Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 regulates Hodgkin's lymphoma cell proliferation and invasion via miR-448 mediated regulation of DCLK1

OBJECTIVE

To explore whether long non-coding RNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (lncRNA NEAT1) could regulate Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) cell proliferation and invasion through miR-448, which could target doublecortin like kinase 1 (DCLK1) and mediate DCLK1 expression.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Expressions of NEAT1, miR-448 and DCLK1 were evaluated by qRT-PCR or Western blot assay. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay were utilized to detect cell proliferation and invasion capability in L428 cells respectively. The target relationship between NEAT1, miR-448 and DCLK1 was confirmed by Luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

QRT-PCR results showed that NEAT1 expressed higher in HL tissues and cell lines than that in controls. In vitro experiments, NEAT1 downregulation could decrease cell proliferation and invasion capability in L428 cells. NEAT1 directly interacted with miR-448 and negatively regulated it. Moreover, DCLK1 was confirmed as a target of miR-448. DCLK1 expression was increased in L428 cells and positively regulated by NEAT1. NEAT1 overexpression upregulated the protein level of DCLK1 in L428 cells according to Western blot analysis. Additionally, DCLK1 overexpression could reverse the suppression on cell proliferation and invasion capability induced by NEAT1 knockdown or miR-448 overexpression.

CONCLUSIONS

NEAT1 might be contributed to HL progression by promoting cell proliferation and invasion capability via miR-448 mediated DCLK1 expression.

[A Meta-analysis on association between statins and colorectal cancer]

Objective: To explore the association between statins and colorectal cancer and provide evidence for the prevention of colorectal cancer. Methods: Literatures about statins and colorectal cancer published from January 2000 to January 2020 were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang data, PubMed and Cochrane Library database. The literatures which met the inclusion criteria were collected, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Jadad score were used to assess the studies. Meta-analysis was performed with statistical software Revman 5.0 and Stata 12.1. Results: A total of 31 studies, involving more than 1.62 million subjects, were included in the analysis. The case-control study (RR=0.93, 95%CI: 0.88-0.98), the cohort study (RR=0.75, 95%CI: 0.63-0.88) and the randomized controlled trial (RR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.65-0.97) showed moderate protective effect of statins. Using statin <5 years (RR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.76-0.96), average daily dosage ≥34 mg (RR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.66-0.98) and lipid-soluble statins (RR=0.86, 95%CI: 0.74-0.99) also had preventive effect on colorectal cancer; while lovastatin (RR=1.07, 95%CI: 1.00-1.14) increased the risk of colorectal cancer. Conclusion: Statins have protective effect on colorectal cancer.

Meishan neonatal piglets tend to have higher intestinal barrier function than crossbred neonatal piglets

Meishan pigs tend to have higher disease resistance than commercial breeds, although more studies are needed to confirm this difference. This study compared intestinal barrier function between Meishan and crossbred neonatal piglets to provide guidance for both the breeding and nutritional regulation of pigs. Six Meishan piglets and 6 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) crossbred neonatal piglets (all with normal birth weights) were obtained and allocated into the MEIS and CROSS groups, respectively. Intestinal morphology, goblet cell numbers, antioxidant enzyme activity, and cytokine gene and tight junction protein expression were assessed. The results showed that BW was lower in the MEIS group than in the CROSS group (P < 0.01). The relative lengths of the duodenum (P < 0.05), jejunum (P < 0.01) and ileum (P < 0.01) in the MEIS group were higher than those in the CROSS group. Compared with the CROSS group, the MEIS group exhibited shorter villus lengths in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.01), a shallower crypt depth in the ileum (P < 0.001) and denser and longer microvilli in the intestine. The numbers of GCs in the duodenum (P < 0.01) and jejunum (P < 0.001) and the activity levels of glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.05) in the jejunum and of catalase (P < 0.01) and superoxide dismutase (P < 0.01) in the ileum were higher in the MEIS group than in the CROSS group. Compared with the CROSS group, the MEIS group exhibited higher gene expression levels of interleukin (IL) 4 and interferon γ (IFNγ) in the jejunum (P < 0.05); IL2 (P < 0.05), IL4 (P < 0.01) and IFNγ (P < 0.001) in the ileum; and mucin 2 (P < 0.01) and occludin (P < 0.05) in the duodenum. In conclusion, Meishan neonatal piglets showed lower birth weights but higher intestinal barrier function than crossbred piglets.

Resveratrol ameliorates high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance and fatty acid oxidation via ATM-AMPK axis in skeletal muscle

OBJECTIVE

Resveratrol (RSV) is a polyphenolic phytoalexin that exhibits diverse pharmacological actions, including its effect on the insulin resistance. However, the mechanism through which RSV improves insulin resistance is not fully understood yet. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism through which RSV ameliorates insulin resistance in skeletal muscle of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mouse model, as well as palmitic acid (PA) treated L6 cells, with a specific focus on the response of RSV on fatty acid oxidation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male C57BL6/J mice were randomly divided into three groups: normal diet-fed mice (ND), the high-fat diet-fed mice (HFD), HFD supplemented with RSV (100 mg/kg body weight [BW]/day orally; n = 10). Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), and free fatty acid levels were determined. The intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test was used to measure blood glucose and area under the curve. The quantitative insulin sensitivity index was calculated to assess insulin resistance. Skeletal muscles were collected for histology study and protein expression measurement. L6 cells were cultured with PA and the glucose concentration in the culture medium, and the intracellular TG levels were tested. RSV, chloroquine, palmitoyltransferase and Ku-55933 were administered to differentiate L6 cells.

