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Background: There is increasing evidence that immune dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) is bioanalytical method, which can detect serum inflammatory factors in patients. MSD has higher sensitivities, capturing a narrower range of proteins compared to other methods typically used in similar studies. The present study was aimed to explore the correlation between the levels of serum inflammatory factors and psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia at different stages and investigate a wide panel of inflammatory factors as independent factors for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Methods: We recruited 116 participants, including patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FEG, n = 40), recurrence patients (REG, n = 40) with relapse-episode schizophrenia, and a control group (healthy people, HP, n = 36). Patients are diagnosed according to the DSM -V. The plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, CRP, VEGF, IL-15, and IL-16 were tested by the MSD technique. Patient-related data was collected, including sociodemographic data, positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS), and brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and subscale scores. The independent sample T test, χ2 test, Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), the least significant difference method (LSD), Spearman's correlation test, binary logistic regression analysis and ROC curve analysis were used in this study. Results: There were significant differences in serum IL-1β (F = 2.37, P = 0.014) and IL-16 (F = 4.40, P < 0.001) levels among the three groups. The level of serum IL-1β in the first-episode group was significantly higher than in the recurrence group (F = 0.87, P = 0.021) and control group (F = 2.03, P = 0.013), but there was no significant difference between the recurrence group and control group (F = 1.65, P = 0.806). The serum IL-16 levels in the first-episode group (F = 1.18, P < 0.001) and the recurrence group (F = 0.83, P < 0.001) were significantly higher than in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the first-episode group and the recurrence group (F = 1.65, P = 0.61). Serum IL-1β was negatively correlated with the general psychopathological score (GPS) of PANSS (R=-0.353, P = 0.026). In the recurrence group, serum IL-16 was positively correlated with the negative score (NEG) of the PANSS scale (R = 0.335, P = 0.035) and negatively correlated with the composite score (COM) (R=-0.329, P = 0.038). In the study, IL-16 levels were an independent variable of the onset of schizophrenia both in the first-episode (OR = 1.034, P = 0.002) and recurrence groups (OR = 1.049, P = 0.003). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under IL-16(FEG) and IL-16(REG) curves were 0.883 (95%CI:0.794–0.942) and 0.887 (95%CI:0.801–0.950). Conclusions: Serum IL-1β and IL-16 levels were different between patients with schizophrenia and healthy people. Serum IL-1β levels in first-episode schizophrenia and serum IL-16 levels in relapsing schizophrenia were correlated with the parts of psychiatric symptoms. The IL-16 level may be an independent factor associating with the onset of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B is a significant public health problem and complex pathologic process, and unraveling the underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology is of great significance. Data independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) is a label-free quantitative proteomics method that has been successfully applied to the study of a wide range of diseases. The aim of this study was to apply DIA-MS for proteomic analysis of patients with chronic hepatitis B. We performed comprehensive proteomics analysis of protein expression in serum samples from HBV patients and healthy controls by using DIA-MS. Gene Ontology (GO) terms, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and protein network analysis were performed on differentially expressed proteins and were further combined with literature analysis. We successfully identified a total of 3786 serum proteins with a high quantitative performance from serum samples in this study. We identified 310 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) (fold change > 1.5 and P value < 0.05 as the criteria for a significant difference) between HBV and healthy samples. A total of 242 upregulated proteins and 68 downregulated proteins were among the DEPs. Some protein expression levels were significantly elevated or decreased in patients with chronic hepatitis B, indicating a relation to chronic liver disease, which should be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant melanoma (MM) arises predominantly after adolescence and is uncommon in children. Congenital MM in newborns is even rarer with a dearth of published literature; as a consequence, there is no uniform standard for the pathogenesis and treatment for neonatal malignant melanoma. Herein we report a case of giant congenital nodular MM in a newborn, including its clinical, imaging, pathological and molecular pathological features. This case is the largest giant congenital primary nodular malignant melanoma in utero in neonates currently reported in China.Case Presentation: A female neonatal patient was found to have a 2.97 cm× 1.82 cm×1.50 cm mass with a clear boundary at the right acromion in color Doppler ultrasound examination at 24 weeks of gestation. The mass increased to 3.0 cm×5.0 cm×9.0 cm at birth, and local ulceration was seen. MRI demonstrated that the mass was located on the right shoulder and underarm in a lobulated appearance, and surrounded the right scapula which was deformed. Clinical stage:IV(AJCC 8th Edition (2017)). α-Fetoprofein (AFP) by hematological examination: 