Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in a subtropical mangrove estuary food web.

Mangrove estuaries are an important land-sea transitional ecosystem that is currently under various pollution pressures, while there is a lack of research on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the organisms of mangrove estuaries. In this study, we investigated the distribution and seasonal variation of PFAS in the tissues of organisms from a mangrove estuary. The PFAS concentrations in fish tissues varied from 0.45 ng/g ww to 17.67 ng/g ww and followed the order of viscera > head > carcass > muscle, with the highest tissue burden found in the fish carcass (39.59 ng). The log BAF values of PFDoDA, PFUnDA, and PFDA in the whole fish exceeded 3.70, indicating significant bioaccumulation. The trophic transfer of PFAS in the mangrove estuary food web showed a dilution effect, which was mainly influenced by the spatial heterogeneity of PFAS distribution in the estuarine environment, and demonstrated that the gradient dilution of PFAS in the estuary habitat environment can disguise the PFAS bio-magnification in estuarine organisms, and the larger the swimming ranges of organisms, the more pronounced the bio-dilution effect. The PFOA-equivalent HRs of category A and B fish were 3.48-5.17 and 2.59-4.01, respectively, indicating that mangrove estuarine residents had a high PFAS exposure risk through the intake of estuarine fish.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water and sediment from a temperate watershed in China: Occurrence, sources, and ecological risks.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a class of synthetic organic fluorides that have been widely used in various industrial and consumer applications. However, their potential ecological risks have raised concerns. In this study, PFASs were investigated in different environmental media in the Jiulong River and Xiamen Bay regions of China, revealing widespread contamination of PFASs in the watershed. PFBA, PFPeA, PFOA, and PFOS were detected in all 56 sites, with short-chain PFASs dominating (72 % of the total). Novel PFAS alternatives, including F53B, HFPO-DA, and NaDONA, were detected in >90 % of the water samples. Seasonal and spatial variations in PFAS concentrations were observed in the Jiulong River estuary, while Xiamen Bay was not significantly affected by seasonal changes. In sediment, PFSAs were dominant with long-chains while PFCAs with short-chains, and the occurrence was influenced by water depth and salinity. PFSAs were more inclined to be adsorbed in sediments than PFCAs, and log Kd of PFCAs increased with the numbers of -CF2-. Paper packaging, machinery manufacturing, WWTP discharge, airport and dock activities were the dominant sources of PFASs. Risk quotient showed that PFOS or PFOA may pose high toxicity to Danio rerio and Chironomus riparius. Although the overall ecological risk in the catchment is still low, the hazard of bio-concentration under long-term exposure and multi-pollutant synergistic toxicity cannot be ignored.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in marine organisms along the coast of China.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a large and complex class of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial and domestic products. This study compiled and analyzed the distribution and composition of PFASs in marine organisms sampled along the coast of China from 2002 to 2020. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) were dominant in bivalves, cephalopods, crustaceans, bony fish and mammals. PFOA in bivalves, crustaceans, bony fish and mammals gradually decreased from north to south along the coast of China, and the PFOA contents of bivalves and gastropods in the Bohai Sea (BS) and the Yellow Sea (YS) were higher than those of PFOS. The increased production and use of PFOA have been detected by biomonitoring temporal treads in mammals. For the organisms in the East China Sea (ECS) and the South China Sea (SCS), which were less polluted by PFOA compared to BS and YS, PFOS was universally higher than PFOA. The PFOS of mammals with high trophic levels was significantly higher than that of other taxa. This study is conducive to better understanding the monitoring information of PFASs of marine organisms in China and is of great significance for PFAS pollution control and management.

Cell Division Cycle Associated Genes as Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

With high mortality and poor prognosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) has become the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Most of the LIHC patients missed the best treatment period because of the untimely diagnosis. For others, even if they are temporarily cured, they have to face a very low prognostic survival rate and a very high risk of recurrence. Based on the characteristics of abnormal proliferation and uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. Cell Division Cycle Associated (CDCA) family genes, which are responsible for regulating the cell cycle and proliferation, were selected as our research object to explore the mechanism of hepatocarcinogenesis. To this end, we investigated the expression profiles of CDCA family genes in LIHC and corresponding normal tissues, and the effect of CDCAs expression on the survival of prognosis and immune cell infiltration through bioinformatics analysis methods and the publicly accessible online databases. In addition, we also analyzed the expression correlation of CDCAs and screened the neighboring genes related to functional CDCAs. The results revealed that the expression levels of CDCA1/3/5/8 were significantly increased in LIHC, regardless of stage, sex, race, drinking behavior, and other clinical factors. CDCAs expression was significantly correlated with poor prognosis and was positively correlated with the infiltration of dendritic cells, B cells, and macrophages. We also found that the most relevant neighboring genes to CDCAs in LIHC were SGO2, NDC80, BIRC5, INCENP, and PLOD1. In general, our work suggests that CDCA1/3/5/8 has the potential to be a diagnostic gene in hepatocarcinogenesis and prognostic biomarkers for LIHC patients.

Nuf2 Is a Prognostic-Related Biomarker and Correlated With Immune Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Nuf2 participates in the regulation of cell apoptosis and proliferation by regulating the binding of centromere and spindle microtubules to achieve the correct separation of chromosomes. Previous reports have suggested that Nuf2 may play a role in various human cancers. However, the mechanism and function of Nuf2 in the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains uncertain. This study investigated the prognostic potential of Nuf2 and its relation with immune cell infiltration in HCC. Nuf2 expression in tumor cells was examined using the TIMER and Oncomine databases, and its prognostic potential was assessed via the Kaplan-Meier plotter and GEPIA databases. The relationships between Nuf2 and tumor immune infiltration were analyzed using TIMER. The relationships between Nuf2 and biomarkers of tumor immune infiltration were analyzed using TIMER and GEPIA. Here we revealed that Nuf2 expression increased in tumor tissues containing HCC, and this correlated with poor relapse-free survival, disease-specific survival, progression-free survival, and overall survival in patients with HCC regardless of grades, genders, races, drinking behaviors and other clinical factors. Additionally, high expression of Nuf2 was positively correlated with differential immune cell infiltration and various immune biomarkers. Our work demonstrated that Nuf2 could be a potential prognostic biomarker and could be related to tumor immune cell infiltration in HCC.

CLEC3B as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

C-Type Lectin Domain Family 3 Member B (CLEC3B) encodes proteins associated with tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the interrelation between CLEC3B gene expression, tumor immunity, and prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic potential of CLEC3B and its association with tumor tissue infiltration markers. CLEC3B expression was examined using the TIMER and Oncomine databases, with its prognostic potential assessed using the GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases. The relationship between CLEC3B and tumor immune cell infiltration biomarkers was analyzed using TIMER. Here, we revealed that CLEC3B expression was decreased in HCC and was correlated with a poor survival rate in patients with HCC. Additionally, the expression of CLEC3B was negatively correlated with differential immune cell infiltration and various immune biomarkers. These results indicate a potential mechanism by which the expression of CLEC3B might adjust tumor immunity by modulating the infiltration of HCC immune cells. Our study demonstrated that CLEC3B could be a potential prognostic biomarker and might be involved in tumor immune cell infiltration in HCC.