Global DNA methylation, DNMT1, and MBD2 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To investigate the associations of DNA methylation levels and mRNA expressions of DNA cytosine-5-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and methyl CpG-binding domain 2 (MBD2) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 108 patients with SLE and 97 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. DNA and total RNA were extracted from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the SLE patients and the controls. The global methylation levels of DNA were measured in 63 patients with SLE and 68 healthy controls by the ELISA method. DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA were also detected in 108 SLE patients and 97 controls using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction method. The global methylation level of DNA was significantly decreased in the SLE patients in comparison with that in the controls ( p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.1573–0.5052). The patients with SLE have higher expressions of DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA than the controls ( p < 0.001, 95% CI = −0.0049 – −0.0019 and p = 0.001, 95% CI = −0.0119 – −0.0029, respectively). We also found that there were no significant differences in the methylation level and the expression of DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA between the active and the inactive SLE patients. A positive correlation was also found between DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA expressions in the SLE patients ( p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that the patients with SLE had a significantly lower level of DNA methylation than the controls. The expression of both DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA was significantly increased in the SLE patients compared with the controls. This study also showed a positive correlation between DNMT1 and MBD2 mRNA levels in the patients with SLE.

Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 gene expression and polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus

With the aim of investigating the role of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, 107 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 101 healthy controls, and 151 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were enrolled in this study. SOCS1 mRNA level was measured by the method of quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. SOCS1 polymorphisms were detected by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphisms method. Systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity was evaluated with the SLEDAI. This study showed that the SOCS1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus than in the healthy controls (p = 0.0014). Patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus had a higher expression of SOCS1 mRNA than the patients with inactive systemic lupus erythematosus (p = 0.035). There was no significant difference in the frequencies of the SOCS1-1478CA/del polymorphisms among the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, healthy controls, and patients with ankylosing spondylitis. The genotype frequency of the SOCS1-1478 polymorphisms in the dominant model (CA/del+del/del versus CA/CA) was significantly decreased in the patients with thrombocytopenia compared with those without thrombocytopenia (p(c) = 0.035). Moreover, the allele frequency of SOCS1-1478del was also significantly lower in the patients with thrombocytopenia than in those without thrombocytopenia (p( c) = 0.02). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the expression of SOCS1 mRNA was significantly increased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Moreover, SOCS1 mRNA levels in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus were significantly higher than those in the inactive patients. We also found that the systemic lupus erythematosus patients with thrombocytopenia have a lower frequency of SOCS1-1478del compared with patients without thrombocytopenia.

Glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase 2 (GFPT2) promotes the EMT of serous ovarian cancer by activating the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway to increase the nuclear location of β-catenin

The hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP), a branch of glucose metabolism, provides a substrate for glycosylation modification, which has a wide-ranging effect on cellular functions. Glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate transaminase 2 (GFPT2) has been reported to regulate the HBP as the first and rate-limiting enzyme. Given the inverse association between GFPT2 expression and survival of patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC) observed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we attempted to investigate the role of GFPT2 and its related mechanisms in SOC. The results showed that GFPT2 was over-expressed in SOC tissues, and positive correlations with advanced stage (FIGO III/IV), suboptimal removal rate and poor survival were observed in 90 SOC patients. Cell migration and invasion were also inhibited in GFPT2 knockdown SKOV3 and HEY cells. The levels of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) and intranuclear β-catenin were evaluated and the observed increase in O-GlcNAcylation induced by GFPT2 may contribute to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). These data provide novel insights into the function of GFPT2 and O-GlcNAcylation in the EMT and thus the invasiveness SOC.

Aberrant DNA methylation of the P16, MGMT, and hMLH1 genes in combination with the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T genetic polymorphism and folate intake in gastric cancer

Epidemiological studies have indicated that folate metabolism is correlated with increased risk of gastric cancer. Since methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an important enzyme involved in folate metabolism, in this study, we examined whether polymorphisms and haplotypes of MTHFR are correlated with the risk of gastric cancer. The polymorphisms MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis in 285 patients and 570 healthy controls. Association analyses based on binary logistic regression were conducted to determine the odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for each genotype. The MTHFR 677TT genotype was significantly related with a reduced risk of gastric cancer (OR = 0.60, 95%CI = 0.39-0.92) compared to the CC genotype. Similarly, the MTHFR 1298CC genotype was significantly associated with a decreased risk of cancer (OR = 0.52, 95%CI = 0.32- 0.81). Haplotype analysis showed that the TC haplotype was associated with a reduced risk of gastric cancer compared to the most common haplotype, CA (OR = 0.28, 95%CI = 0.12-0.60). Our results suggest that the MTHFR C677T and MTHFR A1298C polymorphisms are related to gastric cancer susceptibility in the Chinese population.

