Diagnostic value of retinol-binding protein 4 in diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Early detection and prevention of DN are important. Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been considered as a single diagnostic marker for the detection of renal impairment. However, the results have been inconsistent. The present meta-analysis aimed to determine the diagnostic potential of RBP4 in patients in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with DN. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Wanfang and CNKI databases from inception until January 2024. The meta-analysis was performed by Stata version 15.0, and sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios (PLR and NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the curve (AUC) were pooled. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool was utilized to assess the quality of each included study. In addition, heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated. Results: Twenty-nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.71-0.80] and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.76-0.85), respectively. The results showed a pooled PLR of 4.06 (95% CI, 3.16-5.21), NLR of 0.29 (95% CI, 0.24-0.36) and DOR of 13.76 (95% CI, 9.29-20.37). The area under the summarized receiver operating characteristic curve was given a value of 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82-0.88). No obvious publication bias existed in the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that RBP4 has a promising diagnostic value with good sensitivity and specificity for patients with T2DM with DN.

Multi-omics Analysis of Prognostic Significance and Immune Infiltration of FASTK Family Members in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma.

Objective: The Fas-activated serine/threonine kinase (FASTK) family of proteins has been recently found to be able to regulate mitochondrial gene expression post-transcriptionally. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of study about the role of the FASTK family in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). This study was conducted to explore the correlation of FASTK family genes with expression, prognosis, and immune infiltration in KIRC. Methods: We collected the data from the UALCAN, GeneMANIA, STRING, CancerSEA, cBioPortal, Kaplan-Meier plotter, GEPIA, TISIDB and TIMER databases to evaluate the genetic alterations, differential expression, prognostic significance, and immune cell infiltration of FASTKs in patients with KIRC. Results: In tumor tissues of KIRC, the mRNA expression level of FASTK and TBRG4 was elevated, whereas that of FASTKD1, FASTKD2, and FASTKD5 was lowered compared with normal tissues (P < .05). Patients with KIRC and high FASTK and Transforming growth factor ß regulator 4 (TBRG4) expression had worse overall survival (OS) and disease specific survival (DFS), while those with lower expression of FASTKD2/3/5 had worse outcomes. FASTK was positively correlated with DNA damage. FASTKD1 was positively related to differentiation. FASTKD2 was inversely related to proliferation and FASTKD5 was inversely related to invasion and EMT in KIRC cells. FASTK expression in KIRC was inversely linked to the presence of several immune cells including Tgd, macrophages, Tcm, and Mast cells (P < .05). Conclusions: Our research provided fresh insight and in-depth analysis to the selection of prognostic biological markers of FASTK family members in KIRC.

Investigating the Clinical Value of Novel Kidney Injury Inflammatory Biomarkers in Snakebite Victims.

OBJECTIVE: The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in snakebite patients, its value in patient prognosis and the correlation of VEGF-A with renal function were analysed. METHODS: A total of 124 snakebite patients admitted from January 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively analysed and included in the observation group, and 40 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination in the same hospital within the same period were included in the control group. The t-test was used in analysing differences between the serum VEGF-A levels of the observation and control groups and changes in VEGF-A and renal function indices before and after treatment in the observation group. The effects of treatment on each patient in the observation group were evaluated, and the patients were divided into improved and unimproved groups according to the post-treatment condition. The predictive value of VEGF-A and renal function indices in patients in the improved and unimproved groups and their efficacy for snakebite patients were analysed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Finally, correlation analysis was used in evaluating the correlation between VEGF-A and renal function indices. RESULTS: VEGF-A was significantly higher in patients in the observation group (339.66 ± 97.72 pg/mL) than in patients in the control group (52.41 ± 8.93 pg/mL; p < 0.001). VEGF-A and renal function indices in the serum of patients were significantly lower after treatment than those before treatment (p < 0.0001). According to efficacy, the patients were divided into improved group (n = 102) and unimproved group (n = 22). The pre-treatment VEGF-A levels were significantly lower in patients in the improved group (318.47 ± 90.80 pg/mL) than in patients in the unimproved group (437.88 ± 63.16 pg/mL; p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve for VEGF-A in predicting patient treatment efficacy was 0.886, and VEGF-A was positively correlated with blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and cystin C but negatively correlated with glomerular filtration rate (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: VEGF-A was highly expressed in snakebite patients and can be used as an observational indicator for predicting the prognosis of snakebite patients.

