[Recovery of hemoglobin level and blood pressure in workers unfit for duties at high altitude following relocation].

Objective: To determine the hemoglobin level and blood pressure and the factors that influence their recovery in relocated workers who were unfit for duties at high altitude. Methods: The physical examination data of 693 relocated workers who previously worked at high altitude were dynamically monitored from January 2006 to June 2015 in order to examine the recovery of hemoglobin level and blood pressure. Results: The rate of hemoglobin recovery was 81.37% among the 161 relocated workers with abnormal hemoglobin levels, and the rate of blood pressure recovery was 69.51% among the 164 relocated workers with abnormal blood pressure. The rates of hemoglobin and blood pressure recovery were decreased in individuals aged 40 years and older. The peak recovery time of hemoglobin was 11-15 months following relocation, and that of blood pressure was 5-7 months and 11-13 months following relocation. The half-year blood pressure recovery rate and 2-year hemoglobin recovery rate following relocation were significantly higher in workers who worked at 2500-3000 m altitude than in those at ≥3000 m (P<0.05) . Total cholesterol and educational level were factors that influence the half-year blood pressure recovery in relocated workers (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The rate of hemoglobin and blood pressure recovery are high among relocated workers who previously worked at high altitude. Factors that influence blood pressure, such as total cholesterol, should be closely monitored so that high-altitude workers with abnormal blood pressure and hemoglobin level can be relocated as early as possible.

Identification of miR-146b-5p in tissues as a novel biomarker for prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence has suggested that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) could contribute to tumor progression. The aim of present study was to evaluate the feasibility of using miR-146b-5p as a prognostic biomarker in gallbladder cancer (GBC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected 150 pairs of tissue specimens from patients with GBC and adjacent normal specimens. The expression level of miR-146b-5p was measured in 150 GBC tissues and adjacent normal tissues RT-qPCR. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the overall survival. The univariate and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify whether miR-146b-5p could serve as an independent prognostic factor for GBC patients. RESULTS: miR-146b-5p expression was decreased in GBC tissues compared with that in adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.01). In addition, miR-146b-5p expression was correlated with TNM stage (p = 0.009), liver metastasis (p = 0.001) and differentiated degree (p = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that GBC patients with high miR-146b-5p expression showed better overall survival than those with low miR-146b-5p expression (p = 0.0005). At last, univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that increased miR-146b-5p expression was an independent predictive factor of good prognosis for GBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that miR-146b-5p was a potential prognostic biomarker and higher expression of miR-146b-5p is associated with a poor prognosis in GBC.

Newly identified gene muscle segment homeobox C may play a role in intermuscular bone development of Hemibarbus labeo.

Intermuscular bones, ossified from tendons within the myosepta, occur only in teleost fish. Current understanding of the homology and origins of intermuscular bones in fishes is based mainly on morphological data. To date, there is no published data regarding molecular mechanisms of intermuscular bone formation. In this study, we cloned the gene muscle segment homeobox C (MsxC). MsxC potentially plays a role in intermuscular bone development of Hemibarbus labeo, an important species of cyprinid fish in the Chinese aquaculture industry. Sequence analysis of MsxC revealed motifs characteristic of the homeobox domain family. Whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that MsxC was primarily expressed in the myosepta and brain. MsxC was expressed in the myosepta from 26 to 41 days after hatching (DAH); this coincided with the onset of intermuscular bone ossification, which occurred between 35 and 62 DAH. Evidence for localization of MsxC expression by in situ hybridization correlated with its detection by quantitative real-time PCR. In vertebrates, MsxC plays a role in the regulation of mesenchymal cell differentiation during bone formation. We therefore conclude that MsxC may have a role in epithelium-mesenchyme interactions during intermuscular bone formation in H. labeo.