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Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels resulting from insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Immune dysregulation-mediated chronic low-grade inflammation is a critical factor that poses a significant risk to the metabolic disorders of T2DM and its related complications. Exosomes, as small extracellular vesicles secreted by various cells, have emerged as essential regulators of intercellular communication and immune regulation. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of exosomes derived from immune and nonimmune cells in modulating immune responses in T2DM by regulating immune cell functions and cytokine production. More importantly, we suggest potential strategies for the clinical applications of exosomes in T2DM management, including biomarkers for disease diagnosis and monitoring, exosome-based therapies for drug delivery vehicles, and targeted therapy for exosomes., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Wei Zheng et al.)

Osimertinib is a third-generation covalent EGFR inhibitor that is used in treating non-small cell lung cancer. First-generation EGFR inhibitors were found to elicit pro-differentiation effect on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells in preclinical studies, but clinical trials yielded mostly negative results. Here, we report that osimertinib selectively induced apoptosis of CD34+ leukemia stem/progenitor cells but not CD34- cells in EGFR-negative AML and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Covalent binding of osimertinib to CD34 at cysteines 199 and 177 and suppression of Src family kinases (SFK) and downstream STAT3 activation contributed to osimertinib-induced cell death. SFK and STAT3 inhibition induced synthetic lethality with osimertinib in primary CD34+ cells. CD34 expression was elevated in AML cells compared with their normal counterparts. Genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic profiling identified mutation and gene expression signatures of patients with AML with high CD34 expression, and univariate and multivariate analyses indicated the adverse prognostic significance of high expression of CD34. Osimertinib treatment induced responses in AML patient-derived xenograft models that correlated with CD34 expression while sparing normal CD34+ cells. Clinical responses were observed in two patients with CD34high AML who were treated with osimertinib on a compassionate-use basis. These findings reveal the therapeutic potential of osimertinib for treating CD34high AML and CML and describe an EGFR-independent mechanism of osimertinib-induced cell death in myeloid leukemia., Significance: Osimertinib binds CD34 and selectively kills CD34+ leukemia cells to induce remission in preclinical models and patients with AML with a high percentage of CD34+ blasts, providing therapeutic options for myeloid leukemia patients., (©2023 The Authors; Published by the American Association for Cancer Research.)

Background: The chronic visceral subtype of acid sphingomyelinase deficiency, commonly known as Niemann Pick disease type B (NPDB), is a relatively rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is caused by mutations in the SMPD1 gene. NPDB with sea-blue histiocytes (SBH) clinically mimics Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS), as it lacks specific clinical characteristics. This makes its diagnosis difficult., Case Presentation: Here, we report a case of NPDB with SBH that was misdiagnosed as BCS for three years. A 20-year-old female with abdominal distension, hepatosplenomegaly, and haematological anomalies was initially diagnosed with BCS based on her imaging finding of a thin hepatic vein and rapid blood flow at the confluence of the hepatic vein and inferior vena cava. Her bone marrow cytology found sea-blue histiocytes. Liver biopsy showed foamy cytoplasm in hepatocytes surrounded by numerous Kupffer cells. Sequencing analysis of the SMPD1 gene led to the finding of two missense mutations in the heterozygous state: C.829 T > C (p.Trp277Arg) in exon 2 (novel) and c.1805G > A (p.Arg602His) in exon 6 (already described). These findings established the diagnosis of NPDB., Conclusion: The patient presented with hepatosplenomegaly, haematological anomalies, and dyslipidaemia. Thus, NPDB should be considered following the exclusion of related diseases. The diagnosis of NPDB was suspected by clinical symptoms and routine laboratory tests and was confirmed by liver biopsy and gene sequencing. The novel mutation c.829 T > C in exon 2 of the SMPD1 gene has never been reported and needs to be further investigated., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The emergence of pseudorabies virus (PRV) variants brings serious harm to the swine industry, and its effective treatments are limited at present. As one of the probiotics, the Lactobacillus species have beneficial characteristics of regulating the balance of intestinal flora, inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and viruses' proliferation, and improving self-immunity. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum HN-11 and Lactobacillus casei HN-12 were selected and identified through morphology observation, Gram stain microscopy, 16S rRNA sequencing analysis, and specific amplification of the recA gene and pheS gene. All tested isolates exhibited rapid adaptation to the different conditions, excellent acid, and bile tolerance, and sensitivity to Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus , and Escherichia coli . The antibiotic susceptibility assay displayed the isolates sensitive to most antibiotics and resistant to Lincomycin and Norfloxacin. Moreover, the supernatants of HN-11 and HN-12 inhibited PRV proliferation in ST cells. The results of animal experiments showed that supplementing the challenged mice with the supernatants of Lactobacillus isolates in advance delayed the course of the disease. PRV was detected in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, and brain tissues of dead mice in the test groups, and its copies in the lungs were significantly decreased compared with the control mice ( P < 0.05). These findings proved the advantages of L. plantarum and L. casei as potential probiotic cultures, which could provide a basis for its application in microecological preparations and functional formulations., Competing Interests: X-WD is employed by Henan Delin Biological Products Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Yang, Yan, Li, Li, Chen, Yin, Dang and Zhang.)

Exosomes, one of three main types of extracellular vesicles, are ~30-100 nm in diameter and have a lipid bilayer membrane. They are widely distributed in almost all body fluids. Exosomes have the potential to regulate unknown cellular and molecular mechanisms in intercellular communication, organ homeostasis, and diseases. They are critical signal carriers that transfer nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and other substances into recipient cells, participating in cellular signal transduction and material exchange. ncRNAs are non-protein-coding genes that account for over 90% of the genome and include microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). ncRNAs are crucial for physiological and pathological activities in the liver by participating in gene transcription, posttranscriptional epigenetic regulation, and cellular processes through interacting with DNA, RNA, or proteins. Recent evidence from both clinical and preclinical studies indicates that exosome-derived noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are highly involved in the progression of acute and chronic liver diseases by regulating hepatic lipid metabolism, innate immunity, viral infection, fibrosis, and cancer. Therefore, exosome-derived ncRNAs have promising potential and clinical implications for the early diagnosis, targeted therapy, and prognosis of liver diseases., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology.)

