Independent effect of the triglyceride-glucose index on all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index serves as a reliable proxy for insulin resistance (IR). IR has been linked to heightened incidence, prevalence, or severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Prior research indicates that critically ill patients are prone to developing IR. Nevertheless, few studies have delved into the correlation between IR and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with COPD and asthma. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the association between the TyG index and all-cause mortality in patients with COPD and asthma, with the goal of assessing the impact of IR on the prognosis of this patient population. METHODS: This is a retrospective study, and all data are from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) critical care database. This study included 684 ICU patients with COPD and asthma and divided them into quartiles based on TyG index levels. The primary outcomes of this study were all-cause mortality during follow-up, encompassing mortality at 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days. The Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare all-cause mortality among the above four groups. Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed to examine the association between TyG index and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with COPD and asthma. Restricted cubic spline analysis was used to assess potential nonlinear association between the TyG index and the primary outcome. RESULTS: A total of 684 patients (53.9% female) were included. The 90-days all-cause mortality rate and 180-days all-cause mortality were 11.7% and 12.3%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant association between the TyG index and both 90-days all-cause mortality (log-rank p = .039) and 180-days all-cause mortality (log-rank p = .017). Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed a significant association between the TyG index and 90-days all-cause mortality in both the unadjusted model (HR, 1.30 [95% CI 1.08-1.57] p = .005) and the model adjusted for age, gender, and diabetes (HR, 1.38 [95% CI 1.15-1.67] p < .001). Similarly, the TyG index was associated with 180-days all-cause mortality in the unadjusted model (HR, 1.30 [95% CI 1.09-1.56] p = .004) and the model adjusted for age, sex, and diabetes (HR, 1.38 [95% CI 1.15-1.66] p < .001). The restricted cubic splines (RCS) regression model indicated a significant nonlinear association between the TyG index and both 90-days and 180-days all-cause mortality. Specifically, TyG index >4.8 was associated with an increased risk of mortality at both 90 days and 180 days. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our results extend the utility of the TyG index to critically ill patients with COPD and asthma. Our study shows that the TyG index is a potential predictor of all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with COPD and asthma. In addition, in patients with a TyG index exceeding 4.8, there was a heightened risk of mortality. Measuring the TyG index may help with risk stratification and prognosis prediction in critically ill patients with COPD and asthma. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Use of the cardiopulmonary coupling index based on refined composite multiscale entropy for prognostication of acute type A aortic dissection.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the influence of cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) based on RCMSE on the prediction of complications and death in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD). Background: The cardiopulmonary system may be nonlinearly regulated, and its coupling relationship with postoperative risk stratification in ATAAD patients has not been studied. Methods: This study was a single-center, prospective cohort study (ChiCTR1800018319). We enrolled 39 patients with ATAAD. The outcomes were in-hospital complications and all-cause readmission or death at 2 years. Results: Of the 39 participants, 16 (41.0%) developed complications in the hospital, and 15 (38.5%) died or were readmitted to the hospital during the two-year follow-up. When CPC-RCMSE was used to predict in-hospital complications in ATAAD patients, the AUC was 0.853 (p < 0.001). When CPC-RCMSE was used to predict all-cause readmission or death at 2 years, the AUC was 0.731 (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, ventilator support (days), and special care time (days), CPC-RCMSE remained an independent predictor of in-hospital complications in patients with ATAAD [adjusted OR: 0.8 (95% CI, 0.68-0.94)]. Conclusion: CPC-RCMSE was an independent predictor of in-hospital complications and all-cause readmission or death in patients with ATAAD.

Effect of liberal or conservative oxygen therapy on the prognosis for mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients: a meta-analysis

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: For critically ill patients, physicians tend to administer sufficient or even excessive oxygen to maintain oxygen saturation at a high level. However, the credibility of the evidence for this practice is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of different oxygen therapy strategies on the outcomes of mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis conducted at Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases such as PubMed and Embase for relevant articles and performed meta-analyses on the effects of different oxygen therapy strategies on the outcomes of mechanically ventilated ICU patients. RESULTS: A total of 1802 patients from five studies were included. There were equal numbers of patients in the conservative and liberal groups (n = 910 in each group). There was no significant difference between the conservative and liberal groups with regard to 28-day mortality (risk ratio, RR = 0.88; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.59-1.32; P = 0.55; I2 = 63%). Ninety-day mortality, infection rates, ICU length of stay, mechanical ventilation-free days up to day 28 and vasopressor-free days up to day 28 were comparable between the two strategies. CONCLUSIONS: It is not necessary to use liberal oxygen therapy strategies to pursue a higher level of peripheral oxygen saturation for mechanically ventilated ICU patients. Conservative oxygen therapy was not associated with any statistically significant reduction in mortality.

