Biomarker screening using integrated bioinformatics for the development of "normal-impaired glucose intolerance-type 2 diabetes mellitus"

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive disease. We utilized bioinformatics analysis and experimental research to identify biomarkers indicative of the progression of T2DM, aiming for early detection of the disease and timely clinical intervention. Integrating Mfuzz analysis with differential expression analysis, we identified 76 genes associated with the progression of T2DM, which were primarily enriched in signaling pathways such as apoptosis, p53 signaling, and necroptosis. Subsequently, using various analytical methods, including machine learning, we further narrowed down the hub genes to STK17A and CCT5. Based on the hub genes, we calculated the risk score for samples and interestingly found that the score correlated with multiple programmed cell death (PCD) pathways. Animal experiments revealed that the diabetes model exhibited higher levels of MDA and LDH, with lower expression of SOD, accompanied by islet cell apoptosis. In conclusion, our study suggests that during the progression of diabetes, STK17A and CCT5 may contribute to the advancement of the disease by regulating oxidative stress, programmed cell death pathways, and critical signaling pathways such as p53 and MAPK, thereby promoting the death of islet cells. This provides substantial evidence in support of further disease prevention and treatment strategies.

Characterization of cuproptosis in gastric cancer and relationship with clinical and drug reactions

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Cuproptosis is associated with cell growth and death as well as tumorigenesis. Aiming to lucubrate the potential influence of CRGs in gastric cancer, we acquired datasets of gastric cancer patients from TCGA and GEO. The identification of molecular subtypes with CRGs expression was achieved through unsupervised learning-cluster analysis. To evaluate the application value of subtypes, the K-M survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the clinical prognostic characteristics. Subsequently, we performed Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and utilized ssGSEA to quantify the extent of immune infiltration. Further, the K-M survival analysis was used to identify the prognosis-related CRGs. Next, signature genes of diagnostic predictive value were screened using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm from the expression matrix for TCGA, as well as the signature gene-related subtype was clustered by the "ConsensusClusterPlus" package. Finally, the immunological and drug sensitivity assessments of the signature gene-related subtypes were conducted. A total of 173 CRGs were identified, most of the CRGs undergo copy number variation in gastric cancer. Under different patient subtypes, immune cell levels differed significantly, and the subtype exhibiting high expression of the CRGs had a better prognosis. Furthermore, we selected 34 CRGs that were highly correlated with the prognosis of gastric cancer. By constructing a multivariate Cox proportional-hazards model and a hazard scoring system, we were able to categorize patients into high- and low-risk groups based on their hazard score. K-M analysis demonstrated a significant survival disadvantage in the high-risk group. Based on Lasso regression analysis, we screened 16 signature genes, a multivariate logistic regression model [cutoff: 0.149 (0.000, 0.974), AUC:0.987] and a prognosis network diagram was constructed and their prediction efficiency for gastric cancer prognostic diagnosis was well validated. According to the signature genes, the patients were separated to two signature subtypes. We found that patients with higher CRGs expression and better prognosis had lower levels of immune infiltration. Finally, according to the results of drug susceptibility analysis, docetaxel, 5-Fluorouracil, gemcitabin, and paclitaxel were found to be more sensitive to gastric cancer.

Improvement in the ideal range of vault after implantable collamer lens implantation: a new vault prediction formula

Background

To derive and validate a novel vault prediction formula to improve the predictability and safety of implantable collamer lens (ICL) implantation.

Methods

Thirty-five patients (61 eyes) with previous posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation were included. Various parameters, such as horizontal-visible iris diameter (HVID), photopic pupil diameter (PPD), axial length (AL), white-to-white (WTW), anterior chamber width (ACW), angle-to-angle (ATA), crystalline lens rise (CLR), anterior chamber depth (ACD), horizontal sulcus-to-sulcus (HSTS), and ciliary sulcus angle (CSA) were measured. Vault was measured at 3 months after surgery using CASIA2 anterior segment optical coherence tomography. The formula was derived using multiple linear regression analysis and named as WH formula. It was validated in 65 patients (118 eyes) to determine the percentage of the ideal postoperative vault range and to compare the differences between the WH formula and the NK, KS, and STAAR formulas.

Results

Final ICL size, ATA, CSA, and CLR were included in the prediction formula model (adjusted R² = 0.67, p < 0.001). The achieved vault 1 month after the surgery was 556.19 μm ± 166.98 μm in the validation group, and the ideal vault range was 200-800 μm (92%). The difference between the achieved vault and that predicted using the WH formula was not statistically significant (p = 0.165), whereas the difference between the achieved vault and that predicted using the NK and KS formulas was statistically significant (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). The 95% agreement limit range of the achieved vault and the vault predicted using the WH formula was narrower than those predicted using the NK and KS formulas (-295.20-258.82 μm).

Conclusion

This study combined the results of optical coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy measurements of the anterior segment of the eye and incorporated ciliary sulcus morphology quantification into the prediction formula. The study derived a prediction formula for vault by combining ICL size, ATA, and CLR. The derived formula was found to be superior to the currently available formulas.