Investigating the Clinical Value of Novel Kidney Injury Inflammatory Biomarkers in Snakebite Victims

Objective: The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in snakebite patients, its value in patient prognosis and the correlation of VEGF-A with renal function were analysed. Methods: A total of 124 snakebite patients admitted from January 2019 to January 2021 were retrospectively analysed and included in the observation group, and 40 healthy individuals who underwent physical examination in the same hospital within the same period were included in the control group. The t-test was used in analysing differences between the serum VEGF-A levels of the observation and control groups and changes in VEGF-A and renal function indices before and after treatment in the observation group. The effects of treatment on each patient in the observation group were evaluated, and the patients were divided into improved and unimproved groups according to the post-treatment condition. The predictive value of VEGF-A and renal function indices in patients in the improved and unimproved groups and their efficacy for snakebite patients were analysed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Finally, correlation analysis was used in evaluating the correlation between VEGF-A and renal function indices. Results: VEGF-A was significantly higher in patients in the observation group (339.66 ± 97.72 pg/mL) than in patients in the control group (52.41 ± 8.93 pg/mL; p < 0.001). VEGF-A and renal function indices in the serum of patients were significantly lower after treatment than those before treatment (p < 0.0001). According to efficacy, the patients were divided into improved group (n = 102) and unimproved group (n = 22). The pre-treatment VEGF-A levels were significantly lower in patients in the improved group (318.47 ± 90.80 pg/mL) than in patients in the unimproved group (437.88 ± 63.16 pg/mL; p < 0.001) (AU)

Heterogeneous pattern of gene expression driven by TTN mutation is involved in the construction of a prognosis model of lung squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the impact that TTN mutation had on the gene heterogeneity expression and prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: In this study, the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was used to analyze the TTN mutations in lung adenocarcinoma. Lung adenocarcinoma data was collected from the TCGA database, clinical information of patients was analyzed, and bioinformatics statistical methods were applied for mutation analysis and prognosis survival analysis. The results were verified using the GEO dataset. Results: The incidence of TTN mutations in lung adenocarcinoma was found to be 73%, and it was related to the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma. Ten genes were screened with significant contributions to prognosis. A prognosis model was constructed and verified by LASSO COX analysis in the TCGA and GEO datasets based on these ten beneficial factors. The independent prognostic factor H2BC9 for TTN mutation-driven gene heterogeneity expression was screened through multi-factor COX regression analysis. Conclusion: Our data showed that the gene heterogeneity expression, which was driven by TTN mutations, prolonged the survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients and provided valuable clues for the prognosis of TTN gene mutations in lung adenocarcinoma.

Curcumenol improves renal function in 5/6 nephrectomy-induced chronic renal failure rats via the SIRT1/NF-κB pathway.

The present work aimed to explore the protective effects of curcumenol and evaluate its pharmacological mechanisms in 5/6 nephrectomy-induced chronic renal failure (CRF). Rats with CRF were administrated curcumenol and the effects on renal functions were investigated. Renal function examinations were carried out, whereas serum levels of inflammatory mediators, including NF-κB, MCP-1 and IL-1ß were analyzed by ELISA. The mRNA expression levels of SIRT1, p65 and IκBα were measured by qRT-PCR, and the SIRT1 protein levels were analyzed by western blot and immunohistochemistry. Our results indicated that curcumenol significantly improved the renal functions in the CRF rats. Compared to the sham group, serum levels of NF-κB, MCP-1, IL-1ß, and the mRNA expression levels of p65 were significantly increased (p < 0.01), whereas the mRNA expression level of IκBα was significantly decreased (p < 0.01) and the SIRT1 levels were dramatically down-regulated (p < 0.05) in the CRF groups. Treatment with curcumenol remarkably inhibited inflammatory responses as reflected by the reduced levels of inflammatory mediators (p < 0.01) and SIRT1 up-regulation (p < 0.05). Our findings suggested that curcumenol could improve the renal function in 5/6 nephrectomy-induced CRF rats, and the mechanisms might involve suppressing the associated inflammation and modulating the SIRT1 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

FECH Expression Correlates with the Prognosis and Tumor Immune Microenvironment in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is, by far, the most prevalent and fatal kind of kidney cancer. Ferrochelatase (FECH) is an enzyme that performs a significant function in the onset and progression of many distinct kinds of malignant tumors. Nevertheless, its predictive usefulness in renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) has not yet been fully investigated. Methods: FECH expression in ccRCC and healthy adjoining tissues was primarily screened utilizing data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and subsequently validated using data from an independent cohort derived from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Human Protein Atlas HPA databases. The relationship among FECH expression, clinicopathological parameters, and overall survival (OS) was assessed utilizing multivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Additionally, the protein networks with FECH interaction were constructed with the aid of the online Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING). Gene ontology (GO) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were conducted based on TCGA data, and a single-sample GSEA was utilized to explore the link between FECH expression and the infiltration status of immune cells in the tumor. The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and TIMER databases were utilized to investigate the relationships of FECH expression with the infiltrating immune cells and the matching gene marker sets. Results: FECH expression was shown to be substantially lowered in ccRCC tumors as opposed to that observed in normal tissues (p < 0.05). Lower levels of FECH expression were shown to have a strong association with higher grades of cancer and more advanced TNM stages. The findings of multivariate and univariate analyses illustrated that the OS in patients with ccRCC with low FECH expression is shorter in contrast with that in the high FECH expression group (p < 0.05). It was discovered that CPOX and frataxin are key proteins that interact with FECH. ccRCC with FECH deficiency was linked to the lack of infiltrating immune cells and their respective marker sets, which included CD4+ T cells. Conclusion: In ccRCC, decreased FECH expression was linked to disease progression, unfavorable prognosis, and impaired immune cell infiltration.

