[Epidemiological investigation of iron deficiency among preschool children in 10 provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities in China]

Objective: To understand the current status of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a multi-stage stratified sampling method to select 150 streets or townships from 10 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities (East: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Hainan; Central: Henan; West: Chongqing, Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Xinjiang; Northeast: Liaoning). From May 2022 to April 2023, a total of 21 470 children, including community-based children aged 0.5 to<3.0 years receiving child health care and kindergarten-based children aged 3.0 to<7.0 years, were surveyed. They were divided into 3 age groups: infants (0.5 to<1.0 year), toddlers (1.0 to<3.0 years), and preschoolers (3.0 to<7.0 years). Basic information such as sex and date of birth of the children was collected, and peripheral blood samples were obtained for routine blood tests and serum ferritin measurement. The prevalence rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were analyzed, and the prevalence rate differences were compared among different ages, sex, urban and rural areas, and regions using the chi-square test. Results: A total of 21 460 valid responses were collected, including 10 780 boys (50.2%). The number of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers were 2 645 (12.3%), 6 244 (29.1%), and 12 571 (58.6%), respectively. The hemoglobin level was (126.7±14.8) g/L, and the serum ferritin level was 32.3 (18.5, 50.1) μg/L. The overall rates of anemia, iron deficiency, and iron-deficiency anemia were 10.4% (2 230/21 460), 28.3% (6 070/21 460), and 3.9% (845/21 460), respectively. The prevalence rate of anemia was higher for boys than for girls (10.9% (1 173/10 780) vs. 9.9% (1 057/10 680), χ2=5.58, P=0.018), with statistically significant differences in the rates for infants, toddlers and preschoolers (18.0% (475/2 645), 10.6% (662/6 244), and 8.7% (1 093/12 571), respectively, χ2=201.81, P<0.01), and the rate was significantly higher for children in rural than that in urban area (11.8% (1 516/12 883) vs. 8.3% (714/8 577), χ2=65.54, P<0.01), with statistically significant differences in the rates by region (χ2=126.60, P<0.01), with the highest rate of 15.8% (343/2 173) for children in Central region, and the lowest rate of 5.3% (108/2 053) in Northeastern region. The prevalence rates of iron deficiency were 33.8% (895/2 645), 32.2% (2 011/6 244), and 25.2% (3 164/12 571) in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, respectively, and 30.0% (3 229/10 780) in boys vs. 26.6% (2 841/10 680) in girls, 21.7% (1 913/8 821), 40.0% (870/2 173), 27.1% (2 283/8 413), 48.9% (1 004/2 053) in Eastern, Central, Western, and Northeastern regions, respectively, and each between-group showed a significant statistical difference (χ2=147.71, 29.73, 773.02, all P<0.01). The prevalence rate of iron-deficiency anemia showed a significant statistical difference between urban and rural areas, 2.9% (251/8 577) vs. 4.6% (594/12 883) (χ2=38.62, P<0.01), while the difference in iron deficiency prevalence was not significant (χ2=0.51, P=0.476). Conclusions: There has been a notable improvement in iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia among preschool children in China, but the situation remains concerning. Particular attention should be paid to the prevention and control of iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia, especially among infants and children in the Central, Western, and Northeastern regions of China.

Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor as a Potential Plasma Biomarker of Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

As the pathogenesis of cerebral small vessel disease with cognitive impairment (CSVD-CI) remains unclear, identifying effective biomarkers can contribute to the clinical management of CSVD-CI. This study recruited 54 healthy controls (HCs), 60 CSVD-CI patients, and 57 CSVD cognitively normal (CSVD-CN) patients. All participants underwent neuropsychological assessments and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. Macrophage migration inhibitory factors (MIFs) were assessed in plasma. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model was used to determine a composite marker. Compared with HCs or CSVD-CN patients, CSVD-CI patients had significantly increased plasma MIF levels. In CSVD-CI patients, plasma MIF levels were significantly correlated with multiple cognitive assessment scores, plasma levels of blood-brain barrier (BBB)-related indices, white matter hyperintensity Fazekas scores, and the mean amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the right superior temporal gyrus. Higher plasma MIF levels were significantly associated with worse global cognition and information processing speed in CSVD-CI patients. The composite marker (including plasma MIF) distinguished CSVD-CI patients from CSVD-CN and HCs with >80% accuracy. Meta-analysis indicated that blood MIF levels were significantly increased in CSVD-CI patients. In conclusion, plasma MIF is a potential biomarker for early identification of CSVD-CI. Plasma MIF may play a role in cognitive decline in CSVD through BBB dysfunction and changes in white matter hyperintensity and brain activity.

[The method of determination for 2, 3-Butanedione in the air of workplace by high performance liquid chromatography with derivatization]

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of 2, 3-Butanedione (BUT) in the air of workplace, which including the process of collection by absorption in phosphoric acid aqueous solution and the process of analysis and detection by high performance liquid chromatography with derivatization. Methods: In October 2022, a porous glass plate absorption tube containing 10 ml of 0.01% phosphoric acid solution was used to collect BUT in the air of the workplace at a flow rate of 0.2 L/min. The absorption solution was derived by 2, 4-dinitrophenylhydrazine for 75 min and separated on a SB-C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) . At the column temperature of 30 ℃, the mixture of acetonitrile-water (V∶V, 1∶1) was eluted at the flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. It was detected by UV detector (λ=365 nm) , qualitatived by retention time and quantitatived by external standard. Results: It showed that BUT in phosphoric acid aqueous solution could be stored for at least 7 d at 4 ℃. There was a linear relationship within the determination range of 0.05-6.00 μg/ml, the linear regression equation was y=89.610x+0.133, r=0.9999. The sampling absorption efficiencies were 98.33%-100.00%, the detection limit of the method was 0.005 μg/ml, the minimum detection concentration was 0.016 mg/m(3) (based on V(0)=3.0 L) . The recovery rates were 95.96%-102.44%, the intra batch precision were 4.36%-7.78%, and the inter batch precision were 4.96%-6.06%. Conclusion: The method has the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity and good accuracy. It can prevent the loss and degradation of BUT. It can be used for the determination of BUT in the air of workplace.

Potential Association of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps With Cognitive Impairment in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

No acceptable biomarker can facilitate the early identification of cognitive impairment associated with cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in the older persons. The neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in the inflammation response of circulatory and central systems are essential in destroying the blood-brain barrier. The present study aims to explore the potential associations of plasma NETs with cognitive performance in CSVD. We recruited 146 CSVD patients and 66 healthy controls (HCs), and comprehensive neuropsychological assessments and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging were conducted. Three NETs markers, namely citrullination of histone H3, neutrophil elastase-DNA, and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA, and 4 oxidative stress-related indexes in plasma samples, were measured. The plasma levels of 3 NETs markers were more significantly elevated in CSVD patients than in HCs. Significant correlations of the 3 NETs markers were observed with multiple cognitive domain scores. Furthermore, higher plasma malondialdehyde and NETs levels were significantly associated with the worse Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores among CSVD patients. Moreover, plasma MPO-DNA levels significantly mediated the effect of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation value within the bilateral caudate and the scores of global cognitive function, executive function, and information processing speed. Additionally, a panel of 3 NETs markers had the highest area under the curve value to distinguish the cognitively impaired CSVD patients from HCs and nonimpaired ones. Therefore, plasma NETs may be potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of CSVD-related cognitive impairment. Activated lipid peroxidation in circulation and impaired caudate function support potential associations of plasma NETs in cognitively impaired CSVD patients.

Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Upregulate Astrocytic Glutamate Transporter-1 Expression via miR-124/mTOR Pathway against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reperfusion Injury

BACKGROUND

Experimental investigations have reported the efficacy of marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) for the treatment of ischemic stroke. The therapeutic mechanism, however, is still unknown. The purpose of the study is to show whether MSC-Exos increases astrocytic glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) expression in response to ischemic stroke and to investigate further mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS

An in vitro ischemia model (oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion, OGD/R) was used. MSC-Exos was identified by Western blot (WB) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To further investigate the mechanism, MSC-Exos, miR-124 inhibitor, and mimics, and a mTOR pathway inhibitor (rapamycin, Rap) were used. The interaction between GLT-1 and miR-124 was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. The GLT-1 RNA expression and miR-124 was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRTPCR). The protein expressions of GLT-1, S6, and pS6 were detected by WB. Results demonstrated that MSC-Exos successfully inhibited the decrease of GLT-1 and miR-124 expression and the increase of pS6 expression in astrocytes after OGD/R. miR-124 inhibitor suppressed the effect of MSC-Exos on GLT-1 upregulation after OGD/R. Rapamycin notably decreased pS6 expression with significantly higher GLT-1 expression in astrocytes injured by OGD/R. Luciferase activity of the reporter harboring the wild-type or mutant GLT-1 3'UTR was not inhibited by miR-124 mimics. Further results showed that the inhibiting effect of MSC-Exos on pS6 expression and promoting effect of MSC-Exos on GLT-1 expression could be reversed by miR-124 inhibitor after OGD/R; meanwhile, the above conditions could be reversed again by rapamycin.

CONCLUSIONS

Results show that miR-124 and the mTOR pathway are involved in regulation of MSC-Exos on GLT-1 expression in astrocytes injured by OGD/R. miR-124 does not directly target GLT-1. MSC-Exos upregulates GLT-1 expression via the miR-124/mTOR pathway in astrocytes injured by OGD/R.

Alteration and clinical potential in gut microbiota in patients with cerebral small vessel disease

Background

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a cluster of microvascular disorders with unclear pathological mechanisms. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is an essential regulatory mechanism between gut microbes and their host. Therefore, the compositional and functional gut microbiota alterations lead to cerebrovascular disease pathogenesis. The current study aims to determine the alteration and clinical value of the gut microbiota in CSVD patients.

Methods

Sixty-four CSVD patients and 18 matched healthy controls (HCs) were included in our study. All the participants underwent neuropsychological tests, and the multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging depicted the changes in brain structure and function. Plasma samples were collected, and the fecal samples were analyzed with 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

Based on the alpha diversity analysis, the CSVD group had significantly decreased Shannon and enhanced Simpson compared to the HC group. At the genus level, there was a significant increase in the relative abundances of Parasutterella, Anaeroglobus, Megasphaera, Akkermansia, Collinsella, and Veillonella in the CSVD group. Moreover, these genera with significant differences in CSVD patients revealed significant correlations with cognitive assessments, plasma levels of the blood-brain barrier-/inflammation-related indexes, and structural/functional magnetic resonance imaging changes. Functional prediction demonstrated that lipoic acid metabolism was significantly higher in CSVD patients than HCs. Additionally, a composite biomarker depending on six gut microbiota at the genus level displayed an area under the curve of 0.834 to distinguish CSVD patients from HCs using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm.

Conclusion

The evident changes in gut microbiota composition in CSVD patients were correlated with clinical features and pathological changes of CSVD. Combining these gut microbiota using the LASSO algorithm helped identify CSVD accurately.

[Application of entropy weight TOPSIS comprehensive method in the evaluation of students' physical health level]

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the physical health level of students of different school-age segments in four regions of Anhui province using the entropy weight approximation ideal solution ranking method (TOPSIS), and to provide a scientific method and basis for conducting school health work evaluation. Methods: Using the physical fitness survey data of four regions in Anhui province, the entropy weight method was used to draw the weights of various indicators for different school-age segments of men and women. Then, the TOPSIS method was used to evaluate the school-age segments of men and women in the four regions. Finally, the physical health level of students in four regions was classified according to the results of entropy weight TOPSIS and the rank sum ratio method. Results: A total of 10 127 students were included in this study, with an average age of (11.85±3.82) years, including 5 050 males (49.8%) and 5 072 urban students (50.1%). The results of the entropy weight method showed that the weight of body mass index of boys was similar to that of girls in each school-age segment. According to the TOPSIS and rank sum ratio analysis, the physical health level of students in the four regions of Anhui province was different. The physical health score of Suzhou was 0.617 4 points, which was classified as the best grade. The scores of Hefei and Wuhu were 0.556 3 and 0.411 2, which were classified as middle. Jiju City scored 0.381 9 points, which was classified as poor. Conclusion: TOPSIS combined with rank sum ratio can reflect the level of students' physical health, which can be applied to the evaluation of students' physical health and provide a basis for monitoring students' physical health.

[Characteristics of serum bile acids among healthy children in Zhejiang province]

Objective: To characterize the serum bile acid profiles of healthy children in Zhejiang Province. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 245 healthy children who underwent imaging and laboratory biochemical tests during routine physical examinations at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2020 to July 2022. Overnight fasting venous blood samples were collected, and the concentrations of 18 individual bile acids in the serum were accurately quantitated using tandem mass spectrometry. The concentration difference of bile acid were compared between different genders and to explore the correlation between age and bile acid levels. Used the Mann-Whitney U test for intergroup comparison and Spearman test to correlation analysis. Results: A total of 245 health children with a age of 10 (8, 12) years including 125 boys and 120 girls. There were no significant differences in levels of total bile acids, primary and secondary bile acids, free and conjugated bile acids between the two gender groups (all P>0.05). The serum concentrations of ursodeoxycholic acid and glycoursodeoxycholic acid in girls were significantly higher than those in boys (199.0 (66.9, 276.5) vs. 154.7 (49.3, 205.0) nmol/L, 274.0 (64.8, 308.0) vs. 181.0 (43.8, 209.3) nmol/L, Z=2.06, 2.71, both P<0.05). The serum taurolithocholic acid in both boys and girls were positively correlated with age (r=0.31, 0.32, both P<0.05). The serum chenodeoxycholic acid and glycochenodeoxycholic acid in the boys group were positively correlated with age (r=0.20, 0.23, both P<0.05), whereas the serum tauroursodeoxycholic acid in the girls group was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.27, P<0.05), and the serum cholic acid was positively correlated with age (r=0.34, P<0.05). Conclusions: The total bile acid levels are relatively stable in healthy children in Zhejiang province. However, individual bile acids showed gender differences and were correlated with age.

A238 BILE ACID COMPOSITION AND DIETARY FAT: IMPLICATIONS FOR CROHN’S DISEASE IN A COHORT OF HEALTHY FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES

Background

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract. The etiology of CD may arise from complex interactions including host genetics, diet, and the intestinal microbiome. Increased consumption of saturated fats, characteristic of the Western diet, is a known risk factor for CD. Dietary fat (DF) is absorbed by the host through the release of primary bile acids (PBAs) and bio-transformed by the microbiome into secondary bile acids (SBAs). Altogether, bile acids (BAs) can act as signaling molecules involved in host immune regulation and potentially in CD onset.

Purpose

To investigate the relationship between CD risk, BAs, and DF, and evaluate the predictive performance of CD onset of these factors by developing machine learning models.

Method

We used samples healthy first-degree relatives (FDRs) recruited as part of the Crohn’s Colitis Canada- Genes, Environment, Microbial (GEM) project. Those who developed CD (n=87) were matched 1:4 by age, sex, follow-up time, and geographic location with control FDRs remaining healthy (n=347).

Serum, urine, and stool BA were measured using ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectroscopy. DF types were derived from food frequency questionnaire data. We used conditional logistic regressions to identify associations between CD onset, BAs (n=93), and DFs (n=9). We further explored the relationships of significant CD-related BAs and DF via Generalized Estimation Equations. Finally, we used a tree-based machine-learning algorithm (XGBoost) with 5-fold cross-validation to assess the prediction performance of CD onset using BA from all sources as well as DF. Two-sided p<0.05 was considered significant.

