Anti-hepatocellular carcinoma activity of Sorbaria sorbifolia by regulating VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Sorbaria sorbifolia (SS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been employed anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for over 2000 years; yet, its underlying mechanism is still not fully understood.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we evaluated the anti-HCC effect on the freeze-dried powder of the water extract of SS (FDSS) by inhibiting tumor-induced neovascularization, and promoting apoptosis, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

HCC cell lines (HepG2 and Huh7 cells) and HepG2 xenograft tumors in zebrafish were employed as in vivo and in vitro models, respectively, to evaluate the anti- HCC-indued neovascularization and apoptosis. In HCC cell lines, CCK-8 assay, wound-healing assay, transwell assay, cell circle assay, apoptosis assay, transmission electron microscopy, and co-culture assay were performed in vitro; in HepG2 xenograft tumor-zebrafish, tumor growth inhibition assay, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, xenograft tumor-zebrafish apoptosis assay, and HCC-indued neovascularization assay were performed to evaluate the effect of FDSS on biological behavior of tumor, HCC-indued neovascularization, and apoptosis. The expression of VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway-related proteins was detected by western blotting analysis. Assays for c-Met and VEGFR activation were conducted to assess the impact of FDSS in either agonistic or inhibitory roles on these receptor proteins.

RESULTS

The findings from our study revealed that FDSS effectively suppresses the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HepG2 and Huh7 cells, as well as inhibiting tumor growth in the HepG2 xenograft zebrafish model by downregulating the expression of p-Met and p-AKT proteins. FDSS decreased the tumor growth associated with promoting apoptosis, including arresting HepG2 and Huh7 cells cycle at G0/G1phase, increasing apoptotic cell numbers and apoptotic bodies in cancer cells, and increasing the apoptotic fluorescence of xenograft tumor zebrafish by downregulating Bcl-2 proteins and upregulating Bax, caspase-9, and caspase-3 levels. We also found that FDSS can inhibit HCC-induced neovascularization and regulate VEGFR. Using an agonist or inhibitor of c-Met and VEGFR in HepG2 cells, we discovered that FDSS can downregulate c-Met and VEGFR protein expression.

CONCLUSION

FDSS exerts an anti-HCC effect by inhibiting HCC-indued neovascularization and pro-apoptosis through the inhibition of the action of VEGFR and c-Met/apoptotic pathway.

[Research advances in the non-invasive diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease based on magnetic resonance technology]

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease is becoming the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, with a disease spectrum including simple steatosis, steatohepatitis, hepatic fibrosis/cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Most metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver diseases progress slowly, but steatohepatitis, especially in patients accompanied by significant liver fibrosis, has a significantly increased risk of adverse liver disease outcomes and all-cause death. Therefore, early-stage identification of medium-and high-risk groups carried out by stratified management has important clinical significance. Pathological diagnosis is the gold standard for diagnosing steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis. However, its invasiveness, sampling errors, and unsuitability for dynamic monitoring limit its clinical application. In recent years, a large number of non-invasive diagnostic methods based on somatology, serology, and imaging have shown great development prospects in order to meet the clinical needs of assessing disease severity and risk stratification. This article reviews and summarizes the application and progress of magnetic resonance imaging technology in the non-invasive diagnosis of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

[Metabolic study of iron deposition based on magnetic resonance in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease]

Objective: To explore the relationship between liver iron deposition and steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) through MRI. Methods: 163 cases of liver biopsy underwent MRI examination. R2* was used to measure liver iron content. Dixon-based proton density fat fraction (PDFF) was used to measure liver fat content. One-way ANOVA, r-correlation, ROC curve, and others were used to assess the relationship between clinical case data, serological indices, and imaging results in accordance with the pathological results of the liver biopsy. Results: R2* gradually increased as the pathological steatosis grade rose. The R2* that corresponded to no steatosis (< 5%), mild steatosis (14.95%±8.55%), moderate steatosis (46.30%±9.32%), and severe steatosis (73.86%±6.35%) were 27.56±4.40, 31.06±5.95, 38.06±4.80, and 48.10±5.55 (P < 0.001), respectively. There was a positive correlation between R2* and liver steatosis content (r= 0.769, P < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve and cut-off value were 0.88 and 31.77, respectively, and there was no distinct relationship with liver inflammation or fibrosis. Conclusion: R2* can quantitatively and non-invasively evaluate liver iron deposition in patients with NAFLD. A distinct relationship exists between liver steatosis and iron deposition, and iron deposition tends to increase as the steatosis aggravates.

[Improvement situation on indexes of the zebrafish disease model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with FGF21 analogues]

Objective: To detect the therapeutic efficacy of FGF21 analogues on the zebrafish model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods: A zebrafish model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was established by providing the normal diet fed to wild-type zebrafish three times daily. PF-05231023 was administered exogenously at a final concentration of 0.5 μmol/L. Body length, body weight, triglycerides, and other indexes were measured after 20 days. Pathological changes were evaluated in liver tissue sections by HE staining. Quantitative PCR was used to identify expressional changes in genes related to lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammation. Results: QPCR and immunofluorescence staining results showed that FGF21 was highly expressed in the zebrafish model group. The addition of the FGF21 analogue PF-05231023 significantly reduced the body length and body weight (P < 0.01), and the triglyceride content (P < 0.05) in the zebrafish model group. The liver HE staining results showed that PF-05231023 had alleviated the large and tiny bullae fat, lesions, and others in the zebrafish model group. The quantitative PCR results demonstrated that PF-05231023 reduced the expression of lipogenic factors (P < 0.01), inflammatory-related factors (P < 0.001), and genes related to endoplasmic reticulum stress (P < 0.05), but raised lipid-oxidation-related factors (P < 0.05) in the zebrafish model group. The addition of PF-05231023 reduced oleic acid-induced lipid and triglyceride levels in HepG2 cells. Conclusion: FGF21 analogue addition can improve indexes in the zebrafish disease model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

[Status of HVPG clinical application in China in 2021]

Objective: The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China. Methods: This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems. Results: According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%). Conclusion: Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.

[Studying the correlation between ferritin and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease]

Objective: To analyze the correlation between serum ferritin and steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods: Data of 167 cases who underwent liver biopsy in the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University were collected. Hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed within one week. The pathological results of liver biopsy were used as the gold standard to analyze the case data, serological indicators, magnetic resonance spectroscopy-proton density fat fraction. Results: Pathological monitoring result showed that the serum ferritin in patients without steatosis, and with mild, moderate and severe steatosis were (206.20 ± 189.83), (286.65 ± 200.80), (326.55 ± 214.71), (391.50 ± 184.93) ng/ml, respectively, P < 0.005. Serum ferritin was correlated to body mass index, PDFF, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltransferase, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein. The area under ​​the receiver operating characteristic curve with ferritin for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was 0.716, and the optimal diagnostic threshold was 214.56 ng/ml. The sensitivity and specificity were 80.1%, and 68.8%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the intralobular inflammation, fibrosis, and ferritin. Prussian blue iron staining had no apparent deposition of iron particles. Conclusion: Ferritin has significant positive correlation with the results of pathological and magnetic resonance imaging for liver steatosis. Therefore, it can be used as a non-invasive diagnostic method for liver steatosis evaluation.