RESULTS

The HFD fed mice showed increased BW, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. The expressions of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, cytochrome oxidase subunit IV protein were significantly decreased in the skeletal muscles of HFD fed mice and PA-treated L6 cells. All these effects induced by HFD and PA were reversed by RSV treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

ATM is a key factor to improve HFD-induced lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in skeletal muscles. The effects of RSV on ameliorating HFD-induced abnormal lipid metabolism and insulin resistance mediated through ATM-AMPK pathway may due to its improvement in fatty acid oxidation efficiency and sequential reduction in ROS production in skeletal muscle. These results provide important theoretical evidence for the application of RSV in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and related metabolic diseases.

PLZF regulates apoptosis of leukemia cells by regulating AKT/Foxo3a pathway

OBJECTIVE

To explore the regulatory role of PLZF in the malignant phenotype of non-APL acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression level of PLZF in AML cell lines KG-1a, HL-60, OCI-AML3, THP-1 and K562 was detected by quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) and Western blot, respectively. Subsequently, THP-1 cells were divided into mock group (no treatment), scramble group (transfection with scramble shRNA) and shPLZF group (transfection with shPLZF). THP-1 cell line stably expressing shPLZF was constructed, followed by determination of its transfection efficiency by qPCR and Western blot, respectively. The proliferation and colony formation of THP-1 cells were accessed using CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay and colony formation assay, respectively. The apoptotic rate in THP-1 cells was determined using flow cytometry. Protein levels of apoptosis-related genes in THP-1 cells were detected by Western blot. Finally, protein levels of AKT, Foxo3a, pAKT and pFoxo3a were detected by Western blot as well.

RESULTS

Both mRNA and protein levels of PLZF were relatively high in THP-1 cells, and were selected for the following experiments. After construction of THP-1 cell line stably expressing shPLZF, proliferative rate and colony formation abilities increased in the shPLZF group compared with the mock group and the scramble group. We found a decreased apoptotic rate, downregulated Bax and upregulated Bcl-2 in the shPLZF group than those of the mock group and scramble group. Phosphorylation levels of AKT and Foxo3a increased after interference with PLZF, whereas no significant changes in total levels of AKT and Foxo3a were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

PLZF inhibits the malignant phenotype of AML by regulating the AKT/Foxo3a pathway.

KLF5 silence attenuates proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition induction in Hep-2 cells through NF-κB signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at exploring the role and mechanism of Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) in the migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induction and proliferation in laryngeal cancer human epithelial type 2 (Hep-2) cells, and to provide a new sight for the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Hep-2 cells were randomly divided into three groups: control group (Control), KLF5 siRNA group (siKLF5) and control-siRNA group (NC). The effects of KLF5 inhibition on cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometer, respectively. Wound healing assay and transwell invasion experiments were used to determine cell migration and invasion. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to compare the levels of KLF5, EMT-related genes E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin and Zinc finger transcription factors (Snail, Slug) expressions. The levels of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB-p65) and IκBα were also detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Compared with the Control group, the proliferation rate of Hep-2 cells in the siKLF5 group was significantly decreased while the apoptosis rate was increased (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the migration and invasion ability of Hep-2 cells were markedly decreased (p<0.05). E-cadherin protein expression was up-regulated while Vimentin, N-cadherin, Snail, and Slug protein expression levels were downregulated in siKLF5 group (p<0.05). Silencing KLF5 could inhibit the expression of NF-κB phosphorylation at p65 and the IκBα degradation (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

These results revealed that silencing KLF5 expression reduced the proliferation, migration and invasion and EMT abilities by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway in Hep-2 cells. Our results suggest that KLF5 may be a potential therapeutic target in laryngeal carcinoma.

Coronavirus disease 2019 among pregnant Chinese women: case series data on the safety of vaginal birth and breastfeeding

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether vaginal secretions and breast milk of women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

DESIGN

Single centre cohort study.

SETTING

Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei province, China.

POPULATION

We studied 13 SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women diagnosed between 31 January and 9 March 2020.

METHODS

We collected clinical data, vaginal secretions, stool specimens and breast milk from SARS-CoV-2-infected women during different stages of pregnancy and collected neonatal throat and anal swabs.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

We assessed viral presence in different biosamples.

RESULTS

Of the 13 women with COVID-19, five were in their first trimester, three in their second trimester and five in their third trimester. Of the five women in their third trimester who gave birth, all delivered live newborns. Among these five deliveries, the primary adverse perinatal outcomes included premature delivery (n = 2) and neonatal pneumonia (n = 2). One of nine stool samples was positive; all 13 vaginal secretion samples, and five throat swabs and four anal swabs collected from neonates, were negative for the novel coronavirus. However, one of three samples of breast milk was positive by viral nucleic acid testing.

CONCLUSIONS

In this case series of 13 pregnant women with COVID-19, we observed negative viral test results in vaginal secretion specimens, suggesting that a vaginal delivery may be a safe delivery option. However, additional research is urgently needed to examine breast milk and the potential risk for viral contamination.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

New evidence for the safety of vaginal delivery and breastfeeding in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, positive viral result in a breast-milk sample.