Result(s)

In total, 10 of 93 BAs, and two of nine DFs were significantly associated with increased odds of CD onset (p<0.05). Additionally, five BAs were significantly associated with DF (p<0.05). Serum-derived BAs had the best predictive performance for CD, with a mean AUC of 0.70 [95% CI: 0.63;0.76], followed by stool derived BAs with a mean AUC= 0.65 [0.55;0.75], and followed by urine derived Bas with a mean AUC= 0.57 [0.48;0.66]. Lastly DF was not a predictive marker of CD onset with a mean AUC= 0.50 [0.41;0.60].

Conclusion(s)

This study suggests that BAs are associated with the pathogenesis of CD and the effects may be influenced by DF. Serum-derived BAs may be able to better predict the risk of CD than other stool or urine derived BA, while DF is not directly implicated in CD risk.

Submitted on behalf of the CCC-GEM consortium.

Funding

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Genetics Environment Microbial (CCC-GEM) III

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

Kenneth Croitoru is the recipient of the Canada Research Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

The International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IOIBD)

Jingcheng Shao is the recipient of a Data Science Institute Summer Undergraduate Data Science award

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Fabrication of THz corrugated wakefield structure and its high power test

We present overall process for developing terahertz (THz) corrugated structure and its beam-based measurement results. 0.2-THz corrugated structures were fabricated by die stamping method as the first step demonstration towards GW THz radiation source and GV/m THz wakefield accelerator. 150-[Formula: see text]m thick disks were produced from an OFHC (C10100) foil by stamping. Two types of disks were stacked alternately to form 46 mm structure with [Formula: see text] 170 corrugations. Custom assembly was designed to provide diffusion bonding with a high precision alignment of disks. The compliance of the fabricated structure have been verified through beam-based wakefield measurement at Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility. Both measured longitudinal and transverse wakefield showed good agreement with simulated wakefields. Measured peak gradients, 9.4 MV/m/nC for a long single bunch and 35.4 MV/m/nC for a four bunch trains, showed good agreement with the simulation.

Porphyromonas gingivalis Evades Immune Clearance by Regulating Lysosome Efflux

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major periodontal pathogen, invades autophagosomes of cells, including gingival epithelial cells, endothelial cells, gingival fibroblasts, macrophages, and dendritic cells, to escape antimicrobial autophagy and lysosome fusion. However, it is not known how P. gingivalis resists autophagic immunity, survives within cells, and induces inflammation. Thus, we investigated whether P. gingivalis could escape antimicrobial autophagy by promoting lysosome efflux to block autophagic maturation, leading to intracellular survival, and whether the growth of P. gingivalis within cells results in cellular oxidative stress, causing mitochondrial damage and inflammatory responses. P. gingivalis invaded human immortalized oral epithelial cells in vitro and mouse oral epithelial cells of gingival tissues in vivo. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased upon bacterial invasion, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction-related parameters with downregulated mitochondrial membrane potential and intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), upregulated mitochondrial membrane permeability, intracellular Ca²⁺ influx, mitochondrial DNA expression, and extracellular ATP. Lysosome excretion was elevated, the number of intracellular lysosomes was diminished, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 was downregulated. Expression of autophagy-related proteins, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3, sequestosome-1, the NLRP3 inflammasome, and interleukin-1β increased with P. gingivalis infection. P. gingivalis may survive in vivo by promoting lysosome efflux, blocking autophagosome-lysosome fusion, and destroying autophagic flux. As a result, ROS and damaged mitochondria accumulated and activated the NLRP3 inflammasome, which recruited the adaptor protein ASC and caspase 1, leading to the production of proinflammatory factor interleukin-1β and inflammation.

Combination of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and D-dimer for the identification of cardiogenic cerebral embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation

Background

Non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is the most common cause of cardiogenic cerebral embolism (CCE). However, the underlying mechanism between cerebral embolism and NVAF is indefinite, and there is no effective and convenient biomarker to identify potential risk of CCE in patients with NVAF in clinic. The present study aims to identify risk factors for interpreting the potential association of CCE with NVAF and providing valuable biomarkers to predict the risk of CCE for NVAF patients.

Methods

641 NVAF patients diagnosed with CCE and 284 NVAF patients without any history of stroke were recruited in the present study. Clinical data including demographic characteristics, medical history, and clinical assessments, were recorded. Meanwhile, Blood cell counts, lipid profiles, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and coagulation function-related indicators were measured. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was utilized to build a composite indicator model based on the blood risk factors.

Results

(1) CCE patients had significantly increased neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and D-dimer levels as compared with patients in the NVAF group, and these three indicators can distinguish CCE patients from ones in the NVAF group with an area under the curve (AUC) value of over 0.750, respectively. (2) Using the LASSO model, a composite indicator, i.e., the risk score, was determined based on PLR and D-dimer and displayed differential power for distinguishing CCE patients from NVAF patients with an AUC value of over 0.934. (3) The risk score was positively correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and CHADS2 scores in CCE patients. (4) There was a significant association between the change value of the risk score and the recurrence time of stroke in initial CCE patients.

Conclusions

The PLR and D-dimer represent an aggravated process of inflammation and thrombosis in the occurrence of CCE after NVAF. The combination of these two risk factors can contribute to identifying the risk of CCE for patients with NVAF with an accuracy of 93.4%, and the greater in change of composite indicator, the shorter in the recurrence of CCE for NVAF patients.

MicroRNA-mediated regulation of reactive astrocytes in central nervous system diseases

Astrocytes (AST) are abundant glial cells in the human brain, accounting for approximately 20-50% percent of mammalian central nervous system (CNS) cells. They display essential functions necessary to sustain the physiological processes of the CNS, including maintaining neuronal structure, forming the blood-brain barrier, coordinating neuronal metabolism, maintaining the extracellular environment, regulating cerebral blood flow, stabilizing intercellular communication, participating in neurotransmitter synthesis, and defending against oxidative stress et al. During the pathological development of brain tumors, stroke, spinal cord injury (SCI), neurodegenerative diseases, and other neurological disorders, astrocytes undergo a series of highly heterogeneous changes, which are called reactive astrocytes, and mediate the corresponding pathophysiological process. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms of reactive astrocytes and their therapeutic relevance remain unclear. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for cell differentiation, proliferation, and survival, which play a crucial role in the pathophysiological development of CNS diseases. In this review, we summarize the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs on reactive astrocytes in CNS diseases, which might provide a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of CNS diseases.

Potential of brain age in identifying early cognitive impairment in subcortical small-vessel disease patients

Background

Reliable and individualized biomarkers are crucial for identifying early cognitive impairment in subcortical small-vessel disease (SSVD) patients. Personalized brain age prediction can effectively reflect cognitive impairment. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the association of brain age with cognitive function in SSVD patients and assess the potential value of brain age in clinical assessment of SSVD.

Materials and methods

A prediction model for brain age using the relevance vector regression algorithm was developed using 35 healthy controls. Subsequently, the prediction model was tested using 51 SSVD patients [24 subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) patients and 27 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients] to identify brain age-related imaging features. A support vector machine (SVM)-based classification model was constructed to differentiate MCI from SCI patients. The neurobiological basis of brain age-related imaging features was also investigated based on cognitive assessments and oxidative stress biomarkers.

Results

The gray matter volume (GMV) imaging features accurately predicted brain age in individual patients with SSVD (R² = 0.535, p < 0.001). The GMV features were primarily distributed across the subcortical system (e.g., thalamus) and dorsal attention network. SSVD patients with age acceleration showed significantly poorer Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. The classification model based on GMV features could accurately distinguish MCI patients from SCI patients (area under the curve = 0.883). The classification outputs of the classification model exhibited significant associations with MoCA scores, Trail Making Tests A and B scores, Stroop Color and Word Test C scores, information processing speed total scores, and plasma levels of total antioxidant capacity in SSVD patients.

