Identification of sequence polymorphisms in the D-Loop region of mitochondrial DNA as a risk factor for colon cancer

The accumulation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the displacement loop (D-Loop) of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has been identified for their association with cancer risk in a number of cancers. We investigated the colon cancer risk profile of D-Loop SNPs in a case-control study. The frequent alleles of nucleotides 73G/A, 146T/C, 195T/C, 324C/G, 16261C/T, and 16304T/C as well as the minor allele of 309C/C insert were significantly associated with an increased risk for colon cancer. In conclusion, SNPs in the mtDNA D-Loop were found to be valuable markers for colon cancer risk evaluation.

Role and diagnostic value of gene variants in assessing the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Meta-analyses have revealed many positive associations between gene variants and susceptibility to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, some of those positive results may be false positives. Therefore, we investigated the genetic polymorphisms associated with COPD risk and determined their diagnostic value. We extracted the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval for each polymorphism from published meta-analyses concerning gene variants and COPD susceptibility in October 2014, subsequently we calculated false-positive report probabilities (FPRPs) for statistically significant associations (P value < 0.05). We determined the diagnostic value of the true positive polymorphisms of COPD using the Meta-DiSc software. Twenty-five gene polymorphisms were significantly associated with COPD risk. The FPRP test results were as follows: 1) when the prior probability was 0.001 and the OR was 1.5, ADAM33 rs612709, CHRNA3/5 rs1051730, CHRNA3/5 rs8034191, CHRNA3/5 rs16969968, and TGFB1 rs1800470 were truly associated with COPD risk (FPRP < 0.2); 2) when the prior probability was 0.000001 and the OR was 1.5, all the variants except TGFB1 rs1800470 remained noteworthy; and 3) when the probability was 0.000001 and the OR was 1.2, ADAM33 rs612709 and CHRNA3/5 rs1051730 remained true positives. Unfortunately, the results of the diagnostic accuracy meta-analyses suggested that none of the variants had high value for COPD diagnosis.

Comparative studies on radioluminescent and thermoluminescent spectra of LiF:Mg,Cu,P and LiF:Mg,Cu,Si

The influence of various annealing treatments on radioluminescent (RL) and thermoluminescent (TL) spectra of LiF:Mg,Cu,Si and LiF:Mg,Cu,P was investigated. The TL and RL emission bands for LiF:Mg,Cu,P are not the same; however, the emission band peaking at ∼383 nm is predominant in the TL and RL emission for LiF:Mg,Cu,Si. With the increase in annealing temperatures in the range of 240-300°C, for LiF:Mg,Cu,P, the intensity of TL decreases much more rapidly than that of RL. For LiF:Mg,Cu,Si, the area ratios of the two bands of RL and TL remain constant within experimental errors. It suggests that there is a significant decrease in the concentration of recombination centres in LiF:Mg,Cu,P after the annealing, in addition to the decrease in trapping centres, the recombination centres for main TL emission and RL emission in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si are the same, and the recombination centres for TL emission and RL emission in LiF:Mg,Cu,P are not the same. P is a more effective dopant than Si.

A new HLA-A allele, HLA-A*11:120, sequenced in a Chinese hematopoietic stem cell donor

HLA-A*11:120 has one nucleotide change from HLA-A*11:01:01:01 where 295 T(ACC) is changed to S(AGC).

Efficacy of 3.6% topical ALA-PDT for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 125 patients with Pillsbury III-IV severe facial acne were treated with 3 courses of ALA-PDT with an interval of 2 weeks. ALA gel (3.6%) was applied topically to acne lesions for 1.5 h. The lesions were irradiated by a LED light of 633 nm with a light intensity of 66 mW/cm² and a light dose of 126 J/cm². Patients were evaluated for efficacy and safety at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 after the initial treatment.

RESULTS

The total effective rates were 1.6%, 24.8%, 68.8%, 89.6% and 88.8% at the 2- 4- 6- 8- and 12-week after the initial treatment respectively. The clinical outcomes were the best at 4 weeks after the final treatment. The best effective rate and cure rate were 89.6% and 44% respectively. 26 patients and 16 patients showed apparent exacerbation of acne lesions before the 2nd and 3rd treatment respectively, but all of them showed good or excellent improvement after 3-course treatment. Adverse reactions were mild and transient.