[Clinicopathological features of de novo CD5-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the protein expression of C-MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 and the clinicopathological characteristics in patients with de novo CD5-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (CD5(+)DLBCL). Methods: Fifty seven cases of de novo CD5(+)DLBCL were collected at Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from February 2013 to September 2018. The hematoxylin-eosin stained slides were reviewed, and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and FISH were used to analyze the relationship between C-MYC, bcl-2, bcl-6 expression and the clinicopathologic characteristics of patients. Results: Among these 57 cases, 27 were male and 30 were female. The age of onset was 35-99 years old. The IHC expression rates of C-MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 were 50.9% (29/57), 84.2% (48/57), and 75.4% (43/57) respectively; and co-expression rate of C-MYC and bcl-2 proteins was 40.4 (23/57). There was no significant correlation between protein expression and patients' genders, clinical stage, the level of serum LDH,β2 microglobulin, IPI,B symptoms, bone marrow involvement and central nervous system recurrence (P>0.05). Univariate analysis showed that the median OS of C-MYC negative patients was significantly longer than C-MYC positive patients (P<0.05); and the median OS of patients without double expression was significantly longer than that of patients with positive expression (P<0.05), and bcl-6 positive patients had longer median OS than bcl-6 negative patients (P<0.05). There was no significant correlation between prognosis and bcl-2 protein expression (P>0.05) . Cox multivariate analysis showed C-MYC protein expression was an independent predictor of OS in de novo CD5(+)DLBCL (P<0.05). Conclusions: Bcl-2 protein expression has no effect on the prognosis in de novo CD5(+)DLBCL whereas bcl-6 expression is correlated with good prognosis. C-MYC protein expression could be used as an independent and effective index to predict the prognosis of patients with de novo CD5(+)DLBCL.However, the relationship between protein expression and gene rearrangement of C-MYC, bcl-2 and bcl-6 needs to be further explored.

AB0131 RESPIRATORY TRACT POLY(I:C) STIMULATION ACCELERATES SALIVARY GLAND IMMUNE DYSFUNCTION IN SPONTANEOUS SJOGREN’S SYNDROME ANIMAL MODEL

Background:

Sjogren’s syndrome is one of the most common autoimmune diseases, with a prevalence of 0.33% to 0.77% in Chinese people, characterized by focal infiltration of lymphocytes in glands and the production of multiple autoantibodies. Studies have shown that virus infection may play a crucial role in the occurrence and development of this disease.

Objectives:

It has been shown that airway stimulation with poly(I:C) can mimic respiratory tract viral infection to some extent. Thus, this study was aimed to investigate the dynamic immune responses in salivary gland after respiratory tract poly(I:C) stimulation in NOD mice.

Methods:

The 5-week-old NOD mice were given respiratory tract poly(I:C) stimulation to mimic the respiratory virus infection once every other day for a total of 5 times (the total dose is 100μg), and the control group were given the same dose of sterile PBS. After 8 weeks, the mice were sacrificed to obtain and analyze the salivary gland tissues.

Results:

We found that the salivary gland flow rate was decreased and the blood glucose was influenced by the Viroid stimulation during the early stage in poly(I:C) stimulated group compared with that in PBS group. Accordingly, the pathological injury of salivary gland tissues in poly(I:C) stimulated group was more serious, including decreased volumes of the salivary glands, increased number of pathological focus score and the increased area of lymphocyte infiltration. Furthermore, we found that the expression of IL-33 in salivary glands of poly(I:C) stimulated NOD mice was increased, especially the expression of IL-33 in the acini and ducts. Moreover, the expression of IFN-I and IFN-II is up-regulated in salivary glands.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that respiratory tract poly(I:C) stimulation accelerates salivary gland immune dysfunction in spontaneous sjogren’s syndrome NOD mice, which mechanisms need to be further investigated.

References:

[1] Pathogenetic mechanisms in the initiation and perpetuation of Sjogren’s syndrome. Nat Rev Rheumatol 2010; 6: 529-537.

[2]Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome. N Engl J Med.2018 378(10):931-939.

[3]Epidemiology of primary Sjögren’s syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Rheum Dis 2015; 74: 1983-9.

[4]Vitamin D insufficiency in a large MCTD population. Autoimmun Rev 10:317–324.

[5]Epstein-Barr virus persistence and infection of autoreactive plasma cells in synovial lymphoid structures in rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 72:1559–1568

[6]Liew, F., Girard, J. & Turnquist, H. Interleukin-33 in health and disease. Nat Rev Immunol 16, 676–689 (2016) doi:10.1038/nri.2016.95

[7]Interleukin-33 and the function of innate lymphoid cells. Trends in Immunology, August 2012, Vol. 33, No. 8

[8]Increased Levels of Interleukin 33 in Sera and Synovial Fluid from Patients with Active Rheumatoid Arthritis YASUSHI MATSUYAMA et al The Journal of Rheumatology January 2010, 37 (1) 18-25

[9]Potential involvement of the IL-33-ST2 axis in the pathogenesis of primary Sjogren’s syndrome, Ann Rheum Dis, 2014, 73(6): 1259-1263.