Conclusion

Brain age can be accurately quantified using GMV imaging data and shows potential clinical value for identifying early cognitive impairment in SSVD patients.

SHF Acts as a Novel Tumor Suppressor in Glioblastoma Multiforme by Disrupting STAT3 Dimerization

Sustained activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a critical contributor in tumorigenesis and chemoresistance, thus making it an attractive cancer therapeutic target. Here, SH2 domain-containing adapter protein F (SHF) is identified as a tumor suppressor in glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) and its negative regulation of STAT3 activity is characterized. Mechanically, SHF selectively binds and inhibits acetylated STAT3 dimerization without affecting STAT3 phosphorylation or acetylation. Additionally, by blocking STAT3-DNMT1 (DNA Methyltransferase 1) interaction, SHF relieves methylation of tumor suppressor genes. The SH2 domain is documented to be essential for SHF's actions on STAT3, and almost entirely replaces the functions of SHF on STAT3 independently. Moreover, the peptide C16 a peptide derived from the STAT3-binding sites of SHF inhibits STAT3 dimerization and STAT3/DNMT1 interaction, and achieves remarkable growth inhibition in GBM cells in vitro and in vivo. These findings strongly identify targeting of the SHF/STAT3 interaction as a promising strategy for developing an optimal STAT3 inhibitor and provide early evidence of the potential clinical efficacy of STAT3 inhibitors such as C16 in GBM.

Clinical Observation and Value Analysis of Endovascular Interventional Therapy for Intracranial Venous Sinus Thrombosis

The main aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of endovascular interventional therapy on cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). 137 patients with CVST were included, 92 patients were treated with interventional therapy, and 45 patients were treated with conventional anticoagulant therapy. Through endovascular therapy (EVT) combined with therapy, the patients were treated with EVT in combination with conventional anticoagulant therapy, and the prognosis of the two groups of patients was evaluated. The results showed that 26 patients were complicated with female-specific infections in the combined EVT group, and 7 patients had female-specific infections in the simple anticoagulant therapy (LMWH) group. In terms of central nervous system infections, the EVT group was significantly lower than the LMWH group, P < 0.001, and the difference was statistically significant. There were 2 cases of EVT involving the inferior sagittal sinus and 12 cases of LMWH involving the inferior sagittal sinus, P < 0.001, and the difference had statistical significance. Through the RANKIN scale (mRS) score, it was classified as complete recovery and good prognosis (dependent variable). The patients receiving EVT with good prognosis (96.7%) were more than those receiving simple anticoagulant therapy (84.4%), and 78.3% were completely recovered after EVT, and 77.5% were completely recovered after anticoagulant therapy. Therefore, it can be concluded that gender, malignant tumors, thrombosis, and sinuses are all risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients; both endovascular interventional therapy and anticoagulant therapy can significantly improve the prognosis of patients.

[Meta-analysis on the contents of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead]

Objective: To quantitatively evaluate the content differences of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead. Methods: In January 2021, relevant literatures on the contents of trace elements in workers with occupational exposure to lead published from 1990 to 2020 were searched through CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, web of science and Embase. Screened and extracted the literatures, and evaluated the quality of the included literatures with Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Meta analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.3 software, and standardized mean difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval were used as effect indicators. Results: A total of 20 literatures were included, and the quality scores were 5-7. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the contents of blood zinc (SMD=-1.01, 95%CI: -1.53, -0.49) , hair zinc (SMD=-0.17, 95%CI: -0.33, -0.01) , hair copper (SMD=-0.50, 95%CI: -1.01, 0) , hair iron (SMD=-3.91, 95%CI: -5.80, -2.03) and hair manganese (SMD=-1.09, 95%CI: -2.02, -0.15) in occupational lead exposure group were significantly lower (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the content of cobalt in hair of occupational lead exposure group (SMD=1.41, 95%CI: 0.72, 2.10) was higher, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in the contents of blood chromium, blood copper, blood iron, blood manganese, blood selenium and hair nickel between the two groups (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Workers with occupational exposure to lead have abnormal trace elements.

HOXC6 impacts epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the immune microenvironment through gene transcription in gliomas

BACKGROUND

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant tumours of the central nervous system (CNS). To improve the prognosis of glioma, it is necessary to identify molecular markers that may be useful for glioma therapy. HOXC6, an important transcription factor, is involved in multiple cancers. However, the role of HOXC6 in gliomas is not clear.

METHODS

Bioinformatic and IHC analyses of collected samples (n = 299) were performed to detect HOXC6 expression and the correlation between HOXC6 expression and clinicopathological features of gliomas. We collected clinical information from 177 to 299 patient samples and estimated the prognostic value of HOXC6. Moreover, cell proliferation assays were performed. We performed Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) based on ChIP-seq and public datasets to explore the biological characteristics of HOXC6 in gliomas. RNA-seq was conducted to verify the relationship between HOXC6 expression levels and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers. Furthermore, the tumour purity, stromal and immune scores were evaluated. The relationship between HOXC6 expression and infiltrating immune cell populations and immune checkpoint proteins was also researched.

RESULTS

HOXC6 was overexpressed and related to the clinicopathological features of gliomas. In addition, knockdown of HOXC6 inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells. Furthermore, increased HOXC6 expression was associated with clinical progression. The biological role of HOXC6 in gliomas was primarily associated with EMT and the immune microenvironment in gliomas. High HOXC6 expression was related to high infiltration by immune cells, a low tumour purity score, a high stromal score, a high immune score and the expression of a variety of immune checkpoint genes, including PD-L1, B7-H3 and CLTA-4.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that HOXC6 might be a key factor in promoting tumorigenesis and glioma progression by regulating the EMT signalling pathway and might represent a novel immune therapeutic target in gliomas.

The relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D level and sweat function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIMS

The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin-D(25-(OH)₂D₃) level and sweat function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of 1021 patients with T2DM who underwent 25-(OH)₂D₃ level detections and sweat function tests was carried out. These individuals were divided into deficient groups (n = 154 cases), insufficient groups (n = 593 cases) and sufficient groups (n = 274 cases). Spearman correlation analysis and multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis were implemented to determine the association of 25-(OH)2D3 level and sweat function.

RESULTS

The total presence of sweating dysfunction was 38.59%. Patients with a lower level of serum 25-(OH)₂D₃ had more severe sweat secretion impairment (P < 0.05). As the decrease of serum 25-(OH)₂D₃ level, the presence of sweating dysfunction increased (P < 0.05). 25-(OH)₂D₃ level was positively correlated with sweat function parameters, age and duration of T2DM were negatively correlated with sweat function parameter (P < 0.05). Multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis explored a significant association between serum 25-(OH)₂D₃ level with sweat function (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Serum 25-(OH)₂D₃ level was positively correlated with sweat function in patients with T2DM.

[Determination of methyl isobutyl ketone in urine by headspace coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry]

Objective: To establish a method for the determination of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) in urine samples by headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Methods: Automatic headspace sampling technique was adopted to optimize the headspace conditions (headspace bottle heating temperature and equilibration time) and gas chromatographic conditions. A total of 5 ml samples were taken and added with 3.0 g ammonium sulfate into a 20 ml headspace bottle. After heated at 60 ℃ for 30 mins, gas from the upper part of headspace bottle was injected into gas chromatography with an injection volume of 100 μl. The target was separated by HP-5MS UI (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 μm) capillary column and then detected by mass spectrometry detector. The retention time and external standard method were used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of MIBK in samples, respectively. Results: The standard curve of MIBK showed significant linearity between 20.0-1 000.0 μg/L. The standard curve was y=62.9x-652.5, and the correlation coefficient r=0.9998. The detection limit of MIBK was 5.0 μg/L and the quantification limit of MIBK was 16.0 μg/L. The average recovery rate was 95.3%~100.2% at three spiked concentrations of low (50.0 μg/L) , medium (200.0 μg/L) and high (500.0 μg/L) . The intra-day and inter-day precisions were 1.7%~3.8% (n=6) and 1.2%~4.0% (n=6) respectively. This method was stable for the determination of MIBK, and the urine could be kept 14 d at -20 ℃ without significantly loss. Conclusion: This method is proved to be simple, practical and highly sensitive. It can satisfy the request for the determination of urine samples of workers exposed to MIBK.

