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Background Drug resistance is a major obstacle to treating cancers because it desensitizes cancer cells to chemotherapy. Recently, attention has been focused on changes in the tumor immune landscape after the acquisition of drug resistance. Programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) is an immune suppressor that inhibits T cell-based immunity. Evidence has shown that acquired chemoresistance is associated with increased PD-L1 expression in cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. Methods PD-L1 expression in three drug-resistant A549/CDDP, MCF7/ADR and HepG2/ADR cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR, western blotting and flow cytometry, and a T cell proliferation assay was performed to test its functional significance. Then, the potential roles of JNK/c-Jun, histone H3 acetylation, histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and the E3 ligase COP1 in the PD-L1 increase were explored through ChIP assays and gain- and loss-of-function gene studies. Furthermore, murine xenograft tumor models were used to verify the role of JNK/c-Jun and HDAC3 in PD-L1 expression in A549/CDDP cells in vivo. Finally, the correlations of PD-L1, c-Jun and HDAC3 expression in clinical cisplatin-sensitive and cisplatin-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results PD-L1 expression was significantly increased in A549/CDDP, MCF7/ADR and HepG2/ADR cells and was attributed mainly to enhanced JNK/c-Jun signaling activation. Mechanistically, decreased COP1 increased c-Jun accumulation, which subsequently inhibited HDAC3 expression and thereby enhanced histone H3 acetylation of the PD-L1 promoter. Furthermore, PD-L1 expression could be inhibited by JNK/c-Jun inhibition or HDAC3 overexpression in vivo, which could largely reverse inhibited CD3+ T cell proliferation in vitro. PD-L1 expression was significantly increased in the cisplatin-resistant clinical NSCLC samples and positively correlated with c-Jun expression but negatively correlated with HDAC3 expression. Conclusions Enhanced histone H3 acetylation of the PD-L1 promoter via the COP1/c-Jun/HDAC3 axis was crucial for the PD-L1 increase in drug-resistant cancer cells. Our study reveals a novel regulatory network for the PD-L1 increase in drug-resistant cancer cells and that combined PD-L1-targeting strategies could improve T cell-based immunity in drug-resistant cancers.

Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as regulators of a number of developmental and tumorigenic processes. However, the functions of most lncRNAs in glioma remain unknown and the mechanisms governing the proliferation of tumor cells remain poorly defined. Methods Both in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to investigate the roles of lncRNAs in the pathophysiology of gliomas. lncRNA arrays were used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs. Subcutaneous tumor formation and a brain orthotopic tumor model in nude mice were used to investigate the functions of lncRNAs in vivo. The in vitro functions of lncRNAs were analyzed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, colony formation, and western blot analyses. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunoprecipitation were used to explore the underlying mechanisms. Findings Here, we describe the newly discovered noncoding RNA RP11-732M18.3, which is highly overexpressed in glioma cells and interacts with 14-3-3β/α to promote glioma growth, acting as an oncogene. Overexpression of lncRNA RP11-732 M18.3 was associated with the proliferation of glioma cells and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Remarkably, lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 promoted cell proliferation and G1/S cell cycle transition. lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 is predominately localized in the cytoplasm. Mechanistically, the interaction of lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 with 14-3-3β/α increases the degradation of the p21 protein. lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 promoted the recruitment of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 E1 to 14-3-3β/α and the binding of 14-3-3β/α with ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 E1 (UBE2E1) promoted the degradation of p21. Interpretation Overall these data demonstrated that lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 regulates glioma growth through a newly described lncRNA-protein interaction mechanism. The inhibition of lncRNA RP11-732M18.3 could provide a novel therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Intestinal dysbiosis is implicated in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). However, the evidence of gut microbiome changes in SLE is limited, and the association of changed gut microbiome with the activity of SLE, as well as its functional relevance with SLE still remains unknown. Here, we sequenced 16S rRNA amplicon on fecal samples from 40 SLE patients (19 active patients, 21 remissive patients), 20 disease controls (Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients), and 22 healthy controls (HCs), and investigated the association of functional categories with taxonomic composition by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). We demonstrated SLE patients, particularly the active patients, had significant dysbiosis in gut microbiota with reduced bacterial diversity and biased community constitutions. Amongst the disordered microbiota, the genera Streptococcus, Campylobacter, Veillonella, the species anginosus and dispar, were positively correlated with lupus activity, while the genus Bifidobacterium was negatively associated with the disease activity. PICRUSt analysis showed metabolic pathways were different between SLE and HCs, and also between active and remissive SLE patients. Moreover, we revealed that a random forest model could distinguish SLE from RA and HCs (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.792), and another random forest model could well predict the activity of SLE patients (AUC = 0.811). In summary, SLE patients, especially the active patients, show an apparent dysbiosis in gut microbiota and its related metabolic pathways. Amongst the disordered microflora, four genera and two species are associated with lupus activity. Furthermore, the random forest models are able to diagnose SLE and predict disease activity.

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies causing the majority of cancer-related deaths. Gelsolin (GSN) has been found to be dysregulated in various cancers. However, the secreted GSN in colon cancer remains largely unknown. In the present study, we explored the expression profile of GSN in colon cancer tissues and the diagnostic value of serum GSN in colon cancer. In addition, the effects of secreted GSN in colon cancer cells were studied. We thus found that immunoreactive GSN levels were significantly lower in colon cancer tissues than those in non-tumor colon tissues. Functional studies demonstrated that secreted GSN could restrain cell invasion and migration in vitro. Mechanistically, dose dependent recombinant GSN down-regulated the expression of MMP2 and MMP9, which might restrain the process of cell invasion and migration. Furthermore, serum levels of GSN were significantly lower in colon cancer patients than those in healthy volunteers, and ROC curves showed serum level of GSN had a better diagnostic value for colon cancer (AUC=0.932) than the traditional tumor biomarker Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) or Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 (CA199). In conclusion, our results suggest that the secreted GSN restrains the invasion and migration of colon cancer cells. Meanwhile, the serum GSN may be a new biomarker for the diagnosis of colon cancer.