CONCLUSIONS

3.6% ALA-PDT is a simple, safe and effective therapeutic option for the treatment of severe acne vulgaris.

Involvement of endoplasmic reticulum stress in the necroptosis of microglia/macrophages after spinal cord injury

Microglia/macrophages play a crucial role in inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI). Although extensive studies have been performed on the mechanisms of microglia/macrophage activation and recruitment, how microglia/macrophages are eliminated remains unclear. In the present study, we observed a high-level expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), a key molecule in the execution of necroptosis, in microglia/macrophages after SCI in mice. In vivo PI-labeling and Necrostatin-1 treatment confirmed the necroptosis of microglia/macrophages. Interestingly, our electronic microscopic (EM) study revealed that MLKL localized not only at the membrane but also on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of necroptotic microglia/macrophages. Furthermore, receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3), another necrosome component, was also found on the ER of necroptotic microglia/macrophages. And Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), an ER stress sensor, was up-regulated in MLKL-positive microglia/macrophages after SCI, suggesting a possible link between necroptosis and ER stress. In vitro, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) stress induced ER stress and necroptosis in microglia. Inhibiting ER stress by 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) significantly blocked the OGD-induced necroptosis of microglia. In the end, our data showed that, GRP78 and phosphorylated MLKL were co-expressed by the microglia/macrophages in the injured human spinal cord. Taken together, these results suggested that microglia/macrophages undergo an ER-stress involved necroptosis after SCI, implying that ER stress and necroptosis could be manipulated for modulating inflammation post-SCI.

Combinations of gene ontology and pathway characterize and predict prognosis genes for recurrence of gastric cancer after surgery

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second leading cause of death from cancer globally. The most common cause of GC is the infection of Helicobacter pylori, but ∼11% of cases are caused by genetic factors. However, recurrences occur in approximately one-third of stage II GC patients, even if they are treated with adjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy. This is potentially due to expression variation of genes; some candidate prognostic genes were identified in patients with high-risk recurrences. The objective of this study was to develop an effective computational method for meaningfully interpreting these GC-related genes and accurately predicting novel prognostic genes for high-risk recurrence patients. We employed properties of genes (gene ontology [GO] and KEGG pathway information) as features to characterize GC-related genes. We obtained an optimal set of features for interpreting these genes. By applying the minimum redundancy maximum relevance algorithm, we predicted the GC-related genes. With the same approach, we further predicted the genes for the prognostic of high-risk recurrence. We obtained 1104 GO terms and KEGG pathways and 530 GO terms and KEGG pathways, respectively, that characterized GC-related genes and recurrence-related genes well. Finally, three novel prognostic genes were predicted to help supplement genetic markers of high-risk GC patients for recurrence after surgery. An in-depth text mining indicated that the results are quite consistent with previous knowledge. Survival analysis of patients confirmed the novel prognostic genes as markers. By analyzing the related genes, we developed a systematic method to interpret the possible underlying mechanism of GC. The novel prognostic genes facilitate the understanding and therapy of GC recurrences after surgery.

Fusion of human bone hemopoietic stem cell with esophageal carcinoma cells didn't generate esophageal cancer stem cell

Prior studies showed that cell fusion between bone marrow-derived cell (BMDC) and somatic cell might be the origin of cancer stem cell. Our previous study suggested that cell fusion of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) with esophageal cancer cell did not generate cancer stem cells. But up to now, the origin of cancer stem cell is still ambiguous. In this study, we carried out the cell fusion experiment between hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and human esophageal cancer cells, and found that cell fusion slowed the growth speed of esophageal cancer cells and decreased the clone formation ability and tumorigenicity in NOD/SCID mice. In addition, cell fusion did not increase the ratio of side population (SP) cells and the resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. Collectively, our data indicated that cell fusion between HSCs and esophageal cancer cells has a therapeutic effect rather than generate cells with characteristics of esophageal cancer stem cells.

