miR-3188 inhibits hepatitis B virus transcription by targeting Bcl-2.

Transcription of the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is subject to dual regulation by host factors and viral proteins. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate the expression of target genes at the post-transcriptional level. Systematic investigation of miRNA expression in HBV infection and the interaction between HBV and miRNAs may deepen our understanding of the transcription mechanisms of HBV cccDNA, thereby providing opportunities for intervention. miRNA sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) were used to analyze miRNA expression after HBV infection of cultured cells. Clinical samples were analyzed for miRNAs and HBV transcription-related indicators, using qRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA), and Western blot. miRNA mimics or inhibitors were used to study their effects on the HBV life cycle. The target genes of miR-3188 and their roles in HBV cccDNA transcription were also identified. The expression of 10 miRNAs, including miR-3188, which was significantly decreased after HBV infection, was measured in clinical samples from patients with chronic HBV infection. Overexpression of miR-3188 inhibited HBV transcription, whereas inhibition of miR-3188 expression promoted HBV transcription. Further investigation confirmed that miR-3188 inhibited HBV transcription by targeting Bcl-2. miR-3188 is a key miRNA that regulates HBV transcription by targeting the host protein Bcl-2. This observation provides insights into the regulation of cccDNA transcription and suggests new targets for anti-HBV treatment.

Epidemiological characteristics of patients from fever clinics during the COVID-19 epidemic in 2022 in Shanghai, China.

An outbreak of COVID-19 in Shanghai, China, in March 2022 was caused by the Omicron variant. The epidemic lasted for more than 3 months, and the cumulative number of infected people reached 626,000. We investigated the impact of clinical factors on disease outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Using a case-control study design, we examined cases from fever clinics with confirmed Omicron variant infection, analyzed their population and laboratory diagnostic characteristics, and provided theoretical support for subsequent epidemic prevention and control. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with infection with the Omicron variant. The results of this study show that the COVID-19 vaccine can protect against infection with the Omicron variant, and more than 50% of infected people had not been vaccinated. Compared with the epidemic in Wuhan 2 years ago, most of the patients in the hospital in the Shanghai epidemic had underlying diseases (P = 0.006). A comparison of patients infected with the Omicron variant in Shanghai and patients with other respiratory tract infections showed no significant difference in the levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, eosinophils, white blood cells, hemoglobin, or platelets (P > 0.05). People over 60 years old and those with underlying diseases were at risk for pneumonia (OR = 14.62 (5.49-38.92), P < 0.001; OR = 5.29 (2.58-10.85), P < 0.001, respectively), but vaccination was a protective factor (OR = 0.24 (0.12-0.49), P < 0.001). In summary, vaccination has a potential effect on infection with Omicron variant strains and provides protection against pneumonia. The severity of illness caused by the Omicron variant in 2022 was significantly lower than that of the original SARS-CoV-2 variant from two years previously.

Evaluation of the diagnostic effectiveness of next generation sequencing in sepsis etiology: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Systematic evaluation of the diagnostic value of next generation sequencing (NGS) in sepsis etiology. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a systematic search on four databases (Web of Science, Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase) and compiled diagnostic experiments using NGS to evaluate sepsis etiology. Two researchers conducted research and obtained data independently. RESULTS: Nine documents were included comprising 747 patients, 988 blood samples, 175 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples, 16 cerebrospinal fluid samples, and one urine sample. The combined sensitivity of each study was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.82-0.95). The combined specificity was 0.40 (95% CI: 0.25-0.55). The combined positive likelihood ratio was 1.51 (95% CI: 1.18-1.98). The combined negative likelihood ratio was 0.28 (95% CI: 0.11-0.48). The diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 6.38 (95% CI: 2.53-15.32) and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.84, (95% CI: 0.62-0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the data we collected, we found that compared with the blood culture technology, NGS has the advantages of high sensitivity and wide detection range, but its specificity was low. Further study is needed to confirm the value of NGS in the etiological diagnosis of patients with sepsis.