Effect of astaxanthin on neuron damage, inflammatory factors expressions and oxidative stress in mice with subarachnoid hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the effect of astaxanthin (ATX) on neuron damage, inflammatory factor expression and oxidative stress in mice with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

METHODS

Specific-pathogen-free, 'Institute of Cancer Research', male mice were randomly divided into four groups: SAH group, sham group, SAH + placebo group (SAH + Vehicle group) and SAH + ATX group. Neurological function was scored in each group. Brain water content, reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and inflammatory factor levels in the brain were detected by wet-dry weighting method, DCFH-DA fluorescent probe staining method and ELISA, respectively. Expression of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining.

RESULTS

Compared with sham group, neurological score, brain water content and ROS content in the other three groups increased significantly (all P<0.05). Neurological score, brain water content and ROS content in SAH + ATX group were lower than those in SAH group (all P<0.05). Compared with the sham group, there was increased expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and increased neuronal apoptosis, as well as enhanced expression of NOX2, GFAP and Bax; while there was decreased IL-10 expression, and declined Bcl-2 expression, in the other three groups (all P<0.05). There was decreased expression of IL-6, IL-17 and TNF-α, declined expressions of NOX2, GFAP and Bax, and lowered neuronal apoptosis; while there was increased IL-10 expression, and enhanced Bcl-2 expression, in SAH + ATX group as compared to SAH group (all P<0.05). All indicators between SAH group and SAH + Vehicle group showed no significant differences (all P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Astaxanthin can decrease neuron damage, inhibit inflammatory response, and improve oxidative stress in SAH mice. Thus, astaxanthin is a method for treating SAH.

[Studies of the norm of Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale(KPCS)among parents of infants in urban areas of China]

Objective: To establish the norm of the Chinese version of Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) in urban areas of China. Methods: From August to December 2017, the parents of 2 216 children (<36 months old) were selected from 15 cities (Beijing, Lianyungang, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Guiyang, Ningbo, Dalian, Qinhuangdao, Maanshan, Chongqing and Wuhan) in 14 provinces by stratified random sampling. The general demographic characteristics and parents' parenting confidence were collected by a self-made questionnaire and KPCS Chinese version. The percentile norm was established. P₃, P₁₀ and P₂₅ were used as the criteria to define the degree of lack of parenting confidence. Results: The age of mothers was (30.67±4.29). The age of the father was (32.50±4.99) years old. There were 726 (32.76%), 759 (34.25%) and 731 (32.99%) infants in 6-12, 12-23 and 24-35 months old groups. The total scores of P₅₀, P₂₅, P₁₀ and P₃ of KPCS (Chinese version) of infant parents in urban areas in China were 41, 38, 33, and 29 respectively. When the scores of parents were 34-37, 30-33, and ≤ 29, they were judged as mild, moderate, and severe lack of parenting confidence. There was no significant difference in the Chinese version of KPCS between parents of different age groups and parents of different gender (χ²=3.53, P=0.171; χ²=1.41, P=0.236). Each factor score≤P₃ is defined as the boundary score, and the corresponding boundary scores of "parenting" "support" and "competence" were 13, 9, and 5 respectively. Conclusion: The Chinese version of KPCS can be used to assess the parenting confidence of infants in urban areas of China. It can used as one of the bases for scientific and objective evaluation of the parenting status of families.

Associations between gut microbiota and thyroidal function status in Chinese patients with Graves' disease

OBJECTIVE

The imbalance of gut microbiota has been linked to manifold endocrine diseases, but the association with Graves' disease (GD) is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between human gut microbiota and clinical characteristics and thyroidal functional status of GD.

METHODS

14 healthy volunteers (CG) and 15 patients with primary GD (HG) were recruited as subjects. 16SrDNA high-throughput sequencing was performed on IlluminaMiSeq platform to analyze the characteristics of gut microbiota in patients with GD. Among them, the thyroid function of 13 patients basically recovered after treatment with anti-thyroid drugs (oral administration of Methimazole for 3-5 months). The fecal samples of patients after treatment (TG) were sequenced again, to further explore and investigate the potential relationship between dysbacteriosis and GD.

RESULTS

In terms of alpha diversity index, the observed OTUs, Simpson and Shannon indices of gut microbiota in patients with GD were significantly lower than those in healthy volunteers (P < 0.05).The difference of bacteria species was mainly reflected in the genus level, in which the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Veillonella and Streptococcus increased significantly in GD. After the improvement of thyroid function, a significant reduction at the genus level were Blautia, Corynebacter, Ruminococcus and Streptococcus, while Phascolarctobacterium increased significantly (P < 0.05). According to Spearman correlation analysis, the correlation between the level of thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) and the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Ruminococcus was positive, while Synergistetes and Phascolarctobacterium showed a negative correlation with TRAb. Besides, there were highly significant negative correlation between Synergistetes and clinical variables of TRAb, TPOAb and TGAb (P < 0.05, R <  - 0.6).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed that functional status and TRAb level in GD were associated with composition and biological function in the gut microbiota, with Synergistetes and Phascolarctobacterium protecting the thyroid probably, while Ruminococcus and Lactobacillus may be novel biomarkers of GD.

Noncoding RNAs involved in the STAT3 pathway in glioma

Glioma is the most common malignant primary brain tumour in adults. Despite improvements in neurosurgery and radiotherapy, the prognosis of glioma patients remains poor. One of the main limitations is that there are no proper clinical therapeutic targets for glioma. Therefore, it is crucial to find one or more effective targets. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a member of the STAT family of genes. Abnormal expression of STAT3 is involved in the process of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, immunosuppression, angiogenesis, dryness maintenance, and resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy in glioma. Therefore, STAT3 has been considered an ideal therapeutic target in glioma. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a group of genes with limited or no protein-coding capacity that can regulate gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional and posttranscriptional level. In this review, we summarized the ncRNAs that are correlated with the ectopic expression of STAT3 in glioma.

[Endovascular treatment strategies for distal entry tear of Stanford type B aortic dissection]

Currently, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is the first-line treatment for patients with complicated Stanford type B aortic dissections. However, TEVAR does not occlude the distal entry tear of dissections, and blood flow persists in the false lumen. Dissections might progress in some patients. Studies showed that distal entry tear increased the possibility of late aortic events during follow-up. Thus, treatment of distal entry tear is necessary in some high-risk patients after TEVAR. In this article, the current treatment strategies of distal entry tear are summarized, which include PETTICOAT, STABILISE, covered stent, fenestrated and branched stent-grafts, false lumen embolization, vascular occluder, and Knickerbocker. However, the number of the cases of most approaches is so limited that the indications and effectiveness need to be further studied. Selecting the right treatment for the right patient is of great importance.

Gamma-Ray Observation of the Cygnus Region in the 100-TeV Energy Region

We report observations of gamma-ray emissions with energies in the 100-TeV energy region from the Cygnus region in our Galaxy. Two sources are significantly detected in the directions of the Cygnus OB1 and OB2 associations. Based on their positional coincidences, we associate one with a pulsar PSR J2032+4127 and the other mainly with a pulsar wind nebula PWN G75.2+0.1, with the pulsar moving away from its original birthplace situated around the centroid of the observed gamma-ray emission. This work would stimulate further studies of particle acceleration mechanisms at these gamma-ray sources.