Resveratrol promotes skin wound healing by regulating the miR-212/CASP8 axis

The wound-healing process is a natural response to burn injury. Resveratrol (RES) may have potential as a therapy for wound healing, but how and whether RES regulates skin repair remains poorly understood. Human epidermal keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and a mouse skin wound-healing model was established. Cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide or flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was assessed by cell viability and colony-formation analyses. Cell migration was tested by wound-healing analysis. The microRNA-212 (miR-212) and caspase-8 (CASP8) levels were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The correlation between miR-212 and CASP8 was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter analysis. Skin wound healing in mice was assessed by measuring the wound area and gap after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. RES reduced the LPS-induced reduction in viability and apoptosis in HaCaT cells. miR-212 expression was reduced by LPS and increased by exposure to RES. RES promoted cell proliferation and migration after LPS treatment by increasing miR-212 levels. CASP8 was a target of miR-212. CASP8 silencing promoted cell proliferation and migration, which was reversed by miR-212 knockdown in LPS-treated HaCaT cells. RES promoted skin wound healing in mice, which was reduced by miR-212 knockdown. Thus, RES facilitates cell proliferation and migration in LPS-treated HaCaT cells and promotes skin wound-healing in a mouse model by regulating the miR-212/CASP8 axis.

[Role of gut-liver-immune axis in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease in the world. Liver cirrhosis, liver cancer and a variety of extrahepatic chronic diseases are important risk factors for NAFLD. Currently, there is still a lack of effective therapeutic drugs. Liver inflammation is a key driving factor for the progression of NAFLD, so regulating liver inflammation may provide a potential means to delay and reverse the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Studies have found that the gut-liver-immune axis plays an important role in the progression of NASH. Gut microbiota can use its metabolites to induce glycolipid toxicity, oxidative stress and intestinal barrier damage, while bacterial components such as lipopolysaccharides, peptidoglycans, bacterial DNA and extracellular vesicles can translocate into the liver through the damaged intestinal barrier, causing excessive activation of immune cells, thus aggravating liver inflammation and promoting the progress of NASH. This paper focuses on the gut-liver-immune axis to analyze the gut microbiota mediated liver immunity and its mechanism in the occurrence and development of NASH, so as to lay a theoretical foundation for the research and development of new therapeutic strategies for NASH.

[Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease-related liver cirrhosis and cryptogenic liver cirrhosis]

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is currently the most common chronic liver disease in the world, which may eventually progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver failure. Fatty liver disease was once considered to be the most common cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. Recently, a new definition of MAFLD suggests that MAFLD-related liver cirrhosis is no longer a kind of cryptogenic cirrhosis, and it belong to two different concepts and may have different liver and extrahepatic adverse outcomes. In this paper, the definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and other aspects of MALFD-related liver cirrhosis and cryptogenic liver cirrhosis are described in order to facilitate clinical practice, improve the efficiency of clinical research, and benefit clinicians and patients.

[Application analysis of noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal chromosome copy number variations in Chinese laboratories]

Objective: To investigate the general situation, detection range, testing reagents, and clinical performance of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for fetal chromosomal copy number variations (CNVs) in Chinese laboratories. Methods: The National Center for Clinical Laboratories of the National Health Commission designed a questionnaire for the detection of CNVs by NIPT, which included the investigation of whether the laboratory has carried out NIPT to detect CNVs and its testing scope, reagents/platforms, intended uses, screening populations and clinical performance. The questionnaires were distributed to 355 laboratories in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities across the country on October, 2020. Further, the feedbacks were statistical analyzed. Results: Two hundred and twenty-eight laboratories had performed NIPT to detect CNVs, including 116 types of CNVs, and more than 95% of laboratories chose to detect the CNVs of 5p15 deletion, 22q11.2 deletion, 1p36 deletion, and 15q11.2 deletion. All testing reagents used were laboratory-developed tests and were based on massive parallel sequencing, the minimum amount of sequencing data was 3-15 M reads, the detection limit of fetal fraction was 3%-5%, and the minimum size of variants that can be detected was 1-5 Mb. The proportion of laboratories that apply CNVs testing for daily project, voluntary requirements of patients, and scientific research were 58.8% (134/228), 57.5% (131/228), and 20.6% (47/228), respectively. One hundred and thirty-four laboratories were fully or partially aware of the clinical performance of NIPT to detect microdeletion/microduplication syndromes, and the laboratories' declared sensitivity of NIPT for Cri du Chat syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, 1p36 deletion syndrome, and Angelman syndrome were 50.0%-100%, 60.0%-100%, 50.0%-100%, and 33.3%-100%, and the positive predictive values were 9.0%-50.0%, 18.0%-100%, 20.0%-30.0%, and 20.0%. Conclusion: The detection of CNVs by NIPT in Chinese laboratories need to be standardized. Laboratories should detect CNVs with clear clinical significance in accordance with the guidelines, conduct performance validation of the reagents, then perform NIPT test and provide adequate interpretation after mastering the clinical performance sufficiently.

Identification of immune-related genes as prognostic factors in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The immune response and immune cell infiltration play crucial roles in tumour progression. Immunotherapy has delivered breakthrough achievements in the past decade in bladder cancer. Differentially expressed genes and immune-related genes (DEIRGs) were identified by using the edgeR package. Gene ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed for functional enrichment analysis of DEIRGs. Survival-associated IRGs were identified by univariate Cox regression analysis. A prognostic model was established by univariate COX regression analysis, and verified by a validation prognostic model based on the GEO database. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median risk score value for immune cell infiltration and clinicopathological analyses. A regulatory network of survival-associated IRGs and potential transcription factors was constructed to investigate the potential regulatory mechanisms of survival-associated IRGs. Nomogram and ROC curve to verify the accuracy of the model. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the expression of relevant key genes in the prognostic model. A total of 259 differentially expressed IRGs were identified in the present study. KEGG pathway analysis of IRGs showed that the “cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction” pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway. Thirteen survival-associated IRGs were selected to establish a prognostic index for bladder cancer. In both TCGA prognostic model and GEO validation model, patients with high riskscore had worse prognosis compared to low riskscore group. A high infiltration level of macrophages was observed in high-risk patients. OGN, ELN, ANXA6, ILK and TGFB3 were identified as hub survival-associated IRGs in the network. EBF1, WWTR1, GATA6, MYH11, and MEF2C were involved in the transcriptional regulation of these survival-associated hub IRGs. The present study identified several survival-associated IRGs of clinical significance and established a prognostic index for bladder cancer outcome evaluation for the first time.