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are indispensable for T cell development, T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire selection, and specific lineage differentiation. Medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), which account for the majority of TECs in adults, are critical for thymocyte selection and self-tolerance. CD74 is a nonpolymorphic transmembrane glycoprotein of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHCII) that is expressed in TECs. However, the exact role of CD74 in regulating the development of mTEC is poorly defined. In this research, we found that loss of CD74 resulted in a significant diminution in the medulla, a selective reduction in the cell number of mature mTECs expressing CD80 molecules, which eventually led to impaired thymic CD4+ T cell development. Moreover, RNA-sequence analysis showed that CD74 deficiency obviously downregulated the canonical nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway in mTECs. Our results suggest that CD74 positively controls mTEC cellularity and maturation partially by activating the canonical NF-κB signaling pathway.

Exosomal miRNAs (exo-miRNAs) derived from cancer cell play a vital role in cancer development and can be considered as a potential biomarker for cancer diagnostic. However, the shortage of sensitive preparatory and analytical technologies limits their clinical applications. Thus, sensitive and reliable sensing of exo-miRNAs is essential in medical diagnostics. Mounting number of biosensor strategies are thus actively being proposed to deal with these challenges, including nanoparticle, isothermal amplification, and microfluidic chips. Moreover, some delivery strategies have been found for individual exo-miRNAs detection, such as membrane fusion, nano-sized probe and membrane denatured. Therefore, we summarize and discuss the recent progress of emerging biosensor assays for sensing exo-miRNAs. In addition, challenges and outlook for exo-miRNAs detection are considered.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of widespread endogenous noncoding RNAs, have been involved in the development of various diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease and several types of cancers, but there is little knowledge about their associations with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study is aimed to identify the expression profiles of circRNAs in 6 paired SLE and normal participants plasma samples by using a circRNA microarray. The microarray analysis showed that 207 circRNAs were differentially expressed between these two groups, including 113 upregulated and 94 downregulated circRNAs. Then, we selected 8 circRNAs as candidate biomarkers from the microarray analysis and further verified them in another group of subjects consisting of 24 SLE patients and 24 normal controls using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays (qRT-PCR). Finally, we confirmed four circRNAs that were consistent with the microarray results. In addition, bioinformatics was employed to predict the interaction between validated circRNAs and potential miRNA targets. Taken together, we firstly illustrate the comprehensive expression profiles of circRNAs in SLE patients plasma and lay the foundations to develop circRNAs as novel non-invasive biomarkers for SLE disease in the future.

Objective: To determine the frequency of anti-HCV antibody positivity in patients with non-liver disease complaints, to explore whether anti-HCV positive patients had been properly advised and visited hepatologists for further assessments, and to investigate their clinical characteristics as well as the HCV treatment status. Methods: A hospital based survey of non-liver disease patients with anti-HCV positive and their attending physicians was conducted to determine: 1. were the patients adequately advised of the implication of anti-HCV positive finding; 2. to what extent the patients were aware of potential chronic liver disease associated with HCV infection and whether they sought for further assessments and care of hepatologists. Results: A total of 295 294 non-liver disease patients were tested for anti-HCV antibody, and 2 778 of them were found to be positive (0.94%). However, only 45.10% (1 253/2 778) of the anti-HCV antibody (+) patients were referred to hepatologists and received HCV RNA test. In addition, 34.10% (312/915) and 1.42% (13/915) of them had already advanced to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), respectively. Further analysis showed that the patients who declined antiviral therapy were older, with lower education and lower income, possessed poorer knowledge on the risk of chronic hepatitis C, and had more severe liver diseases. Surprisingly, 65% of the surveyed physicians did not know the genotype-guided treatment duration suggested by the guidelines. Alarmingly, 22% of the surveyed physicians did not know the standard assays for the diagnosis of HCV infection. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the challenge and hidden enormous burden of chronic HCV infection among patients with non-liver disease complaints in China.

Profiling of exosomal microRNA (exo-miRNA) is very important for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, rapid and sensitive determination the trace of exo-miRNA in clinical samples has not been developed. Herein, a robust electrochemical biosensor was proposed using multifunctional DNA tetrahedrons assisted catalytic hairpin assembly (MDTs-CHA) for exo-miRNA analysis. The MDTs-CHA, contained two multifunctional tetrahedrons (T1 and T2), leverage localized reaction and cascade amplification to enable rapid and ultrasensitive exo-miRNA analysis. Employing the MDTs-CHA, the electrochemical platform allowed quantitative measurement of exo-miRNA down to 7.2 aM in 30 min with good specificity. Furthermore, by profiling four tumor-associated exo-miRNAs (miR-1246, miR-221, miR-375, and miR-21) in a breast cancer cohort, this platform showed high efficiency (AUC: 0.989) and high sensitivity of 90.5% for breast tumors diagnoses, with 80% sensitivity for early diagnoses (stage I-IIa). Therefore, this platform has great potential in bioanalysis and clinical diagnostics.

