[Role of mitochondrial autophagy and the curative effect of rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules on nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal injury]

Objective: To study the curative effect of rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules and the role of mitochondrial autophagy on nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal injury. Methods: Adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) was used to construct a hepatitis B virus (HBV) transgenic mouse model for renal injury. Renal function was measured in each group at one and two weeks of modeling. Mitochondrial autophagy indicators were measured at two weeks of modeling in renal tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was used to detect mitochondrial autophagy phenomena in renal tissue. The model was established for two weeks. Mouse with renal injury were treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules or isotonic saline for eight weeks by intragastric administration. Renal function was measured. Renal tissue morphology was observed. Mitochondrial autophagy indicators were detected in renal tissue. The protective effect of different concentrations of verbascoside (the main active ingredient of rehmannia glutinosa capsule) was observed on HK-2 cell damage induced by ADV. HK-2 cells were divided into control, ADV, and ADV plus verbascoside groups. The effects of verbascoside at different times and concentrations were observed on the HK-2 mitochondrial autophagy indicators. Fifty patients with chronic hepatitis B were collected who presented with renal injury after treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogs. The random number method was used to divide 29 cases into a control group that received conventional treatment. The treatment group of 21 cases was treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules on the basis of the control group. Serum creatinine (Scr) and urinary protein were detected at eight weeks.The χ(2) test or t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Compared with the control group, two weeks of modeling in the ADV group induced renal function injury in HBV mice. The expression of autophagy indicators was higher in the renal tissue of the ADV group than that of the control group. Transmission electron microscopy had revealed mitochondrial autophagy in the renal tissue of the ADV group. Compared with the control group, the renal function of HBV mice treated with rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsules improved for two months, and the expressions of autophagy indicators were down-regulated.Verbascoside promoted proliferation in ADV-damaged HK-2 cells, and the expression of autophagy indicators was down-regulated compared with the ADV alone group. In 50 patients with renal function injury, the urinary protein improvement was significantly superior in the treatment group than that in the control group, with eighteen and three cases being effective and ineffective in the treatment group and 12 and 17 cases being effective and ineffective in the control group, with a statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 9.975 0, P = 0.001 6). Serum creatinine was decreased in the treatment group compared with the control group, with 11 and 10 cases being effective and ineffective in the treatment group and 12 and 17 cases being effective and ineffective in the control group, with no statistically significant difference (χ(2) = 0.593 5, P = 0.441 1). Conclusion: Rehmannia glutinosa leaves total glycoside capsule can improve the nucleos(t)ide drug-induced renal function injury in chronic hepatitis B, possibly playing a role via inhibiting PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitochondrial autophagy.

A cross-sectional survey on the relationship between workplace psychological violence and empathy among Chinese nurses: the mediation role of resilience

BACKGROUND

Workplace violence is one of the most serious public health issues worldwide in healthcare occupations, nurse is a profession which faces the greatest risk of exposure to workplace violence among healthcare occupations.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to explore the relationship between workplace psychological violence and empathy among Chinese nurses, and further examine the mediation role of resilience in this relationship.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among a convenience sample of clinical registered nurses in Xinjiang China from 29 September 2023 to 19 October 2023.The online questionnaire, contained the general information form, the Workplace Psychologically Violent Behaviors Instrument, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Healthcare Professionals Version, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, was used to collect data. The IBM SPSS statistics software version 22.0 was used to perform data analyses in forms of descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis.

RESULT

This survey recruited a convenience sample of 1613 clinical registered nurses aged 22 to 55 years who come from diverse ethnicities and worked in different departments. A total of 534 nurse experienced psychological violent, which yielded a positive rate of 33.1% for psychological violent among nurses. Pearson analysis reported a negative correlation between psychological violences and empathy (r=-0.724, P < 0.01) as well as a negative correlation between psychological violences and resilience (r=-0.681, P < 0.01). Mediation analysis reported that resilience mediated the negative relationship between psychological violence and empathy, the mediation effect accounted for ab/(ab + c') = 23.40% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

This study supported an inverse ralationship between psychological violence and empathy among Chinese nurses where resilience acted as a protective factor to mediated the negative impacts of psychological violences on empathy These results directed health policies and clinical interventions to equip nurses with resilience to copy with and recover from workplace psychological violence.

Phase I study of peposertib and avelumab with or without palliative radiotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors

INTRODUCTION

We report results from a phase I, three-part, dose-escalation study of peposertib, a DNA-dependent protein kinase inhibitor, in combination with avelumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, with or without radiotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Peposertib 100-400 mg twice daily (b.i.d.) or 100-250 mg once daily (q.d.) was administered in combination with avelumab 800 mg every 2 weeks in Part A or avelumab plus radiotherapy (3 Gy/fraction × 10 days) in Part B. Part FE assessed the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of peposertib plus avelumab. The primary endpoint in Parts A and B was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Secondary endpoints were safety, best overall response per RECIST version 1.1, and pharmacokinetics. The recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) were determined in Parts A and B.

RESULTS

In Part A, peposertib doses administered were 100 mg (n = 4), 200 mg (n = 11), 250 mg (n = 4), 300 mg (n = 6), and 400 mg (n = 4) b.i.d. Of DLT-evaluable patients, one each had DLT at the 250-mg and 300-mg dose levels and three had DLT at the 400-mg b.i.d. dose level. In Part B, peposertib doses administered were 100 mg (n = 3), 150 mg (n = 3), 200 mg (n = 4), and 250 mg (n = 9) q.d.; no DLT was reported in evaluable patients. Peposertib 200 mg b.i.d. plus avelumab and peposertib 250 mg q.d. plus avelumab and radiotherapy were declared as the RP2D/MTD. No objective responses were observed in Part A or B; one patient had a partial response in Part FE. Peposertib exposure was generally dose proportional.

CONCLUSIONS

Peposertib doses up to 200 mg b.i.d. in combination with avelumab and up to 250 mg q.d. in combination with avelumab and radiotherapy were tolerable in patients with advanced solid tumors; however, antitumor activity was limited.

CLINICALTRIALS

GOV IDENTIFIER

NCT03724890.

Selective Reduction of Cysteine Mutant Antibodies for Site-Specific Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Developing site-specific conjugation technologies for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) aims to produce more homogeneous and controlled drug-loaded ADCs to reduce variability and thereby improve the therapeutic index. This article presents a technology that uses cysteine mutant antibodies and mild phosphine-based reductants to prepare site-specific ADCs. The two types of cysteine mutant antibodies, designated C6v1 and C6v2, have one of the interchain disulfide-forming cysteines in the Fab region in the light chain (LC214) or in the heavy chain (HC220) substituted by alanine (or other amino acids), respectively. Certain phosphine-based reductants were found to selectively reduce the "unpaired" cysteines, at the heavy chain (HC220) for C6v1 or at the light chain (LC214) for C6v2 while keeping the interchain disulfide bonds in the hinge region intact, resulting in 90% of DAR2 species and more than 95% of the desired specific conjugation at HC or LC following conjugation to maleimide moieties. The reduction method shows consistent selectivity toward various C6v1 or C6v2 antibody backbones. Sensitivity toward buffer pH for some reductants can be used to optimize reductant reactivity and selectivity. The technology can be further expanded to generate site-specific DAR4 or dual-payload ADCs based on C6v1 or C6v2 antibodies. This technology offers a method to control drug-loading and conjugation sites using a mild one-pot process, as compared to the reduction-oxidation methods used in technologies such as THIOMAB, and shows superior DAR profiles and process simplification as compared to other selective reduction methods.

Age-dependent seasonal growth cessation in Populus

In temperate and boreal regions, perennial plants adapt their annual growth cycle to the change of seasons. In natural forests, juvenile seedlings usually display longer growth seasons compared to adult trees to ensure their establishment and survival under canopy shade. However, how trees adjust their annual growth according to their age is not known. In this study, we show that age-dependent seasonal growth cessation is genetically controlled and found that the miR156-SPL3/5 module, a key regulon of vegetative phase change (VPC), also triggers age-dependent growth cessation in Populus trees. We show that miR156 promotes shoot elongation during vegetative growth, and its targets SPL3/5s function in the same pathway but as repressors. We find that the miR156-SPL3/5s regulon controls growth cessation in both leaves and shoot apices and through multiple pathways, but with a different mechanism compared to how the miR156-SPL regulon controls VPC in annual plants. Taken together, our results reveal an age-dependent genetic network in mediating seasonal growth cessation, a key phenological process in the climate adaptation of perennial trees.

Virus-Bionic Mesoporous Silica Nanoplatform for Malignant Tumor Inhibition via Effective Cellular Uptake and Precise Drug Delivery

Over the past few decades, sophisticated nanomaterials have been used as carries for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to solid tumors. However, the low efficiency of intracellular internalization of nanocarriers in current use restricts their biomedical application. In this work, we demonstrate that novel virus-bionic mesoporous-silica-based nanocarriers can be successfully prepared for programmed precise drug delivery. These unique viral mimic nanovesicles not only present virus bionic counterparts and nanostructures, but also have infectious virus-like properties toward tumor cells and tumor tissues. Encouragingly, their large surface area (322.1 m2 /g) endows them with high loading capacity for therapeutic agents, especially, they have more effective gene transfection properties than the commercially available LipoGeneTM transfection reagent. Thanks to their virus-inspired morphology, they exhibit outstanding cellular uptake efficiency with living tumor cells and the ability to invade cells in large quantities with incubation times as short as 5 min, which is much faster than traditional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (mSN) with smooth appearance. Importantly, after doxorubicin (DOX) loading and surface modification of tumor recognition motifs, RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp, vMN@DOX-RGD), the bionic drug-loaded viral mimics elicit potent tumor cell elimination both in vitro and in vivo, greatly exceeding the mSN-based group. Our work paves the way toward virus bionic nanocarrier design for malignant tumor suppression in the clinic.