A positive feedback loop of LINC00662 and STAT3 promotes malignant phenotype of glioma

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be associated with tumorigenesis and development of glioma. LINC00662 has been involved in the pathogenesis of various human cancers. However, the mechanism underlying which LINC00662 exerts its role in glioma needs further exploration. In addition, regulation mechanism of LINC00662 expression in glioma remains unknown.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

RT-qPCR was performed to evaluate the expression levels of LINC00662, miR-340-5p in glioma tissues and cell lines. The effect of LINC00662 and miR-340-5p in cell proliferation and invasion was assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8), clone colony formation and Transwell assay. Luciferase reporter assays and RNA immunoprecipitation assay validated the miR-340-5p-target relationships with LINC00662 or STAT3. CHIP-qPCR and Luciferase reporter assays were used to demonstrate the interaction between STAT3 and the promoter region of LINC00662. A tumor xenografts model was implemented to verify the effect of LINC00662 on glioma development in vivo.

RESULTS

We found that LINC00662 was frequently highly expressed and related to the malignant phenotype of glioma. LINC00662 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion and glioma genesis of glioma. LINC00662 acted as a ceRNA sponging miR-340-5p to protect the expression of STAT3. In addition, STAT3 was forced to the promoter region of LINC00662 and promoted its transcription. In vivo experiments demonstrated that targeting LINC00662 may be a potential strategy in glioma therapy.

CONCLUSION

There was a positive regulation loop between LINC00662 and STAT3 in glioma. LINC00662 might be an oncogene in glioma. Targeting LINC00662 was a potential strategy in glioma therapy.

Bioinformatics Analysis of Expression Profiles and Prognostic Values of the Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Family Genes in Glioma

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family genes—of which there are seven members: STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, and STAT6—have been associated with the progression of multiple cancers. However, their prognostic values in glioma remain unclear. In this study, we systematically investigated the expression, the prognostic value, and the potential mechanism of the STAT family genes in glioma. The expression of STAT1/2/3/5A/6 members were significantly higher and positively correlated with IDH mutations, while the expression of STAT5B was lower and negatively correlated with IDH mutations in glioma. Survival analysis indicated that the upregulation of STAT1/2/3/5A/6 and downregulation of STAT5B expression was associated with poorer overall survival in glioma. Joint effects analysis of STAT1/2/3/5A/5B/6 expression suggested that the prognostic value of the group was more significant than that of each individual gene. Thus, we constructed a risk score model to predict the prognosis of glioma. The receiver operating characteristic curve and calibration curves showed good performance as prognostic indicators in both TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and the CGGA (Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas) databases. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between STAT expression with immune infiltration in glioma. The Protein–protein interaction network and enrichment analysis showed that STAT members and co-expressed genes mainly participated in signal transduction activity, Hepatitis B, the Jak-STAT signaling pathway, transcription factor activity, sequence-specific DNA binding, and the cytokine-mediated signaling pathway in glioma. In summary, our study analyzed the expression, prognostic values, and biological roles of the STAT gene family members in glioma, based on which we developed a new risk score model to predict the prognosis of glioma more precisely.

The expression and prognostic value of the epidermal growth factor receptor family in glioma

BACKGROUND

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family belongs to the transmembrane protein receptor of the tyrosine kinase I subfamily and has 4 members: EGFR/ERBB1, ERBB2, ERBB3, and ERBB4. The EGFR family is closely related to the occurrence and development of a variety of cancers.

MATERIALS/METHODS

In this study, we used multiple online bioinformatics websites, including ONCOMINE, TCGA, CGGA, TIMER, cBioPortal, GeneMANIA and DAVID, to study the expression profiles, prognostic values and immune infiltration correlations of the EGFR family in glioma.

RESULTS

We found that EGFR and ERBB2 mRNA expression levels were higher in glioblastoma (GBM, WHO IV) than in other grades (WHO grade II & III), while the ERBB3 and ERBB4 mRNA expression levels were the opposite. EGFR and ERBB2 were notably downregulated in IDH mutant gliomas, while ERBB3 and ERBB4 were upregulated, which was associated with a poor prognosis. In addition, correlation analysis between EGFR family expression levels and immune infiltrating levels in glioma showed that EGFR family expression and immune infiltrating levels were significantly correlated. The PPI network of the EGFR family in glioma and enrichment analysis showed that the EGFR family and its interactors mainly participated in the regulation of cell motility, involving integrin receptors and Rho family GTPases.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the results of this study indicate that the EGFR family members may become potential therapeutic targets and new prognostic markers for glioma.

First Detection of sub-PeV Diffuse Gamma Rays from the Galactic Disk: Evidence for Ubiquitous Galactic Cosmic Rays beyond PeV Energies

We report, for the first time, the long-awaited detection of diffuse gamma rays with energies between 100 TeV and 1 PeV in the Galactic disk. Particularly, all gamma rays above 398 TeV are observed apart from known TeV gamma-ray sources and compatible with expectations from the hadronic emission scenario in which gamma rays originate from the decay of π^{0}'s produced through the interaction of protons with the interstellar medium in the Galaxy. This is strong evidence that cosmic rays are accelerated beyond PeV energies in our Galaxy and spread over the Galactic disk.

LINC01116 promotes the proliferation and invasion of glioma by regulating the microRNA‑744‑5p‑MDM2‑p53 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the development and progression of tumors. However, the roles and underlying mechanisms of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1116 (LINC01116), a member of the lncRNA family, in glioma progression are largely unclear. The expression of LINC01116 and microRNA (miR)-744-5p in glioma tissues and cells was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The influences of LINC01116 or miR-744-5p on cell proliferation and invasion were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation and Transwell assays, and western blotting was used to detect the expression of p53 pathway proteins. A dual-luciferase reporter system was used to locate common binding sites between miR-744-5p and LINC01116 or the 3′ untranslated region of E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase Mdm2 (MDM2). RNA immunoprecipitation was used to determine the interactions between RNAs and proteins. Moreover, a xenograft mouse model was constructed to investigate the effects of LINC01116 in vivo, followed by a TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay to determine the degree of apoptosis in nude mouse tumors. LINC01116 was found to be highly expressed in glioma tissues, which was associated with a malignant phenotype. LINC01116 promoted the proliferation and invasiveness of glioma cells, and inhibited the p53 pathway by preserving the expression of MDM2 mRNA via miR-744-5p sponging. Furthermore, a low degree of miR-744-5p expression was observed in glioma tissues, which was negatively associated with the expression of LINC01116. Overexpression of miR-744-5p inhibited the proliferation and invasiveness of glioma cells, which was rescued by LINC01116. Finally, LINC01116 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in nude mice. In conclusion, LINC01116 is aberrantly expressed and promotes the progression of glioma by regulating the miR-744-5p-MDM2-p53 pathway. In future, targeting LINC01116 may therefore be a potential therapeutic approach for patients with glioma.

LncRNA SND1-IT1 accelerates the proliferation and migration of osteosarcoma via sponging miRNA-665 to upregulate POU2F1

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) SND1-IT1 in accelerating the proliferative and migratory abilities of osteosarcoma (OS) via sponging miRNA-665 to upregulate POU2F1.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The relative level of SND1-IT1 in OS tissues was determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The target gene of SND1-IT1 was predicted by bioinformatics and verified by Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay. Similarly, the target gene of miRNA-665 was identified. Correlation among SND1-IT1, miRNA-665 and POU2F1 was evaluated through linear regression test. Regulatory effects of SND1-IT1/miRNA-665/POU2F1 on cellular behaviors of MG63 and U2OS cells were evaluated.

