The expansion of oligopeptide transporters in Melampsora larici-populina may reflect its adaptation to a phytoparasitic lifestyle.

The acquisition of nutrients from host plants by phytopathogenic fungi is critically important for their invasion success. Melampsora larici-populina, an obligate biotrophic pathogenic fungus, causes the poplar leaf rust disease and can severely damage host poplar plants. Previously, we found that oligopeptide transporters (OPTs) have undergone a convergent expansion, which might reflect adaptation to a phytoparasitic lifestyle. Here, we used various methods to evaluate this hypothesis, including conserved motif identification, positive selection signal mining, expression pattern clustering analysis, and neutral selection tests. The motif composition of the five clades in the OPT family differed, and positive selection was observed during clade differentiation. This suggests that OPTs in these five clades may be functionally differentiated, which would increase the range of transported substrates and promote the absorption of more types of nitrogen compounds from the hosts. According to clustering analysis of gene expression patterns, the expression of most genes from the two expanded clades (clade 2 and 4) was up-regulated during the infection of poplar trees, indicating that the expansion of OPTs likely occurred to promote the uptake of oligopeptides from host poplar plants. The MellpOPT4g gene was determined to be under significant balancing selection based on the neutral selection tests, suggesting that it plays a role in the pathogenic process. In conclusion, these three observations provide preliminary evidence supporting our hypothesis, as they indicate that the expansion of OPTs in M. larici-populina has aided the ability of this pathogen to acquire nutrients from host plants.

The first case report: diagnosis and management of necrotizing fusobacterium lung abscess via BALF next-generation sequencing.

BACKGROUND: Fusobacterium necrophorum (F. necrophorum)-induced necrotizing pneumonia is a rare but severe pulmonary infection. Insufficient microbiological detection methods can lead to diagnostic difficulties. METHODS: We report a case of F. necrophorum lung abscess diagnosed by next-generation sequencing (NGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). RESULTS: BALF-NGS detected F. necrophorum, guiding subsequent targeted antibiotic therapy. With active drainage and metronidazole treatment, the patient's condition was effectively treated. CONCLUSION: BALF-NGS is a valuable tool for the rapid diagnosis of infections caused by difficult-to-culture bacteria. It played a decisive role in the early identification of F. necrophorum, enabling timely and targeted antibiotic intervention. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial for the management of F. necrophorum pneumonia.

A rare case of scimitar syndrome with pulmonary arterial hypertension in an adult female.

Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by partial or total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of the right lung to the inferior vena cava. We report a case of a 67-year-old female who presented with cough and dyspnea and was diagnosed with scimitar syndrome and pulmonary arterial hypertension based on comprehensive imaging and hemodynamic evaluation. This case highlights the importance of considering scimitar syndrome as a cause of pulmonary hypertension even in adult patients.

EGR1 and EGR2 positively regulate plant ABA signaling by modulating the phosphorylation of SnRK2.2.

During abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, reversible phosphorylation controls the activity and accumulation of class III SNF1-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 2s (SnRK2s). While protein phosphatases that negatively regulate SnRK2s have been identified, those that positively regulate ABA signaling through SnRK2s are less understood. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana mutants of Clade E Growth-Regulating 1 and 2 (EGR1/2), which belong to the protein phosphatase 2C family, exhibited reduced ABA sensitivity in terms of seed germination, cotyledon greening, and ABI5 accumulation. Conversely, overexpression increased these ABA-induced responses. Transcriptomic data revealed that most ABA-regulated genes in egr1 egr2 plants were expressed at reduced levels compared with those in Col-0 after ABA treatment. Abscisic acid up-regulated EGR1/2, which interact directly with SnRK2.2 through its C-terminal domain I. Genetic analysis demonstrated that EGR1/2 function through SnRK2.2 during ABA response. Furthermore, SnRK2.2 de-phosphorylation by EGR1/2 was identified at serine 31 within the ATP-binding pocket. A phospho-mimic mutation confirmed that phosphorylation at serine 31 inhibited SnRK2.2 activity and reduced ABA responsiveness in plants. Our findings highlight the positive role of EGR1/2 in regulating ABA signaling, they reveal a new mechanism for modulating SnRK2.2 activity, and provide novel insight into how plants fine-tune their responses to ABA.

