Linc-ROR promotes invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by activating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Introduction: Previous studies have shown that the long intergenic non-protein coding RNA regulator of reprogramming (linc-ROR) is abnormally expressed in a variety of malignancies and plays an important role in tumor progression. However, little is known about the role of linc-ROR in gastric cancer. In this study, the relationship between the expression of linc-ROR and clinicopathological factors in gastric cancer and its potential mechanism were explored. Materials and Methods: The cells were classified into two groups: ROR small interfering RNA(si-ROR) and the Negative control siRNA (si-NC).Linc-ROR was knockdown in si-ROR group by small interfering RNA (siRNA). Detect the expression of linc-ROR in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues and its relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics by RT-PCR. the invasion ability was studied by wound healing assay and transwell assay. The expression levels of EMT-related molecules was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Result: Showed that the expression of lincROR in gastric cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent normal tissues. The lincROR expression level was significantly related to the tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in cancer tissues. The lincROR knockdown in gastric cancer cell lines significantly inhibited cell invasion and metastasis. It affected its malignant biological behavior by activating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition through increasing expression of vimentin as well as decreasing E-cadherin levels in gastric cancer cells. The lincROR silencing significantly decreased the expression of ?-catenin and c-myc. Conclusion: Linc-ROR can regulate cell invasion and metastasis by activating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process partially through Wnt/?-catenin signal pathway in the gastric cancer cells. Link-ROR may be an important molecule for the metastasis of gastric cancer.

Construction of a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing Babesia gibsoni thrombospondin-related anonymous protein and evaluation of its immunogenicity in mice

@#Previously, we have identified a gene encoding thrombospondin-related anonymous protein of Babesia gibsoni (BgTRAP), and have shown that the antisera raised against recombinant BgTRAP expressed in Escherichia coli inhibited the growth of parasites. In the present study, a recombinant vaccinia virus expressing the BgTRAP (VV/BgTRAP) was constructed. A specific band with a molecular mass of 80 kDa, which is similar to that of native BgTRAP on the merozoites of B. gibsoni, was detected in the supernatant of VV/ BgTRAP-infected RK13 cells. Mice inoculated with VV/BgTRAP produced a specific antiBgTRAP response. The antiserum against VV/BgTRAP showed reactivity against the native BgTRAP on parasites. These results indicated that the recombinant vaccinia virus expressing BgTRAP might be a vaccine candidate against canine B. gibsoni infection.

Long non-coding RNA CHCHD4P4 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and inhibits cell proliferation in calcium oxalate-induced kidney damage

Kidney stone disease is a major cause of chronic renal insufficiency. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in calcium oxalate-induced kidney damage is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to explore the roles of lncRNAs in glyoxylate-exposed and healthy mouse kidneys using microarray technology and bioinformatics analyses. A total 376 mouse lncRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups. Using BLAST, 15 lncRNA homologs, including AU015836 and CHCHD4P4, were identified in mice and humans. The AU015836 expression in mice exposed to glyoxylate and the CHCHD4P4 expression in human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells exposed to calcium oxalate monohydrate were analyzed, and both lncRNAs were found to be upregulated in response to calcium oxalate. To further evaluate the effects of CHCHD4P4 on the cell behavior, we constructed stable CHCHD4P4-overexpressing and CHCHD4P4-knockdown HK-2 cells. The results showed that CHCHD4P4 inhibited cell proliferation and promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in kidney damage and fibrosis caused by calcium oxalate crystallization and deposition. The silencing of CHCHD4P4 reduced the kidney damage and fibrosis and may thus be a potential molecular target for the treatment of kidney stones.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in sheep from northern China

@#Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic parasite causing significant health problems to humans and animals. In recent years, a number of investigations about the seroprevalence of T. gondii in China have been reported, but little is known on the prevalence of toxoplasmosis in sheep in northern China. In the present study, a total of 288 sheep serum samples were collected from Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin and Hebei provinces of northern China for T. gondii antibody survey using a latex agglutination test (LAT). Of these, 87 (30.2%) serum samples were positive for antibodies to T. gondii, and the antibody titres ranged from 1:64 to 1:1,024. Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in sheep was 17.1% in Inner Mongolia, 33.8% in Heilongjiang, 24.6% in Jilin and 46.3% in Hebei. Age and rearing system significantly affected seropositivity. The present survey indicates antibodies to T. gondii are widely prevalent in sheep in northern China, which may cause public health problems in these provinces.

