A novel variant in PAX6 as the cause of aniridia in a Chinese family.

BACKGROUND: Aniridia is a kind of congenital human pan-ocular anomaly, which is related to PAX6 commonly. METHODS: The ophthalmic examinations including visual acuity, slit lamp and fundoscopy examination were performed in a Chinese aniridia pedigree. The targeted next-generation sequencing of aniridia genes was used to identify the causative mutation. RESULTS: A novel heterozygous PAX6 nonsense mutation c.619A > T (p.K207*) was identified in the Chinese autosomal dominant family with aniridia. Phenotype related to the novel mutation included nystagmus, keratopathy, absence of iris, cataract and foveal hypoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: The novel nonsense variation in PAX6 was the cause of aniridia in this family, which expanded the spectrum of the PAX6 mutation.

[Analysis of occupational health status of radiation workers in Guangdong Province].

Objective: To discuss the effect of low-dose ionizing radiation on the health of radiation workers, and provide a basis for occupational health risk assessment of radiation workers. Methods: In January 2020, 3165 radiation workers who performed radiation occupational health examinations in Guangzhou Prevention and Treatment Hospital for Occupational Disease from January 2017 to December 2019 were selected as the research objects, and compared and analyzed the health status of radiation workers with different examination types (pre-job, in-job and off-job) , types of work, gender, and length of service. Results: The off-job occupational radiological health examination was rare at 2.3% (74/3165) . The abnormal detection rate of chest radiographs, renal function, thyroid function, and blood routine of the radiation workers in-job group was higher than that of the pre-job group (P<0.05) . No statistical difference was found in the abnormal detection rate of the examination items during the in-job group and the off-job group (P>0.05) . The blood routine abnormality detection rate of medical application group and industrial application group were higher than those of nuclear fuel group (P<0.05) . The abnormal detection rate of blood pressure and renal function of male radiation workers was higher than that of females, while the abnormal detection rate of blood routine of females was higher than that of males (P<0.05) . The abnormal detection rate of electrocardiogram, chest radiograph, blood pressure, renal function, thyroid function, and blood routine of radiation workers increased with increasing working age (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational health status of radiation workers is not optimistic. Radiation occupational health monitoring should be strengthened, special attention should be paid to off-job radiation occupational health examination, focusing on the sensitive indicators of sensitive personnel, improving radiation protection conditions, and effectively protecting the occupational health of radiation workers.

Prognostic significance of palliative gastrectomy in incurable advanced gastric cancer: a retrospective cohort study and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There is controversy regarding the role of palliative gastrectomy in patients with incurable advanced gastric cancer requiring surgical intervention. The present retrospective cohort study and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy can prolong the survival of patients with incurable advanced gastric cancer requiring surgical intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data from 153 patients diagnosed with incurable advanced gastric cancer requiring surgical intervention at our institute between January 2000 and December 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed the value of palliative gastrectomy and identified the potential prognostic factors. We also conducted a meta-analysis of 10 studies to validate our results. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis indicated that palliative gastrectomy was a favorable independent prognostic factor for prolonged overall survival in incurable advanced gastric cancer patients requiring surgical intervention (p=0.029). The median survival of patients who underwent palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy was significantly longer than that of those who underwent non-resection surgery plus chemotherapy (12 months vs. 9 months, p=0.020). The patients in the non-resection surgery plus chemotherapy group exhibited significantly shorter overall survival than those in the D1+ lymphadenectomy group, D2 lymphadenectomy group, or distal gastrectomy group (p=0.021, p=0.007, and p=0.006, respectively). Our meta-analysis revealed that gastrectomy plus chemotherapy improved long-term survival in incurable advanced gastric cancer patients (hazard ratio (HR): 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35-0.67; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Palliative gastrectomy plus chemotherapy may improve overall patient survival compared with non-resection operations plus chemotherapy in incurable advanced gastric cancer patients requiring surgical intervention.

[Effect of low dose ionizing radiation on peripheral blood cells of radiation workers in nuclear power industry].

