. Treg infiltration indicated a poorer prognosis for BC and is related to ER, PR, and Her2 status and histological grade. Thus, Treg infiltration could help predict outcomes and guide clinical therapy.

[Features of cognitive function in patients with laryngeal carcinoma]

Objective:To study the differences in cognitive function between patients with laryngeal carcinoma and healthy volunteers. Method:Patients with laryngeal carcinoma who have been first diagnosed with laryngeal carcinoma, but not received treatment at the Department of Otolaryngology in two hospitals in Shanxi Province and healthy volunteers of the same age, gender-matched and similar education were studied for the purpose to evaluate the cognitive status by using the Wechsler memory scale.Result:No significant difference of age, gender and educational level was found between both groups（P>0.05）.The score of Memory Quotient was significantly lower in the laryngeal carcinoma group than that in healthy control group (P<0.05). There were significant differences in the results of Wechsler memory scale except for Experience, Orientation and Association test (P<0.05).Conclusion:The memory, attention and computing power of patients in the laryngeal carcinoma group were not as good as those of patients in the healthy control group. Patients with laryngeal carcinoma have cognitive impairment or lower ability , so we need to pay more attention to the patients during their rehabilitation. The early detection of cancer-related cognitive impairments can help patients improve their cognitive function early, reduce the burden on their families and society, and promote better return of patients to society.

[Effect of hnRNP K and its interaction with HPV16 on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia]

Objective: To investigate the effect of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (hnRNP K) and its interaction with human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) on cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Methods: The participants included 67 women with normal cervix (NC), 69 women with CINⅠ and 68 women with CINⅡ/Ⅲ in a community cohort of pathologically diagnosed women established in Jiexiu of Shanxi province, from June 2014 to June 2015. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data of the subjects and the related factors of cervical lesions. Cervical exfoliated cells and cervical tissues from biopsy or surgery were selected. The infection status of HPV16 was detected by flow-through hybridization. The protein expression levels of hnRNP K were evaluated by Western blot. SPSS 23.0 software was used to collate and analyze the data. To study the differences in demographic characteristics, related factors, hnRNP K protein and HPV16 infection among NC, CINⅠand CINⅡ/Ⅲgroups, χ(2) test, trend χ(2) test, and Kruskal-Wallis H test were conducted. Multiple comparisons of hnRNP K protein in three groups were completed by using the Bonferroni method. The OR and its 95%CI of hnRNP K, HPV16 and CIN were calculated by using the unconditional logistic regression models. Two-way interactions between hnRNP K protein and HPV16 infection on CIN were analyzed by using additive model and related indicators. Results: HPV16 infection rates were 10.4% in women with normal cervix, 14.5% in women with CINⅠ and 41.2% in women with CINⅡ/Ⅲ, respectively. The differences among three groups were significant (P<0.001). Moreover, the infection rates of HPV16 gradually increased with the increasing severity of CIN (trend χ(2)=18.512, P<0.001). The differences in protein expression of hnRNP K among three groups were significant (H=48.138, P<0.001) and the expressionincreased with the development of cervical lesionss (trend χ(2)=21.765, P<0.001). Results from the interaction analysis indicated that there were additive effects between high expression of hnRNP K protein and HPV16 in CINⅡ/Ⅲ group compared with normal group (API=0.639, 95%CI: 0.083-1.196). In contrast, no such additive effect was found in CINⅠ group. Conclusions: HPV16 infection and over-expression of hnRNP K protein were associated with the increased risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. There might be interaction between hnRNP K protein overexpression and HPV16 infection existed on the progress of CINⅡ/Ⅲ.

[Expression of long non-coding RNA LINC00460 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue and its clinical significance]

Objective:To understand the expression of LINC00460 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and to discuss the role of LINC00460 in carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Method:The expression of LINC00460 in 68 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were examined by real-time PCR. The relationship between the expression levels of LINC00460 and the clinicopathological features including clinical stage, histological grade, pathological type, and lymph node metastasis in LSCC was analyzed according to the clinical data. Result:The expression of LINC00460 was significantly upregulated in the LSCC tissue compared with that of adjacent normal mucosal tissue (P=0.006). There were no statistical differences of the quantity of LINC00460 expression among supraglottic, glottic and subglottic LSCC (P>0.05). Moreover, LINC00460 had no significant changes in poorly differentiated LSCC when compared with that of well and moderately differentiated LSCC (P>0.05). Furthermore, the expression of LINC00460 in LSCC with lymph node metastasis had no significant changes when compared with that without of lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). Notably, LINC00460 expression in T1+T2 stages patients were significantly lower than T3+T4 stages (P<0.05). Conclusiont:Upregulation of long non-coding RNA LINC00460 might contribute to the carcinogenesis and development of LSCC, furthermore play important biological function.