We compared the performance of the Roche Diagnostics Elecsys immunoassay for the detection of Treponema pallidum specific antibodies in patient serum samples with that of the Abbott Laboratories Architect chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay and the InTec and KHB enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, which are commonly used in China. We tested 13,767 serum samples collected from 13 independent laboratories throughout China, which included samples from 999 previously confirmed syphilis cases and 158 ‘borderline’ samples previously identified using the Architect, InTec, and KHB tests. The Mikrogen Syphilis Immunoblot was used to confirm positive test results. The consistency between the four different assays was 100%. The sensitivity of Elecsys immunoassay was 100% versus 98.26% for Architect, 99.11% for InTec; and 98.56% for KHB. The specificity of the Elecsys immunoassay was 99.81% versus 99.74% for Architect; 99.93% versus 99.80% for InTec; and 99.85% versus 99.77% for KHB. For borderline samples, the Elecsys immunoassay yielded no false-negative results and fewer false-positive results, compared to the other tests. Considering the ease-of-use, automation, high speed, and high throughput capacity of the Elecsys assay, the higher sensitivity and specificity indicate it is superior for routine screening of serum samples for syphilis diagnosis.

Objective The spectrum of clinical manifestations and serological phenomena of SLE is heterogeneous among patients and even changes over time unpredictably in individual patients. For this reason, clinical diagnosis especially in complicated or atypical cases is often difficult or delayed leading to poor prognosis. Despite the medical progress nowadays in the understanding of SLE pathogenesis, disease-specific biomarkers for SLE remain an outstanding challenge. Therefore, we undertook this study to investigate potential biomarkers for SLE diagnosis. Methods Serum samples from 32 patients with SLE and 25 gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were analysed by metabolic profiling based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics platform. The further validation for the potential biomarker was performed in an independent set consisting of 36 SLE patients and 30 HCs. Results The metabolite profiles of serum samples allowed differentiation of SLE patients from HCs. The levels of arachidonic acid, sphingomyelin (SM) 24:1, monoacylglycerol (MG) 17:0, lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine (lysoPE) 18:0, lysoPE 16:0, lysophosphatidyl choline (lysoPC) 20:0, lysoPC 18:0 and adenosine were significantly decreased in SLE patients, and the MG 20:2 and L-pyroglutamic acid were significantly increased in SLE group. In addition, L-pyroglutamic acid achieved an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.955 with high sensitivity (97.22%) and specificity (83.33%) at the cut-off of 61.54 μM in the further targeted metabolism, indicating diagnostic potential. Conclusion Serum metabolic profiling is differential between SLE patients and HCs and depicts increased L-pyroglutamic acid as a promising bitformatomarker for SLE.

Noncoding RNAs are emerging as important players in gene regulation and disease pathogeneses. Here, we show that a previously uncharacterized long noncoding RNA, nexilin F-actin binding protein antisense RNA 1 (NEXN-AS1), modulates the expression of the actin-binding protein NEXN and that NEXN exerts a protective role against atherosclerosis. An expression microarray analysis showed that the expression of both NEXN-AS1 and NEXN was reduced in human atherosclerotic plaques. In vitro experiments revealed that NEXN-AS1 interacted with the chromatin remodeler BAZ1A and the 5' flanking region of the NEXN gene and that it also upregulated NEXN expression. Augmentation of NEXN-AS1 expression inhibited TLR4 oligomerization and NF-κB activity, downregulated the expression of adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines by endothelial cells, and suppressed monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. These inhibitory effects of NEXN-AS1 were abolished by knockdown of NEXN. In vivo experiments using ApoE-knockout mice fed a Western high-fat diet demonstrated that NEXN deficiency promoted atherosclerosis and increased macrophage abundance in atherosclerotic lesions, with heightened expression of adhesion molecules and inflammatory cytokines, whereas augmented NEXN expression deterred atherosclerosis. Patients with coronary artery disease were found to have lower blood NEXN levels than healthy individuals. These results indicate that NEXN-AS1 and NEXN represent potential therapeutic targets in atherosclerosis-related diseases.

A novel fluorescent immunochromatographic assay for the detection of NT-proBNP in human serum has been developed. Based on a sandwich-type immunoassay format, analytes in samples were captured by one monoclonal antibody labeled with fluorescent protein and “sandwiched” by another monoclonal antibody immobilized on the nitrocellulose membrane, the fluorescence and concentration of analytes were measured and then calculated by fluoroanalyzer. The fluorescent protein is a fusion protein and was prepared through the application of Streptavidin gene SA, β subunit cpcB of Phycocyanin, lyase alr0617, and phycoerythrobilin synthetase gene ho1, pebA, pebB for covalent binding. It is characterized with higher stability, good solubility in water and it is not easy to quench fluorescence. Take the advantages of fluorescent protein, the immunochromatographic assay exhibited a wide linear range for NT-proBNP from 200 pg ml−1 to 26,000 pg ml−1, with a detection limit of 47 pg ml−1 under optimal conditions. Compared with chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA), 131 human serum samples were analyzed and the correlation coefficient of the developed immunoassay was 0.978. These results demonstrated that fluorescent immunochromatographic assay is a more rapid, sensitive, specific method and could be developed into a platform for more biomarkers determination in clinical practice. Keywords: NT-pro BNP, Fluorescent protein, Immunochromatographic assay