Objective: To investigate the effects of long-term ionizing radiation on peripheral blood cells of nuclear power workers. Methods: In March 2019, a total of 530 radiation exposed workers in the nuclear power industry who underwent in-service radiation occupational health examination in Guangzhou occupational disease prevention and control hospital in 2018 and with service age ≥1 year were selected as the radiation group. At the same time, 545 workers in nuclear power industry were selected as control group. According to the methods and requirements of GBZ 235-2011 ＂technical specification for occupational health monitoring of radiation workers＂ and GBZ 98-2017 ＂health requirements for radiation workers＂, the occupational health monitoring data were collected, and the change rules of peripheral blood cells in the two groups were analyzed. Results: Compared with the control group, the total number of WBC, NEUT, LYMP, Hb, MCV and MCHC in radiation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.05) , and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The MPV increased significantly (P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the abnormal rate of WBC and Hb in the radiation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01) , but there was no significant difference in the abnormal rate of RBC and PLT (P>0.05) . Conclusion: Low dose ionizing radiation has a certain cumulative damage effect on peripheral blood cells of radiation workers in nuclear power industry. The change rules of different cell subtypes are different, and the changes of WBC and PLT appear earlier.

let-7i inhibits proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells by targeting HMGA1.

BACKGROUND: Let-7 is one of the earliest discovered microRNAs(miRNAs) and has been reported to be down-regulated in multiple malignant tumors. The effects and molecular mechanisms of let-7i in bladder cancer are still unclear. This study was to investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of let-7i on bladder cancer cells. METHODS: Total RNA was extracted from bladder cancer cell lines. The expression levels of let-7i and HMGA1 were examined by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 and colony formation assays, while transwell and wound healing assays were used to evaluate migration ability. Luciferase reporter assay and western blot were used to confirm the target gene of let-7i. RESULTS: Compared with the SV-40 immortalized human uroepithelial cell line (SV-HUC-1), bladder cancer cell lines T24 and 5637 had low levels of let-7i expression, but high levels of high mobility group protein A1 (HMGA1) expression. Transfection of cell lines T24 and 5637 with let-7i mimic suppressed cell proliferation and migration. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed HMGA1 may be one of the target genes of let-7i-5p. Protein and mRNA expression of HMGA1 was significantly downregulated in let-7i mimic transfected cell lines T24 and 5637. CONCLUSIONS: Up-regulation of let-7i suppressed proliferation and migration of the human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and 5637 by targeting HMGA1. These findings suggest that let-7i might be considered as a novel therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

The dehydration effect on mechanical properties of tooth enamel.

Exploring the subtle mechanical property changes of tooth enamel in different conditions is important for dental research. However, some experimental results can be deceptive and may lead to misunderstanding. In particular, we show the dehydration associated with increased mechanical properties of tooth enamel as monitored by Nanomechanical System Testing (NST) can be misleading. The results indicate that the friction coefficient decreased with an increase of hardness of enamel upon dehydration, which appears to imply that dehydrated enamel has better mechanical properties than hydrated enamel. However, more critical scrutiny of the actual situation, suggests dehydrated teeth enamel are more prone to damage and greater wear. To appreciate the basis for the contrast between the experimental results and reality of natural hydrated enamel, which has better resistance to wear, and is critical for an understanding of the aetiology of enamel resistance to fracture.

[Risk factors associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome after flexible ueteroscopic lithotripsy based on enhanced recovery after surgery].