Traditional Chinese medicine combined with Moxibustion in the treatment of "long-COVID": A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

From the end of 2019 to now, COVID-19 is still prevalent, which poses a great threat to international public health. With the increasing number of people infected, the number of patients with COVID-19 sequelae is also increasing, but there is no specific drug for COVID-19 sequelae. In China, traditional Chinese medicine combined with acupuncture has been widely used in COVID-19 sequelae, but there is still a lack of evidence-based medicine evaluation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine combined with moxibustion in the treatment of COVID-19 sequelae.

METHODS

According to the retrieval strategy, the "long COVID" randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine combined with moxibustion will be search in eight databases composed of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National knowledge Infrastructure Database, China Biomedical Database and China Science and Technology Journal Database, regardless of publication date or language. The study was screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of the study. Meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan5.3 and STATA12.0 software. Finally, the level of evidence of the results will be evaluated.

RESULTS

This study will evaluate whether traditional Chinese medicine combined with moxibustion can effectively treat the symptoms of COVID-19 sequelae.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide evidence whether there is benefit of traditional Chinese medicine combined with moxibustion in the treatment of COVID-19 sequelae. At the same time, our research results will provide a reference for clinical decision-making and guiding development in the future.

GPC2 Is a Potential Diagnostic, Immunological, and Prognostic Biomarker in Pan-Cancer

Background

Glypican 2 (GPC2), a member of glypican (GPC) family genes, produces proteoglycan with a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. It has shown its ascending significance in multiple cancers such as neuroblastoma, malignant brain tumor, and small-cell lung cancer. However, no systematic pan-cancer analysis has been conducted to explore its function in diagnosis, prognosis, and immunological prediction.

Methods

By comprehensive use of datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), Genotype-Tissue Expression Project (GTEx), cBioPortal, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), UALCAN, StarBase, and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), we adopted bioinformatics methods to excavate the potential carcinogenesis of GPC2, including dissecting the correlation between GPC2 and prognosis, gene mutation, immune cell infiltration, and DNA methylation of different tumors, and constructed the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks of GPC2 as well as explored the interaction of GPC2 with chemicals and genes.

Results

The results indicated that GPC2 was highly expressed in most cancers, except in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which presented at a quite low level. Furthermore, GPC2 showed the early diagnostic value in 16 kinds of tumors and was positively or negatively associated with the prognosis of different tumors. It also verified that GPC2 was a gene associated with most immune-infiltrating cells in pan-cancer, especially in thymoma. Moreover, the correlation with GPC2 expression varied depending on the type of immune-related genes. Additionally, GPC2 gene expression has a correlation with DNA methylation in 20 types of cancers.

Conclusion

Through pan-cancer analysis, we discovered and verified that GPC2 might be useful in cancer detection for the first time. The expression level of GPC2 in a variety of tumors is significantly different from that of normal tissues. In addition, the performance of GPC2 in tumorigenesis and tumor immunity also confirms our conjecture. At the same time, it has high specificity and sensitivity in the detection of cancers. Therefore, GPC2 can be used as an auxiliary indicator for early tumor diagnosis and a prognostic marker for many types of tumors.

Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli decoction for insomnia: A protocol for a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Insomnia is a prevalent and bothersome disorder of sleep initiation and maintenance. Although efficacious treatments for insomnia have been available for decades, they all have their own limitations. Guizhi Gancao Longgu Muli Decoction (GGLMD), a popular complementary and alternative therapy, has been widely applied to treat insomnia in some Asian countries for centuries. Yet no systematic reviews have comprehensively assessed the efficacy and safety of GGLMD as a treatment for insomnia.

METHODS

A comprehensive search up to November, 2019 will be conducted in the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), the Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), and the Wanfang Database. The primary outcomes will be sleep quality including Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and polysomnography (PSG). Stata 15 will be used for data analysis as well.

RESULTS

This study will provide the current evidence of insomnia treated with GGLMD from the several points including PSQI and PSG.

CONCLUSION

The consequence of this summary will furnish proof to evaluate if GGLMD is effective in the treatment of insomnia.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Without personal information involved, ethical approval and informed consent form is no need. The review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal prospectively to spread our findings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42018118336.

Implanting a posterior chamber phakic intraocular lens in highly myopic eyes with peripheral primary iris and ciliary body cysts

PURPOSE:

To investigate the safety and efficacy of implanting a posterior chamber implantable collamer lens with a central hole in cases of high myopia with peripheral primary iris or ciliary body cysts.

METHODS:

A total of 37 eyes of 19 patients with primary iris or ciliary body cysts detected by ultrasonic biological microscope were included, with spherical powers of -10.26 ± 3.28 D and cylinder powers of -1.71 ± 1.18 D. Each patient received ultrasonic biological microscope and a routine examination before implantation of the implantable collamer lens. A routine postoperative follow-up was performed to observe changes in the iris or ciliary body cyst, ranging from 3 to 18 months.