Characterization of key odorants in Chinese chixiang aroma-type liquor by gas chromatography-olfactometry, quantitative measurements, aroma recombination, and omission studies

Chixiang aroma-type liquor is extensively welcomed by consumers owing to its typical fatty aroma, particularly in southern China. To our knowledge, no comprehensive characterization of aroma and flavor from chixiang aroma-type liquor has been published. It is still a confused question which components are the most important in characterizing its unique aroma. A total of 56 odorants were identified in chixiang aroma-type liquor by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), and in different quantitative measurements, 34 aroma compounds were further demonstrated as important odorants according to odor activity values (OAVs). Furthermore, this research suggested that the aroma of chixiang aroma-type finished liquor could be successfully reconstituted by mixing 34 aroma compounds in the concentrations measured. Omission experiments further confirmed (E)-2-nonenal as the key odorant and revealed the significance of (E)-2-octenal and 2-phenylethanol for the overall aroma of chixiang aroma-type liquor. 3-(Methylthio)-1-propanol (methionol), diethyl 1,7-heptanedioate (diethyl pimelate), diethyl 1,8-octanedioate (diethyl suberate), and diethyl 1,9-nonanedioate (diethyl azelate), identified as the characteristic aromas of chixiang aroma-type liquor in 1995, had no effects on aroma based on omission/addition experiments.

Further studies on the role of dopants in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si thermoluminescent material

The 3-D thermoluminescence spectra and glow curves of LiF:Mg,Cu,Si, LiF:Mg,Cu, LiF:Mg,Si and LiF:Cu,Si with low concentrations of Mg and Cu were measured and were compared with those with high concentrations to investigate further the role of dopants in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si material. The shape of glow curves of the four samples is similar; however, LiF:Cu,Si sample had no Mg dopant. It is concluded that the TL emission to be from self-trapped excitons in LiF, and this emission could be enhanced and altered by Mg, Cu and Si dopants in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si; all three dopants are necessary to obtain the bright TL emission and may be involved in the luminescence process; Mg seems to be the most essential dopant and Cu is involved in the trapping although the role of Mg dominates; both Cu and Si play a role in the main emission process and Cu also plays a role in reducing the emission around 610 nm.

Studies on energy response of newly developed LiF:Mg,Cu,P TL chips with additional PbO doping

One of the most important characteristics of thermoluminescent detectors, if they are intended to be used in a wide range of energies, is their energy response. A comparison of the energy characteristics of the newly developed LiF:Mg,Cu,P chips with additional PbO doping (GR-200E) against GR-200A LiF:Mg,Cu,P was attempted to improve further the accuracy of personal dosimetry. Hp(10) energy response of GR-200E is quite different from that of GR-200A. For GR-200E, the anomalous energy response can be eliminated and the over-response to low-energy photons should be filtered properly. The GR-200E under the copper filter provided results within 4 % with respect to the conventional quantity value over the energy range from 65 to 1250 keV. The ratio of the Hp(10) response of the Cu-covered filters for GR-200A to that of those covered with plastic for GR-200E is a very good tool for identifying the radiation quality in the range studied. The accuracy in the dose evaluated from TLD measurements can be greatly increased.

One-step synthesis of carbon nanodots for sensitive detection of cephalexin

We present potato based photoluminescent carbon nanodots for detecting cephalexin with a detection limit as low as 0.311 μM.

Efficacy and safety of echinocandins versus triazoles for the prophylaxis and treatment of fungal infections: a meta-analysis of RCTs