Current Evidence on Traditional Chinese Exercises for Quality of Life in Patients With Essential Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Essential hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases seen in primary human health care that could lead to various health problems and reduce the quality of life (QOL). This study was performed to evaluate the effects of traditional Chinese exercises (TCE) on QOL in patients with essential hypertension. Three English databases and one Chinese database were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) until August 2020. A total of 13 RCTs with 1,361 hypertensive patients met the inclusion criteria, 10 trials employed Tai Chi and 3 trials employed Qigong, including Dongeui Qinggong, Yijinjing, and Wuqinxi. Despite a large heterogeneity within studies, it is demonstrated that TCE may be an effective therapy to improve the QOL of hypertensive patients. More specific, compared with no intervention, the meta-analysis presented that Tai Chi significantly improved both the physical and mental component of the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) QOL scale, and it was found that the simplified 24-form Tai Chi with a frequency of 30-50 min per session at five to eight sessions per week was the most commonly used setting. The pooling also revealed that Tai Chi and Qigong had some significantly positive effects on QOL based on other scales. However, more rigorously designed RCTs are warranted for further verification. This systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs demonstrated that Tai Chi may be an effective therapy to improve the QOL of patients with essential hypertension. All these findings provide helpful information for hypertensive patients and medical personnel.

Taxonomic re-evaluation of the monotypic genus Pararhabdophis Bourret, 1934 (Squamata: Colubridae: Natricinae) with discovery of its type species, P. chapaensis, from China.

The Asian monotypic genus Pararhabdophis Bourret, 1934 has long been known from a single holotype of the type species Pararhabdophis chapaensis Bourret, 1934 only. The limited available information hampered the identification of the natricine species. On the basis of eight newly collected specimens of P. chapaensis from the type locality in Sa Pa, Lao Cai Province, Vietnam and from Pingbian, Yunnan Province in southwestern China, the taxonomic position of the genus Pararhabdophis was re-evaluated using both morphological and molecular datasets for the first time. Pararhabdophis chapaensis is nested within the genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 with strong support, and morphologically indistinguishable from the latter genus. As a consequence, we herein synonymize the genus Pararhabdophis with Hebius and discuss about the existing paraphyly of some Hebius species. In addition we report Hebius chapaensis for the first time from China and provide redescription and natural history data of this poorly known species. To facilitate future taxonomic work, an identification key to all known natricine genera from China and Vietnam is also provided.

A new species of the genus Hebius (Squamata: Colubridae) from Sichuan, China.

A new species of the natricine snake genus Hebius Thompson, 1913 is described from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, based on a single male specimen. The new species is distinguished from its congeners found in China and adjacent regions by possessing the following combination of characters: 1) TL/SVL ratio 0.35; 2) three postoculars; 3) six temporals in formula 1/(1+1) +1+2; 4) eight supralabials, 4th and 5th in contact with the eye, 6th supralabial largest; 5) ten infralabials with the first five bordering the anterior chinshields; 6) 172 ventrals (plus two preventrals); 7) cloacal plate divided; 8) 90 divided subcaudals; 9) dorsal scales in 19-19-17 rows, all weakly keeled except the outer two; 10) reduction of dorsal scale rows from 19 to 17 at the position above ventral scale 99th; 11) reduction of the tail dorsal scales from 8 to 6 rows at the position above 18th subcaudal, and from 6 to 4 rows at the position above 37th subcaudal; 12) postorbital bones do not touch frontals, the parietal ridge weakly developed; the end of the supratemporal bones extending beyond the braincase; maxillary teeth 23-25, the last two enlarged, without diastema between them and the anterior teeth. This species is an evergreen forest dweller.

[Phosphate Removal on Zirconium Alginate/Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) Hydrogel Beads with a Semi-interpenetrating Network].