[The effect of welding ultraviolet on the antioxidant function and DNA of workers]

Objective: To explore the skin damage, oxidative damage and DNA damage of welding workers caused by ultra violet. Methods: From 1 May to 30 June 2017, 125 welding workers were selected as the contact group, which was divided into 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10-year-working age groups with 25 workers in each group and 25 healthy volunteers as the control group. The workers in the contact group were investigated with questionnaires on the distribution and wearing of protective equipment; the subjects in the two groups were examined in dermatology, and the peripheral blood was collected to detect the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and DNA damage of mononuclear cells, and the influence of ultraviolet on the above indexes was analyzed. Results: The distribution rates of welding mask, dust mask and goggles were 100.0% (125/125) , 96.0% (120/125) , 98.4% (123/125) , respectively, and the distribution rates of welding gloves were 64.8% (81/125) ; the wearing rates of welding mask and goggles were 100.0% (125/125) , 90.4% (113/125) , and the wearing rates of dust mask and welding gloves were 89.6% (112/125) and 64.0% (80/125) , respectively. The acute skin injuries such as hand and face peeling and skin pruritus were serious in the 2-year-working age group, and the chronic skin injuries such as insensitive and numbness and verrucous vegetations were the main manifestations in the 10-year-working age group. Compared with the control group, T-AOC in peripheral blood of workers exposed to 6, 8 and 10 years decreased significantly, and DNA content in comet tail of workers exposed to various working years increased significantly (P<0.05) , while DNA content in comet tail increased with working years (F=1501.130, P<0.05) . Conclusion: UV welding can cause skin damage, reduce the antioxidant capacity of the body, and increase DNA damage with the increase of working age.

Assessing the prognostic value of stemness-related genes in breast cancer patients

Breast cancer (BC) is currently one of the deadliest tumors worldwide. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small group of tumor cells with self-renewal and differentiation abilities and high treatment resistance. One of the reasons for treatment failures is the inability to completely eliminate tumor stem cells. By using the edgeR package, we identified stemness-related differentially expressed genes in GSE69280. Via Lasso-penalized Cox regression analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis, survival genes were screened out to construct a prognostic model. Via nomograms and ROC curves, we verified the accuracy of the prognostic model. We selected 4 genes (PSMB9, CXCL13, NPR3, and CDKN2C) to establish a prognostic model from TCGA data and a validation model from GSE24450 data. We found that the low-risk score group had better OS than the high-risk score group, whether using TCGA or GSE24450 data. A prognostic model including four stemness-related genes was constructed in our study to determine targets of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and improve the treatment effect.

Prognostic value of immune related genes in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer has the highest incidence and mortality rates of all cancers in China. Immune-related genes and immune infiltrating lymphocytes are involved in tumor growth, and in the past decade, immunotherapy has become increasingly important in the treatment of lung cancer. Using the edgeR package, differentially expressed genes and immune-related genes (DEIRGs) were identified in patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Functional enrichment analysis of DEIRGs was performed using Gene Ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses. Survival-associated immune-related genes (IRGs) were selected using univariate Cox regression analysis and the prognostic model was assessed using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Overall, 273 DEIRGs were identified in LUAD, and KEGG pathway analysis of IRGs showed that ‘cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction’ was the most significantly enriched pathway. Furthermore, six survival associated IRGs were screened to establish a prognostic model; patients in the high risk score group had less favorable survival times, and the prognostic model was negatively associated with B cell infiltration. The present study established a prognostic model using analysis of survival-related immune-related genes, which were associated with B cell infiltration.

Prognostic Values of LDH and CRP in Cervical Cancer

Purpose

Cervical cancer is one of the deadliest tumors among women in China. C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme ubiquitously expressed in cells, both play important roles in tumor growth and metastasis.

Patients and Methods

Based on pre-radiotherapy LDH and CRP median levels, we divided patients into four groups: high LDH and CRP group, high LDH group, high CRP group, and low LDH and CRP group. Then, based on pre-/post-radiotherapy LDH and CRP ratios, we divided patients into four groups: high LDH and CRP ratio group, high LDH ratio group, high CRP ratio group, and low LDH and CRP ratio group. Kaplan–Meier (KM) curves were constructed to show overall survival (OS). A multivariate Cox regression model was employed to identify the independent risk factors.

Results

High pre-radiotherapy LDH and CRP levels and increased pre-/post-radiotherapy LDH and CRP ratios were correlated with worst OS compared with the other three groups.

Conclusion

LDH and CRP were correlated with outcomes in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

Prognostic values of lymphocyte and eosinophil counts in resectable cervical squamous cell carcinoma

Aim: Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in women. Peripheral white blood cell parameters such as neutrophil (NE), eosinophil (EO), basophil (BA), as well as lymphocyte (LY) and monocyte (MO), are correlated with tumor outcomes. Methods: In total, 110 cervical squamous cell carcinoma patients were recruited in this study. The potential prognostic factors were evaluated by univariate and multivariate survival analysis. Results: Cox regression analysis model indicated that higher pretreatment EO level and increased post-/preradiotherapy EO ratio were independently associated with worse progression-free survival. Lower pretreatment LY or higher EO levels and increased post-/preradiotherapy EO ratio were independently associated with worse overall survival. Conclusion: LY and EO are correlated with outcomes of cervical squamous cell cancer.

Prognostic Values of Platelet-Associated Indicators in Resectable Cervical Cancer

Background:

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in women, which seriously threatens the health of women worldwide. Platelet (PLT)-related parameters, including PLT count, mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), and platelet distribution width (PDW), are correlated with tumor prognosis.

Methods:

In total, 110 patients with cervical carcinoma were recruited in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the receiver operating characteristic analysis cutoff values of PLT, MPV, PCT, or PDW. The post-/preradiotherapy ratios were defined as the rate of preradiotherapy PLT-related parameters counts and the corresponding ones obtained after radiotherapy.

Results:

Higher pretreatment PLT level was correlated with Higher Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (II). Higher pretreatment PLT level was correlated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Increased post-/preradiotherapy ratio of PLT was correlated with worse PFS and OS. Changes in PCT, MPV, or PDW levels had no effects on PFS or OS. Cox regression analysis model indicated that larger tumor size, higher pretreatment PLT level, and increased post-/preradiotherapy PLT ratio were independently associated with worse PFS; higher FIGO stage (II) and increased post-/preradiotherapy PLT ratio were independently associated with worse OS.

Conclusion:

Pretreatment PLT level and increased post-/preradiotherapy PLT ratio are correlated with outcomes of cervical cancer.