CircFAM13B promotes the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma by sponging miR-212, upregulating E2F5 expression and activating the P53 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Most of the biological functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and the potential underlying mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not yet been discovered. METHODS: In this study, using circRNA expression data from HCC tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we identified out differentially expressed circRNAs and verified them by qRT-PCT. Functional experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of circFAM13B in HCC in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We found that circFAM13B was the most significantly differentially expressed circRNA in HCC tissue. Subsequently, in vitro and in vivo studies also demonstrated that circFAM13B promoted the proliferation of HCC. Further studies revealed that circFAM13B, a sponge of miR-212, is involved in the regulation of E2F5 gene expression by competitively binding to miR-212, inhibits the activation of the P53 signalling pathway, and promotes the proliferation of HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed the mechanism underlying the regulatory role played by circFAM13B, miR-212 and E2F5 in HCC. This study provides a new theoretical basis and novel target for the clinical prevention and treatment of HCC.

Combination treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein tumour thrombus: A case report.

We present a case of a 43-year-old man with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumour thrombus. Initially, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) was performed. Although alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels decreased, circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) levels showed an upward trend, and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that tumours in the portal vein had increased. Based on ctDNA profiling, apatinib and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) antibodies and were sequentially administered. Approximately three months later, intrahepatic tumours had significantly diminished and AFP and ctDNA levels had reduced. The response was sustained at the 23-month follow-up and the patient was in good health. Combination treatment of TACE, apatinib and anti-PD-1 antibodies was effective, and profiling of ctDNA fragmentation may be beneficial in the therapeutic management of patients with HCC.

Persistent SARS-COV-2 RNA positivity in a patient for 92 days after disease onset: A case report.

RATIONALE: Recently, patients with COVID-19 who showed persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results despite resolved clinical symptoms have attracted a lot of attention. We report the case of a patient with mild symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), who achieved clinical recovery but showed persistently positive SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results until Day 92 after disease onset. PATIENT CONCERNS: The patient is a 50-year-old man with mild symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). DIAGNOSES: COVID-19 pneumonia. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was quarantined for 105 days. Of these, inpatient quarantine lasted for 75 days. When the nucleic acid test results were negative for 3 consecutive days, the patient was discharged at Day 75 after disease onset. During this period, multiple samples were collected from the patient's body surface, the surrounding environment, and physical surfaces, but none of these tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. These samples included those from anal swabs, hands, inner surface of mask, cell phone, bed rails, floor around the bed, and toilet bowl surface. However, nucleic acid retest results on Day 80 and Day 92 after disease onset were positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids. OUTCOMES: The patient continued with quarantine and observation at home. After the test results on Days 101 and 105 after disease onset were negative, quarantine was terminated at last. LESSONS: Per our knowledge, this is the longest known time that a patient has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acids. No symptoms were observed during follow-up. During hospitalization, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid positivity was not observed in samples from the body surface and surrounding environment, and no verified transmission event occurred during the quarantine at home. After undergoing clinical recovery a minority of patients with COVID-19 have shown long-term positive results for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid. This has provided new understanding and research directions for coronavirus infection. Long-term follow-up and quarantine measures have been employed for such patients. Further studies are required to analyze potential infectivity in such patients and determine whether more effective antiviral drugs or regimens to enable these patients to completely clear viral infection should be researched.

Long-term positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ribonucleic acid and therapeutic effect of antivirals in patients with coronavirus disease: Case reports.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been declared a pandemic. We herein report four COVID-19 cases with long-term positive viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) for about 61 days. Despite treatment with recombinant human interferon, convalescent plasma from COVID-19 patients, arbidol, etc., nucleic acid results were still positive for SARS-CoV-2. After treatment with ritonavir-boosted danoprevir (DNVr, 100/100 mg, once daily), all four patients showed two to three consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA and were thus discharged from hospital. Therefore, DNVr may be a potentially effective antiviral for COVID-19 patients with long-term positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Long-term positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ribonucleic acid and therapeutic effect of antivirals in patients with coronavirus disease: Case reports

Abstract Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been declared a pandemic. We herein report four COVID-19 cases with long-term positive viral ribonucleic acid (RNA) for about 61 days. Despite treatment with recombinant human interferon, convalescent plasma from COVID-19 patients, arbidol, etc., nucleic acid results were still positive for SARS-CoV-2. After treatment with ritonavir-boosted danoprevir (DNVr, 100/100 mg, once daily), all four patients showed two to three consecutive negative SARS-CoV-2 RNA and were thus discharged from hospital. Therefore, DNVr may be a potentially effective antiviral for COVID-19 patients with long-term positive SARS-CoV-2 RNA.

