Integrated analysis of single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing reveals a novel signature based on NK cell marker genes to predict prognosis and immunotherapy response in gastric cancer.

Natural killer (NK) cells play essential roles in the tumor development, diagnosis, and prognosis of tumors. In this study, we aimed to establish a reliable signature based on marker genes in NK cells, thus providing a new perspective for assessing immunotherapy and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer (GC). We analyzed a total of 1560 samples retrieved from the public database. We performed a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of gastric cancer and identified 377 marker genes for NK cells. By performing Cox regression analysis, we established a 12-gene NK cell-associated signature (NKCAS) for the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, that assigned GC patients into a low-risk group (LRG) or a high-risk group (HRG). In the TCGA cohort, the areas under curve (AUC) value were 0.73, 0.81, and 0.80 at 1, 3, and 5 years. External validation of the predictive ability for the signature was then validated in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts (GSE84437). The expression levels of signature genes were measured and validated in GC cell lines by real-time PCR. Moreover, NKCAS was identified as an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. We combined this with a variety of clinicopathological characteristics (age, M stage, and tumor grade) to construct a nomogram to predict the survival outcomes of patients. Moreover, the LRG showed higher immune cell infiltration, especially CD8+ T cells and NK cells. The risk score was negatively associated with inflammatory activities. Importantly, analysis of the independent immunotherapy cohort showed that the LRG had a better prognosis and immunotherapy response when compared with the HRG. The identification of NK cell marker genes in this study suggests potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, the developed predictive signatures and nomograms may aid in the clinical management of GC.

An immune-related prognostic signature associated with immune landscape and therapeutic responses in gastric cancer.

Immune-related genes (IRGs) have attracted attention in recent years as therapeutic targets in various tumors. However, the role of IRGs in gastric cancer (GC) has not been clearly elucidated. This study presents a comprehensive analysis exploring the clinical, molecular, immune, and drug response features characterizing the IRGs in GC. Data were acquired from the TCGA and GEO databases. The Cox regression analyses were performed to develop a prognostic risk signature. The genetic variants, immune infiltration, and drug responses associated with the risk signature were explored using bioinformatics methods. Lastly, the expression of the IRS was verified by qRT-PCR in cell lines. In this manner, an immune-related signature (IRS) was established based on 8 IRGs. According to the IRS, patients were divided into the low-risk group (LRG) and high-risk group (HRG). Compared with the HRG, the LRG was characterized by a better prognosis, high genomic instability, more CD8+ T cell infiltration, greater sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs, and greater likelihood of benefiting from the immunotherapy. Moreover, the expression result showed good consistency between the qRT-PCR and TCGA cohort. Our findings provide insights into the specific clinical and immune features underlying the IRS, which may be important for patient treatment.

Fisetin Ameliorates Alcohol-Induced Liver Injury through Regulating SIRT1 and SphK1 Pathway.

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) often leads to hepatitis, hepatic cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Fisetin has been shown to confer protection against liver injury. Herein, we investigated whether fisetin could prevent ethanol-induced hepatotoxicity. Mice were fed on 5% (v/v) Lieber-DeCarli ethanol diet. Human primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) co-cultured with ethanol were used to verify the therapeutic effect of fisetin. The results of alanine/aspartate aminotransferase (ALT/AST), Triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) in serum, Oil O Red and Masson staining revealed that fisetin (80[Formula: see text]mg/kg) ameliorated ethanol-induced mice liver injury and fibrosis. Besides, immunofluorescence results of [Formula: see text]-SMA revealed that fisetin suppressed HSCs activation. The suppression was dose-dependent. Furthermore, fisetin promoted SIRT1-mediated autophagy and inhibited Sphk1-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) both in vitro and in vivo. Molecular docking results indicated potential interaction of fisetin with SIRT1 and SphK1. The inhibitory effect of fisetin on HSCs activation was reversed on co-culturing with EX-527, a specific inhibitor against STIR1 overexpression. Thus, fisetin has the potential to ameliorate alcohol-induced liver injury through suppression of HSCs activation, SIRT1-mediated autophagy and Sphk1-mediated ER stress.

