Comparative efficacy and safety of contact force-sensing catheter and second-generation cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of the contact force (CF)-sensing catheter and second-generation cryoballoon (CB) ablation for treating atrial fibrillation (AF). Six controlled clinical trials comparing ablation for AF using a CF-sensing catheter or second-generation CB were identified from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The procedure duration was significantly lower in the CB group compared with that in the CF group [mean difference (MD)=29.4; 95%CI=17.84-40.96; P=0.01], whereas there was no difference between the groups for fluoroscopy duration (MD=0.59; 95%CI=-4.48-5.66; P=0.82). Moreover, there was no difference in the incidence of non-lethal complications (embolic event, tamponade, femoral/subclavian hematoma, arteriovenous fistula, pulmonary vein stenosis, phrenic nerve palsy, and esophageal injury) between the CB and the CF groups (8.38 vs 5.35%; RR=0.66; 95%CI=0.37-1.17; P=0.15). Transient phrenic nerve palsy occurred in 17 of 326 patients (5.2%) of the CB group vs none in the CF group (RR=0.12; 95%CI=0.03-0.43; P=0.001). A comparable proportion of patients in CF and CB groups suffered from AF recurrence during the 12-month follow-up after a single ablation procedure [risk ratio (RR)=1.03; 95%CI=0.78-1.35; P=0.84]. AF ablation using CF-sensing catheters and second-generation CB showed comparable fluoroscopy duration and efficacy (during a 12-month follow-up), with shorter procedure duration and different complications in the CB group.

MicroRNA-455 suppresses the oncogenic function of HDAC2 in human colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-induced mortality. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) is involved in prognosis and therapy of CRC. This study aimed to explore novel therapeutic targets for CRC. The alteration of HDAC2 expression in CRC tissues was estimated by qRT-PCR. After lentivirus transfection, HDAC2 knockdown was confirmed by western blot analysis. The effect of HDAC2 knockdown on cell proliferation was then assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Screened by TargetScan, microRNA (miR)-455 was predicted to bind to 3′UTR of HDAC2 and the prediction was verified by luciferase assay. Finally, cells were transfected, respectively, with miR-455 mimics or miR-455 negative control (miR-NC) and the expression of HDAC2, cell proliferation and apoptosis of transfected cells were respectively evaluated by western blot analysis, MTT assay and flow cytometry. Results showed that the HDAC2 expression was up-regulated in CRC tissues (P<0.05). HDAC2 knockdown significantly decreased cell viability at day 3 (P<0.05), day 4 (P<0.01), and day 5 (P<0.001) after infection. Then, miR-455 was verified to directly target HDAC2, resulting in a significant difference in luciferase activity (P<0.01). Moreover, miR-455 decreased the expression of HDAC2 (P<0.01). miR-455 remarkably decreased cell viability at day 3 (P<0.05), day 4 (P<0.01), and day 5 (P<0.001) after transfection while inducing cell apoptosis (P<0.001). In conclusion, miR-455 inhibited cell proliferation while inducing cell apoptosis by targeting HDAC2 in CRC cells.

Comparative pathogenicity of Coxsackievirus A16 circulating and noncirculating strains in vitro and in a neonatal mouse model

An enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine for the prevention of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HMFD) is available, but it is not known whether the EV71 vaccine cross-protects against Coxsackievirus (CV) infection. Furthermore, although an inactivated circulating CVA16 Changchun 024 (CC024) strain vaccine candidate is effective in newborn mice, the CC024 strain causes severe lesions in muscle and lung tissues. Therefore, an effective CV vaccine with improved pathogenic safety is needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo safety and in vitro replication capability of a noncirculating CVA16 SHZH05 strain. The replication capacity of circulating CVA16 strains CC024, CC045, CC090 and CC163 and the noncirculating SHZH05 strain was evaluated by cytopathic effect in different cell lines. The replication capacity and pathogenicity of the CC024 and SHZH05 strains were also evaluated in a neonatal mouse model. Histopathological and viral load analyses demonstrated that the SHZH05 strain had an in vitro replication capacity comparable to the four CC strains. The CC024, but not the SHZH05 strain, became distributed in a variety of tissues and caused severe lesions and mortality in neonatal mice. The differences in replication capacity and in vivo pathogenicity of the CC024 and SHZH05 strains may result from differences in the nucleotide and amino acid sequences of viral functional polyproteins P1, P2 and P3. Our findings suggest that the noncirculating SHZH05 strain may be a safer CV vaccine candidate than the CC024 strain.

