The Differential Expression and Possible Function of Long Noncoding RNAs in Liver Cells Infected by Dengue Virus.

The function of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in liver injury resulted by dengue virus (DENV) infection have not yet been explored. The differential expression profiles of lncRNAs (as well as mRNAs) in the L-02 liver cells infected by DENV1, DENV2, or uninfected were compared and analyzed after a high throughput RNA seq. The significantly up-regulated and down-regulated lncRNAs (or mRNAs) resulted by DENV infection were identified with a cutoff value at log2 (ratio) ≥ 1.5 and log2 (ratio) ≤ -1.5 (ratio = the reads of the lncRNAs or mRNAs from the infection groups divided by the reads from the control group). Several differentially expressed lncRNAs were verified with reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Target gene analysis, pre-miRNA prediction, and the lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network construction were performed to predict the function of the differentially expressed lncRNAs. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with biosynthesis, DNA/RNA related processes, inhibition of estrogen signaling pathway, sterol biosynthetic process, protein dimerization activity, vesicular fraction in DENV1 infection group; and with protein secretion, methyltransferase process, host cell cytoskeleton reorganization and the small GTPase Ras superfamily, inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis in DENV2 infection. LncRNAs might be novel diagnostic markers and targets for further researches on dengue infection and liver injury resulted by dengue virus.

Evaluation of aminotransferase abnormality in dengue patients: A meta analysis.

Dengue virus is a type of flavivirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The symptoms of infection by this virus range from asymptomatic or mild symptomatic dengue fever (DF) to dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). Significant abnormality in serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) has been shown in a large number of dengue infection cases and to be indicator for liver injury provided that there are no other combined infections or liver injury. This study aims to assess the abnormal levels of liver aminotransferase in dengue patients. The related literature was searched in multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library. The literature was selected through strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quantitative synthesis of the liver aminotransferase abnormality was performed with R software. The fixed or random effects model was employed based on the results of the statistical test for homogeneity. In total, 15 studies were included. The proportion of AST abnormality with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.56-0.92) in DHF patients and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.63-0.84) in DF patients; the proportion of ALT abnormality was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.34-0.73) in DHF patients and 0.52 (95% CI: 0.41-0.63) in DF patients. Serum ALT and AST levels may be indicators for evaluating liver injury in dengue infection and for diagnosis and treatment effect.

[Secretion and Distribution of Rhoptry Protein 16 during Toxoplasma gondii Invasion into Host Cells].

Objective: To examine the secretion and localization of Toxoplasma gondii Rhoptry protein 16 （ROP16） during invasion of different strains of T. gondii into host cells. Methods: The Tgrop16 gene was amplified by PCR on the cDNA of T. gondii RH strain, subcloned into the plasmid pET-32a（+）, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21（DE3） under the induction of isopropyl ß-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside. New Zealand rabbit was immuned with the expressed recombinant protein TgROP16 to produce polyclonal anti-TgROP16 antibody. The specificity and sensitivity of the polyclonal antibody were examined by Western blotting and indirect ELISA, respectively. The transcriptional and protein levels of Tgrop16 in T. gondii RH strain and Pru strain were determined by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The secretion and distribution of TgROP16 in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFFs) during the invasion by T. gondii RH strain and Pru strain were examined by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results: Western blotting showed a specific band at M(r) of ～100 000, indicating that the specific rabbit-derived anti-TgROP16 polyclonal antibody was capable of recognizing TgROP16. Indirect ELISA revealed a titer of 1:25 600 for the antibody. The relative expression level of Tgrop16 in Pru strain［（7.786±0.206）］ was 7 times than that in RH strain［（1.000±0.110）］（P<0.05） as detected by real-time PCR, and TgROP16 protein level was higher in RH strain than in Pru strain. IFA showed that TgROP16 was localized on the apical complex of the unrecruited tachyzoite of T. gondii before invasion and was secreted out of the recruited tachyzoite after invasion. Conclusion: The anti-TgROP16 polyclonal antibody has high specificity and sensitivity. The TgROP16 protein level is higher in the RH strain than in the Pru strain. For both strains, TgROP16 is localized on the apical complex of the unrecruited tachyzoite before invasion and secreted out of the recruited tachyzoite during invasion.

Association between Liver Fluke Infection and Hepatobiliary Pathological Changes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To provide information about the role of liver fluke infection as a risk factor for hepatobiliary pathological changes and promote awareness among the people living in endemic areas, a systematic review and meta-analysis based on published studies was conducted to examine the association between liver fluke infection and hepatobiliary pathological changes. METHODS: Relevant original literature was searched in multiple literature databases, including PubMed, Cochrane, Clinical Evidence, Trip Database, Clinical Trials, Current Controlled Trials, Web of Science, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, and the Wanfang academic journal full-text database. Studies were selected based on strict screening with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Tests of heterogeneity, sensitivity and publication bias were performed with the Review Manager software, version 5.3, and meta-regression analyses were performed with the Stata software, version 11.0 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated and used to evaluate the risk of hepatobiliary pathological changes resulting from liver fluke infection. Linear trend analyses were conducted to determine the dose-response relationship using IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0. RESULT: A total of 36 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Significant associations were found between liver fluke infection and cholangitis or cholecystitis (RR: 7.80, P<0.001; OR: 15.98, P<0.001), cholelithiasis (RR: 2.42, P = 0.03; OR: 4.96, P = 0.03), hepatocellular carcinoma (OR: 4.69, P<0.001) and cholangiocarcinoma (RR: 10.43, P<0.001; OR: 4.37, P<0.001). In addition, heavier infection was significantly associated with higher incidence of hepatobiliary pathological changes (P<0.05). However, cirrhosis was not significantly associated with liver fluke infection (RR: 3.50, P = 0.06; OR: 5.79, P = 0.08). The statistical heterogeneity was significant, no significant difference was observed in the sensitivity analysis, and no publication bias was found. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis found that liver fluke infection was significantly associated with cholangitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma and that more severe infection was associated with higher incidence. However, the association between liver fluke infection and cirrhosis was not significant.

[Analysis of heat transfer in skin tissues subjected to hot water].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze heat transfer process in skin tissues subjected to hot water and thus to predict the extent of scald. METHOD: Basing on Pennes' Bio-heat Equation, a model for characterizing the damage process in tissues was presented and used for its analysis. RESULT: Temperature distribution in the tissues during the process and the time of beginning of scald were numerically obtained. It was found that the effects of different initial temperature distribution, convection coefficients between the hot water and the tissue surfaces, and the temperature of the hot water are significant. CONCLUSION: The transient heat transfer behavior in multi-layer tissues subjected to hot water can be predicted by the present model. It is useful in the clinical diagnosis and therapy for the scald caused by hot water.