Association between diabetic retinopathy and diabetic foot ulcer in patients with diabetes: A meta-analysis.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) to provide evidence for the prevention of diabetic complications. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database and Wanfang Data databases were searched from their inception until March 2023 for studies on the relationship between DR and DFU. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software. Eleven articles referring to 10 208 patients were included, of whom 2191 patients had DFU and 8017 patients did not have DFU. The meta-analysis results showed that DR significantly increased the incidence of DFU (47.94% vs. 16.38%; OR, 4.13; 95% CI, 2.33-7.33; p < 0.001). The results of this study suggest that patients with DR have a higher risk of developing DFU, highlighting the importance of regular screening for these two complications to prevent serious adverse outcomes of diabetes. However, further high-quality studies are required to validate the conclusions of the present study.

Nomogram predicting overall survival of stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer patients based on the SEER database.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of stage IIIB non-small-cell (NSCLC) lung cancer patients and to construct a nomogram to effectively predict their overall survival (OS). METHODS: In total, 4323 patients with stage IIIB NSCLC diagnosed between 1975 and 2018 were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Multiple prognostic factors were combined to construct a nomogram for predicting OS of patients with stage IIIB NSCLC. The discrimination and calibration of the nomogram were evaluated by C-indexes and calibration curves. The nomogram was evaluated for predictive ability using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, decision curve analysis curve (DCA), and clinical impact curve (CIC). RESULTS: The nomogram was built on data of 4323 patients with stage IIIB NSCLC and consisted of the following prognostic factors: age, race, sex, primary labeled, pathology, T stage, whether to receive surgery, whether to receive radiotherapy, and whether to receive chemotherapy. The C-index in the training and validation sets for the nomogram was 0.672 (95% CI: 0.661-0.683) and 0.675 (95% CI: 0.656-0.694), respectively. According to scores of the nomogram, patients in the complete set, validation set, and training set were classified into two risk groups, low risk and high risk. CONCLUSIONS: We developed the first validated nomogram to estimate the OS of patients with stage IIIB NSCLC. The nomogram was based on nine prognostic factors and provided an individualized risk estimate of 3-year and 5-year OS survival in patients with stage IIIB NSCLC.

Combination of direct boiling and glass beads increases the purity and accuracy of bacterial DNA extraction.

Extraction of DNA is a key step in molecular biology experiments and important for counting tiny microbial individuals. Direct boiling and mechanical cell lysis like glass beads are two independent physical extraction methods, thus crossing the barriers of thresholds of magnitude in popular reagent kits or traditional spread plate method when non-equilibrium phenomenon is ongoing. The two approaches above were combined to generate a new one. In three typical microbial species, direct boiling with glass beads significantly increased the purity of DNA solution compared with some other methods (p < 0.05). The qPCR results of them were closer to direct microscopy counting than some other methods. Therefore, it provides a new choice in extracting bacterial DNA for specific circumstances.

Association between myopia and anxiety: a cross-sectional study based on Chinese university freshmen.

Background: At least 1 billion people are affected by blindness or vision impairment worldwide, and in China, the proportion of myopia among college students is even higher. Anxiety and self-harm are becoming more and more common among college students, which indicates the importance of paying attention to their mental health. Previous studies have demonstrated that vision impairment has a negative impact on the mental health of adults. However, few studies have focused on the effects of myopia on college freshmen's mental health, and the association between the two factors in college students remained elusive. Methods: This is a large cross-sectional study. A total of 5,519 college freshman would be assessed for the eligibility of the present study, and the inclusion criteria of this study were as follows: (I) first-year college student; (II) diagnosed as myopia and emmetropia through vision test; (III) gave informed consent. Five questionnaires were utilized to collect anxiety data, which include the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI-VFQ-25), the Self Esteem Scale (SES), the Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the Social Avoidance and Distress Scale (SAD), for data collection. In addition, a socio-demographic questionnaire was designed and utilized to collect corresponding information. All enrollees were required to complete the all the above questionnaires. Results: In total 4,984 college students were enrolled. The proportion of males is 60.43%, and the mean age was 19.8 years old. Both right and left vision had a statistically significant association with NEI-VFQ-25 score (P=0.006, r=0.070; and P=0.021, r=0.060, respectively; Pearson correlation analysis) and SAS score (P=0.003, r=0.075 and P=0.004, r=0.075, respectively; Pearson correlation analysis). However, the correlation coefficient was very low (all less than 0.1). No significant correlation was observed between eye vision and other questionnaire scores. Conclusions: Our data suggested that there is week correlation between myopia and anxiety. However, since this is a single-center study, the observed weak correlation may be caused by selection bias. Therefore, our results still need to be validated in further studies with a larger sample size.

