MicroRNA-218 inhibits type I interferon production and facilitates virus immune evasion via targeting RIG-I.

The host protective immunity against viral infection requires the effective detection of viral antigens and the subsequent production of type I interferons (IFNs) by host immune cells. Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) is the crucial signaling element responsible for sensing viral RNA component and initiating the downstream antiviral signaling pathways, leading to the production of type I IFNs. In this work, we identified microRNA-218 (miR-218) as a new virus-induced miRNA that dampens the expression of RIG-I in mouse and human macrophages, leading to the impaired production of type I IFNs. Interfering miR-218 expression rescued RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling and thus protected macrophages from viral infection. Hence, our results provide new understanding of miRNA-mediated viral immune evasion and may be potentially useful for the treatment of viral infection in the future.

Pathway analysis of a genome­wide association study on a long non­coding RNA expression profile in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been consistently demonstrated to be involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as either tumor oncogenes or tumor suppressors. However, the underlying mechanisms of OSCC tumorigenesis and development have not yet been fully elucidated. The expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in OSCC were analyzed by a microarray assay. To verify the results of the microarray, 10 differentially expressed lncRNAs were randomly selected and measured by quantitative RT­PCR (qRT­PCR). Gene Ontology (GO) and metabolic pathway analyses were performed to analyze gene function and identify enriched pathways. Subsequently, two independent algorithms were used to predict the target genes of the lncRNAs. We identified 2,294 lncRNAs and 1,938 mRNAs that were differentially expressed in all three OSCC tissues by a microarray assay. Through the construction of co­expression networks of differentially expressed genes, 4 critical lncRNAs nodes were identified as potential key factors in the pathogenesis of OSCC. Expression of the 4 critical lncRNA nodes was not associated with age, sex, smoking or tumor location (P>0.05) but was positively correlated with clinical stage, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis and survival status (P<0.05). Kaplan­Meier analysis demonstrated that low expression levels of these 4 critical lncRNA nodes contributed to poor median progression­free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P<0.05). GO and pathway analyses indicated that the functions and enriched pathways of many dysregulated genes are associated with cancer. Potential target genes of dysregulated lncRNAs were enriched in 43 metabolic pathways, with cancer pathways being the primary enrichment pathways. In summary, we analyzed the profile of lncRNAs in OSCC and identified the functions and enriched metabolic pathways of both dysregulated mRNAs and the target genes of dysregulated lncRNAs, providing new insights into molecular markers and therapeutic targets for OSCC.

[Cone-beam CT evaluation of nasomaxillary complex and upper airway following rapid maxillary expansion].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the naso-maxillary complex width and pharyngeal airway volume changes after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). METHODS: Thirty-five patients were selected (18 males, 17 females, mean age, 12.1 ± 1.1 years). All patients underwent orthodontic treatment with Hyrax palatal expanders. Cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan was taken before treatment (T0), 16 days (T1) and three months (T3) after RME. Naso-maxillary complex width and pharyngeal airway volume were measured. RESULTS: After treatment the width of piriform aperture and maxillary width were significantly increased compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05). Three months after RME, no statistical difference was found in maxillary width compared with that before treatment. The nasopharyngeal volume significantly increased by 29.9% compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05), and the volume remained relatively stable after three months. CONCLUSIONS: RME resulted in a significant increase in the naso-maxillary complex width and nasopharyngeal volume.