Echinocandins and triazoles were proven to be effective antifungal drugs against invasive fungal infections (IFI), which may cause significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety between echinocandins and triazoles for the prophylaxis and treatment of fungal infections. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to July 2014. The quality of trials was assessed with the Jadad scoring system. The primary outcomes of interest were treatment success, microbiological success, breakthrough infection, drug-related adverse events (AEs), withdrawals due to AEs, and all-cause mortality. Ten RCTs, involving 2,837 patients, were included, as follows: caspofungin versus fluconazole (n = 1), caspofungin versus itraconazole (n = 1), anidulafungin versus fluconazole (n = 1), micafungin versus fluconazole (n = 4), micafungin versus voriconazole (n = 2), and micafungin versus itraconazole (n = 1). Echinocandins and triazoles showed similar effects in terms of favorable treatment success rate [relative risk (RR) = 1.02, 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.97–1.08], microbiological success rate (RR = 0.98, 95 % CI, 0.90–1.15), breakthrough infection (RR = 1.09; 95 % CI, 0.59–2.01), drug-related AEs (RR = 0.94; 95 % CI, 0.71–1.15), and all-cause mortality (RR = 0.85; 95 % CI, 0.66–1.10) in the prophylaxis and treatment of fungal infections. Additionally, echinocandins were more effective than triazoles for prophylaxis in patients undergoing hematologic malignancies or those who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT; RR = 1.08; 95 % CI, 1.02–1.15). Echinocandins significantly decreased the AE-related withdrawals rate compared with triazoles (RR = 0.47; 95 % CI, 0.33–0.67). This meta-analysis revealed that echinocandins are as effective and safe as triazoles for the prophylaxis and treatment of patients with fungal infections.

A formyl peptide receptor agonist suppresses inflammation and bone damage in arthritis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Annexin A1 (AnxA1) is an endogenous anti-inflammatory protein and agonist of the formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2). However, the potential for therapeutic FPR ligands to modify immune-mediated disease has been little explored. We investigated the effects of a synthetic FPR agonist on joint disease in the K/BxN model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Arthritis was induced by injection of K/BxN serum at day 0 and 2 in wild-type (WT) or AnxA1(-/-) mice and clinical and histopathological manifestations measured 8-11 days later. WT mice were given the FPR agonist compound 43 (Cpd43) (6 or 30 mg·kg(-1) i.p.) for 4 days. Effects of AnxA1 and Cpd43 on RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis were assessed in RAW 264.7 cells and human RA FLS and macrophages.

KEY RESULTS

Treatment with Cpd43 before or after the onset of arthritis reduced clinical disease severity and attenuated synovial TNF-α and osteoclast-associated gene expression. Deletion of AnxA1 in mice exacerbated arthritis severity in the K/BxN model. In vitro, Cpd43 suppressed osteoclastogenesis and NFAT activity elicited by RANKL, and inhibited IL-6 secretion by mouse macrophages. In human RA joint-derived FLS and monocyte-derived macrophages, Cpd43 treatment inhibited IL-6 release, while blocking FPR2 or silencing AnxA1 increased this release.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

The FPR agonist Cpd43 reduced osteoclastogenesis and inflammation in a mouse model of RA and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects in relevant human cells. These data suggest that FPR ligands may represent novel therapeutic agents capable of ameliorating inflammation and bone damage in RA.

A hybrid antioxidizing and antibacterial material based on Ag-La2O3 nanocomposites

The Ag-La2O3 hybrid nanoparticles were prepared by loading Ag nanoparticles on the surface of the La2O3 nanorods. The synthesis was a one-step process where sodium borohydride was used as a reducing agent to convert silver ions into silver nanoparticles, which were further deposited on the La2O3 nanorods. Moreover, they were found evenly dispersed upon the surface of La2O3 supports. The as-prepared Ag-La2O3 nanocomposites showed anti-oxidizing and significant antibacterial effect in vitro. Using the results from transmission electron microscope (TEM), the plausible mechanism was also proposed to explain the inhibition of bacterial growth. The present strategy can be potentially extended to develop drug-labels and other antibacterial agents.

Proteomic analysis of Cucumis sativus cotyledons after glucohexaose treatment as a part of ROS accumulation related resistance mechanism

Background

Glucohexaose is a safe farm chemical used for pathogen prevention, which can induce systemic acquired resistance in cucumber.