[Clinical analysis of 8 cases with anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characterization, treatment and prognosis of anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome. Methods: The clinical data of 8 patients with positive serum anti-GQ1b antibody from the Department of Neurology of Nanjing Brain Hospital between June 2016 and July 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Their serums were tested by immunoblotting. Relevant literatures were reviewed to investigate possible pathogenesis. Results: Of the 8 cases, 4 cases were male, 4 cases were female; their age ranged from 16 to 76 (47±21) years old. Seven of them were with acute onset, the time course of the disease ranged from 2 to 15 (7±4) days. Six cases had a history of influenza prior to the onset of the presenting symptoms. In terms of the clinical manifestations of the eight patients, two were affected with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), two with Cavernous sinus syndrome, one with Miller Fisher syndrome, one with both GBS and spinal cord demyelination, one with Bulbar paralysis, and one with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). The anti-GQ1b antibody IgG in serum was positive in 6 patients, two of whom were combined with positive IgG of anti-GD1b antibody in serum. The anti-GQ1b antibody IgM in serum was positive in 1 patient, and the anti-GQ1b antibody IgM and anti-GT1b antibody IgM in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were both positive in the other patient. In terms of the treatment, 3 patients (3/8) received vitamin B treatment only, 2 patients (2/8) received steroid plus vitamin B treatment, 2 patients (2/8) received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) plus vitamin B treatment, and 1 patient (1/8) received steroid plus IVIG treatment. During the 8-33 months' follow-up after discharge, 6 patients were significantly improved in their symptoms, one with mild diplopia, one with limbs weakness, numbness and difficulty in walking. The symptoms of one patient (case 3) fluctuated twice and recovered again after treatment. Conclusions: The disease spectrum of anti-GQ1b antibodies syndrome is broad, and main symptom is ophtalmoplegia. Immunotherapy with IVIG and steroid would be beneficial to prognosis.

[Sivelestat alleviates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in mice through inhibiting activation of Kupffer cells]

Objective: To investigate the role of neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, in preventing and treating nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and its underling mechanisms. Methods: A total of forty 4-week-old male C57BL/6J ApoE-/-mice were equally divided into the following four groups: standard chow (SC)+isotonic saline; SC+sivelestat; high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet+isotonic saline; and HFHC+sivelestat. These mice were treated with above methods for 12 weeks. Blood and liver tissue samples were collected to measure biochemical parameters, hepatic steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score (inflammation) were evaluated by oil red O staining and HE staining, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of hepatic inflammatory cytokines, CD68, and F4/80 were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Comparison of means between the four groups was made by one-way analysis of variance, and comparison between any two groups was made by the LSD or SNK method (for data with homogeneity of variance) or the Tamhane or Dunnett method (for data with heterogeneity of variance). Results: Mice fed with an HFHC diet for 12 weeks developed typical pathological features of NASH compared with those fed with SC. Compared with mice fed with HFHC diet without sivelestat, those treated with HFHC and sivelestat exhibited the following features: (1) significantly reduced fast blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and hepatic biochemical parameters, as well as increased insulin sensitivity; (2) significantly reduced NAFLD activity score (5.71±1.11 vs 3.16±1.16, P < 0.05); (3) reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and tumor necrosis factor -α; (4) significantly reduced mRNA levels of CD68 and F4/80; and (5) reduced expression of CD68 in the liver. Conclusion: Sivelestat alleviates the hepatic steatosis and inflammation of NASH in mice by inhibiting the activation of Kupffer cells.

Prognostic Values of Systemic Inflammation Response (SIR) Parameters in Resectable Cervical Cancer

Background:

Cervical carcinoma is the leading cause of cancer mortality in women. C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR) are indicators of systemic inflammation response correlated with tumor outcomes.

Methods:

This study recruited 110 patients with cervical cancer. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to pretreatment median values of CRP, ALB, GLB, LDH, and AGR. The post/preradiotherapy or post/pretreatment ratios were defined as rates of pretreatment CRP, ALB, GLB, LDH, and AGR values and the corresponding ones obtained after radiotherapy or whole treatment.

Results:

Higher pretreatment CRP or LDH levels were correlated with worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Increased post/preradiotherapy CRP ratio was correlated with worse PFS and OS, increased post/preradiotherapy LDH ratio was correlated with worse PFS. Increased post/pretreatment CRP ratio was correlated with worse PFS and OS, not-increased post/pretreatment AGR ratio was correlated with worse OS. Cox regression analysis model indicated that, moderately or poorly of differentiation, higher pretreatment CRP or LDH levels were independently associated with worse PFS, higher pretreatment CRP or LDH levels and increased post/pretreatment CRP ratio were independently associated with worse OS.

Conclusion:

CRP, LDH, or AGR are correlated with outcomes of resectable cervical cancer.

Mechanical characterization of 3D printed multi-morphology porous Ti6Al4V scaffolds based on triply periodic minimal surface architectures

Heterogeneous biomaterials that simultaneously mimic the topological and mechanical properties of nature bone tissues are of great interest in recent years. In this study, multi-morphology porous scaffolds based on the triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) were designed and 3D printed with spatially changing pore patterns. Experiments and numerical analyses were carried out to assess the mechanical properties of the multi-morphology graded porous scaffold. As can be seen from the results, the multi-morphology structure showed a combination of relatively low elastic moduli and high yield strength. This combination allows for simultaneously minimizing the bone damage and increasing the stability of bone-implant interface. Thus the 3D printed multi-morphology porous Ti6AlV scaffold had shown significant promise for orthopedic application.

Genetic vulnerability to DUSP22 promoter hypermethylation is involved in the relation between in utero famine exposure and schizophrenia

Epigenetic changes may account for the doubled risk to develop schizophrenia in individuals exposed to famine in utero. We therefore investigated DNA methylation in a unique sample of patients and healthy individuals conceived during the great famine in China. Subsequently, we examined two case-control samples without famine exposure in whole blood and brain tissue. To shed light on the causality of the relation between famine exposure and DNA methylation, we exposed human fibroblasts to nutritional deprivation. In the famine-exposed schizophrenia patients, we found significant hypermethylation of the dual specificity phosphatase 22 (DUSP22) gene promoter (Chr6:291687-293285) (N = 153, p = 0.01). In this sample, DUSP22 methylation was also significantly higher in patients independent of famine exposure (p = 0.025), suggesting that hypermethylation of DUSP22 is also more generally involved in schizophrenia risk. Similarly, DUSP22 methylation was also higher in two separate case-control samples not exposed to famine using DNA from whole blood (N = 64, p = 0.03) and postmortem brains (N = 214, p = 0.007). DUSP22 methylation showed strong genetic regulation across chromosomes by a region on chromosome 16 which was consistent with new 3D genome interaction data. The presence of a direct link between famine and DUSP22 transcription was supported by data from cultured human fibroblasts that showed increased methylation (p = 0.048) and expression (p = 0.019) in response to nutritional deprivation (N = 10). These results highlight an epigenetic locus that is genetically regulated across chromosomes and that is involved in the response to early-life exposure to famine and that is relevant for a major psychiatric disorder.