Advances in tumor markers of ovarian cancer for early diagnosis.

Ovarian cancer often occurs in perimenopausal women. The mortality of ovarian cancer is in the first place among gynecological cancers because of no obvious early symptoms and the lack of effective diagnostic approach. Gene chips, proteomics, immunohistochemistry and other methods have become hot topics for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. However, due to the variety of pathology and not clear enough of mechanism and etiology, there is still no ideal tumor markers with both high specific and sensitivity, which can be applied into clinical early diagnosis for ovarian cancer. Therefore, a new systematic method with high sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and new tumor markers need to be identified. We should make an examination of ovarian cancer in the early period in the crowd for early diagnosis and early treatment to further improve life quality of patients. This paper reviewed the recent advancements of tumor markers for early diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

S100 protein in breast tumor.

S100 protein is the largest subtribe in calcium binding protein family. According to recent researches, abnormal expression of S100 protein is often related to tumor, including breast tumor. Breast tumor is the most common malignant disease in female with high mortality mainly due to metastasis. Estimating early diagnostic and prognostic markers are helpful to conduct treatment for patients with breast cancer. Accumulating investigations focused on the role of S100 proteins in breast tumor development and metastasis. This paper summarizes the expression situation of S100 proteins in breast tumor as well as its effects on metastasis and prognosis of breast tumor.

Association of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver in a cross-sectional study in Wan Song Community, China

Our objective was to examine associations of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Cross-sectional interview data from 844 residents in Wan Song Community from October 2009 to April 2010 were analyzed in multivariate logistic regression models to examine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between NAFLD and weight change from age 20. Questionnaires, physical examinations, laboratory examinations, and ultrasonographic examination of the liver were carried out. Maximum rate of weight gain, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and alanine transaminase were higher in the NAFLD group than in the control group. HDL-C in the NAFLD group was lower than in the control group. As weight gain increased (measured as the difference between current weight and weight at age 20 years), the OR of NAFLD increased in multivariate models. NAFLD OR rose with increasing weight gain as follows: OR (95%CI) for NAFLD associated with weight gain of 20+ kg compared to stable weight (change <5 kg) was 4.23 (2.49-7.09). Significantly increased NAFLD OR were observed even for weight gains of 5-9.9 kg. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric, the OR of NAFLD also increased as weight gain increased. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric and the “age 20 to current weight” metric, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) increased as weight gain increased (P<0.001). In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, significant association was observed between adult weight gain and NAFLD (OR=1.027, 95%CI=1.002-1.055, P=0.025). We conclude that adult weight gain is strongly associated with NAFLD.

Extracellular superoxide dismutase, a potential extracellular biomarker candidate for prolactinoma / Superóxido dismutasa extracelular - candidato potencial a biomarcador extracelular del prolactinoma

AIM: To investigate whether the extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and manganese super-oxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) level changes during prolactinoma (PRL) development. METHODS: Surgical tissues from 37 female patients with PRL were tested for Mn-SOD and serum samples from such PRL patients were tested for EC-SOD level changes with Western Blot. The Mn-SOD level from blood cells was also investigated to show whether the Mn-SOD variation could locate tumorigenesis tissues. RESULTS: According to the patients' age analysis, age 20-40 years is high risk for getting PRL. There is a positive relationship between the PRL severity and EC-SOD. The Mn-SOD level from surgical tissues, but not blood cells, also shows a corresponding positive relationship to PRL severity, which indicates that elevated Mn-SOD might only happen in PRL tumorigenesis tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Extracellular superoxide dismutase is an extracellular protein and the serum EC-SOD could be a good candidate for the diagnoses of prolactinoma.

OBJETIVO: Investigar los cambios de niveles del superóxido dismutasa extracelular (EC-SOD) y el superóxido dismutasa de manganeso (Mn-SOD) durante el desarrollo del prolactinoma (PRL). MÉTODOS: Los tejidos quirúrgicos de 37 pacientes hembras con PRL fueron examinados para investigar los niveles de cambio de Mn-SOD, mediante la técnica de Western Blot. El nivel de Mn-SOD de las células sanguíneas fue investigado para ver si la variación de Mn-SOD puede indicar la localización de tejidos de tumorigénesis. RESULTADOS: Según el análisis de la edad de los pacientes, la edad de 20-40 años presenta un alto riesgo de desarrollar PRL. Hay una relación positiva entre la severidad del PRL y el EC-SOD. El nivel de Mn-SOD en los tejidos quirúrgicos - a diferencia de lo que ocurre en las células sanguíneas - muestra una relación positiva con respecto a la severidad del PRL, lo cual indica que un Mn-SOD elevado, sólo podría tener lugar en los tejidos de la tumorigénesis del PRL. CONCLUSIONES: El superóxido dismutasa extracelular (EC-SOD) es una proteína extracelular, y el EC-SOD sérico podría ser un buen candidato para diagnosticar el prolactinoma.