Efficacy of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Combined With GnRH-a for Adenomyosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an innovative non-invasive technology used for adenomyosis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) is a hormone commonly used for adenomyosis. We investigated and assessed the efficacy of HIFU combined with GnRH-a for adenomyosis. Methods: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, CNKI, WanFang, and VIP databases for relevant articles published in Chinese or English that compared HIFU combined with GnRH-a vs. HIFU alone in patients with adenomyosis. The last literature search was completed on January 31, 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility and assessed risk of bias. Another two reviewers extracted the data. The RevMan5.3 software was used for the data analysis. Changes in volume of the uterine and adenomyotic lesion were defined as the primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes were visual analog scale (VAS) scores for dysmenorrhea, menstrual volume scores, serum CA125 levels, and recurrence rate. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021234301). Results: Three hundred and ninety potentially relevant articles were screened. Nine studies with data for 766 patients were finally included. Compared with the HIFU alone group, the HIFU combined with GnRH-a group had a higher rate of uterine volume reduction (MD 7.51, 95% CI 5.84-9.17, p < 0.00001), smaller adenomyotic lesion volume (MD 4.11, 95% CI 2.93-5.30, p < 0.00001), lower VAS score for dysmenorrhea (MD 1.27, 95% CI 0.54-2.01, p = 0.0007) and menstrual volume score (MD 0.88, 95% CI 0.73-1.04, p < 0.00001), and lower CA125 level (SMD 0.31, 95% CI 0.05-0.56, p = 0.02) after the procedure. The recurrence rate in the HIFU combined with GnRH-a group was lower than that in the HIFU alone group (RR 0.28, 95% CI 0.10-0.82, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Compared with HIFU treatment alone, HIFU combined with GnRH-a for the treatment of adenomyosis has greater efficacy in decreasing the volumes of the uterine and adenomyotic lesions and alleviating symptoms. However, since the number of the included studies was too small and most of them were written in Chinese, this conclusion needs to be referenced with caution. And the long-term evidence of its efficacy is still insufficient. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/ identifier [CRD42021234].

Growth hormone-specific induction of the nuclear localization of porcine growth hormone receptor in porcine hepatocytes

The phenomenon of nuclear translocation of growth hormone receptor (GHR) in human, rat, and fish has been reported. To date, this phenomenon has not been described in a domestic animal (such as pig). In addition, the molecular mechanisms of GHR nuclear translocation have not been thoroughly elucidated. To this end, porcine hepatocytes were isolated and used as a cell model. We observed that porcine growth hormone (pGH) can induce porcine GHR's nuclear localization in porcine hepatocytes. Subsequently, the dynamics of pGH-induced pGHR's nuclear localization were analyzed and demonstrated that pGHR's nuclear localization occurs in a time-dependent manner. Next, we explored the mechanism of pGHR nuclear localization using different pGHR ligands, and we demonstrated that pGHR's nuclear translocation is GH(s)-dependent. We also observed that pGHR translocates into cell nuclei in a pGH dimerization-dependent fashion, whereas further experiments indicated that IMPα/β is involved in the nuclear translocation of the pGH-pGHR dimer. The pGH-pGHR dimer may form a pGH-GHR-JAK2 multiple complex in cell nuclei, which would suggest that similar to its function in the cell membrane, the nuclear-localized pGH-pGHR dimer might still have the ability to signal.

