The association between leptin and diabetes: A meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The study object was to determine the relationship between leptin and diabetes. METHODS: We searched for the literature on the relationship between leptin and diabetes from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. We carried out the meta-analysis by calculating the Std. Mean Difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to study the relationship between leptin and diabetes. We performed the Chi-square-based Q test and I2 statistics to evaluate the potential heterogeneity, and the sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the stability of our results. Moreover, Begg's test was performed to evaluate the publication bias. RESULTS: There are 10 studies in this study for meta-analysis, which include 1879 patients (diabetic (n = 1024); and nondiabetic patients (n = 855)). The results indicated that the levels of serum leptin were significantly increased in patients with diabetes (SMD = 1.78, 95% CI [0.81, 2.76]), especially those with gestational diabetes mellitus compared with controls (SMD = 3.03, 95% CI [1.21, 4.86]). However, the results showed that there was no difference in serum leptin levels between type 2 diabetes and controls (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI [-1.06, 1.74]). CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis indicated that the levels of serum leptin were significantly elevated in patients with diabetes especially those with gestational diabetes mellitus compared with controls.

Conocybe Section Pilosellae in China: Reconciliation of Taxonomy and Phylogeny Reveals Seven New Species and a New Record.

Conocybe belongs to the Bolbitiaceae. The morphological classification and molecular phylogenetics of Conocybe section Pilosellae are not in agreement. In this study, based on the specimens from China, we investigated the sect. Pilosellae and identified 17 species, including 7 new species: Conocybe pilosa, with a densely hairy pileus and stipe; C. reniformis, with reniform spores; C. ceracea, with waxy dehydration of the lamellae; C. muscicola, growing on moss; C. sinobispora, with two-spored basidia; C. hydrophila, with a hygrophanous pileus; C. rufostipes, growing on dung with a brown stipe; and C. pseudocrispa, one new record for China. A key was compiled for the sect. Pilosellae in China. Here, the sect. Pilosellae, and new species and records from China are morphologically described and illustrated. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were performed using a combined nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and nuc 28S rDNA (nrLSU), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) dataset to reconstruct the relationships of this section. We found that the sect. Pilosellae was the basal clade of Conocybe, and its evolutionary features may shed light on the characteristics of Conocybe. By integrating morphological classification and phylogenetic analysis, we explored the possible phylogenetic relationships among the species of the sect. Pilosellae in China.

Breast cancer metastasis suppressor gene, breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1, may be associated with clinicopathological features of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to investigate whether the breast cancer metastasis suppressor gene, breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1), is correlated with clinicopathological features of breast cancer or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following a stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, case-control studies related to the association between BRMS1 and breast cancer were selected from articles retrieved by electronic database searches. All statistical analyses were performed by Stata version 12.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). RESULTS: A total of 12 studies were ultimately included in this meta-analysis. Results of our meta-analysis suggested that BRMS1 protein in breast cancer tissues was significantly lower compared with normal breast tissues (odds ratio [OR] =0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] =0.04-0.15, P < 0.001). The BRMS1 protein in metastatic breast cancer tissue was lower than that in nonmetastatic breast cancer tissue (OR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.13-0.29, P < 0.001), and BRMS1 protein in tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages 1, 2 was found to be higher than TNM stages 3, 4 (OR = 4.62, 95% CI = 2.77-7.70, P < 0.001). With respect to breast cancer types, BRMS1 protein in all the three major types of breast cancer was lower than the normal tissues. We also found strong correlations between BRMS1 mRNA levels and TNM stage and tumor size. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis results showed that reduced BRMS1 expression level was significantly associated with clinicopathological features of breast cancer, suggesting that loss of expression or reduced levels of BRMS1 might be a strong indicator of the metastatic capacity of breast cancer, with poor prognosis.

Stimulation of osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow stromal cells via Wnt/ß-catenin pathway by Qili Jiegu-containing serum.

A capsule of Qili Jiegu, a traditional Chinese medicine with numerous biological activities, may exert a protective eff ;ect against postmenopausal bone loss. However, it remains unclear whether Qili Jiegu-containing serum regulates the osteogenic diff ;erentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) in vitro. In this study, BMSCs were treated with medium and Qili Jiegu-containing serum over a 14-day period. We found that Qili Jiegu-containing serum promoted the BMSC proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities, as well as stimulated the expression of osteogenic markers and Wnt/ß-catenin pathway-related genes, i.e., runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN), ß-catenin and Wnt4a, in BMSCs. Finally, we found that Qili Jiegu-containing serum activated the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. An addition of Dickkopf-related protein-1 (an inhibitor of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway) to the Qili Jiegu-containing serum could decrease the stimulatory osteogenic effect of Qili Jiegu-containing serum on BMSCs. Therefore, Qili Jiegu-containing serum could promote the osteogenic diff ;erentiation of BMSCs, and the potential mechanism may involve regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

BRMS1 gene expression may be associated with clinico-pathological features of breast cancer.

Our aim is to investigate whether or not the breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1) gene expression is directly linked to clinico-pathological features of breast cancer. Following a stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria, case-control studies with associations between BRMS1 and breast cancer were selected from articles obtained by way of searches conducted through an electronic database. All statistical analyses were performed with Stata 12.0 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, U.S.A.). Ultimately, 1,263 patients with breast cancer were found in a meta-analysis retrieved from a total that included 12 studies. Results of our meta-analysis suggested that BRMS1 protein in breast cancer tissues was significantly lower in comparison with normal breast tissues (odds ratio, OR = 0.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.04-0.15). The BRMS1 protein in metastatic breast cancer tissue was decreased than from that was found in non-metastatic breast cancer tissue (OR = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.13-0.29), and BRMS1 protein in tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages 1 and 2 was found to be higher than TNM stages 3 and 4 (OR = 4.62, 95%CI = 2.77-7.70). BRMS1 protein in all three major types of breast cancer was lower than that of control tissues respectively. We also found strong correlations between BRMS1 mRNA levels and TNM stage and tumor size. The results our meta-analysis showed that reduction in BRMS1 expression level was linked directly to clinico-pathological features of breast cancer significantly; therefore, suggesting the loss of expression or reduced levels of BRMS1 is potentially a strong indicator of the metastatic capacity of breast cancer with poor prognosis.