The present study detected the component content in Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum by HPLC fingerprint and the multi-component determination method. HPLC analysis was performed on the Agilent ZORBAX SB-C&#95;(18) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm). Acetonitrile-0.5% phosphoric acid aqueous solution with gradient elution was employed as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1.0 mL·min~(-1) and the column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The detection wavelength was 210 nm and the sample volume was 10 μL. The similarity of 18 batches of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum was 0.343-0.779, indicating that there were great differences between different batches of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum. Eighteen common peaks were identified, including eight flavonoids such as liquiritigenin and latifolin. The mass fractions of liquiritigenin, luteolin, naringenin, isoliquiritigenin, formononetin, dalbergin, latifolin, and pinocembrin were in the ranges of 0.134 1%-0.495 2%, 0.028 2%-0.167 0%, 0.016 3%-0.591 3%, 0.053 5%-0.188 0%, 0.142 4%-0.640 1%, 0.068 0%-0.590 7%, 0.003 2%-1.980 7%, and 0.009 6%-0.740 2%, respectively. Eighteen batches of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum were divided into three categories by cluster analysis and eight differential components in Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum were marked by partial least-squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA). The cumulative variance contribution rate was 90.5%. The HPLC fingerprint combined with the multi-component determination method for Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum is easy in operation and accurate in results, with good repeatability and reliability. The quality of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum can be evaluated and analyzed by the PLS-DA model. This study is expected to provide a reference for the quality control and clinical application of Dalbergiae Odoriferae Lignum.

Background: Liver cancer is one of the most highly malignant cancers, characterized by easy metastasis and chemoradiotherapy resistance. Emerging evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs), including Lnc524369, are highly involved in the initiation, progression, radioresistance, and chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the function of Lnc524369 remains unclear., Aim: To explore the function of Lnc524369 in HCC., Methods: To investigate the effect of Lnc524369, tissue from 41 HCC patients were analyzed using CCK8, migration, and invasion assays. Lnc524369 and YWHAZ (also named 14-3-3ζ) mRNA were detected by qPCR, and YWHAZ and RAF1 proteins were detected by western blot in liver cancer cell lines and human HCC tissues. The Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) databases, STRING database, Human Protein Atlas database, and the TCGA database were used for bioinformatic analysis., Results: Lnc524369 was significantly upregulated in the nucleus of liver cancer cells and human HCC tissues. Overexpression of Lnc524369 was associated with the proliferation, migration, and invasion of liver cancer cells. YWHAZ and RAF1 proteins and YWHAZ mRNA were overexpressed in liver cancer, which could be attenuated by overexpression of Lnc524369. Lnc524369 and its downstream target YWHAZ and RAF1 proteins were negatively associated with overall survival time., Conclusion: Lnc524369 might be a promising target of HCC as it can enhance liver cancer progression and decrease the overall survival time of HCC by activating the YWHAZ/RAF1 pathway., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and serum pharmacochemistry were employed to study the migrating components in rat sera after intragastric administration of the water extracts of Puerariae Lobatae Radix(PLR) and Puerariae Thomsonii Radix(PTR). After the respective intragastric administration of PLR and PTR extracts, blood samples were collected from the orbital vein. The serum samples were treated by protein precipitation method with methanol and acetonitrile at a ratio of 1∶1 and then passed through Agilent ZORBAX RRHD SB-C&#95;(18) column(3 mm×100 mm, 1.8 μm) and Agilent SB-C&#95;(18) pre-column(3 mm×5 mm, 1.8 μm) with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-acetonitrile(B) as the mobile phase. The elution was performed at the flow rate of 0.25 mL·min~(-1), the column temperature of 40 ℃, and the injection volume of 2 μL. By comparison of the total ion chromatogram and secondary fragment ion information of PLR and PTR water extracts, PLR-and PTR-containing sera, and blank serum, we found 42 migrating components(including 17 prototype components and 25 metabolites) in the sera of rats treated with PLR and 35 migrating components(including 15 prototype components and 20 metabolites) in the sera of rats treated with PTR. Thirty-three common components were shared by the two treatments, including 13 prototype components and 20 metabolites. The differences of migrating components in the PLR-and PTR-treated rat sera provide a scientific basis for further study of the active components and quality markers of PLR and PTR.

Abstract: Early determination of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia from numerous suspected cases is critical for the early isolation and treatment of patients.The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a rapid screening model to predict early COVID-19 pneumonia from suspected cases using a random forest algorithm in China.A total of 914 initially suspected COVID-19 pneumonia in multiple centers were prospectively included. The computer-assisted embedding method was used to screen the variables. The random forest algorithm was adopted to build a rapid screening model based on the training set. The screening model was evaluated by the confusion matrix and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis in the validation.The rapid screening model was set up based on 4 epidemiological features, 3 clinical manifestations, decreased white blood cell count and lymphocytes, and imaging changes on chest X-ray or computed tomography. The area under the ROC curve was 0.956, and the model had a sensitivity of 83.82% and a specificity of 89.57%. The confusion matrix revealed that the prospective screening model had an accuracy of 87.0% for predicting early COVID-19 pneumonia.Here, we developed and validated a rapid screening model that could predict early COVID-19 pneumonia with high sensitivity and specificity. The use of this model to screen for COVID-19 pneumonia have epidemiological and clinical significance., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is one of the most dangerous mycotoxins for humans and animals. This study aimed to investigate the effects of compound probiotics (CP), CP supernatant (CPS), AFB 1 -degradation enzyme (ADE) on chicken embryo primary intestinal epithelium, liver and kidney cell viabilities, and to determine the functions of CP + ADE (CPADE) or CPS + ADE (CPSADE) for alleviating cytotoxicity induced by AFB 1 . The results showed that AFB 1 decreased cell viabilities in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. The optimal AFB 1 concentrations and reactive time for establishing cell damage models were 200 µg/L AFB 1 and 12 h for intestinal epithelium cells, 40 µg/L and 12 h for liver and kidney cells. Cell viabilities reached 231.58% (p < 0.05) for intestinal epithelium cells with CP addition, 105.29% and 115.84% (p < 0.05) for kidney and liver cells with CPS additions. The further results showed that intestinal epithelium, liver and kidney cell viabilities were significantly decreased to 87.12%, 88.7% and 84.19% (p < 0.05) when the cells were exposed to AFB 1 ; however, they were increased to 93.49% by CPADE addition, 102.33% and 94.71% by CPSADE additions (p < 0.05). The relative mRNA abundances of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, iNOS, NF-κB, NOD1 (except liver cell) and TLR2 in three kinds of primary cells were significantly down-regulated by CPADE or CPSADE addition, compared with single AFB 1 group (p < 0.05), indicating that CPADE or CPSADE addition could alleviate cell cytotoxicity and inflammation induced by AFB 1 exposure through suppressing the activations of NF-κB, iNOS, NOD1 and TLR2 pathways.

Novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) has been widely spread in China and several other countries. Early finding of this pneumonia from huge numbers of suspects gives clinicians a big challenge. The aim of the study was to develop a rapid screening model for early predicting NCP in a Zhejiang population, as well as its utility in other areas. A total of 880 participants who were initially suspected of NCP from January 17 to February 19 were included. Potential predictors were selected via stepwise logistic regression analysis. The model was established based on epidemiological features, clinical manifestations, white blood cell count, and pulmonary imaging changes, with the area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.920. At a cut-off value of 1.0, the model could determine NCP with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 82.3%. We further developed a simplified model by combining the geographical regions and rounding the coefficients, with the AUROC of 0.909, as well as a model without epidemiological factors with the AUROC of 0.859. The study demonstrated that the screening model was a helpful and cost-effective tool for early predicting NCP and had great clinical significance given the high activity of NCP.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) infection is one of the primary risk factors associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite having been extensively studied, diagnosing early-stage HCC remains challenging, and diagnosed patients have a poor (3-5%) survival rate. Identifying new approaches to detect changes in the serum metabolic profiles of patients with CHB and liver cirrhosis (LC) may provide a valuable approach to better detect HCC at an early stage when it is still amenable to treatment, thereby improving patient prognosis and survival. In the present study, we, therefore, employed a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based approach to evaluate the serum metabolic profiles of 30 CHB patients, 29 LC patients, and 30 HCC patients. We then employed appropriate statistical methods to identify those metabolites that were best able to distinguish HCC cases from LC and CHB controls. A mass-based database was then used to putatively identify these metabolites. We then confirmed the identities of a subset of these metabolites through comparisons with the MS/MS fragmentation patterns and retention times of reference standards. The serum samples were then reanalyzed to quantify the levels of these selected metabolites and of other metabolites that have previously been identified as potential HCC biomarkers. Through this approach, we observed clear differences in the metabolite profiles of the CHB, LC, and HCC patient groups in both positive- and negative-ion modes. We found that the levels of taurodeoxy cholic acid (TCA) and 1,2-diacyl-3-β-d-galactosyl- sn -glycerol rose with the progression from CHB to LC to HCC, whereas levels of 5-hydroxy-6 E ,8 Z ,11 Z ,14 Z ,17 Z -eicosapentaenoic acid, and glycyrrhizic acid were gradually reduced with liver disease progression in these groups. The ROC analysis showed that taurodeoxy cholic acid (TCA), 1,2-diacyl-3-β-d-galactosyl- sn -glycerol, 5-hydroxy-6 E ,8 Z ,11 Z ,14 Z ,17 Z -eicosapentaenoic acid, and glycyrrhizic acid had a diagnosis performance with liver disease progression. These four metabolites have a significant correlation with alpha fetal protein (AFP) level and age. Our results highlight novel metabolic biomarkers that have the potential to be used for differentiating between CHB, LC, and HCC patients, thereby facilitating the identification and treatment of patients with early-stage HCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 American Chemical Society.)

This study aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of miR-135b in high glucose-induced oxidative stress of renal tubular epithelial cells. Here, in vivo experiments found that compared to the control group, miR-135b expression was significantly up-regulated in the diabetes group, whereas BMP7 mRNA and protein levels were down-regulated. In high glucose-treated renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) in vitro, oxidative stress was induced, which up-regulated miR-135b expression. In addition, the regulation of miR-135b on BMP7 expression was confirmed in HK-2 cells. Under high glucose conditions, oxidative stress promoted the apoptosis of HK-2 cells through the up-regulation of miR-135b expression. In vivo experiments indicated that interference with miR-135b improved renal function in mice with diabetic nephropathy. In conclusion, these results indicated that the up-regulation of miR-135b expression induced by oxidative stress promotes the apoptosis of HK-2 cells under high glucose conditions., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the mycotoxins most frequently encountering in cereal-based foods throughout the world. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to alleviate porcine jejunal epithelia cell (IPEC-J2) injury induced by DON in this study. The results indicated that cell viability and proliferation rates were significantly decreased when DON concentrations were increased from 0 to 64 µM after 24 h incubation (p < 0.05). The longer incubation time and higher DON concentrations would cause more serious effects on cell viability. S. cerevisiae could significantly degrade DON and decrease lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release in the cells induced by DON (p < 0.05). DON (4 µM) could increase necrotic and apoptotic cell rates as well as decrease viable cell rates, compared with the control group (p < 0.05). However, S. cerevisiae addition in the DON group could decrease necrotic, late apoptotic and early apoptotic cell rates by 38.05%, 46.37% and 44.78% respectively, increase viable cell rates by 2.35%, compared with the single DON group (p < 0.05). In addition, S. cerevisiae addition could up-regulate mRNA abundances of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in IPEC-J2 cells (p < 0.05), but down-regulate mRNA abundances of tight junction proteins (TJP-1) and occludin by 36.13% and 50.18% at 1 µM of DON (p < 0.05). It could be concluded that S. cerevisiae was able to alleviate IPEC-J2 cell damage exposed to DON.