Expression of ICAM-1 and E-selectin in different metabolic obesity phenotypes: discrepancy for endothelial dysfunction

OBJECTIVES

Endothelial dysfunction, the earliest vascular alteration, is a consequence of metabolic disorders associated with obesity. However, it is still unclear whether a proportion of obese individuals without metabolic alterations associated with obesity, defined as "metabolically healthy obesity (MHO)", exhibit better endothelial function. We therefore aimed to investigate the association of different metabolic obesity phenotypes with endothelial dysfunction.

METHODS

The obese participants without clinical cardiovascular disease from the MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) were allocated to the different metabolic obesity phenotypes based on their metabolic status, including MHO and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). Associations of metabolic obesity phenotypes with the biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, including soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble E-selectin (sE-selectin), were evaluated using multiple linear regression models.

RESULTS

Plasma levels of sICAM-1 and sE-selectin were respectively measured in 2371 and 968 participants. Compared to the non-obese participants, those with MUO were associated with higher concentrations of sICAM-1 (β 22.04, 95% CI 14.33-29.75, P < 0.001) and sE-selectin (β 9.87, 95% CI 6.00-13.75, P < 0.001) after adjusting for confounders. However, no differences were found for the concentrations of sICAM-1 (β 0.70, 95% CI - 8.91 to 10.32, P = 0.886) and sE-selectin (β 3.69, 95% CI - 1.13 to 8.51, P = 0.133) in the participants with MHO compared to the non-obese participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with MUO were associated with elevated biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction, but the association with endothelial dysfunction was not found in those with MHO, indicating that the individuals with MHO might exhibit better endothelial function.

Effectiveness of Bladder Filling Control during Online MR-Guided Adaptive Radiotherapy for Rectum Cancer

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy (MRgART) treatment sessions at MR-Linac are time-consuming and changes in bladder filling during the session can impact the treatment dosimetry. In this work, we present the procedure implemented in the clinical workflow to stabilize bladder filling during the MR based adaptive radiotherapy sessions and evaluate its effectiveness and the resulting dosimetric impact on the adaptive plan.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Twenty-five rectum cancer patients treated at 1.5T MR-Linac with a short course radiotherapy (25 Gy in 5 fractions of 5 Gy each) were included in this retrospective study. Patients were treated with the adapt-to-shape workflow consisting of a plan adaptation based on the MRI acquired in each session and optimized on the corresponding MR-based synthetic CT. Considering the significant interval time between the acquisition of the first daily MRI used for plan adaptation, and the beam delivery, a bladder catheter was used to stabilize the bladder filling; the procedure consists of emptying the bladder and refilling it with a well-known amount of physiological solution before each MRI acquisition. Two MRIs were acquired at each session: the first was used for plan adaptation and the second was acquired while approving the adapted plan, to be rigidly registered with the first to ensure the appropriateness of the isodoses on the ongoing delivery treatment. A total of 125 sessions and 250 MRI images and bladder contours were analyzed; for each fraction, the time interval between the first and second MRI and the corresponding bladder volumes were recorded; the consistency of bladder volumes and shapes along each online session was assessed with the dice similarity index (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD); the impact on plan dosimetry was evaluated by comparing target and bladder DVH cut off points of the plan on the two different MRI datasets.

RESULTS

The time interval between the first and second MRI, averaged over the 125 sessions is 39.0 min, range (18.6-75.8) min. The changes in bladder volumes, DSC index, HD, and the differences between the bladder and target DVH cut-off points are shown in the table below. The DSC and HD are comparable to inter-observer variability in manual contour segmentation, with an average DSC of 0.91 and average HD of 2.13 mm; the average differences in bladder and target dosimetry remain under 0.63% and 0.10%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The use of a procedure in the clinical workflow of MRgART to stabilize the bladder filling throughout the online session may be helpful to guarantee the accuracy of the ongoing delivered treatment.

Study on the Clinical Use of a Respiratory Navigator Combined with Breath-Hold for MRI- Guided Liver SBRT

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Respiratory movement strongly affects the accuracy of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) of liver malignancies treated without the use of a respiratory gating system. This study investigates the feasibility and advantages of using a respiratory navigator-guided combined with patient breath-hold for liver SBRT in an adaptive magnetic-resonance guided workflow.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Clinical datasets of 10 liver cancer patients treated with 1.5T MR-Linac with respiratory navigator-guided SBRT combined with patient breath-hold were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent simulation CT with and without contrast, and 4D-CT and 3D-T2w MRI without contrast. Patients received a prescription dose ranging from 36 to 50 Gy in 5 to 8 fractions and followed the adapt to shape (ATS) workflow including contours adjustment and a subsequent MR-based synthetic CT (sCT) calculation on the online MRI acquired. The reference treatment plan was optimized on the expiratory phase of the 4D-CT, and during the online session the contours and the adapted plans were performed using the 3D-T2w navigator MRI of the patient's end-expiratory signal; 2D-T2w real-time monitoring MRI was also used as support for the contour's definition. The radiation therapist instructed the patients to hold their breath at the end of the breathing cycle for the time of the beam on. A total of 59 fractions were analyzed. For each fraction the dosimetric parameters of the target and normal liver of the adaptive and reference plans were compared; particularly the volume, the conformity index (CI) and gradient index (GI) for the target, and V5, V10 and Dmean for the normal liver. T-student statistical analysis was performed; a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

In the free breathing state, the 3D-T2w navigator MRI images enable a clear visualization of the tumor and its boundaries. The average target CI of the adaptive and reference plans is not significantly different (p = 0.448), while the GI is significantly higher (p = 0.043). Normal liver V10 and Dmean are lower and V5 is slightly increased, but without statistical differences. The mean values and standard deviation of the dosimetric parameters of the reference and adapted plans are shown in the Table below.

CONCLUSION

The use of a respiratory navigator combined with the breath-hold for MRI- guided liver SBRT allows clear visualization of the tumor, ensures the accuracy of the delivered dose and may be considered an alternative when the respiratory gating system is not available during MRgART sessions.

Study on Lattice Radiotherapy Treatments (LRT) for Head and Neck Bulky Tumors

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Lattice radiotherapy (LRT) exploits various effects of radiation, such as the bystander effect and the abscopal effect, and consists on the administration of high dose fraction in small areas with large tumor masses, helping to solve the problem of treating bulky disease, especially if it is located in a critical anatomical area. The optimization of LRT treatment plans is challenging due to the difficulty to generate spots of high dose within the tumor with consequent high gradient. This study compares the plan dosimetry and delivery time of two delivery techniques VMAT and CyberKnife for LRT treatments of bulky head and neck lesions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Six patients with giant head and neck tumors who received LRT at our institution were included in this study. Target and OARs were contoured following international guidelines; to allow easy identification of the desired high gradient zones, an artificial geometrical lattice structure with spherical vertices was arranged inside the target volume (GTV), and the vertices of the lattice representing the high dose boost volumes (GTVboost) were delineated. The GTVboost and GTV were prescribed to receive 12 Gy and 3 Gy, respectively in a single fraction. Separate VMAT and CyberKnife LRT plans were optimized for each patient with lattice vertex of 0.5 diameter and center-to-center distances of 1.5 cm (LRT1.5) and 3 cm (LRT3). The dose heterogeneity was measured as the peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), with the traditional definition being replaced by the D10/D90 ratio, where D10 and D90 represent the doses covering 10% and 90% of the GTV, respectively. For each plan generated, the treatment delivery time, the monitor units (MU), and the PVDR were assessed. Pre-treatment plan verifications were performed with ArcCheck array and Gafchromics film for VMAT and CyberKnife, respectively, using gamma analysis criteria of 3%-3mm.

RESULTS

The mean PVDR obtained for VMAT LRT plans were 2.0 and 2.6 for LRT1.5 and LRT3, respectively, and 3.2 and 4.7, respectively for CyberKnife LRT plans. For each pre-treatment plan dose verification, the gamma passing rate (GPR) was higher than 95.0 %; CyberKnife delivery time and MU were more than 10 times higher than that of VMAT, nevertheless, VMAT had a lower PVDR. The detailed results are shown in the table below.

CONCLUSION

CyberKnife LRT has a strong ability to place the peak dose within the target, generating a higher peak-to-valley dose ratio, however its use is partially invalidated by the long beam delivery times and the resulting high MU number; the use of the VMAT LRT technique allows clinically adequate dosimetry with acceptable delivery times.

Tai Chi for the prophylaxis of episodic migraine: protocol of a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial with mechanism exploration

BACKGROUND

Migraine is a complex neurovascular disorder with considerable clinical, social and economic issues. Tai chi has the potential to be an alternative prophylactic treatment for migraine with high safety since the adverse effects and limited efficacy of available medications.