[10]The Interleukin 33/ST2 axis in patients with primary Sjogren syndrome: expression in serum and salivary glands, and the clinical association, J Rheumatol, 2015, 42(2): 264-271.

[11]Kok MR, Baum BJ, Tak PP, et al Use of localised gene transfer to develop new treatment strategies for the salivary component of Sjögren’s syndrome Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases 2003;62:1038-1046.

Acknowledgments:

NO

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

SAT0250 CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE DISEASE ACTIVITY OF BEHCET’S DISEASE IN CHINA: A STUDY BASED ON SMART SYSTEM OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT (SSDM)

Background:

Behcet´s disease (BD) is a systemic autoimmune disease that affects multiple organ systems with recurrent oral ulcers, genital ulcers and skin lesions. Behcet´s Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and Electronic Medical Record-based Activity Index (EMRAI) are commonly used internationally to evaluate the disease activity of BD.

Objectives:

This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, the level of disease activity, and the incidence of anxiety and depression for Chinese BD patients. Patients can perform self-management of disease with SSDM.

Methods:

SSDM is a series of doctor-patient interactive applications for self-management of patients with chronic diseases. Patients can perform self-assessment with SSDM and upload the data to their authorized doctors. The SSDM patients’ application system integrates the BDCAF and EMRAI into one scoring system. Patients could obtain scores of BDCAF and EMRAI by responding to one questionnaire through SSDM.

Results:

From Apr 2017 to Jan 2020, 719 BD patients from 166 hospitals used SSDM, with a mean age of 38.97±12.71 (14~81) years old, and median disease duration of 20.8 months. 719 patients performed BDCAF and EMRAI self-assessment 1321 times, 252 patients repeat assessments for 855 times. The mean score of BDCAF and EMRAI are 3.57±2.17 and 3.44±1.90, respectively. The matching degree of the two score was 0.8747.

The most common clinical characteristics were oral ulcers (83.73%), ocular symptoms (62.03%), joint pain (50.07%). The comparative study between males and females revealed significant difference in the aspects of epididymitis (10.94% vs 0, p<0.001), genital ulcer (35.09% vs 44.93%, p=0.01), headache (24.15% vs 33.92%, p=0.01) and superficial thrombophlebitis (24.15% vs 33.92%, p=0.01). Table 1.

Table 1.

Clinical Characteristics of different systems in Chinese BD patients.

Presence of clinical characteristicsTotalMalesFemalesP valueOral ulcer83.73% (602)86.42% (229)82.16% (373)0.14Genital ulcer41.31% (297)35.09% (93)44.93% (204)0.01*Epididymitis4.03% (29)10.94% (29)0 (0)<0.001**Erythema29.49% (212)29.43% (78)29.52% (134)0.98Skin lesions26.84% (193)28.68% (76)25.77% (117)0.4Superficial thrombophlebitis30.32% (218)24.15% (64)33.92% (154)0.01*Headache30.32% (218)24.15% (64)33.92% (154)0.01*Joint pain50.07% (360)51.32% (136)49.34% (224)0.61Arthritis14.60% (105)14.72% (39)14.54% (66)0.95Gastrointestinal involvement24.90% (179)27.92% (74)23.13% (105)0.15Ocular symptoms62.03% (446)62.64% (166)61.67% (180)0.79Nervous involvement23.78% (171)25.66% (68)22.69% (103)0.37Vascular involvement15.72% (113)18.11% (48)14.32% (65)0.18

*P values are for the comparison between the males and females.

Conclusion:

Chinese BD patients can effectively perform BDCAF and EMRAI self-assessment with SSDM. The results of the assessment conducted by the two scoring systems are similar. The clinical characteristics of Chinese BD were different depending on gender.

Acknowledgments: :

Smart system of disease management (SSDM) was developed by Shanghai Gothic Internet Technology Co., Ltd.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

SAT0294 IL33 ACTIVATES FIBROBLASTS AND INDUCES SKIN FIBROSIS IN SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS

Background:

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic immune-mediated autoimmune disease that is characterized by fibrotic changes of the skin and internal organs, which in turn leads to distortion of tissue structure and gradual loss of organ function. So far, there is still no treatment allows full recovery from this severe disorder. Therefore, it is of great social significance to study the pathogenesis of this disease and find new targets for treatment. Interleukin 33 (IL-33), which is a potent inducer of type 2 immune response, has been confirmed to be involved in the development and progression of multiple fibrotic diseases. However, the role and mechanism of IL-33 in SSc-related fibrosis remains unclear.

Objectives:

To clarify the role of interleukin 33 (IL-33) and its receptor Suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) in the skin fibrosis of SSc, so to provides a new target for the treatment of fibrosis in patients with SSc.

Methods:

The levels of IL-33 and ST2 was analysed in human samples, murine models of SSc and in cultured fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The functional role of IL-33 was evaluated by detecting changes in proliferation, migration, and activation of fibroblasts stimulated with recombinant IL-33 protein. MAPK and NF-κB signallings of fibroblasts were assessed by western blotting and analyses of target genes. The role of IL-33 in skin fibrosis was analysed in IL-33 deficient mice (il33−/−) and wild-type controls injected with bleomycin or NaCl.