Zirconium alginate/poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel beads with a semi-interpenetrating network (ZA/PNIPAM) were prepared by using the ionic crosslinking and radical polymerization method and investigated for phosphate removal from aqueous solutions. The effects on the adsorption performance of hydrogel beads, including initial pH, adsorbent dose, initial phosphate concentration, and co-existing anions, were evaluated systematically. Results showed that the ZA/PNIPAM could exhibit a maximum uptake capacity of phosphate at pH 2.The uptake capacity of the adsorbent increased with a decrease in the dose or an increase in the initial phosphate concentration. The presence of SO42- had a more negative effect on phosphate removal compared to Cl- and NO3-. The kinetics fitted a pseudo-second-order model and intraparticle diffusion model, suggesting the adsorption rate was mainly controlled by surface adsorption and diffusion into the interior of the hydrogel beads. The isotherm data could be described by the Freundlich model, indicating that the adsorption process was heterogeneous multilayer adsorption. The studies of FTIR, XPS, and zero point of charge with relevant adsorption data revealed that the phosphate adsorption mechanisms could be electrostatic attraction (physical adsorption) and ligand exchange reactions (chemical adsorption). After four cycles of regeneration, ZA/PNIPAM exhibited a stable uptake capacity, indicating favorable reusability.

Circulating motilin, ghrelin, and GLP-1 and their correlations with gastric slow waves in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) commonly complain upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, especially anorexia. Hemodialysis (HD) has been noted to improve GI symptoms; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study was designed 1) to study effects of HD on GI symptoms and gastric slow waves; and 2) to investigate possible roles of ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1): the study recruited 13 healthy controls, 20 CKD patients without HD (CKD group), and 18 CKD patients with HD (HD group). Dyspeptic symptoms, autonomic functions, gastric slow waves, and plasma level of ghrelin and GLP-1 were analyzed. First, the CKD patients with HD showed markedly lower scores of anorexia (0.6 ± 0.2 vs. 3.2 ± 0.4, P < 0.001) compared with patients without HD. Second, the CKD group but not HD group showed a significant reduction (25.6%) in the percentage of normal gastric slow waves, compared with controls. Third, the CKD group exhibited a significantly lower ghrelin level compared with the HD group (26.8 ± 0.9 vs. 34.1 ± 2.3 ng/l, P < 0.02) and a higher GLP-1 level (29.4 ± 2.8 vs. 20.0 ± 2.1 pmol/l, P < 0.05) compared with controls. Moreover, the percentage of normal slow waves was positively correlated with ghrelin (r = 0.385, P = 0.019) but negatively correlated with GLP-1 (r = -0.558, P < 0.001) in all CKD patients. Hemodialysis improves upper GI symptoms and gastric slow waves in CKD patients. An increase in ghrelin and a decrease in GLP-1 might be involved in the HD-induced improvement in gastric slow waves.

Multilocus phylogeny of the Asian Lance-headed pitvipers (Squamata, Viperidae, Protobothrops).

Despite the public health significance and potential applications to medical research, the evolutionary history of the Asian Lance-headed pitvipers (genus Protobothrops) remains inadequately studied. Previous research generally focused on a few selected species with no comprehensive molecular study of Protobothrops. Here, we conduct the first study to infer the phylogenetic relationships of all currently recognized species in this genus based on four mitochondrial DNA fragments and four nuclear genes. Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses show that within Protobothrops there are four strongly supported clades forming distinct subgroups. The first subgroup, which is sister to the other three, consists of three species, P. himalayanus, P. kaulbacki, and P. sieversorum. The second subgroup contains only P. mangshanensis. The final two subgroups, which are sister groups, include the other four and six Protobothrops species. Although our findings provide additional information on the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Protobothrops, the placement of P. dabieshanensis and P. elegans remains problematic. In addition, our molecular results indicate that P. trungkhanhensis, currently considered endemic to Vietnam, should be added to the species known from China. Our ancestral area estimation indicated that Protobothrops likely originated in southwestern China. This study improves our understanding of the evolutionary relationships among species of Asian Lance-headed pitvipers, providing a greater framework for future studies.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Sinovipera sichuanensis (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae).

Sinovipera sichuanensis is one of the Asian green pit vipers with less concern. It is endemic to China and only known in Hejiang, Sichuan Province and Jiangkou, Guizhou Province. In this study, we report the complete mitochondrial genome and characterize each partition. The complete mitochondrial genome is 17 225 bp in length containing 2 rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes, 2 control regions and 22 tRNAs. We use Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods to infer the phylogenetic relationship of S. sichuanensis. Both BI and ML analyses strongly support that S. sichuanensis is independent from the other two Asian green pit vipers.

New occurrence of Sinovipera sichuanensis in Guizhou.

Three Asian green pit vipers were collected in August 2013 during a field trip in Fanjin Mt. National Conservation Area, Guizhou. These specimens were identified as Sinovipera sichuanensis, based on subsequent examination and comparison. This is a new record of the genus Sinovipera and S. sichuanensis in Guizhou, and the first time that male specimens have been collected in the field.