AIMS

The proposed study aims to compare the prophylaxis efficacy of 24-week Tai Chi training on migraine attacks with the standard prophylactic medication; and to explore the mechanism of Tai Chi in preventing migraine attacks by analyzing the associations between changes of migraine attacks and changes of neurovascular functions and inflammatory makers.

METHOD

This is a two-arm parallel non-inferiority randomized controlled trial. In total 220 Hong Kong Chinese women aged 18-65 years with diagnosis of episodic migraine will be recruited and randomized to either the Tai Chi training group or the standard prophylactic medication group with 1:1 ratio, and receive the 24 weeks of modified 33-short form Yang-style Tai Chi training and the standard prophylactic medications, respectively. A 24-week follow-up will be implemented for both groups. For efficacy examination, the primary outcome was the frequency of migraine attacks measured by the migraine diary; and for the mechanism exploration, the primary outcome was the volume and number of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The measurements will be conducted at the baseline, 24th weeks, and 48th weeks. Linear mixed model will be adopted to comprehensively analyze the changes of variables within and between groups.

DISCUSSION

Given the importance of reducing disease burden and financial cost of migraine attacks, the findings of this study will provide new insights regarding the role of Tai Chi in alleviating migraine burden and further shed light on the mechanism action of Tai Chi on preventing headache attacks.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05690737. Registered on January 28, 2023.

Discovery of ABBV-154, an anti-TNF Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator Immunology Antibody-Drug Conjugate (iADC)

Stable attachment of drug-linkers to the antibody is a critical requirement, and for maleimide conjugation to cysteine, it is achieved by ring hydrolysis of the succinimide ring. During ADC profiling in our in-house property screening funnel, we discovered that the succinimide ring open form is in equilibrium with the ring closed succinimide. Bromoacetamide (BrAc) was identified as the optimal replacement, as it affords stable attachment of the drug-linker to the antibody while completely removing the undesired ring open-closed equilibrium. Additionally, BrAc also offers multiple benefits over maleimide, especially with respect to homogeneity of the ADC structure. In combination with a short, hydrophilic linker and phosphate prodrug on the payload, this afforded a stable ADC (ABBV-154) with the desired properties to enable long-term stability to facilitate subcutaneous self-administration.

[A control study of steroid withdrawal protection strategy after kidney transplantation in children]

Objective: To study the influence of steroid withdrawal protection strategy on height growth in pediatric patients after kidney transplantation. Methods: The prospective cohort study enrolled 40 stage 5 chronic kidney disease children receiving kidney transplantation from July 2017 to September 2022 at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center. Based on the primary preoperative disease, patients with immune abnormality-associated glomerular diseases or unknown causes were assigned to the steroid maintenance group, in which patients received steroid tapering within 3 months after surgery to a maintenance dose of 2.5 to 5.0 mg/d. While patients with hereditary kidney disease or congenital urinary malformations were assigned to the steroid withdrawal group, in which patients had steroids tapered off within 3 months. The characteristics of height catch-up growth and clinical data were compared between the 2 groups at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after kidney transplantation. T-test, repeated measurement of variance analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher exact test were used for the comparison between the 2 groups. Results: Among the 40 children, 17 were males, 23 were females, 25 were in the steroid withdraw group ((7.8±2.8) years old when receiving kidney transplantation) and 15 cases were in the steroid maintenance group ((7.6±3.5) years old when receiving kidney transplantation). The study population was followed up for (26±12) months. The total dose per unit body weight of steroids in the steroid withdrawal group was lower than that in the steroid maintenance group ((0.13±0.06) vs. (0.36±0.19) mg/(kg·d), t=5.83, P<0.001). The height catch-up rate (ΔHtSDS) in the first year after kidney transplantation in the steroid withdraw and steroid maintenance groups was 1.0 (0.7, 1.4) and 0.4 (0.1, 1.0), respectively; in the second year, the ΔHtSDS in the steroid withdraw group was significantly higher than that in the steroid maintenance group (1.1 (0.2, 1.7) vs. 0.3 (0, 0.8), U=28.00, P=0.039). The HtSDS in the steroid withdrawal group at the five follow-up time points was -2.5±0.8, -2.0±0.8, -1.5±0.8, -1.3±0.9 and -0.5±0.3, respectively, while in the steroid maintenance was -2.4±1.3, -2.2±1.1, -2.0±1.0, -1.8±1.0 and -1.6±1.0, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in HtSDS at different follow-up time points in both 2 groups (F=19.81, P<0.01), but no statistical differences in overall impact between the 2 groups (F=1.13, P=0.204). The steroid treatment was interaction with the increase of follow-up time (F=3.62, P=0.009). At the 24th month after transplantation, the HtSDS in the steroid withdrawal group was significantly higher than that in the steroid maintenance group (P=0.047). Six patients in the steroid withdrawal group experienced antibody-mediated immune rejection (AMR), while 3 did in the steroid maintenance group. Moreover, there was no significant difference in AMR between the two groups (χ2=0.06, P=0.814). Conclusion: The steroid withdrawal protection strategy favors the height catch-up growth in pediatric patients after kidney transplantation and does not increase the risk of postoperative antibody-mediated immune rejection.

Homologous recombination repair gene mutations in colorectal cancer favors treatment of immune checkpoint inhibitors

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is insensitive for Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with microsatellite stable (MSS). Genomic data of three CRC cohort, n = 35), and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA CRC cohort, n = 377), were analyzed. A cohort treated with ICIs from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC CRC cohort, n = 110) and two cases from the local hospital were characterized the impact of the HRR mutation on prognosis of CRC. Homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations were more common in CN and HL cohorts (27.85%; 48.57%) than in TCGA CRC cohort (15.92%), especially in the MSS populations, the frequencies of HRR mutation were higher in CN and HL cohort (27.45%, 51.72%) than in TCGA cohort (6.85%). HRR mutations were associated with high tumor mutational burden (TMB-H). Although HRR mutation uncorrelated with an improved overall survival in the MSKCC CRC cohort (p = 0.97), HRR mutated patients had a significantly improved OS compared to the HRR wildtype population particularly in MSS subgroups (p = 0.0407) under ICI treatment. It probably contributed by a higher neoantigen and increased CD4+ T cell infiltration which found in the TCGA MSS HRR mutated CRC cohort. The similar phenomenon on cases was observed that MSS metastatic CRC patient with HRR mutation seemed more sensitive to ICI after multi-line chemotherapy in clinical practice than HRR wildtype. This finding suggests the feasibility of HRR mutation as an immunotherapy response predictor in MSS CRC, which highlights a potential therapeutic approach for these patients.

The transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from mother-to-infant (MTI) and the susceptibility of offspring to hepatitis B under intrauterine exposure to HBsAg

OBJECTIVE

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes long-term injury to the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B. It was reported that nearly half of this disease's cases now result from mother-to-infant (MTI) transmission. Therefore, intervention during this period of transmission of HBV could effectively prevent HBV infection in infants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study employed bioinformatics methods to analyze the datasets of MTI hepatitis B transmission obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Through this analysis, we extracted valuable information to identify genes exhibiting differential expression and uncover the associated signal pathways. Ultimately, our investigations into alterations in immune function shed light on the underlying mechanisms of MTI HBV transmission.

RESULTS

There were 593 genes that were significantly differentially expressed (512 up-regulated genes and 81 down-regulated genes) in the offspring CD8+T cells with Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) intrauterine exposure. The pathways enriched for differentially expressed genes have been revealed. Furthermore, we performed a correlation analysis between differentially expressed genes and maternal hepatitis B inheritance via the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and eventually found a high correlation between the cyan module and the shape. Among them, there were 166 genes in the cyan module, which were mainly enriched in the phosphatidylinositol signaling system, glycerolipid metabolism, and other types of O-Glycan biosynthesis.

CONCLUSIONS

Therefore, we speculated that these signaling pathways and the genes within may be closely related to hepatitis B susceptibility and maternal hepatitis B inheritance. In this study, we showed that differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways may be valuable in preventing MTI transmission of HBV.

The glial perspective of autism spectrum disorder convergent evidence from postmortem brain and PET studies

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to systematically and quantitatively review evidence derived from both postmortem brain and PET studies to explore the pathological role of glia induced neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of ASD, and discuss the implications of these findings in relation to disease pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies.

METHOD

An online databases search was performed to collate postmortem studies and PET studies regarding glia induced neuroinflammation in ASD as compared to controls. Two authors independently conducted the literature search, study selection and data extraction. The discrepancies generated in these processes was resolved through robust discussions among all authors.

RESULT

The literature search yielded the identification of 619 records, from which 22 postmortem studies and 3 PET studies were identified as eligible for the qualitative synthesis. Meta-analysis of postmortem studies reported increased microglial number and microglia density as well as increased GFAP protein expression and GFAP mRNA expression in ASD subjects as compared to controls. Three PET studies produced different outcomes and emphasized different details, with one reported increased and two reported decreased TSPO expression in ASD subjects as compared to controls.

CONCLUSION

Both postmortem evidences and PET studies converged to support the involvement of glia induced neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of ASD. The limited number of included studies along with the considerable heterogeneity of these studies prevented the development of firm conclusions and challenged the explanation of variability. Future research should prioritize the replication of current studies and the validation of current observations.