RESULTS

SND1-IT1 was upregulated in OS, knockdown of which attenuated proliferative and migratory abilities of OS cells. MiRNA-665 was the target gene of SND1-IT1, which was negatively correlated to SND1-IT1 in OS. POU2F1 was the target gene of miRNA-665. Its level was negatively regulated by miRNA-665 and positively regulated by SND1-IT1. Inhibited proliferative and migratory abilities of OS cells with SND1-IT1 knockdown were partially elevated by transfection of miRNA-665 inhibitor, and further downregulated by POU2F1 knockdown.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA SND1-IT1 accelerates proliferative and migratory abilities of OS via sponging miRNA-665 to upregulate POU2F1, thus stimulating the progression of OS.

MicroRNAs involved in the EGFR pathway in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant tumor in adults, and its morbidity and mortality are very high. Although progress has been achieved in the treatment of GBM, such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in recent years, the prognosis of patients with GBM has not improved significantly. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous noncoding single-stranded RNAs consisting of approximately 20-22 nucleotides that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by binding to target protein-encoding mRNAs. Notably, miRNAs regulate various carcinogenic pathways, one of which is the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway, which controls cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis and apoptosis. In this review, we summarize the novel discoveries of roles for miRNAs targeting the factors in the EGFR signaling pathway in the occurrence and development of GBM. In addition, we describe their potential roles as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of GBM and for determining the treatment resistance of GBM and the efficacy of therapeutic drugs.

LncRNA SNHG3, a potential oncogene in human cancers

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are composed of > 200 nucleotides; they lack the ability to encode proteins but play important roles in a variety of human tumors. A large number of studies have shown that dysregulated expression of lncRNAs is related to tumor oncogenesis and progression. Emerging evidence shows that SNHG3 is a novel oncogenic lncRNA that is abnormally expressed in various tumors, including osteosarcoma, liver cancer, lung cancer, etc. SNHG3 primarily competes as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that targets tumor suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) and ceRNA mechanisms that regulate biological processes of tumors. In addition, abnormal expression of SNHG3 is significantly correlated with patient clinical features. Upregulation of SNHG3 contributes to biological functions, including tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. Therefore, SNHG3 may represent a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as a novel therapeutic target.

The role of long noncoding RNA SNHG7 in human cancers (Review)

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to serve important roles in a variety of human tumor types. The lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 7 (SNHG7) is associated with a variety of cancer types, such as esophageal cancer, breast cancer and gastric neoplasia. Based on previous studies that examined SNHG7 expression in tumors, it has become clear that SNHG7 modulates tumorigenesis and cancer progression by acting as a competing endogenous RNA. SNHG7 can sponge tumor-suppressive microRNAs and regulate downstream signaling pathways. In addition, overexpression of SNHG7 is associated with the clinical characteristics of patients with cancer by regulating cellular proliferation, invasion and metastasis and by inhibiting apoptosis via a variety of mechanisms of action. The function of SNHG7 in tumorigenesis and cancer progression indicates that it can potentially act as a novel therapeutic target or a diagnostic biomarker for cancer therapy or detection, respectively.

MiR-21 inhibitor improves locomotor function recovery by inhibiting IL-6R/JAK-STAT pathway-mediated inflammation after spinal cord injury in model of rat

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the function of miRNA-21 and interleukin-6 receptor/Janus Kinase-Signal transducer and activator of transcription (IL-6R/JAK-STAT) pathway in microglia on inflammatory responses after spinal cord injury (SCI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study first detected respectively the protein level of inflammatory factor inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) by Western blotting after transfection of miR-21 or administration of miR-21 inhibitor in activated microglia cells of rat in vitro. The quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to detect the expression of IL-6R under two different interventions. Next, we established a model of spinal cord injury in rat and inspected miR-21 and IL-6R in SCI rat by qRT-PCR. In addition, the protein levels of iNOS and TNF-α in SCI rat were detected by Western blotting. MiR-21 inhibitor was injected into the injured area of SCI rat to delve into the function of miR-21 down-expression on iNOS and TNF-α expression by Western blot as well as the RNA levels of IL-6R, JAK and STAT3 by qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the SCI rat with movement and coordination of hindlimbs was observed by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotor rating scale (BBB scale) after miR-21 down-expression.

RESULTS

Compared with the microglia transfected with miR-21, the execution of inhibitor in microglia effectively relieved the expression of IL-6R and the breakout of iNOS and TNF-α. Meanwhile, the increase of miR-21 was significantly observed in SCI rat along with significant improvement of inflammatory response-related factors including iNOS and TNF-α. After that, we injected SCI rat with miR-21 inhibitor into the spinal cord injury area and found the inhibition of miR-21 decreased the protein levels of iNOS and TNF-α. Simultaneously, down-expression of miR-21 evidently declined the RNA levels of IL-6R, JAK, and STAT3 in SCI rat. Compared with the sham-operated rat, the movement and coordination of hindlimbs of the SCI group displayed dramatic dysfunction. However, miR-21 down-expression elevated the movement and coordination of hindlimbs of the SCI rat than those of the only injury group.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibition of miR-21 can promote the recovery of spinal cord injury by down-regulating IL-6R/JAK-STAT signaling pathway and inhibiting inflammation.

Intussusception in 2 Children With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Infection

We note that intussusception was likely associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection in 2 infants in Wuhan and London. The intussusception was reduced by enemas in Wuhan; the outcome was fatal. The intussusception was not reduced by enemas in London and required surgery; the outcome was favorable.

[Predictive values of routine blood test results for iron deficiency in children]

Objective: To explore the predictive values of routine blood test results for iron deficiency (ID) screening in children. Methods: Routine blood test results and serum ferritin (SF) levels from 1 443 healthy children (862 boys, 581 girls) aged 6 months to 18 years, who were seen for well-child visits between June 2017 and May 2019 in Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, were retrospectively analyzed. ID was defined as SF<20 μg/L, iron deficiency anemia (IDA) as ID with anemia (hemoglobin(Hb)<110 g/L at 6 months-5 years of age, Hb<120 g/L at 6-18 years of age), non-anemia ID as ID without anemia, non-ID anemia as SF≥20 μg/L with anemia, and healthy control subjects as those with SF≥20 μg/L but without anemia. The blood test results including Hb, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), and the percentage of low hemoglobin density (LHD) of healthy control, non-anemia ID, non-ID anemia, and IDA groups were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or non-parametric test, quantitative data were described as x±s or M(interquartile range), and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was applied to assess predictive values of routine blood test results and LHD for detecting IDA and ID. Results: Among 1 443 children with median age of 2.1(3.3) years, 1 061 children were in healthy control group, 292 in non-anemia ID group, 43 in non-ID anemia group and 47 in IDA group. The prevalence of ID was much higher than that of anemia (23.5% (339/1 443) vs. 6.2% (90/1 443) , χ(2)=169.76, P<0.01). Compared with control group, non-anemia ID group showed higher LHD (0.088 (0.093) vs.0.073 (0.068), P<0.01) and RDW (0.131±0.013 vs. 0.126±0.008, P<0.01), lower MCV ((80±4) vs. (83±4) fl, P<0.01) and MCHC values ((326±9) vs. (329±8) g/L, P<0.01). IDA group showed higher LHD (0.322(0.544)) and RDW (0.151±0.018), lower MCV ((73±6) fl) and MCHC values((309±14) g/L) than non-anemia ID group (all P<0.01). The area under curve (AUC) values of MCHC, LHD, RDW and MCV for detecting ID were 0.63 (95%CI: 0.60-0.67), 0.63 (95%CI:0.60-0.67), 0.67 (95%CI: 0.63-0.70) and 0.73 (95%CI: 0.69-0.76) respectively. With cutoff limits (MCV<80.2 fl, RDW>0.131 or MCHC<322 g/L), MCV, RDW and MCHC showed higher sensitivity for screening ID than hemoglobin (0.540, 0.469 and 0.336 vs. 0.139, χ(2)=121.70, 87.47, 35.56, all P<0.01). Conclusion: MCV, RDW and MCHC can be used to screen ID in primary health care settings.