Results

We found that glucohexaose treatment of cucumber plant induced an accumulation of the reactive oxidative species (ROS). Histochemistry showed sharp increases in O^2- and H₂O₂ 5 h after glucohexaose treatment. After 5 h, the O^2- content decreased to a normal level, but the H₂O₂ content remained at a high level 10 h after glucohexaose treatment. And antioxidant enzymes were also changed after glucohexaose treatment. We also investigated the relationship between ROS accumulation and glucohexaose-induced proteome alteration using 2D electrophoresis coupled with MS/MS. 54 protein spots, which enhanced expression under glucohexaose treatment but suppressed the expression by application of DPI and DMTU, have been identified.

Conclusion

Our study showed the accumulation of ROS is a part of mechanism of glucohexaose induced resistance in cucumber cotyledons. The up-regulated proteins identified by MS such as PP2C and antioxidation proteins are important in ROS signaling. It will be interesting to find out the regulatory mechanism underlying the induction of these proteins via ROS, and provide some clues to the mechanism of glucohexaose-induced resistance.

Third-party tolerogenic dendritic cells reduce allo-reactivity in vitro and ameliorate the severity of acute graft-versus-host disease in allo-bone marrow transplantation

Tolerogenic dendritic cells (tDCs) potently induce and maintain tolerance based on their distinct characteristics compared with conventional DCs. Recent reports show that donor or host tDCs promote allograft survival in mice. In this study, the efficacy of third-party tDCs in the prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was evaluated. In vitro, tDCs derived from the bone marrow (BM) of D1 mice were induced by GM-CSF, IL-10 and TGF-β1. The phenotypes, expression of cytokines and suppression of tDCs were analysed. In vivo, the effects of adoptive transfer of third-party-tDCs were evaluated in an MHC-mismatched aGVHD mouse model. Survival, body weight, GVHD scoring, histopathological specimens and serum cytokines were analysed in tDC-treated mice and untreated controls. Tolerogenic DCs had low expression of MHC and co-stimulatory molecules, expressed high levels of 'immunosuppressive' cytokines and suppressed allo-CD4(+) T cell proliferation. In the B6→D2 mouse model, all aGVHD mice died within 18 days. Fortunately, third-party tDCs transferred at low doses (10(4)) effectively prolonged survival after allo-BMT. Furthermore, in the mice treated with 10(4) tDCs, serum levels of IL-10/TGF-β were significantly higher and the percentage of Foxp3(+) cells continually increased compared with the mice treated with other doses of tDCs. Third-party tDCs play a crucial role in reducing the severity of aGVHD by modulating the secretion of various cytokines and expanding Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells, which suggests the possibility of using third-party tDCs for therapeutic applications. Furthermore, special attention should be paid to the optimal range of tDCs for preventing allograft rejection.

Comparative Modeling of Drug Target Proteins☆

In this perspective, we begin by describing the comparative protein structure modeling technique and the accuracy of the corresponding models. We then discuss the significant role that comparative prediction plays in drug discovery. We focus on virtual ligand screening against comparative models and illustrate the state-of-the-art by a number of specific examples.

Genetic analysis of the TBX2 gene promoter in indirect inguinal hernia

PURPOSE

Inguinal hernia is a common disease, majority of which are indirect inguinal hernia (IIH). A positive family history indicates that genetic factors play important roles in the IIH development. To date, genetic causes for IIH remain unknown. T-box transcription factor 2 (TBX2) is a major regulator in the morphogenesis and organogenesis. The human TBX2 gene is widely expressed in fetal and adult tissues, including muscle and connective tissues. Therefore, we speculated that altered TBX2 gene expression may be involved in the IIH formation.

METHODS

IIH patients (n = 129) and ethnic-matched healthy subjects (n = 198) were recruited for this study. The human TBX2 gene promoters were generated with PCR and directly sequenced to identify DNA sequence variants (DSVs). Furthermore, biological functions of the DSVs were examined with reporter gene constructs in cultured cells.