Clinical observation on the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is caused by a pathologic and destructive response of the organism as a result of the interaction between donor immunocompetent T lymphocytes and the recipient tisular antigens1. Graft-versus-host disease is considered a serious complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The skin, oral cavity and lungs are commonly affected organs. Among these complications bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome is a serious complication, which even can be life-threatening. Therefore, this research aims to do a clinical observation on the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Fifteen patients were included in this study, who received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Among these patients, both of them were treated with azithromycin, montelukast, glucocorticoid and pirfenidone. Two of them did not receive second line anti-rejection treatment due to economic reasons, and three of them were treated with mesenchymal stem cells. These bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome-related symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing have improved. Two of them died due to bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome related complications such as respiratory failure. Two of them not only improve the symptoms but also increased the FEV1/FVC, who were treated with mesenchymal stem cells. The comprehensive treatment regimen containing imatinib and ruxolitinib is safe and effective and mesenchymal stem cell is a promising treatment option to improve the prognosis of post-HSCT BOS.

Neogene burial of organic carbon in the global ocean.

Organic carbon buried in marine sediment serves as a net sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and a source of oxygen1,2. The rate of organic carbon burial through geologic history is conventionally established by using the mass balance between inorganic and organic carbon, each with distinct carbon isotopic values (δ13C)3,4. This method is complicated by large uncertainties, however, and has not been tested with organic carbon accumulation data5,6. Here we report a 'bottom-up' approach for calculating the rate of organic carbon burial that is independent from mass balance calculations. We use data from 81 globally distributed sites to establish the history of organic carbon burial during the Neogene (roughly 23-3 Ma). Our results show larger spatiotemporal variability of organic carbon burial than previously estimated7-9. Globally, the burial rate is high towards the early Miocene and Pliocene and lowest during the mid-Miocene, with the latter period characterized by the lowest ratio of organic-to-carbonate burial rates. This is in contrast to earlier work that interpreted enriched carbonate 13C values of the mid-Miocene as massive organic carbon burial (that is, the Monterey Hypothesis)10,11. Suppressed organic carbon burial during the warm mid-Miocene is probably related to temperature-dependent bacterial degradation of organic matter12,13, suggesting that the organic carbon cycle acted as positive feedback of past global warming.

The association between ethylene oxide exposure and asthma risk: a population-based study.

Ethylene oxide (EO) is a reactive epoxide. However, the association between EO exposure and the risk of developing asthma in humans is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between EO exposure and the risk of developing asthma in the general US population. In this cross-sectional study, data of 2542 patients from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2013 and 2016 were obtained and analyzed. Hemoglobin adducts of EO (HbEO) level be used as the main factor for predicting EO exposure. The association between the level of EO exposure and the risk of developing asthma was evaluated with logistic regression models and dose-response analysis curves of restricted cubic spline function. Mediation analysis and linear regression analysis were utilized to evaluate the association between EO exposure and inflammation indicators. According to the quartiles of HbEO level, the patients were divided into four groups. The results indicated that an increased HbEO level was associated with a higher risk of asthma onset. Compared with the lowest quartile, the odds ratio (OR) with the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the highest quartile was 1.960 (95% CI: 1.348-2.849, P = 0.003). After being adjusted for numerous potential confounders, the OR of quartile 4 relative to quartile 1 was 1.991 (95% CI: 1.359-2.916, P = 0.001). Consistent results were also obtained in most subgroup analyses and dose-response analysis curves. In addition, EO levels were positively correlated with the inflammatory indicators (P = 0.006 for WBC, P = 0.015 for lymphocyte, and P = 0.015 for neutrophil). This study revealed a positive correlation between the level of EO exposure and the risk of asthma in a representative US population. In addition, inflammatory response may prove to be a potential biological mechanism underlying EO-induced asthma.