A new species of genus Thoradonta Hancock, 1908 (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea: Tetrigidae) from India

A new species of genus Thoradonta subtruncata sp. nov. is described from Korba, Chhattisgarh, India. A brief comparison with the reference collection Thoradonta spiculoba Hancock, 1912 present in National Zoological Collection identified by Prof. K. K. Günther. The new species Thoradonta subtruncata sp. nov. is similar to Thoradonta spiculoba Hancock, 1912, but differs from latter by median carina of vertex distinct and elevated, facial carinae slightly sinuated between antennae, scutellum moderate near median ocellus, tegmen elongate, more punctuate, narrow in middle, apex subtruncate and pulvilli III distinctly longer than length of I and II pulvilli.

[Establishment of zebrafish model for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis]

Objective: To establish overfed zebrafish model for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Methods: The wild-type zebrafish was fed 3 times a day with normal diet. Body length, weight, and triglyceride levels were measured after 20 days of feeding. The changes in expression of genes associated with cholesterol metabolism, lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammation were detected by quantitative PCR. Liver tissue sections were stained with H&E. Statistical analyses between groups were compared using t-test. Results: The body length (0.71±0.014) cm and body weight (44.83±1.833) mg of model group were higher than that of control group (0.50±0.009) cm and body weight (19.33±2.753) mg (total (body length) = 12.36, total (body weight) = 7.71, P < 0.01). Triglyceride content in the model group was (59.15 ± 0.5612) μmol / L, higher than the control group (16.71 ± 0.3562) μmol / L (t = 63.84, P < 0.001). Quantitative PCR results showed that the expression of genes related to cholesterol synthesis in the model group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.01). The expression levels of lipid production and lipid oxidation related factors in the model group were higher than the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expression of inflammation-related factors in the model group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.001), and the expression of genes related to endoplasmic reticulum stress in the model group was higher than that to control group (P<0.001). Liver H&E staining showed that the model group had pathological changes such as large bulla and vesicles compared to the control group. Conclusion: A continuous 3 times 20 days of normal diet can simulate the disease characteristics of human non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in a zebrafish.

[Treatment and prognosis of immunoglobulin G4-related hepatobiliary disease]

Currently, there is no randomized controlled clinical trial of immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related diseases in the world. Therefore, the best-known evidence-based medical treatment plan for this disorder is unavailable. The goal of IgG4-related hepatobiliary diseases treatment is to alleviate symptoms, prevent disease-related complications and fibrosis progression. A definite diagnosis is warranted before treatment. Hormonal therapy has become the basis of induction of remission in IgG4-related hepatobiliary disease. An initial prednisone dose is 30 ~ 40mg/d or 0.6 mg.kg-1.d-1 for 2 to 4 weeks, thereafter, gradually the dose is reduced within 2-3 months. Maintenance therapy with low-dose glucocorticoids hormone (prednisone 2.5 to 5.0 mg/d) is recommended for 1 to 3 years to prevent disease recurrence. In addition, immunosuppressive agents are equally effective, and in most cases, hormone combined immunosuppressive therapy may respond. Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody is a promising drug for treatment of this kind of diseases.

Description of a new species of the genus Mongolotettix Rehn, 1928 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from Fujian, China

A new species of the genus Mongolotettix Rehn, 1928 from Fujian, China is described in this paper. The new species Mongolotettix.fujianensis sp. nov. is similar to M. wulingyuanensis Shi, Liu et Li, 2016, but differs from the latter by maximum width of cubital area 1.4 times maximum width of medial area in tegmina of male; body small, length of body ♂ 21.5. mm, ♀ 30.6 mm; vertical diameter eye 1.3 times horizontal diameter in male; hind femur of male with 103 stridulatory pegs on inner side and epiphallus with indistinct projection on inner side of lateral plates. Type specimens are deposited in the Shanghai Entomological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032, China.

[Realization of design regarding experimental research in the clinical real-world research]

Real world study (RWS), a further verification and supplement for explanatory randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention measures in real clinical environment, has increasingly become the focus in the field of research on medical and health care services. However, some people mistakenly equate real world study with observational research, and argue that intervention and randomization cannot be carried out in real world study. In fact, both observational and experimental design are the basic designs in real world study, while the latter usually refers to pragmatic randomized controlled trial and registry-based randomized controlled trial. Other nonrandomized controlled and adaptive designs can also be adopted in the RWS.

A new species of the genus Tridactylus Olivier, 1789 (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea, Tridactylidae) from India

A new species of genus Tridactylus bijakherensis sp. nov. is described from Korba, Chhattisgarh, India, with a key to the Indian species of the genus Tridactylus Olivier, 1789.

A new species of the genus Humphaplotropis from China (Orthoptera: Pamphagidae, Pamphaginae)

A new species of the genus Humphaplotropis Xiao et al, 2013, i.e. Humphaplotropis tongbaishanensis sp. nov. is described from Henan province, China in this paper. The new species is allied Humphaplotropis xiai Zhi, Shi Dai, 2015, but differs from latter by tegmina of male short, not reaching the hind margin of 1st abdominal tergite; base of cercus not narrow in male; epiphallus with disperse spikes, ancorae broad, both posterior projections shorter than median projection; length of subgenital plate larger than width in female and Krauss` organ of female with 20 keels. The genus Humphaplotropis Xiao et al, 2013 is a valid genus and not a synonym of Haplotropis Saussure, 1888. Type specimens are deposited in Shanghai Entomological Museum, C.A.S., Shanghai China.

Two new species of the genus Sinopodisma Chang, 1940 (Orthoptra, Acridoidea, Catantopidae, Podisminae) from Taiwan, China

Two new species of the genus Sinopodisma Chang, 1940 from Taiwan, China are described in this paper. The new species Sinopodisma orchofemura sp. nov. is similar to Sinopodisma kodamae (Shiraki, 1910), but differs from latter in antennae length of joint 2.9 times width in the middle part, hind femur yellow, length of interspace of mesosternum larger than narrowest, tegmina almost reaching the hind margin of second abdominal tergum. The Sinopodisma hsinchuensis sp. nov. is similar to Sinopodisma orchofemura sp. nov., but differs from latter by vertical diameter of eyes 1.7 times horizontal diameter and 1.8 times subocular furrow; tegmina extending over the hind margin of first abdominal tergite slightly; the length of interspace of mesosternum equal to narrowest and subgenital plate longer than ovipositor valves ventral view. Type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan, China and the Institute of Entomology, Taiwan University, Taibei, Taiwan, China respectively.