Results:

The expression of IL-33 and its receptor ST2 were up-regulated in skin lesions of SSc patients (Fig 1 A-C) and bleomycin-treated mice(Fig1 D-F). Compared to the healthy skin, the skin from SSc patients expressed more ST2 on fibroblasts membrane(Fig 1 B-C). IL33 induces MAPK and IκBα activation in human dermal fibroblast(Fig 2 A), and promote proliferation, migration and production of collagen of human dermal fibroblasts, but not the release of inflammatory factors(IL-6, MCP-1)(Fig2 B-G). Mice deficient for IL33 are protected from bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis (Fig3).

Fig 1.

Increased expression of IL33, ST2 in SSc patients and bleomycin-treated mice.

Fig 2.

IL33 induces MAPK and IκBα activation in human dermal fibroblast, and and promote proliferation, migration and production of collagen of human dermal fibroblasts.

Fig 3.

Mice deficient for IL33 are protected from bleomycin-induced dermal fibrosis.

Conclusion:

IL33 promotes skin fibrosis by activating fibroblasts, and IL33/ST2 may be an important target for the treatment of fibrosis in patients with SSc.

References:

[1]Ingegnoli F, Ughi N, Mihai C. Update on the epidemiology, risk factors, and disease outcomes of systemic sclerosis. Best practice & research. Clinical rheumatology. 2018;32(2):223-240.

[2]Schmitz J, Owyang A, Oldham E, et al. IL-33, an interleukin-1-like cytokine that signals via the IL-1 receptor-related protein ST2 and induces T helper type 2-associated cytokines. Immunity. 2005;23(5):479-490.

[3]Molofsky AB, Savage AK, Locksley RM. Interleukin-33 in Tissue Homeostasis, Injury, and Inflammation.Immunity.2015;42(6):1005-1019.

Disclosure of Interests:

None declared

[Analysis of the pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19 in Hubei Province]

Objective: To study the effect of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes and neonatal prognosis in Hubei Province. Method: s A retrospective comparison of the pregnancy outcomes was done between 16 women with COVID-19 and 45 women without COVID-19. Also, the results of laboratory tests, imaging examinations, and the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) nucleic acid test were performed in 10 cases of neonatal delivered from women with COVID-19. Result: s (1) Of the 16 pregnant women with COVID-19, 15 cases were ordinary type and 1 case was severe type. No one has progressed to critical pneumonia.The delivery method of the two groups was cesarean section, and the gestational age were (38.7±1.4) and (37.9±1.6) weeks,there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Also, there wee no significant differences in the intraoperative blood loss and birth weight of the newborn between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Ten cases of neonates delivered from pregnant women with COVID-19 were collected. The 2019-nCoV nucleic acid test were all negative.There were no significant differences in fetal distress, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, preterm birth, and neonatal asphyxia between the two groups (all P>0.05).(3) In the treatment of uterine contraction fatigue, carbetocin or carboprost tromethamine was used more in cesarean section for pregnant women with COVID-19 (1.3±0.6), compared with Non-COVID-19 group (0.5±0.7),the difference was statistically significant (P=0.001). Conclusions: If there is an indication for obstetric surgery or critical illness of COVID-19 in pregnant women, timely termination of pregnancy will not increase the risk of premature birth and asphyxia of the newborn, but it is beneficial to the treatment and rehabilitation of maternal pneumonia. Preventive use of long-acting uterotonic agents could reduce the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage during surgery. 2019-nCoV infection has not been found in neonates delivered from pregnant women with COVID-19.

Evidence for undoped Weyl semimetal charge transport in Y2Ir2O7

Weyl fermions scattering from a random Coulomb potential are predicted to exhibit resistivity versus temperature [Formula: see text] in a single particle model. Here we show that, in closed-environment-grown polycrystalline samples of Y₂Ir₂O₇, [Formula: see text] over four orders of magnitude in [Formula: see text]. While the measured prefactor, [Formula: see text], is obtained from the model using reasonable materials parameters, the [Formula: see text] behavior extends far beyond the model's range of applicability. In particular, the behavior extends into the low-temperature, high-resistivity region where the Ioffe-Regel parameter, [Formula: see text]. Strong on-site Coulomb correlations, instrumental for predicting a Weyl semimetal state in Y₂Ir₂O₇, are the possible origin of such 'bad' Weyl semimetal behavior.

Effects of early nutritional intervention on oral mucositis in patients with radiotherapy for head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

To observe the effect of early nutritional intervention on radiation-induced oral mucositis and nutritional status in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

METHODS

A total of 54 HNC patients were divided into early (28 cases) and late (26 cases) nutritional intervention groups. The early group received enteral nutrition at the beginning of radiotherapy (RT), while the late group received enteral nutrition after restricted feeding. Operators reported and assessed the timing and extent of oral mucositis and nutritional status during treatment. The nutritional status assessment indicators included body weight; body mass index (BMI); Patient-Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) score; levels of albumin, hemoglobin and pre-albumin and total lymphocyte count.

RESULTS

The incidence of high-grade oral mucositis was significantly lower in the early group than that in the late group (P < 0.05). Nutritional status assessments showed more significant weight and BMI losses in the late group than in the early group at weeks 4 and 7 after RT (P < 0.01). The albumin decreased in the late group at week 7 after RT was more significant than that in the early group (P < 0.05). Albumin, hemoglobin and pre-albumin levels and total lymphocyte count decreased significantly in both groups (P > 0.05). During therapy, more patients in the early group were well-nourished and fewer were malnourished according to PG-SGA scores (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Early nutritional intervention can reduce the incidence of high-grade oral mucositis during RT in patients with HNC and improve the nutritional status during treatment, which has important clinical significance.