Food intake frequency of senior primary school students in agrecultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the current situation of food intake frequency among schoolage children in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, and to provide a scientific basis for local education departments and schools to formulate scientific nutrition improvement plans and measures.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 969 fourth and fifth grade primary school students from 10 primary schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All the participants were investigated with a questionnaire survey of dietary behaviors.@*Results@#For the fourth and fifth grade primary school students, the highest proportion of "eaten almost every day" were cereal and tuber ( 84.3 %) and fruits (44.6%), and the highest proportion of "barely eaten" was aquatic product (68.1%) and nutritious supplementary (45.9%). The intake of livestock meat and poultry, fishery products, beverages and nutritional supplements of boys was higher than that of girls（ Z =-2.46，-2.46，-2.43，-2.37， P ＜0.05）. The intake of livestock meat and poultry and snacks of fifth grade students was higher than that of fourth grade students, while the intake of fishery products was lower than that of fourth grade students（ Z = -2.66 ，-4.33，-2.65， P ＜0.05）.@*Conclusion@#The frequency of food intake varies among students of differences genders, grades, areas, boarding situation and urbanities. Relevant departments should improve nutrition improvement plans for school age children with different characteristics. Schools and families should carry out nutrition education works to cultivate healthy eating behaviors of students.

Breakfast consumption behaviors of senior primary school students from agricultrual and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To examine breakfast consumption among primary school students in grades 4 and 5 in Qinghai Province, China, and to provide evidence for nutrition education and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#We used a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method to select the participants. A total of 969 students were selected from 10 primary schools in four counties and districts of three cities, namely Haidong City, Hainan Prefecture and Haixi Prefecture in Qinghai Province. A self rated questionnaire was administered to investigate breakfast consumption.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed breakfast 5 to 7 times per week, 3 or 4 times per week, and 1 or 2 times per week were 82.0%, 9.7%, and 6.7%, respectively, while 1.5% never ate breakfast. In descending order, the breakfast food types consumed were cereals and tubers; milk, legumes and nuts; vegetables and fruits; fish and poultry; and meat and eggs (84.1%, 69.8%, 66.8%, and 37.7%, respectively). The proportion of vegetables and fruits in the breakfast of grade 5 students was higher than that of grade 4 students( χ 2=4.81, P = 0.03 ), the proportion of fish, poultry,meat and eggs in county urban areas was higher than that of students in rural( χ 2=6.94, P =0.03), while the proportion of vegetables and fruits in urban areas was lower than that of students in suburban areas( χ 2=53.33, P <0.01). The proportion of breakfast food containing fish,poultry,meat and eggs of boarding students was higher than that of non boarding students( χ 2=41.26, P <0.01), while the proportion of breakfast food containing vegetables and fruits, milk & legumens & nuts was lower than that of non-boarding students( χ 2=21.11, 4.41, P <0.01). A total of 44.8% of students had a poor quality breakfast, and only 16.3% had a good quality breakfast. Moreover, 47.5% of breakfasts were prepared by mothers, followed by the school canteen which prepared 29.9%. Except for students in different grades, there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of breakfast preparers in other groups( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#In Qinghai Province,breakfast skipping is observed in some senior primary school students, and the quality of breakfast is poor. Diet and nutrition education should be provided for students, parents, and school canteen staff to improve the frequency and nutritional quality of children s breakfasts.