ALPL regulates the aggressive potential of high grade serous ovarian cancer cells via a non-canonical WNT pathway

The ALPL gene is linked to hypophosphatasia, a rare genetic disease. Owing to the inverse relationships between ALPL expression and both the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages and histological grades assigned to patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC), this study was designed to explore the role and possible mechanisms of ALPL in cell motility of high grade SOC (HGSOC). The effects of ALPL overexpression on migration and invasion were detected in HGSOC cell lines SKOV3 and HEY. Gene ontology analysis for differential genes with ALPL overexpression identified several biological processes, including EMT, correlated with cell motility. Genes potentially implicated in EMT and associated with ALPL were screened using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The WNT receptor Frizzled2 (FZD2) was identified and its role in HGSOC cell motility and survival was investigated. It was found that forced expression of ALPL could inhibit migration, invasion, and EMT in HGSOC cells. It also reduced the expression of FZD2 and its ligand WNT5A, accompanied by suppressed expression of their downstream target phosphorylated-STAT3 (pSTAT3). These effects were initiated via the FZD2 knockdown using siRNA and reversed by recombinant WNT5A protein. The relationship between FZD2 expression and poor HGSOC patient survival was also investigated. This data supports that ALPL might restrict the function of WNT5A-FZD2-STAT3 axis, a non-canonical WNT pathway for promoting EMT progression, which results in attenuated migration and invasion in HGSOC cells and improves survival in patients with SOC.

Characteristics of boron distribution in the 'Newhall' navel orange plant with two root systems

Grafting is a technique that provides a substantial way to enhance nutrient utilization thereby improves plant growth and yield quality. Although it is commonly practised in horticultural crops, the impact of scion-rootstock interaction on nutrient distribution is still unclear. Here, 'Newhall' navel orange plants grafted on Trifoliate orange (T) as the original rootstock were inarched with trifoliate orange (N/Tt combination) or carrizo citrange (N/Tc combination) rootstock seedlings. The experimental plants were treated with isotope ¹⁰B solution for 7 weeks to investigate the effect of different inarched rootstocks on B distribution and translocation by using a two-root system. From this study, the original rootstock played a more dominant role in B distribution to scion tissues than the inarching rootstock either in N/Tt or N/Tc combination. From inarched combinations, the carrizo citrange in the N/Tc combination had a higher ability to distribute B to new leaves, new twigs and old twigs than trifoliate orange in the N/Tt combination. However, the original rootstock of N/Tt distributed more B to scion tissues than N/Tc and the B concentration in old leaves and new leaves of N/Tt plants was significantly higher than that of N/Tc plants. These results suggest that scion B status is influenced by the B distribution of two inarching rootstocks in an inarching plant, as well as the affinity between the inarching rootstock and grafted plant. In addition, by either adding ¹⁰B to the inarching rootstock or original rootstock, we could detect ¹⁰B in the other rootstock root in both N/Tt and N/Tc combinations. The results further suggest that B can translocate from rootstock to leaves and then, re-translocate from scion to rootstock through the cycling of B transportation.

Fermented foods and metabolic outcomes in diabetes and prediabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the effects of fermented foods on metabolic outcomes in adult patients suffering from diabetes and prediabetes. However, the results of these RCTs are conflicting. This systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out on data from RCTs to evaluate the effects of fermented foods in patients with diabetes and prediabetes. The PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, the Cochrane Library and Scopus databases were searched up to 21 June, 2022. English-language RCTs of fermented foods consumption were included which gave metabolic outcomes on body composition, glucose control, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, as well as blood pressure. Eighteen RCTs met the inclusion criteria and 843 participants were included in the final analysis. The pooled results showed a significant reduction of fasting blood glucose (FBG), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipid cholesterol (LDL-C) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the intervention group versus the control group. The results of this research showed that fermented foods have the potential to improve some metabolic outcomes, including FBG, HOMA-IR, TC, LDL-C, and DBP in patients with diabetes and prediabetes.

Prognostic Value of Plasma Immunoglobulin G N-Glycome Traits in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

BACKGROUND

B-type natriuretic peptide or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide is the only blood biomarker in established risk calculators for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Profiling systemic-originated plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycans, which reflect different components of the pathophysiology of PAH including immune dysregulation and inflammation, may improve PAH risk assessment.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to identify plasma IgG N-glycan biomarkers that predict survival in PAH to improve risk assessment.

METHODS

This cohort study examined 622 PAH patients from 2 national centers (Beijing [discovery] cohort: n = 273; Shanghai [validation] cohort: n = 349). Plasma IgG N-glycomes were profiled by a robust mass spectrometry-based method. Prognostic IgG N-glycan traits were identified and validated in the 2 cohorts using Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. The added value of IgG N-glycan traits to previously established risk models was assessed using Harrell C-indexes and survival analysis.