RESULTS

Total six DSVs within the TBX2 gene promoter were identified. A heterozygous DSV (g.59476307G>C) was identified in an IIH patient, but in none of controls, which significantly decreased the TBX2 gene promoter activities. Another heterozygous DSV (g.59476704G>C) was only found in one control, which did not affect TBX2 gene promoter activities. Four DSVs, g.59476316C>A (rs73991913), g.59476415T>C (rs1476781), g.59476510G>C (rs4455026) and g.59476892C>T (rs2286524), all of which were single nucleotide polymorphisms, were found in both IIH patients and controls with similar frequencies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggested that the DSV within the TBX2 gene promoter was implicated in the IIH development as a rare cause.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the mitochondrial displacement loop and age at onset of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) accumulated frequently in the mitochondrial displacement loop (D-loop) in many cancers. We had identified cancer risk-associated SNPs in the D-loop of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients previously, in this study, we investigated the association of age at onset and D-loop SNPs in NHL patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The D-loop region of mtDNA was sequenced for 133 NHL patients recorded at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to identify age at onset-associated SNPs in the D-loop of NHL patients. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify independent risk factors for age at onset.

RESULTS

The SNP sites of nucleotides 146C/T, 151T/C, 194T/C, 315C/C insert, 523Del/A, and 525Del/C were identified for their association with age at onset, by the logrank test. In an overall multivariate analysis, allele 146 (relative risk, 0.403; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.182-0.895) (P = 0.026), allele 151 (relative risk, 0.378; 95% CI: 0.165-0.868) (P = 0.022), and allele 315 (relative risk, 3.554; 95% CI: 1.344-9.400) (P = 0.011) were identified as independent predictors for age at onset in NHL patients.

CONCLUSION

SNPs in the D-loop can predict age at onset in NHL patients. Analysis of the D-loop SNPs can help identify NHL patient subgroups at high risk of early onset.

On the roles of dopants in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si thermoluminescent material

The 3D thermoluminescent spectra and glow curves of LiF:Mg,Cu,Si with various Mg, Cu and Si concentrations were measured. The shapes of the glow curves in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si, LiF:Mg,Cu and LiF:Mg,Si are similar and the glow curves have peaks at approximately the same temperatures, but with significantly different intensities. Neither the temperature of the glow peak nor the wavelength of the emission maximum changes with variation of dopants concentrations when Cu is more than 0.01 mol % in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si. The spectrum structure in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si, LiF:Mg,Cu and LiF:Mg,Si is similar in the 300-550 nm range. Some weak emissions around 610 nm are shown in LiF:Mg,Cu,Si with a Cu concentration of 0.01 mol % and in LiF:Mg,Si. It is concluded that Mg dopant mainly plays a role in the formation of trapping centres, both Cu and Si play a role in the main emission process and Cu also plays a role in reducing the emission around 610 nm.

Bioinformatics analyses combined microarray identify the desregulated microRNAs in lung cancer

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. Deregulated miRNAs are found in blood cells of cancer patients recently.

AIM

This study aims to screen the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) which could discriminate lung cancers from non-cancerous lung tissues as well as molecular signatures that differ in tumor histology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

miRNA expression profiles of GSE17681 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Three test methods were used to identify DE-miRNAs between lung cancer tissue and healthy controls. Target genes of DE-miRNAs were retrieved from three databases and mapped to KEGG to investigate their roles in lung cancer. Further, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed used STRING and Cytoscape.

RESULTS

A total of 17 DE-miRNAs were identified. Among them, hsa-miR-339-5p draw specific attention. Pathway analysis revealed that target genes of RASSF1 and KRAS play roles as oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in the progression of lung cancer. Besides, Target genes of RASSF1 and ERBB4 formed a module in the PPI network. Functional analysis suggested biological process of response to hypoxia was significantly enriched.

CONCLUSIONS

hsa-miR-339-5p play important role in the regulation of lung cancer and it may be potential to be used as biomarker to predict lung cancer progression.

Acinetobacter baumannii isolates associated with community-acquired pneumonia in West China

Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as an important cause of community-acquired infection. To characterize the microbiological and genotypic features of community-associated Acinetobacter baumannii, 32 isolates associated with community-acquired pneumonia were collected. These isolates were diverse in resistance patterns and had multiple clonal origins. bla(OXA-23) was the main acquired oxacillinases-encoding gene detected.