[Application of multi-group structural equation model in comparative study of HBM related to recreational physical activity among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people]

OBJECTIVE

To explore mechanism of health beliefs by application of health belief model (HBM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) with regard to recreational physical activity (PA), to identify the differences of among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people, and to provide the specific interventions of recreational physical activity and reference for health relevant policy-making in the future.

METHODS

A total of 2 736 residents with high risk of chronic diseases and 1 514 healthy people were involved. A questionnaire survey, physical examination and biochemical examination were conducted. The questionnaire based on HBM had acceptable validity and reliability. The proposed model based on the total sample size of the two groups was developed using the structural equation modeling and multi-comparison in the ways of appearance and parameters were also validated.

RESULTS

The median amount of recreational (PA) among population with high risk of chronic diseases and healthy people were 0.0 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (0.0, 4.6) and 0.0 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (0.0, 4.0) respectively. The results of SEM suggested that the direct effects of perceived objective barriers (β=-0.245), perceived subjective barriers (β=-0.057), cues to action (β=-0.043) and self-efficacy (β=0.117) on recreational (PA) were significant. Self-efficacy was the most important mediator. The multi-group comparisons indicated that the models of the two groups had the same appearance but the parameters between them were significant (δ χ²=27.4, P<0.05). The multi-group structural equation model (MSEM) indicated that two paths from cues to action and from perceived subjective barriers to recreational (PA) were not statistically significant among the population with high-risk of chronic diseases. In the two groups, one path coefficient from perceived objective barriers to subjective barriers (P=0.007) was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The recreational (PA) levels of both groups were lower. Health beliefs on recreational (PA) of the two groups played different roles and some paths were also different. Therefore, specific interventions and strategies should be developed for different people. For residents with high risk of chronic diseases, much more attention should be paid to reduce the objective and subjective barriers of recreational physical activity and to improve self-efficacy so as to delay or prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases and then to improve the quality of life of this kind of population.

[Comparison of safety between continued warfarin therapy and bridging anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing coronary intervention]

Objective: To compare the safety of continued warfarin therapy and bridging anticoagulation therapy during hospital stay in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients on warfarin therapy referred for PCI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2008 to December 2016. The patients were divided into continued warfarin therapy (n=195) or bridging anticoagulation therapy (n=311) groups. After Propensity Score Matching, data from matched patients (n=123 in each group) were analyzed. Bleeding complications and major adverse cardiac events including death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and stent thrombosis were assessed. Results: There were no significant difference in the rate of death (2.4%(3/123) vs. 1.6%(2/123),P=0.54), acute myocardial infarction (4.1%(5/123) vs. 4.9%(6/123), P=0.78),re-revascularization (0.8%(1/123) vs. 1.6%(2/123),P=0.16), stent thrombosis (1.6%(2/123) vs. 1.6%(2/123),P=1.00) and stroke between the two groups. Prevalence of minor bleeding complications was significantly higher in the bridging therapy group (15.4%(19/123) vs. 9.8%(12/123),P=0.01). Rate of access-site complications (hematoma:4.1%(5/123) vs. 2.4%(3/123),P=0.20; pseudoaneurysm:2.4%(3/123) vs. 2.4%(3/123),P=1.00; arteriovenous fistula:0.8%(1/123) vs. 1.6%(2/123),P=0.09; and retroperitoneal hematoma:0(0/123) vs. 0.8%(1/123),P=0.23) were similar between the two groups. Conclusion: For patients receiving chronic warfarin therapy, the uninterrupted oral anticoagulant treatment is as safe as bridging therapy in PCI patients.