[Prevalence of parasitic infections in human stool samples from a hospital in Chenzhou City of Hunan Province]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of parasitic infections in human stool samples from a hospital in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, so as to provide insights into the management of intestinal parasitic diseases.

METHODS

Stool samples were collected from patients admitted to a hospital in Chenzhou City from September 2020 to March 2021, subjected to physiological saline smearing and microscopy for detection of intestinal parasites. The prevalence of parasitic infections and the species of parasites were descriptively analyzed.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 1.61% in the 10 728 stool samples, and there were 3 samples with mixed infections of two parasite species. A total of seven parasite species were identified, including Blastocystis hominis (162 cases, 1.55%), Giardia lamblia (5 cases, 0.05%), Dientamoeba fragilis (5 cases, 0.05%), Endolimax nana (one case, 0.01%), Iodamoeba bütschlii (one case, 0.01%), Strongyloides stercoralis (one case, 0.01%) and Trichomonas hominis (one case, 0.01%). The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was significantly higher among women than in men (2.14% vs. 1.25%; χ² = 13.01, P < 0.01), and a high prevalence rate was seen among patients at ages of 20 to 30 years (2.99%) and 80 years and older (2.86%); however, no age-specific prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was detected (χ² = 12.45, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was low among patients admitted to a hospital in Chenzhou City, and gender-specific prevalence was found. Food-borne and opportunistic parasites were predominant intestinal parasites, including B. hominis, G. lamblia and D. fragilis.

Natural annual transcriptome dynamics of Eucalyptus reveal seasonal adaptation of tropical/sub-tropical trees

Seasonal environment cues are primary factors that influence a plant's growth and adaptation. The molecular basis of seasonal phenology has been well studied in trees growing in boreal and temperate ecosystems. However, little is known about the molecular phenology of trees belonging to tropical/sub-tropical regions. Here, we characterize the annual transcriptome dynamics of Eucalyptus dunnii, one of the world's most widely planted tropical/sub-tropical hardwoods, in natural environments. Our transcriptome analysis combined with the geographical distribution, environmental cues, microscopic observations and heterologous transformation analyses provides a molecular timetable of seasonal regulatory events of E. dunnii and its planting prospects in China. We further investigated the molecular mechanisms of the flowering phenology of E. dunnii. Our results suggest that low temperature is one of environment triggers for its seasonal flowering. In addition, a comparative transcriptome and cell ultrastructure analysis between Eucalyptus and Populus reveals the molecular bases of different shoot apex growth habits of trees originating from tropical/sub-tropical and boreal/temperate regions. Our study will provide cues for further investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the seasonal phenology of trees from tropical/sub-tropical regions.

Effect of pulmonary function on bone mineral density in the United States: results from the NHANES 2007-2010 study

The relationship between pulmonary function (PF) and bone mineral density (BMD) remains controversial. In the US population, we found a positive association between PF and BMD. Mixed variables such as age, gender, and race may influence this association.

INTRODUCTION

Based on the data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2010, this study explored whether there is a correlation between PF (1st second forceful expiratory volume as a percentage of expected value (FEV1(% predicted)), (one-second rate (FEV1/FVC)), and bone mineral density.

METHODS

We evaluated the relationship between PF and BMD in 6327 NHANES subjects (mean age 44.51 ± 15.64 years) from 2007 to 2010. The bone mineral density of the whole femur was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). After adjusting for a wide range of confounders, we examined the relationship between PF and total femur BMD using a multiple linear regression model.

RESULTS

Correction of race, age, alcohol consumption, body mass index (BMI), height, poor income ratio (PIR), total protein, serum calcium, serum uric acid, cholesterol, serum phosphorus, blood urea nitrogen, FEV1(% predicted), and femur BMD were positively correlated (β = 0.032, 95% CI: 0.010-0.054, P = 0.004). FEV1/FVC was positively correlated with spine BMD (β = 0.275 95%CI: 0.102-0.448, P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that PF is positively associated with BMD in the US population. A variety of factors such as race and age influence this relationship. the relationship between PF and BMD needs to be further investigated, including specific regulatory mechanisms and confounding factors.

Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA MALAT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma: A study based on multi-omics analysis and RT-PCR validation

Background: This study aimed to explore the relationship between MALAT1 and the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We constructed a MALAT1 protein-protein interaction network using the STRING database and a network of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) using the StarBase database. Using data from the GEPIA2 database, we studied the association between genes in these networks and survival of patients with HCC. The potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between MALAT1 and HCC prognosis were studied using combined data from RNA sequencing, DNA methylation, and somatic mutation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) liver cancer cohort. Tumor tissues and 19 paired adjacent non-tumor tissues (PANTs) from HCC patients who underwent radical resection were analyzed for MALAT1 mRNA levels using real-time PCR, and associations of MALAT1 expression with clinicopathological features or prognosis of patients were analyzed using log-rank test and Gehan-Breslow-Wilcoxon test. Results: Five interacting proteins and five target genes of MALAT1 in the ceRNA network significantly correlated with poor survival of patients with HCC (p < 0.05). High MALAT1 expression was associated with mutations in two genes leading to poor prognosis and may upregulate some prognostic risk genes through methylation. MALAT1 was significantly co-expressed with various signatures of genes involved in HCC progression, including the cell cycle, DNA damage repair, mismatch repair, homologous recombination, molecular cancer m6A, exosome, ferroptosis, infiltration of lymphocyte (p < 0.05). The expression of MALAT1 was markedly upregulated in HCC tissues compared with PANTs. In Kaplan-Meier analysis, patients with high MALAT1 expression had significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.033) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.023) than those with low MALAT1 expression. Median PFS was 19.2 months for patients with high MALAT1 expression and 52.8 months for patients with low expression, while the corresponding median OS was 40.5 and 78.3 months. In subgroup analysis of patients with vascular invasion, cirrhosis, and HBsAg positive or AFP positive, MALAT1 overexpression was significantly associated with shorter PFS and OS. Models for predicting PFS and OS constructed based on MALAT1 expression and clinicopathological features had moderate predictive power, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.661-0.731. Additionally, MALAT1 expression level was significantly associated with liver cirrhosis, vascular invasion, and tumor capsular infiltration (p < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: MALAT1 is overexpressed in HCC, and higher expression is associated with worse prognosis. MALAT1 mRNA level may serve as a prognostic marker for patients with HCC after hepatectomy.

Comparative physiological and transcriptome analysis reveals the potential mechanism of selenium accumulation and tolerance to selenate toxicity of Broussonetia papyrifera

Broussonetia papyrifera is an important fodder tree that is widely distributed in China. Enhancing the selenium (Se) content in B. papyrifera may help to improve the nutritional value of the feed. In this study, sodium selenite and selenate were foliar applied to investigate the mechanisms of Se tolerance and accumulation in B. papyrifera. The results showed that both Se forms significantly increased the total Se content, and the proportion of organic Se was significantly higher in the sodium selenite treatment than in the control. In addition, the soluble sugar, phenolic acid and flavonoid contents and antioxidant enzyme activities were increased by exogenous Se. The de novo RNA sequencing results showed that 644 and 1804 differentially expressed genes were identified in the selenite and selenate comparison groups, respectively. Pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that 24 of the 108 pathways were significantly enriched, of which sulfur assimilation genes in the sodium selenite-treated groups were upregulated, whereas Se conjugation and transporter genes, such as SBP1, PCS, GSTs, ABCs and GPX, were significantly induced under selenate treatment. The hub genes identified by weighted-gene co-expression network analysis further confirmed that sulfur assimilation, conjugation and transporter genes might play a vital role in Se assimilation and tolerance. From this, a model of Se metabolism in B. papyrifera was proposed based on the above physiological and RNA sequencing data. This study is the first study to report that B. papyrifera has a strong ability to accumulate and tolerate exogenous Se, thereby providing a foundation for further characterization of the accumulation and tolerance mechanism of B. papyrifera. Our findings can provide technical support for producing Se-enriched fodder.