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune chronic liver disease with worldwide increasing morbidity. However, the etiology of PBC is still unclear. Recently, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, were proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of PBC. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to clarify the roles of IL-17A and/or EMT in the onset of PBC. The results showed that the median serum IL-17A level was significantly higher in 29 PBC patients (average course of 40.69 months) than that of 11 healthy controls. The intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells (IBECs), the major target of destruction in PBC, underwent EMT in PBC patients. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the protein levels of IL-17A receptor were increased in IBECs and the IL-17A protein was accumulated around the IBECs in the PBC patients. These results imply that the IL-17A-mediated signaling and EMT of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells (IBEC-EMT) are key pathogenic processes of PBC. To study the association between IL-17A and IBECs-EMT, we then examined if IL-17A induced EMT using a human cell line of IBECs (HIBECs). After the treatment with IL-17A for 48 h, HIBECs changed into bipolar cells with a fibroblastic morphology. Additionally, the results of real-time PCR and Western blot analyses demonstrated that IL-17A up-regulated the expression of a mesenchymal marker vimentin and down-regulated the expression of an epithelial marker E-cadherin in HIBECs in the dose- and time-dependent manners. These results suggest that IL-17A may play an important role in the IBECs-EMT.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) serve an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by regulating autoimmunity and inflammation. Humans and mice contain inducible T-cell costimulator-positive (ICOS+) Tregs, although their role in RA is unclear. A total of 33 patients with RA and 17 normal control (NC) subjects were examined. The proportion of ICOS+ Tregs in the peripheral blood and intracellular cytokine levels in these cells were assessed using flow cytometry. The percentage of ICOS+ Tregs increased in the cohort of patients with RA compared with the NCs. Such increases were much larger in patients with inactive RA compared with patients with active RA. Additionally, ICOS+ Tregs expressed multiple suppressive cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-β and IL-35, but expressed low levels of IL-17. Importantly, the expression of suppressive cytokines in ICOS+ Tregs from patients with active RA decreased, but IL-17 expression noticeably increased compared with patients with inactive RA. The present findings suggested that ICOS+ Tregs may perform inflammatory and inhibitory functions, and abnormal ICOS+ Tregs numbers and functions may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA.

Glioma is the most prevalent and fatal primary tumor of the central nervous system in adults, while the development of effective therapeutic strategies in clinical practice remain a challenge. Nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich family pyrin-containing 3 (NLRP3) has been reported to be associated with tumorigenesis and progression; however, its expression and function in human glioma remain unclear. The present study was designed to explore the biological role and potential mechanism of NLRP3 in human glioma. The results demonstrated that overexpression of NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase-recruitment domain (ASC), caspase‑1 and interleukin (IL)‑1β protein in human glioma tissues were significantly correlated with higher World Health Organization grades. The in vitro biological experiments demonstrated that NLRP3 downregulation significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of SHG44 and A172 glioma cell lines. Furthermore, western blot assays revealed that the downregulation of NLRP3 significantly reduced the expression of ASC, caspase‑1 and IL‑1β protein. Furthermore, NLRP3 knockdown caused the inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT serine/threonine kinase (AKT) and phosphorylation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). Consistently, the upregulation of NLRP3 significantly increased the expression of ASC, caspase‑1, IL‑1β and phosphorylated-PTEN, promoted proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, inhibited apoptosis, and activated the AKT signaling pathway. The data of the present study indicate that NLRP3 affects human glioma progression and metastasis through multiple pathways, including EMT and PTEN/AKT signaling pathway regulation, enhanced inflammasome activation, and undefined inflammasome-independent mechanisms. Understanding the biological effects of NLRP3 in human glioma and the underlying mechanisms may offer novel insights for the development of glioma clinical therapeutic strategies.