CPU0213, a novel endothelin type A and type B receptor antagonist, protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

The efficacy of endothelin receptor antagonists in protecting against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is controversial, and the mechanisms remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of CPU0123, a novel endothelin type A and type B receptor antagonist, on myocardial I/R injury and to explore the mechanisms involved. Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were randomized to three groups (6-7 per group): group 1, Sham; group 2, I/R + vehicle. Rats were subjected to in vivo myocardial I/R injury by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery and 0.5 percent sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (1 mL/kg) was injected intraperitoneally immediately prior to coronary occlusion. Group 3, I/R + CPU0213. Rats were subjected to identical surgical procedures and CPU0213 (30 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally immediately prior to coronary occlusion. Infarct size, cardiac function and biochemical changes were measured. CPU0213 pretreatment reduced infarct size as a percentage of the ischemic area by 44.5 percent (I/R + vehicle: 61.3 ± 3.2 vs I/R + CPU0213: 34.0 ± 5.5 percent, P < 0.05) and improved ejection fraction by 17.2 percent (I/R + vehicle: 58.4 ± 2.8 vs I/R + CPU0213: 68.5 ± 2.2 percent, P < 0.05) compared to vehicle-treated animals. This protection was associated with inhibition of myocardial inflammation and oxidative stress. Moreover, reduction in Akt (protein kinase B) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation induced by myocardial I/R injury was limited by CPU0213 (P < 0.05). These data suggest that CPU0123, a non-selective antagonist, has protective effects against myocardial I/R injury in rats, which may be related to the Akt/eNOS pathway.

Isolation and molecular characterization of a cax gene from Capsella bursa-pastoris

A new cation exchangers (CAXs) gene was cloned and characterized from Capsella bursa-pastoris by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA sequence of cax from C. bursa-pastoris (designated as Cbcax51) was 1754 bp containing a 1398 bp open reading frame encoding a polypeptide of 466 amino-acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 50.5 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.69. The predicted CbCAX51 contained an IMP dehydrogenase/GMP reductase domain, two Na+/Ca2+ exchanger protein domains. Comparative and bioinformatics analyses revealed that CbCAX51 showed extensive homology with CAX from other plant species. The expression analysis by different treatments indicated that Cbcax51 could be activated by cold triggering and was related to the cold acclimation process, but its expression is regulated negatively by drought and not affected by ABA or salt.

Two-site pan-species monoclonal antibody ELISA for detection of blood stage malaria antigen.

A two-site pan-species monoclonal antibody sandwich ELISA (MAb-MAb ELISA) was developed to detect both Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum antigens in whole blood impregnated on filter paper. In this assay, the plates were coated with pan-species MAb 3F9 and another pan-species MAb M26-32 conjugated with alkaline phosphatase was used for detection of bound antigen. The sensitivity of this assay was 5, 10 and 10 parasites per 10(6) erythrocytes for cultured P. falciparum, patient-derived P. vivax and P. falciparum, respectively. The coincidence rates for this assay were 93% (92/99) with healthy individuals and 93% (42/45) with microscopically confirmed vivax malaria cases. After two weeks treatment, 77.7% (14/18) of vivax malaria were still positive by this assay but with diminished level of reactivities [corrected].

Detection of blood stage antigens of Plasmodium vivax by sandwich ELISA using pan-species monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal antibodies.

This paper reports an improved PcAb-McAb-ELISA test to detect blood stage Plasmodium vivax antigen in which the plates were coated with rabbit anti-P. cynomolgi polyclonal antibody to capture the antigens in test samples and two monoclonal antibodies, M26-32 and 3F9, were added together to react with the captured antigens. The coincidence rate with this test was 93% with microscopically confirmed P. vivax cases, 97% with normal samples, 95% with microscopically negative fever cases from nonendemic areas and 86% from endemic areas, respectively. The sensitivity was greater than 1 parasite/10(5) RBC.