Rapid selection of analytical lines for SAF-LIBS based on the doublet intensity ratios at the initial and final stages of plasma

Self-absorption-free laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SAF-LIBS) can directly obtain the applicable quasi-optically thin lines by determining the optimal acquisition delay time according to the intensity ratio of doublet lines at specific transition wavelength of the analyzed elements, thus eliminating the influence of self-absorption on quantitative results. In quantitative analysis of samples with a certain content range, the key to the convenient application of this technique is to rapidly select the suitable doublet lines for the element to be analyzed. The theoretical analysis shows that the evolution trend of doublet intensity ratio is monotonous under the assumptions that the plasma is uniform and in local thermal equilibrium (LTE) and the area density (Nl) is a constant, which is also confirmed by the experimental results of Cu and Al. Thus, a rapid spectral line selection criterion for SAF-LIBS applications is derived: only when the doublet intensity ratios measured at the initial and final stages of plasma induced by the boundary sample with the highest element content lie on both sides of the theoretical ratio, the doublet lines can reach quasi-optically thin during plasma evolution and are suitable for SAF-LIBS measurements. This new criterion is helpful to promote the practicality and industrial application of SAF-LIBS technology.

Kidney injury enhances renal G-CSF expression and modulates granulopoiesis and human neutrophil CD177 in vivo

Kidney injury significantly increases overall mortality. Neutrophilic granulocytes (neutrophils) are the most abundant human blood leukocytes. They are characterized by a high turnover rate, chiefly controlled by granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G‐CSF). The role of kidney injury and uremia in regulation of granulopoiesis has not been reported. Kidney transplantation, which inherently causes ischemia–reperfusion injury of the graft, elevated human neutrophil expression of the surface glycoprotein CD177. CD177 is among the most G‐CSF‐responsive neutrophil genes and reversibly increased on neutrophils of healthy donors who received recombinant G‐CSF. In kidney graft recipients, a transient rise in neutrophil CD177 correlated with renal tubular epithelial G‐CSF expression. In contrast, CD177 was unaltered in patients with chronic renal impairment and independent of renal replacement therapy. Under controlled conditions of experimental ischemia–reperfusion and unilateral ureteral obstruction injuries in mice, renal G‐CSF mRNA and protein expression significantly increased and systemic neutrophilia developed. Human renal tubular epithelial cell G‐CSF expression was promoted by hypoxia and proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 17A in vitro. Clinically, recipients of ABO blood group‐incompatible kidney grafts developed a larger rise in neutrophil CD177. Their grafts are characterized by complement C4d deposition on the renal endothelium, even in the absence of rejection. Indeed, complement activation, but not hypoxia, induced primary human endothelial cell G‐CSF expression. Our data demonstrate that kidney injury induces renal G‐CSF expression and modulates granulopoiesis. They delineate differential G‐CSF regulation in renal epithelium and endothelium. Altered granulopoiesis may contribute to the systemic impact of kidney injury.

[Clinical features and reasons for missed diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis]

Objective: To summarize the clinical features of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and analyze the common causes of missed diagnosis. Methods: The clinical data of patients with ABPA who were admitted into Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from October 2014 to November 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, including baseline data, eosinophil count in peripheral blood, serum total IgE, A. fumigates-specific antibody (sIgE, sIgG and sIgM), pulmonary function tests and chest CT, etc. Then the correlations between serum total IgE, sIgE and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁) as percentage of predicted value (FEV₁%pred) was conducted, as well as that between serum total IgE, sIgE and FEV₁/forced vital capacity (FEV₁/FVC). The clinical features of the patients were summarized and the causes of missed diagnosis were analyzed. Results: There were 46 patients with ABPA (21 males and 25 females, 48.3±13.2 years old) in total. Only 2 cases (4.3%) were diagnosed after the first symptom onset, and 44 cases (95.7%) were treated repeatedly for many years before being diagnosed. The misdiagnoses were asthma (26 cases, 56.5%), bronchiectasis (13 cases, 28.3%), pneumonia (4 cases, 8.7%), pulmonary tuberculosis (3 cases, 6.5%), and lung cancer (4 cases, 8.7%). Common symptoms of ABPA included cough, expectoration, wheezing, chest tightness, fever, weight loss, chest pain, etc. Peripheral blood eosinophil count increased in 37 patients (80.4%). Serum total IgE in 37 patients (80.4%) were higher than 1 000 U/ml, and 9 cases (19.6%) were less than 1 000 U/ml. The positive rate of sIgE, sIgG and sIgM was 100.0%, 89.1% and 54.3%, respectively. All patients underwent pulmonary function tests and 35 cases (76.1%) had obstructive ventilation dysfunction, 5 cases (10.9%) with mixed ventilation dysfunction, 5 cases (10.9%) were normal and 1 case (2.2%) with restrictive ventilation dysfunction. All patients underwent Chest CT examination, 28 cases (60.9%) showed bronchiectasis, 8 cases (17.4%) manifested mucus plugs (among them, 4 cases with high-attenuation mucus) and 10 cases (21.7%) had other atypical imaging. Serum total IgE and sIgE had no correlations with FEV₁%pred and FEV₁/FVC. Conclusions: ABPA is characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, fleeting pulmonary opacities and bronchiectasis. The main reasons of misdiagnosis in ABPA patients were: atypical symptoms, variety of predisposing diseases, early atypical imaging changes, limitations and misunderstandings of screening indicators, interference with tumor markers, and the presence of pulmonary aspergillus overlap syndrome. The severity of asthma attacks is not related to the degree of fungal sensitization.