Colon cancer is one of the most common malignancies causing the majority of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The tripartite motif family protein 72 (TRIM72), also known as mitsugumin 53, acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase. TRIM72 is involved in insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, which are risk factors of colon cancer. However, the correlation between TRIM72 and colon cancer remains unknown. In the present study, we explored the expression profile of TRIM72 in colon cancer tissues and the diagnostic value of serum TRIM72 in colon cancer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were applied for evaluating the diagnostic value of serum TRIM72. We thus found that immunoreactive TRIM72 levels were significantly lower in colon cancer tissues than those in normal colon tissues. Moreover, serum TRIM72 levels were significantly lower in colon cancer patients than those in healthy volunteers. Importantly, the lower serum TRIM72 levels were associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node, and distant metastases in colon cancer patients. The ROC curve analysis showed that serum TRIM72 has a superior diagnostic value (the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.829) than the traditional tumor biomarkers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (AUC = 0.707) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA199) (AUC = 0.750), and the combination of TRIM72 with CEA and CA199 showed the best diagnostic value for colon cancer (AUC = 0.928). In conclusion, serum TRIM72 may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and the prognosis of colon cancer.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) serve an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by regulating autoimmunity and inflammation. Humans and mice contain inducible T-cell costimulator-positive (ICOS+) Tregs, although their role in RA is unclear. A total of 33 patients with RA and 17 normal control (NC) subjects were examined. The proportion of ICOS+ Tregs in the peripheral blood and intracellular cytokine levels in these cells were assessed using flow cytometry. The percentage of ICOS+ Tregs increased in the cohort of patients with RA compared with the NCs. Such increases were much larger in patients with inactive RA compared with patients with active RA. Additionally, ICOS+ Tregs expressed multiple suppressive cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-β and IL-35, but expressed low levels of IL-17. Importantly, the expression of suppressive cytokines in ICOS+ Tregs from patients with active RA decreased, but IL-17 expression noticeably increased compared with patients with inactive RA. The present findings suggested that ICOS+ Tregs may perform inflammatory and inhibitory functions, and abnormal ICOS+ Tregs numbers and functions may contribute to the pathogenesis of RA.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with an increasing incidence worldwide. Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is a novel apolipoprotein that is mainly expressed in liver and kidney tissues. However, the anti-tumor properties of apoM remain largely unknown. We evaluated the anti-tumor activities and mechanisms of apoM in HCC both in vivo and in vitro. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay results showed that apoM was a potential target of hsa-miR-573 and was downregulated after transfection with hsa-miR-573 mimics. Overexpression of apoM suppressed migration, invasion, and proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro. Overexpression of hsa-miR-573 in hepatoma cells reduced apoM expression, leading to promotion of the invasion, migration, and proliferation of hepatoma cells in vitro. In addition, hsa-miR-573 markedly promoted growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice with an accompanying reduction in cell apoptosis. ApoM markedly inhibited growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, Bcl2A1 mRNA and protein levels were inhibited by apoM overexpression and an increase in apoptosis rate by apoM was markedly compensated by Bcl2A1 overexpression in HepG2 cells. These results provide evidence that hsa-miR-573 promoted tumor growth by inhibition of hepatocyte apoptosis and this pro-tumor effect might be mediated through Bcl2A1 in an apoM-dependent manner. Therefore, our findings may be useful to improve understanding of the critical effects of hsa-miR-573 and apoM in HCC pathogenesis.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that is well established as a vital factor in determining the risk of coronary heart disease and pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Moreover, accumulating evidences have shown that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) can promote IL-6 expression in macrophages. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of how ox-LDL upregulates IL-6 expression remains largely unexplained. We found that the expression of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and IL-6 was upregulated at both the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner when treated with 0, 25, 50, or 100 μg/mL of ox-LDL for 48 h in THP-1 macrophages. Moreover, overexpression of IGF2 significantly upregulated NF-κB and IL-6 expressions in THP-1 macrophages. However, the upregulation of NF-κB and IL-6 expressions induced by ox-LDL were significantly abolished by IGF2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) in THP-1 macrophages. Further studies indicated the upregulation of IL-6 induced by ox-LDL could be abolished when treated with NF-κB siRNA in THP-1 macrophages. Ox-LDL might upregulate IL-6 in the cell and its secretion via enhancing NF-κB in an IGF2-dependent manner in THP-1 macrophages.

In this paper, a modified particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay (PETIA) was established to facilitate the detection of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in human serum. The modified method improved the detection sensitivity by applying a streptavidin–biotin pair as a connecting arm to conjugate CCP antigens on the surface of polystyrene nanospheres. With the advantages of the nanoparticles and streptavidin–biotin pair, the modified PETIA exhibited a wide linear range for anti-CCP of 13–430 U mL−1, with a low detection limit of 12 U mL−1. Satisfactory reproducibility of the immunoassay was demonstrated. Good correlations were obtained in the analysis between the modified method and the commercial ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kit. The ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve was plotted based on the results from measuring anti-CCP antibodies in 185 clinical serum specimens. The area under the ROC curve was 0.872. With a cut-off value of 27 U mL−1, diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 75.68% and 91.89% respectively. The detection time by this new approach was only 20 minutes. In summary, this modified method can be used to detect anti-CCP antibodies in human serum practically and rapidly.

Objective— Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis is the number one cause of death in Western countries and threatens to become the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs are emerging as new players in gene regulation, but how long noncoding RNAs operate in the development of atherosclerosis remains unclear. Approach and Results— Using microarray analysis, we found that long noncoding RNA RP5-833A20.1 expression was upregulated, whereas nuclear factor IA (NFIA) expression was downregulated in human acute monocytic leukemia macrophage–derived foam cells. Moreover, we showed that long noncoding RNA RP5-833A20.1 may decreases NFIA expression by inducing hsa-miR-382-5p expression in vitro. We found that the RP5-833A20.1/hsa-miR-382-5p/NFIA pathway is essential to the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and inflammatory responses in human acute monocytic leukemia macrophages. Lentivirus-mediated NFIA overexpression increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol circulation, reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol circulation, decreased circulation of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and C-reactive protein, enhanced reverse cholesterol transport, and promoted regression of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient mice. Conclusions— Our findings indicated that the RP5-833A20.1/miR-382-5p/NFIA pathway was essential to the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and inflammatory reactions and suggested that NFIA may represent a therapeutic target to ameliorate cardiovascular disease.

Ginsenoside Rh2 (G‑Rh2), the main bioactive component in American ginseng, is known to exert a wide variety of biological activities. Accumulating evidence suggests that G‑Rh2 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the possible mechanism through which G‑Rh2 exerts its action on malignant glioma cells have not been completely elucidated. The findings of the present study demonstrated that G‑Rh2 decreased the viability of glioma cells in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner, and induced cell cycle arrest. G‑Rh2‑induced cell cycle arrest was accompanied by the downregulation of cyclin‑dependent kinase 4 and Cyclin E. In addition, G‑Rh2 markedly reduced the expression of total‑ RAC‑α serine/threonine‑protein kinase (Akt) and the levels of phosphorylated‑Akt. These findings provide mechanistic details of how G‑Rh2 acts on glioma cells and suggest that G‑Rh2 may function as a potential anti‑cancer drug for glioma treatment.