Effect of liberal or conservative oxygen therapy on the prognosis for mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: For critically ill patients, physicians tend to administer sufficient or even excessive oxygen to maintain oxygen saturation at a high level. However, the credibility of the evidence for this practice is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of different oxygen therapy strategies on the outcomes of mechanically ventilated intensive care unit (ICU) patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis conducted at Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, China. METHODS: We systematically searched electronic databases such as PubMed and Embase for relevant articles and performed meta-analyses on the effects of different oxygen therapy strategies on the outcomes of mechanically ventilated ICU patients. RESULTS: A total of 1802 patients from five studies were included. There were equal numbers of patients in the conservative and liberal groups (n = 910 in each group). There was no significant difference between the conservative and liberal groups with regard to 28-day mortality (risk ratio, RR = 0.88; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.59-1.32; P = 0.55; I2 = 63%). Ninety-day mortality, infection rates, ICU length of stay, mechanical ventilation-free days up to day 28 and vasopressor-free days up to day 28 were comparable between the two strategies. CONCLUSIONS: It is not necessary to use liberal oxygen therapy strategies to pursue a higher level of peripheral oxygen saturation for mechanically ventilated ICU patients. Conservative oxygen therapy was not associated with any statistically significant reduction in mortality.

Fluid resuscitation with balanced crystalloids versus normal saline in critically ill patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous fluids are used commonly for almost all intensive care unit (ICU) patients, especially for patients in need of resuscitation. The selection and use of resuscitation fluids may affect the outcomes of patients; however, the optimal resuscitative fluid remains controversial. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL. Studies comparing balanced crystalloids and normal saline in ICU patients were selected. We used the Cochrane Collaboration tool to assess the risk of bias in studies. The primary outcome was mortality at the longest follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) and new renal replacement therapy (RRT). RESULTS: A total of 35,456 patients from eight studies were included. There was no significant difference between balanced crystalloid solutions and saline in mortality (risk ratio [RR]: 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.92-1.01). The subgroup analysis with traumatic brain injury (TBI) showed lower mortality in patients receiving normal saline (RR:1.25; 95% CI 1.02-1.54). However, in patients with non-TBI, balanced crystalloid solutions achieved lower mortality than normal saline (RR: 0.94; 95% CI 0.90-0.99). There was no significant difference in moderate to severe AKI (RR: 0.96; 95% CI 0.90-1.01) or new RRT (RR: 0.94; 95% CI 0.84-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with normal saline, balanced crystalloids may not improve the outcomes of mortality, the incidence of AKI, and the use of RRT for critically ill patients. However, balanced crystalloids reduce the risk of death in patients with non-TBI but increase the risk of death in those with TBI. Large-scale rigorous randomized trials with better designs are needed, especially for specific patient populations.

The Effect of microRNA on the Production of Recombinant Protein in CHO Cells and its Mechanism.

Recombinant protein production by mammalian cells is the initial step in the manufacture of many therapeutic proteins. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most common host system to produce recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs). However, it is still challenging to maintain high productivity ensuring the good quality of RTPs produced by CHO cells. MicroRNAs(miRNAs) are short regulatory non-coding RNAs that can regulate cellular behavior and complex phenotypes. It has been found that miRNAs can enhance the expression level of recombinant proteins in CHO cells by promoting proliferation, resisting apoptosis, and regulating metabolism. miRNAs also can affect the quality of RTPs. In this review, we will discuss the effect and mechanism of miRNA on the expression level and quality of recombinant proteins in CHO cells.

Leptospirosis with pulmonary haemorrhage and multiple organ failure: a case report and literature review.

Pulmonary haemorrhage is an important complication of leptospirosis. We herein report an uncommon case of severe pulmonary haemorrhage and multiple organ failure caused by leptospirosis in a 49-year-old man who was previously healthy. He was a farm worker who was admitted to the hospital because of haemoptysis. He had worked in a paddy field 4 days prior to admission. Chest computed tomography revealed pulmonary haemorrhage, which rapidly deteriorated into haemorrhagic shock and multiple organ failure. Based on the patient's possible history of contact with contaminated water and the DNA sequence of Leptospira detected in his bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary haemorrhagic leptospirosis. Despite the administration of a fluid bolus, norepinephrine, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and haemostatics, and even with administration of a blood transfusion and extracorporeal life support, the pulmonary haemorrhage could not be controlled effectively. The patient eventually died of haemorrhagic shock. Leptospirosis can be a life-threatening disease despite aggressive treatment, even with extracorporeal life support. Next-generation sequencing can provide important diagnostic clues for patients with atypical leptospirotic symptoms.