Methylation and expression analysis of mismatch repair genes in extramammary Paget's disease

BACKGROUND

Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare skin cancer with relative high frequencies of germline and somatic mismatch repair (MMR) genes mutations. However, the methylation and expression of these genes have not been validated in EMPD.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to confirm the methylation and expression of MMR genes in EMPD.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining detection and Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) were used to analyse MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 proteins' expression and promoters' methylation in 57 EMMD samples, and pyro-sequence was used to find highly methylated CpG sites in MSH2 promoter.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical detection displayed reduced expression of MSH2 in 38.6% EMPD cases but normal expression of MLH1, MSH6 and PMS2 in all tumour tissues. Hypermethylation also was found in the promoter of MSH2 but not in other MMR genes. Pyrosequencing of MSH2 promoter showed CpG6 (-87) and CpG3 (-98) were the most common two methylated CpG dinucleotides. There is a significant correlation between reduced MSH2 expression and MSH2 methylation.

CONCLUSION

Reduced MSH2 expression and hypermethylation in this gene promoter were common genetic changes in EMPD, which expands our understanding of the role of MMR function in this skin cancer.

Regulatory T-cell levels in systemic lupus erythematosus patients: a meta-analysis

Background

The contribution of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pathogenesis remains a matter of debate. The objective of this study was to quantify the association between peripheral blood Tregs and disease status in SLE patients.

Method

EMBASE and PubMed databases were searched using ‘systemic lupus erythematosus’ and ‘regulatory T-cells’ as relevant key terms. A meta-analysis of studies that examined the proportion of Tregs among peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+T-cells was performed using Stata software. Subgroup analysis was performed based on ethnic groups and Treg definition markers.

Results

The Treg/PBMC and Treg/CD4+T-cell ratios were significantly lower in SLE patients than in healthy controls (HCs), whereas patients with active and inactive SLE showed no difference in these indicators. A subgroup analysis indicated that Asian SLE patients had a substantially lower proportion of Tregs/PBMCs than HCs, but this difference was not seen for white and Latin American SLE patients. Patients defined by CD4+CD25+Foxp3+, CD4+CD25+ and CD4+Foxp3+ had a much lower Treg/PBMC ratio compared with HCs. Ethnic groups and choice of Treg definition markers had no influence on the proportion of Tregs/CD4+T-cells.

Conclusion

The proportion of Tregs among both PBMCs and CD4+T-cells was significantly decreased in SLE patients. Ethnic group and Treg definition markers may influence the proportion of Tregs among PBMCs. Further study of the correlation between SLE disease activity and the proportion of Tregs in peripheral blood is needed to determine the physiological role of this association.

Association between IL-10 polymorphisms rs1800896 and rs1800871 and risk of acute pancreatitis in Chinese Han population: An update systemic review and meta-analysis

The association between interleukin-10 (IL-10) promoter region (1082 A/G (rs1800896), 819 C/T (rs1800871)) polymorphisms, and acute pancreatitis (AP) is inconclusive in Chinese Han population. In this study, six eligible studies extracted from the databases of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were evaluated. The results revealed a significant association between 1082 A/G (rs1800896) polymorphism and AP risk in all these five models (AG/AA: OR = 1.19, 95% Cl = 1.02-1.40, P = 0.03; GG/AA: OR = 1.80, 95% Cl = 1.38-2.23, P = 0.01; AG+GG/AA: OR = 1.29, 95% Cl = 1.11-1.50, P = 0.01; GG/AG+AA: OR = 1.62, 95% Cl = 1.27-2.08, P = 0.01; G/A: OR = 1.29, 95% Cl = 1.15-1.45, P = 0.01). In contrast, no statistically significant association was found in all these five models for 819 C/T (rs1800871) polymorphism. In summary, IL-10 polymorphism 1082 A/G (rs1800896) could increase the risk of AP in Chinese Han population.

[Effect of transcutaneous oximetry on prognosis of patients with severe acute respiratory failure receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation]