Background: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare disease in China, and very little large-scale studies have been conducted to date. We aimed to investigate the clinical and genetic features of CGD in Chinese pediatric patients., Methods: Pediatric patients with CGD from Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, China, were enrolled from January 2006 to December 2016., Results: A total of 159 pediatric patients with CGD were enrolled. The median age of clinical onset was 1.4 months, and 73% (116/159) had clinical onset symptoms before the 1 year of age. The most common site of invasion was the lungs. The lymph nodes, liver, and skin were more frequently invaded in X-linked (XL) CGD patients than in autosomal recessive (AR) CGD patients (P < 0.05). Approximately 64% (92/144) of the pediatric patients suffered from abnormal response to BCG vaccination. The most frequent pathogens were Aspergillus and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Gene analysis indicated that 132 cases (89%, 132/147) harbored CYBB pathogenic variants, 7 (5%, 7/147) carried CYBA pathogenic variants, 4 (3%, 4/147) had NCF1 pathogenic variants, and 4 (3%, 4/147) had NCF2 pathogenic variants. The overall mortality rate in this study was 43%, particularly the patients were males, with CYBB mutant and did not receive HSCT treatment., Conclusions: Chronic granulomatous disease is a rare disease affecting Chinese children; however, it is often diagnosed at a later age, and thus, the mortality rate is relatively high. The prevalence and the severity of disease in XL-CGD are higher than AR-CGD., (© 2019 The Authors. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Fatty acid oxidation dependency of leukemia cells has been documented in recent studies. Pharmacologic inhibition of fatty acid oxidation, thereby, displays significant effects in suppressing leukemia. 2-Bromopalmitate, a palmitate analogue, was initially identified as an inhibitor of fatty acid oxidation, and recently recognized as an inhibitor of protein palmitoylation. However, the effects of 2-Bromopalmitate on leukemia and its cellular targets remain obscure. Herein, we discover in cultured cell lines, a transplantable mouse model, and primary blasts that 2-Bromopalmitate presents synergistic differentiation induction with all-trans retinoic acid in acute promyelocytic leukemia. Moreover, 2-Bromopalmitate overcomes all-trans retinoic acid resistance in all-trans retinoic acid-resistant cells and leukemic mice. Mechanistically, 2-Bromopalmitate covalently binds at cysteine 105 and cysteine 174 of retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) and stabilizes RARα protein in the presence of all-trans retinoic acid which is known to induce RARα degradation, leading to enhanced transcription of RARα-target genes. Mutation of both cysteines largely abrogates the synergistic effect of 2-Bromopalmitate on all-trans retinoic acid-induced differentiation, demonstrating that 2-Bromopalmitate promotes all-trans retinoic acid-induced differentiation through binding RARα. All-trans retinoic acid-based regimens including arsenic trioxide or chemotherapy, as preferred therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia, induce adverse events and irreversible resistance. We expect that combining all-trans retinoic acid with 2-Bromopalmitate would be a promising therapeutic strategy for acute promyelocytic leukemia, especially for overcoming all-trans retinoic acid resistance of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia patients., (Copyright© 2019 Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

The autonomic nervous system contributes to prostate cancer proliferation and metastasis. However, the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, muscarinic acetylcholine receptor M1 (CHRM1) expression was measured via immunohistochemical analysis in human prostate cancer tissue array slides. PC-3, LNCaP, and A549 cells were treated with pirenzepine or carbachol, and the cell migration and invasion abilities were evaluated. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to measure GLI family zinc finger 1 (GLI1), patched 1 (PTCH1), and sonic hedgehog (SHH) expression levels. High expression of CHRM1 was found in early-stage human prostate cancer tissues. In addition, the selective CHRM1 antagonist pirenzepine inhibited PC-3, LNCaP, and A549 cell migration and invasion, but the agonist carbachol promoted the migration and invasion of these three cell lines. Muscarinic signaling can be relayed by hedgehog signaling. These data show that CHRM1 is involved in the regulation of prostate cancer migration and invasion through the hedgehog signaling pathway., Competing Interests: None

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and characteristics of drug resistance in newly diagnosed pediatric tuberculosis (TB) patients in northern China., Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were collected from September 2010 to October 2016 at the Beijing Children's Hospital. Patients were divided into two groups (resistant to at least one drug and pan-susceptible) according to drug susceptibility testing (DST) results., Results: A total of 132 new cases, mainly from northern China (87.9%), were included in the study. The median age was 1.9 years (1 month-15 years). Resistance to at least one drug was detected in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from 33 (25%) cases. Eight cases of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) (6.1%) were detected. The two groups did not differ in clinical presentations (disease site, fever >2 weeks, and cough >2 weeks) or in chest imaging (lesion location, lymphadenitis [mediastinal], and pleural effusion)., Conclusions: The rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance in new pediatric TB cases was as high as in the new adult patients surveyed in the national drug resistance survey conducted in 2007. No significant difference was observed in clinical features between patients infected with drug-resistant and drug-susceptible strains. Routine DST is important for prescribing effective antituberculosis treatment regimens.

Background: Aedes albopictus is among the 100 most invasive species worldwide and poses a major risk to public health. Photoperiodic diapause provides a crucial ecological basis for the adaptation of this species to adverse environments. Ae. albopictus is the vital vector transmitting dengue virus in Guangzhou, but its diapause activities herein remain obscure., Methods: In the laboratory, yeast powder and food slurry were compared for a proper diapause determination method, and the critical photoperiod (CPP) was tested at illumination times of 11, 11.5, 12, 12.5, 13, and 13.5 h. A 4-parameter logistic (4PL) regression model was selected to estimate the CPP. In the field, the seasonal dynamics of the Ae. albopictus population, egg diapause, and hatching of overwintering eggs were investigated monthly, weekly, and daily, respectively. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to assess the associations of diapause with meteorological factors., Results: In the laboratory, both the wild population and the Foshan strain of Ae. albopictus were induced to diapause at an incidence greater than 80%, and no significant difference (P > 0.1) was observed between the two methods for identifying diapause. The CPP of this population was estimated to be 12.312 h of light. In the field, all of the indexes of the wild population were at the lowest levels from December to February, and the Route Index was the first to increase in March. Diapause incidence displayed pronounced seasonal dynamics. It was estimated that the day lengths of 12.111 h at week 2016, 43 and 12.373 h at week 2017, 41 contributed to diapause in 50% of the eggs. Day length was estimated to be the main meteorological factor related to diapause., Conclusions: Photoperiodic diapause of Ae. albopictus in Guangzhou of China was confirmed and comprehensively elucidated in both the laboratory and the field. Diapause eggs are the main form for overwintering and begin to hatch in large quantities in March in Guangzhou. Furthermore, this study also established an optimized investigation system and statistical models for the study of Ae. albopictus diapause. These findings will contribute to the prevention and control of Ae. albopictus and mosquito-borne diseases.