RESULTS

Plasma IgG fucosylation was found to predict survival independent of age and sex in the discovery cohort (HR: 0.377; 95% CI: 0.168-0.845; P = 0.018) with confirmation in the validation cohort (HR: 0.445; 95% CI: 0.264-0.751; P = 0.005). IgG fucosylation remained a robust predictor of mortality in combined cohorts after full adjustment and in subgroup analyses. Integrating IgG fucosylation into previously established risk models improved their predictive capacity, marked by an overall elevation in Harrell C-indexes. IgG fucosylation was useful in further stratifying the intermediate-risk patients classified by a previously established model.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma IgG fucosylation informs PAH prognosis independent of established factors, offering additional value for predicting PAH outcomes.

Comparative study of the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue residues of trimethoprim in silky fowls and 817 broilers after single oral administration

A comparative study was performed to investigate the differences in plasma pharmacokinetics (PKs) and tissue residues of trimethoprim (TMP) between silky fowls and 817 broilers. The 2 breeds of chickens received compound sulfadiazine suspension by gavage at 20 mg/kg (measured as TMP). Blood and tissue samples were collected at predetermined time points. The concentrations of TMP in plasma and tissue samples were determined by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The plasma concentration-time data were subjected to noncompartment analysis by WinNonlin program (Pharsight Co., Mountain View, CA). The mean plasma concentrations of TMP in silky fowls were significantly lower than those in 817 broilers at all time-points. Significant differences were also observed between silky fowls and 817 broilers in maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the curve from time 0 to 24 h (AUC0 → 24 h), apparent volume of distribution (Vd), and total body clearance (ClB). Silky fowls had significantly higher muscle TMP concentrations and longer tissue residual time than 817 broilers. The tissue concentration of TMP followed the order of leg muscle > breast muscle > liver, which was obviously different from that of 817 broilers. The half-lives of TMP in the leg muscle, breast muscle, and liver of silky fowls were 31.42, 10.78, and 0.38 d, respectively. The current withdrawal time (WDT) was not sufficient to prevent violative residues of TMP in the edible tissues of silky fowls, and a WDT much longer than 8 d might be required.

Lymphadenectomy in Primary Fallopian Tube Cancer is Associated with Improved Survival

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Primary fallopian tube cancer (PFTC) shares the same diagnostic and management guidelines with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The LION trail raised concerns regarding the role of systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy during debulking surgery. We aimed to evaluate the significance of lymphadenectomy in PFTC survival.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed the clinical features and survival of patients with PFTC who underwent primary surgery in our center between January 2013 and October 2020.

RESULTS

Sixty-one patients diagnosed with PFTC were included in the study. Twenty-five (41.0%, 25/61) were diagnosed with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages I/II and 36 (59.0%, 36/61) were diagnosed with stage III/IV. Twenty-nine (47.5%, 29/61) underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without para-aortic lymphadenectomy, among which 12 (41.4%, 12/29) had lymph node metastasis confirmed by postoperative pathology. The mean progression-free survival was 60.4 months in the lymphadenectomy group and 37.8 months in the no-lymphadenectomy group (p = 0.042, HR 0.374, 95% CI 0.145-0.966).

CONCLUSIONS

PFTC is often diagnosed earlier and has a better prognosis than EOC. Most patients with PFTC would benefit from lymphadenectomy. However, the extent to which this association translates to a more diverse population needs to be further identified.

Higher visceral adipose tissue is associated with decreased memory suppression ability on food-related thoughts: A 1-year prospective ERP study