Status of snack behavior of senior primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the current situation regarding snack food consumption among grade 4 and grade 5 primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, China, and to provide a scientific basis for nutrition education and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#Multistage stratified cluster random sampling was employed. The research included 969 fourth and fifth grade students were selected from 10 primary schools in four counties and districts of three cities in Haidong City, Hainan Prefecture and Haixi Prefecture in Qinghai Province. The self report questionnaire method was used to investigate the current status regarding snack food consumption in this population.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed snack food at home, school and elsewhere were 98.2%, 88.5% and 75.4%, respectively. Male students reported a lower rate of snack consumption at school than female students ( χ 2=9.66). The fifth grade students reported a higher rate of snack consumption at home and other places than the fourth grade students ( χ 2=10.31, 6.77). The reported rate of snack consumption of students in the rural was higher than that in the county( χ 2=6.03,100.53, 24.77). The reported rate of snack consumption of boarding students at home was lower than that of non-boarding students ( χ 2=7.22), while the reported rate of snack consumption at school was higher than that of non-boarding students ( χ 2=9.04）（ P <0.01). The most popular snacks consumed at home included fruits and vegetables, cereals and nuts (76.9%, 67.2%, 63.7%), while the most popular snacks consumed at school were fruits and vegetables, cereals and candies (45.1%, 36.9%, 24.4%). The most popular snacks consumed in other settings included ice cream, candies and beverages(54.7%, 51.6%, 42.9%). The top three reasons for snacking were that snacks were regarded as delicious, healthy/nutritious and clean (76.9%, 65.5% and 59.0%, respectively).@*Conclusion@#Snacking is popular among students, although many snacks are unhealthy. Therefore, there is a need to improve food environments and nutrition education, so as to help students to choose healthy beverages and adopt healthy eating behaviors.

Beverage behaviors of senior primary school students in agricultrual and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To study the consumption of beverages among senior primary school students in rural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, China, in order to provide evidence for the development of nutrition and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 969 primary school students in grades 4 and 5 from 10 schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All participants completed a questionnaire survey on daily beverage consumption. The Chi square test was performed to compare differences in reported rates of beverage consumption among students in different groups.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed beverages at home, school and elsewhere were 96.9%, 64.5% and 84.9%, respectively. The most popular beverages consumed at home were milk and yogurt ( 63.1 %), tea water (53.0%), and tea drinks (52.4%). The most popular beverages consumed at school were tea(29.8%), milk and yogurt (27.8%) and tea drinks (18.4%), while the most popular beverages consumed in other places were tea drinks ( 42.0 %), carbonated drinks (38.1%) and milk and yogurt (35.0%). The top five reasons for choosing a given beverage were taste delicious (81.2%), nutritious (57.6%),healthy and clean(52.6%),many students like to drink(39.6%),family members often drink(37.7%).@*Conclusion@#The consumption of beverages was popular among students, and sugared beverages represented a large proportion of the beverages consumed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the food environment and provide effective nutrition education for students, so as to encourage the consumption of healthy beverages and cultivate healthy eating behaviors.

Beverage behaviors of senior primary school students in agricultrual and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To study the consumption of beverages among senior primary school students in rural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, China, in order to provide evidence for the development of nutrition and intervention strategies.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method was employed to select 969 primary school students in grades 4 and 5 from 10 schools in Hainan Autonomous Prefecture, Haixi Autonomous Prefecture and Haidong City. All participants completed a questionnaire survey on daily beverage consumption. The Chi square test was performed to compare differences in reported rates of beverage consumption among students in different groups.@*Results@#The proportion of students who consumed beverages at home, school and elsewhere were 96.9%, 64.5% and 84.9%, respectively. The most popular beverages consumed at home were milk and yogurt ( 63.1 %), tea water (53.0%), and tea drinks (52.4%). The most popular beverages consumed at school were tea(29.8%), milk and yogurt (27.8%) and tea drinks (18.4%), while the most popular beverages consumed in other places were tea drinks ( 42.0 %), carbonated drinks (38.1%) and milk and yogurt (35.0%). The top five reasons for choosing a given beverage were taste delicious (81.2%), nutritious (57.6%),healthy and clean(52.6%),many students like to drink(39.6%),family members often drink(37.7%).@*Conclusion@#The consumption of beverages was popular among students, and sugared beverages represented a large proportion of the beverages consumed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve the food environment and provide effective nutrition education for students, so as to encourage the consumption of healthy beverages and cultivate healthy eating behaviors.