The Monocyte-Derived Exosomal CLMAT3 Activates the CtBP2-p300-NF-κB Transcriptional Complex to Induce Proinflammatory Cytokines in ALI.

Monocytes and macrophages are the two major cell types involved in innate immunity. Exosomes act as signaling molecules to regulate cell-to-cell communication by releasing proteins, mRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs), and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, it is still unclear whether monocyte-derived exosomes are involved in the communication between monocytes and macrophages. In this study, we analyzed the differentially expressed lncRNA profiles in monocytes isolated from blood samples of healthy controls and acute lung injury (ALI) patients. We focused our study on investigating the signaling downstream of CLMAT3 (colorectal liver metastasis-associated transcript 3), a lncRNA that regulated proinflammatory cytokine genes. We revealed that CLMAT3 specifically targeted CtBP2 (C-terminal binding protein 2) and repressed its expression. Elevated CtBP2 acted as a coactivator to assemble a transcriptional complex with histone acetyltransferase p300 and NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) subunits. In vitro coculture and in vivo injection of ALI monocyte-derived exosomes increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Importantly, the administration of two CtBP2 inhibitors, NSC95397 and MTOB, could significantly reverse CtBP2-mediated transactivation. Collectively, our results support a model in which monocyte-derived exosomal CLMAT3 activates the CtBP2-p300-NF-κB complex to induce proinflammatory cytokines, thus contributing to the pathogenesis of ALI.

Two-layer regulation of TRAF6 mediated by both TLR4/NF-kB signaling and miR-589-5p increases proinflammatory cytokines in the pathology of severe acute pancreatitis.

Inflammation is a leading cause of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as important regulators involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases including pancreatitis. To identify miRNAs that contribute to the pathology of SAP, we carried out a miRNA-specific microarray analysis using the biopsies donated by SAP patients. We totally obtained 50 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 20 upregulated and 30 downregulated miRNAs, respectively. We focused our current study on revealing the downstream target and the upstream regulatory mechanism of miR-589-5p, the most downregulated miRNA in our candidate lists. Our prediction results indicated that miR-589-5p might target TRAF6 (tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6), a critical member of the TLR4/NF-kB (Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear transcription factor-kB) pathway. Using different strategies such as in vitro overexpression or downregulation of miR-589-5p and treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we found that the expression of TRAF6 was regulated by two-layer mechanisms. On the one hand, TRAF6 was transcriptionally controlled by a DNA methylation mediated downregulation of miR-589-5p. On the other hand, the activation of TLR4/NF-kB signaling also could increase the protein level of TRAF6. The increased TRAF6 aggravated the downstream signaling and caused the translocation of NF-kB subunits from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, where NF-kB transcription factors induced the expression of proinflammatory cytokine genes. The maturation and production of proinflammatory cytokines induced inflammatory response and caused the occurrence of SAP.

Downregulation of miR-199a-3p mediated by the CtBP2-HDAC1-FOXP3 transcriptional complex contributes to acute lung injury by targeting NLRP1.

Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play fundamental roles in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI). Here, we discovered that miR-199a-3p was significantly downregulated in ALI lung tissues using a microarray analysis. In vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment of the human epithelial cell line A549 and the human macrophage cell line U937 caused a decrease of miR-199a-3p. Mechanically, miR-199a-3p specifically bound to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of NLRP1 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing protein 1), a critical member of inflammasomes. Ectopic overexpression or downregulation of miR-199a-3p resulted in the repression or induction of NLRP1, respectively, thereby downregulating or activating its downstream events. Moreover, transcription factor FOXP3 (forkhead box P3) was able to specifically bind to the promoter of miR-199a-3p. Knockdown or overexpression of FOXP3 resulted in a decrease or induction miR-199a-3p expression, respectively. Using immunoprecipitation (IP), mass spectrometry and co-IP assays, we found that FOXP3 formed a transcriptional complex with HDAC1 (histone deacetylase 1) and CtBP2 (C-terminal-binding protein 2). Collectively, our results suggested that the CtBP2-HDAC1-FOXP3 transcriptional complex (CHFTC) could specifically bind to the promoter of miR-199a-3p and repress its expression. Downregulation of miR-199a-3p eliminated its inhibition of NLRP1, causing activation of NLRP1 and cleavage of pro-IL-1ß and pro-IL-18 mediated by Caspase-1. The secretion of IL-1ß and IL-18 further aggravated the inflammatory response and resulted in the occurrence of ALI.