Objective: To investigate the prognostic value of transcutaneous oximetry in patients with severe acute respiratory failure receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO). Methods: Forty-nine patients diagnosed as severe acute respiratory failure receiving Venous-Venous(V-V)ECMO were enrolled from January 2013 to December 2015 in intensive care unit(ICU) of Wuxi People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University.The 10-min oxygen challenge test was performed using transcutaneous oximetry 6 h after the initiation of ECMO, and the 10-min oxygen challenge test value(OCT(10)) and oxygen challenge index(OCI) were calculated.The following data were collected: patients' baseline characteristics, results of arterial blood gas analysis, ventilator settings, APACHEⅡ, SOFA and Murray lung injury score. Patients were stratified into the survival group and the death group based on their mortality status at 60 d after initiation of ECMO.Patients' characteristics and clinical data were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis for predicting 60 d mortality was carried out to find area under curve (AUC) and threshold levels of OCT(10) and OCI. Analysis of survival probability was carried out by Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with outcomes. Results: There were 25 patients in the survival group and 24 patients in the death group. The characteristics(i.e., age, sex, primary disease) and clinical data(i.e., results of arterial blood gas, ventilator settings) of the 2 groups were similar (P>0.05). The survival group had a significant higher OCT(10) and OCI [(77±11) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), 0.77±0.17] than the death group [(57±12) mmHg, 0.55±0.13, all P<0.05]. The AUC value of OCT(10) and OCI for predicting 60 d mortality were 0.87±0.07(95%CI: 0.69-0.96, P<0.05) and 0.83±0.18(95%CI: 0.64-0.94, P<0.05) respectively, and the cutoff points for OCT(10) and OCI were 72.00 mmHg and 0.80. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that a OCT(10)≥72 mmHg (81.3% vs 15.4%, χ(2)=7.04, P<0.01) and a OCI≥0.8(77.8% vs 21.7%, χ(2)=13.15, P<0.01) were related to better outcome. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that OCT(10)(OR=0.88, 95%CI: 0.80-0.96, P<0.01) and OCI (OR=0.01, 95%CI: 0.001-0.086, P<0.01) were both risk factors associated with 60 d mortality. Conclusion: The OCT(10) and OCI are predictive of mortality for patients with severe acute respiratory failure receiving ECMO support.

Resonance/non-resonance doublet-based self-absorption-free LIBS for quantitative analysis with a wide measurement range

A resonance/non-resonance, doublet-based, self-absorption-free, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SAF-LIBS) technique is proposed for greatly expanding the measurement range of quantitative elemental analysis by using a quasi-optically thin line. The quasi-optically thin spectral line is obtained by matching the measured doublet atomic lines' intensity ratios with the theoretical one, and the applicable measurement range is expanded by utilizing the resonance and non-resonance lines. The specific calibration process consists of two parts: the nonlinear LIBS calibration and the linear SAF-LIBS calibration. For quantitative measurements, the approximate content of the unknown sample is determined first by using the LIBS calibration curve, and then the SAF-LIBS spectra and the resonance or non-resonance calibration curve that corresponds to the predetermined content are used for further implementing the quantitative analysis. Univariate quantitative analysis results of Cu show that this resonance/non-resonance doublet-based SAF-LIBS technique not only captures the quasi-optically thin spectral line in a wide range of elemental content, but also possesses high correlation coefficients of calibration curves, small relative errors of measurement and low limits of detection. The applicability and limitations of this technique are also discussed, and the evolution as well as the related major determinants of self-absorption are analyzed by taking advantage of the spatial-temporal evolution images of plasma emissivity.

Effect of bamboo vinegar powder on the expression of the immune-related genes MyD88 and CD14 in weaning piglets

The aim was to explore the feasibility of using bamboo vinegar powder as an antibiotics substitute in weaning piglets. Forty-five healthy Duroc × Landrance × Yorshire piglets (weight 6.74 ± 0.17 kg; age 31 days) were randomly divided into the control group (basic diet), ANT group (basic diet + 0.12% compound antibiotics), BV1 group (basic diet + 0.1% bamboo vinegar powder), BV5 group (basic diet + 0.5% bamboo vinegar powder) and BV10 group (basic diet + 1% bamboo vinegar powder). MyD88 and CD14 expression in immune tissues was examined using real-time PCR. MyD88 expression in the control group were significantly lower than that in other groups in all tissues (p⟨0.05), while CD14 expression showed the opposite trend. MyD88 expression was significantly higher in the BV10 group than in other groups in lung tissue (P⟨0.05), significantly higher in the ANT group than in the BV1 group in the kidneys (P⟨0.05), significantly higher in the BV10 group than in the BV1 group in the thymus (P⟨0.05), and signifi- cantly higher in the BV1 group than in the BV10 group in the lymphatic tissue (P⟨0.05). These differences between experimental groups were not observed for the CD14 gene (P>0.05). Thus, adding bamboo vinegar powder to the basic diet of weaning piglets had immune effects similar to antibiotics and the effect was dose-dependent. Moreover, the MyD88 and CD14 genes appear to play a role in these immune effects.

ERCC polymorphisms and risk of osteosarcoma: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The association between excision repair cross-complementation (ERCC) gene family (ERCC1 and ERCC2) and osteosarcoma risk was controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ERCC1 or ERCC2 and osteosarcoma risk by systematic meta-analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relative studies were retrieved from electronic databases without language restriction. The last search was updated on March 2017. Quality assessment was analyzed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score, which was recommended by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Meta-analysis was conducted by R language package (R 3.12).

RESULTS

This meta-analysis was performed based on 4 case-control studies that included 1208 cases and 2448 controls. The ERCC2-rs1799793 AA+AC > CC (OR=1.3428, 95% CI=1.0201; 1.7674) had an effect on the risk of osteosarcoma development, whereas, there were no significant associations among the other ERCC SNPs (ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC1 rs11615, and ERCC2 rs13181) and osteosarcoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The ERCC2 rs1799793 polymorphism is related to the high risk of osteosarcoma development.