Memory about food and eating is crucial in regulating appetite and eating behaviors. Successfully stopping vivid imagination of delicious food could help reduce food craving and thus reduce the possibility of further intake. Memory inhibition is a cognitive process that involves intentional suppression of certain memories coming to consciousness. Successful memory suppression derives from inhibitory control. Although considerable work has consistently observed the impairment in motor or response inhibitory control among individuals with obesity, there has been a lack of investigation into the influence of bodyweight status on memory inhibitory control. To fill this gap, current study investigated behavioral and neurophysiological correlates of memory suppression in young women. Using Think/No-Think task and event-related potentials among 47 females, we found that participants with higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) showed a tendency towards decreased suppression ability for memories related to food but not memories related to nonfood items. In depth analysis showed that decrease in the differences in P2 amplitudes between suppression vs. retrieval of food-related memories mediated the impairment of suppression ability by high VAT. We then tested whether individual differences in memory suppression ability as well as ERP correlates predicted future BMI or VAT change over 1-year follow-up. Results showed that P2 amplitudes when retrieving food-related memory could predict VAT change at 1-year follow-up among participants with healthy BMI. These observations suggest a hypersensitivity inference hypothesis underlying memory control impairments. To be specific, deficits in memory suppression may be in part resulted from elevated sensitivity to the cues coupling with food-related memory. It extends previous studies of memory suppression with food rewards and provides the first evidence to help understand the relationship between inhibitory control on food-related memory and obesity.

KLF14 directly downregulates the expression of GPX4 to exert antitumor effects by promoting ferroptosis in cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide, and effective therapeutic strategies for its treatment are limited. Recent studies have indicated that ferroptosis, a form of regulated cell death, is a promising therapeutic strategy. KLF14 has been shown to regulate both cell proliferation and apoptosis in cervical cancer. However, its role in modulating lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis remains largely unexplored and enigmatic.

METHODS

SiHa and HeLa cells were transduced with lentiviral vectors to overexpress KLF14. Protein levels were analyzed via western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). LDH assays, calcein-AM/propidium iodide (PI) staining, and generation of cell growth curves using a real-time cell analysis (RTCA) system were used to detect cell damage and proliferation. Cellular ROS, lipid ROS, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fe2+ assays and a xenograft mouse model were used to measure the level of ferroptosis. Proteomics combined with bioinformatics methods was used to screen target genes regulated by KLF14, and CUT&Tag and dual-luciferase assays confirmed the repression of GPX4 by KLF14 via direct binding to its promoter.

RESULTS

KLF14 is abnormally expressed in various tumors and downregulated in cervical cancer. Overexpression of KLF14 induced ferroptosis and inhibited cell proliferation in vitro as well as xenograft tumorigenicity in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that KLF14 binds to the promoter of GPX4, suppressing its transcriptional activity and thereby decreasing its expression, which contributes to the induction of ferroptosis. Truncation and point mutation analyses of the GPX4 promoter revealed multiple binding sites for KLF14 within the - 1000 bp to + 35 bp region, which are responsible for its inhibitory effect on GPX4 transcription. Additionally, deletion of the zinc finger motif in KLF14 abolished its inhibitory effect on GPX4 promoter activity and cell proliferation.

CONCLUSION

Our data revealed a previously unidentified function of KLF14 in promoting ferroptosis, which results in the suppression of cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we revealed a novel regulatory mechanism by which KLF14 targets GPX4. These findings suggest a novel strategy to induce ferroptosis through the targeting of KLF14 in human cervical cancer cells.

MicroRNAs and their regulators: Potential therapeutic targets in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a complex and progressive disease characterized by pulmonary arterial remodeling. Despite that current combination therapy has shown improvement in morbidity and mortality, a better deciphering of the underlying pathological mechanisms and novel therapeutic targets is urgently needed to combat PAH. MicroRNA, the critical element in post-transcription mechanisms, mediates cellular functions mainly by tuning downstream target gene expression. Meanwhile, upstream regulators can regulate miRNAs in synthesis, transcription, and function. In vivo and in vitro studies have suggested that miRNAs and their regulators are involved in PAH. However, the miRNA-related regulatory mechanisms governing pulmonary vascular remodeling and right ventricular dysfunction remain elusive. Hence, this review summarized the controversial roles of miRNAs in PAH pathogenesis, focused on different miRNA-upstream regulators, including transcription factors, regulatory networks, and environmental stimuli, and finally proposed the prospects and challenges for the therapeutic application of miRNAs and their regulators in PAH treatment.