[The roles of TSP-1 and its receptor CD47 in pathogenesis of paraquat-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats]

Objective: To establish a rat model of paraquat (PQ) -induced pulmonary fibrosis and observe the changes in thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and its receptor CD47 in lung tissue, and to investigate their roles in the pathogenesis of PQ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Methods: Fifty-four clean adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control group (n=6) and 2 h, 12 h, 1 d, 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d PQ poisoning groups (n=8 per group). A rat model of PQ poisoning was established by a single gavage of 20 wt.% PQ solution (50 mg/kg). Flow cytometry was used to determine the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in blood and lung tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the concentrations of hydroxyl radicals, malondialdehyde, and hydroxyproline in lung tissue. HE staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological damage of lung tissue after PQ poisoning. The expression of TSP-1 and CD47 in lung tissue was measured by Immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with the normal control group, the 2 h to 7 d PQ poisoning groups showed significant increases in ROS fluorescence intensity in red blood cells and lung tissues and the concentrations of malondialdehyde and hydroxyl radicals in lung tissue (P<0.05) , and the 14 d PQ poisoning group had a significant increase in the concentration of hydroxyproline in lung tissue (P<0.05). HE staining showed that the 2 h to 7 d PQ poisoning groups had significantly higher semiquantitative pathological scores of pulmonary alveolitis than the normal control group (P<0.05). The Masson staining showed that the 7 d and 14 d PQ poisoning groups had significantly higher semiquantitative pathological scores of pulmonary fibrosis than the normal control group (P<0.05). Compared with the normal control group, all PQ poisoning groups (except the 12 h group) had significantly increased expression of TSP-1 in lung tissue (P<0.05) , and all PQ poisoning groups (except the 1 d group) had significantly increased expression of CD47 in lung tissue (P<0.05). Within 2 h after PQ poisoning, the expression of TSP-1 and CD47 was positively correlated with the concentrations of ROS, hydroxyl radicals, and malondialdehyde and the degree of pulmonary alveolitis (P<0.01) ; at 1 d after PQ poisoning, the expression of TSP-1 and CD47 was positively correlated with the concentration of hydroxyproline in lung tissue (P<0.01) . Conclusion: The expression of TSP-1 and CD47 is closely related to oxidative stress and subsequent pulmonary fibrosis, and they may be involved in the development and progression of pulmonary alveolitis and subsequent pulmonary fibrosis in rats with PQ poisoning.

Fast ion D-alpha measurements using a bandpass-filtered system on EAST

Based on the charge exchange reaction between fast ions and a neutral beam, fast ion features can be inferred from the spectrum of Doppler-shifted Balmer-alpha light from energetic hydrogenic atoms. In order to study the interaction between instabilities and fast-ion transport, recently we extended the fast ion D-alpha (FIDA) measurements by using a combination of a bandpass filter and a photomultiplier tube (PMT) (f-FIDA). A bandpass filter selects the desired spectral band from 651 nm to 654 nm before detection by the PMT. Preliminary data from the EAST tokamak show that the active signals have been detected from reneutralized beam ions along the vertical and tangential viewing geometries. The details will be presented in this paper to primarily address the specifications and performance of f-FIDA hardware components and preliminary FIDA measurements.

Performance of fast-ion loss diagnostic on EAST

The scintillator-based detector for fast-ion loss measurements has been installed on EAST. To obtain high temporal resolution for fast-ion loss diagnostics, fast photomultiplier tube systems have been developed which can supply the complementary measurements to the previous image system with good energy and pitch resolution by using a CCD camera. By applying the rotatable platform, the prompt losses of beam-ions can be measured in normal and reverse magnetic field. The thick-target bremsstrahlung occurring in the stainless steel shield with energetic electrons can produce X-rays, which will strike on the scintillator based detector. To understand this interference on fast-ion loss signals, the effects of energetic electrons on the scintillator-based detector are studied, including runaway electrons in the plasma ramping-up phase and fast electrons accelerated by the lower hybrid wave.

Significant association between paraoxonase 1 rs662 polymorphism and coronary heart disease : A meta-analysis in the Chinese population

BACKGROUND

A growing number of studies have suggested that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs662 (G>A) in paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is significantly associated with susceptibility to coronary heart disease (CHD) in the Chinese population. To further evaluate the effects of the PON1 RS662 (G>A) polymorphism on the risk of CHD, we performed a meta-analysis in a Chinese population.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Wanfang Data, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched to identify eligible studies. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the associations between RS662 (G>A) and CHD.

RESULT

In the meta-analysis, we identified 14 articles, including a total of 4835 CHD patients and 5111 controls in the Chinese population. Our result showed that overall rs662 (G>A) was significantly associated with susceptibility to CHD in the Chinese population when compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, a G allele suggested an elevated risk of CHD. In the subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity and geographic areas, significant associations were found in Chinese Han and South China, but not in North China.