[Comparative study of decentration, tilt and visual quality after implantation of aspherical intraocular lenses]

Objective: To compare the difference of decentration and tilt among 4 kinds of aspherical intraocular lenses (IOLs), and to analyze their objective visual quality. Methods: Prospective non-randomized controlled clinical trial. Age-related cataract patients who planned to undergo phacoemulsification and IOL implantation in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from April to June in 2020 were divided into ZCB00 group, SN60WF group, A1-UV group, and AO group according to IOL types. Thirty right eyes and thirty left eyes were selected in each group. Before operation and at 1 day, 1 week and 1 month postoperatively, decentration and tilt values were measured by a new swept-source anterior-segment optical coherence tomography device (CASIA2), and wavefront aberrations, objective scatter index (OSI), modulation transfer function cut off frequency (MTF cut off) and Strehl ratio (SR) were also examined. Values of decentration, tilt and visual quality compared among 4 groups were took from the right eye. One-way analysis of variance was used for inter-group comparison, and repeated measurement one-way analysis of variance was used for intra-group comparison. Data between right eyes and left eyes from all the individuals were compared by independent sample t-test. Results: A total of 181 patients (240 eyes) were enrolled, and 169 patients (224 eyes) completed the follow-up (114 right eyes and 110 left eyes). There were 77 males and 92 females, with an age of (69±9) years. There was no significant difference in gender, age, axial length, decentration and tilt of crystalline lens and IOL power among 4 groups (all P>0.05). At 1 day, 1 week and 1 month postoperatively, there was significant difference in decentration value among 4 groups (F=7.11, 6.12, 4.66; all P<0.05). For further pairwise comparison, the decentration value of SN60WF group was higher than that of the other 3 groups at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively, and the decentration value of SN60WF group was (0.259±0.101) mm at 1 month postoperatively, which was higher than that of ZCB00 group (0.177±0.099) mm and AO group (0.163±0.122) mm, and the differences were statistically significant (using SNK-q test, both P<0.05). The IOL tilt value in the ZCB00 group, SN60WF group, A1-UV group, and AO group at 1 month postoperatively were (4.806±1.129)°, (5.080±1.309)°, (4.586±1.338)°, (5.112±1.406)°, respectively. No significant difference in tilt value among 4 groups was found at any time after surgery (all P>0.05). In each group, there was no significant difference in decentration and tilt value at different postoperative time points (all P>0.05). At 1 month postoperatively, there was no significant difference in decentration and tilt at horizontal and vertical directions respectively among 4 groups (all P>0.05), and in each group, there was no significant difference in decentration and tilt value between right eyes and left eyes (all P>0.05), and IOLs tended to tilt towards the inferonasal or inferotemporal direction in both eyes. With 4-mm and 6-mm pupil diameter, there was significant difference in internal (F=131.32, 85.17) and ocular (F=46.64, 47.55) spherical aberration among 4 groups (all P<0.01). For further pairwise comparison, the spherical aberration of AO group was higher than that of the other 3 groups, and the difference was statistically significant (using SNK-q test, all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in OSI, MTF cut off and SR among 4 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The four types of IOLs show decentration and tilt in varying degrees after implantation in the capsular bag, but this difference do not lead to clinical significance. Human eyes have tolerance to mild decentration and tilt of aspheric IOLs, showing good visual quality.

Case Report: A Case of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Which Achieved Progression Free for Over 12 Months by Subsequent Therapy with Anlotinib Hydrochloride Plus Tegafur-Gimeracil-Oteracil Potassium (TS-1)

Titled the “most destructive of all cancers”, pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor with a very poor prognosis and has a poor response to systemic therapy. At present, several studies have shown that tegafur-gimeracil-oteracil potassium (hereinafter referred to as TS-1) is no less superior to gemcitabine in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer. In addition, a number of current clinical studies have shown that targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy reflects therapeutic advantages in pancreatic cancer. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo experiments have also demonstrated that anlotinib can curb the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and induce their apoptosis. Here, we report for the first time that a patient with locally advanced pancreatic cancer achieved good efficacy after switching to TS-1 chemotherapy combined with anlotinib targeted therapy. Previously, the disease of the patient still rapidly progressed without control following the first switch to abraxane combined with gemcitabine chemotherapy (AG regimen) due to the progression after chemo-radiotherapy. In this case, the patient achieved progression-free survival (PFS) of over 14 months via the treatment with anlotinib targeted therapy combined with TS-1 chemotherapy and secondary radiotherapy (prior to secondary radiotherapy, the patient achieved a PFS of nearly 12 months via the treatment with oral anlotinib combined with TS-1). Up to now, the progress of the disease is ceased. The oral administration of targeted therapy and chemotherapy are still in progress and the general condition of the patient is good. This suggests that patients with advanced pancreatic cancer may benefit from treatment with the anlotinib targeted therapy combined with TS-1 chemotherapy.

Abstract 5395: DNA damage repair gene mutations predict the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer

Background: DNA damage repair (DDR) mutations are known to predict response to platinum-based chemotherapy in multiple solid tumors. However, their predictive value remained unknown in patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: The genomic and survival datas from the TCGA-COAD and TCGA-READ cohorts of patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy were used to analyze the predictive value of DDR mutations on platinum-based chemotherapy.

Result: The DDR genes were commonly mutated (85.82%) in the TCGA-COAD and TCGA-READ cohorts. The objective response rates (ORRs) were 80% for the patients with DDR mutations (DDRmut) subgroup and 56% for the DDR wild-type (DDRwt) subgroup (P&lt;0.05), and the disease control rates (DCRs) were 86% for the DDRmut subgroup and 56% for the DDRwt subgroup (P&lt;0.05). In patients with stage I, II and III colorectal cancer, there was no significant difference in the overall survival (OS) between DDRmut subgroup and DDRwt subgroup (Hazard Ratio=0.48, 95%CI 0.1−2.31, log-rank P=0.35). In patients with stage IV colorectal cancer, the OS was significantly better among the DDRmut patients than in the DDRwt subgroup (Hazard Ratio=0.21, 95%CI 0.06−0.8, P= 0.011).

Conclusions: DDR mutations may serve as a positive predictor of platinum-based chemotherapy therapy in patients with CRC and their clinical value warrants further investigation.

Citation Format: Yan Lin, Jinyan Zhang, Xiaoli Liao, Yumei Zhang, Min Luo, Qian Li, Mingzhi Xie, Chaoyong Liang, Sina Liao, Yating Zheng, Xue Hu, Mengli Huang, Rong Liang, Yongqiang Li. DNA damage repair gene mutations predict the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5395.

Homologous Recombination Pathway Alternation Predicts Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer With Chemotherapy

Background: Chemotherapy is the basic treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, colorectal cancer cells often develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs, leading to recurrence and poor prognosis. More and more studies have shown that the Homologous recombination (HR) pathway plays an important role in chemotherapy treatment for tumors. However, the relationship between HR pathway, chemotherapy sensitivity, and the prognosis of CRC patients is still unclear.

Methods: We collected 35 samples of CRC patients after chemotherapy treatment from Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, then collected mutation data and clinical prognosis data from the group. We also downloaded Mondaca-CRC, TCGA-CRC cohorts for chemotherapy treatment.

Result: We found that HR mutant-type (HR-MUT) patients are less likely to experience tumor metastasis after receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, our univariate and multivariate cox regression models showed that HR-MUT can be used as an independent predictor of the prognosis of chemotherapy for CRC patients. The KM curve showed that patients with HR-MUT CRC had significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) time (log-rank p = 0.017; hazard ratio (HR) = 0.69). Compared to HR mutant-type (HR-WT), HR-MUT has a significantly lower IC50 value with several chemotherapeutic drugs. Pathway enrichment analysis further revealed that the HR-MUT displayed a significantly lower rate of DNA damage repair ability, tumor growth, metastasis activity, and tumor fatty acid metabolism activity than HR-WT, though its immune response activity was notably higher.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that HR-MUT may be a relevant marker for CRC patients receiving chemotherapy, as it is closely related to improving OS time and reducing chemotherapy resistance.

POS0349 DECOY RECEPTOR 3 AND ITS SIGNAL PATHWAY CONTRIBUTE TO PATHOGENESIS IN PRIMARY GOUTY ARTHRITIS

Background

Gouty arthritis (GA) is an autoinflammatory disease caused by the deposition of monosodium urate crystal (MSU) in the joints and surrounding tissues, which lead to a series of complex inflammatory cascade amplification reactions.The clinical symptoms of acute GA attack rapidly, but often alleviate spontaneously within 7 ~ 10 days, which is one of the significant characteristics different from other joint diseases or autoimmune diseases. However, the exact molecular mechanism of its inflammatory self limitation is still unclear. The phenotypic imbalance of Th1 / Th2 cells and the M1/ M2 polarization of macrophages may be involved in the inflammatory self limitation of gout[1].Decoy receptor 3 (DCR3) can differentiate T cells into Th2 phenotype, promote M2 polarization of macrophages, and play the functions of immune regulation and repair[2].DCR3 and its Signal Pathway are involved in the pathogenesis of tumors and a variety of autoimmune diseases, and have become an important research target of tumors and immune related diseases.However, studies on DcR3 related molecular pathway and GA are scarce, and the specific regulatory mechanism is unknown.

Objectives

To assess the contribution of DcR3 and its signal pathway to gout and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis.

Methods

The mRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3, TL1A, Fas, FasL, Ligth, LigthR, LTgthRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3gout and the clinical importance of these genes in primary gouty arthritis.nt research target of tumors and immune related diseases.However, studies on DcR3 related moathway expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in GA patients.

Results

The expression levels of DCR3, FasL were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between AG and IG groups(P>0.05)(a,e). The expression levels of DR3 were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05), and much lower in the AG group than in the IG groups (p<0.05)(b). The expression levels of TL1A were much higher in the AG group than in the IG and HC groups (p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between IG and HC groups(P>0.05)(c).The expression levels of Light, LightR were much lower in the AG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between AG and IG groups, IG and HC groups(P>0.05)(f,g).The expression levels of LTlower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05(p<0.05), and no significant difference was detected between AG and IG groups, IG and HC groups(P>0.05)(h).In GA patients, the levels of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene correlated with laboratory inflammatory and metabolic indexes.

Conclusion

Altered DCR3 and its signal pathway expression suggests that DCR3 related molecular pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of GA and participates in regulating inflammation and metabolism.

References

[1]Desai J, Steiger S, Anders HJ. Molecular Pathophysiology of Gout[J]. Trends Mol Med. 2017 Aug;23(8):756-768. DOI:10.1016/j.molmed.2017.06.005.