Fast food consumption behaviors among senior primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To investigate fast food consumption behaviors among 4th and 5th grade primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas in Qinghai Province, and to provide scientific basis for nutrition education and intervention measures for school age children in agricultural and pastoral areas.@*Methods@#Using multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method, a total of 969 fourth and fifth grade students were selected from 10 primary schools in 4 counties and districts in 3 cities of Haidong City, Hainan Prefecture and Haixi Prefecture from Qinghai Province. Self administered questionnaires were used to investigate the fast food consumption behaviors of participants.@*Results@#The proportions of senior primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province who had consumed western fast food and traditioal fast food in the past week were 45.8% and 75.6%, respectively, with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=290.24, P <0.05). The times of traditional fast food consumption in the past week among boarding students were higher than that of non boarding students( Z =6.44,5.84, P <0.05). The main reasons for senior primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province to choose to consume western fast food were that it was delicious (84.7%), nutritious (62.6%), clean and hygienic (57.4%), and a better environment (57.0%). The top 4 reasons for chousing Chinese fast food were yummy(83.8%),nutritious(82.8%),clean and healthy(67.4%),and good environment(53.5%). Among the surveyed primary school students, 64.7% believed that diet structure of Chinese fast food was reasonable, 43.0% believed that the nutritional value of Chinese fast food was high, and 39.4% believed that the energy content of western fast food was high.@*Conclusion@#Fast food consumption is a common dietary behavior of senior primary school students in agricultural and pastoral areas of Qinghai Province. Relevant departments should strengthen the nutrition education related to fast food, promote the dissemination of health knowledge, enable students to develop a good lifestyle and reduce fast food consumption.

Prognostic value of glucose to lymphocyte ratio for patients with renal cell carcinoma undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy: A multi-institutional, propensity score matching cohort study.

Background: We evaluated the prognostic value of preoperative blood glucose to lymphocyte ratio (GLR) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy through a multi-institutional clinical study. Methods: A total of 420 patients with RCC from three medical centers from 2014 to 2019 were included in this study. The effect of GLR on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in RCC patients was assessed by Kaplan-Meier survival curves, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Moreover, a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis of different GLR groups was utilized to further confirm the prognostic ability of GLR. Results: The optimal cut-off value for GLR was 6.8. Patients were divided into high GLR and low GLR groups according to the optimal cut-off value. GLR was significant association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and AJCC stage. High GLR predicted adverse OS ( P = 0.002) and CSS ( P < 0.01) in RCC patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that high GLR was an independent prognostic factor for OS [hazard ratio (HR): 2.389, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.136-5.027, P = 0.008] and CSS (HR: 3.474, 95% CI, 1.555-7.761, P = 0.002). After PSM analysis of the patients in the high GLR and low GLR groups, high GLR still predicted poor OS ( P = 0.021) and CSS ( P = 0.037). Conclusions: High GLR is associated with adverse prognosis in RCC patients, and GLR can serve as an independent prognostic marker for OS and CSS in RCC patients receiving laparoscopic nephrectomy.

Mitochondria dysfunction in CD8+ T cells as an important contributing factor for cancer development and a potential target for cancer treatment: a review.

CD8+ T cells play a central role in anti-tumor immunity. Naïve CD8+ T cells are active upon tumor antigen stimulation, and then differentiate into functional cells and migrate towards the tumor sites. Activated CD8+ T cells can directly destroy tumor cells by releasing perforin and granzymes and inducing apoptosis mediated by the death ligand/death receptor. They also secrete cytokines to regulate the immune system against tumor cells. Mitochondria are the central hub of metabolism and signaling, required for polarization, and migration of CD8+ T cells. Many studies have demonstrated that mitochondrial dysfunction impairs the anti-tumor activity of CD8+ T cells through various pathways. Mitochondrial energy metabolism maladjustment will cause a cellular energy crisis in CD8+ T cells. Abnormally high levels of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species will damage the integrity and architecture of biofilms of CD8+ T cells. Disordered mitochondrial dynamics will affect the mitochondrial number and localization within cells, further affecting the function of CD8+ T cells. Increased mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis will decrease the lifespan and quantity of CD8+ T cells. Excessively low mitochondrial membrane potential will cause the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis of CD8+ T cells, while excessively high will exacerbate oxidative stress. Dysregulation of mitochondrial Ca2+ signaling will affect various physiological pathways in CD8+ T cells. To some extent, mitochondrial abnormality in CD8+ T cells contributes to cancer development. So far, targeting mitochondrial energy metabolism, mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondria-mediated cell apoptosis, and other mitochondrial physiological processes to rebuild the anti-tumor function of CD8+ T cells has proved effective in some cancer models. Thus, mitochondria in CD8+ T cells may be a potential and powerful target for cancer treatment in the future.