A new species of the genus <i>Xya</i> Latreille, 1809 (Orthoptera, Tridactyloidea, Tridactylidae) from Sichuan, China

A new species Xya leshanensis sp. nov. of the genus Xya Latreille, 1809 from Sichuan, China is described in this paper. It is similar to Xya nitobei (Shiraki, 1913), but differs from latter by apical part of antennae joint almost as same as basal part in width; width of pronotum 1.25 times its length; hind wing long, extending over the end of abdomen distinctly; hind femur with four small yellowish-white spots on upper side; epiproct with a pair of large spines laterally directed on posterior angle, apical half narrow distinctly. Type specimens are deposited in the College of Life Science, Leshan Normal University, Leshan 614004, China.

Two new species of the genus <i>Sphingonotus</i> Fieber, 1852 (Orthoptera: Oedipodidae) from China

Two new species of the genus Sphingonotus Fieber, 1852, namely Sphingonotus taiwanensis sp. nov. and Sphingonotus zhongningensis sp. nov. are described in this paper from China. The new species Sphingonotus taiwanensis sp. nov. is similar to Sphingonotus nebulosus (Fiescher-Waldheim, 1846), but differs from the latter by interspace of mesosternum wider, width 1.8 times the length; hind femur pale red on inner side; hind tibia pale red, with 13 spines on inner side and 10 spines on outer side; hind wing pale yellow at base. The new species Sphingonotus zhongningensis sp. nov. is similar to Sphingonotus salinus (Pallas, 1773), but differs from the latter in: vertical diameter of eye 1.3 times horizontal diameter; metazona of pronotum is 2.0 times prozona in length; hind tibiae with 13 spines on inner side and 12 spines on outer side; black band of hind wing wider in the middle, apical part not narrowed; black band of hind wing in the apical part larger, not divided into two.        The type specimens are deposited in the Taiwan Agricultural Research of Institute (TARI), Taichung Taiwan, China and in the College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China respectively.

Hedotettix angulatus sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Tetrigoidea:Tetrigidae, Tetriginae) a new pygmy grasshopper species from India

Hedotettix angulatus sp. nov. is described from Chhattisgarh, India. The new species is similar to Hedotettix grossus Hancock, 1915, it differs from the latter by (i) anterior margin of vertex angulate, (ii) ovipositor robust, length of upper valves 2.2 times its width, (iii) antennal grooves situated above the lower margin of the compound eyes, (iv) median carina of vertex strong and extended up to the posterior end of depression, (v) facial carinae are all most parallel, (vi) frontal costa bifurcation starts in about ¼ of the compound eye height, (vii) anterior margin of middle carina of pronotum depressed. A key to known species of the genus Hedotettix from the Indian subcontinent is provided. Type specimens are deposited in the Central Entomological Laboratory (CEL) of the Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata.

Hepatic Steatosis as a Predictive Factor of Antiviral Effect of Pegylated Interferon Therapy in Patients With Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study sought to evaluate the impact of hepatic steatosis, a common hepatocyte change in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, upon response to pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB).

METHODS

Eighty-nine consecutive CHB patients from the Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University receiving 48 weeks of PEG-IFN therapy were enrolled in this study, and 56 patients were followed up for 48 weeks among subjects with completed therapy. Baseline characteristics, end-of-treatment response (ETR), and sustained viral response (SVR) to PEG-IFN therapy were evaluated. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were applied to find independent factors of hepatic steatosis and PEG-IFN treatment failure.

RESULTS

Steatosis was present in 34.5% (31 of 89) of liver biopsy samples. ETR to PEG-IFN therapy was 56.17% (50 of 89) at 48 weeks, and SVR to PEG-IFN therapy was 57.6% (32 of 56) at 96 weeks. There was no significant difference in ETR between the patients with hepatic steatosis and those without hepatic steatosis at 48 weeks (P > .05), whereas SVR was higher in patients without hepatic steatosis than in those with hepatic steatosis at 96 weeks (P < .05). Multivariate analysis showed that the sustained response rate was independently associated with steatosis, fibrosis, aspartate aminotransferase, C-reactive protein, and ferritin. Hepatic steatosis was a prediction factor with the sustained response.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatic steatosis may be a predictive factor of response to PEG-IFN therapy in patients with CHB.

[Establishment and evaluation of a mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To establish an apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) double-knockout (ApoE(-/-)/LDLR(-/-)) mouse model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet.

METHODS

ApoE(-/-) knockout mice were crossed with LDLR(-/-) knockout mice to obtain ApoE(-/-)/LDLR(-/-) mice. The ApoE(-/-)/LDLR(-/-) mice mated with each other, and the offspring were injected with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) at 2-3 days after birth. Some mice were fed with HFHC diet after weaning as the model group (n = 15), and some mice were fed with normal diet as the control group (n = 15). Mice were sacrificed at the end of weeks 10, 16, and 20 (5 mice at each time point). The body weight was measured. Liver tissue and blood were collected to measure biochemical parameters, evaluate the pathological changes in the liver tissue by HE staining, oil red O staining, and Masson staining, and detect the expression of glypican-3 (a marker of HCC) by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

The model group had significantly higher levels of fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol than the control group (P < 0.01). Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total triglyceride gradually increased with time in the model group; at week 20, there were significant differences in above three indices between the two groups (P < 0.05). HE staining showed that compared with the control group at the corresponding time point, the model group developed sequential histological changes: NASH at week 10, dysplastic nodules at week 16, and early HCC at week 20. Oil red O staining showed that in the model group, the degree of liver steatosis increased within 10 weeks and gradually decreased later. Masson staining demonstrated that the model group developed pathological changes: mild perisinusoidal fibrosis at week 16 and bridging fibrosis around tumors at week 20. HE staining, oil red O staining, and Masson staining showed that no histological or pathological changes were found in the control group. Glypican-3 was detected in the nodules at week 16 and in the cytoplasm of HCC cells at week 20 in the model group.

CONCLUSION

The mouse model of NASH-related HCC can be developed by giving STZ injection to neonatal ApoE(-/-)/LDLR(-/-) mice and feeding them with HFHC diet after weaning for 20 weeks. Early HCC may develop directly from NASH.

[Value of a two-step approach with cytokeratin-18 and controlled attenuation parameter in noninvasive differential diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the value of a two-step approach with cytokeratin-18 (CK-18) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in the noninvasive diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

METHODS

A total of 65 patients with biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were enrolled, including 30 patients with NASH. The M30 and M65 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits were used to measure serum CK-18, and FibroScan was used to measure CAP. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was used to determine the value of noninvasive diagnosis. The binary logistic regression model was used to calculate the predicted probability of combined diagnosis. The maximum Youden index, a sensitivity of >90%, and a specificity of > 90% were used to determine the optimal cut-off value, the low value, and the high value, respectively.

