Human cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) is known to be endemic in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China; however, there is relatively little data from hospital records or community prevalence studies, and the situation regarding occurrence of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is unclear. Here we review the available reports about human echinococcosis in the seven prefectures of TAR. In addition, two pilot studies by mass screening using ultrasound (with serology) were undertaken (2006/7) in Dangxiong County of Lhasa Prefecture (north central TAR) and Dingqing County of Changdu Prefecture (eastern TAR). In Dangxiong County a prevalence of 9.9% (55/557) for human CE was obtained but no human AE cases were detected. By contrast, in Dingqing County (N= 232 persons screened), 11 CE cases (4.7%) and 12 AE cases (5.2%) (including one mixed CE and AE case) were diagnosed by ultrasound. Hospital records and published reports indicated that CE cases were recorded in all of seven prefectures in Tibet Autonomous Region, and AE cases in four prefectures. Incidence rates of human CE were estimated to range from 1.9 to 155 per 100,000 across the seven prefectures of TAR, with a regional incidence of 45.1 per 100,000. Incidence of AE was estimated to be between 0.6 and 2.8 cases per 100,000. Overall for TAR, human AE prevalence appeared relatively low; however, the pilot mass screening in Dingqing in eastern TAR indicated that human AE disease is a potential public health problem, possibly similar to that already well described in Tibetan communities bordering TAR in north-west Sichuan and south-west Qinghai provinces.

QTL mapping of cucumber fruit flesh thickness by SLAF-seq

Cucumber is an agriculturally and economically important vegetable crop worldwide. Fruit flesh thickness is an important trait for cucumber and also a central determinant of yield, yet little is known about the underlying mechanism of this trait. In this study, bulked segregant analysis (BSA) combined with specific length amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) was applied to finely map the gene that underlies fruit flesh thickness in cucumber. A 0.19-Mb-long quantitative trait locus on chromosome 2 controlling fruit flesh thickness (QTL fft2.1) was identified and further confirmed by simple sequence repeat (SSR) marker-based classical QTL mapping in 138 F₂ individuals. Gene prediction of this 0.19-Mb region identified 20 genes. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed higher expression levels of Csa2 M058670.1 (SET domain protein-lysine methyltransferase) in D8 (thick fruit flesh parent) compared with that in XUE1 (thin fruit flesh parent) during fruit development. Sequence alignment analysis of Csa2M058670.1 from thick and thin fruit flesh cucumber lines revealed a 4-bp deletion mutation in the promoter region of this candidate gene, which may result in the loss of Csa2M058670.1 activation in thin fruit flesh lines. The data presented herein suggest that Csa2M058670.1 is a possible candidate gene for controlling flesh thickness in cucumber.

Clinical significance of CD44 expression in children with hepatoblastoma

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of CD44 and its clinical significance in children suffering from hepatoblastoma (HB). CD44 expression was detected with immunohistochemistry staining in 30 samples from hepatoblastoma children and 10 normal liver tissue samples from normal children. The data obtained was statistically analyzed using the chi-square test, using the SPSS (v.11.0) software. The rate of CD44 expression was significantly higher (66.7%) in hepatoblastoma tissues than in normal liver tissues (χ(2) = 4.848, P < 0.05). The rate of CD44 expression was significantly higher in children with stage III or IV hepatoblastoma (83.3%) than that in children with stage I and II hepatoblastoma (χ(2) ＝ 5.625, P < 0.05) (41.7%). Therefore, CD44 expression might play an important role in the pathogenesis, progression, and prognosis of HB in children.

Assessing cyber-user awareness of an emerging infectious disease: evidence from human infections with avian influenza A H7N9 in Zhejiang, China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess cyber-user awareness of human infections with avian influenza A H7N9 in Zhejiang, China.

METHODS

Daily Baidu index values were compared for different keywords, different periods (epidemic and non-epidemic), different levels of epidemic publicity (whether new cases were publicized), and different cities (divided into high, medium, low, and zero groups according to the number of cases). Furthermore, the correlation between the daily Baidu index values and the daily number of new cases was analyzed.

RESULTS

Three epidemic periods (periods A/C/E) and three non-epidemic periods (periods B/D/F) were identified from April 2013 to May 2015 according to the curves of daily new cases. Each epidemic period was followed by a non-epidemic period. Baidu index values using 'H7N9' as a keyword were higher than the values using the keyword '' (avian influenza in Chinese) in earlier periods, but the situation reversed in later periods. Index values for 'H7N9' in the epidemic periods were higher than in the non-epidemic periods. In the first epidemic period (period A), the Baidu index values for 'H7N9' showed no difference between the different levels of epidemic publicity and had no correlation with the daily number of new cases. The index values in cities without reported cases showed no difference from the values recorded in the medium and low groups. However, a difference and a correlation were found in a later epidemic period.

CONCLUSIONS

The Baidu index would be a useful tool for assessing cyber-user awareness of an emerging infectious disease.

Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: Signal to Reduce Corticoid in Renal Transplant Recipients?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work was to report the treatment effectiveness of central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) in a renal transplant recipient who received conventional therapy with little effect, and then reducing corticoid successively and with a better outcome later.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective comparison of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of a 57-year-old renal transplant recipient who received conventional therapy and reducing corticoid successively after he was diagnosed as CSCR in the left eye.

RESULTS

The BCVA of the left eye stayed at 20/200 after 3 months' conventional therapy, but rapidly improved to 20/25 after reducing corticoid by one-half. At the same time, SD-OCT showed much more obvious absorption of retinal liquid in the left eye from reducing corticoid than from conventional therapy. Despite the reducing of corticoid by one-half, the patient did not show any signs of rejection of the renal transplant.

CONCLUSIONS

CSCR may be a sign in renal transplant recipients for reducing corticoid, and reducing corticoid might be a more reliable and safer treatment for such patients.

Dynamic changes of global DNA methylation and hypermethylation of cell adhesion-related genes in rat kidneys in response to ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA), which is found in a variety of food products, is associated with the development of nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity in rats and has raised public health concerns. A previous study in our laboratory indicated that OTA exposure induced cytotoxicity by decreasing global DNA methylation in vitro. However, the relationship between OTA-induced nephrotoxicity and DNA methylation changes in vivo remains unclear. The object of this study was to investigate whether OTA can change global DNA methylation or alter the expression of several critical tumour-related genes by inducing methylation modifications before carcinogenesis. We focused on the mechanism of action of OTA in regard to DNA methylation, including the expression of DNA methyltransferases and the regulation of specific cell signalling pathways. Dynamic and dose-dependent changes of global DNA methylation were observed during OTA-induced nephrotoxicity and probably associated with the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1. 13-week exposure of OTA caused hypermethylation in the promoters of critical cell adhesion-related genes, E-cadherin and N-cadherin, leading to reduction of the corresponding mRNA expression, accompanied by transcriptional activation of the Wnt and PI3K/AKT pathways. These findings suggested that long-term OTA exposure could disrupt DNA methylation profile, which might be one of the possible mechanisms of OTA-induced nephrotoxicity.

An improved technique for bladder cancer: Pure laparoscopic radical cystectomy with orthotopic U-shape ileal neobladder using titanium staples

OBJECTIVE

To report our experience with an improved technique of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction, evaluating the perioperative and pathological outcomes.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the data of 56 cases who underwent radical cystoprostatectomy followed by construction of an orthotopic U-shaped ileal neobladder between August 2010 and December 2014. These data include intraoperative data, early and long-term postoperative complications, neobladder function, urinary continence and oncologic results. Also the key innovative procedure was introduced with details.

RESULTS

The median time of the overall procedure was 212 min. The median estimated blood loss was 171 ml. The median hospitalization time after the operation was 21 days. Complications included two cases of unilateral ureter-pouch anastomotic strictures, one case of bilateral ureteral stricture, three cases of vesicourethral anastomotic strictures and three cases of vesicourethral leakage. The mean maximum pouch capacity was 446 ± 32 ml, and pouch pressure at capacity was 18.1 ± 2.6 cm H2O. The Qmax was 14 ± 1.2 ml/s, and the mean postvoid residual was 25 ± 10 ml. There were 9 cases of night-time incontinence at 3 months post-operatively. Negative surgical margins of the bladder specimens were achieved in all patients. During a follow-up period of 3-44 months (average 32.6 months), local recurrence was found in two patients and distant metastasis was occurred in another 3 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our preliminary experience showed that pure LRC with nonabsorbable titanium staples assisted orthotopic U-shape ileal neobladder reconstruction is feasible based on perioperative data and oncologic features.

Emergence of a new GII.17 norovirus variant in patients with acute gastroenteritis in Jiangsu, China, September 2014 to March 2015

From September 2014 to March 2015, 23 outbreaks of norovirus (NoV) acute gastroenteritis occurred in Jiangsu, China. Partial sequencing of the NoV capsid gene suggested that 16 of the 23 outbreaks were related to a new GII.17 variant. This variant was first detected in sporadic specimens in October 2014, and became predominant in February 2015. Analysis of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), and complete capsid including the protruding domain P2 sequences confirmed this GII.17 variant as distinct from previously identified GII variants.