[The role of preoperative (18)F-FDG PET-CT in lymphatic metastasis diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma on extremities and trunk]

Objective: To evaluate the clinical value of preoperative (18)F-Fludeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG PET-CT) in lymphatic metastasis diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma on extremities and trunk. Methods: 112 patients with cutaneous melanoma pathologically of extremities and trunk from January 2006 to December 2016, who received (18)F-FDG PET-CT examination preoperatively, were retrospectively reviewed. The correlations between the maximal diameters of lymph nodes, the maximal standard uptake value (SUV) and the diagnostic impression grades of PET-CT examination, and the final pathological diagnosis were analyzed. The correlations between Breslow thickness of primary lesions and the diagnostic impression of PET-CT examination were also analyzed. All the above were analyzed with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve to get the cut-off value. Based on the final results of pathological diagnosis of lymph nodes as the golden standard, the statistically significant indicators of ROC curve analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic effect, as well as to calculate the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. With gender, age, maximal diameter of lymph nodes, maximal SUV, diagnosis impressions, and Breslow thickness as the independent variables and pathological diagnosis results of lymph nodes as the dependent variable, two-class stepwise Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independence of diagnostic indicators. ROC curve analysis and log rank test were used to analyze the relationship between Breslow thickness and patient survival. Results: To evaluate melanoma patients' lymph node status, the results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve of lymph node maximal diameter, maximal SUV, diagnosis impression of PET-CT examinations were 0.789, 0.786 and 0.816, respectively (all P<0.05). The cut-off values were 0.85 cm, 1.45 and 2.5, respectively. The sensitivity of the cut-off values to determine the status of lymph nodes in melanoma patients were 71.4%, 64.9% and 72.1% respectively, and the specificities were 85.2%, 88.7% and 87.0% respectively. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that PET-CT diagnosis impressions had independent diagnostic significance for the lymph node status of melanoma patients (OR=11.296, 95%CI: 2.550~50.033). The area under the curve of Breslow thickness evaluating PET-CT diagnostic impression is 0.664 (P=0.042) and the cut-off value was 4.25 mm. The survival rate of the patients with Breslow thickness ≥ 4.25 mm was lower than that in the group <4.25 mm (P=0.006). Conclusions: (18)F-FDG PET-CT can help to evaluate metastases and make treatment decisions for cutaneous melanoma of extremities and trunk, especially for patients whose primary lesion's Breslow thickness has reached more than 4.25 mm. For the patients whose maximal SUV of regional lymph node is higher than 1.45 and short diameter of the largest lymph node is larger than 0.85cm, the possibility of metastases should be considered.

Recognition of Core- and Polymerase-derived immunogenic peptides included in novel therapeutic vaccine by T cells from Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is one of the major public health challenges in the world. Due to a strong interplay between specific T-cell immunity and elimination of hepatitis B virus (HBV), efforts to develop novel immunotherapeutics are gaining attention. TG1050, a novel immunotherapy, has shown efficacy in an animal study. To support the clinical development of TG1050 in China, specific immunity to the fusion antigens of TG1050 was assessed in Chinese patients. One hundred and thirty subjects were divided into three groups as CHB patients, HBV spontaneous resolvers, and CHB patients with HBsAg loss after antiviral treatment. HBV-specific T-cell responses to pools of HBV Core or Polymerase genotype D peptides included in TG1050 were evaluated. HBV Core- or Polymerase-specific cells were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the different cohorts. The frequencies and intensities of HBV Core-specific immune responses were significantly lower in CHB patients than in HBsAg loss subjects. In CHB patients, a dominant pool derived from Polymerase (Pol1) was the most immunogenic. CHB patients with low viral loads (<10⁶ IU/mL) were more likely to have a positive response specific to the Core peptide pool. Overall, genotype D-derived peptides included in TG1050 could raise broad and functional T-cell responses in PBMCs from Chinese CHB patients infected with genotype B/C isolates. Core-specific immunogenic domains appeared as "hot spots" with the capacity to differentiate between CHB vs HBsAg loss subjects. These observations support the extended application and associated immune monitoring of TG1050 in China.

[HCV infection and specific T lymphocyte immunity]

Adaptive immunity, especially the cellular immunity mediated by T lymphocytes, plays an important role in the body's fight against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The clearance of HCV requires a strong, sustained, and multi-epitope response from specific T lymphocytes, and the dysfunction of specific T lymphocytes is the major reason for chronic infection. Effective treatment can restore the function of specific T lymphocytes to a certain extent. This article reviews the features and related mechanisms of immune response from specific T lymphocytes when the prognosis of patients with HCV infection is different.