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in patients undergoing flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy based on enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). Methods: The clinical data of 243 kidney stone cases who underwent flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy based on ERAS in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from January 2016 to December 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. The cases were divided into two groups according to whether they had SIRS after surgery: SIRS group (26 cases) and non-SIRS group (217 cases). The age, gender, laterality of kidney stone, history of previous kidney stone surgery, degree of hydronephrosis, multiple kidney stones, length of operation time, white blood cell count of preoperative urine routine, result of preoperative urine culture, use of preoperative antibiotics, diabetes and other chronic diseases in the groups were collected and analyzed. Results: SIRS occurred in 26 cases in this study, which accounted for 10.7% (26/243). Multivariate analysis found that, moderate and severe hydronephrosis (OR=6.711, P=0.008), stone burden ≥2 cm (OR=10.353, P<0.001), length of operation time ≥ 60 min (OR=5.583, P=0.011), white blood cell count of preoperative urine routine ≥25×10(6)/L (OR=6.195, P=0.005), positive preoperative urine culture (OR=4.216, P=0.011), diabetes and other chronic diseases (OR=4.532, P=0.006) were the independent risk factors for postoperative SIRS (P<0.05). Conclusions: The occurrence of SIRS after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy based on ERAS is closely correlated with hydronephrosis, stone burden, length of operation time, white blood cell count of preoperative urine routine, positive preoperative urine culture, diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Decreased T cell expression of H/ACA box small nucleolar RNA 12 promotes lupus pathogenesis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective To investigate whether the aberrant expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) could contribute to the pathogenesis of lupus. Methods Expression profiles of RNA transcripts in T cells from three patients with SLE and three controls were analyzed by microarray analysis. Potentially aberrant-expressed ncRNAs were validated using T cell samples from 23 patients with SLE and 17 controls. Transfection studies and microarray analyses were conducted to search for any gene expression that is regulated by specific ncRNAs. Results Initial analysis revealed differential expression of 18 ncRNAs in SLE T cells. After validation, decreased expression of H/ACA box small nucleolar RNA 12 (SNORA12) was confirmed in SLE T cells (0.69-fold, P = 0.007) compared with normal T cells, and its expression level was inversely associated with higher SLE disease activity scores. Jurkat cells transfected with a plasmid encoding SNORA12 showed increased expression of two genes and decreased expression of 15 genes in Jurkat cells. These changes of gene expression were significantly associated with the SLE pathway in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes map using microarray analysis. Overexpression of SNORA12 altered the expression of CD69, decreased the expression of histone cluster 1 H4 family member k (HIST1H4K), inhibited the secretion of interferon gamma and the expression of HIST1H4K was increased in SLE T cells. Conclusion Among the ncRNAs, we found that the expression level of SNORA12, which belongs to the family of small nucleolar RNAs, was lower in SLE T cells and affected T cell function. This novel finding suggests that aberrant-expressed snoRNAs lead to dysfunction of T cells and may be involved in the immunopathogenesis of SLE.

[Treatment strategies of complex lesions in patients with acute Stanford type A dissection of important branches involvement].

Acute Stanford type A aortic dissection with important branches involved is more complex, could lead to organ malperfusion syndrome even organ failure. The understanding of pathological anatomy, classification, staging, and the pathophysiological change has increasingly mature, but not complete. In addition, the treatment strategy for complex lesions is diversified, some questions may not reach consensus. Fully understanding of the anatomical and pathophysiology is very important for surgeons to choose reasonable treatment strategy. As the rapid development of the basic research, imaging techniques and the concept of surgery procedures, the manage technique of Stanfrod type A dissection and branch vessels at the same time is getting seriously, the related issues also need further discussions.

Association between personal basic information, sleep quality, mental disorders and erectile function: a cross-sectional study among 334 Chinese outpatients.

Male erectile dysfunction (ED) may cause anxiety and depression, while mental disorders and sleep disturbances may also be closely related to ED. However, the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear, and whether personal basic background data affect erectile function is unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study among Chinese outpatients with ED from January 2012 to December 2014. All the men answered a questionnaire collecting information about mental health status, sleep disturbances and personal data, underwent a physical examination and had a blood sample drawn. Sleep disturbances were assessed on the basis of a 19-item version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, which includes questions on sleep patterns during the past month. Among the 462 patients, 128 patients with alcohol abuse, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, psychiatric drugs, neurologic injury or abnormal hormones were excluded from the study; 86.27% and 68.66% of the patients suffered from anxiety and depression respectively. Sleep quality and anxiety symptoms significantly affected erectile function, whereas personal income and education level had no significant effects. Our study suggested that it is necessary to pay attention to the psychological status of patients with ED, especially anxiety disorder. Sleep quality may be an important factor affecting erectile function according to the personal data.