1210ng/ml, NSE: 21.28ng/ml, LDH: 842U/L. The patient underwent surgical resection of the tumor, and was pathologically diagnosed as neonatal congenital malignant melanoma; immunohistochemistry (IHC): S-100 (+), HMB45 (+), Melan A (+), and Tyrosinase (+). Molecular pathological examination for BRAF V600E showed no mutations (Quantitative Real-time PCR, qPCR); And so were NRAS, C-kit (exons 9,11,13,14,17,18), and TERT (promoter locus, C228T and C250T) (Sanger sequencing). Non-surgical therapies were not carried out after the surgical resection of the tumor. After 6 months of follow-up, the child developed normally, and color Doppler ultrasound showed no obvious tumor growth or abnormality in the original tumor site.Conclusions: It is extremely rare to see giant congenital primary nodular MM in utero in neonates. The pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of congenital MM need further research. The diagnosis mainly depends on histopathology and immunohistochemistry, and it needs to be differentiated from malignant lymphoma and primitive neuroectodermal tumor. The current treatment strategy for MM relies on the surgical excision of the mass. Research directed at molecular detection for genetic mutations would contribute to targeted therapy and better prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Screening is the main preventive method for cervical cancer in developing countries, but each type of screening has advantages and disadvantages. To investigate the most suitable method for low-income areas in China, we conducted a health economic analysis comparing three methods: visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI), ThinPrep cytology test (TCT), and human papillomavirus (HPV) test.Methods: We recruited 3086 women aged 35-65 years using cluster random sampling. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three cervical cancer screening groups: VIA/VILI, TCT, or HPV test. In order to calculate the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted by each screening method, we used Markov models to estimate the natural development of cervical cancer over a 15-year period to estimate the age of onset and duration of each disease stage. The cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs), net present values (NPVs), benefit-cost ratios (BCRs), and cost-utility ratios (CURs) were used as outcomes in the health economic analysis.Results: The positive detection rate in the VIA/VILI group was 1.39%, which was 4.6 and 2.0 times higher than the rates in the TCT and HPV test groups, respectively. The positive predictive value of VIA/VILI (10.53%) was highest while the rate of referral for colposcopy was lowest for those in the HPV + TCT group (0.60%). VIA/VILI performed the best in terms of health economic evaluation results, as the cost of per positive case detected was 8467.9 RMB, which was 24503.0 RMB lower than that for TCT and 5755.9 RMB lower than that for the HPV test. In addition, the NPV and BCR values were 258011.5 RMB and 3.18 (the highest), and the CUR was 2341.8 RMB (the lowest). The TCT performed the worst, since its NPV was <0 and the BCR was <1, indicative of being poorly cost-beneficial.Conclusions: With the best economic evaluation results and requiring minimum medical resources, VIA/VILI is recommended for cervical cancer screening in poverty-stricken areas in China with high incidence of cervical cancer and lack of medical resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smoking has been shown to reduce health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutanous coronary intervention (PCI) either by means of balloon angioplasty or with the use of bare-metal stents (BMS). Drug-eluting stents (DES) have now been widely used and are related to substantial reduction of restenosis and significantly improved HRQOL compared with BMS. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of smoking on HRQOL in patients after PCI in DES era.Methods: A cohort of 649 patients admitted for CAD and treated with drug-eluting stents were included in this prospective, observational study. Patients were classified as non-smokers (n = 351, 54.1%), quitters (n = 126, 19,4%), or persistent smokers (n = 172, 26.5%) according to their smoking status at the time they first admitted to hospital and during the first year of follow-up. Each patient was prospectively interviewed at baseline, 6 months and 1 year following PCI. HRQOL was assessed with the use of Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36).Results: For the overall population, HRQOL scores at 1-year follow-up were significantly higher than baseline for all 8 domains. At 1-year follow-up, the HRQOL scores in persistent smokers were still lower than that in non-smokers in 6 domains except for bodily pain and mental health, and than that in quitters in 5 domains except for bodily pain, role emotional and mental health. There were no significant differences with regard to the scores between non-smokers and quitters except role emotional for which non-smokers had higher scores. After adjustment, persistent smokers demonstrated significantly less improvements in HRQOL than non-smokers in 6 domains except for bodily pain and social functioning and significantly less improvement than quitters for general health. Improvements of quitters were comparable to that of non-smokers in all domains. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed persistent smoking was an independent risk factor for PCS and MCS improvements.Conclusions: Persistent smoking substantially diminishes the potential quality-of-life benefits of DES. Efforts should be made to promote smoking cessation after DES implantation which could greatly improve the health quality outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human cancers. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), a common eukaryotic mRNA modification, plays critical roles in both physiological and pathological processes. However, its role in pancreatic cancer remains elusive. Methods: LC/MS was used to profile m6A levels in pancreatic cancer and normal tissues. Bioinformatics analysis, real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting were used to identify the role of m6A regulators in pancreatic cancer. The biological effects of methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), an mRNA methylase, were investigated using in vitro and in vivo models. MeRIP-Seq and RNA-Seq were used to assess the downstream targets of METTL14. Results: We found that the m6A levels were elevated in approximately 70% of the pancreatic cancer samples. Furthermore, we demonstrated that METTL14 is the major enzyme that modulates m6A methylation (frequency and site of methylation). METTL14 overexpression markedly promoted pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo, via direct targeting of the downstream PERP mRNA (p53 effector related to PMP-22) in an m6A-dependent manner. Methylation of the target adenosine lead to increased PERP mRNA turnover, thus decreasing PERP (mRNA and protein) levels in pancreatic cancer cells. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the upregulation of METTL14 leads to the decrease of PERP levels via m6A modification, promoting the growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer; therefore METTL14 is a potential therapeutic target for its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Routine chemotherapy often cannot achieve good therapeutic effects because of multidrug resistance (MDR). MDR is frequently caused by the elevated expression of the MDR1 gene encoding P-glycoprotein (P-gp). E2F1 is a frequently overexpressed protein in human tumor cells that increases the activity of the MDR1 promoter, resulting in higher P-gp levels. The upregulation of P-gp might contribute to the survival of tumor cells during chemotherapy. E2F1 confers anticancer drug resistance; however, we speculate whether E2F1 affects MDR through other pathways. This study investigated the possible involvement of E2F1 in anticancer drug resistance of gastric carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Methods: A cisplatin-resistant SGC7901/DDP gastric cancer cell line with stable overexpression of E2F1 was established. Protein expression levels of E2F1, MDR1, MRP, TAp73, GAX, ZEB1, and ZEB2 were detected by western blotting. The influence of overexpression of E2F1 on anticancer drug resistance was assessed by measuring IC50 of SGC7901/DDP cells to cisplatin, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil, as well as the rate of doxorubicin efflux, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression detected by flow cytometry. We determined the in vivo effects of E2F1-overexpression on tumor size in nude mice, and apoptotic cells in tumor tissues were detected by deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: The SGC7901/DDP gastric cancer cell line stably overexpressing E2F1 exhibited significantly inhibited sensitivity to cisplatin, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil. Flow cytometry confirmed that the percentage of apoptotic cells decreased after E2F1 upregulation, and that upregulation of E2F1 potentiated S phase arrest of the cell cycle. Furthermore, upregulation of E2F1 significantly decreased intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin. Western blot revealed that E2F1 upregulation suppressed expression of GAX, and increased the expression of MDR1, MRP, ZEB1, TAp73, and ZEB2. Conclusions: Overexpression of E2F1 promotes the development of MDR in gastric carcinoma, suggesting that E2F1 may represent an efficacious target for gastric cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large-scale accumulation of omics data poses a pressing challenge of integrative analysis of multiple data sets in bioinformatics. An open question of such integrative analysis is how to pinpoint consistent but subtle gene activity patterns across studies. Study heterogeneity needs to be addressed carefully for this goal., Results: This paper proposes a regulation probability model-based meta-analysis, jGRP, for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The method integrates multiple transcriptomics data sets in a gene regulatory space instead of in a gene expression space, which makes it easy to capture and manage data heterogeneity across studies from different laboratories or platforms. Specifically, we transform gene expression profiles into a united gene regulation profile across studies by mathematically defining two gene regulation events between two conditions and estimating their occurring probabilities in a sample. Finally, a novel differential expression statistic is established based on the gene regulation profiles, realizing accurate and flexible identification of DEGs in gene regulation space. We evaluated the proposed method on simulation data and real-world cancer datasets and showed the effectiveness and efficiency of jGRP in identifying DEGs identification in the context of meta-analysis., Conclusions: Data heterogeneity largely influences the performance of meta-analysis of DEGs identification. Existing different meta-analysis methods were revealed to exhibit very different degrees of sensitivity to study heterogeneity. The proposed method, jGRP, can be a standalone tool due to its united framework and controllable way to deal with study heterogeneity.