Objective: To explore the association between rs13405728 with slow ovarian response in assisted reproductive technology (ART)., Patients and Methods: 236 women, aged 21 to 35 years, were enrolled and grouped according to their genotypes, The polymorphism of rs13405728 was genotyped by DNA sequencing., Results: There was no evidence of any difference in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), antral follicle count (AFC) among the three genotypes (p>0.05). The occurrence of slow response in genotype GG was lower than those in the other two genotypes (p<0.05). There were independent correlations between slow ovarian response with the dose of luteinizing hormone (LH) required and the genotypes of rs13405728 (p<0.05)., Conclusions: There were significant independent correlations between slow ovarian response with the dose of LH required and the genotypes of rs13405728. Different mechanisms may be involved in poor response and slow response.

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed the worldwide heterogeneity of genetic factors in tuberculosis (TB) susceptibility. Despite having the third highest global TB burden, no TB-related GWAS has been performed in China. Here, we performed the first three-stage GWAS on TB in the Han Chinese population. In the stage 1 (discovery stage), after quality control, 691 388 SNPs present in 972 TB patients and 1537 controls were retained. After replication on an additional 3460 TB patients and 4862 controls (stages 2 and 3), we identified three significant loci associated with TB, the most significant of which was rs4240897 (logistic regression P = 1.41 × 10-11, odds ratio = 0.79). The aforementioned three SNPs were harbored by MFN2, RGS12 and human leukocyte antigen class II beta chain paralogue encoding genes, all of which are candidate immune genes associated with TB. Our findings provide new insight into the genetic background of TB in the Han Chinese population., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Aberrant activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) has been observed in a wide range of human cancers and is thought to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis. As a central component of NF-κB pathway, p65 protein level is tightly regulated and could be subjected to proteasome degradation. Here we demonstrated that p65 can bind to HSC70 with four consensus recognition motif in its RHD domain and be constitutively transported to the lysosome membrane to bind with lysosome-associated membrane protein type 2A and degraded within the lysosome in two epithelial cell lines, proposing that p65 can be degraded by chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). Of great importance, there is a decreased CMA activity together with impaired degradation of p65 in a process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The resulted accumulation of p65 leads to higher NF-κB activity and contributes to the progression and maintenance of the EMT program. Taken together, our results define a novel regulatory mechanism for the important transcription factor p65, and these findings would shed new light on the inhibition of EMT, as well as metastasis of cancer cells.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype strains increasingly circulate in different world regions, either as historical endemic, e.g. in East Asia, or recently imported, e.g. in South America, and this family is regarded as the most successful lineage of the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic. Here we analysed the transmission capacity of these strains in the context of their phylogenetic background and drug resistance mutations. The study collection included all multidrug resistant (MDR) strains of Beijing genotype isolated in Beijing Chest Hospital, the largest tertiary TB facility in North China, in 2011-2013 (n = 278). Strains were subjected to NTF/IS6110 and 24-loci MIRU-VNTR analysis. Drug resistance mutations were detected in rpoB, katG, inhA and oxyR-ahpC. A total of 58 and 220 strains were assigned to the ancient and modern Beijing sublineages, respectively. 24-MIRU-VNTR clustering was higher in modern versus ancient Beijing strains (35.9% vs. 12.1%; P <0.001). After taking into consideration the presence of rpoB and katG mutations, clustering decreased to 15.9% in modern and 0% in ancient strains. The most frequent combination of mutations (rpoB531-TTG and katG315-ACC) was more prevalent in clustered versus non-clustered isolates in the modern sublineage (23/35 vs. 47/185; P <0.0001). To conclude, a combination of the known low-fitness-cost rpoB531-TTG and katG315-ACC mutations likely facilitates the increased transmission ability of MDR strains of the modern but not ancient Beijing sublineage. Accordingly, positive epistasis of major low-cost drug resistance-conferring mutations is influenced by the phylogenetic background of M. tuberculosis strains., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.)

MicroRNA (miRNA) is involved in the progression and metastasis of diverse human cancers, including breast cancer, as strong evidence has been found that miRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Here, we show that miR-494 is decreased in human breast cancer specimens and breast cancer cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-494 in basal-like breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231-LUC-D2H3LN and BT-549 inhibits clonogenic ability and metastasis-relevant traits in vitro. Moreover, ectopic expression of miR-494 suppresses neoplasm initiation as well as pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Further studies have identified PAK1, as a direct target gene of miR-494, contributes to the functions of miR-494. Remarkably, the expression of PAK1 is inversely correlated with the level of miR-494 in human breast cancer samples. Furthermore, re-expression of PAK1 partially reverses miR-494-mediated proliferative and clonogenic inhibition as well as migration and invasion suppression in breast cancer cells. Taken together, these findings highlight an important role for miR-494 in the regulation of progression and metastatic potential of breast cancer and suggest a potential application of miR-494 in breast cancer treatment.

Ammonia in poultry houses not only affects worker health but also induces a variety of poultry diseases. Alpha-lipoic acid (LA) is an effective antioxidant that protects cells against oxidative injury during various toxic and pathological processes. This study was designed to evaluate the mitigating effects of LA supplementation on ammonia stress and hepatic proteome changes in broilers. Male broilers (22 d old) were allocated to 3 groups: (1) a control group without ammonia stress (CTRL); (2) exposure to 70 ppm ammonia (AM); and (3) exposure to 70 ppm ammonia and dietary administration of 300 mg/kg LA (AM+LA). Ammonia exposure significantly decreased broiler growth performance and plasma glutathione peroxidase activity (P < 0.05), and increased plasma malondialdehyde content and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity (P < 0.05). These negative effects were eliminated by LA supplementation. Comparative proteomic analyses revealed 291 differentially expressed proteins in the AM group compared to the CTRL and AM+LA groups. A total of 30 proteins were differentially expressed between the AM/CTRL and (AM+LA)/AM groups. The addition of LA restored 24 of these proteins to control levels; these proteins were mainly related to transcription regulation, detoxification, protein translation and degradation, and immune and stress responses. The differentially expressed proteins included the high mobility group box (HMGB) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), which is closely related to immune response and oxidative stress, and collagens, which are implicated in liver injury. The addition of LA to broiler diet may reduce ammonia toxicity by maintaining the antioxidant system, xenobiotic metabolism, and metabolic pathways., (© 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.)