[Research advances in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated liver cancer]

Nonalcoholic fatty fiver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in clinical practice. It develops from simple fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis to liver fibrosis which may develop liver cirrhosis and result in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) eventually. Although studies show that many cell signaling pathways, genes and cell factors are involved in the progression and development of NAFLD related HCC, the exact mechanism underling the pathogenesis of NAFLD-HCC remains poorly understand. Here in this review, we give a summary of the recent findings at home and abroad that describe the epidemiology and pathogenesis of NAFLD associated HCC.

Evaluation of the role of 8-iso-PGF levels at multiple sites during intracranial hemorrhage in pediatric patients

OBJECTIVE

The present study was planned to explore the role of 8-isomeric-prostaglandinF2α (8-iso-PGF2α) levels at the multiple sites of cerebrospinal fluid in children with intracranial hemorrhage.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

90 children with intracranial hemorrhage were admitted to Surgery Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of our hospital from January to December 2013 and were selected as study subjects. They were divided into group A (n=30), group B (n=30) and group C (n=30). The group A was given conventional treatment, the group B was treated with minimally invasive puncture and the group C was treated with cerebrospinal fluid decompression. After 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, and 7 d of hospitalization, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the 8-iso-PGF2α levels in peripheral blood of children in all groups. On the day of admission and 10 d after treatment, 3 groups of children were implemented with brain nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for metabolite analyses.

RESULTS

On the day of admission there were no significant differences in the 8-iso-PGF2α levels among group A, B and C. Further, after 1 d, 3 d, 7 d of hospital stay, the 8-iso-PGF2α levels in peripheral blood showed a gradual downward trend, and decline range of the group C was greater than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). After 10 days of treatment, there were significant differences in the bilateral temporal lobe and hippocampal NAA/Creatinine (Cr), Cho/Cr, mI/Cr and NAA/mI among group A, B, and C. The survival rate of group C was higher than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the prevalence of sequelae was significantly lower than that of group A and B (p < 0.05). The amount of blood loss in children with intracranial hemorrhage was positively correlated with the levels of 8-iso-PGF2α in peripheral blood (r = 0.546, p < 0.05) as observed by Spearman correlation analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

8-iso-PGF2α plays an important role in the pathogenesis of intracranial hemorrhage, and could be utilized as a biomarker of oxidative stress in children with intracranial hemorrhage. Further, cerebrospinal fluid decompression is a better method of treatment for intracranial hemorrhage.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies a homozygous donor splice-site mutation in STAG3 that causes primary ovarian insufficiency

Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is the depletion or loss of normal ovarian function, which cause infertility in women before the age of 40 years. Two homozygous germline truncation mutations in STAG3 gene had been reported to causes POI in consanguineous families. Here, we aimed to identify the genetic cause of POI in 2 affected sisters manifested with primary amenorrhea and partial development of secondary sexual characters with normal range of height of a consanguineous Han Chinese family. Whole-exome and Sanger sequencing identified a homozygous donor splice-site mutation (NM_012447.2: c.1573+5G>A) in the STAG3 gene. RT-PCR revealed that the mutation causes loss of wild-type donor splice-site which leads to aberrant splicing of STAG3 mRNA and consecutive formation of STAG3 alternative transcript (p.Leu490Thrfs*10) . This is the first report of splice-site mutation of STAG3 gene causes POI in 2 Han Chinese patients.

[Immunotherapies for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas]

The Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a group of heterogeneous diseases. Patients with HNSCC demonstrate poor prognosis and survival time with standard therapy, especially in patients with advanced HNSCC. Recurrence and metastasis have not yet been effectively controlled. The immune profile in HNSCC, whether caused by carcinogen exposure or human papillomavirus (HPV), showed significantly immunosuppression. With the understanding of the complex interaction between tumor and immune system and immune escape mechanism of HNSCC, new immunotherapies have been generating. This article will summarize the immunological mechanism and immune therapy of HNSCC currently..