RESULTS:

There were no complications. At the last follow-up, 56.8% (21/37) of eyes achieved the same corrected distance visual acuity as their preoperative measurements, 43.2% of eyes were enhanced by ≥1 line, and no patients' corrected distance visual acuity declined. The efficacy index and safety index were 0.95 and 1.11, respectively. After 18 months, 66.7% of the spherical equivalents were between ±0.5 D with 100% between ±1.0 D. The postoperative mean spherical equivalents at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months were -0.45 ± 0.31 D, -0.39 ± 0.29 D, -0.36 ± 0.30 D, -0.39 ± 0.38 D, and -0.48 ± 0.23 D (p = 0.789). The vaults were 516 ± 140, 548 ± 124, 498 ± 133, 582 ± 161, and 557 ± 110 μm (p = 0.355). There were no changes in size (p > 0.05), number, or position of the iris or ciliary body cysts.

CONCLUSION:

Implantable collamer lens implantation is safe and effective for highly myopic patients with peripheral primary iris and ciliary body cysts. The cysts did not change after operation in this study.

[Clinic observation of laser in situ keratomileusis for treatment of presbyopia with hypermetropia]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of Laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) for treatment of presbyopia with hypermetropia.

METHODS

32 presbyopia patients (64 eyes) with hypermetropia were treated by LASIK and follow-up 1 year. The preoperative sphere was +0.75 to +3.00 D and cylinder was 0.00 to +1.75 D. For distance vision correction, the target refraction was 0.00 to -0.50 D in the dominant eye. And for near vision, the target refraction was -1.50 to -2.50 D in the non-dominant eye. The measurement including refraction, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), near vision, Q factor of cornea and contrast sensitivity were recorded.

RESULTS

At 1 year after surgery a total of 53.1% (17/32) of all patients had binocular distance UCVA of 20/25 or better along with J3 or better near, and along with J4 or better near was 87.5% (28/32). The postoperative corneal refractive power was significant higher than preoperative [3 mm: (44.12 +/- 1.38) D, 5 mm: (43.42 +/- 1.53) D] and Q factor became more negative. At 1 year 87.5% (28/32) and 100.0% (32/32) of the dominant eyes treated for distance had a manifest refractive spherical equivalent within +/- 0.50 and +/- 1.00 D of intended correction, respectively; of the non-dominant eyes treated for near, 56.2% (18/32) and 90.6% (29/32) had a manifest refractive spherical equivalent within +/- 0.50 and +/- 1.00 D of intended correction respectively. The difference of sensitivity was no statistically significant between preoperative and 6 months after surgery. There were 15.6% of the eyes had dry eye syndrome and 84.4% of the patients were satisfied with LASIK at 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

LASIK was a effect surgery for treatment of presbyopia with hypermetropia.

[Effects of matrix metalloproteinase-3, osteopontin, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in the formation of cataract]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression and significance of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), osteopontin (OPN) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in human lens epithelial cells (LECs) of cataract.

METHODS

The MMP-3, OPN, and TIMP-1 expressions in LECs of anterior subcapsular cataract (31 cases), nuclear cataract (28 cases) and normal lens (12 cases) were detected by immunohistochemistry, respectively.

RESULTS

The MMP-3 expression in anterior subcapsular cataract was significantly higher than that in nuclear cataract and normal lens (chi2=31.49, 34.479; P=0.000); but there was no statistic significance between nuclear cataract and normal lens (chi2=2.449, P=0.118). The OPN expression in anterior subcapsular cataract was also significantly higher than that in nuclear cataract and normal lens (chi2=29.450, 15.889; P=0.000). There was no significant difference in the TIMP-1 expression among the 3 groups (P>0.05). Positive correlation was found between MMP-3 and OPN in LECs of anterior subcapsular cataract (r=0.381, P=0.035). But no significant correlation was found among MMP-3, OPN, and TIMP-1 (r=0.121, -0.289; P=0.516, 0.114).

CONCLUSION

Increased expression of MMP-3 and OPN and the expression imbalance between MMP-3 and TIMP-1 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of anterior subcapsular cataract.

[Chest wall and mediastinum invasion by lung cancer--a CT and MRI evaluation]

CT and MRI manifestations of 52 peripheral lung cancers located close to the pleural surface or mediastinal structures were studied correlating with the surgical and pathologic findings. Rib destruction as shown by CT and T2 weighted MRI showing the encroachment of tumor upon the chest wall were crucial in demonstrating chest wall invasion. An obtuse chest wall intersecting angle and the length of the neighboring borders of the tumor and chest wall were of limited value. Local pleural thickening was observed near the tumor in 54% of cases, over half of them showed obtuse angle between the tumor and the chest wall but without tumor invasion. T2 weighted MRI was more reliable than CT by showing different signal intensities for pleural thickening, inflammation, localized pleural effusion or tumor invasion to chest wall soft tissue.