[2]Pan YG, Huang MT, Sekar P, et al. Decoy Receptor 3 Inhibits Monosodium Urate-Induced NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation via Reduction of Reactive Oxygen Species Production and Lysosomal Rupture[J]. Front Immunol. 2021 Mar 3;12:638676.DOI:10.3389/fimmu.2021.638676.

Figure 1.

Relative Expression of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene in the PBMCs of Patients.The expression levels of DCR3, FasL were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(a,e). The expression levels of DR3 were much lower in the AG and IG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05), and much lower in the AG group than in the IG groups (p<0.05)(b). The expression levels of TL1A were much higher in the AG group than in the IG and HC groups (p<0.05)(c).The expression levels of Light, LightR were much lower in the AG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(f,g).The expression levels of LTβR were much higher in the AG group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(h).

Acknowledgements

Institute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

AB0702 Coexistence of systemic sclerosis and microscopic polyangitis associated with pulmonary renal syndrome: a case report and literature review

Background

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic immune disease characterized by varying degrees of fibrosis of skin and internal organs. Microscopic polyangitis, as a subtype of ANCA associated vasculitis, mainly involves small blood vessels, often manifested as necrotizing glomerulonephritis and pulmonary capillary vasculitis. Pulmonary renal syndrome is characterized by diffuse alveolar hemorrhage based on pulmonary capillary vasculitis and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, which can be derived from a variety of autoimmune diseases, of which ANCA associated vasculitis accounts for about 60%[1]. The cases of coexistence of systemic sclerosis and microscopic polyangitis associated with pulmonary renal syndrome in clinic are rare, which is often dangerous and is easy to miss diagnosis or misdiagnosis.

Objectives

To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of coexistence of systemic sclerosis (SSC) and microscopic polyangitis（MPA）associated with pulmonary renal syndrome (PRS).

Methods

The clinical data, diagnosis and treatment process of a patient who has SSC combined with MPA and PRS were summarized and analyzed. And the literature was reviewed to explore the correlation of the pathogenesis and clinical experience of SSC complicated with MPA and PRS.

Results

The case is a middle-aged male who was diagnosed as SSc due to the hardening of the skin of both hands，Reynolds phenomenon, the anti-scl-70 antibody are positive. The patient suffered from repeated hemoptysis, progressive dyspnea, severe anemia and renal insufficiency, so he was diagnosed as MPA with PRS. After giving glucocorticoid, immunosuppressant and anti-infection treatment, his condition has improved. A total of 7 case reports were retrieved by reviewing the relevant literature.A total of 7 patients were reported.They were first diagnosed as SSc and then MPA with PRS, of which 4 cases improved after treatment and 3 cases died. Among the dead patients, 1 case was treated with penicillamine for 3 years, and the remaining 2 cases were only treated with steroids without immunosuppressants.In SSc, P-ANCA is closely related to vasculitis, and the prognosis of PRS secondary to P-ANCA may be very poor. Most of the diagnosis of MPA is only after patients have kidney or lung diseases.There is a certain correlation between them in pathogenesis. Glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants, biological agents, hemodialysis and plasma exchange are the main treatments.

Conclusion

Although the cases of SSc combined with MPA and PRS are rare, there are still many cases reported,which reminds us: ①When SSc patients have new symptoms such as renal insufficiency or lungs, they should be alert to new entities that may be combined with other autoimmune diseases to avoid missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis.②ANCA should be detected in SSc patients at baseline, which may be related to disease activity.③PRS has rapid progress and high mortality, whcih is an emergency that needs urgent treatment. Such patients should be treated with glucocorticoid, immunosuppression and plasma exchange immediately. However, if patients are complicated with SSc, they need to be extra careful when using high-dose steroids, which increases the risk of renal crisis.

References

[1]de Groot K, Schnabel A. Das pulmorenale Syndrom [Pulmonary-renal syndrome]. Internist (Berl). 2005;46(7):769-782. doi:10.1007/s00108-005-1423-8.

Figure 1.

The contrast of chest CT before and after treatment showed that the exudative lesions of both lungs were significantly absorbed

Figure 2.

Clinical data of systemic sclerosis combined with microscopic polyangitis and pulmonary renal syndrome

Acknowledgements

Institute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

AB0112 DECOY RECEPTOR 3 AND ITS SIGNAL PATHWAY CONTRIBUTE TO PATHOGENESIS IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS

Background

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic progressive disease with invasion of spine and sacroiliac joint as the main clinical manifestation, which can be combined with systemic inflammation or abnormalities in multiple parts at the same time. There are complex changes of immune function in patients with AS, and its immune and genetic pathogenesis is still unclear. Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), as a new immune molecule discovered in recent years, plays an important role in regulating T cell activation, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis.Studies have confirmed that DcR3 is involved in the immune disorder process of rheumatoid arthritis, SLE, AS and other autoimmune diseases, so that the role of DcR3 in AS has attracted attention. However, the expression of DcR3 related pathway genes[1-3].However, studies evaluating the DcR3 related pathway genes in AS are scarce.

Objectives

To assess the contribution of DcR3 and its signal pathway to AS and the clinical importance of these genes in AS.

Methods

The mRNA expression levels of DCR3 and its signal pathway(DR3、TL1A、Fas、FasL、Ligth、LigthR、LTgthRNA expresured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 50 AS patients and 50 healthy subjects. The relationship between DCR3 related molecular pathway expression levels and laboratory features was analyzed in AS patients.

Results

The expression levels of DCR3、DR3、Fas、Light were much lower in the AS group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(a,b,c,d), and the expression levels of LT The relationship between DCR3 related molecular pathway expression l

Conclusion

Compared with HC group, DCR3 and its signal pathway in PBMCs of AS patients are differentially expressed. It is speculated that DcR3 related molecular pathway gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS.

Figure 1.

Relative Expression of DcR3 related molecular pathway gene in the PBMCs of Patients. The mRNA levels in PBMCs from AS patients(n=50) and HCs(n=50) were measured by RT-qPCR. The expression levels of DCR3ˎDR3ˎFasˎLight were much lower in the AS group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(a,b,c,d), and the expression levels of LTβR was much higher in the AS group than in the HC groups (p<0.05)(e).

References

[1]Lee CS, Hu CY, Tsai HF, et al. Elevated serum decoy receptor 3 with enhanced T cell activation in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Exp Immunol. 2008;151(3):383-390. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2249.2007.03579.x

[2]Hayashi S, Miura Y, Tateishi K, Takahashi M, Kurosaka M. Decoy receptor 3 is highly expressed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Mod Rheumatol. 2010;20(1):63-68. doi:10.1007/s10165-009-0240-7.

[3]Chen MH, Chen WS, Tsai CY, Liao HT, Chen CH, Chou CT. Overexpression of decoy receptor 3 in synovial tissues of inflammatory arthritis. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2012;30(2):171-177.

Acknowledgements

Institute of Research Center of Gout and Hyperuricemia of the Affiliated Hospital, North Sichuan Medical College

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

Analysis of β-blockers and β2-agonists in environmental and biological samples by magnetic solid-phase extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

β-Blockers and β2-agonists are commonly prescribed for therapeutic treatments and are also administered to livestock, leading to their presence in both environmental and biological samples. Hence, the development of sensitive, rapid, and reliable analytical methods for the determination of β-blockers and β2-agonists in environmental and biological samples is important. In this study, MIL-101(Cr)-NH₂ &GO-coated SiO₂ /Fe₃ O₄ magnetic particles were prepared as sorbents for magnetic solid-phase extraction and then combined with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the analysis of 20 β-blockers and eight β2-agonists. The experimental parameters of magnetic solid-phase extraction were studied in detail, and the optimal conditions were established. Under optimal conditions, the limits of detection were in the range of 0.002-0.007 μg/L with enrichment factors of 20.2-24.9. The developed method was successfully applied for the determination of 20 β-blockers and eight β2-agonists in river water, human urine, and freeze-dried pork liver powder. Bisoprolol and salbutamol were detected at concentrations of 2.78 mg/L in human urine and 11.5 μg/kg in freeze-dried pork liver powder.

The microglial membrane receptor TREM2 mediates exosome secretion to promote phagocytosis of amyloid-β by microglia

Considerable evidence links the microglial transmembrane receptor TREM2 to the progression of Alzheimer's disease through its involvement in Aβ phagocytosis by microglia. While previous studies have mainly focused on the phagocytic regulation of microglia itself, the antigen presentation of microglial exosomes in the process of immunity has been less investigated. Here, we identified TREM2 expressed on the membrane of microglial exosomes and found that it controlled exosome secretion without affecting exosome size. Microglial exosomes bind to Aβ in a TREM2-dependent manner, which changes the inflammatory environment around Aβ and promotes microglia to phagocytose Aβ. These findings delineate a novel exosome-mediated mechanism of microglial cell-Aβ crosstalk that facilitates Aβ clearance under either physiological or pathological conditions in the central nervous system.

A37 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF RISANKIZUMAB AS MAINTENANCE THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH CROHN’S DISEASE: 52 WEEK RESULTS FROM THE PHASE 3 FORTIFY STUDY

Background

Risankizumab (RZB), an anti-IL-23 p19 inhibitor, was well-tolerated and superior to placebo (PBO) in inducing clinical remission and endoscopic response in patients (pts) with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease (CD) in two phase 3 studies at 12 weeks.