It is to establish the normal range and investigate the distribution characteristics of serum Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) for healthy adults in southern China. IGF-1 levels of 515 healthy adults (254 males and 261 females) were measured by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay. The subjects were strictly selected healthy volunteers, aged 20 to 84 years old, with equal five year intervals and without abnormal conditions that impacted IGF-1 levels. The reference ranges were calculated using the smooth centile curves of the LMS method (L: coefficient of skewness, M: median, S: coefficient of variation). IGF-1 declined with aging in adults. There were statistically significant differences for the IGF-1 levels between men and women in some subgroups of age. Gender differences varied depending on the age. Middle-aged females had higher IGF-1 whilst elder females had lower IGF-1. The statistical differences were seen in three subgroups of age between this study and a German cohort that is the reference range for the laboratory test kit. Here, the age- and gender-specific normal range was established for Chinese adults. A Z Score of IGF-1 for an individual could be obtained via the LMSchartmaker application, which standardized IGF-1 research worldwide.

Objective: To compare the level of testosterone between type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and healthy controls and to investigate the status of hypogonadism and the influence of hypopgonadism on the quality of life., Methods: We collected serum total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT), sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and other clinical data from 166 T2DM patients aged over 30 years and 186 age-matched healthy controls. We investigated the quality of life (QoL) of the two groups of subjects using the questionnaires of Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males (ADAM), Aging Male Symptoms (AMS), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and Special Quality of Life for Diabetes Mellitus (DSQL)., Results: The level of calculated FT (cFT) was remarkably lower in the T2DM patients than in the healthy controls (P<0.05), but no statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in the levels of TT, bio-available testosterone (Bio-T), and SHBG. The T2DM males with hypogonadism showed significant differences from those without in age, height, systolic blood pressure, and creatinine (P<0.05). Based on the criteria of cFT <0.3 nmol/L and AMS score ≥27, the incidence rate of hypogonadism was 51.81% in the T2DM patients, 31.58% in the 30－39 yr group, 32.50% in the 40－49 yr group, 50% in the 50－59 yr group, 69.23% in the 60－69 yr group, and 77.27% in the ≥70 yr group, elevated by 77.4% with the increase of 10 years of age (OR = 1.774, P<0.001). The AMS score was significantly correlated with the scores of DSQL (r = 0.557, P<0.001) and SF-36 (r = －0.739, P<0.001) in the T2DM patients., Conclusions: T2DM patients have lower levels of cFT than healthy men, accompanied with a higher incidence of hypogonadism. Age is a main risk factor of hypogonadism. Severer testosterone deficiency symptoms are associated with lower scores of QoL in T2DM males.

Interferon inducible transmembrane protein 3 (IFITM3) is a double transmembrane protein. As a member of the IFITM family, IFITM3 can be upregulated by interferon (IFN) to be involved in various biological processes. In order to determine whether gene expression profiles can be altered by a lack of IFITM3, the present study used shRNAs lentivirus for knocking down the endogenous expression of IFITM3 in human HeLa cells and human whole genome microarrays to obtain gene expression profiles. A total of 1,011 downregulated transcripts and 615 upregulated transcripts were identified using the Agilent expression platform. The identified transcripts were involved in multiple pathways, including the complement pathways, and the antigen processing and presentation pathway. The present study identified the transcripts, which were affected by the downregulation of endogenous IFITM3 and the pathways they were involved in. These findings may lead to an improved understanding of the biological functions of IFITM3.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing genotype originated in China and has undergone a dramatic population growth and global spread in the last century. Here, a collection of M. tuberculosis Beijing family isolates from different provinces across all China was genotyped by high-resolution (24-MIRU-VNTR) and low-resolution, high-rank (modern and ancient sublineages) markers. The molecular profiles and global and local phylogenies were compared to the strain phenotype and patient data. The phylogeographic patterns observed in the studied collection demonstrate that large-scale (but not middle/small-scale) distance remains one of the decisive factors of the genetic divergence of M. tuberculosis populations. Analysis of diversity and network topology of the local collections appears to corroborate a recent intriguing hypothesis about Beijing genotype originating in South China. Placing our results within the Eurasian context suggested that important Russian B0/W148 and Asian/Russian A0/94-32 epidemic clones of the Beijing genotype could trace their origins to the northeastern and northwestern regions of China, respectively. The higher clustering of the modern isolates in children and lack of increased MDR rate in any sublineage suggest that not association with drug resistance but other (e.g., speculatively, virulence-related) properties underlie an enhanced dissemination of the evolutionarily recent, modern sublineage of the Beijing genotype in China.