Application of side-hole catheter technique for transradial arterial chemoembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of side-hole catheter technique for transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) via transradial artery access (TRA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2015 to August 2017, a total of 1040 TACE procedures were performed via TRA for hepatocellular carcinoma. In 10 (1%) of these 1040 TACE procedures via TRA, conventional microcatheter technique (CMT) failed and side-hole catheter technique was attempted. RESULTS: Ten procedures of selective catheterizations by CMT failed due to the poor stability of the angiographic catheters or the target artery arising from the very proximal portion of the parent artery. These arteries included the right inferior phrenic artery in eight patients, one left gastric artery, and one right renal capsular artery. Cobra or MPA catheter with the microcatheter through the side-hole yielded a technical success rate of 100%. No procedure-related complications were observed. The mean time required to catheterize the target artery with the side-hole catheter was 9.5 min (5-15 min). CONCLUSION: Side-hole catheter technique may enable the completion of chemoembolization in cases that a potential tumor-feeding vessel cannot be catheterized by means of CMT for TACE via TRA.

Risk scores for predicting dysphagia in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at developing and validating a scoring model to stratify critically ill patients after cardiac surgery based on risk for dysphagia, a common but often neglected complication. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected and analyzed from January 2016 to June 2017 from 395 consecutive post cardiac surgery patients at the cardiac care unit (CCU) at a single center; 103 (26.1%) developed dysphagia. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were used to identify independent predictors for dysphagia. The survival nomogram was developed on the basis of a multivariable Cox model, which allowed us to obtain survival probability estimations. The predictive performance of the nomogram was verified for discrimination and calibration. Areas under receiver operating characteristic curve analysis were used to illustrate and evaluate the diagnostic performance of the novel model. RESULTS: The final novel scoring model, named SSG-OD, consists of three independent factors: gastric intubation (OR = 1.024, 95% CI 1.015-1.033), sedative drug use duration (OR = 1.031, 95% CI 1.001-1.063) and stroke or not (OR = 6.182, 95% CI 3.028-12.617). SSG-OD identified patients at risk for dysphagia with sensitivity of 68.5% and specificity of 89.0% (OR = 0.833, 95% CI: 0.782-0.884). The positive and negative likelihood ratios were 6.22 and 0.35. CONCLUSIONS: The novel SSG-OD scoring system to risk stratify CCU patients for dysphagia is an easy-to-use bedside prognostication aid with good predictive performance and the potential to reduce aspiration incidence and accelerate recovery.

A Simple, Time-Saving Dye Staining of Proteins in Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-Polyacrylamide Gel Using Coomassie Blue.

Most traditional post-electrophoretic processes need several hours to several days to finish the whole staining process and traditional staining solutions all contain methanol, acetic acid, or phosphoric acid, which not only produce the unpleasant smell but also cause environmental pollution. Here a fixation-free, fast protein staining method in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using Coomassie blue is described. The protocol includes only staining and quick washing steps, can be completed in 0.5 h. It has a sensitivity of 10 ng. In addition, the dye stain does not contain any acid or methanol.