Low expression of DCXR protein indicates a poor prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of dicarbonyl/L-xylulose reductase (DCXR) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunohistochemistry and tissue microarrays were used to evaluate DCXR protein expression levels. Image-Pro Plus was used to calculate the integral optic density (IOD) in each tissue sample, which represented the expression level of DCXR. DCXR proteins were found to be significantly lower in HCC tumor tissues (P < 0.0001) according to immunohistochemical analysis of DCXR protein levels in 74 paired HCC tissue and peritumoral non-cancer tissues. The prognostic value of DCXR in HCC was assessed in 290 cases of the training cohort and 74 cases of the validation cohort. Shorter overall survival (OS) time and shorter time to recurrence (TTR) in both the training and validation set were found to be associated with lower expression levels of DCXR. In the training set, the expression level of DCXR in HCC was an independent prognostic factor for OS according to univariate and multivariate analyses. In conclusion, DCXR expression is an independent prognostic factor for OS and TTR of post-operative HCC patients, and low expression levels of DCXR in HCC may indicate poor outcome of HCC patients after surgical resection.

NEDD4 Depletion Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth via Targeting PTEN.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Neural precursor cell-expressed developmentally down-regulated gene 4 (NEDD4) plays an important role in tumor cell growth, yet its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. This study is to establish NEDD4 as a prognostic biomarker by which the survival of HCC patients can be predicted and to reveal the role of NEDD4 in hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth. METHODS: The expression of NEDD4 in 219 HCC specimens was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Postoperative overall survival and time to recurrence were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. The roles of NEDD4 in hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion were determined. RESULTS: The patients with low NEDD4 expression tumors had an average cumulative survival of 64.9 ± 6.5 months during follow-up while the patients with high NEDD4 expression tumors had an average cumulative survival of 20.3 ± 15.8 months. NEDD4 silencing inhibited Huh7 cell proliferation and altered cell cytoskeletal assembly, and NEDD4 depletion furthermore seemed to suppress cell migration and invasion. A possible molecular mechanism for the observed effects might be that NEDD4 silence led to an increase in PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue) expression, which in turn resulted in the inactivation of STAT3, AKT, and ERK1/2. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that NEDD4 may participate in the HCC progression and may therefore be a potential target for HCC therapy.

Antiviral activity of cuprous oxide nanoparticles against Hepatitis C Virus in vitro.

Small molecular inhibitors in combination with or without interferon have improved sustained antiviral responses against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection. Nonetheless, resistance to these inhibitors is expected to emerge rapidly due to the high mutation rate of the virus. Thus, new antiviral drugs, in combination with currently available therapies, are urgently needed to treat HCV infection. In the present study, we evaluated the antiviral efficacy of cuprous oxide nanoparticles (CO-NPs) against HCV in the HCVcc/Huh7.5.1 cell culture system. CO-NPs were able to significantly inhibit the infectivity of HCVcc at a non-cytotoxic concentration. In addition, CO-NPs inhibited the entry of HCV pseudoparticle (HCVpp), including genotypes 1a, 1b, and 2a, while no effect on HCV replication was observed. Further time-of-addition experiment indicated that CO-NPs blocked HCV infection both at the attachment and entry stages. In conclusion, we report that CO-NPs can act as an anti-HCV agent by targeting the binding of infectious HCV particles to hepatic cells and the virus entry into the cells. These findings suggest that CO-NPs may have novel roles in the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Treatment with baicalein attenuates methionine-choline deficient diet-induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in rats.