Background: As the epidemic of MDR-TB and XDR-TB becomes increasingly severe, it is important to determine the clinical characteristics and molecular epidemiology of MDR-TB and XDR-TB. Recently, many studies have shown that clinical features and molecular characteristics of drug-resistant strains vary in different geographical areas, however, further information is needed to assess the dynamic evolution of drug-resistant TB. Comparative studies between different time periods are necessary to elucidate the development of drug-resistant TB., Results: A total of 255 and 537 strains were collected from Beijing Chest Hospital in 2006 and in 2012, respectively. Drug-resistance rates and mutations associated with resistance to first-line anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs were compared. The overall rate of drug resistance among strains of TB in 2012 was 54.4 %, significantly higher than that in 2006 (34.9 %, P < 0.001). Rates of resistance to each first-line drug (isoniazid, rifampicin, streptomycin and ethambutol) and to second-line drug ofloxacin increased significantly from 2006 to 2012. The overall MDR rate also increased significantly from 2006 (14.9 %) to 2012 (27.0 %). The rate of MDR increased significantly between these two time periods in previously treated cases (P = 0.023) but not in new cases (P = 0.073), and the rate of XDR was similar in new cases at the two time periods, but was marginally higher in 2012 in previously treated cases (P = 0.056). Previous treatment was found to be a risk factor for drug-resistant TB, especially for MDR-TB. In addition, the proportion of drug resistant isolates in which katG, the mabA-inhA promoter, oxyR-ahpC intergenic region, rpoB, rpsL, and embB were mutated was similar in 2006 and 2012, however patterns of mutation in these loci were more diverse in 2012 compared to 2006., Conclusions: Our data suggests that the prevalence of drug resistant TB remains high in Beijing, China, and that increasing rates of resistance in M. tuberculosis to all anti-TB drugs should be considered when choosing an optimal anti-TB regimen. Moreover, acquired multi-drug resistance may play a primary role in the MDR-TB epidemic in Beijing, China. Consequently, this highlights the importance of an earlier start to effective and supervised treatment in order to reduce the burden of retreatment.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis can acquire resistance to rifampin (RIF) through mutations in the rpoB gene. This is usually accompanied by a fitness cost, which, however, can be mitigated by secondary mutations in the rpoA or rpoC gene. This study aimed to identify rpoA and rpoC mutations in clinical M. tuberculosis isolates in northern China in order to clarify their role in the transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). The study collection included 332 RIF-resistant and 178 RIF-susceptible isolates. The majority of isolates belonged to the Beijing genotype (95.3%, 486/510 isolates), and no mutation was found in rpoA or rpoC of the non-Beijing genotype strains. Among the Beijing genotype strains, 27.8% (89/320) of RIF-resistant isolates harbored nonsynonymous mutations in the rpoA (n = 6) or rpoC (n = 83) gene. The proportion of rpoC mutations was significantly higher in new cases (P = 0.023) and in strains with the rpoB S531L mutation (P < 0.001). In addition, multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains with rpoC mutations were significantly associated with 24-locus mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat clustering (P = 0.016). In summary, we believe that these findings indirectly suggest an epistatic interaction of particular mutations related to RIF resistance and strain fitness and, consequently, the role of such mutations in the spread of MDR M. tuberculosis strains., (Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Objective: To investigate distinctive features in drug-resistant mutations (DRMs) and interpretations for reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) between proviral DNA and paired viral RNA in HIV-1-infected patients., Methods: Forty-three HIV-1-infected individuals receiving first-line antiretroviral therapy were recruited to participate in a multicenter AIDS Cohort Study in Anhui and Henan Provinces in China in 2004. Drug resistance genotyping was performed by bulk sequencing and deep sequencing on the plasma and whole blood of 77 samples, respectively. Drug-resistance interpretation was compared between viral RNA and paired proviral DNA., Results: Compared with bulk sequencing, deep sequencing could detect more DRMs and samples with DRMs in both viral RNA and proviral DNA. The mutations M184I and M230I were more prevalent in proviral DNA than in viral RNA (Fisher's exact test, P<0.05). Considering 'majority resistant variants', 15 samples (19.48%) showed differences in drug resistance interpretation between viral RNA and proviral DNA, and 5 of these samples with different DRMs between proviral DNA and paired viral RNA showed a higher level of drug resistance to the first-line drugs. Considering 'minority resistant variants', 22 samples (28.57%) were associated with a higher level of drug resistance to the tested RTIs for proviral DNA when compared with paired viral RNA., Conclusion: Compared with viral RNA, the distinctive information of DRMs and drug resistance interpretations for proviral DNA could be obtained by deep sequencing, which could provide more detailed and precise information for drug resistance monitoring and the rational design of optimal antiretroviral therapy regimens., (Copyright © 2016 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

MicroRNAs have been integrated into tumorigenic programs as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. The miR-630 was reported to be deregulated and involved in tumor progression of several human malignancies. However, its expression regulation shows diversity in different kinds of cancers and its potential roles remain greatly elusive. Herein, we demonstrate that miR-630 is significantly suppressed in human breast cancer specimens, as well as in various breast cancer cell lines. In aggressive MDA-MB-231-luc and BT549 breast cancer cells, ectopic expression of miR-630 strongly inhibits cell motility and invasive capacity in vitro. Moreover, lentivirus delivered miR-630 bestows MDA-MB-231-luc cells with the ability to suppress cell colony formation in vitro and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Further studies identify metadherin (MTDH) as a direct target gene of miR-630. Functional studies shows that MTDH contributes to miR-630-endowed effects including cell migration and invasion as well as colony formation in vitro. Taken together, these findings highlight an important role for miR-630 in the regulation of metastatic potential of breast cancer and suggest a potential application of miR-630 in breast cancer treatment.

Interferon Gamma Release Assays (IGRAs) were developed for the indirect or immunologic diagnosis of tuberculosis infection; however, they have also been used to assist in difficult to diagnose cases of tuberculosis disease in adults, and to a lesser extent, in children, especially in those under 5 years old. We evaluated the utility of using an IGRA in pediatric tuberculosis in younger children in a hospital setting. The diagnostic accuracy of T-SPOT.TB and TST was assessed in 117 children with active tuberculosis and 413 children with respiratory tract infection. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the tests used individually and together. Concordance was also calculated. Sensitivity of T-SPOT.TB (82.9%) was higher than TST (78.6% using a 5mm cut-off), especially in children confirmed to have TB. T-SPOT.TB was more specific than TST using a 5mm cut-off (96.1% vs. 70.9%). Combining T-SPOT.TB and TST results improved the sensitivity to 96.6%. In conclusion, the results of the current study indicate that T-SPOT.TB has good sensitivity and specificity, supporting its use among patients of this age. A combination of IGRA and TST would be useful additions to assist in the diagnosis of childhood TB.

After transcription, most chloroplast precursor RNAs undergo further post-transcriptional processing including cleavage, editing, and splicing. Previous investigation has shown that the cleavage of the rpoA transcript and most editing sites, including accD-1, are defective in the knockout mutant of PDM1/SEL1, a PLS-type PPR protein, and that PDM1 is associated with the rpoA transcript. In this work, we found that the splicing of group II introns in trnK and ndhA is also affected in pdm1. Co-immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry experiments were performed to identify proteins that are associated with PDM1. We obtained 126 non-redundant proteins, of which MORF9 was reported to be involved in RNA editing in chloroplast. Yeast two-hybrid assays showed that PDM1 interacts directly with MORF9, MORF2, and MORF8. RNA immunoprecipitation showed that PDM1 associates with the transcripts of trnK and ndhA, as well as accD-1, suggesting that PDM1 is involved in RNA editing and splicing. Therefore, PDM1 is an important protein for post-transcriptional regulation in chloroplast.