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of malignancy-associated mortality worldwide and its clinical therapy remains very challenging. Ginsenoside Rh2 (Rh2) has been reported to have antitumor effects on some types of cancer, including liver cancer. However, its regulatory mechanism has not been extensively evaluated. In the present study, Rh2 increased the expression of microRNA (miR)-200b-5p, miR-224-3p and miR-146a-5p, and decreased the expression of miR-26b-3p and miR-29a-5p. Of the three upregulated miRs, miR-146a-5p exhibited the highest fold elevation. In accordance with a previous study, Rh2 effectively inhibited the survival of liver cancer cells in vitro and in a mouse model. In addition, it was observed that Rh2 markedly promoted liver cancer apoptosis and inhibited colony formation. Cell apoptosis and the inhibition of cell survival as well as colony formation induced by Rh2 were enhanced and weakened by miR-146a-5p overexpression and inhibition, respectively. The results of the present study provide further evidence of the antitumor effect of Rh2 in liver cancer and also demonstrate that this effect may be mediated via the regulation of miR-146a-5p expression in the liver cancer cell line HepG2. The results indicated that miR-146a-5p may be a promising regulatory factor in Rh2-mediated effects in liver cancer.

Current glioma therapies allow in situ delivery of cytotoxic drugs to the tumour; however, gliomas show early recurrence due to their highly proliferative character. Long non‐coding (lnc)RNAs play critical roles in tumorigenesis by controlling cell proliferation and cycling. However, the mechanism of action of lncRNAs in glioma development remains unclear. Here, we report that the lncRNA PLAC2 induces cell cycle arrest by targeting ribosomal protein (RP)L36 in glioma. RPL36 promoted cell proliferation and G1/S cell cycle progression. Mass spectrometry analysis revealed that signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)1 interacted with both lncRNA PLAC2 and the RPL36 promoter. We also found that the nucleus PLAC2 bind with STAT1 and interact with RPL36 promoters but the cytoplasmic lncRNA PLAC2 inhibited STAT1 nuclear transfer, thereby decreasing RP36 expression, inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell cycle arrest. These results provide evidence for a novel cell cycle regulatory network in glioma comprising the lncRNA PLAC2 along with STAT1 and RPL36 that can serve as a therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Accumulated evidence shows that G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) plays a key role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we explored the effect of GPR119 on cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in THP-1 macrophages and atherosclerotic plaque progression in apoE(-/-) mice. We found that oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) significantly induced long intervening noncoding RNA (lincRNA)-DYNLRB2-2 expression, resulting in the upregulation of GPR119 and ABCA1 expression through the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor signaling pathway. GPR119 significantly decreased cellular cholesterol content and increased apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells. In vivo, apoE(-/-) mice were randomly divided into two groups and infected with lentivirus (LV)-Mock or LV-GPR119 for 8 weeks. GPR119-treated mice showed decreased liver lipid content and plasma TG, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels, whereas plasma levels of apoA-I were significantly increased. Consistent with this, atherosclerotic lesion development was significantly inhibited by infection of apoE(-/-) mice with LV-GPR119. Our findings clearly indicate that, Ox-LDL significantly induced lincRNA-DYNLRB2-2 expression, which promoted ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux and inhibited inflammation through GPR119 in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells. Moreover, GPR119 decreased lipid and serum inflammatory cytokine levels, decreasing atherosclerosis in apoE(-/-) mice. These suggest that GPR119 may be a promising candidate as a therapeutic agent.

Terminal maturation of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells from stage 2 (CD44+NK1.1–) to stage 3 (CD44+NK1.1+) is accompanied by a functional acquisition of a predominant IFN-γ–producing (iNKT-1) phenotype; however, some cells develop into IL-17–producing iNKT (iNKT-17) cells. iNKT-17 cells are rare and restricted to a CD44+NK1.1– lineage. It is unclear how iNKT terminal maturation is regulated and what factors mediate the predominance of iNKT-1 compared with iNKT-17. The tumor suppressor tuberous sclerosis 1 (TSC1) is an important negative regulator of mTOR signaling, which regulates T cell differentiation, function, and trafficking. Here, we determined that mice lacking TSC1 exhibit a developmental block of iNKT differentiation at stage 2 and skew from a predominantly iNKT-1 population toward a predominantly iNKT-17 population, leading to enhanced airway hypersensitivity. Evaluation of purified iNKT cells revealed that TSC1 promotes T-bet, which regulates iNKT maturation, but downregulates ICOS expression in iNKT cells by inhibiting mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1). Furthermore, mice lacking T-bet exhibited both a terminal maturation defect of iNKT cells and a predominance of iNKT-17 cells, and increased ICOS expression was required for the predominance of iNKT-17 cells in the population of TSC1-deficient iNKT cells. Our data indicate that TSC1-dependent control of mTORC1 is crucial for terminal iNKT maturation and effector lineage decisions, resulting in the predominance of iNKT-1 cells.

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is probably the most widely used intravenous hypnotic agent in daily practice. However, its anti-inflammatory properties have seldom been addressed. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanisms of propofol on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in vivo and in vitro and found that propofol markedly inhibited LPS-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6, and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). At the same time, the expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1α (HNF-1α) and apolipoprotein M (APOM) was inhibited by treatment with LPS and LPS-induced down-regulation of HNF-1α expression and APOM expression could be compensated by propofol treatment. However, propofol could not compensate LPS-induced down-regulation of APOM expression by treatment with HNF-1α siRNA and the suppressive effect on LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines production by propofol was significantly compensated by treatment with APOM siRNA. These results provide evidence that propofol may first up-regulate APOM expression by enhancing HNF-1α expression and then inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production in LPS-stimulated cells. Therefore, our study may be useful in understanding the critical effect of propofol in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome.