Comprehensive assessment of drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit genotypes using multivariate analysis

As global climate change persists, ongoing warming exposes plants, including kiwifruit, to repeated cycles of drought stress and rewatering, necessitating the identification of drought-resistant genotypes for breeding purposes. To better understand the physiological mechanisms underlying drought resistance and recovery in kiwifruit, moderate (40-45% field capacity) and severe (25-30% field capacity) drought stresses were applied, followed by rewatering (80-85% field capacity) to eight kiwifruit rootstocks in this study. We then conducted a multivariate analysis of 20 indices for the assessment of drought resistance and recovery capabilities. Additionally, we identified four principal components, each playing a vital role in coping with diverse water conditions. Three optimal indicator groups were pinpointed, enhancing precision in kiwifruit drought resistance and recovery assessment and simplifying the evaluation system. Finally, MX-1 and HW were identified as representative rootstocks for future research on kiwifruit's responses to moderate and severe drought stresses. This study not only enhances our understanding of the response mechanisms of kiwifruit rootstocks to progressive drought stress and recovery but also provides theoretical guidance for reliable screening of drought-adaptive kiwifruit genotypes.

Computed tomographic enterography (CTE) in evaluating bowel involvement in patients with ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

To explore the utility of CTE in the evaluation of bowel invasion in patients with primary ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer.

METHODS

This observational study included 73 patients who received CTE before operation between September 2019 and December 2021. Two radiologists reviewed CTE images, focusing on the sites and depth of bowel involvement. Based on the findings during surgical exploration, we evaluated the diagnostic power, like sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (+ LR), and negative likelihood ratio (- LR) of CTE. Additionally, the characteristic images of bowel involvement on CTE corresponding to surgical findings were shown in the study.

RESULTS

The rate of macroscopic bowel invasion in this cohort was 49.31% (36/73), of which eight patients had small bowel involvement, 17 patients had colon involvement and 27 patients had sigmoid-rectum involvement. CTE detected bowel invasion in the small intestine with a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of 87.50%, 92.31%, 58.33%, 98.36%, 91.78%; for colon, the statistics were 58.82%, 96.43%, 83.33%, 88.52%, 87.67% and for sigmoid-rectum 62.96%, 82.61%, 68.00%, 79.17%, 75.34%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CTE appeared a preferable diagnostic power on the small bowel and colon invasion in patients with primary ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer.

Efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound combined with LNG-IUS for adenomyosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) combined with the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) for adenomyosis.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, and VIP databases from their inception to Nov 20, 2021 for relevant articles that compared HIFU combined with LNG-IUS vs. HIFU alone in patients with adenomyosis. RevMan5.4 software was used for the data analysis. The primary outcome was changes in volume of the uterine. Secondary outcomes included visual analog scale (VAS) scores for dysmenorrhea, serum CA125 level, recurrence rate, changes in volume of the adenomyotic lesion, menstrual volume scores, and adverse reactions. Data synthesis was conducted using a random-effects model with significant heterogeneity (I2 > 50%), and using a fixed-effects model otherwise. This study is registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42021295214).

RESULTS

The final analysis included 13 studies, with a total of 1861 patients. Results of analysis revealed that there was no significant difference in uterine volume reduction between the HIFU control group and the HIFU/LNG-IUS group at 3 months after procedure (MD:30.63). Compared with the HIFU control group, the HIFU/LNG-IUS group had more pronounced reduction in uterine volume at 6 (MD:29.04) and 12 months (MD:22.10) after procedure. The HIFU/LNG-IUS group has lower VAS scores for dysmenorrhea than the HIFU control group at 3 (MD:1.68), 6 (MD:1.69), and 12 months (MD:1.30) after procedure. Serum CA125 level in the HIFU/LNG-IUS group decreased more significantly than the HIFU control group at 6 (MD:18.34) and 12 months (MD:18.49) after procedure. The recurrence rate in the HIFU/LNG-IUS group was lower than that in the HIFU control group (RR:0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to HIFU control group, HIFU/LNG-IUS group for the management of adenomyosis had more advantages in alleviating symptoms and decreasing the volumes of the uterine and adenomyotic lesions. However, since the number of the included studies was too small and some of them were not RCT, this conclusion needs to be referenced with caution.