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein and nonstructural protein 4B (NS4B) are potentially oncogenic. Aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is closely associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. We investigated the effects of HCV type 1b core protein and NS4B on Wnt/β-catenin signaling in various liver cells, and explored the molecular mechanism underlying HCV-related hepatocarcinogenesis., Results: Compared with the empty vector control, HCV core protein and NS4B demonstrated the following characteristics in the Huh7 cells: significantly enhanced β-catenin/Tcf-dependent transcriptional activity (F = 40.87, P < 0.01); increased nuclear translocation of β-catenin (F = 165.26, P < 0.01); upregulated nuclear β-catenin, cytoplasmic β-catenin, Wnt1, c-myc, and cyclin D1 protein expression (P < 0.01); and promoted proliferation of Huh7 cells (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Neither protein enhanced β-catenin/Tcf-dependent transcriptional activity in the LO2 cells (F = 0.65, P > 0.05), but they did significantly enhance Wnt3a-induced β-catenin/Tcf-dependent transcriptional activity (F = 64.25, P < 0.01), and promoted the nuclear translocation of β-catenin (F = 66.54, P < 0.01) and the Wnt3a-induced proliferation of LO2 cells (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Moreover, activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was greater with the core protein than with NS4B (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05)., Conclusions: HCV core protein and NS4B directly activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in Huh7 cells and LO2 cells induced by Wnt3a. These data suggest that HCV core protein and NS4B contribute to HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

Background: Screening is the main preventive method for cervical cancer in developing countries, but each type of screening has advantages and disadvantages. To investigate the most suitable method for low-income areas in China, we conducted a health economic analysis comparing three methods: visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI), ThinPrep cytology test (TCT), and human papillomavirus (HPV) test., Methods: We recruited 3086 women aged 35-65 years using cluster random sampling. Each participant was randomly assigned to one of three cervical cancer screening groups: VIA/VILI, TCT, or HPV test. In order to calculate the number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted by each screening method, we used Markov models to estimate the natural development of cervical cancer over a 15-year period to estimate the age of onset and duration of each disease stage. The cost-effectiveness ratios (CERs), net present values (NPVs), benefit-cost ratios (BCRs), and cost-utility ratios (CURs) were used as outcomes in the health economic analysis., Results: The positive detection rate in the VIA/VILI group was 1.39%, which was 4.6 and 2.0 times higher than the rates in the TCT and HPV test groups, respectively. The positive predictive value of VIA/VILI (10.53%) was highest while the rate of referral for colposcopy was lowest for those in the HPV + TCT group (0.60%). VIA/VILI performed the best in terms of health economic evaluation results, as the cost of per positive case detected was 8467.9 RMB, which was 24503.0 RMB lower than that for TCT and 5755.9 RMB lower than that for the HPV test. In addition, the NPV and BCR values were 258011.5 RMB and 3.18 (the highest), and the CUR was 2341.8 RMB (the lowest). The TCT performed the worst, since its NPV was <0 and the BCR was <1, indicative of being poorly cost-beneficial., Conclusions: With the best economic evaluation results and requiring minimum medical resources, VIA/VILI is recommended for cervical cancer screening in poverty-stricken areas in China with high incidence of cervical cancer and lack of medical resources.

Background: Smoking has been shown to reduce health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutanous coronary intervention (PCI) either by means of balloon angioplasty or with the use of bare-metal stents (BMS). Drug-eluting stents (DES) have now been widely used and are related to substantial reduction of restenosis and significantly improved HRQOL compared with BMS. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of smoking on HRQOL in patients after PCI in DES era., Methods: A cohort of 649 patients admitted for CAD and treated with drug-eluting stents were included in this prospective, observational study. Patients were classified as non-smokers (n = 351, 54.1%), quitters (n = 126, 19,4%), or persistent smokers (n = 172, 26.5%) according to their smoking status at the time they first admitted to hospital and during the first year of follow-up. Each patient was prospectively interviewed at baseline, 6 months and 1 year following PCI. HRQOL was assessed with the use of Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36)., Results: For the overall population, HRQOL scores at 1-year follow-up were significantly higher than baseline for all 8 domains. At 1-year follow-up, the HRQOL scores in persistent smokers were still lower than that in non-smokers in 6 domains except for bodily pain and mental health, and than that in quitters in 5 domains except for bodily pain, role emotional and mental health. There were no significant differences with regard to the scores between non-smokers and quitters except role emotional for which non-smokers had higher scores. After adjustment, persistent smokers demonstrated significantly less improvements in HRQOL than non-smokers in 6 domains except for bodily pain and social functioning and significantly less improvement than quitters for general health. Improvements of quitters were comparable to that of non-smokers in all domains. Multivariate linear regression analyses showed persistent smoking was an independent risk factor for PCS and MCS improvements., Conclusions: Persistent smoking substantially diminishes the potential quality-of-life benefits of DES. Efforts should be made to promote smoking cessation after DES implantation which could greatly improve the health quality outcomes.