T-cells play an important role in promoting mucosal immunity against pathogens, but the mechanistic basis for their homeostasis in the intestine is still poorly understood. We report here that T-cell-specific deletion of mTOR results in dramatically decreased CD4 and CD8 T-cell numbers in the lamina propria of both small and large intestines under both steady-state and inflammatory conditions. These defects result in defective host resistance against a murine enteropathogen, Citrobacter rodentium, leading to the death of the animals. We further demonstrated that mTOR deficiency reduces the generation of gut-homing effector T-cells in both mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer’s patches without obviously affecting expression of gut-homing molecules on those effector T-cells. Using mice with T-cell-specific ablation of Raptor/mTORC1 or Rictor/mTORC2, we revealed that both mTORC1 and, to a lesser extent, mTORC2 contribute to both CD4 and CD8 T-cell accumulation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Additionally, mTORC1 but not mTORC2 plays an important role regulating the proliferative renewal of both CD4 and CD8 T-cells in the intestines. Our data thus reveal that mTOR is crucial for T-cell accumulation in the GI tract and for establishing local adaptive immunity against pathogens.

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) play important roles in T cell generation. Mechanisms that control TEC development and function are still not well defined. The mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin complex (mTORC)2 signals to regulate cell survival, nutrient uptake, and metabolism. We report in the present study that mice with TEC-specific ablation of Rictor, a critical and unique adaptor molecule in mTORC2, display thymic atrophy, which accompanies decreased TEC numbers in the medulla. Moreover, generation of multiple T cell lineages, including conventional TCRαβ T cells, regulatory T cells, invariant NKT cells, and TCRγδ T cells, was reduced in TEC-specific Rictor-deficient mice. Our data demonstrate that mTORC2 in TECs is important for normal thymopoiesis and efficient T cell generation.

Thymus is crucial for generation of a diverse repertoire of T cells essential for adaptive immunity. Although thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are crucial for thymopoiesis and T cell generation, how TEC development and function are controlled is poorly understood. We report here that mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) in TECs plays critical roles in thymopoiesis and thymus function. Acute deletion of mTORC1 in adult mice caused severe thymic involution. TEC-specific deficiency of mTORC1 (mTORC1KO) impaired TEC maturation and function such as decreased expression of thymotropic chemokines, decreased medullary TEC to cortical TEC ratios, and altered thymic architecture, leading to severe thymic atrophy, reduced recruitment of early thymic progenitors, and impaired development of virtually all T-cell lineages. Strikingly, temporal control of IL-17-producing γδT (γδT17) cell differentiation and TCRVγ/δ recombination in fetal thymus is lost in mTORC1KO thymus, leading to elevated γδT17 differentiation and rearranging of fetal specific TCRVγ/δ in adulthood. Thus, mTORC1 is central for TEC development/function and establishment of thymic environment for proper T cell development, and modulating mTORC1 activity can be a strategy for preventing thymic involution/atrophy., The thymus is essential for making T cells but undergoes age- or stress-associated atrophy. This study demonstrates that mTOR complex 1 in thymic epithelial cells is crucial for correct thymic architecture and the production of mature T cells., Author Summary The thymus is the primary organ for T cell generation. Abnormal thymus function profoundly affects host immunity and numerous diseases. Thymopoiesis and thymus function rely on orchestrated interaction between multiple cell types representing different origins. Among them, thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are crucial for thymus development and maintenance and T cell generation. How TEC development and function are regulated is poorly understood. The mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine/threonine kinase, signals with two complexes, mTORC1 and mTOC2, to control metabolism, growth, proliferation, and survival. Using a mouse model with mTORC1 selectively ablated in TECs, we demonstrate that mTORC1 in TECs plays critical roles in thymopoiesis and thymus function. Absence of mTORC1 results in impaired TEC maturation and function, altered thymic architecture, severe thymic atrophy, and impaired development of virtually all T-cell lineages. Moreover, it also causes increased generation of IL-17–producing γδT (γδT17) cells and fetal-specific γδT subsets in adult thymus, revealing that mTORC1 in TECs is central for temporal control of γδT17 differentiation and TCRVγ/δ recombination. Our results establish mTORC1 as a central regulator for TEC development/function and for the establishment of normal thymic environment for proper T cell development. We suggest modulating mTORC1 activity as a strategy for preventing thymic involution/atrophy.

Promiscuous expression of tissue restricted antigens (TRAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) is crucial for negative selection of self-reactive T cells to establish central tolerance. Intercellular transfer of self-peptide-MHC complexes from mTECs to thymic dendritic cells (DCs) allows DCs to acquire TRAs, which in turn contributes to negative selection and regulatory T cell generation. However, mTECs are unlikely to express all TRAs, such as immunoglobulins generated only in B cells after somatic recombination, hyper-mutation, or class-switches. We report here that both mTECs and cortical TECs can efficiently acquire not only cell surface but also intracellular proteins from thymocytes. This reveals a previously unappreciated intercellular sharing of molecules from thymocytes to TECs, which may broaden the TRA inventory in mTECs for establishing a full spectrum of central tolerance.

Objectives To establish a primer design method for amplification of GC-rich DNA sequences. Design and methods A group of 15 pairs of primers with higher Tm (> 79.7 °C) and lower level ΔTm ( 65 °C), and we can overcome this difficulty easily by designing primers and using higher annealing temperature.