RESULTS

The results of the multivariate analysis showed that M65 (OR = 1.004, 95% CI 1.002-1.007, P = 0.003) and CAP (OR = 1.017, 95% CI 1.001-1.033, P = 0.036) were independent predictors of NASH. The AUROC of M65+CAP was 0.851 (95% CI 0.761-0.942), higher than 0.808 (95% CI 0.702-0.913) of M65 and 0.677 (95% CI 0.545-0.808) of CAP alone. A two-step approach with high (820.8 U/L) and low (527.7 U/L) values for M65 and the optimal cut-off value (293.5 dB/m) for CAP was used for the differential diagnosis of NASH, with a positive predictive value of 85.7%, a negative predictive value of 100%, and a coincidence rate of 92.0%.

CONCLUSION

A two-step approach with M65 and CAP can improve the value of noninvasive diagnosis of NASH, and a high negative predictive value can avoid unnecessary liver biopsy.

A review of the genus Eotmethis (Orthoptera, Acridoidea, Pamphagidae) with two new species and key to known species of the genus from China

Two new species of the genus Eotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948, namely Eotmethis inditibialis sp. nov. and Eotmethis shizuishanensis sp. nov. from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region are described in this paper. The new species Eotmethis inditibialis sp. nov. differs from all known species of the genus by inner side of hind tibia purple in the middle. The new species Eotmethis shizuishanensis sp. nov. is similar to Eotmethis xiai Ye, Shi & Zhi, 2015, differs from latter by tegmina of male shorter, reaching to 4th abdominal tergite, R vein without branch, M vein with one branch, Cu vein without branch and lower knee-lobe of hind femur yellow on inner side. The type specimens are deposited in College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China. Key to known species of the genus Eotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948 is given.

Two new species and key to six species of the genus Taipodisma Yin, Zheng & Yin, 2014 from Taiwan, China (Orthoptera, Acridoidea, Catantopidae, Podisminae)

Two new species of the genus Taipodisma Yin et al, 2014 from Taiwan, China are described in this paper. The new species Taipodisma viriditibia sp. nov. is similar to Taipodisma hsiehi Yin et al., 2014, it differs from the latter by antennae longer, length of a middle segment 4.0 times its width; interspace of mesosternum longer in male, the length 2.0 times the narrowest; lateral lobes of metasternum slightly separated in male; epiproct of male with longitudinal sulcus at base only and length of subgenital plate of female longer than width. The new species Taipodisma kaohsiungensis sp. nov. is similar to Taipodisma nigritibia Yin et al., 2014, it differs from the latter by prozona of pronotum 1.2 times metazona; length of interspace as long as the narrowest in mesosternum of male; hind tibia yellowish green on lower side and length of subgenital plate longer than width in female. The type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan, China and the Institute of Entomology, Taiwan University, Taibei, Taiwan, China, respectively.

Two new species and a key to nine species of the genus Mongolotettix Rehn, 1928 from China (Acrididae, Acridoidea, Orthoptera)

Two new species of the genus Mongolotettix Rehn, 1928 from China, i.e. Mongolotettix wulingyuanensis sp. nov. and Mongolotettix. shaanxiensis sp. nov. are described herein. M. wulingyuanensis sp. nov. is similar to M. angustiseptus Wan, Ren & Zhang, 1998, but differs from the latter by body larger, length of body ♂ 25.6 mm, ♀ 39.1mm; tegmina of male without a white stripe on the fore margin at base; subgenital plate of male conical, sides concave, apex acute; both outer sides of epiphallus without acute projection in the middle. M. shaanxiensis sp. nov. is similar to M. anomopterus (Caudell, 1921), but differs from the latter by tegmina of male longer, reaching the end of epiproct, without a white stripe on the fore margin at base, tegmina of female longer, reaching the middle of 2nd abdominal tergum, width of epiphallus larger than height, upper ovipositor valve slender, length 3.8 times its maximum width. A key to all nine known species of the genus from China is given. Type specimens are deposited in the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810001, China.

Discovery of a new species and key to all known species of the genus Aalatettix Zheng & Mao (Orthoptera, Tetrigoidea, Tetrigidae) from China

The genus Aalatettix Zheng & Mao, 2002 (Orthoptera, Tetrigoidea, Tetrigidae) contains 9 valid species in China (Zheng & Mao, 2002; Zheng, Cao & Chen, 2011; Zheng, Lin & Zhang, 2013; Zheng, 2014a; Zheng, 2014b; Zheng & Lin, 2015; Zheng, Shi & Yin, 2015). During the identification of pygmy grasshopper specimens collected from Taiwan, China in 1998, a new species of the genus Aalatettix Zheng & Mao, 2002 was found and described below. A key to all known species of the genus is given in this paper. The type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan, China.

A new species and a key to 19 species of the genus Traulia Stål, 1873 (Orthoptera: Catantopidae) from China

A new species of the genus Traulia Stål, 1873 namely Traulia xiai sp. nov. is described from China in this paper. The new species is similar to Traulia brachypeza Bi, 1986, but differs from the latter by the short tegmina, reaching the middle of third abdominal tergite only. The new species is also similar to Traulia ornate Shiraki, 1910, but differs from the latter by hind tibia all orange red and furculae of male absent. We think that Traulia yifengensis Wang, Xiangyu & Liu, 1997 is a valid species, not a synonym of Traulia brachypeza Bi, 1985 by Wei & Huang (2012), because the tegmina of Traulia yifengensis is very long, extending over the end of abdomen distinctly. A key to 19 species of this genus from China is also given in this paper. The type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan, China.

Two new species of the genus Eotmethis (Orthoptera, Acridoidea, Pamphagidae) from China

Two new species of the genus Eotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948, namely Eotmethis xiai sp. nov., and Eotmethis platyverticus sp. nov. from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu province are described in this paper. The new species Eotmethis xiai sp. nov. is allied to E. recipennis Xi & Zheng, 1986, but differs from latter by the vertical diameter of eye about 1.2 times as long as horizontal diameter, prozona of pronotum equal to metazona, tegmina of female shorter, reaching 2nd abdominal tergite only. The new species Eotmethis platyverticus sp. nov. is allied to E. holanennis Zheng & Gow, 1981, but differs from latter by width of vertex between eyes 2 times diameter of eye and prozona of pronotum longer than metazoan in female. The type specimens are deposited in College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.