TGF-ß upregulates the translation of USP15 via the PI3K/AKT pathway to promote p53 stability.

Crosstalk between transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) signaling and p53 has a critical role in cancer progression. TGF-ß signals via Smad and non-Smad pathways. Under normal conditions, wild-type p53 forms a complex with Smad2/3 and co-activates transcription of a variety of tumor suppressor genes, resulting in tumor suppressive effects. Thus, p53 stability is essential in progression of tumor suppressive responses mediated by TGF-ß signaling. However, it remains unknown whether p53 stability is regulated by TGF-ß. In the current study, we identify that USP15 binds to and stabilizes p53 through deubiquitination in U2OS and HEK293 cells. TGF-ß promotes the translation of USP15 through activation of mammalian target of rapamycin by the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/AKT pathway. Upregulation of USP15 translation links the crosstalk between TGF-ß signaling and p53 stability, allowing this cytokine to have a critical role in cancer progression.

Improved simultaneous estimation of tracer kinetic models with artificial immune network based optimization method.

Tracer kinetic modeling (TKM) is a promising quantitative method for physiological and biochemical processes in vivo. In this paper, we investigated the applications of an immune-inspired method to better address the issues of Simultaneous Estimation (SIME) of TKM with multimodal optimization. Experiments of dynamic FDG PET imaging experiments and simulation studies were carried out. The proposed artificial immune network (TKM_AIN) shows more scalable and effective when compared with the gradient-based Marquardt-Levenberg algorithm and the scholastic-based simulated annealing method.

EB-virus latent membrane protein 1 potentiates the stemness of nasopharyngeal carcinoma via preferential activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by a positive feedback loop.

Our previous study reported that Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)-encoded latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) could induce development of CD44(+/High) stem-like cells in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie modulation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in NPC remain unclear. Here, we show that LMP1 induced CSC-like properties through promotion of the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like cellular markers and through alterations in differentiation markers. Furthermore, LMP1 activated and triggered phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway, which subsequently stimulated expression of CSC markers, development of side population and tumor sphere formation. This suggests that PI3K/AKT pathway has an important role in the induction and maintenance of CSC properties in NPC. Similarly, PI3K/AKT pathway was also activated by phosphorylase in LMP1-induced CD44(+/High) cells. In addition, LMP1 greatly increased expression of miR-21 and downregulated expression of the miR-21 target, PTEN. Overexpression of miR-21 by transfection of miR-21 mimics into LMP1-transformed cells led to phosphorylase-mediated activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and induction of CSCs. On the contrary, phosphorylation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and the expression of CSC were reversed by an miR-21 inhibitor. The specific inhibitor (Ly294002) of PI3K/AKT pathway significantly decreased expression of miR-21 and CSC markers and upregulated the expression of PTEN, which indicates that miR-21 and PTEN are the downstream effectors of PI3K/AKT and that expression of these two effectors are related to the development of NPC CSCs. Taken together, our novel findings indicate that LMP1, PI3K/AKT, miR-21 and PTEN constitute a positive feedback loop and have a key role in LMP1-induced CSCs in NPC.

The activation of G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) inhibits proliferation of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

There is an urgent clinical need for safe and effective treatment agents and therapy targets for estrogen receptor negative (ER-) breast cancer. G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30), which mediates non-genomic signaling of estrogen to regulate cell growth, is highly expressed in ER--breast cancer cells. We here showed that activation of GPR30 by the receptor-specific agonist G-1 inhibited the growth of ER--breast cancer cells in vitro. Treatment of ER--breast cancer cells with G-1 resulted in G2/M-phase arrest, downregulation of G2-checkpoint regulator cyclin B, and induction of mitochondrial-related apoptosis. The G-1 treatment increased expression of p53 and its phosphorylation levels at Serine 15, promoted its nuclear translocation, and inhibited its ubiquitylation, which mediated the growth arrest effects on cell proliferation. Further, the G-1 induced sustained activation and nuclear translocation of ERK1/2, which was mediated by GPR30/epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signals, also mediated its inhibition effects of G-1. With extensive use of siRNA-knockdown experiments and inhibitors, we found that upregulation of p21 by the cross-talk of GPR30/EGFR and p53 was also involved in G-1-induced cell growth arrest. In vivo experiments showed that G-1 treatment significantly suppressed the growth of SkBr3 xenograft tumors and increased the survival rate, associated with proliferation suppression and upregulation of p53, p21 while downregulation of cyclin B. The discovery of multiple signal pathways mediated the suppression effects of G-1 makes it a promising candidate drug and lays the foundation for future development of GPR30-based therapies for ER- breast cancer treatment.