[Kinetics of immune activated T cells in aplastic anemia mouse model]

Objective: To explore the dynamic changes of donor derived T cells at different time points in the aplastic anemia mouse model. Methods: The aplastic anemia mouse model was induced and then the proportion of infiltrated donor derived T cells in spleen and bone marrow, expression of activation molecular markers, cell cycle and functional subsets were measured by flow cytometry at different time points to evaluate the functional status of T cells in different periods. Results: ①T cell immune-mediated aplastic anemia mouse model was successfully established by half lethal dose irradiation combined with major histocompatibility antigen (MHC) haploidentical lymph node cells infusion. ②The donor derived T cells began to infiltrate significantly in the spleen of aplastic anemia mouse from the 3rd day after transplantation and the ratio of CD4(+)/CD8(+) gradually inverted. After the 5th day, they gradually entered the bone marrow, predominated by CD8(+) cells. ③The expression peak of CD69 in donor CD4(+) cells was later than that in CD8(+) cells. The trend of CD25 expression in CD4(+) cells was the same as that in CD8(+) cells, but the expression level in CD8(+) cells was higher than CD4(+) cells. ④The proportion of donor CD4(+) cells in S/G(2)/M phase reached the peak in spleen, about 12%, within 3 days after transplantation, while a higher level in CD8(+) cells, which was about 20%. And the proportion of both CD4(+) and CD8(+) cells in S/G(2)/M phase increased again after entering bone marrow, which was continued to be higher in CD8(+) cells than that in CD4(+) cells after 3 days of transplantation. ⑤Immune activated T cells in the spleen rapidly differentiated into effector memory T cells (T(EM)) after a short central memory T cell (T(CM)) stage. After entering the bone marrow, some T(EM) differentiated into effector cells to further function. Conclusion: In the aplastic anemia mouse model, donor derived T cells activated rapidly after entering the allogenic recipient, reached its proliferation booming period and differentiated into T(EM) cells within 5 days. After 5 days, they began to enter the bone marrow to continue proliferate and damage hematopoiesis.

Sast1-mediated manifold effects inhibit Plutella xylostella fertility

BACKGROUND

Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) is a destructive pest of cruciferous crops due to its strong reproductive capacity and extensive resistance to pesticides. Seminal fluid proteins (SFPs) are the main effective factors that determine the reproductive physiology and behaviour of both sexes. Although an increasing number of SFPs have been identified, the effects of astacins in SFPs on agricultural pests have not yet been reported. Here, we elucidated the mechanisms by which Sast1 (seminal astacin 1) regulates the fertility of Plutella xylostella (L.).

RESULTS

PxSast1 was specifically expressed in the testis and accesssory gland. CRISPR/Cas9-induced PxSast1 knockout successfully constructed two homozygous mutant strains. Sast1 impaired the fertility of P. xylostella by separately regulating the reproductive capacity of males and females. Loss of PxSast1, on the one hand, significantly decreased the ability of males to mate and fertilize, mainly manifested as shortened mating duration, reduced mating competitiveness and decreased eupyrene sperm production; on the other hand, it significantly inhibited the expression of chorion genes in females, resulting in oogenesis deficits. Simultaneously, for mated females, the differentially expressed genes in signalling pathways related to oogenesis and chorion formation were significantly enriched after PxSast1 knockout.