Aims

FORTIFY (NCT03105102), was a 52-week (wk) phase 3 double-blind, re-randomized responder withdrawal study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of continuing RZB as subcutaneous (SC) maintenance therapy versus withdrawal to placebo in pts achieving induction response to RZB

Methods

Week 12 IV RZB responders were re-randomized 1:1:1 to: RZB SC 360mg (N=141), RZB 180mg (N=157), or PBO (withdrawal from IV RZB; N=164) every 8wks for 52wks. Co-primary endpoints were clinical remission (per CD Activity Index [CDAI] (US); or stool frequency/abdominal pain score [SF/APS] (OUS) and endoscopic response at wk52. Other clinical and endoscopic endpoints, inflammatory biomarkers, RZB serum levels, and safety were assessed over time.

Results

Rates of clinical remission (CDAI, SF/APS) and clinical response were similar for RZB and PBO groups through wk24, with rates lower for PBO thereafter. At wk52, clinical remission (CDAI, SF/APS) and endoscopic response rates were significantly higher with RZB 360mg than PBO ( P<0.01); RZB 180mg was superior to PBO for clinical remission per CDAI and endoscopic response ( P<0.01). Endoscopic remission and deep remission rates increased over time with 360mg, remained steady with 180mg, and decreased with PBO. Mean fecal calprotectin (FCP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels decreased with SC RZB, but increased with PBO, over 52wks. Exposure-adjusted event rates (per 100 pts-years) of serious adverse event (AE) were generally similar among groups (360mg, 21.0 E/100PY and 180mg, 19.5 E/100PY vs PBO, 19.3 E/100PY), as were AEs leading to drug discontinuation (4.8 E/100PY and 2.4 E/100PY vs 3.7 E/100PY), and serious infections (6.0 E/100PY and 3.0 E/100PY vs 5.0 E/100PY).

Conclusions

In pts with moderate-to-severe CD, a robust pharmacodynamic effect on the IL-23 pathway after 12wks RZB IV induction was maintained with RZB SC maintenance therapy. The durability of RZB was demonstrated with high rates of efficacy over the 52-wk study. RZB was superior to PBO for achieving clinical remission and endoscopic response at wk52. Results for the more stringent endpoints (endoscopic remission\deep remission) and persistent improvements in inflammatory biomarkers are consistent with a dose response relationship. Continued RZB SC maintenance treatment was generally safe and well-tolerated.

Funding Agencies

AbbVie

[Distribution and metabolism of toxicants in rats with phenol burn]

Objective: To study the distribution and metabolism of toxicants in rats after phenol burn. Methods: In February 2019, SPF-grade healthy SD male rats were transdermally exposed to 6 mg/kg phenol to create a 5% body surface burn model of rats. High performance liquid chromatography was used to determine phenol content in rat plasma and kidney tissues after 0.25, 0.75, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 h, respectively. The kinetic parameters of phenol were calculated by DAS 2.0 software, and the kidney targeting of phenol was evaluated. Results: The area under the blood concentration-time curve at 0-8 h (AUC(0-8)) of the rat after phenol burn was (28.741±6.485) μg/ml·h, and the area under the blood concentration-time curve from 0 to infinite time (AUC(0-∞)) was (30.354±6.424) μg/ml·h, half-life (t(1/2)) was (2.111±0.632) h, peak concentration (C(max)) was (16.287±4.870) μg/ml, mean residence time (MRT) was (1.854±0.148) h. The target efficiency (DTE) of rat kidney was 2.91. Conclusion: Phenol burn rats have fast percutaneous absorption, rapid elimination of phenol, and have high clearance rate, short MRT, and weak substance accumulation. Phenol has relatively obvious selectivity to the kidneys.

Hypomethylation-driven overexpression of HJURP promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis

Our previous studies have initially identified HJURP, which encodes a Holliday junction recognizing protein, as a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility gene. In this report, we showed that the HJURP is highly expressed in HCC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Overexpression of HJURP in HCC tissues is mainly due to the hypomethylation of HJURP promoter region. Clinically, high expression of HJURP is significantly associated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with HCC, as well as in multiple other types of cancer. Gain- and loss-of functional studies demonstrated that HJURP promotes HCC cell proliferation, clone formation, migration and invasion. Additionally, HJURP enhances HCC tumorigenesis via reducing G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis. Mechanistically, by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis, HJURP was identified as a modulator involved in CENPA-mediated centromere maintenance. Our results provide evidence of HJURP as an important oncogene that promotes HCC progression, and the HJURP pathway may be a potential target for the treatment of HCC.

Selenium yeast promoted the Se accumulation, nutrient quality and antioxidant system of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.)

The application of Se yeast as a Se source to cultivate Se-rich cabbage has a significant effect on cabbage growth and quality indices. Results showed that total plant weight, head weight, and head size in cabbage were notably increased by 48.4%, 88.3%, and 25.4% under 16 mg/kg Se yeast treatment, respectively. Compare with the control, a high proportion of 3874% of Se accumulation in cabbage head was also detected in 16 mg/kg Se yeast treatment. Selenocystine (SeCys₂) and Methyl-selenocysteine (MeSeCys) were the main Se speciations in the cabbage head. Application of 8 mg/kg Se yeast improved cabbage quality and antioxidant system indices, including free amino acid, soluble sugar, ascorbic acid, phenolic acid, glucosinolates, and SOD activity, which had 81.6%, 46.5%, 34.9%, 12.3%, 44.8%, 25.2% higher than that of the control, respectively. In summary, considering 8 mg/kg Se yeast as the appropriate level of Se enrichment during cabbage cultivation. These findings enhanced our understanding of the effects of Se yeast on the growth and quality of cabbage and provided new insights into Se-enrichment vegetable cultivation.

Changes in the stoichiometry of Castanopsis fargesii along an elevation gradient in a Chinese subtropical forest

Elevation is important for determining the nutrient biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems. Changes in the ecological stoichiometry of nutrients along an elevation gradient can be used to predict how an element cycle responds in the midst of global climate change. We investigated changes in concentrations of and relationships between nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in the leaves and roots of the dominant tree species, Castanopsis fargesii, along an elevation gradient (from 500 to 1,000 m above mean sea level) in a subtropical natural forest in China. We analyzed correlations between C. fargesii's above-ground biomass and stoichiometry with environmental factors. We also analyzed the soil and plant stoichiometry of this C. fargesii population. Our results showed that leaf N decreased while leaf K and Ca increased at higher elevations. Meanwhile, leaf P showed no relationship with elevation. The leaf N:P indicated that C. fargesii was limited by N. Elevation gradients contributed 46.40% of the total variance of ecological stoichiometry when assessing environmental factors. Our research may provide a theoretical basis for the biogeochemical cycle along with better forest management and fertilization for this C. fargesii population.

AB0197 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF HLX01 COMBINED WITH METHOTREXATE IN CHINESE PATIENTS WITH MODERATELY TO SEVERELY ACTIVE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WHO HAD INADEQUATE RESPONSES TO METHOTREXATE: RESULTS OF A RANDOMISED, DOUBLE-BLIND, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED PHASE 3 STUDY

Background:

Rituximab is an effective therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with inadequate responses to methotrexate (MTX)1, 2. However, it has not been registered or approved in China for the treatment of RA by far. HLX01, an approved rituximab biosimilar (demonstrated in Chinese patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma)3, is thus evaluated in this study for the benefits of Chinese RA patients.

Objectives:

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HLX01 plus MTX versus placebo plus MTX in Chinese patients with active RA who had inadequate responses to MTX.

Methods:

This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study conducted in China (NCT03522415). Eligible patients were randomised 2:1 to receive intravenous infusion of 2×1000 mg HLX01 or placebo on day 1 and day 15. Patients with inadequate responses at week 16 and 20 were allowed to receive rescue treatments. Patients were retreated with or switched to receive (if initially assigned to placebo) 2×1000 mg rituximab at the first day of week 24 and 26. The primary endpoint of this study was the American College of Rheumatology criteria (ACR) 20 response at week 24. Secondary efficacy endpoints were evaluated at week 12, 24, 36 and 48. The safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of HLX01 were observed and analyzed throughout the study.

Results:

Between May 28, 2018 and Sep 11, 2020, a total of 275 patients (ITT set) were randomised and 263 patients without major protocol deviations were included in per-protocol set (PPS). At week 24, HLX01 showed statistically superior efficacy (p <0.001) to placebo (ACR20: 60.7% vs 35.9% in ITT set, 60.3% vs 37.1% in PPS). Secondary efficacy endpoints were also significantly improved in HLX01 group compared with placebo (Table 1). The overall incidence of serious treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs), adverse drug reactions (ADRs), and TEAEs leading to drug discontinuation were similar among treatment groups, with the most common TEAE been upper respiratory tract infection before (18.1% vs 18.5%) or after (13.0% vs 12.3%) week 24. Serum concentrations, immunogenicity and pharmacodynamics were similar between HLX01 and placebo groups.

Table 1.

Results of secondary efficacy endpoints at week 12, 24, 36 and 48 in ITT set.