Effect of phacoemulsification on ocular surface and corneal endothelial cells in cataract patients with diabetes mellitus / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM:To study the effects of phacoemulsification on ocular surface and corneal endothelial cells in cataract patients with diabetes mellitus.·METHODS:This study used a retrospective analysis of the clinical data to compare curative effect, the research object was 98 cases ( 98 eyes ) of cataract patients with phacoemulsification from January 2016 to December 2016 in our hospital. Patients were divided into the observation group and the control group according to whether diabetes merged. The observation group had 50 cases of cataract patients with diabetes, the control group had 48 cases of pure cataract patients. Two groups of patients underwent phacoemulsification surgery and transparent corneal incision, surgeries were completed by the same doctor, no xeroma before surgery. Preoperative glycemic control was normal for diabetic patients, no changes in eye fundus. Observation of ocular surface at postoperative 1, 3, 7d and 1mo was taken. Dry eye symptoms, lacrimal film breakup time ( BUT ) , corneal fluorescein staining ( FL ) score, SchirmerⅠtest ( SⅠt ) and corneal endothelial cell density were compared.·RESULTS: Dry eye symptom score of the two groups before and after operation had significant difference;data of the observation group at postoperative 7d and 1mo was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance (P<0. 05), there was no significant difference at 1 and 3d after operation (P>0. 05 ). BUT of the two groups before and after surgery showed significant difference; data of the observation group at 7d and 1mo after operation was significantly lower than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P<0. 05 ); at 1 and 3d after operation there was no significant difference (P>0. 05). The FL score of the two groups before and after surgery had significant difference, and at 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P< 0. 05 ); there was no significant difference at postoperative 1d (P>0. 05). The two groups' before and after surgery SⅠt had significant difference, at 1, 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group, there was statistical significance (P< 0. 05 ). Corneal endothelial cell density showed apparent difference of the two groups before and after surgery;at 1, 3, 7d and 1mo after operation, data of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group, there was statistical significance ( P<0. 05).· CONCLUSION: Phacoemulsification has significant effects on tear film break-up time, SⅠt and dry eye symptoms in patients with diabetes mellitus, which may be related to the impaired repair ability of diabetic patients.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for the assessment of spinal tumor vascularity: correlation with angiography.

PURPOSE: To determine if dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) could correlate well with invasive angiography in the characterization of spinal tumor vascularity. METHODS: Totally 40 patients with untreated spinal tumors underwent MRI before preoperative angiography and embolization. Tumors were assigned to hypervascular, moderate, or hypovascular groups based on angiographic appearance. Tumor vascularity was also evaluated with enhancement degree on standard MR and with DCE-MRI parameters via ROI analysis of enhanced tumor area. The Spearman correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the correlation between the degree of angiographic vascularity and enhancement on MRI and DCE-MRI parameters. ROC analysis was conducted to assess the appropriate cut-off value. RESULTS: There were 12 hypervascular, 12 moderate, and 16 hypovascular tumors, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficient between DCE-MRI parameter and the degree of angiographic vascularity was 0.899 (RSlopemax), 0.847 (Slopemax), 0.697 (E max), 0.694 (ERmax), and -0.587 (TTP), respectively, which showed excellent-to-moderate relationships. The RSlopemax cut-off value of 1.325 provided the highest specificity of 100 % and sensitivity of 87.5 % in predicting hypovascular tumors and the value of 1.85 provided the highest sensitivity of 100 % and specificity of 96.4 % in characterizing hypervascular ones. CONCLUSIONS: DCE-MRI is an accurate technique for the assessment of spinal tumor vascularity, which may have a potential value in the decision-making of preoperative embolization.

Deep sequencing identifies deregulation of microRNAs involved with vincristine drug-resistance of colon cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Vincristine (VCR) is a chemical that is widely used in tumor therapy. While long-term use can make tumor cells resistant to VCR, the underlying mechanisms of this resistance are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at investigating the role of microRNA (miRNA) in colon cancer drug resistance. METHODS: HCT-8 colon carcinoma cells were cultured and treated with different VCR concentrations to establish an HCT-8/VCR resistant cell line. Whole-genome screens, HiSeq 2500 sequencing, and bioinformatics methods were used to detect and analyze differences in miRNA expression between the drug-resistant HCT-8/VCR cells and non-resistant HCT-8 cells. Differential expression profiles of miRNAs were constructed based on sequencing result. RESULTS: The HCT-8/VCR resistant colon carcinoma cell line was established. With regard to the difference in drug resistance between HCT-8/VCR and HCT-8 cells, 24 miRNAs showed statistically significant differences in their expression (fold change > 4), of which 17 were up-regulated. Seven miRNAs were down-regulated. CONCLUSION: As abnormal expression of miRNAs was associated with VCR resistance of colon carcinoma cells, differences in miRNA expression may play a key role in VCR resistance of colon cancer cells.

[Pollution Characteristics of Perfluorinated Compounds in Offshore Marine Area of Shenzhen].