CONCLUSION

These analyses of the functions of PxSast1 as the regulator of spermatogenesis and oogenesis establish its importance in the fertility process of P. xylostella, as well as its potential as a promising target for genetic regulation-based pest control. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Clinical characteristics of Wilson's disease with onset of acute liver failure in 19 children]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of Wilson's disease (WD) with onset of acute liver failure (ALF) in children. Methods: Clinical data of 19 children diagnosed with WD presented with ALF in Xi'an Children's Hospital from January 2016 to April 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including general condition, clinical manifestation, laboratory examination, and gene detection. The children were divided into the death group and survival group according to the clinical outcome. The children who had hepatic WD with non-ALF onset during the same period were selected as the control. The general conditions and laboratory indexes were compared between death group and survival group, ALF group and non-ALF group. T-test, Mann Whitney U test or χ² test were used to compare the differences between the two groups. Results: Of the 19 WD children with ALF onset, 10 were females and 9 were males. The age of admission was (10.1±2.6) years and time to onset of first visit was 9 (4, 15) days. Among the WD children with ALF onset, 4 children were lost to follow-up, 5 cases death (death group) and 10 cases survived (survival group). The ceruloplasmin in the death group was higher than that in the survival group (0.078 (0.055, 0.105) vs. 0.033 (0.027, 0.058) g/L, Z=-2.33, P=0.020). There were 95 children who had hepatic WD with non-ALF onset. The WD patients with ALF onset were older at admission (9.9 (8.0, 11.1) vs. 5.4 (3.7, 6.9) years, Z=-5.25, P<0.001), had higher ceruloplasmin (0.060 (0.030, 0.078) vs. 0.024 (0.006, 0.060) g/L, Z=-3.11, P=0.002), 24 h urinary copper (674 (205, 1 803) vs. 149 (108, 206) μg, Z=-4.25, P<0.001), and positive rate of K-F ring [17/19 vs. 7%(7/95), χ²=50.17, P<0.001] while shorter onset time at initial visit (0.3 (0.1, 0.5) vs. 1.0 (0.7, 6.0) months, Z=-4.28, P<0.001). There was no gender difference between the two groups [9/19 vs. 61%(58/95), χ²=1.22, P=0.269]. Of the 19 WD children with ALF onset, 13 had the ATP7B gene tested, and 15 reported variants were detected. The main variations were c.2333G>T (p. Arg778Leu), c.2621C>T (p. Ala874Val) and c.2975C>T (p. Pro992Leu). The allele frequencies were 6/26(23%), 4/26(15%) and 3/26(12%), respectively. Conclusions: Children of WD onset with ALF are school-aged and above. They have an acute onset, a short course of the disease, and poor prognosis. The positive rate of K-F ring, ceruloplasmin and urinary copper are higher than those of the hepatic WD children with non-ALF onset.

Matrine reverses the resistance of Haemophilus parasuis to cefaclor by inhibiting the mutations in penicillin-binding protein genes (ftsI and mrcA)

Introduction

Matrine (MT) is a potential resistance reversal agent. However, it remains unclear whether MT can reverse the resistance of Haemophilus parasuis (H. parasuis) to β-lactams, and, if so, by what mechanism MT works.

Methods

We screened one cefaclor (CEC)-resistant strain (clinical strain C7) from eight clinical (H. parasuis) strains and determined the underlying resistance mechanism. Then, we investigated the reversal effect of MTon the resistance of this strain to CEC.

Results and Discussion

The production of β-lactamase, overexpression of AcrAB-TolC system, and formation of biofilm might not be responsible for the resistance of clinical strain C7 to CEC. Fourteen mutation sites were found in four PBP genes (ftsI, pbp1B, mrcA, and prcS) of clinical strain C7, among which the mutation sites located in ftsI (Y103D and L517R) and mrcA (A639V) genes triggered the resistance to CEC. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of CEC against clinical strain C7 was reduced by two to eight folds after MT treatment, accompanied by the significant down-regulated expression of mutated ftsI and mrcA genes. Based on such results, we believed that MT could reverse the resistance of H. parasuis to CEC by inhibiting the mutations in ftsI and mrcA genes. Our research would provide useful information for restoring the antimicrobial activity of β-lactams and improving the therapeutic efficacy of Glässer's disease.

Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

The pathogenesis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is multifactorial and growing evidence has indicated that hematological disorders are involved. Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) has recently been associated with an increased risk of both hematological malignancies and cardiovascular diseases. However, the prevalence and clinical relevance of CHIP in patients with CTEPH remains unclear.

METHODS

Using stepwise calling on next-generation sequencing data from 499 patients with CTEPH referred to 3 centers between October 2006 and December 2021, CHIP mutations were identified. We associated CHIP with all-cause mortality in patients with CTEPH. To provide insights into potential mechanisms, the associations between CHIP and inflammatory markers were also determined.

RESULTS

In total, 47 (9.4%) patients with CTEPH carried at least 1 CHIP mutation at a variant allele frequency of ≥2%. The most common mutations were in DNMT3A, TET2, RUNX1, and ASXL1. During follow-up (mean, 55 months), deaths occurred in 22 (46.8%) and 104 (23.0%) patients in the CHIP and non-CHIP groups, respectively (P<0.001, log-rank test). The association of CHIP with mortality remained robust in the fully adjusted model (hazard ratio, 2.190 [95% CI, 1.257-3.816]; P=0.006). Moreover, patients with CHIP mutations showed higher circulating interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 and lower interleukin-4 and IgG galactosylation levels.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to show that CHIP mutations occurred in 9.4% of patients with CTEPH are associated with a severe inflammatory state and confer a poorer prognosis in long-term follow-up.