Genome-wide characterization of the abscisic acid-, stress- and ripening-induced (ASR) gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L)

BACKGROUND: Abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) genes are a class of plant specific transcription factors (TFs), which play important roles in plant development, growth and abiotic stress responses. The wheat ASRs have not been described in genome-wide yet. METHODS: We predicted the transmembrane regions and subcellular localization using the TMHMM server, and Plant-mPLoc server and CELLO v2.5, respectively. Then the phylogeny tree was built by MEGA7. The exon-intron structures, conserved motifs and TFs binding sites were analyzed by GSDS, MEME program and PlantRegMap, respectively. RESULTS: In wheat, 33ASR genes were identified through a genome-wide survey and classified into six groups. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the TaASR proteins in the same group tightly clustered together, compared with those from other species. Duplication analysis indicated that the TaASR gene family has expanded mainly through tandem and segmental duplication events. Similar gene structures and conserved protein motifs of TaASRs in wheat were identified in the same groups. ASR genes contained various TF binding cites associated with the stress responses in the promoter region. Gene expression was generally associated with the expected group-specific expression pattern in five tissues, including grain, leaf, root, spike and stem, indicating the broad conservation of ASR genes function during wheat evolution. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that several ASRs were up-regulated in response to NaCl and PEG stress. CONCLUSION: We identified ASR genes in wheat and found that gene duplication events are the main driving force for ASR gene evolution in wheat. The expression of wheat ASR genes was modulated in responses to multiple abiotic stresses, including drought/osmotic and salt stress. The results provided important information for further identifications of the functions of wheat ASR genes and candidate genes for high abiotic stress tolerant wheat breeding.

Risk factors analysis of prolonged length of hospital stay after lobectomy for lung cancer patients / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective     To analyze the risk factors associated with prolonged length of hospital stay (PLOS) after lobectomy for lung cancer patients. Methods     The clinical records of 771 lung cancer patients undergoing lobectomy between May 2012 and June 2016 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. According to different length of hospital stay (LOS), 771 patients were divided into two groups, a normal LOS group and a PLOS group. In the normal LOS group, there were 551 patients including 234 females and 317 males with a median age of 59 years, whose LOS was shorter than 8.0 days. In the PLOS group, there were 220 patients including 72 females and 148 males with a median age of 60 years, whose LOS was no less than 8.0 days. Then, we analyzed the independent risk factors of PLOS by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results     Univariate analysis showed that risk factors for PLOS included male, arrhythmias and atrioventricular block, smaller FVC%, unilateral pneumonectomy, operation and anesthesia duration, intraoperative blood loss and number of lymph node dissection in the operation (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the age ≥75 years (OR=4.100, 95%CI 1.677 to 10.026), unilateral pneumonectomy (OR=2.563, 95%CI 1.473 to 4.460), FVC% < 89.05% (OR=1.500, 95%CI 1.020 to 2.206), numbers of lymph node dissection≥ 13.5 (OR=1.826, 95%CI 1.262 to 2.642), operation duration≥126.5 min (OR=1.858, 95%CI 1.200 to 2.876) and arrhythmia (OR=2.944, 95%CI 1.380 to 6.284) were independent risk factors of PLOS (all P<0.05). Conclusion     LOS is influenced by age, surgical type, FVC%, numbers of lymph node dissection, arrhythmia and operation duration. Careful assessment and appropriate management of risk factors are helpful to improve postoperative recovery after lobectomy for lung cancer patients.

Related factors of lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma patients with T1 stage / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective To investigate the relationship between clinical features and lymph node metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma patients with T1 stage. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 253 T1-stage lung adenocarcinoma patients (92 males and 161 females at an average age of 59.45±9.36 years), who received lobectomy and systemic lymph node dissection in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from October 2013 to February 2016. Results Lymph node metastasis was negative in 182 patients (71.9%) and positive in 71 (28.1%). Poor differentiation (OR=6.988, P=0.001), moderate differentiation (OR=3.589, P=0.008), micropapillary type (OR=24.000, P<0.001), solid type (OR=5.080, P=0.048), pleural invasion (OR=2.347, P=0.024), age≤53.5 years (OR=2.594, P=0.020) were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis. In addition, in the tumor with diameter≥1.55 cm (OR=0.615, P=0.183), although the cut-off value of 1.55 cm had no significant difference, it still suggested that tumor diameter was an important risk factor of lymph node metastasis. Conclusion In lung adenocarcinoma with T1 stage, the large tumor diameter, the low degree of differentiation, the high ratio of consolidation, and the micropapillary or solid pathological subtypes are more prone to have lymph node metastasis.

Analysis of risk factors for conversion to thoracotomy during video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the risk factors and short-term clinical effect of conversion to open thoracotomy during thoracoscopic lobectomy for lung cancer patients. Methods    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 423 lung cancer patients who were scheduled for thoracoscopic lobectomy between March 2011 and November 2015.There were 252 males and 171 females at median age of 60 (24-83) years. According to the patients who were and were not converted to thoracotomy, they were divided into a conversion group (378 patients) and a video-assisted thoracic surgery group (a VATS group, 45 patients). Then, clinical data of two groups were compared, and the risk factors and short-term clinical effect of unplanned conversions to thoracotomy were analyzed. Results    Lymph nodes of hilar or/and interlobar fissure closely adhered to adjacent vessels and bronchi was the most common cause of unexpected conversions to thoracotomy in 15 patients (33.3%), followed by sleeve lobectomy in 11(24.4%) patients, uncontrolled hemorrhage caused by intraoperative vessel injury in 8 patients, tumor invasion or extension in 5 patients, difficulty of exposing bronchi in 3 patients, close adhesion of pleural in 2 patients, incomplete interlobar fissure in 1 patient. Conversion did translate into higher overall postoperative complication rate (P=0.030), longer operation time (P<0.001), more intraoperative blood loss (P<0.001). In the univariable analysis, the type of operation, the anatomical site of lung cancer, the lymph node enlargement of hilar in CT and the low diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) were related to conversion. Logistic regression analysis showed that the independent risk factors for conversion were sleeve lobectomy (OR=5.675, 95%CI 2.310–13.944, P<0.001), the lymph node enlargement of hilar in CT (OR=3.732, 95%CI 1.347–10.341, P=0.011) and DLCO≤5.16 mmol/(min·kPa)(OR=3.665, 95%CI 1.868–7.190, P<0.001). Conclusions    Conversion to open thoracotomy during video-assisted thoracic surgery lobectomy for lung cancer does not increase mortality, and it is a measure of reducing the risk of surgery. Therefore, with high-risk patients who may conversion to thoracotomy, the surgeon should be careful selection for VATS candidate. And, if necessary, the decision to convert must be made promptly to reduce short-term adverse outcome.