The minor allele of the non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) +1858C>T within the PTPN22 gene has now been unequivocally confirmed as conferring susceptibility to RA in population from Europe and America, but not in population from Asia. The aim of this study was to jointly address and integrate these separate findings to further elucidate the association between the PTPN22 gene and RA in Chinese Hans of Guangdong province. Four hundred and ninety-four cases with RA and 496 healthy controls were randomly selected, their SNPs at position −1123G>C (rs2488457), +1858C>T (rs2476601), +788G>A (rs33996649), and rs1310182 were genotyped using PCR–RFLP, followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. +1858C>T (rs2476601) and +788G>A (rs33996649) are not polymorphic in Chinese Hans. Meanwhile, our result reveals that the degree of association between the promoter polymorphism, −1123G>C and RA, was analogous to that observed in Japanese reports (odds ratio [OR] = 1.517, 95% CI = [1.154–1.995], P = 0.003). Expression study also indicated a tendency for association between −1123G>C and PTPN22 gene expression. Our study underpins that the promoter polymorphism, −1123G/C, may be a causal SNP for RA in Asian.

Accumulated evidence shows that vanin-1 (VNN1) plays a key part in glucose metabolism. We explored the effect of VNN1 on cholesterol metabolism, inflammation, apoptosis in vitro, and progression of atherosclerotic plaques in apoE(-/-) mice. Oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) significantly induced VNN1 expression through an ERK1/2/cyclooxygenase-2/PPARα signaling pathway. VNN1 significantly increased cellular cholesterol content and decreased apoAI and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C)-mediated efflux by 25.16% and 23.13%, respectively, in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells (P < 0.05). In addition, VNN1 attenuated Ox-LDL-induced apoptosis through upregulation of expression of p53 by 59.15% and downregulation of expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 127.13% in THP-1 macrophage (P < 0.05). In vivo, apoE(-/-) mice were divided randomly into two groups and transduced with lentivirus (LV)-Mock or LV-VNN1 for 12 weeks. VNN1-treated mice showed increased liver lipid content and plasma levels of TG (124.48%), LDL-cholesterol (119.64%), TNF-α (148.74%), interleukin (IL)-1β (131.81%), and IL-6 (156.51%), whereas plasma levels of HDL-C (25.75%) were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Consistent with these data, development of atherosclerotic lesions was increased significantly upon infection of apoE(-/-) mice with LV-VNN1. These observations suggest that VNN1 may be a promising therapeutic candidate against atherosclerosis.

Early reports suggest that nuclear factor IA (NFIA) is important in the pathogenesis of glioma. Our previous study demonstrated that the long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA), RP5‑833A20.1, suppressed the expression of NFIA in THP‑1 macrophage-derived foam cells. However, the effect and possible mechanism of RP5‑833A20.1 on glioma remains to be fully elucidated, and whether the NFIA-dependent pathway is involved in its progression has not been investigated. In the present study, the mechanisms by which RP5‑833A20.1 regulates the expression of NFIA in glioma were investigated. The expression levels of RP5‑833A20.1 and NFIA were determined in U251 cells and clinical samples using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The effects of RP5‑833A20.1 on cell proliferation, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated using in vitro assays. The potential changes in protein expression were investigated using western blot analysis. The methylation status of the CpG island in the NFIA promoter was determined using bisulfite PCR (BSP) sequencing. It was found that the expression of RP5‑833A20.1 was downregulated, whereas the expression of NFIA was upregulated in glioma tissues, compared with corresponding adjacent nontumor tissues from 20 patients with glioma. The overexpression of RP5‑833A20.1 inhibited proliferation and cell cycle progression, and induced apoptosis in the U251 cells. The mRNA and protein levels of NFIA were markedly inhibited by overexpression of RP5‑833A20.1 in the U251 cells. The overexpression of RP5‑833A20.1 increased the expression of microRNA‑382‑5p in the U251 cells. The BSP assay revealed that the overexpression of RP5‑833A20.1 enhanced the methylation level of the NFIA promoter. These results demonstrated that RP5‑833A20.1 inhibited tumor cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and inhibited cell‑cycle progression by suppressing the expression of NFIA in U251 cells. Collectively, these results indicated RP5‑833A20.1 as a novel therapeutic target for glioma.

Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a crucial cholesterol transporter and plays a central role in the high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol metabolism and lipid clearance from the foam cell. Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) is an endogenous lipid mediator that requires cell-cell interaction or cell-platelet interaction for its synthesis. The roles of LXA4 on inflammatory responses are well described, while its effects on mediating ABCA1 and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we showed that LXA4 significantly increases expression of ABCA1 and LXRα in a dose-dependent manner in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells. Cellular cholesterol content was decreased while cholesterol efflux was increased by LXA4 treatment. However, after short interfering RNA of LXRα, the effects of LXA4 on ABCA1 expression and cholesterol metabolism were significantly abolished. These results provide evidence that LXA4 increases ABCA1 expression and promotes cholesterol efflux through LXRα pathway in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells.

Resistome analysis of clinical VIM-1-producing Enterobacter cloacae strain CY01 from China revealed the presence of multiple resistance determinants. Two resistance plasmids were identified in CY01. The pCY-VIM plasmid was 14 kb in size and possessed a replicase gene ( repA ), a gene cluster encoding the partitioning function ( parABC ), and a carbapenemase gene ( bla VIM-1 ). Another 5.9-kb plasmid, pCY-MdT, with an aac ( 6 ′)- Ib gene, was very closely related (13 nucleotide differences) to pMdT1, a ColE1 plasmid carrying aac ( 6 ′)- Ib-cr4 .