Molecular Detection of Theileria species in Cattle from Jilin Province, China

Bovine theileriosis is a tick-borne disease that is hampering the development of the domestic cattle industry in northern China. This study involved a molecular survey of bovine Theileria species in 137 blood samples from cattle in the Jilin province of China. The DNA samples were screened by species-specific 18S rRNA PCR. Results revealed that 19.7% (27/137), 17.5% (24/137) and 10.9% (15/137) were found to be infected with Theileria sinensis, Theileria orientalis, respectively. Mixed infection was found in 8.8% (12/137). The overall detection rates of Baishan, Yanji, Jilin and Liaoyuan districts was 60.0%, 17.5%, 5.3% and 0%, respectively. There is little information on the detection and distribution of bovine Theileria species in northern China. Therefore, this study provides important data for understanding the epidemiology of Theileria species and designing appropriate approaches for the diagnosis and control of bovine theileriosis in northern China.

Therapy of tacrolimus combined with corticosteroids in idiopathic membranous nephropathy

We evaluated the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) combined with corticosteroids in treating patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). One hundred seventy-seven biopsy-proven IMN patients were recruited in this retrospective clinical study. Sixty patients received TAC (target blood concentration of 4–8 ng/mL) and 117 patients received daily cyclophosphamide (CYC, 100 mg) combined with prednisone. Remission rates at the end of the first, second and third month in the TAC group were significantly higher than that in the CYC group (1st: 35.0 vs 19.7%, P<0.05; 2nd: 56.7 vs 38.5%, P<0.05; 3rd: 76.7 vs 59.0%, P<0.05). In the first 3 months, daily urinary protein and serum albumin in the TAC group obtained a better improvement than that in the CYC group (P<0.05). At the end of the sixth and the twelfth month, the remission rates, daily urinary protein and serum albumin were all comparable between the two groups (P>0.05). No significant difference of relapse rate between the groups was found (16.3 vs 12.0%, P>0.05). Patients were more likely to develop glucose intolerance in the TAC group. The TAC regimen obtained more benefits in treating IMN patients, especially in the first 3 months, than the CYC regimen.

Negative emotions affect postoperative scores for evaluating functional knee recovery and quality of life after total knee replacement

This study aimed to determine whether psychological factors affect health-related quality of life (HRQL) and recovery of knee function in total knee replacement (TKR) patients. A total of 119 TKR patients (male: 38; female: 81) completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-revised (EPQR-S), Knee Society Score (KSS), and HRQL (SF-36). At 1 and 6 months after surgery, anxiety, depression, and KSS scores in TKR patients were significantly better compared with those preoperatively (P<0.05). SF-36 scores at the sixth month after surgery were significantly improved compared with preoperative scores (P<0.001). Preoperative Physical Component Summary Scale (PCS) and Mental Component Summary Scale (MCS) scores were negatively associated with extraversion (E score) (B=-0.986 and -0.967, respectively, both P<0.05). Postoperative PCS and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) scores were negatively associated with neuroticism (N score; B=-0.137 and -0.991, respectively, both P<0.05). Postoperative MCS, SAI, Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI), and BAI scores were also negatively associated with the N score (B=-0.367, -0.107, -0.281, and -0.851, respectively, all P<0.05). The KSS function score at the sixth month after surgery was negatively associated with TAI and N scores (B=-0.315 and -0.532, respectively, both P<0.05), but positively associated with the E score (B=0.215, P<0.05). The postoperative KSS joint score was positively associated with postoperative PCS (B=0.356, P<0.05). In conclusion, for TKR patients, the scores used for evaluating recovery of knee function and HRQL after 6 months are inversely associated with the presence of negative emotions.