DurationSecondary efficacy endpointsACR20 (%)ACR50 (%)ACR70 (%)DAS28-CRP(mean)HAQ-DI(mean)HLX01PlaceboHLX01PlaceboHLX01PlaceboHLX01PlaceboHLX01PlaceboBaseline5.495.431.401.45Week 1248.132.621.910.94.45.43.894.471.021.22Week 2460.735.936.618.515.312.03.394.370.871.22Week 3660.148.946.431.532.217.42.883.510.710.97Week 4873.862.055.240.239.927.22.823.510.721.03

Conclusion:

Comparing with placebo plus MTX, HLX01 plus MTX showed significantly improved clinical outcomes and comparable safety profiles in Chinese patients with moderately to severely active RA who had inadequate responses to MTX, demonstrating HLX01 in combination with MTX as a well-tolerated, safe and efficient treatment option.

References:

[1]Emery P, Deodhar A, Rigby WF, et al. Efficacy and safety of different doses and retreatment of rituximab: a randomised, placebo-controlled trial in patients who are biological naive with active rheumatoid arthritis and an inadequate response to methotrexate (Study Evaluating Rituximab’s Efficacy in MTX iNadequate rEsponders (SERENE)). Ann Rheum Dis. Sep 2010;69(9):1629-35. doi:10.1136/ard.2009.119933.

[2]Rubbert-Roth A, Tak PP, Zerbini C, et al. Efficacy and safety of various repeat treatment dosing regimens of rituximab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis: results of a Phase III randomized study (MIRROR). Rheumatology (Oxford). Sep 2010;49(9):1683-93. doi:10.1093/rheumatology/keq116.

[3]Shi Y, Song Y, Qin Y, et al. A phase 3 study of rituximab biosimilar HLX01 in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. J Hematol Oncol. Apr 16 2020;13(1):38. doi:10.1186/s13045-020-00871-9.

Acknowledgements:

The authors would like to thank participants in this study and their families. They would also like to acknowledge other investigators and staff at all clinical sites and the members of the Independent Data Monitoring Committee.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

Poplar acetylome profiling reveals lysine acetylation dynamics in seasonal bud dormancy release

For perennials in boreal and temperate ecosystems, bud dormancy is crucial for survival in harsh winter. Dormancy is released by prolonged exposure to low temperatures and is followed by reactive growth in the spring. Lysine acetylation (Kac) is one of the major post-translational modifications (PTMs) that are involved in plant response to environmental signals. However, little information is available on the effects of Kac modification on bud dormancy release. Here, we report the dynamics of lysine acetylome in hybrid poplar (Populus tremula × Populus alba) dormant buds. A total of 7,594 acetyl-sites from 3,281 acetyl-proteins were identified, representing a large dataset of lysine acetylome in plants. Of them, 229 proteins were differentially acetylated during bud dormancy release and were mainly involved in the primary metabolic pathways. Site-directed mutagenesis enzymatic assays showed that Kac strongly modified the activities of two key enzymes of primary metabolism, pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH). We thus propose that Kac of enzymes could be an important strategy for reconfiguration of metabolic processes during bud dormancy release. In all, our results reveal the importance of Kac in bud dormancy release and provide a new perspective to understand the molecular mechanisms of seasonal growth of trees.

High pressure homogenization inactivation of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in phosphate buffered saline, milk and apple juice

High pressure homogenization (HPH) offers new opportunities for food pasteurization/sterilization. Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus suspended in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) buffer, milk and apple juice at initial concentration of ~10⁶ log₁₀ CFU per ml were subjected to HPH treatments up to 200 MPa with inlet temperatures at 4-40°C. After HPH at 200 MPa with the inlet temperature at 40°C, the count of E. coli suspended in PBS, milk and apple juice reduced by 3·42, 3·67 and 3·19 log₁₀ CFU per ml respectively while the count of S. aureus decreased by 2·21, 1·02 and 2·33 log₁₀ CFU per ml respectively suggesting that S. aureus was more resistant. The inactivation data were well fitted by the polynomial equation. Milk could provide a protective effect for S. aureus against HPH. After HPH at 200 MPa with the inlet temperature at 20°C, the cell structure of E. coli was destroyed, while no obvious damages were found for S. aureus.

Dissecting the Roles of LncRNAs in the Development of Periventricular White Matter Damage

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) has high expression in the brain. Animal studies have shown that lncRNA plays an important role in brain functions and mediates the development of many neurological diseases. However, data on the expression of lncRNAs and the clinical significance in prematurely born infants with diseases such as periventricular white matter damage (PWMD) remains scant. Here, we compared the expression of the lncRNAs in whole blood samples obtained from prematurely born infants with PWMD with samples from prematurely born infants without PWMD. Our data demonstrated differential expression of the lncRNAs between the two groups. Further, we showed that the lncRNAs play important roles in the development of PWMD. Our findings give insights into the functions of the lncRNAs in PWMD and provide evidence for the improvement of diagnostic and treatment strategies in infants with PWMD.

Mental health service use and its associated factors among nurses in China: a cross-sectional survey

Background

To facilitate mental health service planning for nurses, data on the patterns of mental health service use (MHSU) among nurses are needed. However, MHSU among Chinese nurses has seldom been studied. Our study aimed to explore the rate of MHSU among Chinese nurses and to identify the factors associated with MHSU.

Methods

A self-designed anonymous questionnaire was used in this study. MHSU was assessed by the question, “Have you ever used any kind of mental health services, such as mental health outpatient services or psychotherapies, when you felt that your health was suffering due to stress, insomnia, or other reasons?” The answer to the question was binary (yes or no). Sleep quality, burnout, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index , the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and the two-item Patient Health Questionnaire, respectively. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were used for univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

A total of 10.94% (301/2750) of the nurses reported MHSU. 10.25% (282/2750) of the nurses had poor sleep quality, burnout and depressive symptoms, and only 26.95% of these nurses reported MHSU. Very poor sleep quality (OR 9.36, 95% CI [5.38-16.29]), mid-level professional title (OR 1.48, 95% CI [1.13-1.93]) and depressive symptoms (OR 1.66, 95% CI [1.28-2.13]) were independent factors associated with MHSU.

Conclusions

Most of the nurses have experienced burnout, poor sleep quality or depressive symptoms and the MHSU rate among them was low. Interventions to improve the mental health of nurses and to promote the use of mental health services are needed.

Transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome reveal the mechanism of tolerance to selenate toxicity in Cardamine violifolia

Cardamine violifolia was found here to accumulate selenium (Se) to over 9000 mg kg^-1 dry weight. To investigate the mechanism of Se accumulation and tolerance in C. violifolia, metabolome, transcriptome, and proteome technologies were applied to C. violifolia seedlings treated with selenate. Several sulfate transporter (Sultr) genes (Sultr1;1, Sultr1;2, and Sultr2;1) and sulfur assimilatory enzyme genes showed high expression levels in response to selenate. Many calcium protein and cysteine-rich kinase genes of C. violifolia were downregulated, whereas selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1) and protein sulfur deficiency-induced 2 (SDI2) of C. violifolia were upregulated by selenate. The expression of genes involved in the ribosome and posttranslational modifications and chaperones in C. violifolia were also detected in response to selenate. Based on the results of this study and previous findings, we suggest that the downregulated expression of calcium proteins and cysteine-rich kinases, and the upregulated expression of SBP1 and SDI2, were important contributors to the Se tolerance of C. violifolia. The downregulation of cysteine-rich kinases and calcium proteins would enhance Se tolerance of C. violifolia is a novel proposition that has not been reported on other Se hyperaccumulators. This study provides us novel insights to understand Se accumulation and tolerance in plants.

Upregulated UCA1 contributes to oxaliplatin resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibition of miR-138-5p and activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) inevitably developed oxaliplatin (OXA) resistance after long-term treatment, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found that LncRNA UCA1 was upregulated in most of OXA-resistant HCC tissues and cells (HepG2/OXA and SMMC-7721/OXA). Follow-up analysis and online Kaplan-Meier Plotter revealed that HCC patients with high UCA1 level had a shorter survival compared with those with low expression. Overexpression of UCA1 increased OXA IC50 in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells, whereas knockdown of UCA1 decreased OXA IC50 in resistant counterparts. Moreover, dual luciferase reporter assay showed that co-transfection of UCA1-WT plasmid with miR-138-5p mimics enhanced fluorescence signals, whereas co-transfection of UCA1-Mut plasmid and miR-138-5p mimics did not induce any changes. Consistently, UCA1 levels in HepG2/OXA and SMMC-7721/OXA cells were downregulated after transfected with miR-138-5p mimics. UCA1 silencing or transfection of miR-138-5p mmics inhibited the activation of AKT and mTOR in HepG2/OXA and SMMC-7721/OXA cells, whereas UCA1 overexpression increased the phosphorylated AKT and mTOR levels in parental counterparts. Rapamycin or miR-138-5p mimics similarly suppressed the activation of AKT and mTOR, whereas UCA1 overexpression exert opposite roles. Interestingly, administration of rapamycin or miR-138-5p mimics apparently antagonized the effects of UCA1 on AKT and mTOR activation. Besides, depletion of UCA1 triggered more dramatic regression of HepG2 xenografts than that of HepG2/OXA xenografts with OXA treatment and impaired the p-AKT and p-mTOR levels in vivo. In conclusion, our findings provide the evidence that UCA1 may contribute to OXA resistance via miR-138-5p-mediated AK /mTOR activation, suggesting that UCA1 is a potential therapeutic target for HCC.