The diagnostic value of serum exosomal SNORD116 and SNORA21 for NSCLC patients.

PURPOSE: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a widespread and serious global malignancy. This study aimed to examine the clinical relevance of serum exosomal SNORD116 and SNORA21 as novel diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC. METHODS: Serum exosomes from 226 healthy controls and 305 NSCLC patients were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Characterization of exosomes was conducted by qNano, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Western immunoblotting. RT-PCR revealed snoRNAs that were differentially expressed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance. RESULTS: In NSCLC patients, the levels of serum exosomal SNORD116 and SNORA21 were significantly reduced compared to those in healthy controls (P < 0.0001 for both). ROC curves showed AUC values of 0.738 and 0.761. By combining SNORD116 and SNORA21 with traditional blood biomarkers CYFRA21-1 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the AUC increased to 0.917. Moreover, these two exosomal snoRNAs distinguished between patients with metastatic NSCLC (n = 132) and those with non-metastatic NSCLC (n = 173) significantly (P < 0.0001 for both). The ROC curves gave AUC values of 0.743 and 0.694, respectively. The combined analysis raised the AUC to 0.751. The diagnostic power of these two exosomal snoRNAs combined with CYFRA21-1 and CEA increased to 0.784. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that serum exosomal SNORD116 and SNORA21 can be used as potential promising non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC.

Outbreak of the South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta, in the Chinese mainland: geographic and potential host range expansion.

BACKGROUND: In 2017 Tuta absoluta was identified as an invasive species in China. Due to its rapid geographic expansion and the severe crop damage it causes, T. absoluta poses a serious threat to China's tomato production industry. To determine its geographic distribution and host range, intensive surveys and routine monitoring were conducted across the Chinese mainland between 2018 and 2019. The population colonization coefficient (PCC; ratio of colonized sites and prefectures) and population occurrence index (POI; ratio of infested host species and PCCs) were calculated. RESULTS: In northwestern China, T. absoluta populations established in Xinjiang exhibited a medium PCC value (~0.03). In southwestern China, populations in Yunnan and its five neighboring provinces exhibited high (~0.50 in Yunnan and Guizhou), or low (<0.02 in Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, and Chongqing) PCC values. In the Chinese mainland, infestations of four crop plant species (tomato, eggplant, potato, and Chinese lantern) and two wild plant species (black nightshade and Dutch eggplant) were identified; tomatoes were infested in every colonized province. Chinese lantern and Dutch eggplant are potentially novel hosts. Yunnan, Guizhou, and Xinjiang experienced the most serious damage (POI). In southwestern China, observed damage significantly decreased with increased distance from the first discovery site of T. absoluta to the farthest county of an infested province increased. CONCLUSION: T. absoluta populations are well-established and could potentially spread to other regions of China. The present study helps to inform the establishment of better pest management guidelines and strategies in China and tomato-producing regions worldwide. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.