Synchronization of time-delayed chemically coupled burst-spiking neurons with correlated noises.

Synchronization of two time-delayed chemically coupled neurons with burst-spiking states is studied. Different from the previous study by N. Buric et al. (Phys. Rev. E 78, 036211 (2008)), it is found that exactly synchronous burst-spiking dynamics can occur for small coupling strengths and time delays. The results are confirmed by common time delays and non-equal time delays. When common noise is added to the two neurons, synchronization is enhanced as noise strength is increased. But the results are different for larger time delay and smaller time delay. When noises are correlated, it is found that only strong noises with large correlation coefficient can induce exact synchronization. Even one percent of independent noises can influence synchronization much.

Increased miR-223 expression in T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis leads to decreased insulin-like growth factor-1-mediated interleukin-10 production.

We hypothesized that the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) T cells was involved in the pathogenesis of RA. The expression profile of 270 human miRNAs in T cells from the first five RA patients and five controls were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Twelve miRNAs exhibited potentially aberrant expression in RA T cells compared to normal T cells. After validation with another 22 RA patients and 19 controls, miR-223 and miR-34b were over-expressed in RA T cells. The expression levels of miR-223 were correlated positively with the titre of rheumatoid factor (RF) in RA patients. Transfection of Jurkat cells with miR-223 mimic suppressed insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and transfection with miR-34b mimic suppressed cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) protein expression by Western blotting. The protein expression of IGF-1R but not CREB was decreased in RA T cells. The addition of recombinant IGF-1-stimulated interleukin (IL)-10 production by activated normal T cells, but not RA T cells. The transfection of miR-223 mimic impaired IGF-1-mediated IL-10 production in activated normal T cells. The expression levels of SCD5, targeted by miR-34b, were decreased in RA T cells after microarray analysis. In conclusion, both miR-223 and miR-34b were over-expressed in RA T cells, but only the miR-223 expression levels were correlated positively with RF titre in RA patients. Functionally, the increased miR-223 expression could impair the IGF-1-mediated IL-10 production in activated RA T cells in vivo, which might contribute to the imbalance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

Free-energy-based lattice Boltzmann model for the simulation of multiphase flows with density contrast.

A free-energy-based phase-field lattice Boltzmann method is proposed in this work to simulate multiphase flows with density contrast. The present method is to improve the Zheng-Shu-Chew (ZSC) model [Zheng, Shu, and Chew, J. Comput. Phys. 218, 353 (2006)] for correct consideration of density contrast in the momentum equation. The original ZSC model uses the particle distribution function in the lattice Boltzmann equation (LBE) for the mean density and momentum, which cannot properly consider the effect of local density variation in the momentum equation. To correctly consider it, the particle distribution function in the LBE must be for the local density and momentum. However, when the LBE of such distribution function is solved, it will encounter a severe numerical instability. To overcome this difficulty, a transformation, which is similar to the one used in the Lee-Lin (LL) model [Lee and Lin, J. Comput. Phys. 206, 16 (2005)] is introduced in this work to change the particle distribution function for the local density and momentum into that for the mean density and momentum. As a result, the present model still uses the particle distribution function for the mean density and momentum, and in the meantime, considers the effect of local density variation in the LBE as a forcing term. Numerical examples demonstrate that both the present model and the LL model can correctly simulate multiphase flows with density contrast, and the present model has an obvious improvement over the ZSC model in terms of solution accuracy. In terms of computational time, the present model is less efficient than the ZSC model, but is much more efficient than the LL model.