High preoperative and postoperative levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and CYFRA 21‑1 indicate poor prognosis in patients with pathological Stage I nonsmall cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and the soluble fragment of cytokeratin 19 (CYFRA 21‑1) are supposed to have a prognostic role in patients with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after surgery, but it has not been used as an adjunct to the tumor‑node‑metastasis (TNM) staging system to provide therapy options for patients with pathological Stage I NSCLC. This study was designed to investigate the effect of serum levels of CEA and CYFRA 21‑1 before and after surgery on the prognosis of patients with Stage I NSCLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed regarding the medical records and follow‑ups of 169 patients with Stage I NSCLC before and after surgery. The patients were divided into three groups based on levels of serum CEA and CYFRA 21‑1 before and after surgery: (1) continuously normal‑level groups (CEA [NN] and CYFRA 21‑1 [NN] groups); (2) declined to normal‑level groups (CEA [HN] and CYFRA 21‑1 [HN] groups); and (3) continuously high‑level groups (CEA [HH] and CYFRA 21‑1 [HH] groups). Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan–Meier method for each group. The Chi‑square or Fisher exact test was employed to compare clinical and pathologic factors at the level of P < 0.05. The prognostic factor was evaluated by the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Compared with the continuously normal‑level groups, the CEA [HN] group was significantly correlated to tumor size (P = 0.011), and the CYFRA 21‑1 [HN] group was significantly correlated to tumor type and pathological TNM in addition to tumor size. Five‑year survivals were significantly lower (P = 0.004) in the CEA [HH] group (67.3%) and the CEA [HN] group (86.5%) than in the CEA [NN] group (85.7%) and were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the CYFRA 21‑1 [HH] group (47.2%) and the CYFRA 21‑1 [HN] group (70.1%) than in the CYFRA 21‑1 [NN] group (90.1%). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size (21–50 mm), CEA [HH], and CYFRA 21‑1 [HH] were independent unfavorable prognostic factors for overall survival (OS), whereas tumor size (21–50 mm), CEA [HH], CYFRA 21‑1 [HN], and CYFRA 21‑1 [HH] were independent significant prognostic factors for progression‑free survival (PFS). CONCLUSION: Patients with a persistently high serum CEA or CYFRA 21‑1 before and after surgery had shortest OS and PFS. These patients had worst prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy was likely to improve survival for these patients.

Hydroxychloroquine sulphate inhibits in vitro apoptosis of circulating lymphocytes in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

The serological hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the presence of antibodies against double-stranded DNA. However, several studies have suggested that it is not DNA itself, but nucleosomes that are the immunogenic particles involved both in the induction of anti-DNA antibodies, and in the pathophysiology of SLE. Meanwhile, It has been demonstrated that there is an accelerated in vitro apoptosis of lymphocytes from patients with SLE. Therefore, one can postulate that the process of apoptosis may provide a source of nuclear antigens to drive the autoantibody response seen in SLE. Our study has demonstrated that hydroxychloroquine exhibits an anti-apoptotic action and this anti-apoptotic effect is dependent on monocyte coexistence. We used both morphology assessment and fluorescent antibody cell sorter (FACS) analysis to measure the apoptotic percentage of lymphocytes from 25 SLE patients in medium alone (control) or with the addition of different concentrations of hydroxychloroquine. Our results have shown that there is a significant decrease in the percentage of apoptosis at the therapeutic concentration (10(-6) M) as compared with the control (p < 0.05). It has been reported that the anti-rheumatic properties of hydroxychloroquine result from its interference with antigen processing in macrophages and other antigen-presenting cells. We propose that this results in decreased stimulation of autoreactive lymphocytes reactive with self-peptides, and consequently diminution of activation-induced cell death (apoptosis) of mature peripheral lymphocytes.

The effect of allergen immunotherapy on in vitro IL-4 and IFN-gamma production by peripheral mononuclear cells in house dust-sensitive Chinese patients with bronchial asthma.

The IFN-gamma produced by Th1 cells and IL-4 produced by Th2 cells are two most important cytokines in the regulation of IgE production. House dust immunotherapy has been tried in the treatment of house dust-sensitive Chinese asthmatic patients with good results. We examined the influence of such treatment on in vitro IL-4 and IFN-gamma production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in house dust-sensitive asthmatic patients. Allergen immunotherapy in house-dust sensitive asthmatic patients can significantly decrease IL-4 production from peripheral mononuclear cells (p<0.05). The production levels of IL-4 in patients without treatment had higher levels than those in patients with hyposensitization (p<0.01). Such therapy also have some effect on promotion of IFN-gamma production in asthmatic patients. In conclusion, immunotherapy with house dust may have the potential ability to shift the Th1/Th2 balance of immune response to allergens and to create a favorable cytokine microenvironment to suppress the allergic reaction in the asthmatic airway.

Dengue vector mosquitos at a tourist attraction, Ko Samui, in 1995.

On Ko Samui, Thailand there were two epidemics of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) in 1966 and 1967, followed by endemics up to 1994. Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus were the vectors. From January to July 1995, 51 cases of DHF were reported, out of these were many foreigners who still suffer from dengue fever and return home with negative impression. We carried out an entomological survey around the island and collected the mosquitos to detect dengue virus by digoxigenin-cDNA probe. The data revealed that Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus still were abundant and some were infected with dengue virus. Visual larval survey indices (HI, CI and BI) were 90.4, 61.3 and 301.3 respectively. Biting rate (BR) of Aedes mosquitos was high, the average indoor and outdoor BR were 9.7 and 100.8 mosquitos/man-hour. From 13 pools of mosquitos, 8 strains of dengue virus were detected (61.5%). The results may encourage the local authorities to improve vector surveillance and control before the famous island becomes an unpleasant island.