A novel noninvasive algorithm for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection

Several noninvasive blood biomarkers have been established for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, but their clinical performance remains inconclusive. Here, we compared the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers and developed a novel algorithm for assessing liver fibrosis. Six hundred and sixteen chronically HBV-infected and treatment-naïve patients who underwent liver biopsy were enrolled and randomly divided into training (N=410) and internal validation cohorts (N=206). One hundred and fifty-nine patients from another centre were recruited as an external validation cohort. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the performance of the gamma-glutamyltransferase-to-platelet ratio (GPR), red cell volume distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR), FIB-4 index, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and HBV DNA level against liver histology, and a novel algorithm was developed using the recursive partitioning and regression tree (RPART) method. In the training cohort, the area under the ROC curve of FIB-4 was significantly higher than that of APRI (P=.038) but was comparable to those of GPR, RPR and HBV DNA; however, the performance of the biomarkers was similar among the validation cohort. The established RPR-HBV DNA algorithm performed better in the training cohort than any individual blood biomarker, and the corresponding sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 63%, 90%, 72% and 80%, respectively. In the internal and external validation cohorts, the performance of the algorithm in assessing liver fibrosis was also superior to that of other biomarkers. These results suggest that the established RPR-HBV DNA algorithm might improve the diagnostic accuracy of liver fibrosis in treatment-naïve patients with chronic HBV infection, although additional studies are warranted to confirm these findings.

[Clinicopathological features and prognosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor: a retrospective study of 140 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of MPNST patients who were treated at Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science from January 1999 to January 2016. A total of 140 patients with 66 male and 74 female with MPNST were enrolled in the study. The median age was 40 at the time of diagnosis. Survival analysis were estimated by Kaplan-Meier method and Log rank test. Multivariate analysis were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results: The median follow-up time was 43.0 months. The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 56.4% and 48.6%, respectively. The 3-year local recurrence (LR) rate and distant metastasis (DM) rates were 42.9% and 49.3%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, radiotherapy and margin status affected 5-year OS rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, Ki-67 staining, margin status, radiotherapy and chemotherapy affected 3-year LR rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100, Ki-67 staining and margin status affected 3-year DM rate (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the tumor location, AJCC stage, S-100 were independent factors for 5-year OS rate (all P<0.05). The tumor location, Ki-67 staining and chemotherapy were independent factors for LR (all P<0.05) while the AJCC stage, margin status and Ki-67 staining were independent factors for DM (all P<0.05). Conclusions: MPSNT is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis. Multiple factors were identified in this study. Patients with the tumor located at head and neck, advanced AJCC stage and negative S-100 usually have a low 5-year overall survival rate. Patients with the tumor located at head and neck, Ki-67 staining ≥ 20% and without chemotherapy had a higher tendency of local recurrence. Poor prognosis factors for DM were advanced AJCC stage, positive margin and Ki-67 staining ≥ 20%.

Crystal structure of a bicupin protein HutD involved in histidine utilization in Pseudomonas

Cupins form one of the most functionally diverse superfamilies of proteins, with members performing a wide range of catalytic, non-catalytic, and regulatory functions. HutD is a predicted bicupin protein that is involved in histidine utilization (Hut) in Pseudomonas species. Previous genetic analyses have suggested that it limits the upper level of Hut pathway expression, but its mechanism of action is unknown. Here, we have determined the structure of PfluHutD at 1.74 Å resolution in several crystallization conditions, and identified N-formyl-l-glutamate (FG, a Hut pathway intermediate) as a potential ligand in vivo. Proteins 2017; 85:1580-1588. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Establishment and application of molecular ID in the main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage

Chinese cabbage is an important cruciferous vegetable in China. The differences in the morphology and other characteristics of the different varieties of Chinese cabbage are generally caused by their different genes. Using the simple sequence repeat (SSR) DNA molecular markers is an effective way to identify different genotypes. The identification of a genetic relationship is a key point in the breeding process, and it plays an important role in guiding parent selection and breeding of high-yield varieties. Moreover, the establishment of genomic fingerprints is significant for plant variety protection. Three to five SSR sites were selected from each of the 10 Chinese cabbage chromosomes on the basis of the abundance of SSR loci on them. According to the differences in the SSR polymorphic bands, a genomic fingerprint comprising 36 different loci was established in the 20 main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage, and this fingerprint was converted digitally into a molecular ID with 36 numbers based on the 36 SSR sites. The utility of this core set SSRs was demonstrated in 20 main inbred lines of Chinese cabbage, which could be placed into six clusters that were largely consistent with previous classification based on morphology data. Moreover, the molecular ID of an F1 hybrid can be deduced from its parents molecular IDs, and its purity can be determined by selecting one or two SSR loci from the 36 different loci.

[Application of rabbit monoclonal antibody GCET2 in diagnosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma]

Objective: To prepare a rabbit monoclonal antibody GCET2 and to investigate its diagnostic value in the workup of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Methods: GCET2 rabbit monoclonal antibody was developed by using RabMAb^® technology, and its specificity was confirmed by ELISA, Western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and flow cytometry. A panel of immunomarkers including GCET2, CD10, bcl-6, MUM1, GCET1, FOXP1, Ki-67 and CMYC was evaluated in 81 cases of DLBCLs, 5 cases of follicular lymphomas (FL) and 2 cases of Burkitt's lymphomas. Results: Rabbit monoclonal GCET2 antibody (clone EP316) was developed with specificity for normal germinal center B-cells (GCB) and GCB origined lymphomas. In 81 cases of DLBCL, the positive rate of GCET2 was 43.2%(35/81), which was significantly higher than that of other germinal center markers. Moreover, among 81 DLBCLs, the proportions of high CMYC expression in GCET2 negative and positive groups were 15.2% (7/46) and 2.8% (1/35), respectively. Conclusion: GCET2 is a sensitive immunohistochemical marker for GCB derived lymphomas. Combined with other biomarkers, it may improve the diagnostic sensitivity of GCB-DLBCL.

Quantitative Identification of Compound-Dependent On-Modules and Differential Allosteric Modules From Homologous Ischemic Networks

Module‐based methods have made much progress in deconstructing biological networks. However, it is a great challenge to quantitatively compare the topological structural variations of modules (allosteric modules [AMs]) under different situations. A total of 23, 42, and 15 coexpression modules were identified in baicalin (BA), jasminoidin (JA), and ursodeoxycholic acid (UA) in a global anti‐ischemic mice network, respectively. Then, we integrated the methods of module‐based consensus ratio (MCR) and modified Z_summary module statistic to validate 12 BA, 22 JA, and 8 UA on‐modules based on comparing with vehicle. The MCRs for pairwise comparisons were 1.55% (BA vs. JA), 1.45% (BA vs. UA), and 1.27% (JA vs. UA), respectively. Five conserved allosteric modules (CAMs) and 17 unique allosteric modules (UAMs) were identified among these groups. In conclusion, module‐centric analysis may provide us a unique approach to understand multiple pharmacological mechanisms associated with differential phenotypes in the era of modular pharmacology.

3D spin-flop transition in enhanced 2D layered structure single crystalline TlCo2Se2

The enhanced 2D layered structure single crystalline TlCo2Se2 has been successfully fabricated, which exhibits field-induced 3D spin-flop phase transitions. In the case of the magnetic field parallel to the c-axis (B//c), the applied magnetic field induces the evolution of the noncollinear helical magnetic coupling into a ferromagnetic (FM) state with all the magnetization of the Co ion parallel to the c-axis. A striking variation of the field-induced strain within the ab-plane is noticed in the magnetic field region of 20-30 T. In the case of the magnetic field perpendicular to the c-axis (B  ⊥  c), the inter-layer helical antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling may transform to an initial canted AFM coupling, and then part of it transforms to an intermediate metamagnetic phase with the alignment of two-up-one-down Co magnetic moments and finally to an ultimate FM coupling in higher magnetic fields. The robust noncollinear AFM magnetic coupling is completely destroyed above 30 T. In combination with the measurements of magnetization, magnetoresistance and field-induced strain, a complete magnetic phase diagram of the TlCo2Se2 single crystal has been depicted, demonstrating complex magnetic structures even though the crystal geometry itself gives no indication of the magnetic frustration.