Two new species and key to four species of the genus Humphaplotropis from China (Orthoptera: Pamphagidae, Pamphaginae)

Two new species i.e.: Humphaplotropis xiai sp. nov. and Humphaplotropis hebeiensis sp. nov. of the genus Humphaplotropis Xiao, Yin et Yin, 2013, are described from Hebei and Jiangsu, China in this paper. The new species Humphaplotropis xiai sp. nov. differs all known species of the genus by the abdomen like sawtooth in lateral view. The new species Humphaplotropis hebeiensis sp. nov. is similar to Humphaplotropis culaishanensis Lin, Cao et Yin, 2014, but differs from the latter by: lateral carinae of frontal ridge parallel; anterior margin of pronotum with acute angular in the middle, the apex reaching the hind margin of eyes; tegmina wider, cover 4/5 tympanum. Hind tibia yellow brown on upper side; epiphallus with 44 spikes, ancorae oblique inward distinctly, both posterior projections shorter than median projection. Type specimens are deposited in the Shanghai Entomological Museum, C.A.S., Shanghai and Natural Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei China respectively.

Two new species of the genus Aalatettix Zheng & Mao (Orthoptera, Tetrigoidea, Tetrigidae) from Taiwan, China

Two new species of the genus Aalatettix Zheng & Mao, 2002, namely Aalatettix yangi sp. nov. and Aalatettix xiai sp. nov. are described and illustrated. The new species Aalatettix yangi sp. nov. is allied to Aalatettix gibbosa Zheng, Cao & Chen, 2011, but upper margin of pronotum waved in lateral view, width of frontal ridge narrower than width of basal joint of antennae, hind tibiae dark brown, base not pale. The new species Aalatettix xiai sp. nov. is allied to Aalatettix yangi sp. nov., but length of pronotum shorter, not reaching epiproct, width of vertex 1.5 times diameter of eye, lateral carinae of pronotum contracted backward distinctly, posterior apex of lower margin angular on lateral lobe of pronotum, lower margin of median femur waved, antennae placed under lower margin of eyes. The type specimens are deposited in the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan, China.

Investigation of single nucleotide polymorphisms in phosphodiesterase 4D gene in Mongol and Han patients with ischemic stroke in Inner Mongolia

We investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) at 87 sites of the phosphodiesterase 4D (PDE4D) gene in Mongol and Han patients with ischemic stroke in Inner Mongolia. SNPs in 226 patients with ischemic stroke (case group, 110 Mongol patients, 116 Han patients) and 220 patients without neurological disease (control group, 102 Mongol patients, 118 Han patients) were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and gene sequencing. The genotype and allele frequencies of all groups were compared. There were no statistically significant differences in genotypes in the PDE4D gene at 87 sites between the case and control groups (P > 0.05). The C allele frequency in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The CC genotype and C allele frequencies in the Mongol case subgroup were higher than those in the Mongol control subgroup (P < 0.05). The CC genotype and C allele frequencies in the Han case subgroup were higher than those in the Han control subgroup (P < 0.05). In the case group, there were no significant differences at 87 sites for genotypes and allele frequencies between the Mongol and Han subgroups. In the control group, there were no significant differences at 87 site genotypes and allele frequencies between the Mongol and Han subgroups. The increase in the C allele frequency at 87 SNP sites in PDE4D may increase ischemic stroke risk. We found no differences in the risk between Mongol and Han populations in Inner Mongolia.

Meta-analysis of differentially expressed genes in autism based on gene expression data

The purpose of this study was to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes and biological processes associated with changes in gene expression in autism. We performed a meta-analysis using new publicly available Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets of autism. We performed Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses and pathway analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). Ten GEO datasets, including 364 cases and 248 controls, were available for the meta-analysis. We identified 3105 genes that were consistently DE in autism (1425 upregulated and 1680 downregulated genes). We also found that 7 genes were associated with phospholipase A2 (PLA2), including LYPLA2P1, PLA2G4D, PNPLA2, LYPLA2, PLA2G6, PLA2G7, and PLA2G5. We found GO terms for molecular functions significantly enriched in structural constituent of ribosome (GO: 0003735, P = 1.87-E06) and transcription regulator activity (GO: 0030528, P = 8.86E-04), while for biological processes, the enriched GO terms were involved in translational elongation (GO: 0006414, P = 1.74E-12) and the response to cytokine stimuli (GO: 0034097, P = 2.76E-05). The most significant pathway in our KEGG analysis was the ribosome pathway (P = 7.90E-12). Our meta-analysis identified genes that were consistently DE and biological pathways associated with gene expression changes in autism.

Diagnostic value of autofluorescence imaging combined with narrow band imaging in intraepithelial neoplasia of Barrett's esophagus

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic values of Auto Fluorescence Imaging (AFI) combined with Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) in the diagnosis of the intraepithelial neoplasia of Barrett's esophagus (BE).

METHODS

Seventy four suspicious BE intraepithelial lesions were assessed in 50 patients by AFI, who were further subjected to NBI mode to observe the changes of gastric mucosal capillaries and gastric pits. The corresponding lesions were biopsied for pathological examination.

RESULTS

Among the 74 AFI-diagnosed cases of suspicious lesions, 44 (59.5%) were high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias (BEHGIN), while the remaining 30 cases (40.5%) were false-positive. The NBI-diagnostic results of these 44 BEHGIN lesions were as follows: 39 cases were confirmed and 5 were suspicious; among the 30 false-positive BEHGIN cases, NBI gave 7 false-positive cases. The false-positive rates decreased from 40.5% of AFI to 9.5% (7/74) of NBI-AFI (p<0.05). The positive predictive value of AFI in BEHGIN was 59.5% (44/74), while that of AFI-NBI combination was 84.8% (39/46; p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The AFI-NBI combination technology could significantly improve (p<0.05) the detection rate of BEHGIN.

Increased expression of stanniocalcin 2 is associated with tumor progression after radiotherapy in patients with cervical carcinoma

AIM

This study aimed to analyze the expression, clinical significance of stanniocalcin 2 in cervical carcinoma patients who were treated with radiotherapy.

METHODS

Stanniocalcin 2 expression was determined by real-time PCR in 10 pairs of cervical cancer and adjacent normal cervical tissues. Tumor samples from 92 patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2007 were studied. All samples were obtained prior to treatment start. All cases were clinically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed to be cervical carcinoma without distant metastasis, and have been treated with radical radiation therapy and followed-up for five years. The samples were immunohistochemically analyzed for stanniocalcin 2 expression and survival analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The tumors of cervical cancer patients had significantly increased expression of stanniocalcin 2 at mRNA level compared with adjacent normal cervical tissues. High levels of stanniocalcin 2 expression was correlated with shorter overall survival, whereas low levels of stanniocalcin 2 expression was correlated with longer overall survival (P = 0.003) and progression free survival (P = 0.001) after radiotherapy. Moreover, high expression of stanniocalcin 2 was correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

Stanniocalcin 2 could be a useful marker for the prognosis of cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Stanniocalcin 2 may contribute to tumor development and radioresistance in cervical cancer.