CONCLUSION

The present meta-analysis suggests that rs662 (G>A) SNP in PON1 is associated with CHD risk; the G allele might be the risk allele for CHD susceptibility in the Chinese population. However, more research is required to make a definite conclusion.

The aberrant activation of Wnt pathway caused by β-catenin mutation and its prognostic significance in NK/T-cell lymphoma

The aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signal has an important role in the progression of cancers. Herein, we investigated β-catenin mutation and the activation of the Wnt pathway in association with the clinical-pathological characteristics, chemo-resistance and prognosis of NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL). Real-time quantitative PCR, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry SP methods detected the levels of β-catenin, c-myc and cyclin D1 in human NKTCL cell lines (SNK-6 and YTS) and NKTCL tissues. Mutation analysis was detected in exon 3 of β-catenin gene; and we analyzed cell viability after histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) treatment. As a result, 19 (38%) of NK/T-cell lymphoma displayed nuclear β-catenin and 16 (32%) contained mutations in exon 3; while no mutations were detected in lymphomas negative for β-catenin nuclear staining (p<0.05). Most mutations affecting β-catenin were adjacent to regulatory phosphorylation sites. β-catenin, c-myc and cyclin D1 were significantly elevated in SNK-6 and YTS cell lines compared to normal NK/T cells (p<0.05). Furthermore, the high expression of β-catenin, c-myc and cyclin D1 significantly correlated with the III/IV Ann Arbor stage. Additionally, the expression of β-catenin in the SNK-6 cell line decreased significantly after treatment with HDACi, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the elevated expression of β-catenin correlated with poor prognosis in NKTCL patients (23.66±2.77 months vs 31.65±1.78 months, p=0.023). In conclusion: mutations in exon 3 of β-catenin and the activated Wnt pathway are common in NK/T-cell lymphoma that has nuclear β-catenin, and it is closely correlated with the Ann Arbor stage and prognosis in NKTCL patients.

[The expression of long non-coding RNA LINC00261 in laryngeal carcinoma tissue and their clinical significance]

Objective:To investigate the expression of LINC00261 in laryngeal carcinoma and to discuss their relevance and the roles in carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma. Method:The expressions of LINC00261 in laryngeal carcinoma tissue and paired adjacent normal tissue was determined by real-time PCR. The relationship between the expressions of LINC00261 and the clinic pathological characteristics including clinical stage, pathological type, histological grade and lymph node metastasis in LSCC was analysed according to the clinical data. Result:①The expression of LINC00261 was significantly decreased in the LSCC tissue compared with the normal laryngeal tissue(P<0.01).②In clinical stage grouping, there were no statistical differences of the quantity of LINC00261 expression among supraglottic, glottic and subglottic LSCC(P>0.05).In histological differentiation grouping, LINC00261 had no significant changes in poorly differentiated LSCC compared with the well and moderately differentiated LSCC(P>0.05). In histological grade grouping, the expression of LINC00261 in T1+T2 stages was significantly higher than T3+T4 stages(P<0.05). Moreover, the expression of LINC00261 in LSCC with lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that without of lymph node metastasis(P<0.05). Conclusion:Down regulation of LINC00261 in laryngeal carcinoma may contribute to the carcinogenesis and development of laryngeal carcinoma. The decreased expression of LINC00261 maybe relative to T term degree and lymphamatic metastasis of laryngeal carcinoma.

Molecular cloning and functional analysis of peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Toll-like receptor 7

In order to clone the peafowl (Pavo cristatus) Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) gene and study its biological function, the peafowl TLR7 coding sequences (CDS) were amplified by PCR of cDNA from the whole spleen of peafowl. The full-length sequence of the peafowl TLR7 gene CDS is 3,141 bp and encodes a 1,046-amino acid protein with a classic TLR composition of 16 leucine-rich repeats (LRR). Insertions of amino acids were found at position 15 of LRR2, LRR5, LRR7, LRR9, LRR11, LRR12, LRR14, and LRR15; and position 10 of LRR11. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that the peafowl TLR7 gene was highly expressed in lymphoid tissues of the spleen, bursa, bone marrow, lung, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). HEK293T cells were transfected with a peafowl TLR7 plasmid, and functional analysis showed that peafowl TLR7 could respond to R848, leading to activation of NF-κB. Following R848 stimulation or Newcastle disease virus infection of peafowl PBMC, the levels of IL-1β, IFN-γ, CCLi2, and TGF-β4 mRNA, assessed by quantitative real-time PCR, increased significantly. Triggering peafowl TLR7 results in upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, suggesting that peafowl TLR7 plays an important role in the innate immune response.