[Clinical features of patients with head and neck malignant tumor concurrent with multiple primary carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the clinical characteristics of multiple primary cancers (MPC) associated with head and neck.

METHODS

A total of 71 patients with MPC associated with head and neck treated from January 2008 to November 2015 were included in the retrospective study, of them 20 patients were synchronous MPC and 51 patients were metachronous MPC; 45 (63.4%) patients were field cancerization of head neck (FCHN) and 26 (36.6%) patients were non-field cancerization of head neck (NFCHN). For the synchronous MPC patients with an interval of 0 month, the lesion sites of FCHN were treated with combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the site of severe lesion of NFCHN received firstly a standard treatment. Other types of MPC were treated according to international guide lines or experts consensus.

RESULTS

With the mean follow-up of 63.4 months, the 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 84.6% and 75.7% respectively. The 3-year and 5-year OS were 56.4% and 37.6% respectively in patients with synchronous MPC, and were 92.2% and 84.2% respectively in patients with metachronous MPC. There was significant difference in the OS between patients with metachronous MPC and patients with synchronous MPC (P=0.0002). The 3-year and 5-year OS were 85.7% and 77.9% respectively in patients with FCHN, and were 82.9% and 72.8% respectively in patients with NFCHN, with no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.297).

CONCLUSION

With correct diagnosis and effective curative treatment, some of patients with MPC can get long-term survival, showing the better prognosis in metachronous MPC compared to synchronous MPC.

Antibody detection tests for early diagnosis in tuberculous meningitis

BACKGROUND

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is the most severe form of tuberculosis. Microbiological confirmation is rare and treatment is often delayed. Early diagnosis and immediate initiation of treatment are essential for effective TBM control. A systematic review was performed in this study to assess the diagnostic accuracy of detecting antibodies against Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to standard methods. Test performance was summarized using a bivariate random-effects meta-analysis.

METHODS

Studies were identified by a search of the literature, up to July 25, 2015, in the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases via Ovid SP and PubMed. The Cochrane Library was also searched for original, peer-reviewed molecular epidemiology studies that reported the diagnosis of TBM based on antibody detection in the CSF.

RESULTS

Thirty-six articles (58 studies) were identified. The sensitivity of antibody detection was 0.75 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66-0.82), specificity was 0.98 (95% CI 0.96-0.99), and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.97 (95% CI 0.95-0.98). By subgroup analysis, the detection of anti-M37Ra was the highest (AUROC 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-1.00), followed by anti-antigen 5 (AUROC 0.99, 95% CI 0.97-0.99) and anti-M37Rv (AUROC 0.97, 95% CI 0.95-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS

For the early diagnosis of TBM based on antibodies in the CSF, the detection of anti-M37Ra, anti-antigen 5, or anti-M37Rv provides the greatest sensitivity and specificity.

[Physical activity level and its influence factors among residents in one suburb district of Beijing]

OBJECTIVE

To study the physical activity level and its influence factors among residents in one suburb of Beijing, so as to provide specific interventions for different people in different circumstances and to provide reference for health relevant policy-making in the future.

METHODS

In the study, 7 319 subjects aged 18 years or above were involved. The self-designed questionnaires based on Health Belief Model (HBM) had acceptable validity and reliability. The physical activity levels were calculated to classify sufficient or insufficient amount by a thousand-step equivalent greater than or equal to 6 or 10. Multiple variable Logistic regression was used to explore the influence factors of the physical activity among the residents.