RNA interference-mediated knockdown of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in B-cell lymphoma cells

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophin superfamily that has been reported to be involved in a number of neurological and psychological situations. Recently, high expression level of BDNF is observed in diverse human malignancies, delineating a role of BDNF in tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, its effect on B-cell lymphoma remains unclear. In this study, RNA interference technology mediated by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was performed to inhibit endogenous BDNF expression in B-cell lymphoma cells. Results showed that knockdown of BDNF reduced cell growth and proliferation of Raji and Ramos cells. Furthermore, down-regulation of BDNF induced a cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in Raji cells, and consequently led to cell apoptosis in vitro. Meanwhile, down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax, activated caspase-3 and caspase-9 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were observed in Raji cells when endogenous BDNF was inhibited. Besides, we also found that suppression of BDNF in Raji cells increased their sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drug, 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Our research provides a promising therapeutic strategy for human B-cell lymphoma by targeting BDNF.

p38γ MAPK is required for inflammation-associated colon tumorigenesis

Chronic inflammation has long been considered to causatively link to colon cancer development. However, signal transduction pathways involved remain largely unidentified. Here, we report that p38γ mitogen-activated protein kinase mediates inflammatory signaling to promote colon tumorigenesis. Inflammation activates p38γ in mouse colon tissues and intestinal epithelial cell-specific p38γ knockout (KO) attenuates colitis and inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Significantly, p38γ KO inhibits tumorigenesis in a colitis-associated mouse model. The specific p38γ pharmacological inhibitor pirfenidone also suppresses pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and colon tumorigenesis. The tumor-promoting activity of epithelial p38γ was further demonstrated by xenograft studies. In addition, p38γ is required for β-catenin/Wnt activities and p38γ stimulates Wnt transcription by phosphorylating β-catenin at Ser605. These results show that p38γ activation links inflammation and colon tumorigenesis. Targeting p38γ may be a novel strategy for colon cancer prevention and treatment.

Identification of differentially expressed genes related to aphid resistance in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Cucumber, a very important vegetable crop worldwide, is easily damaged by pests. Aphids (Aphis gossypii Glover) are among the most serious pests in cucumber production and often cause severe loss of yield and make fruit quality get worse. Identifying genes that render cucumbers resistant to aphid-induced damage and breeding aphid-resistant cucumber varieties have become the most promising control strategies. In this study, a Illumina Genome Analyzer platform was applied to monitor changes in gene expression in the whole genome of the cucumber cultivar 'EP6392' which is resistant to aphids. Nine DGE libraries were constructed from infected and uninfected leaves. In total, 49 differentially expressed genes related to cucumber aphid resistance were screened during the treatment period. These genes are mainly associated with signal transduction, plant-pathogen interactions, flavonoid biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism and sugar metabolism pathways. Eight of the 49 genes may be associated with aphid resistance. Finally, expression of 9 randomly selected genes was evaluated by qRT-PCR to verify the results for the tag-mapped genes. With the exception of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate oxidase homolog 6, the expression of the chosen genes was in agreement with the results of the tag-sequencing analysis patterns.

Broadband nonlinear optical response in multi-layer black phosphorus: an emerging infrared and mid-infrared optical material

Black phosphorous (BP), the most thermodynamically stable allotrope of phosphorus, is a high-mobility layered semiconductor with direct band-gap determined by the number of layers from 0.3 eV (bulk) to 2.0 eV (single layer). Therefore, BP is considered as a natural candidate for broadband optical applications, particularly in the infrared (IR) and mid-IR part of the spectrum. The strong light-matter interaction, narrow direct band-gap, and wide range of tunable optical response make BP as a promising nonlinear optical material, particularly with great potentials for infrared and mid-infrared opto-electronics. Herein, we experimentally verified its broadband and enhanced saturable absorption of multi-layer BP (with a thickness of ~10 nm) by wide-band Z-scan measurement technique, and anticipated that multi-layer BPs could be developed as another new type of two-dimensional saturable absorber with operation bandwidth ranging from the visible (400 nm) towards mid-IR (at least 1930 nm). Our results might suggest that ultra-thin multi-layer BP films could be potentially developed as broadband ultra-fast photonics devices, such as passive Q-switcher, mode-locker, optical switcher etc.

Impact of nucleos(t)ide analogues on the estimated glomerular filtration rate in patients with chronic hepatitis B: a prospective cohort study in China

Chronic hepatitis B therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues, particularly tenofovir or adefovir, may affect renal function. To date, there has not been a head-to-head controlled study to assess estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) fluctuations in nucleos(t)ide-treated CHB patients. We aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of nucleos(t)ide on eGFR in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B. This prospective cohort study included 275 patients. Patient subgroups included those treated with lamivudine (n = 50), adefovir (n = 60), telbivudine (n = 68) and entecavir (n = 61); untreated patients (n = 36) served as control. After an average follow-up duration of 23 months, eGFR calculated by Cockcroft-Gault and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease formulas increased by 18.35 mL/min and 19.34 mL/min (P < 0.0001) in the telbivudine group, respectively, and decreased by 10.95 mL/min and 12.17 mL/min (P = 0.0001) in the adefovir group, respectively. Even if renal function was normal or mildly impaired at baseline, eGFR increased significantly more in the telbivudine group than in the other groups (P < 0.001). More patients in the adefovir group (23%) had a ≥20% decrease in eGFR than the other groups (P < 0.0001). More patients in the telbivudine group (31%) had a ≥20% increase in eGFR than the other groups (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, prolonged telbivudine therapy resulted in improved eGFR, while adefovir therapy was associated with decreased eGFR. Lamivudine and entecavir therapy did not significantly influence eGFR.