MircoRNA-129-5p suppresses the development of glioma by targeting HOXC10

BACKGROUND

miR-129-5p has been reported to be abnormally expressed and plays an important role in the progression of various malignancies. However, its role in gliomas and its exact molecular mechanism need further research.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

RT-qPCR was performed to evaluate miR-129-5p and HOXC10 mRNA expression levels in tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation was detected via Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and clone formation assays. Luciferase assays were used to validate the binding of seeds between miR-129-5p and HOXC10. A tumor xenograft model was developed to study the effect of miR-129-5p on glioma growth in vivo.

RESULTS

miR-129-5p was expressed at low levels in glioma tissues and cell lines. miR-129-5p overexpression inhibited glioma proliferation, migration and invasion. miR-129-5p negatively and directly targeted HOXC10. At the same time, HOXC10 was upregulated in glioma cancer, and HOXC10 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

CONCLUSION

miR-129-5p inhibits glioma development by altering HOXC10 expression and may therefore serve as a new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for glioma in the future.

Ageing affects the proliferation and mineralization of rat dental pulp stem cells under inflammatory conditions

AIM

To comparatively evaluate changes in the proliferation and mineralization abilities of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) from juvenile and adult rats in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory microenvironment to provide a theoretical basis for the age-related differences observed in DPSCs during repair of inflammatory injuries.

METHODOLOGY

DPSCs were isolated from juvenile (JDPSCs) and adult rats (ADPSCs), and senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining was used to compare senescence between JDPSCs and ADPSCs. Effects of LPS on JDPSCs and ADPSCs proliferation were investigated by cell counting kit-8 assays and flow cytometry. Alizarin red staining, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assay were used to examine the effects of LPS on mineralization-related genes and proteins in JDPSCs and ADPSCs. Immunohistochemistry was used to compare interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and osteocalcin (OCN) expression in the pulpitis model. Unpaired Student's t-tests and one-way anova were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

DPSCs were isolated from juvenile and adult rat dental pulp tissues. At low concentrations (0.1-1 μg mL^-1 ), LPS significantly promoted the proliferation of JDPSCs (P < 0.01) and ADPSCs (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), with the effect being stronger in JDPSCs than in ADPSCs. In addition, mineralized nodules and the expression of mineralization-related genes (OCN, DSPP, ALP, BSP) increased significantly after stimulation with LPS (0.5 μg mL^-1 ) in JDPSCs and ADPSCs (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and JDPSCs displayed a more obvious increase than ADPSCs. Western blots revealed OCN and ALP expression levels in JDPSCs treated with LPS were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05); meanwhile, ALP expression in ADPSCs increased slightly but significantly (P < 0.05), and OCN expression was not affected. Finally, IL-1β expression was significantly higher (P < 0.05) and OCN expression was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the inflamed dental pulp of adult rats than in juvenile rats.

CONCLUSIONS

A certain degree of inflammatory stimulation promoted the proliferation and mineralization of DPSCs; however, this effect declined with age. The DPSCs of adult donors in an inflammatory microenvironment have a weaker repair ability than that of juvenile donors, who are better candidates for tissues damage repair.

First Detection of Photons with Energy beyond 100 TeV from an Astrophysical Source

We report on the highest energy photons from the Crab Nebula observed by the Tibet air shower array with the underground water-Cherenkov-type muon detector array. Based on the criterion of a muon number measured in an air shower, we successfully suppress 99.92% of the cosmic-ray background events with energies E>100  TeV. As a result, we observed 24 photonlike events with E>100  TeV against 5.5 background events, which corresponds to a 5.6σ statistical significance. This is the first detection of photons with E>100  TeV from an astrophysical source.

miR-30a-5p modulates traits of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) via forkhead box protein G1 (FOXG1)

miRNA has shown its potential in the regulation of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, the mechanism of such an effect was not quite clear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether miR-30a-5p participated in the regulation of cutaneous SCC (cSCC) and the possible mechanism involved. 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) and cell cycle were measured using flow cytometry. The formation of cell colony was tested by colony formation assay. The capacities of migration and invasion were tested by wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. The target of miR-30a-5p was predicted by bioinformatics and identified by luciferase assay. Western blot was used for the determination of proteins and qPCR was for mRNA levels. miR-30a-5p expression was lowered in SCL-1 and A431 cells, and its upregulation suppressed EdU positive cells, colony numbers, migration, invasion and Bcl-2 expression, and elevated Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and cleaved Caspase-3 expressions, arresting cell cycle in G1 phase. Moreover, forkhead box protein G1 (FOXG1) was proved to be the target of miR-30a-5p, and FOXG1 overexpression partially offsets the decreased colony numbers, migration and invasion rates due to miR-30a-5p overexpression in SCL-1 and A431 cells. miR-30a-5p showed a regulatory role on the expression of FOXG1 and further modulated the progressing of cSCC cells, which could be a novel pathway intervening the development of cSCC.

Systematic identification of lncRNAs and circRNAs-associated ceRNA networks in human lumbar disc degeneration

Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is a common cause of low back and neck pain. The molecular mechanisms underlying LDD, however, are unclear. Noncoding RNAs have been reported to participate in human diseases. We investigated a series of public datasets (GSE67566, GSE56081 and GSE63492) and identified 568 mRNAs, 55 microRNAs (miRNAs), 765 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and 586 circular RNAs (circRNAs) that were expressed differently in LDD than in normal discs. We constructed lncRNAs and circRNAs regulated competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) networks in LDD. Four lncRNAs, DANCR, CASK-AS1, SCARNA2, and LINC00638), and three circRNAs, hsa_circ_0005139, hsa_circ_0037858, and hsa_circ_0087890, were identified as key regulators of LDD progression. We found that hsa-miR-486-5p regulated the crosstalk among circRNA hsa_circ_0000189, lncRNA DANCR and 6 mRNAs, PYCR2, TOB1, ARHGAP5, RBPJ, CD247, SLC34A1. Gene ontology (GO) analysis demonstrated that these differently expressed lncRNAs and circRNAs were involved in cellular component organization or biogenesis, gene expression and negative regulation of metabolic processes. Our findings provide useful information for exploring new mechanisms for LDD and candidates for therapeutic targets.

Multidisciplinary care of breast cancer patients: a scoping review of multidisciplinary styles, processes, and outcomes

Background

Clinical practice guidelines recommend a multidisciplinary approach to cancer care that brings together all relevant disciplines to discuss optimal disease management. However, the literature is characterized by heterogeneous definitions and few reviews about the processes and outcomes of multidisciplinary care. The objective of this scoping review was to identify and classify the definitions and characteristics of multidisciplinary care, as well as outcomes and interventions for patients with breast cancer.

Methods

A systematic search for quantitative and qualitative studies about multidisciplinary care for patients with breast cancer was conducted for January 2001 to December 2017 in the following electronic databases: medline, embase, PsycInfo, and cinahl. Two reviewers independently applied our eligibility criteria at level 1 (title/abstract) and level 2 (full-text) screening. Data were extracted and synthesized descriptively.

Results

The search yielded 9537 unique results, of which 191 were included in the final analysis. Two main types of multidisciplinary care were identified: conferences and clinics. Most studies focused on outcomes of multidisciplinary care that could be variously grouped at the patient, provider, and system levels. Research into processes tended to focus on processes that facilitate implementation: team-working, meeting logistics, infrastructure, quality audit, and barriers and facilitators.

Summary

Approaches to multidisciplinary care using conferences and clinics are well described. However, studies vary by design, clinical context, patient population, and study outcome. The heterogeneity of the literature, including the patient populations studied, warrants further specification of multidisciplinary care practice and systematic reviews of the processes or contexts that make the implementation and operation of multidisciplinary care effective.