Background: Anti-tuberculosis drug induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) is a major adverse drug reaction associated for anti-tuberculosis therapy. The glutathione S-transferases (GST) plays a crucial role in the detoxification of hepatotoxic metabolites of anti-tuberculosis drugs.An association between GSTM1/GSTT1 null mutations and increased risk of ATDH has been demonstrated in adults. Given the ethnic differences and developmental changes, our study aims to investigate the potential impacts of GSTM1/GSTT1 genotypes on the development of ATDH in Han Chinese children treated with anti-tuberculosis therapy., Methods: Children receiving anti-tuberculosis therapy with or without evidence of ATDH were considered as the cases or controls, respectively. The GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotyping were performed using the polymerase chain reaction., Results: One hundred sixty-three children (20 cases and 143 controls) with a mean age of 4.7 years (range: 2 months-14.1 years) were included. For the GSTM1, 14 (70.0%) cases and 96 (67.1%) controls had homozygous null mutations. For the GSTT1, 13 (65.0%) cases and 97 (67.8%) controls had homozygous null mutations. Neither the GSTM1, nor the GSTT1 polymorphism was significantly correlated with the occurrence of ATHD., Conclusion: Our results did not support the GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms as the predictors of ADTH in Chinese Han children treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs. An age-related association between pharmacogenetics and ATHD need to be confirmed in the further study.

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10, which are produced by Th2 cells, serve as anti-inflammatory cytokines in the immune responses to tuberculosis (TB). In order to investigate the association between susceptibility to TB and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the IL-4 and IL-10 genes, a case-control study including 346 TB patients and 374 healthy controls was performed in Chinese Han children in North China. Though no significant differences in the allelic and genotypic distributions of SNPs of these two genes were observed between control group and TB group, rs2243268-A and rs2243274-G of the IL-4 gene were associated with reduced risk of developing extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) (Prs2243268=0.005 and Prs2243274=0.004) and severe TB (Prs2243268=0.003 and Prs2243274=0.003). The haplotype comprising rs2243268-A and rs2243274-G was found to be a resistance factor against EPTB and severe TB. In addition, after stimulation with inactivated H37Rv, blood samples of the rs2243268 AA+AC carriers showed significantly reduced IL-10 production (P=0.045) compared to the CC carriers. In conclusion, rs2243268-A and rs2243274-G of the IL-4 gene were found to confer resistance to EPTB and severe TB in Chinese Han children., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of death due to an infectious disease worldwide, particularly in developing countries. A series of candidate genes have been suggested to be associated with development of TB disease. Among them, the human Cytokine-inducible Src homology 2(SH2) domain protein (CISH) gene has been very recently reported to be involved in T cell activation and differentiation in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. Here, we studied the association between CISH promoter polymorphisms and pediatric TB. A case-control study enrolled 352 TB patients and 527 healthy controls, who were of Han Chinese ethnicity and aged from 0.2 to 18 years. CISH gene promoter SNPs rs414171, rs622502 and rs809451 were genotyped in all subjects and transcriptional activity, mRNA level, and plasma cytokine level of subjects with different genotypes were further examined. Carriers with rs414171TT homozygotes and rs809451GC heterozygotes had a 1.78-fold (95% CI,1.16-2.74) and 1.86-fold (95% CI, 1.26-2.74) excess risk of developing TB compared to those with wild-type genotypes. A greater risk of TB disease was observed in population carrying C(-809451)-T(-414171)-C(-622502) haplotype (OR 3.66, 95% CI:2.12-6.32). The G(-809451)-A(-414171)-C(-622502)-containing CISH promoter drove a 5.43-fold increased reporter expression compared to the C(-809451)-T(-414171)-C(-622502)-containing counterpart in Hela cell lines (P = 0.0009). PBMCs carrying rs414171TT homozygotes and rs809451GC heterozygotes showed a reduced CISH mRNA level compared to cells carrying wild type genotypes. Individuals with the rs414171TT genotype had significantly increased IL-12p40 and IL-10 production. In conclusion, CISH promoter rs414171 and rs809451 polymorphisms may play a vital role in mediating individual susceptibility to tuberculosis.

Cbx4 is a polycomb group protein that is also a SUMO E3 ligase, but its potential roles in tumorigenesis remain to be explored. Here, we report that Cbx4, but not other members of the Cbx family, enhances hypoxia-induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells through enhancing HIF-1α sumoylations at K391 and K477 in its two SUMO-interacting motifs-dependent mechanisms and increasing transcriptional activity of HIF-1. The Cbx4 expression is significantly correlated with VEGF expression, angiogenesis, and the overall survival of HCC patients and also in subcutaneously and orthotopically transplanted mice HCC models. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that Cbx4 plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis by governing HIF-1α protein., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay on childhood pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), we evaluated the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of Xpert MTB/RIF assay using BALF in comparison with acid-fast bacilli (AFB) microscopy and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) culture for diagnosing childhood PTB using Chinese "composite clinical reference standard" (CCRS) as reference standard. Two hundred fifty-five children with suspected PTB were enrolled at Beijing Children's Hospital from September 2010 to July 2013. Compared with Chinese CCRS, the sensitivity of AFB microscopy, MTB culture, and Xpert MTB/RIF assay was 8.4%, 28.9%, and 53.0%, respectively. The specificity of three assays was all 100%. Xpert MTB/RIF assay could detect 33.9% of cases with negative MTB culture, and 48.7% of cases with negative AFB microscopy. Younger age (<3 years), absence of BCG scar, and contact with TB patient were found significantly associated with a positive result of Xpert MTB/RIF assay. In conclusion, Xpert MTB/RIF assay using BALF can assist in diagnosing childhood PTB much faster when fiberoptic bronchoscopy is necessary according to the chest radiograph.

Background: IL-6 is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays a critical role in host defense against tuberculosis (TB). Genetic polymorphisms of IL-6 and its receptor IL-6R had been discussed in adult TB recently. However, their role in pediatric TB is still unclear. Due to the obvious differences in TB pathophysiology in children, which may also reflect differences in genetic background, further association studies in pediatric populations are needed., Methods: A case-control study was carried out in a Chinese pediatric population including 353 TB patients and 400 healthy controls. Tag-SNPs of IL-6 and IL-6R genes were selected by Haploview software, genotyped using MassArray, and analyzed statistically., Results: One polymorphism, rs2229238, in the 3'UTR region of IL-6R was observed to be associated with increased resistance to TB (adjusted P = 0.03). The rs2229238 T allele contributed to a reduced risk to TB in recessive heritable model (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.35-0.78)., Conclusions: By tag-SNP genotyping based case-control study, we identified a genetic polymorphism in the IL-6R 3'UTR that regulates host resistance to pediatric TB in a Chinese population.