Chemical looping combustion of biomass-derived syngas using ceria-supported oxygen carriers.

Cu, Ni and Fe oxides supported on ceria were investigated for their performance as oxygen carriers during the chemical looping combustion of biomass-derived syngas. A complex gas mixture containing CO, H2, CO2, CH4 and other hydrocarbons was used to simulate the complex fuel gas environment derived from biomass gasification. Results show that the transfer of the stored oxygen into oxidants for the supported Cu and Ni oxides at 800°C for the combustion of syngas was effective (>85%). The unsupported Cu oxide showed high oxygen carrying capacity but particle sintering was observed at 800°C. A reaction temperature of 950°C was required for the supported Fe oxides to transfer the stored oxygen into oxidants effectively. Also, for the complex fuel gas environment, the supported Ni oxide was somewhat effective in reforming CH4 and other light hydrocarbons into CO, which may have benefits for the reduction of tar produced during biomass pyrolysis.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs in T cells from patients with ankylosing spondylitis contributes to the immunopathogenesis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by dysregulated T cells. We hypothesized that the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in AS T cells involved in the pathogenesis of AS. The expression profile of 270 miRNAs in T cells from five AS patients and five healthy controls were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Thirteen miRNAs were found potentially differential expression. After validation, we confirmed that miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were over-expressed in AS T cells and the expression of miR-221 and let-7i were correlated positively with the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI) of lumbar spine in AS patients. The protein molecules regulated by miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were measured by Western blotting. We found that the protein levels of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), a target of let-7i, in T cells from AS patients were decreased. In addition, the mRNA expression of interferon (IFN)-γ was elevated in AS T cells. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a TLR-4 agonist, inhibited IFN-γ secretion by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28 antibodies-stimulated normal T cells but not AS T cells. In the transfection studies, we found the increased expression of let-7i enhanced IFN-γ production by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28(+) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated normal T cells. In contrast, the decreased expression of let-7i suppressed IFN-γ production by anti-CD3(+) anti-CD28(+) LPS-stimulated AS T cells. In conclusion, we found that miR-16, miR-221 and let-7i were over-expressed in AS T cells, but only miR-221 and let-7i were associated with BASRI of lumbar spine. In the functional studies, the increased let-7i expression facilitated the T helper type 1 (IFN-γ) immune response in T cells.

Decreased microRNA(miR)-145 and increased miR-224 expression in T cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus involved in lupus immunopathogenesis.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with abnormal T cell immune responses. We hypothesized that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in T cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE. First, we analysed the expression profiles of 270 human miRNAs in T cells from five SLE patients and five healthy controls and then validated those potentially aberrant-expressed miRNAs using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, the expression of mRNAs regulated by these aberrant-expressed miRNAs was detected using real-time PCR. Finally, miRNA transfection into Jurkat T cells was conducted for confirming further the biological functions of these miRNAs. The initial analysis indicated that seven miRNAs, including miR-145, miR-224, miR-513-5p, miR-150, miR-516a-5p, miR-483-5p and miR-629, were found to be potentially abnormally expressed in SLE T cells. After validation, under-expressed miR-145 and over-expressed miR-224 were noted. We further found that STAT1 mRNA targeted by miR-145 was over-expressed and apoptosis inhibitory protein 5 (API5) mRNA targeted by miR-224 was under-expressed in SLE T cells. Transfection of Jurkat cells with miR-145 suppressed STAT1 and miR-224 transfection suppressed API5 protein expression. Over-expression of miR-224 facilitates activation-induced cell death in Jurkat cells. In the clinical setting, the increased transcript levels of STAT1 were associated significantly with lupus nephritis. In conclusion, we first demonstrated that miR-145 and miR-224 were expressed aberrantly in SLE T cells that modulated the protein expression of their target genes, STAT1 and API5, respectively. These miRNA aberrations accelerated T cell activation-induced cell death by suppressing API5 expression and associated with lupus nephritis by enhancing signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT)-1 expression in patients with SLE.