In order to explore the pollution characteristics of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), 10 surface seawaters and 7 surface sediments were collected in offshore marine area of Shenzhen (offshore distance >2 km) in September 2013. All the samples were prepared by solid-phase extraction and analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/ MS). The results showed that 10 PFCs, including C4, C6 and C8 perfluorinated sulfonates (PFSAs) and C5-C11, perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were detected in the surface waters. ∑ PFC concentrations ranged from 1.74 ng x L(-1) to 14.7 ng x L(-1) with PFBS, PFOS and PFOA being the dominant compounds. The spatial distribution of ∑ PFC concentrations displayed the characteristic of "the west being higher than the east", with ∑ PFC concentrations of Lingding Sea and Shenzhen Bay being higher than those of Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay (P < 0.05). The farther the sampling location was from the shore, the lower the ∑ PFC concentrations were. Direct sewage emissions and rivers emptying into the sea might be the primary sources of PFCs in the surface seawaters. 8 PFCs, including C6 and C8 PFSAs and C5, C6, and C8-C11 PFCAs were detected in the surface sediments. ∑ PFC concentrations ranged from 2.22 micorg x kg(-1) to 2.62 microg x kg(-1) with PFOS being the dominant compounds. There was a small change of ∑ PFC concentrations in surface sediments, which might be contributed by the adsorption from overlying water. The adsorption of PFCs on sediment significantly increased with the increasing length of carbon chain, and the adsorption of PFSA was higher than that of PFCA with the same length of carbon chain as PFSA. Additionally, the comparison with other seawater PFC measurements showed high PFBS pollution in this study, whereas the level of PFOS in sediment was close to those of other studies.

Prognostic value of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 expression in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) is a small secretory glycoprotein with anti-matrix metalloproteinase activity. Data on the value of TIMP-2 as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are discordant and remain controversial. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to explore this issue. METHODS: We identified the relevant literature by searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, SinoMed, and Wanfang Data databases (search terms: "non-small cell lung cancer" or "NSCLC" or "Lung Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell", "Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2" or "TIMP-2", and "prognosis" or "prognostic" or "survive") for updates prior to March 1, 2014. The pooled hazard ratio (HR) of overall survival with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to evaluate the strength of the association between positive TIMP-2 expression and survival in patients with NSCLC. RESULTS: We included 12 studies in our systematic review; five studies involving 399 patients with NSCLC were meta-analyzed. The pooled HR of all included patients was 0.57 (95% CI: 0.43-0.77), and the HRs of subgroup analysis according to stage (I-IV), testing method (immunohistochemistry) and high TIMP-2 expression percentage (<50%) were 0.63 (95% CI: 0.43-0.92), 0.55 (95% CI: 0.41-0.74), and 0.50 (95% CI: 0.28-0.88), respectively. These data suggested that high TIMP-2 expression is associated with favorable prognosis in NSCLC. The meta-analysis did not reveal heterogeneity or publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: TIMP-2 expression indicates favorable prognosis in patients with NSCLC; as a protective factor, it could help predict outcome and may guide clinical therapy in the future.

Distance effect of matrix attachment regions on transgene expression in stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells.

The ß-globin matrix attachment regions (MARs) were inserted into the 5'-site of the eukaryotic expression vector cassette and DNA fragments 350 and 750 bp in length were inserted into the site to generate expression vectors with varying distances between the expression cassette and MAR. The vectors containing MARs increased chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) expression levels compared to the negative control vector lacking the MAR; the highest expression increase was 3.8-fold. A greater MAR-transgene distance (750 bp) correlated with a greater increase in transgene expression when compared to the control vector that lacked separation between the MAR and transgene. CAT gene copy numbers were higher in cells transformed with the vector possessing a smaller MAR-transgene distance (350 bp) than in cells belonging to the other three groups. However, MAR-induced transgene expression levels did not exhibit a direct relationship with gene copy number.

Association between reduced folate carrier G80A polymorphism and methotrexate toxicity in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a meta-analysis.

Abstract Methotrexate (MTX) is a key component of chemotherapeutic regimens for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and enters the cell via active transport mediated by the reduced folate carrier (RFC1). A major single-nucleotide polymorphism of the RFC1 gene, G80A, which affects the activity of RFC1, may influence MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL. We collected all studies that investigated the association of RFC1 G80A polymorphism and MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL, and found inconsistency among their results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to summarize all of these studies in order to clarify the correlation between the RFC1 G80A polymorphism and MTX toxicity in pediatric ALL. A recessive model demonstrated no influence of the RFC1 G80A genotype on MTX toxicity. In conclusion, the RFC1 G80A polymorphism does not seem to be a good marker of MTX-related toxicity in pediatric ALL.