RESULTS

The residents' median amount of physical activity in the suburb district of Beijing were 9.1 thousand-step equivalent with quartile of (3.8, 20.4). The percentages of the thousand-step equivalent greater than or equal to 6 or 10 were 63.7% and 47.7%, respectively. The median amounts of physical activity from work or household chores, transportation and recreation physical activities were 4.0, 1.0, 0.0 and the components of the total amount of physical activity from those were 61.7%, 18.3% and 20.1%, respectively. There were 8.6% residents whose life did notinvolve moderate or vigorous intensity activities. By using factor analysis, five factors were extracted from the scale based on the HBM; These factors together contributed to 63.7% of the sum of the squared loadings. The differences of physical activity levels on education level, age, gender, self-efficacy, cues, subjective and objective barriers were statistically significant (P<0.05).Those who were female, with older age, lower education level, higher self-efficacy, fewer cues, fewer subjective and objective barriers preferred to do more physical activities.

CONCLUSION

The physical activity levels among the residents in the suburb district of Beijing are moderate and high, and most amount of physical activities from work or household chores. Those who are male and whose ages are from 18 to 29 years and whose education levels are of university or above should be focused on intervention. Specific interventions should be developed for different people in different situations; More attention should be paid to improve the residents' self-efficacy and reduce the subjective and objective barriers of physical activity, and we also should actively advocate people to have more leisure exercise so as to improve the physical activity level among all residents.

Critical phenomena of emergent magnetic monopoles in a chiral magnet

Second-order continuous phase transitions are characterized by symmetry breaking with order parameters. Topological orders of electrons, characterized by the topological index defined in momentum space, provide a distinct perspective for phase transitions, which are categorized as quantum phase transitions not being accompanied by symmetry breaking. However, there are still limited observations of counterparts in real space. Here we show a real-space topological phase transition in a chiral magnet MnGe, hosting a periodic array of hedgehog and antihedgehog topological spin singularities. This transition is driven by the pair annihilation of the hedgehogs and antihedgehogs acting as monopoles and antimonopoles of the emergent electromagnetic field. Observed anomalies in the magnetoresistivity and phonon softening are consistent with the theoretical prediction of critical phenomena associated with enhanced fluctuations of emergent field near the transition. This finding reveals a vital role of topology of the spins in strongly correlated systems.

Phase transitions in topologically non-trivial systems are characterized by changes of topological invariants, rather than conventional order parameters. Here, the authors propose a real-space topological phase transition upon pair annihilation of emergent monopoles inherent in chiral magnet MnGe.

Relationship between cytokine gene polymorphisms and acute rejection following liver transplantation

Acute rejection (AR) recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) is one of the major complications that leads to chronic graft dysfunction. It has been reported that the polymorphisms in some cytokine genes are associated with human liver allograft rejection. This study mainly investigated the associations between polymorphisms in the genes encoding interleukin-10 (IL10), transforming growth factor-b1 (TGFB1), and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF), and the risk of AR recurrence. We enrolled 359 LT recipients; they were divided into two groups: an AR group (N = 165) and a non-AR group (N = 194) according to whether they experienced rejection within the first month following liver transplantation. After providing informed consent, blood was collected and DNA was extracted. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL10 (-1082, -819, and -592), TGFB1 (+869 and +915), and TNF (-308) were investigated according to the methods used in previous studies. A significant difference was observed in the distribution of allelic frequencies at position +869 in TGFB1 between the AR and non-AR groups (P = 0.000). However, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the genotype distributions in IL10, TNF, and TGFB1 between the AR and non-AR groups. Our study suggests that the +869 gene polymorphism of TGFB1 is significantly associated with liver graft rejection, while the other gene polymorphisms investigated in IL10, TNF, and TGFB1 are probably not risk factors for AR in LT recipients.