Baicalein, a naturally occurring flavone, has been proved as a promising chemopreventive compound for many chronic human diseases. The aim of this work was to investigate whether treatment with baicalein prevented nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) induced by methionine-choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Rats were divided into four experimental groups and fed for 8 weeks as follows: (1) control rats; (2) control rats treated with baicalein (intraperitoneal injection of 10mg/kg); (3) MCD-diet-fed rats; (4) MCD-diet-fed rats treated with baicalein. Treatment with baicalein prevented MCD-diet-induced NASH, as evidenced by reduced histological scores, apoptosis, activities of ALT and AST, and hepatic fat accumulation in rats. Treatment with baicalein abated MCD-diet-induced oxidative stress through enhancing Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and activities of SOD and catalase in livers. Treatment with baicalein preserved hepatic mitochondrial function in MCD-diet fed rats. Treatment with baicalein reduced hepatic NO formation through suppressing MCD-diet-induced iNOS activation, and suppressed MCD-diet-induced inflammation through suppressing NFκB activation and reducing IL-6 and TNFα expressions in livers. Treatment of MCD-diet fed rats with baicalein had a beneficial modulation on expression profiles of fatty acid metabolism genes in livers. The results support the investigation of baicalein as a therapeutic candidate for NASH induced by MCD diet in rats.

Consumption of hydrogen-rich water alleviates renal injury in spontaneous hypertensive rats.

In hypertensive animals and patients, oxidative stress represents the primary risk factor for progression of renal disease. Recently, it has been demonstrated that hydrogen, as a novel antioxidant, can selectively reduce hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite anion to exert therapeutic antioxidant activity. Herein, we investigated the protective effect of hydrogen-rich water (HW) against renal injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The 8-week-old male SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats were randomized into HW-treated (1.3 ± 0.2 mg/l for 3 months, drinking) and vehicle-treated group. Although treatment with HW had no significant effect on blood pressure, it significantly ameliorated renal injury in SHR. Treatment with HW lowered reactive oxygen species formation, upregulated the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-epoxide transferase, and catalase, and suppressed NADPH oxidase activity. Treatment with HW in SHR depressed pro-inflammatory cytokines expression including TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1ß, and macrophage chemoattractant protein 1, which might be mediated by suppressing nuclear factor-κB activation. In addition, treatment with HW had protective effect on mitochondrial function including adenosine triphosphate formation and membrane integrity in SHR. In conclusion, consumption of HW is a promising strategy to alleviate renal injury as a supplement for anti-hypertensive therapy.

Separation of furfural from monosaccharides by nanofiltration.

Furfural, found in the lignocellulosic prehydrolyzates at high concentration, is a strong inhibitor of growth and ethanol fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Removal of furfural and concentration of monosaccharides were investigated by using two commercial nanofiltraton (NF) membranes with synthetic glucose-xylose-furfural solution as model. The effects of main operating parameters such as feed pH, permeation flux, temperature and feed concentration on the rejections of the three solutes, were studied. Results showed that rejections of the three solutes decreased with increasing feed pH and temperature, and increased with increasing permeation flux for both membranes. The concentrations of the three solutes had interaction effect on the rejection of furfural by NF90 membrane and rejections of the three solutes by NF270 membrane. Furthermore, the effects of two filtration modes, concentration and diafiltration, on the separation of furfural from monosaccharides were also investigated. With the two commercial NF membranes, concentration and purification of monosaccharides in the model solution can be accomplished.

Nonleukemic myeloid sarcoma of the liver: a case report and review of literature.

Myeloid sarcoma (MS) is a neoplasm of immature granulocytes, monocytes, or both involving extramedullary sites. MS with no evidence of leukemia (nonleukemic MS) is very rare and the initial diagnosis can be difficult. This report describes an unusual case of nonleukemic MS of the liver in a 16-year-old patient presenting as debilitating hepatomegaly. A liver biopsy revealed diffuse infiltration by neoplastic cells of myeloid lineage (CD68, myeloperoxidase). A bone marrow biopsy showed no evidence of medullary involvement. The patient subsequently developed heart failure. Autopsy revealed infiltration of most organs by neoplastic cells but failed to identify abnormal myeloid cells in bone marrow.