Background: Prednisone plus azathioprine is considered the mainstay of therapy in the current recommendations for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). However, it does not provide good benefits for AIH patients because of its serious side effects. Therefore, more and more AIH patients prefer to seek for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to manage their symptoms and reduce the side effects of steroids in China. Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction is a popular used Chinese herbal formula in Guangdong province of China, which has demonstrated the effect of improving efficacy and reducing side effects of corticosteroids in AIH patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction combined with steroid in AIH patients. So, this study aims to explore whether the combination treatment of Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction and steroid standard therapy could improve the clinical management of AIH., Methods: A prospective non-randomized study on AIH will be conducted between October 2015 and June 2017 in Guangdong Provincial hospital of Chinese medicine. Eligible AIH patients will be classified as the case group (n = 66) and the control group (n = 66) based on the interventions. Patients taking Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction combined with prednisone and azathioprine will be in the case group and those taking prednisone and azathioprine will be in the control group. The whole study will last 48 weeks, including a 24-week observation period and a 24-week follow-up period. The primary outcome was complete response to therapy, defined as complete biochemical remission at the patient's last visit of observation period and the absence of predefined steroid-specific side effects throughout treatment., Discussion: This trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction combined with prednisone and azathioprine on AIH patients. The achievement of this trial will provide evidence-based data for Shu-Gan-Jian-Pi Decoction, which could provide good benefits for AIH patients., Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-OOC-15006155 . Registration date: 28 March 2015.

Objective: In human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), TLR4 recognises Pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as LPS, and subsequently activates downstream signals that lead to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms of LPS-induced miRNA-146 regulation of TLR4 signals in HGFs., Materials and Methods: HGFs were treated with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g) LPS, the cells were harvested, and kinase phosphorylation levels were detected by western blot. Selective pharmacological inhibitors and agonists were used to block or activate the relevant kinases, miRNA-146a/b expression levels were detected by real-time PCR, and IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α production were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). A luciferase reporter plasmid containing miRNA-146a/b promoter was tested in terms of p50/p65 regulation., Results: After P.g LPS treatment, NF-κB and Erk1/2 were strongly activated in HGFs. miRNA-146a/b, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF-α levels were down-regulated when NF-κB inhibitor was used. p50/p65 strongly activated miRNA-146a/b promoter as measured with the luciferase assay., Conclusion: In TLR4 signalling in HGFs, both miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b are downstream targets of NF-κB, but not of AP-1 signalling. miRNA-146a/b expression was specifically dependent on NF-κB but not Erk1/2 or JNK signalling.

Background: Although various microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate immune and inflammatory responses, the function of miRNAs in periodontitis has not been clearly illuminated. In this study, we measured miRNA-146 (miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p) expression and explored its regulatory function in the inflammatory response in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs)., Methods: miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p expression was measured by performing real-time polymerase chain reaction in HGFs after Porphyromonas gingivalis (p.g) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. After the HGFs were transfected with miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p inhibitor, the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Meanwhile, IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) were detected by western blot and quantitative PCR. A luciferase assay was used to detect whether miRNA-146 could directly bind to the 3'-UTR of IRAK1., Results: The expression levels of miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p significantly increased in the P.g LPS-stimulated HGFs compared to the non-stimulated HGFs. The inhibition of miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p resulted in increased IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secretion. The mRNA and protein levels of IRAK1, but not TRAF6, also increased. We further found that miRNA-146a and miRNA-146b-5p directly bound to the IRAK1 3'-UTR., Conclusion: Our data suggest that miRNA-146 inhibits pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion through IRAK1 in HGFs, which indicates that miRNA-146 functions as a negative regulator of periodontal inflammation.