Meta-analysis of the association between the rs7903146 polymorphism at the TCF7L2 locus and type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease caused by genetic and environmental factors. T2DM has been associated with specific polymorphisms in the TCF7L2 gene. This study evaluates the relationship between the rs7903146 locus polymorphism of the TCF7L2 gene and T2DM susceptibility through meta-analysis; the overall aim is to provide a basis for evidence-based medicinal treatment of T2DM. Cohort and case-control studies from Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, CBM, CNKI, and academic conferences/dissertations that examined the correlation between T2DM and rs7903146 polymorphisms were evaluated. We determined whether the TCF7L2 rs7903146 locus was associated with T2DM susceptibility by comparing alleles and genotypes. The Stata 11.0 software was applied for meta-analysis, and a random-effects model was adopted for heterogeneity testing and odds ratio (OR) calculation. A fixed-effect model was used for quantitative analysis of the heterogeneity between different studies, and for calculating the percentage of variability I(2). A total of 10 studies related to the rs7903146 loci and T2DM susceptibility were enrolled; this included 3404 cases of T2DM patients and 6473 control cases. Meta-analysis showed that the T allele of rs7903146 was significantly correlated with the risk of T2DM, with both a dominant fixed-effect model (OR = 1.653, 95%CI = 1.416-1.653) and a co-dominant-fixed effect model (OR = 1.525, 95%CI = 1.350-1.723). Meta-analysis revealed that the T allele of rs7903146 was also correlated with T2DM susceptibility.

Regulation of CD4⁺FOXP3⁺ T cells by CCL20/CCR6 axis in early unexplained recurrent miscarriage patients

Expression and function of CCR6/CCL20 in CD4(+)FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) was investigated in unexplained recurrent miscarriage (URM) patients. Flow cytometry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blots, and Transwell migration assays were used to analyze the expression and function of regulatory T cells in peripheral blood (PB) and decidual samples of women with URM and of healthy controls. Proportions of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells and CCR6(+)CD4(+)FOXP3(+) T cells were lower in URM patients than in healthy controls for both PB lymphocytes and decidual samples (P < 0.05). Expression levels of FOXP3 and CCR6 mRNA were lower in URM patients than in control subjects for PB and decidual samples (P < 0.05). CCL20 protein levels were lower in URM patients than in controls (P < 0.05). An effect of Treg migration was significantly blocked (by 89.13%) using a neutralizing anti-CCL20 antibody in vitro. Furthermore, CCL20-stimulated Tregs exhibited a 3.21-fold increase in migration and this was blocked using a neutralizing anti-CCL20 antibody. IL-10 concentration in culture supernatants of CD4(+)CD25(+)CD127(dim/-) Tregs of URM patients was significantly lower than that in controls. Anti-CCL20 antibody inhibited IL-10 and IL-4 expression but increased IFN-r and IL-17 levels when there was cell-cell contact between PB CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells. No difference was detected when cell-cell contact was prevented by a semi-permeable Transwell membrane. CCL20-CCR6 could drive immune activity of CD4(+)FOXP3(+) Tregs, followed by their migration to the feto-maternal microenvironment. These results elucidated the mechanism by which Tregs exert this suppressive effect.

Prediction of virological response by pretreatment hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase quasispecies heterogeneity: the advantage of using next-generation sequencing

Prediction of antiviral efficacy prior to treatment remains largely unavailable. We have previously demonstrated the clinical value of on-treatment hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase (RT) quasispecies (QS) evolution patterns. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the relevance for prediction of pretreatment HBV RT QS characteristics by comparing the performance of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and clone-based Sanger sequencing (CBS). Thirty-six lamivudine-treated patients were retrospectively studied, including 18 responders and 18 non-responders. CBS and NGS data of pretreatment serum HBV were used to generate RT QS genetic complexity and diversity scores, according to our previous studies. The ability of both methods to predict responsiveness was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. A cut-off value was generated on the basis of prediction ability. Responders had significantly higher pretreatment RT QS genetic complexity and diversity (in the first two parts, which overlapped with the S gene, at both the nucleotide and amino acid levels) than non-responders by NGS-based testing. NGS-based algorithms predicted response better than CBS in the ROC curve analysis. The mean distance of the second contig had the highest area under the curve (AUC) value. When the cut-off value was set to 0.007186, the difference between survival curves was significant (p 0.0090). Pretreatment HBV RT QS heterogeneity in the overlapping region of the RT and S genes could be a predictor of antiviral efficacy. NGS improves the predictions of virological outcomes relative to CBS algorithms. This may have important implications for the clinical management of subjects chronically infected with HBV.