Integrated Analysis of lncRNA-Mediated ceRNA Network Reveals a Prognostic Signature for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common types of malignancy and is associated with high mortality. Prior research suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in the development of HCC. Therefore, it is necessary to identify lncRNA-associated therapeutic biomarkers to improve the accuracy of HCC prognosis. Transcriptomic data of HCC obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used in the present study. Differentially expressed RNAs (DERNAs), including 74 lncRNAs, 16 miRNAs, and 35 mRNAs, were identified using bioinformatics analysis. The DERNAs were subsequently used to reconstruct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. A lncRNA signature was revealed using Cox regression analysis, including LINC00200, MIR137HG, LINC00462, AP002478.1, and HTR2A-AS1. Kaplan-Meier plot demonstrated that the lncRNA signature is highly accurate in discriminating high- and low-risk patients (P < 0.05). The area under curve (AUC) value exceeded 0.7 in both training and validation cohort, suggesting a high prognostic potential of the signature. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that both the TNM stage and the lncRNA signature could serve as independent prognostic factors for HCC (P < 0.05). Then, a nomogram comprising the TNM stage and the lncRNA signature was determined to raise the accuracy in predicting the survival of HCC patients. In the present study, we have introduced a ceRNA network that could contribute to provide a new insight into the identification of potential regulation mechanisms for the development of HCC. The five-lncRNA signature could serve as a reliable biosignature for HCC prognosis, while the nomogram possesses strong potential in clinical applications.

Genome-Wide Profiling of Alternative Splicing Signature Reveals Prognostic Predictor for Esophageal Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Alternative splicing (AS) is a molecular event that drives protein diversity through the generation of multiple mRNA isoforms. Growing evidence demonstrates that dysregulation of AS is associated with tumorigenesis. However, an integrated analysis in identifying the AS biomarkers attributed to esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is largely unexplored. METHODS: AS percent-splice-in (PSI) data were obtained from the TCGA SpliceSeq database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was successively performed to identify the overall survival (OS)-associated AS events, followed by the construction of AS predictor through different splicing patterns. Then, a nomogram that combines the final AS predictor and clinicopathological characteristics was established. Finally, a splicing regulatory network was created according to the correlation between the AS events and the splicing factors (SF). RESULTS: We identified a total of 2389 AS events with the potential to be used as prognostic markers that are associated with the OS of ESCA patients. Based on splicing patterns, we then built eight AS predictors that are highly capable in distinguishing high- and low-risk patients, and in predicting ESCA prognosis. Notably, the area under curve (AUC) value for the exon skip (ES) prognostic predictor was shown to reach a score of 0.885, indicating that ES has the highest prediction strength in predicting ESCA prognosis. In addition, a nomogram that comprises the pathological stage and risk group was shown to be highly efficient in predicting the survival possibility of ESCA patients. Lastly, the splicing correlation network analysis revealed the opposite roles of splicing factors (SFs) in ESCA. CONCLUSION: In this study, the AS events may provide reliable biomarkers for the prognosis of ESCA. The splicing correlation networks could provide new insights in the identification of potential regulatory mechanisms during the ESCA development.

Efficacy and safety of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common chronic functional bowel disorder and the evidence shows most drug therapies in the treatment of IBS are weak. Recently, some studies showed probiotics may have a positive effect in IBS and they are widely used to improve the symptom of IBS, which indicate probiotics may play an important role in the treatment of IBS. However, the exact effectiveness and safety of probiotics are largely unknown. This systematic review focuses on identifying the efficacy and safety of probiotics in the treatment of IBS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data sources were searched up to February 2019. Databases included MEDLINE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and Embase. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing probiotics including complex or individual probiotics with placebo or no therapy were screened, extracted, and appraised by two independent reviewers. The data were pooled using a random-effects model. The methodological quality of all RCTs was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias and Jadad scale. Outcomes included symptom-relevant and patient-relevant characteristics, such as symptom relief, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, quality of life, and adverse event. RESULTS: This review includes 28 studies with a total of 3606 participants. Particular combinations of probiotics, or specific species and strains, showed probiotics have beneficial effect on overall IBS symptoms (22 studies, n = 3144, RR of improvement in overall IBS symptoms = 1.5, CI 1.23 to 1.83) or overall IBS symptom and abdominal pain scores (18 studies, n = 2766, SMD = -0.31, CI -0.45 to -0.17). In addition, adverse events were not significantly higher with probiotics (8 studies, n = 923, RR = 1.05; 95% CI 0.85-1.31). However, there was no significant benefit on individual IBS symptom scores and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Current evidence shows particular combinations, species or strains of probiotics are effective for overall IBS symptoms. However, it is hard to derive a definite conclusion due to high heterogeneity and unclear risk of bias of some trials. Large well-designed and rigorous trials are warranted.